May 2017 is going to give genre fans plenty of reasons to stay home this month, as we have a lot of cool titles to look forward to. The month kicks off with Even Lambs Have Teeth on May 2nd, and just a few days later, Take Me (the latest from Pat Healy) and the horror comedy Another Evil make their digital debuts. Jordan Peele’s Get Out makes its digital bow on May 9th before hitting VOD platforms just a few weeks later, and the Australian thriller Hounds of Love gets released on May 12th. And, for those of you who might have missed it in theaters, A Cure for Wellness arrives on Digital HD at the end of the month, too.
Other notable VOD releases for May 2017 include XX, The Black Room, The Survivalist, Breakdown Lane, and 96 Souls.
American Exorcism (Uncork’d Entertainment) – May 2nd
After narrowly surviving a harrowing possession, Damon Richter was left with abnormal abilities that allow him to help those fellow souls similarly tormented. Damon has embraced these powers for good until a routine exorcism goes terribly wrong forcing his family to suffer greatly. Thinking he left the world of possessions, exorcisms, and evil behind him, he must now use these skills to save his estranged daughter.
Black Rose (ITN Distribution) – May 2nd
A Russian Police Major (Alexander Nevsky) is enlisted by the LAPD to help solve a series of gruesome murders perpetrated against young women by a sadistic sociopathic killer on the mean streets of Hollywood.
Even Lambs Have Teeth (Syndicado) – May 2nd
Two beautiful young women abducted by a nasty family of small town psychopaths, escape and take savage and imaginative revenge on their attackers.
Rings (On Demand - Paramount Home Media) – May 2nd
When a radical college professor (Johnny Galecki, “The Big Bang Theory”) finds the mysterious video rumored to kill viewers seven days after watching, he enlists his students in a dangerous experiment to uncover the secrets behind the Samara legend. When the deadly video goes viral, they must figure out a way to break the curse and defeat Samara before her evil is unleashed upon the world. But, how do you stop her when she’s everywhere? RINGS also stars Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz (Summertime), Alex Roe (The 5th Wave), Aimee Teegarden (“Friday Night Lights”) and Vincent D’Onofrio (“Law & Order: Criminal Intent”).
Alienate (Gravitas Ventures) – May 5th
At the end of his marriage, David (Blake Webb) leaves on a business trip to give his wife much-needed space. When airplanes start mysteriously falling out of the sky and cell towers fail across the nation, he finds himself trapped. The Earth falling to an alien invasion, David fights to return to whatever is left of home.
Another Evil (Dark Sky Films) – May 5th
After encountering terrifying ghosts in their vacation home, modern artist Dan Pappadakis (Steve Zissis, Roadies, Togetherness) and his wife Mary (Jennifer Irwin, The Goldbergs, Halt and Catch Fire) consult a mellow ghost whisperer. Unsatisfied with his groovy verdict--that they should simply co-exist with the "pretty cool" ghosts-Dan goes behind Mary's back to seek a second opinion, and secretly hires the eccentric Os Bijourn (Mark Proksch, Better Call Saul, Son of Zorn)Os quickly surmises that Dan's home is full of "demons" and promises to get rid of the beings for a reasonable fee.
As the two spend several evenings trapping ghosts in Os's increasingly bizarre, "ghost traps," Dan learns that Os is emotional fragile due to his recent divorce and ongoing attempt to quit smoking. He is so in need of support, that he tries to befriend Dan almost as relentlessly as he tries to destroy "demons." Due to the increasing awkwardness of the situation, Dan attempts calling the whole thing off, but it quickly becomes apparent that a great evil has embedded itself in his home, and that the fate of his entire family is at stake.
Take Me (The Orchard) – May 5th
Ray Moody (Pat Healy) is a fledgling entrepreneur, trying to get his company off the ground in Los Angeles. His business: the niche Kidnap Solutions, LLC, specializing in abductions that provide alternative therapy for his clients. When a mysterious call contracts him for a weekend kidnapping with a handsome payday at the end, Ray jumps at the opportunity. But the job, and his target - business consultant Anna St. Blair (Orange Is the New Black’s Taylor Schilling) - may not be all that they seem.
TAKE ME, which threads the needle between crime thriller and slapstick farce, is the feature directorial debut of Healy, who's appeared in more than 40 films including Compliance, Cheap Thrills, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and Magnolia.
The Black Room (Cleopatra Entertainment) – May 9th
Paul and Jennifer Hemdale have just moved into their dream house. But their happy marriage is about to be put to the test as they slowly discover the secret behind the black room in the cellar. Something else is already living in their new home and it is growing stronger every day.
