The movie line-up for Sundance 2015 has been revealed, and there’s a lot to love for fans of genre filmmaking. From horror, to sci-fi, to even more horror, here are 10 movies to look out for in January.
1. Knock Knock
Official Description: Two beautiful young girls walk into a married man’s life and turn a wild fantasy into his worst nightmare.
Why You Should Be Excited: It’s Eli Roth and Keanu Reeves doing a movie together, so I figure that already tells you enough about this one for you to decide if you want to see it or not. It is worth mentioning though that since The Green Inferno doesn’t look like it’s going to be released any time soon, this might end up being the first new Eli Roth feature since 2005’s Hostel II.
Director: Eli Roth, Screenwriters: Eli Roth, Nicolas Lopez, Guillermo Amoedo.
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo, Ana De Armas, Aaron Burns, Ignacia Allamand, Colleen Camp.
2. The Hallow
Official Description: When a London-based conservationist is sent to Ireland to survey an area of ancient forest believed by the superstitious locals to be hallowed ground, he unwittingly disturbs a horde of terrifying beings and must fight to protect his family.
Why You Should Be Excited: The guy who directed this is also helming the reboot of The Crow, so he’s definitely one you’ll want to keep your eye on.
Director: Corin Hardy, Screenwriters: Corin Hardy, Felipe Marino.
Cast: Joseph Mawle, Bojana Novakovic, Michael McElhatton, Michael Smiley.
3. Hellions
Official Description: Teenage Dora Vogel must survive a Halloween night from hell when malevolent trick-or-treaters come knocking at her door.
Why You Should Be Excited: Bruce McDonald directed this one, and he was also responsible for the criminally underrated Pontypool. A sequel to that film has been in development hell for over half a decade now, so it’s great to see that McDonald has been working on something else horror-related while we wait.
Director: Bruce McDonald, Screenwriter: Pascal Trottier.
Cast: Chloe Rose, Robert Patrick, Rossif Sutherland, Rachel Wilson, Peter DaCunha, Luke Bilyk.
4. The Nightmare
Official Description: A documentary-horror film exploring the phenomenon of sleep paralysis through the eyes of eight people. They (and a surprisingly large number of others) often find themselves trapped between the sleeping and awake realms, unable to move but aware of their surroundings while subject to disturbing sights and sounds.
Why You Should Be Excited: A horror documentary is already an intriguing idea. Throw in a focus on one of the most horrifying yet real bodily phenomena, and you’ve got a recipe for a sleepless night.
Director: Rodney Ascher.
5. Turbo Kid
Official Description: In a post-apocalyptic future, The Kid, an orphaned outcast, meets a mysterious girl. They become friends until Zeus, the sadistic leader of the Wasteland, kidnaps her. The Kid must face his fears, and journey to rid the Wasteland of evil and save the girl.
Why You Should Be Excited: Because this movie poster is just too good for words. Plus, it has Michael Ironside in it, and he’s pretty awesome.
Directors: Anouk Whissell, Francois Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell, Screenwriters: Anouk Whissell, Francois Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell.
Cast: Munro Chambers, Laurence Leboeuf, Michael Ironside, Aaron Jeffery, Edwin Wright.
6. It Follows
Official Description: After a strange sexual encounter, a teenager finds herself haunted by nightmarish visions and the inescapable sense that something is after her.
Why You Should Be Excited: A teen horror movie by David Robert Mitchell should already be an intriguing idea to anyone who’s seen The Myth of the American Sleepover. For everyone else, It Follows got a pretty great reception out of Cannes, and that’s nothing to sneeze at.
Director and screenwriter: David Robert Mitchell.
Cast: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe.
7. The Witch
Official Description: New England in the 1630s: William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life with five children, homesteading on the edge of an impassable wilderness. When their newborn son vanishes and crops fail, the family turns on one another. Beyond their worst fears, a supernatural evil lurks in the nearby wood.
Why You Should Be Excited: Because period piece horror movies are way too rare.
Director and screenwriter: Robert Eggers.
Cast: Anya Taylor Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Lucas Dawson, Ellie Grainger.
8. Reversal
Official Description: A gritty psychological thriller about a young woman chained in a basement of a sexual predator and manages to escape. However, right when she has a chance for freedom, she unravels a hard truth and decides to turn the tables on her captor.
Why You Should Be Excited: This one sounds like a good ol’ fashioned revenge/torture film in the vein of The Last House on the Left and Hard Candy, just in Spanish.
Director: J.M Cravioto, Screenwriters: Rock Shaink, Keith Kjornes.
Cast: Tina Ivlev, Richard Tyson, Bianca Malinowski.
9. White God
Official Description: When young Lili is forced to give up her beloved dog, Hagen, because its mixed-breed heritage is deemed “unfit” by The State, she and the dog begin a dangerous journey back toward each other.
Why You Should Be Excited: Dogs are pretty awesome to begin with, and it helps that this one is the Hungarian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at this year’s Academy Awards.
Director: Kornél Mundruczó, Screenwriters: Kata Wéber, Kornél Mundruczó, Viktória Petrányi.
Cast: Zsófia Psotta, Sandor Zsótér, Szabolcs Thuróczy, Lili Monori, László Gálffi, Lili Horváth.
10. Z for Zachariah
Official Description: In a post-apocalyptic world, a young woman who believes she is the last human on Earth meets a dying scientist searching for survivors. Their relationship becomes tenuous when another survivor appears. As the two men compete for the woman’s affection, their primal urges begin to reveal their true nature.
Why You Should Be Excited: It stars both Chris Pine and Margot Robbie, so if you ever wanted to see a romance between Captain Kirk and Harley Quinn, now’s your chance.
Director: Craig Zobel, Screenwriter: Nissar Modi.
Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Margot Robbie, Chris Pine.
Sundance 2015 will take place from January 22 to February 1.
