May is going to be an interesting month for the genre because other than the return of Showtime’s excellent Penny Dreadful, there are a lot of unknowns seeing a release. What I mean by that is that most of these movies, while certainly looking promising, don’t have much buzz following them around. But before we get started, here’s what I watched in February:
Darling (review): Outside of a phenomenal performance by Lauren Ashley Carter and its stunning visuals, the lack of character development and a weak plot ultimately hold this one back.
High-Rise (review): Gorgeous and complicated, this insane little film that will no doubt appeal to fans of Ben Wheatley.
May 1
Penny Dreadful S3 (Showtime)
Cast: Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton, Eva Green
Explorer Sir Malcolm Murray, American gunslinger Ethan Chandler, scientist Victor Frankenstein and medium Vanessa Ives unite to combat supernatural threats in Victorian London.
May 3
Scherzo Diabolico (VOD)
Director: Adrián García Bogliano
Cast: Francisco Barreiro, Daniela Soto Vell, Jorge Molina
A bored accountant can’t win for losing. He is passed over for promotion at work, has a nagging shrew of a wife, and is generally disrespected by all he comes in contact with. He devises a scheme to get what he feels he is owed. After executing his well thought out plan of kidnap and ransom, things soon go straight to hell.
Submerged (Netflix & Blu-ray)
Director: Steven C. Miller
Cast: Jonathan Bennett, Talulah Riley, Rosa Salazar
A young woman and her friends, who’ve been targeted by kidnappers, must do everything they can to survive after their limo is forced off the road and plunged into a canal.
May 6
The Offering (Theaters & VOD)
Director: Kelvin Tong
Cast: Matthew Settle, Elizabeth Rice, Pamelyn Chee
When young and successful reporter Jamie finds out that her sister has died in mysterious circumstances, she travels to Singapore to uncover the truth. There, she discovers multiple deaths linked to her sister’s and must join forces with her sister’s husband in order to defeat a demonic entity that is using new technology to complete an ancient mission.
Bite (VOD)
Director: Chad Archibald
Cast: Elma Begovic, Annette Wozniak, Jordan Gray
While on her bachelorette party getaway, Casey, the bride to be, gets a seemingly harmless bite from an unknown insect. After returning home with cold feet, Casey tries to call off her wedding but before she’s able to, she starts exhibiting insect like traits. Between her physical transformation and her wedding anxiety, Casey succumbs to her new instincts and begins creating a hive that not only houses her translucent eggs, but feeds on the flesh of others. As her transformation becomes complete, Casey discovers that everything can change with a single bite.
May 13
The Darkness (Theaters)
Director: Greg McLean
Cast: Jennifer Morrison, Kevin Bacon, Lucy Fry
A family returns from a Grand Canyon vacation with a supernatural presence in tow.
What We Become (Theaters & VOD)
Director: Bo Mikkelsen
Cast: Mille Dinesen, Marie Hammer Boda, Troels Lyby
A family of four is quarantined in their home as a virulent strand of the flu spreads into town and they are forced to the extreme to escape alive.
Most Likely To Die (Theaters & VOD)
Director: Anthony DiBlasi
Cast: Chad Addison, Jake Busey, Tess Christiansen
A group of former classmates gather for a pre-party at one of their homes the night before their 10-year high school reunion, and one by one, they are brutally slain in a manner befitting each’s senior yearbook superlative.
May 17
The Curse of Sleeping Beauty (VOD)
Director: Pearry Reginald Teo
Cast: Ethan Peck, India Eisley, Natalie Hall
Thomas Kaiser inherits an ancestral mansion that has been in his family for generations, only to learn that he has also inherited an ancient curse stemming back to the Crusades. Forced into his new role as “protector”, the guardian appointed to keep the evil demons in the house at bay, Thomas must unravel the mystery of the house, while struggling to awaken the beautiful Briar Rose, held captive in a terrifying netherworld seen previously in his dreams.
May 27
The Ones Below (Theaters & VOD)
Director: David Farr
Cast: Clémence Poésy, David Morrissey, Stephen Campbell Moore
A couple expecting their first child discover an an unnerving difference between themselves and the couple living in the flat below them who are also having a baby.
Predictions
What you shouldn’t miss:
Like I said above, this entire month consists of unknowns, a bunch of movies that just haven’t generated much hype, so we’re kind of going into these blind. That said, one of this month’s releases is without a doubt going to be great and that is Penny Dreadful.
- One of the very best shows on TV right now is Showtime’s Penny Dreadful, now entering its third season. In my opinion (for what it’s worth), Penny Dreadful has brought new life to some of horror’s most classic monsters, allowing them to thrive in a new world like never before. That and the “no cgi” rule for its monsters is just another reason why this show is so far ahead of anything else in its genre. This show fucking rules.
What you should take a chance on:
I’d say you could really take a chance on any of these movies—since we know so little about them—but one that I think could be decent is The Darkness, which is the only film here that’s actually seeing a wide release.
- While I was left feeling mostly cold on everything we’ve seen from The Darkness so far, the fact that Wolf Creek’s Greg Mclean is behind this one might make it worth checking out.
Which film are you looking forward to the most?
Other than Penny Dreadful, the movie I’m looking forward to the most is The Darkness.
themissingreel.com 
I like the idea behind things like Most Likely to Die and The Curse of Sleeping Beauty, but those things need to be executed perfectly to live up to what they promise I think. Otherwise those things could be disasters. I’m on the fence about The Darkness. It’s got a great cast but the trailer doesn’t do much for me
Couldn’t agree more, Tom. I’ll definitely be waiting to hear what others have to say about some of these before diving in. The Darkness really didn’t do much for me either, but there’s plenty of talent involved so who knows… maybe it’ll surprise us?
I should totally take the time and do a Penny Dreadful run. I watched the first season and really enjoyed it, then never got around to watching season two when it came. I will have to rectify that. Great round up, as always.
You definitely need to. I thought the second season was great and even better than the first.
Then I am all over it!
I plan to watch “Submerged” on netflix, later today or tomorrow.
Nice!
Do yourself a favor and don’t waste your time w/ “Submerged”. I couldn’t even finish the first act. The directing was terrible; it was unfocused and aimless. It takes too long to establish the characters, the script felt like a first draft and the acting was mediocre. Too many other interesting and potentially good movies out there to waste your valuable time with this.
Anyone looking for a good horror on netflix, check out “Hush” that came out last month. That one was a lot of fun!
I’m keen for The Darkness. I’ve barely seen any of the marketing for it. But the fact it’s a Blumhouse film directed by Greg Mclean makes me keen to check it out.
Cool to hear you’re a fan of Penny Dreadful. I’ve been meaning to give that show a try for a while.
Yeah, I’m hoping The Darkness turns out to be pretty good. As far as Penny Dreadful, definitely check it out man. It’s awesome, especially if you dig all of the classic Universal monsters.
Reblogged this on askmrshorrorboom.
What a great run down, love your recommendations!!