April 2023 Horror Preview
Hopping into April with an all-new horror preview! Without further adieu…
April 14th
Renfield: Absolutely living for the Golden Age of Cage.
When I reviewed THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF MASSIVE TALENT earlier this month, I mentioned that Nicolas Cage has managed to do the impossible – going from actor to movie star is one thing, but Cage has transcended all of that to become an entire genre of film unto himself.
Starring the man himself as Count Dracula and featuring the likes of Awkafina and Nicolas Hoult (fresh off a memorable turn in THE MENU), I have no doubt we’re in good hands when Chris McKay’s (THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE) horror comedy drops this month.
The Pope’s Exorcist: Russell Crowe and Franco Nero (DJANGO) star in this adaptation of the memoirs of Father Gabriele Amorth (An Exorcist Tells His Story, An Exorcist: More Stories), the Vatican’s Chief Exorcist, who claims to have performed over 100,000+ exorcisms over the span of his decades-long career.
Fun fact! Father Gabriele Amorth was the subject of a documentary (THE DEVIL AND FATHER AMORTH) from none other than legendary horror director William Friedkin (THE EXORCIST) himself.
Beau is Afraid: Controversial director Ari Aster (HEREDITARY, MIDSOMMAR) returns this April with his latest “elevated horror” effort starring Joaquin Phoenix and Nathan Lane – Beau is Afraid has been called everything from a “nightmare comedy” to the “horror version of The Truman Show,” and even, strangely enough, by Aster’s own definition: “A Jewish Lord of the Rings.”
Needless to say, exact details and plot are pretty scarce, but for fans of the divisive A24 auteur, this should be right up their alley.
April 21st
Evil Dead Rise: About two weeks after Easter and Christ isn’t the only thing risen! The inevitable re-remake/sequel to Sam Raimi’s classic horror tale is an unfortunately Ash-less adventure, as Bruce Campbell had essentially retired the character back in 2018.
However, if SXSW reactions are to be believed – at the very least, Evil Dead Rise promises to retain the signature Looney Tunes-esque comedy as well as horrific violence that made the original film a classic horror staple.
The Tank: This Lovecraftian creature feature from director Scott Walker (THE FROZEN GROUND) looks like an exciting new twist on a familiar premise – a young yuppie family inherits an abandoned coastal property only to discover and unwittingly unleash an ancient evil lurking in the water tank out back.
With Peter Jackson’s WETA Workshop onboard for the practical effects, this should be a no-brainer for horror fans looking for that CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON fix.
Dead Ringers: Last but not least, Amazon Prime’s new miniseries is a modern-day gender-swapped remake of the 1988 David Cronenberg classic that trades Jeremy Irons’ dual performances in favor of Rachel Weisz’s twin girl bosses.
While I’m not yet entirely sold on the premise itself or the necessity of a remake, I’m hoping this will be at least up to the level of quality we got with the last feminist reimagining of Croneberg’s work (Jen and Sylvia Soska’s RABID).
