If you’re looking for an excuse to spend more time at home and out of the summer heat this month, then July’s VOD and Digital HD releases have you more than covered, as we have 17 different titles coming our way in the next few weeks.

July kicks off with a pair of digital debuts on July 4th—Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire and the indie thriller Blood Hunters—and just a few days later, both Bad Frank and the new Ghost in the Shell movie make their digital bows as well. July 11th is a busy day, too, with four different releases—The Answer, The Blessed Ones, White Raven, and Gremlin—and then just a week later, we get several more titles to choose from, including Lake Alice, Phoenix Forgotten, and Bonejangles.

July’s VOD releases are capped off by the digital debuts of Killing Ground on July 21st and then It Stains the Sand Red on the 28th.

Blood Hunters (Film Monkey Productions) – July 4th

Blood Hunters tells the story of a single mother who wakes up in the basement of a medical facility only to discover that everyone around her is dead and she is somehow nine months pregnant. As she struggles to escape, she encounters other survivors, each with their own secret. Together they must unlock the mysteries of the facility, which will take them to the brink of death and beyond.

Free Fire (A24) – July 4th

When a black market arms deal goes outrageously wrong, Justine (Brie Larson) finds herself caught in the crossfire, forced to navigate a warehouse full of trigger-happy madmen all hanging on for dear life in this hilarious action comedy.

Bad Frank (Gravitas Ventures) – July 7th

Frank Pierce leads a seemingly normal life, but when a disturbing past re emerges and something precious is taken from him, his mask of sanity loosens and unearths the urge to be violent once again.

Ghost in the Shell (2017) (Paramount Home Media) – July 7th

Set in a world where people are enhanced with technology, GHOST IN THE SHELL follows Major (Scarlett Johansson), who believes she was rescued from near death. The first of her kind, Major is a human mind inside an artificial body designed to fight the war against cyber-crime. While investigating a dangerous criminal, Major makes a shocking discovery – the corporation that created her lied about her past life in order to control her. Unsure what to believe, Major will stop at nothing to unravel the mystery of her true identity and exact revenge against the corporation she was built to serve.

The Answer (High Octane Pictures) – July 11th

The Answer tells of an introverted young man that, after an attack, must follow clues left by his dead parents in order to figure out who is after him - and who he really is.

The Blessed Ones (Wild Eye Releasing) – July 11th

An isolated cult hiding in a desert enclave prepare for an prophesied apocalypse, led by a charismatic Jim Jones-like leader. As the end of the world allegedly approaches, he binds them all to a suicide pact, in hopes of transcending earth for a new life in paradise. Two dissenters flee through the vast desert wasteland on the eve of the ceremony, hunted by the cult's enforcer - who will stop at nothing to insure that they keep their part of the bargain.

Gremlin (Uncork’d Entertainment) – July 11th

Adam receives a mysterious box from a relative containing a creature that will kill everyone he cares about. The only way to be rid of the curse is to give the box to someone he loves. As the ominous timer on the box counts down to its end, he can only imagine the horrors that await. Does he give the box away to save his family, or unleash a monster upon humanity? He can’t destroy it. He can’t escape it. He can only give it to someone he loves…

White Raven (IndustryWorks Studios) – July 11th

Deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest four friends reconnect on an annual trip. A once tight bond has grown weak as each man has disappeared further into his own personal struggles. Work, relationships and addiction have taken their toll over the years, and the consequences are not something any of them want to share. They come together in hopes of escaping their demons, but it quickly becomes clear that the past isn’t done with them yet.

Bonejangles (Wild Eye Releasing) – July 18th

While transporting the legendary killer Bonejangles, a group of police break down in a town cursed with monsters, and must release him to survive!

Karate Kill (Dark Cuts) – July 18th

When Karate master Kenji’s young sister is kidnapped by a dangerous cult, and taken to the U.S. he will stop at nothing to find her. Partnered with a mysterious shot-gun toting partner, Kenji must use his mastery of Karate to dismantle the cult members one by one in spectacular and bloody fashion, until he finds his sister.

