August is a slower month for horror movies in terms of quantity but not of quality. Just about every film listed here has received fantastic word of mouth from film festivals and/or has solid early reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. As for Weapons, the film almost everyone is looking out for, it releases at the start of the month and it has already received a lot of praise for being the best horror movie of the year. That’s a high bar to cross and I’d like not to get my hopes up, but I can’t help but be excited. But what about everything else? Let’s take a look at the top 5 horror movies releasing in August.
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5. Hell House LLC Lineage
| Release Date | August 20th |
| Director | Stephen Cognetti |
| Main Cast | Elizabeth Vermilyea, Searra Sawka, Mike Sutton |
| Duration | 108 minutes |
This damn clown is back again
Synopsis
Vanessa is haunted by visions and reoccurring nightmares years after a near fatal experience. She starts to understand her connection to the Abaddon Hotel and Carmichael Manor after mysterious deaths occur all around her.
Overview
The general consensus about this film is: “Wait? It’s not a found footage!?” No, it is not, and that is a total bummer. Truthfully, despite how great the Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor was, I remain skeptical about Lineage. Stephen’s previous film, 825 Forest Road wasn’t very good…or scary. What makes these films so great is their found footage approach and Stephen’s mastery of creating scares using that perspective. I hope I’m wrong here. The previous film also didn’t have a theatrical release which might suggest Lineage might be greater in scope. We will see when it releases August 20th.
4. Strange Harvest
| Release Date | August 8th |
| Director | Stuart Ortiz |
| Main Cast | Peter Zizzo, Terri Apple, Andrew Lauer |
| Duration | 94 minutes |
This deranged killer looks even creepier on a webcam
Synopsis
“Mr. Shiny,” a sadistic serial killer from the past, returns some time after his first killing spree to commit more heinous acts while detectives hunt him down.
Overview
Found footage lovers, rejoice. This film is shot through body cameras, security cameras and the like to give Strange Harvest a more realistic and true crime perspective. Additionally, the film currently holds a whopping 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes with 17 reviews. It might go down a bit when more people get to see, but from what I’m reading, I doubt it will go down by much. The trailer looks pretty ominous and there seems to be a supernatural twist to this that might make this even scarier.
3. Went Up The Hill
| Release Date | August 15th |
| Director | Samuel Van Grinsven |
| Main Cast | Vicky Krieps, Dacre Montgomery |
| Duration | 100 minutes |
This film, like many horror films, will tackle grief, but it seems to be doing so in a new perspective
Synopsis
A mother’s passing unites her partner and child, but her spirit remains to posses both of their bodies initiating a life-threatening event.
Overview
While the story of someone passing and their spirit lingering around isn’t something new, this relationship dynamic sure is. Went Up The Hill has an uncomfortable vibe and the trailer doesn’t give a whole lot away of what the ghost ultimately wants, although I already have some theories. If it goes in another direction though, it will be sure to be an interesting watch. Went Up The Hill already has good buzz from it’s showing at film festivals saying the performances are powerful and that the film is scary that it appears.
2. Witchboard
| Release Date | August 15th |
| Director | Chuck Russell |
| Main Cast | Madison Iseman, Aaron Dominguez, Melanie Jarnson |
| Duration | 112 minutes |
Synopsis
After finding a cursed Witchboard, Emily’s captivation with it grows causing her grip on reality to loosen with only her fiancé able to help her.
Overview
Nothing about Witchboard seems too original but that doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. Again, it’s a film that has received good word of mouth from early previews, and judging from the trailer, it looks like it could be a fun night out at the cinema. If it can deliver on some great scares and interesting characters, I think we might have gem on our hands.
1. Weapons
| Release Date | August 8th |
| Director | Zach Cregger |
| Main Cast | Julia Garner, Josh Brolin, Alden Ehrenreich |
| Duration | 128 minutes |
Synopsis
All but one child from the same classroom vanish in the same night and at the same time, leaving the townsfolk questioning what is behind their disappearance.
Overview
If the synopsis didn’t interest you, the trailer definitely will. It’s incredibly creepy with the children moving in such a bizarre way. At the same though, it’s intriguing. But apart from what is shown in the trailer, we also know the director behind this is Zach Cregger who directed the excellent Barbarian back in 2022. That was also another creepy looking film with a ton of mystery surrounding it. On top of all that, many critics that have already seen the film are calling it one of the best horror films of the year. I absolutely can’t wait for this one.
