Life has been scary enough as it is, but if you are a glutton for punishment, look no further: we have compiled a list of the most anticipated horror movies of 2022. From returning franchises to indie startups out of Macedonia, this year’s schedule is packed with goodies for fans of the genre.

Scream: January 14

25 years after Wes Craven directed the first Scream, it’s making some noise again. This is the fifth title in the highly successful franchise, and the storyline will be a continuation of 2011’s Scream 4.

Scream follows a new ghost-masked killer who’s after a group of teenagers curious about their town’s deadly past.

At the helm of this movie are filmmaking duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillet, who co-directed the horror-comedy Ready Or Not in 2019. Fans of the original Scream are in for a treat, because the surviving legacy players, Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and David Arquette will be acting alongside franchise newcomers.

The slasher film is the first in its series not to be directed by Craven, who passed away in 2015. The film is dedicated to Craven at the beginning of the end credits.

 

You Won’t Be Alone: January 28

You Won’t Be Alone is set to have its World Premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2022. The Australian-Macedonian writer and director Gioran Stolevski is making his feature debut with this horror picture starring Noomi Rapace, Anamaria Marinca, Alice Englert, Carloto Cotta, Félix Maritaud, and Sara Klimoska.

The story is set in a small village in 19th century Macedonia, where a young girl is kidnapped and then transformed into a witch by an ancient spirit. Things are starting to get out of hand when the young witch accidentally kills someone and then takes on the dead person’s skin in order to live life as a human.

 

Texas Chainsaw Massacre: February 18

Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a direct sequel to Tobe Hooper’s 1974 horror movie, which means that viewers can dive right in without having seen its sequels, prequels, or remakes. The newest sequel is directed by David Blue Garcia and is releasing on Netflix this February.

The storyline takes place about 50 years after the horrific events of August 18, 1973. Two girls are moving to the sleepy town of Harlow, Texas, where they are starting up a new business. Their plans go awry when they disturb the home of Leatherface, the cannibal serial killer whose legacy haunts the local residents up to this day.

 

The Northman: April 22

Robert Eggers, the director behind The Witch and The Lighthouse, is delving into 10th century Iceland with his new movie The Northman.

Viking warrior Amleth, played by Swedish-born Golden Globe Winner  Alexander Skarsgård, sets out to avenge the death of his father, King Aurvandil, whose murder at the hands of his brother Amleth had witnessed as a young boy. But it’s not until Amleth becomes an adult that he returns to his home village where he intends to take his place as ruler of his people.

Viewers will argue that The Northman isn’t exactly a horror movie, but it has plenty of disturbing elements that will make you want to jump out of your seat.

The movie also stars Golden Globe winners and nominees  Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy, Willem Dafoe, and Ethan Hawke.

 

Halloween Ends: October 14, 2022

David Gordon Green is ending his Halloween trilogy with Halloween Ends, coming out in October of this year. The director brought Michael Myers and Laurie Strode back to the big screen in 2018 with the release of Halloween.

While the previous two movies were set on the same night, Halloween Ends will jump forward in time four years and will even feature the COVID-19 pandemic. Not much else is known about the storyline, but what we do know is that the saga of Michael Myers and Laurie Strode is coming to an end.

 

Evil Dead Rise: TBD

Evil Dead Rise is the latest addition to the franchise that first dropped in 1981. Director Lee Cronin teams up with original Evil Dead filmmakers Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, who are on board as executive producers.

The story is set in a cramped apartment in Los Angeles, where two sisters are experiencing all sorts of horrific events after they discover a cursed book known as the “Necronomicon Ex-Mortis.”

 

Hellraiser: TBD

David Bruckner is breathing new life into the Hellraiser franchise with its 11th installment. The director, who helmed The Night House last year, is hoping to bring the title back to its glory days with a new Pinhead. Clive Barker, who directed the 1987 horror classic, is on board as a producer.

Sense8 actress Jamie Clayton will be taking on the iconic role. She will be giving us the first on-screen female Pinhead.

Details about the plot are being kept under wraps, but the official press release describes the project as a “loyal, yet evolved re-imagining of Clive Barker’s.