Lake Alice (Breaking Glass Pictures) – July 18th

LAKE ALICE follows Ryan Emerson who, while meeting his girlfriend Sarah’s family for the first time, must prove his intentions and win the approval of her father, Greg, while he masks his jealousy for Sarah’s ex-fling, Tyler. As the Thomas family settles in, things start to happen around the cabin; strange footprints by the windows, noises from outside, and a bitter animosity from the locals, including the law enforcement. As a blizzard descends on Lake Alice, so does the evil from behind the camera, as the Thomas family is hunted down one by one. The family struggles to stay alive as their power in numbers slowly dwindles.

Phoenix Forgotten (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment) – July 18th

From legendary producer Ridley Scott comes a chilling revelation based on the true events of March 13, 1997, when a strange pattern of lights appeared over Phoenix, Arizona. PHOENIX FORGOTTEN tells the story of three high school students who went into the desert to document this phenomenon. They were never seen again. Two decades later, the sister of one of the missing teens returns to investigate, suspecting a massive cover-up by the government and local law enforcement. But nothing could prepare her for the shocking discovery of the footage from that fateful expedition...and now the terrifying truth will finally be revealed!

Residue (XLRator Media/IndustryWorks Studios/Motorcycle Boy) – July 18th

Private investigator Luke Harding (James Clayton) reads a book of sinister origins owned by seedy crime lord Mr. Fairweather (Matt Frewer). Unbeknownst to Luke, the book is a much sought-after supernatural artifact and Fairweather's greatest rival, the enigmatic Mr. Lamont (William B. Davis), pursues Luke with his henchmen (Costas Mandylor, Michael Matic). While the criminal underworld is desperate to retrieve the book and harness its power for their own dark agendas, it's evil begins to take root in Luke's apartment; putting himself, his daughter (Taylor Hickson) and his secret love (Elysia Rotaru) in a fight for their lives... and their eternal souls.

Jasmine (Indican Pictures) – July 19th

Jasmine is a mind-bending psychological thriller about Leonard (Jason Tobin). Leonard is struggling to come to terms with his grief, nearly a year after his wife's murder. Hoping to move on with his life, Leonard reconnects with Grace (Eugenia Yuan), a woman from his past; his outlook, thanks to her, begins to brighten. Then, a visit to the site of his wife's murder leads him to a mysterious interloper (Byron Mann), who he believes is her killer. Leonard decides to take justice into his own hands as events take a startling turn towards the unexpected.

The Gracefield Incident (Momentum Pictures) – July 21st

Matthew Donovan, a video game editor, embeds an iPhone camera into his prosthetic eye to secretly record and document a weekend with friends in a luxurious mountain top cabin. The weekend takes a terrifying turn when a meteorite crashes the party forcing everyone to face the darkest, screaming nightmare while somehow connecting life, love, and loss in a twist of fear.

Killing Ground (IFC Midnight) – July 21st

A couple’s romantic camping trip becomes a desperate fight for survival in this ultra-raw, unhinged kill ride. In need of a break from the pressures of their life in the city, Sam (Harriet Dyer) and Ian (Ian Meadows) head to a remote beach for a weekend getaway. When they come across an abandoned campsite, with no trace of its occupants, they’re concerned. When they discover a lone, traumatized child nearby, they’re scared. And when they encounter two local weirdos, they’re in for a hell of a bad time. Unfolding in an innovative, time-scrambling structure, Killing Ground delivers both nerve-shredding suspense and gut-punching realism.

It Stains the Sand Red (Dark Sky Films) – July 28th

In the throes of a zombie apocalypse, Molly, a troubled woman from Las Vegas, finds herself stranded in the desert with a lone ravenous zombie on her trail. At first, she's easily able to outpace her undead pursuer, but things quickly become a nightmare when she realizes the zombie doesn't need to ever stop and rest. Running low on supplies and beat down by the harsh environment, Molly will have to summon the strength she never knew she had to ultimately face both the zombie and the demons that have chased her all her life.

  • Heather Wixson
    About the Author - Heather Wixson

    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.