Hello, dear readers! We made it through January (finally) and now we have four new weeks of VOD and Digital releases headed our way throughout the month of February. And for those of you looking for an excuse to stay home and away from all that cold weather out there, we have plenty of entertainment headed to the small screen that should keep you busy.
Check out our rundown of all the great horror and sci-fi headed to a variety of platforms and streaming applications below, and happy streaming!
Laguna Ave (ARROW) - Exclusively on ARROW February 1st
Russell, a burned-out television editor and middle-aged slacker with a prosthetic hand futilely searches for work in Hollywood's brutal, exploitative underbelly. His former boss owes him money, his partner Rita is always out of town and inaccessible, and his new downstairs neighbor, Gary keeps him awake at night with mysterious, disturbing noises. But everything changes one evening when Gary pays Russell a visit introducing him to a sinister world of an accelerationist conspiracy.
Superhost (RLJE Films) - February 1st
In SUPERHOST, Teddy and Claire are travel vloggers who run a channel called “SUPERHOST” where they travel and share their experiences in and around vacation homes, and until recently, had become successful doing it. With a dwindling subscriber count, they find the perfect opportunity to create content that people want to see when they meet Rebecca, the host of their most recent trip. Slowly they start to realize that something isn’t right with Rebecca, and as they investigate it further, they unlock a horrifying truth. She doesn’t just want a great review, she wants something far worse.
Ghosts of the Ozarks (XYZ Films) - February 3rd
Tim Blake Nelson, David Arquette, Angela Bettis, Thomas Hobson, Phil Morris and Tara Perry star in this exciting new take on the southern ghost story. In post-Civil War Arkansas, a young doctor is mysteriously summoned to a remote town in the Ozarks only to discover that the utopian paradise is filled with secrets and surrounded by a menacing, supernatural presence.
Slapface (Shudder) - Exclusively on Shudder February 3rd
After the death of his mother, Lucas, a loner who lives in a rundown home with his brother Tom, regularly seeks solace in the nearby woods. With his only “friends” being a group of female bullies, he keeps to himself most of the time. But, after a strange encounter with an inhuman monster, Lucas begins to withdraw from others. When the two reach a tentative trust, a bizarre friendship is born, and Lucas is swept up in a series of primal adventures.
The Long Night (Well Go USA) - February 4th
While searching for the parents she’s never known, New York transplant Grace (Scout Taylor-Compton) returns to her childhood southern stomping grounds with her boyfriend (Nolan Gerard Funk) to investigate a promising lead on her family’s whereabouts. Upon arrival, the couple’s weekend takes a bizarre, terrifying turn as a nightmarish cult and their maniacal leader terrorize the pair en route to fulfilling a twisted ancient apocalyptic prophecy.
Apex (RLJE Films) - February 8th
In APEX, serving a life sentence for a crime he didn’t commit, ex-cop Thomas Malone is offered a chance at freedom if he can survive a deadly game of Apex. Six hunters pay for the pleasure of hunting another human on a remote island, but once Malone arrives all hell breaks loose. Laying traps and playing mind games, Malone tries to turn the tables and fight for his life and his future.
Bite Me (Adventure Kids/Blue Firefly Films) - February 8th
When Sarah, a real-life vampire, gets audited by the IRS, the last thing she expects to get out of it is a date. But James, her hopelessly romantic IRS agent, thinks she’s other-worldly. As an unlikely attraction sparks between the two misfits, they are forced to confront whether they have the courage to commit the terrifying, radical act of falling in love.
Exorcist Vengeance (Uncork’d Entertainment) - February 8th
A possession spooker with state-of-the-art special effects, the film tells of a tough priest (Robert Bronzi), someone the Vatican calls to do their dirty work. When a prominent family is terrorized by a demonic force, the priest is called upon by Bishop Canelo to root out the evil, but soon realizes the solution to this mystery is tied to his own past. He must find the killer and stop the Devil's hold on the family before it's too late.
Student Body (1091 Pictures) - February 8th
A distressing incident compels childhood best friends Jane and Merritt to take action against their high school math teacher, driving their splintered relationship into further turmoil and provoking deadly consequences.
