5. It
Out of all the movies on this list, this Stephen King adaptation is the most likely to fail. There have been production troubles from the start, and the cast and crew are inconsistent at best. So why is it so high on the list? If you’re wondering that, you likely aren’t one of the many people who are head-over-heels in love with the original Stephen King novel.
You are also likely not one of the people who grew up watching the original miniseries starring Tim Curry. This movie places so high on the list because the prospect of an updated adaptation of King’s acclaimed novel is exciting.
It’s easy to get excited about something you’re passionate about even if there has been troublesome news surrounding it. People are still pumped about Justice League and Wonder Woman even though the DC extended universe continues to disappoint. That’s because people care about the source material. Stephen King’s It is a book with a dedicated fanbase, so it’s not hard to figure out why people are remaining cautiously optimistic.
It’s also worth staying positive because the movie really does have a lot of things going for it. Cary Fukunaga may not be attached to direct anymore, but his script is still intact. His filmography is consistently solid, so we can assume his screenplay will be just as good.
Andrés Muschietti’s previous directorial effort was flawed, but it showed that he has potential as a horror director. So yes, the rumors about the production are unfortunate, but the movie is far from dead on arrival. We’ll see how things turn out this fall, but for now, it earns its place on the list.
4. The Dark Tower
The source material for The Dark Tower samples a little bit from several different genres, including the horror genre. So it may not be an outright horror movie like most Stephen King adaptations, but it still earns its spot on the list. It doesn’t earn its spot just because it can be considered a horror movie.
No, it earns a spot on the list because The Dark Tower is one of King’s most acclaimed works in years. People are obsessed with the lengthy series, so it’s great to hear that it’s getting a sort-of-sequel in the form of a movie.
It’s also great to hear that the series is probably in the right hands. Nikolaj Arcel, the director, is known for A Royal Affair, which helped bring Alicia Vikander into the spotlight. It may not be the same genre as The Dark Tower, but it still shows that he has a knack for making films.
Additionally, the cast is terrific. Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey are a match made in heaven. The supporting cast isn’t too shabby either. Then you can also bring up Junkie XL as the composer, Ron Howard as a producer, and Akiva Goldsman as one of the screenwriters. Basically, there’s a lot of talent behind the project.
King’s books have proven to be difficult to adapt as of recently. We haven’t seen a great King adaptation since The Mist, which came out about a decade ago. It’s starting to seem like we’re overdue for a good Stephen King movie. Hopefully, this one breaks the curse.
3. It Comes At Night
Remember when the intro talked about random trailers dropping? Well, the trailer for It Comes At Night just dropped about a week and a half ago. That trailer is exactly what helped the movie earn such a high spot on the list. Also helping the movie is the fact that it comes from Trey Edward Shults, who directed last year’s critically acclaimed Krisha. Oh, and it’s being distributed by A24, who consistently dish out excellent indie movies.
The teaser is deliberately pretty vague, but it still gives viewers a sense of the basic premise and atmosphere they’ll be treated to in June. The movie looks frightening, but it also looks unique. With a lot of horror movies following such a predictable formula, it’s good to see a movie that’s willing to go above and beyond.
Once again, let’s not forget this is coming from the man who brought us Krisha. It’s always great to see indie directors get a shot at something a little bigger. Shults has shown that he can tell an interesting story. Now let’s see how he handles an interesting story in a different genre with a bigger budget.
2. Raw
Raw has made its way through numerous film festivals at this point, and the people who’ve seen it all say the same thing – it’s freaking nuts. This French horror movie about a group of teenage cannibals currently sits at a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The movie’s release is seriously right around the corner. That means it has an advantage over some of the other movies on the list. It has reviews, a trailer, and a pretty concrete plot summary. People know more about it, so they’re more likely to get excited about it. When critics are gushing with praise, why shouldn’t we get excited?
It’s more than just the reviews that make this a movie worth looking forward to. Early screeners had people fainting and puking due to the extreme violence. The daredevils looking to seek out the most disturbing movies are bound to gravitate toward Raw. It’s a relief that, unlike movies like Human Centipede and A Serbian Film, this movie seems to have value outside of the disturbing violence.
Raw seems to be a hardcore horror movie that’s as smart as it is wild. It’s the type of extreme horror movie that people have come to expect from the country that gave us the New French Extremity movement. Be sure to find a screening the minute one becomes available.
1. Alien: Covenant
Ridley Scott finally owned up to the fact that Prometheus was, in fact, an Alien movie when he titled the sequel Alien: Covenant. The bad news is that Prometheus has earned somewhat of a polarizing response among moviegoers. The good news is that, based on the trailers, this is much closer to a traditional Alien movie than its predecessor. After all, this time it’s willing to admit that it’s an Alien movie.
Following a return-to-form with The Martian, Scott has a lot to live up to with his latest crack at the series that put him on the map. Luckily, things are looking great so far. The cast is stellar, the tone looks just right, and the visual effects are gorgeous. On top of that, the screenplay comes courtesy of John Logan, who has few misfires in his filmography. This is looking like the Alien movie people have been waiting to see.
More importantly, Alien: Covenant looks like the most horrifying entry in the series since the original. After going full on action for most of the series, Scott came back to the series and once again experimented with horror when he made Prometheus.
Still, he didn’t fully commit to the genre. This one is looking far more like the claustrophobic space nightmare fans have grown to know and love. Assuming it avoids leaving a million unanswered questions like its predecessor, this take on the Alien series should leave people satisfied.
Author Bio: Justin is a paraprofessional teaching assistant and full-time film enthusiast with a degree in English. When he’s not writing about films, he’s probably watching them in his spare time.