Every year, there are some great horror releases and some that might make for a cheesy and entertaining evening but don't measure up. While fans of the genre will always look out for new releases, it's definitely true that 2022 has stood out since there have been so many impressive, fantastic scary movies. Not only have audiences been able to see a variety of genres, which feels exciting, but many popular franchises have had new entries that have that special and irreplaceable nostalgia factor.
2022 just might be the most thrilling year for horror movies that fans have experienced in a long time, with some truly brilliant films that people will be talking about for a long time to come.
There have been many anticipated 2022 horror films, including The Black Phone, starring Ethan Hawke as creepy villain The Grabber. According to Box Office Mojo, the film adaptation of Joe Hill's short story has been a huge success, grossing $159,568,230 worldwide. Jason Blum told The Wrap that he was watching how the movie did: "“We know IP horror works, but we don’t know if original horror is working well, and I think the industry is looking at ‘Black Phone’ to see if the marketplace going to accept original horror now." He said the movie doing badly "does not bode well for original horror that’s theatrically released.”
The Black Phone has done so well and that proves that new horror stories are something that people really want. The Black Phone's child actors are wonderful and the movie is emotional as well as being very scary, which proves how much can be done with a horror story. In a world of remakes, it's great that this completely fresh movie fascinated horror fans so much and was a must-see this year.
One of the best horror movies from 2022 is Jordan Peele's highly anticipated new movie Nope. Horror fans were thrilled to rush to the theater to see what this film was about and horror fans continue to debate Nope's true meaning. It definitely gave audiences a lot to think about, and it's exciting to have Peele making such fascinating films. Since Jordan Peele hinted at a Get Out sequel recently as well, it looks like fans will get to enjoy Peele's brilliant, creative work for a long time.
2022 was also an exciting year for fans of Leatherface. While it would have been fun for Texas Chainsaw Massacre to be released in movie theaters, it was still enjoyable for those who have followed the slasher franchise for a long time to watch it on Netflix. While the first film was released in 1974, there have been seven movies since of varying quality, and fans were definitely interested in seeing how director David Blue Garcia would enter this world. There are some disappointing and confusing moments, but it was still great for fans to revisit the franchise.
This year also gave horror fans two impressive movies by Ti West. First there was X, which was released in theaters in March 2022, starring Jenna Ortega, Brittany Snow, and Mia Goth in two stunning roles. It was fun seeing Goth play both young Maxine, who is making an adult movie along with the other characters, and elderly Pearl, who is full of terrible surprises. The X prequel Pearl hit theaters mid-September. It's definitely rare and special to have a horror film and its prequel both be released in the same year, and both movies go deep into Pearl's layers and unique personality. Horror fans looking for something very different from typical releases are happy with both movies.
For fans of Scream, 2022 was perhaps the most thrilling year of all because it began with the January 14th release of Scream (2022), the fifth film in the franchise that is so beloved. While the upcoming Scream 6 has a lot of characters, Scream (2022) was impressive in so many ways. Fans were treated to so much that was famiilar, from two Ghostface killers to favorite characters Dewey Riley (David Arquette), Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) and, of course, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell). The teenage characters are also solid and special, able to stand on their own two feet and be just as funny and smart and witty as audiences expect.
Last but not least, horror fans are getting ready to watch Halloween Ends, the third entry in David Gordon Green's Halloween trilogy. The final Halloween Ends trailer shows Michael Myers looking terrifying and audiences are hopeful that Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) can celebrate her victory against the villain once and for all.
2022 has been a fantastic year for horror fans who want to see new, fresh stories but also love getting the chance to revisit favorite characters, villains and worlds. There is also a lot to look forward to in 2023, including Knock At The Cabin, Evil Dead Rise, and the sixth Scream film.