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5 Great 2016 Horror Movies Streaming Right Now

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With the wide array of home video options available, it’s easy for good horror movies to get lost in the shuffle. The year is almost over, and many horror fans will be making up their “Best Of” lists before too long. If you’re one of these folks, you may want to take a look at these five 2016 horror movies that mostly (sadly) bypassed theaters on their way to home video. Some of these played film festivals, while others got blink-and-you-missed-it theatrical runs before popping up online. Don’t miss them before the year is out!
2016 Horror Movies

The Monster (A24)

The Monster

Bryan Bertino scored a genre hit with his feature directing debut The Strangers in 2008, but he’s been mostly quiet since then. His follow-up Mockingbird (2014) went more or less straight to video, but his latest film was picked up by indie distributor A24 for a brief theatrical release this year. A24 had a great year in 2016 (including releasing Green Room and The Witch), and The Monster was a great way to cap it off. Young mother Kathy (Zoe Kazan) is driving her daughter Lizzy (Ella Ballantine) to stay with her father, but on an isolated stretch of road she nearly runs over a dog and totals her car. While the rain pours down, something in the woods watches and waits. The Monster has a deceptively simple creature feature setup, but the excellent performances by Kazan and Ballantine and some perceptive writing by Bertino help make it a monster movie that will linger in the memory long after the credits roll. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that there’s also an awesome monster largely depicted with great practical effects. The Monster is available now on various VOD platforms.

2016 horror movies

Summer Camp (IMDB)

Summer Camp

Spanish-language film distributor Pantelion isn’t known for horror movies, but they did release Más negro que la noche (a fun 3D haunted house movie) in some U.S. theaters in 2014 and dipped their toes into English-language genre fare with The Vatican Tapes the following year. In 2016, they quietly released Summer Camp in a handful of theaters in the States before it hit home video. Most of the time when that happens, it’s a sure sign that the film in question is not that great. This time, it’s entirely possible the movie was mostly hamstrung by its painfully generic title, because it’s a surprisingly fun and inventive take on some very familiar territory. Four American college students arrive at a remote Summer camp in Spain and get more than they bargained for when something starts turning them into rampaging killers. Can they stop this mysterious outbreak before the campers show up tomorrow? On paper this sounds like the setup for another tired zombie/infection movie, but writer Danielle Schleif and director/co-writer Alberto Marini throw in some highly unexpected twists to the formula that elevate Summer Camp above the crowd. The movie also features a pair of fantastic lead performances by Jocelin Donahue (The House of the Devil, Insidious: Chapter 2) and Maiara Walsh, and it’s just fun as hell. Summer Camp is available on DVD as well as VOD platforms from Lionsgate.

2016 horror movies

Beyond the Gates (Official Facebook)

Beyond the Gates

Cursed and haunted objects are the center of many horror films, but Beyond the Gates may be the first horror movie whose plot is set in motion by an evil VCR board game. Estranged brothers John (Chase Williamson, John Dies at the End) and Gordon (Graham Skipper, The Mind’s Eye) are forced to spend time together when their alcoholic father disappears and leaves them his old video store. While packing up the shop, they discover a VCR game called Beyond the Gates. When they take it back to their father’s house and pop in the tape they’re greeted by the mysterious Evelyn (the legendary Barbara Crampton, who had a great 2016 including a fantastic turn in Zach Clark’s Little Sister), who seems to be watching them as they struggle to figure out how to play the game. After they play, bodies start piling up around town and the brothers discover they have to win the game before things get much, much worse for everyone. Bathed in neon colors that strongly call to mind Stuart Gordon‘s From Beyond (starring Crampton) and propelled by a driving synth score by Wojciech Golczewski (Late Phases, We Are Still Here), Beyond the Gates is a fast-paced, gory love letter to 80s horror. Beyond the Gates has played a few big-screen dates around the U.S. since its festival premiere earlier this year, and it’s currently available on VOD from IFC Midnight.

