Daily Dead’s 2019 Spring/Summer Movie Preview

With Pet Sematary (2019) headed to theaters today, that means we’re officially kicking off the Spring Movie Season, which makes it the perfect time to take a look ahead at all the horror, sci-fi, and genre-adjacent films headed to big and small screens in the coming months. And considering the Summer Movie Season seems to unofficially kick off earlier and earlier every year, this writer thought it only made sense to just go ahead and get a jump on the titles you should keep an eye out for in theaters or on VOD through August 2019.

Even though the movie gods have already been great to us horror fans over the last several months, we have so many exciting films to look forward to in the near future, including a new Hellboy, The Curse of La Llorona, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Brightburn, John Wick: Chapter 3, The Dead Don’t Die, Ma, and Child’s Play (2019)—which we now know will feature Mark Hamill as the voice of the killer doll. Also, The Perfection hits Netflix this May and genre lovers definitely do not want to miss out on this one—trust me.

And as if that wasn’t enough, we also have Ari Aster’s Midsommar, Crawl from Alexandre Aja, Annabelle Comes Home, Brahms: The Boy II, 47 Meters Down: Uncaged, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark from director André Øvredal and producer Guillermo del Toro, and so many more.

Read on to see all the great movies that should undoubtedly keep you entertained for the next few months!

APRIL

High Life (Theatrical) – April 5th

Monte (Robert Pattinson) and his baby daughter are the last survivors of a damned and dangerous mission to deep space. The crew—death-row inmates led by a doctor (Juliette Binoche) with sinister motives—has vanished. As the mystery of what happened onboard the ship is unraveled, father and daughter must rely on each other to survive as they hurtle toward the oblivion of a black hole.

Pet Sematary (2019) (Theatrical) – April 5th

Based on the seminal horror novel by Stephen King, Pet Sematary follows Dr. Louis Creed (Jason Clarke), who, after relocating with his wife Rachel (Amy Seimetz) and their two young children from Boston to rural Maine, discovers a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near the family’s new home. When tragedy strikes, Louis turns to his unusual neighbor, Jud Crandall (John Lithgow), setting off a perilous chain reaction that unleashes an unfathomable evil with horrific consequences.

Shazam! (Theatrical) – April 5th

We all have a superhero inside us, it just takes a bit of magic to bring it out. In Billy Batson's case, by shouting out one word - SHAZAM! - this streetwise fourteen-year-old foster kid can turn into the adult superhero Shazam.

The Wind (Theatrical) – April 5th

Lizzy (Caitlin Gerard) is a tough, resourceful frontierswoman settling a remote stretch of land on the 19th-century American frontier. Isolated from civilization in a desolate wilderness where the wind never stops howling, she begins to sense a sinister presence that seems to be borne of the land itself, an overwhelming dread that her husband (Ashley Zukerman) dismisses as superstition. When a newlywed couple arrives on a nearby homestead, their presence amplifies Lizzy’s fears, setting into motion a shocking chain of events.

The Silence (Exclusively on Netflix) – April 10th

When the world is under attack from terrifying creatures who hunt their human prey by sound, 16-year old Ally Andrews (Kiernan Shipka), who lost her hearing at 13, and her family seek refuge in a remote haven. But they discover a sinister cult who are eager to exploit Ally's heightened senses. THE SILENCE is directed by John R. Leonetti (ANNABELLE) and stars Stanley Tucci, Kiernan Shipka, Miranda Otto, John Corbett, Kate Trotter and Kyle Breitkopf.

A Dark Place (Theatrical/VOD) – April 12th

Donald Devlin is a garbage man in the fictional town of Harburgh, Pennsylvania, a former steel town that has seen brighter days. A single father, Donny spends his days collecting the trash of the residents alongside his best friend, Donna Reutzel, and in his off-time, focuses his energies on being the best father he can be to his young daughter, Wendy. 

But when young Tyler Zeigler, a neighborhood boy, goes missing, Donny starts to fixate on finding out what has happened to him. With the local sheriff warning him off, and the town reacting to the young boy’s disappearance in a variety of confusing and suspicious ways, Donny determines to learn the truth. But the truth may not want to be revealed.

