Upcoming Horror Movies That Will Freak You Out

"Malignant" sees "Aquaman" director James Wan returning to his horror roots with, thankfully, an original story, not yet another entry in the "Saw," "Insidious" or "Conjuring" franchises (all of which Wan helped create). British actress Annabelle Wallis (from "The Conjuring" universe's "Annabelle") stars as a woman who begins having terrifying nightmares about grisly murders that turn out to actually happen. There also seems to be some kind of imaginary childhood friend who may be behind the events.

McKenna Grace appears to be playing the young version of Wallis' character, and is well on her way to becoming a horror staple herself; she has also appeared in "Annabelle: Comes Home," "Amityville: The Awakening," "The Haunting of Hill House," and the upcoming "Ghostbusters: Afterlife." Written by Akela Cooper ("Luke Cage"), Ingrid Bisu, and Wan himself, "Malignant" could be a promising new story for horror fans. It's refreshing to see a film that's not part of an existing franchise.

For those of us who have followed and loved Edgar Wright's work over the years, the prospect of him taking on a noir-ish psychological horror-thriller — one that doesn't appear to have any of the light-hearted humor that usually peppers his work — is hugely exciting. "Last Night in Soho" looks like a big change in direction and tone for the British director, and he's wearing his cinephile influences on his sleeve more than ever before. From what we can tell, "Last Night in Soho" lifts from "Peeping Tom" (1960), "Blood and Black Lace" (1964), "Blow-Up" (1966), and "Performance" (1970), just to name a few.

This partly '60s-set film stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomasin McKenzie in what appears to be the same role. Is it time travel? Is it a dream, fantasy, or wish fulfillment? The "Last Night in Soho" trailer mentions ghosts and raises many questions that we cannot wait to find out the answers to. Throw in Dame Diana Rigg's last role and as well as '60s legends Terence Stamp, Rita Tushingham, and Margaret Nolan, and this is easily one of the most hotly-anticipated films of the year. 

You may laugh at the inclusion of a "Ghostbusters" film in a horror film preview, but from the original 1984 classic through the 2016 reboot, the franchise has always included some genuinely creepy or even scary moments, especially if you were watching at an impressionable young age. For example, the basements of libraries have always been bone-chilling places, thanks to the opening of the first film.

From the look of its most recent trailer, "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" seems to be taking a darker tone, with fewer jokes than the previous films — although, why would you cast Paul Rudd if it isn't going to be a comedy? The influence of "Stranger Things" and "It" (2017) on the movie seems undeniable, especially with the presence of Finn Wolfhard, who leads the cast alongside McKenna Grace and Carrie Coon. All of the surviving original Ghostbusters appear to be on board as well, but whether they will have cameos (or maybe just voice overs) or more prominent roles remains to be seen.

More of a thriller than a horror movie, with none of the supernatural elements we've come to know and love from Mexican maestro Guillermo del Toro, "Nightmare Alley" will be a dark, psychological noir with a hard-R rating. Based on the book published in 1946, which was adapted into a film a year later, this updated take has a spectacular cast that includes Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara ("Carol" reunion!), and Willem Dafoe. It focuses on the seedy underbelly of society in the '40s, telling a story about a carnival full of grifters, including a manipulative carny (Cooper) who meets his match in Blanchett's psychiatrist. 

While del Toro has had his fingers in many pies since winning the Oscar for "The Shape of Water," this is his first time back in the director's chair since 2017. Production shut down literally halfway through filming when the pandemic started, meaning that we have been waiting for this one for a very long time. This is just one of many reasons why "Nightmare Alley" is one of the hotly-anticipated films (in any genre) of 2021.

"The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" is yet another sequel to the 1974 classic, focusing on a now-60-year-old Leatherface 47 years after the events of the original. The story revolves around two sisters — Melody (Sarah Yarkin) and Dreama ("Eighth Grade" star Elsie Fisher) — and sees Melody dragging her younger sister along when she takes a business trip to Texas. David Blue Garcia is directing (after the original directors were fired one week into shooting) and production is said to have wrapped in March 2021. It will come as no surprise that it has an R rating.

Mark Burnham plays Leatherface (replacing the late Gunnar Hansen) and Olwen Fouéré plays Sally Hardesty (replacing the late Marilyn Burns). French-Irish actress Olwen Fouéré is no stranger to spooky genre films, with roles in "Beast," "Mandy," and "Sea Fever." The same can also be said of cast-member Alice Krige, who was recently seen in the great "Gretel & Hansel." After all these decades, let's hope that we are finally getting a sequel worthy of the "Texas Chainsaw" name.