2016 Horror Movies

They Look Like People (Official site)

They Look Like People

Some of the scariest films ever made are those that closely examine the mental state of deeply troubled characters. Lodge H. Kerrigan’s classic arthouse horror film Clean, Shaven (1993) used disorienting cinematic techniques to mimic the way a schizophrenic character sees the world as he tries to find where his ex-wife has taken their daughter. It’s a profoundly unsettling film made with very limited resources, and Perry Blackshear’s feature directorial debut They Look Like People is a worthy modern successor to that film. Wyatt (McLeod Andrews) travels to New York to see his old friend Christian (Evan Dumouchel), but while Wyatt tries to keep things normal it’s not just a friendly visit. Wyatt receives phone calls from unknown parties who warn him demonic forces are about to take over the world, and they infiltrate the ranks of humanity by taking the guise of normal people. While Wyatt desperately tries to save Christian and prepare for the imminent war Christian struggles to succeed at his competitive job and figure out his relationship with co-worker Mara (Margaret Ying Drake). They Look Like People is a deft hybrid of low-key indie relationship drama and psychological horror, with a sense of humor that helps relieve what would otherwise be unbearable claustrophobic tension. Lead actors Andrews and Dumouchel are great and absolutely convincing as longtime friends, and that relationship drives a film that is funny, scary, and moving. They Look Like People is available on Netflix as well as VOD from Gravitas Ventures.

 

2016 Horror Movies

I am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House (Toronto International Film Festival)

I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House

In both of the years 2015 and 2016 Osgood Perkins, son of late horror icon Anthony Perkins, has directed one of the best horror films of the year. In 2015, his debut feature February played a number of festivals and was picked up for distribution by A24. Before that film even sees a release in the States (A24 is releasing in January 2017 under its new title The Blackcoat’s Daughter), his second film I am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House was picked up by Netflix where it appropriately premiered the Friday before Halloween. This is a “haunted house” story pared down to the bone and then some, damned close to the marrow. Lily (Ruth Wilson) is an in-home caretaker hired to live with reclusive author Iris Blum (Paula Prentiss). The old 19th-century house is creepy enough, but Lily tries to read one of her charge’s best-known books–The Woman in the Walls, supposedly dictated to Iris by the ghost of a young woman murdered in the house–and her already fraying nerves begin tightening toward an imminent, inevitable breaking point. This is not a horror movie about thrills and scares, but one about creating an overwhelming atmosphere of oppressive dread. In that, it succeeds tremendously. I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House is available for streaming on Netflix.

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New Poster Reveal For Nicolas Cage’s Survival Creature Feature ‘Arcadian’ [Trailer]

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Nicolas Cage Arcadian

In the latest cinematic venture featuring Nicolas Cage, Arcadian emerges as a compelling creature feature, teeming with suspense, horror, and emotional depth. RLJE Films has recently released a series of new images and a captivating poster, offering audiences a glimpse into the eerie and thrilling world of “Arcadian”. Scheduled to hit theaters on April 12, 2024, the film will later be available on Shudder and AMC+, ensuring a wide audience can experience its gripping narrative.

Arcadian Movie Trailer

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has given this film an “R” rating for its “bloody images,” hinting at the visceral and intense experience awaiting viewers. The film draws inspiration from acclaimed horror benchmarks like “A Quiet Place,” weaving a post-apocalyptic tale of a father and his two sons navigating a desolate world. Following a catastrophic event that depopulates the planet, the family faces the dual challenge of surviving their dystopian environment and eluding mysterious nocturnal creatures.

Joining Nicolas Cage in this harrowing journey are Jaeden Martell, known for his role in “IT” (2017), Maxwell Jenkins from “Lost in Space,” and Sadie Soverall, featured in “Fate: The Winx Saga.” Directed by Ben Brewer (“The Trust”) and penned by Mike Nilon (“Braven”), “Arcadian” promises a unique blend of poignant storytelling and electrifying survival horror.

Maxwell Jenkins, Nicolas Cage, and Jaeden Martell 

Critics have already begun to praise “Arcadian” for its imaginative monster designs and exhilarating action sequences, with one review from Bloody Disgusting highlighting the film’s balance between emotional coming-of-age elements and heart-pounding horror. Despite sharing thematic elements with similar genre films, “Arcadian” sets itself apart through its creative approach and action-driven plot, promising a cinematic experience filled with mystery, suspense, and relentless thrills.