Hellboy (2019) (Theatrical) – April 12th

Based on the graphic novels by Mike Mignola, Hellboy, caught between the worlds of the supernatural and human, battles an ancient sorceress bent on revenge.

Master of Dark Shadows (MPI Media Group) – April 16th

Narrated by Ian McShane (Deadwood), MASTER OF DARK SHADOWS offers insights from Curtis himself in addition to Oscar-winning writer-producer Alan Ball (True Blood), screenwriter William F. Nolan (Trilogy of Terror), author Herman Wouk (The Winds Of War), veteran actors Whoopi Goldberg (Ghost), Barbara Steele (Black Sunday) and Ben Cross (Chariots of Fire), Dark Shadows stars Jonathan Frid, David Selby, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Lara Parker, John Karlen, Nancy Barrett, Jerry Lacy, Roger Davis, Marie Wallace, Chris Pennock and James Storm, plus other colleagues and family members.

In 1966, a phenomenon was launched when Dark Shadows debuted on ABC-TV as a daily Gothic suspense series. Airing in the late afternoon, the show attracted a massive youth audience as it shifted to the supernatural with the introduction of vulnerable vampire Barnabas Collins. Witches, ghosts and scary story lines turned Dark Shadows into a TV classic that led to motion pictures, remakes, reunions and legions of devoted fans who have kept the legend alive for five decades. 

The Curse of La Llorona (Theatrical) – April 19th

In 1970s Los Angeles, La Llorona is stalking the night—and the children.

Ignoring the eerie warning of a troubled mother suspected of child endangerment, a social worker and her own small kids are soon drawn into a frightening supernatural realm. Their only hope to survive La Llorona’s deadly wrath may be a disillusioned priest and the mysticism he practices to keep evil at bay, on the fringes where fear and faith collide.

Beware of her chilling wail…she will stop at nothing to lure you into the gloom.

Because there is no peace for her anguish. There is no mercy for her soul.

And there is no escape from the curse of La Llorona.

Hagazussa (Theatrical – April 19th and VOD – April 23rd)

In the 15th Century in the remote Austrian Alps, the orphan Albrun (Celina Peter) grows up to be a simple goatherd living in solitude...and a marked woman. As a scapegoat of ancient myths and monstrous misogyny, Albrun (portrayed by Aleksandra Cwen as an adult) finds herself tormented by the local townsfolk, driving her to unleash the inner darkness that swells within her. A self-styled witch, Albrun soon exercises her other-worldly birthright and conjures a plague that makes the surrounding human cruelty look pathetic and small by comparison.   

Hail Satan? (Theatrical) – NY on April 17th and April 19th

Chronicling the extraordinary rise of one of the most colorful and controversial religious movements in American history, Hail Satan? is an inspiring and entertaining new feature documentary from acclaimed director Penny Lane (Nuts!, Our Nixon). When media-savvy members of the Satanic Temple organize a series of public actions designed to advocate for religious freedom and challenge corrupt authority, they prove that with little more than a clever idea, a mischievous sense of humor, and a few rebellious friends, you can speak truth to power in some truly profound ways. As charming and funny as it is thought-provoking, Hail Satan? offers a timely look at a group of often misunderstood outsiders whose unwavering commitment to social and political justice has empowered thousands of people around the world.

Missing Link (Theatrical) – April 19th

Mr. Link recruits explorer Sir Lionel Frost to help find his long-lost relatives in the fabled valley of Shangri-La. Along with adventurer Adelina Fortnight, this trio of explorers travel the world to help their new friend.

Under the Silver Lake (Theatrical – April 19th and VOD – April 22nd)

Sam, intelligent but without purpose, finds a mysterious woman swimming in his apartment's pool one night. The next morning, she disappears. Sam sets off across LA to find her, and along the way he uncovers a conspiracy far more bizarre.

Avengers: Endgame (Theatrical) – April 26th

After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018), the universe is in ruins. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers assemble once more in order to undo Thanos' actions and restore order to the universe.

