It used to be that the summer was a slow month for the genre, especially when you consider the competition, but thanks to VOD that really isn’t the case anymore—we see a handful of great films hit the VOD market every month and June is no exception. But what’s most exciting about this month is that we are not only getting a new James Wan film, but it happens to be the sequel to one of the biggest horror movies ever—The Conjuring! And because I didn’t watch much of anything this month, here’s a few reviews (just click their links for the full thing!) from friends and fellow bloggers that are very much worth a read!

Die Die Delta Pi (The ICP): “This should have been right up my alley but… it really kind of sucked and I don’t know why exactly. The DP? The sound? The TERRIBLE acting? The lack of substance? I don’t know – I can usually forgive all of that. But I just never got into this thing.”

He Never Died (The Final Scene): “The slow moving action and odd sense of humour may catch some audiences off guard. But, for those who can enjoy putting their plausibility aside, will relish in the raucousness of the film and be rewarded with giddy gore.”

Last Shift (Parlor of Horror): “This is a fun horror flick combining both psychological and visceral terror with a super creepy climax.”

Fright Night (Zoe): “Fright Night is a fun watch that doesn’t require too much investment, and gives us nastier, more creepy vampires again, plenty humour and good effects.”

High-Rise (Mettel Ray): “By the end, it all is just too much, and maybe it works better as a book, but as a movie, High-Rise begs for simplicity and the viewer cries for help.”

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June 3

Girl in the Woods (VOD)

Director: Jeremy Benson

Cast: Charisma Carpenter, Juliet Reeves London, Jeremy London

After a tragic accident Grace is lost and alone in the Smoky Mountains. Grace’s struggle for survival is made more complicated by her troubled past. Battling the demons in her mind may be the only way to come out alive.

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June 10

The Conjuring 2 (Theaters)

Director: James Wan

Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Franka Potente

Lorraine and Ed Warren travel to north London to help a single mother raising four children alone in a house plagued by malicious spirits.

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June 17

Clown (Theaters & VOD)

Director: Jon Watts

Cast: Andy Powers, Laura Allen, Peter Stormare

A loving father finds a clown suit for his son’s birthday party, only to realize that it is not a suit at all.

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June 24

Accidental Exorcist (VOD)

Director: Daniel Falicki

Cast: Daniel Falicki, Mary Brown, Michael Cunningham

Richard Vanuck is a natural born Exorcist, in fact, he’s the best there ever was and with possessions on the rise across the city, he’s booked solid. Reluctantly, he faces the fact that performing exorcisms is the only thing he’s truly good at even though it’s wearing him down and making his life utterly miserable.

The Neon Demon (Theaters)

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn

Cast: Elle Fanning, Christina Hendricks, Keanu Reeves

When aspiring model Jesse moves to Los Angeles, her youth and vitality are devoured by a group of beauty-obsessed women who will take any means necessary to get what she has.

The Shallows (Theaters)

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra

Cast: Blake Lively, Óscar Jaenada, Brett Cullen

A mere 200 yards from shore, surfer Nancy is attacked by a great white shark, with her short journey to safety becoming the ultimate contest of wills.

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Predictions

What you shouldn’t miss:

I feel like this goes without saying but James Wan’s The Conjuring 2 is absolutely a must-see, but perhaps the biggest surprise could be The Shallows! Here’s why:

• Again, I shouldn’t have to explain why The Conjuring 2 is one you shouldn’t miss—James Wan + horror = a done deal! That said, it will be interesting to see if the sequel lives up to the massive success of the original.

• And then there’s The Shallows, a movie that looks like a razor sharp blend between 127 Hours and Open Water. Not only have the trailers been the stuff of nightmares, but the movie itself looks wonderfully shot and straight up terrifying.

What you should take a chance on:

And while the movies you shouldn’t miss are pretty much a done deal (especially with The Conjuring 2, anyway) there are a couple of very promising looking movies that I think could surprise a lot of people. They are Clown and The Neon Demon!

• Clown is particularly interesting because the movie has been floating around for years, finished, just unreleased here in the states. But since it wrapped in 2014, its director Jon Watts sort of blew up, releasing last year’s kick ass thriller Cop Car and is currently gearing up for the next Spider-Man flick. All of that makes the release of Clown that much more exciting!
• I originaly had The Neon Demon pegged as a movie you wouldn’t want to miss—it being a horror movie by Nicolas Winding Refn and all—but since its recent premiere at Cannes, reviews have not been kind, so I thought it would be better served to go into it on the fence. Still looks phenomenal, though, and is certainly one to keep an eye on.

Which film are you looking forward to the most?

I have to go with The Conjuring 2 because no one does it better than James Wan when it comes to big budget horror.