All the Moons (Shudder) - Exclusively on Shudder February 10th
North of Spain, at the end of the 19th century, during the final throes of the last Carlist war, a little girl is rescued from an orphanage by a mysterious woman after it’s destroyed by a bomb. Wounded and close to death, the girl believes the woman is an angel coming to take her to Heaven. Soon, however, she discovers that this strange being has given her the gift of eternal life by turning her into a vampire.
Cosmic Dawn (Cranked Up) - February 11th
After witnessing an alien abduction as a child (and subsequently being told she’s crazy for most of her life) Aurora, now a young woman, joins the UFO cult The Cosmic Dawn after discovering a book written by the group’s leader, Elyse. Aurora’s time at the cult’s remote island compound is marked by miraculous revelations, consciousness expanding flowers, and a burgeoning friendship with Tom, the resident cook. When a fellow cult member starts to display increasingly bizarre behavior, Aurora begins to question Elyse’s sanity (and her own) and starts looking for a way out.
Years later, after the dissolution of the cult, Aurora has moved on with her life. She leads a quiet and seemingly normal life. But when Elyse resurfaces in a mysterious video, Aurora is forced to confront her past. Together with Tom, she pursues the ultimate truth about The Cosmic Dawn. Does Elyse really have access to another dimension? Or do her prophesies truly point to mass suicide amongst the surviving cult members?
Joe Bob’s Heartbreak Trailer Park (Shudder) - Exclusively on Shudder February 11th
Love (and a tinge of horror) is in the air for The Last Drive-In’s new special! Joe Bob Briggs will be joined by special guests for a double feature of two unique films that explore the heartbreaking side of Valentine’s Day.
Flee the Light (Breaking Glass Pictures) - February 15th
Flee the Light follows sisters Andra and Delfi, who travel to a remote town after Delfi insists she was once a witch and they must visit the sacred place of her coven. While there, Andra's infected with an evil force and now it’s up to Delfi to save her sister from a fate worse than death.
Help (Riddler Films) - February 15th
A young woman's life turns chaotic when she uncovers a deadly secret about her friend...A painful break up prompts Grace to visit her friend Liv who is living in the idyllic English countryside with her boyfriend Edward and his dog Polly. The trio start the weekend in high spirits but soon turns into chaos, as well-kept secrets are exposed and the friends come to see each other in a whole new light. Everyone has a secret...
Here Before (Saban Films) - February 15th
Andrea Riseborough (Black Mirror) is spellbinding as the distraught mother, haunted by the death of her young daughter, who develops an all-consuming obsession over the neighbor's girl who she believes is the reincarnation of her child.
When new neighbors move in, Laura (Riseborough) is awakened from her mundane daily routine of errands and exercise. She becomes transfixed by their young daughter, Megan (astonishing newcomer Niamh Dornan). Megan’s parents Marie (Eileen O’Higgins, Mary Queen of Scots) and Chris (Martin McCann, Killing Bono), initially don’t seem to mind as Laura offers Megan a ride home from school and an invitation to dinner.
Her husband Brendon (Jonjo O’Neill, The Queen’s Gambit) grows concerned as his wife’s infatuation with the young girl spirals into increasingly erratic behavior. Eerily, Megan seemingly knows far too many specific details of their family life and displays similar mannerisms of their dead daughter.
Is the trauma of losing her child causing Laura to lose grip on reality, or is Megan truly the reincarnation of her daughter?
King Knight (XYZ Films) - February 17th
Thorn (CRIMINAL MINDS’ Matthew Gray Gubler) and Willow appear to have it all as the revered high priest and priestess of a coven of new age witches. But a secret from Thorn’s past throws their lives into turmoil and sends them on a trippy, hilarious journey.
They Live in the Grey (Shudder) - Exclusively on Shudder February 17th
While investigating a child abuse case, a young social worker discovers that a supernatural entity is tormenting the family. To save the parents from losing custody of their child, she must confront her fears and use her clairvoyance to stop the malevolent force.