Body at Brighton Rock (Theatrical/VOD) – April 26th

Wendy, a part-time summer employee at a mountainous state park, takes on a rough trail assignment at the end of the season, trying to prove to her friends that she’s capable enough to do the job. When she takes a wrong turn and ends up deep in the backcountry, she stumbles upon what might be a potential crime scene. Stuck with no communication after losing her radio and with orders to guard the site, Wendy must fight the urge to run and do the harder job of staying put — spending the night deep in the wilderness, facing down her worst fears and proving to everyone - including herself - that she’s made of stronger stuff than they think she is.

I Trapped the Devil (Theatrical/VOD) – April 26th

Christmas is supposed to be a time for peace and joyful family reunions. But when Matt (AJ Bowen) and his wife Karen (Susan Burke) show up unannounced at the home of his estranged brother Steve (Scott Poythress) to celebrate the holidays, they are instead greeted with a horrifying surprise: trapped in the basement is a man. But not just any man. Steve believes that his hostage is none other than the devil himself. As shock and skepticism turn to fear and paranoia, Matt and Karen find themselves facing a terrifying quandary: is Steve dangerously unhinged? Or could the mysterious stranger really be evil incarnate? Either way, the stage is set for a true Christmas from hell.

MAY

The Convent (Theatrical/VOD) – May 3rd

In the early 17th century, innocent young Persephone is falsely accused and put on trial for her life. Her fate seems sealed except for the timely intervention of the mysterious Reverend Mother offering her not just sanctuary, but hope. For the Reverend Mother is the self-appointed leader of a small religious retreat, a secluded Priory, where her fellow Sisters devote their lives to the Lord and seek atonement for their pasts. But upon arrival, Persephone is plagued with terrifying visions and soon realizes that it’s not salvation that awaits but a battle for her very soul itself.

Dead Trigger (Theatrical/VOD) – May 3rd

When a mysterious virus kills billions and turns many others into bloodthirsty zombies, Captain Walker (Dolph Lundgren) leads an elite team to destroy them and save the world.

I’ll Take Your Dead (Theatrical/VOD) – May 3rd

William has a simple job: he makes dead bodies disappear. But he faces a difficult decision when one of the "corpses" dropped off by local gangsters turns out to still be alive in the genre-bending thriller I’ll Take Your Dead.

The Intruder (Theatrical) – May 3rd

When a young married couple (Michael Ealy, Meagan Good) buys their dream house in the Napa Valley, they think they have found the perfect home to take their next steps as a family. But when the strangely attached seller (Dennis Quaid) continues to infiltrate their lives, they begin to suspect that he has hidden motivations beyond a quick sale.

Room for Rent (Theatrical – May 3rd and VOD – May 7th)

Lonely widow Joyce rents out a room to make easy money.  She meets mysterious drifter Bob and takes him in as a long-term tenant.  She becomes obsessed with her much younger guest, making him the object of her deepest romantic fantasies.  When a friend’s betrayal derails Joyce’s fantasy world, she seizes control of her own destiny with a deadly mission to finally get what she deserves.

Charlie Says (Theatrical) – May 10th

Years after the shocking murders that made the name Charles Manson synonymous with pure evil, the three women who killed for him—Leslie Van Houten (Hannah Murray), Patricia Krenwinkel (Sosie Bacon), and Susan Atkins (Marianne Rendón)—remain under the spell of the infamous cult leader (Matt Smith). Confined to an isolated cellblock in a California penitentiary, the trio seem destined to live out the rest of their lives under the delusion that their crimes were part of a cosmic plan—until empathetic graduate student Karlene Faith (Merritt Wever) is enlisted to rehabilitate them. Convinced the prisoners are not the inhuman monsters the world believes them to be, Karlene begins the arduous process of breaking down the psychological barriers erected by Manson. But are the women ready to confront the horror of what they did? 