Arcadian Official Movie Poster

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‘Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3’ Is a Go with Enhanced Budget and New Characters

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Winnie the Pooh 3

Wow, they’re churning things out fast! The upcoming sequel “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 3” is officially moving forward, promising an expanded narrative with a larger budget and the introduction of beloved characters from A.A. Milne’s original tales. As confirmed by Variety, the third installment in the horror franchise will welcome Rabbit, the heffalumps, and the woozles into its dark and twisted narrative.

This sequel is a part of an ambitious cinematic universe that reimagines children’s stories as horror tales. Alongside “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its first sequel, the universe includes films such as “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “Bambi: The Reckoning,” and “Pinocchio Unstrung”. These movies are set to converge in the crossover event “Poohniverse: Monsters Assemble,” slated for a 2025 release.

Winnie the Pooh Poohniverse

The creation of these films was made possible when A.A. Milne’s 1926 children’s book “Winnie-the-Pooh” entered the public domain last year, allowing filmmakers to explore these cherished characters in unprecedented ways. Director Rhys Frake-Waterfield and producer Scott Jeffrey Chambers, of Jagged Edge Productions, have led the charge in this innovative endeavor.

The inclusion of Rabbit, heffalumps, and woozles in the upcoming sequel introduces a new layer to the franchise. In Milne’s original stories, heffalumps are imagined creatures resembling elephants, while woozles are known for their weasel-like characteristics and a penchant for stealing honey. Their roles in the narrative remain to be seen, but their addition promises to enrich the horror universe with deeper connections to the source material.

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How to Watch ‘Late Night with the Devil’ from Home: Dates and Platforms

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Late Night With The Devil

For fans eager to dive into one of this year’s most talked-about horror films from the comfort of their own home, “Late Night with the Devil” will be available for streaming exclusively on Shudder starting April 19, 2024. This announcement has been highly anticipated following the film’s successful theatrical release by IFC Films, which saw it earning rave reviews and a record-breaking opening weekend for the distributor.

“Late Night with the Devil” emerges as a standout horror film, captivating audiences and critics alike, with Stephen King himself offering high praise for the 1977-set film. Starring David Dastmalchian, the movie unfolds on Halloween night during a live late-night talk show broadcast that disastrously unleashes evil across the nation. This found footage-style film not only delivers scares but also authentically captures the aesthetic of the 1970s, drawing viewers into its nightmarish scenario.

David Dastmalchian in Late Night with the Devil

The film’s initial box office success, opening to $2.8 million in 1,034 theaters, underscores its wide appeal and marks the highest opening weekend for an IFC Films release. Critically acclaimed, “Late Night with the Devil” boasts a 96% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 135 reviews, with the consensus praising it for rejuvenating the possession horror genre and showcasing David Dastmalchian’s exceptional performance.

Rotten Tomatoes score as of 3/28/2024

Simon Rother of iHorror.com encapsulates the film’s allure, emphasizing its immersive quality that transports viewers back to the 1970s, making them feel as if they are part of the eerie “Night Owls” Halloween broadcast. Rother lauds the film for its meticulously crafted script and the emotional and shocking journey it takes viewers on, stating, “This whole experience will have viewers of the Cairnes brothers’ film glued to their screen… The script, from beginning to end, is neatly sewn together with an ending that’ll have jaws on the floor.” You can read the full review here.

Rother further encourages audiences to watch the film, highlighting its multifaceted appeal: “Whenever it is made available to you, you must attempt to view the Cairnes Brothers’ latest project as it will make you laugh, it will creep you out, it will amaze you, and it might even strike an emotional cord.”

Set to stream on Shudder on April 19, 2024, “Late Night with the Devil” offers a compelling blend of horror, history, and heart. This film is not just a must-watch for horror aficionados but for anyone looking to be thoroughly entertained and moved by a cinematic experience that redefines the boundaries of its genre.

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