Get Out (Universal Studios Home Entertainment) – (May 9th on Digital; May 23rd on VOD platforms)
Now that Chris (Daniel Kaluuya, Sicario), a young African-American man, and his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams, “Girls”), a young white woman, have been dating for several months, she invites him for a weekend getaway upstate at her family’s upstate home with parents Missy (Catherine Keener, Captain Phillips) and Dean (Bradley Whitford, The Cabin in the Woods). At first, Chris reads the family’s overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter’s interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he could have never imagined.
Justice Served (Breaking Glass Pictures) – May 9th
Luke Palmer, a Los Angeles widower, has been in therapy for a year since his wife’s accused killer was found Not Guilty at trial. In an attempt to get away from his anguish, Luke takes a trip to Scottsdale for a three-day vacation, but is kidnapped and awakens to find himself in a room with a recording device…and an electrified restraining chair.
Luke is one of three individuals whose loved ones were victims of crimes, and the accused perpetrator was inexplicably exonerated. Now, these individuals will be given a second chance to re-litigate the crime in a private setting, under the auspices of “Justice”.
Produced in conjunction with Arizona State University, JUSTICE SERVED is the feature film debut from director Marvin Young, aka Young MC, who, while supporting his new film, is currently touring on the nostalgic “I Love the 90s” tour alongside classic acts Kid ‘n Play, Salt-N-Pepa, Vanilla Ice, Coolio, and many more. “I Love the 90s” will hold over 100 performances throughout 2017.
Hounds of Love (Gunpowder & Sky) – May 12th
In suburban Perth during the mid 1980s, people are unaware that women are disappearing at the hands of serial killer couple John and Evelyn White. After an innocent lapse in judgment, Vicki Maloney is randomly abducted by the disturbed couple. With her murder imminent, Vicki realizes she must find a way to drive a wedge between Evelyn and John if she is to survive. Hounds of Love is an exercise in expertly-crafted tension, offering a bold, challenging debut from writer/director Ben Young.
Breakdown Lane (Gravitas Pictures) – May 16th
When Kirby Lane's SUV stalls in the desert, she must overcome the elements...and the lurking undead that surround her. Her only companion is Max, the Emergency Car Service rep trapped in his office by the zombie apocalypse, and the lone voice guiding her home.
The Survivalist (IFC Midnight) – May 19th
A time of starvation. The Survivalist lives off a small plot of land hidden deep in forest protecting his crop from intruders with his shotgun and improvised traps. But the long years alone have taken their toll on him and he is beginning to lose his grip on reality.
Everything changes when a starving woman called KATHRYN and her teenage daughter, MILJA, discover the farm. Desperate for shelter, the mother offers up her daughter to spend the night with him in return for bed and board. Overcome with desire, Survivalist breaks his strict code of self-preservation and accepts them into his cabin. As the exchange becomes an uneasy ongoing arrangement, the women plot to get rid of Survivalist and have the farm for themselves. But just as they are about to put their plan into action, an intruder kidnaps Milja and Survivalist risks his life to save her. As he is nursed back to health by the women, food runs short on the farm and they are forced to make desperate decisions to survive.
XX (Magnet Releasing) – May 23rd
XX is a new all-female helmed horror anthology featuring four dark tales written and directed by fiercely talented women: Annie Clark (St. Vincent) rocks her directorial debut with THE BIRTHDAY PARTY; Karyn Kusama (The Invitation, Girl Fight) exorcises HER ONLY LIVING SON; Roxanne Benjamin (Southbound) screams DON’T FALL; and Jovanka Vuckovic (The Captured Bird) dares to open THE BOX. Award-winning animator Sofia Carrillo (La Casa Triste) wraps together four suspenseful stories of terror featuring a cast including Natalie Brown, Melanie Lynskey, Breeda Wool and Christina Kirk.
96 Souls (Gravitas Ventures) – May 30th
A lab accident changes the routine life of biochemistry professor Jack Sutree. He's left with the ability to see fragrances flowing off organic substances. When he looks at a person he sees an alternate vision of their true self. Jack and his predoctoral candidate, Ram, struggle to understand these visions.
Jack encounters a homeless musician, named Bazemint, and is taken by a haunting vision and music associated with her. He determines Bazemint is his best chance at understanding the phenomenon.
A Cure for Wellness (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment) – May 30th
From the director of The Ring comes this psychological thriller and “fantastically creepy experience” (Kyle Smith, New York Post) about an ambitious young executive sent to retrieve his company’s CEO from a remote and mysterious “wellness center.” When he begins to unravel the retreat’s terrifying secrets, his sanity is tested, as he finds himself diagnosed with the same curious illness that keeps all the guests there longing for the cure.
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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