Aniara (Theatrical/VOD) – May 17th

ANIARA is the story of one of the many spaceships used for transporting Earth’s fleeing population to their new home-planet Mars. But just as the ship leaves the destroyed Earth, she collides with space junk and is thrown off her course. The passengers slowly realize that they’ll never be able to return. The protagonist, MR, runs a room where a sentient computer allows humans to experience near-spiritual memories of the Earth. As the ship drifts further into the endless void more and more passengers are in need of MRs services. Pressure builds on MR as she is the only one who can keep the growing insanity and lethal depression at bay. In Aniara’s inexorable journey towards destruction there is a warning that cannot be emphasized enough. There’s only one Earth. It’s time to take responsibility for our actions.

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (Theatrical) – May 17th

In this third installment of the adrenaline-fueled action franchise, super-assassin John Wick (Keanu Reeves) returns with a $14 million price tag on his head and an army of bounty-hunting killers on his trail. After killing a member of the shadowy international assassin’s guild, the High Table, John Wick is excommunicado, but the world’s most ruthless hit men and women await his every turn.

Avengement (Theatrical/VOD) – May 24th

While released on furlough from prison, a lowly criminal evades his guards and returns to his old haunts to take revenge on the people that made him a cold-hearted killer. It’s an epic, bloody battle to search for the soul he lost years ago on the streets of an unforgiving city.

Brightburn (Theatrical) – May 24th

What if a child from another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, he proved to be something far more sinister? With Brightburn, the visionary filmmaker behind Guardians of the Galaxy and Slither presents a startling, subversive take on a radical new genre: superhero horror.

The Perfection (Exclusively on Netflix) – May 24th

The most buzzed-about movie at last year's Fantastic Fest, THE PERFECTION is an elegant and terrifying suspense ride filled with unexpected twists and turns. When troubled musical prodigy Charlotte (Allison Williams) seeks out Elizabeth (Logan Browning), the new star pupil of her former school, the encounter sends both musicians down a sinister path with shocking consequences.

Starfish (VOD) – May 28th

In Starfish, Virginia Gardner (Halloween 2018, Marvel’s The Runaways) stars as Aubrey, a young woman suffering from the death of a close friend. When a mysterious signal from an unknown dimension summons the end of days, it appears as if only Aubrey is left on earth. Trapped in the apartment of her recently deceased best friend, the only clue she has is a single cassette left behind after her friends death, labeled: "THIS MIXTAPE WILL SAVE THE WORLD." 

Thrust into a mystery orchestrated by her friend and stricken with grief, Aubrey begins to piece the clues together, uncovering a series of tapes all with pieces of the mystery signal. Along the way, progress is impeded when monstrous creatures begin to overrun the world and enclose in on her. Aubrey is forced to fight off the encroaching creatures and move beyond her own crippling grief in order to find the remaining tapes. But will completing the signal save the world?

Godzilla: King of Monsters (Theatrical) – May 31st

The new story follows the heroic efforts of the crypto-zoological agency Monarch as its members face off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient super-species—thought to be mere myths—rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity’s very existence hanging in the balance.

Ma (Theatrical) – May 31st

Oscar^® winner Octavia Spencer stars as Sue Ann, a loner who keeps to herself in her quiet Ohio town. One day, she is asked by Maggie, a new teenager in town (Diana Silvers, Glass), to buy some booze for her and her friends, and Sue Ann sees the chance to make some unsuspecting, if younger, friends of her own. She offers the kids the chance to avoid drinking and driving by hanging out in the basement of her home. But there are some house rules: One of the kids has to stay sober. Don’t curse. Never go upstairs. And call her “Ma.” 

But as Ma’s hospitality starts to curdle into obsession, what began as a teenage dream turns into a terrorizing nightmare, and Ma’s place goes from the best place in town to the worst place on earth.

JUNE

Dark Phoenix (Theatrical) – June 7th

In DARK PHOENIX, the X-MEN face their most formidable and powerful foe: one of their own, Jean Grey. During a rescue mission in space, Jean is nearly killed when she is hit by a mysterious cosmic force. Once she returns home, this force not only makes her infinitely more powerful, but far more unstable. Wrestling with this entity inside her, Jean unleashes her powers in ways she can neither comprehend nor contain. With Jean spiraling out of control, and hurting the ones she loves most, she begins to unravel the very fabric that holds the X-Men together. Now, with this family falling apart, they must find a way to unite -- not only to save Jean's soul, but to save our very planet from aliens who wish to weaponize this force and rule the galaxy.