A Banquet (IFC Films) - February 18th
Widowed mother Holly (Sienna Guillory) is radically tested when her teenage daughter Betsey (Jessica Alexander) experiences a profound enlightenment and insists that her body is no longer her own, but in service to a higher power. Bound to her newfound faith, Betsey refuses to eat but loses no weight. In an agonizing dilemma, torn between love and fear, Holly is forced to confront the boundaries of her own beliefs.
Incarnation (Cinedigm) - February 18th
A throwback to the popular haunted house sub-genre, Incarnation centers around a young couple chasing the American dream. Brad (Taye Diggs) and Jess (Jessica Uberuaga) move to Los Angeles in search of a better life. When they stumble upon a hidden real estate gem, managed by the laid-back landlord Peter (Michael Madsen), they are elated by their turn of fortune. But their ideal home is hiding a secret far more sinister than they could have ever imagined, for the very walls are alive with an ancient evil, and they soon learn that greed comes with a hefty price.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) (Netflix) - Available Exclusively on Netflix February 18th
Melody (Sarah Yarkin), her teenage sister Lila (Elsie Fisher), and their friends Dante (Jacob Latimore) and Ruth (Nell Hudson), head to the remote town of Harlow, Texas to start an idealistic new business venture. But their dream soon turns into a waking nightmare when they accidentally disrupt the home of Leatherface, the deranged serial killer whose blood-soaked legacy continues to haunt the area’s residents — including Sally Hardesty (Olwen Fouéré), the sole survivor of his infamous 1973 massacre who’s hell-bent on seeking revenge.
Hellbender (Shudder) - Exclusively on Shudder February 24th
16-year-old Izzy leads an isolated life on a lonely mountaintop. All she’s learned is from her protective mom and the wilderness that swallows them. It’s a gentle, quiet existence — except for when Izzy and Mom bang out loud songs for their band, H6LLB6ND6R. Izzy dreams of a live gig, but her mother thinks she’s too sick and mustn’t be around others. Questioning her illness and starved for companionship, Izzy sneaks down the mountain where she befriends brazen Amber. Izzy is in heaven until a cruel drinking game with a live worm unleashes a new kind of hunger.
The Burning Sea (Magnet) - February 25th
In 1969, the Norwegian government announced their discovery of one of the world’s largest oil fields in the neighboring North Sea, launching a prosperous period of offshore drilling. 50 years later, the environmental consequences begin to manifest – a crack has opened on the ocean floor, causing a rig to collapse. A team of researchers, including submarine operator Sofia, rushes in to search for the missing and assess the cause of the damage, but what they discover is that this is just the start of a possible apocalyptic catastrophe. As rigs are evacuated, Sofia's loving companion Stian becomes trapped in the depths of the sea, and Sofia must dive in to rescue him. THE BURNING SEA is the latest disaster epic from the team behind THE QUAKE and THE WAVE.
Strawberry Mansion (Music Box Films) - February 25th
In 2035, our dreams are no longer our own–they’re infused with product placement and auditors assess unpaid taxes on our most private reveries. Beleaguered taxman James Preble (Kentucker Audley) arrives at a run-down house in the countryside for a routine audit and encounters Bella Isadora (Penny Fuller), a lifelong dreamer who remains resolutely analog, circumventing the surveillance state with VHS tapes and homemade headgear. As Preble works his way through Bella’s archive of the unconscious, he begins to fall in love with visions of her younger self (Grace Glowicki). But all is not well in dreamland as dangerous family secrets and a rogue’s gallery of blue demons and fried chicken pitchmen threaten to set the lovers’ paradise ablaze. Can Preble and Bella escape from the modern, monetized dreamscape and find refuge in Strawberry Mansion.
Heather A. Wixson was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, until she followed her dreams and moved to Los Angeles in 2009. A 14-year veteran in the world of horror entertainment journalism, Wixson fell in love with genre films at a very early age, and has spent more than a decade as a writer and supporter of preserving the history of horror and science fiction cinema. Throughout her career, Wixson has contributed to several notable websites, including Fangoria, Dread Central, Terror Tube, and FEARnet, and she currently serves as the Managing Editor for Daily Dead, which has been her home since 2013. She's also written for both Fangoria Magazine & ReMind Magazine, and her latest book project, Monsters, Makeup & Effects: Volume One will be released on October 20, 2021.
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