The Dead Don’t Die (Theatrical) – June 14th

THE DEAD DON’T DIE - the greatest zombie cast ever disassembled starring Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Caleb Landry Jones, Rosie Perez, Iggy Pop, Sara Driver, RZA, Selena Gomez, Carol Kane and Tom Waits.  Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch.

Men in Black: International (Theatrical) – June 14th

The Men in Black have always protected the Earth from the scum of the universe. In this new adventure, they tackle their biggest threat to date: a mole in the Men in Black organization.

Child’s Play (2019) (Theatrical) – June 21st

A contemporary re-imagining of the 1988 horror classic, CHILD’S PLAY follows Karen (Aubrey Plaza), a single mother who gifts her son Andy (Gabriel Bateman) a Buddi doll, unaware of its more sinister nature.

Them That Follow (Theatrical) – June 21st

Snake handlers are spiritual renegades belonging to an obscure sect of American Pentecostalism: part of a century-old tradition of worshipping with venomous snakes during church services. Seeing themselves as the vanguards of salvation in a morally bankrupt world, believers put their lives on the line, each and every week, to prove themselves before God. Set deep in the hills of Appalachia, THEM THAT FOLLOW explores this unseen way of life — telling the story of a pastor’s daughter whose forbidden relationship forces her to confront the dangerous traditions of her father’s church.

Annabelle Comes Home (Theatrical) – June 28th

Determined to keep Annabelle from wreaking more havoc, demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren bring the possessed doll to the locked artifacts room in their home, placing her “safely” behind sacred glass and enlisting a priest’s holy blessing.  But an unholy night of horror awaits as Annabelle awakens the evil spirits in the room, who all set their sights on a new target—the Warrens’ ten-year-old daughter, Judy, and her friends.

JULY

Midsommar (Theatrical) – July 3rd

It only happens once every 90 years.

Spider-Man: Far From Home (Theatrical) – July 5th

Peter Parker and his friends go on summer vacation to Europe, where Peter finds himself trying to fight off a new foe, Mysterio, who as his name indicates may not be all that he appears.

Crawl (Theatrical) – July 12th

A young woman, while attempting to save her father during a Catagory 5 hurricane, finds herself trapped in a flooding house and must fight for her life against alligators.

Brahms: The Boy II (Theatrical) – July 26th

After a family moves into the Heelshire Mansion, their young son soon makes friends with a life-like doll called Brahms.

AUGUST

The New Mutants (Theatrical) – August 2nd

Five young mutants, just discovering their abilities while held in a secret facility against their will, fight to escape their past sins and save themselves.

The Nightingale (Theatrical) – August 2nd

One night in 1820s Tasmania, Clare, a young Irish convict, loses everything she holds dear after her family is horrifically attacked. She’s immediately driven to track down and seek revenge against the British officer who oversaw the horror, so she enlists the service of an Aboriginal tracker named Billy. Marked by trauma from his own violence-filled past, Billy reluctantly agrees to take her through the interior of Tasmania. On this brutal quest for blood, Clare gets much more than she bargained for.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (Theatrical) – August 9th

It’s 1968 in America.  Change is blowing in the wind...but seemingly far removed from the unrest in the cities is the small town of Mill Valley where for generations, the shadow of the Bellows family has loomed large.  It is in their mansion on the edge of town that Sarah, a young girl with horrible secrets, turned her tortured life into a series of scary stories, written in a book that has transcended time—stories that have a way of becoming all too real for a group of teenagers who discover Sarah’s terrifying tome.

47 Meters Down: Uncaged (Theatrical) – August 16th

Four teen girls diving in a ruined underwater city quickly learn they've entered the territory of the deadliest shark species in the claustrophobic labyrinth of submerged caves.