We cannot wait to watch these 5 horror movies premiering at Sundance 2025

As a seasoned horror fan with an affinity for twisted fairy tales and a soft spot for British folklore, I am absolutely thrilled about this year’s Sundance lineup! The Midnight section is always a highlight of the festival, and the 2025 selection doesn’t disappoint.

For the 2025 Sundance Festival, scheduled from January 23rd to February 2nd in Salt Lake City, Utah, an enticing roster of horror films has been revealed. This year’s lineup includes fresh takes on classics like Cinderella with a chilling twist, as well as the newest offerings from A24.

Every year, Sundance features a unique “Midnight” category filled with genre movies intended to startle and stir emotions. This segment typically showcases their horror and thriller films premiering at the event. Here’s a look at five Midnight picks we can’t wait to catch at Sundance 2025! Tickets for this exciting festival are available now.

Rabbit Trap

“Rabbit Trap” – a chilling British folklore horror movie featuring Dev Patel and Rosy McEwen as a couple who move to a serene, woodland home tucked away in Wales’ verdant forests. In this idyllic setting, they start experiencing eerie music that appears to be a call to an ancient form of magic, materializing as a mysterious rabbit trapper with no name, who subtly intrudes into their lives with malicious intent.

In this movie, Daphne McEwen, a music enthusiast, finds herself captivated by the numerous tape players and oscillators in her latest home, while Darcy Patel, her spouse, is engrossed in his work, scouring for recordings in the field. Elijah Wood plays the role of producer in this close-knit, eerie fantasy film.

Opus

As a thrilled movie enthusiast, I’m eagerly anticipating A24’s upcoming horror masterpiece where I step into the shoes of Ayo Edebiri, an aspiring writer with unquenchable ambition. This chilling tale unfolds as I receive an invitation to a remote desert retreat once occupied by a vanished pop sensation, who mysteriously disappeared 30 years ago. The suspense is palpable!

In the style of “flashy pop-horror,” the movie Opus is set to reveal the sinister side of celebrity obsession. As Adebiri’s character gets sucked into a shadowy realm of fans and media, they find themselves intertwined with the star’s sinister plot. Similar to numerous films from this year’s Sundance festival, Opus marks the first directorial effort for both writer and director, Mark Anthony Green.

Together

In a new collaboration, real-life spouses Alison Brie and Dave Franco are joining forces for this unsettling body horror movie focusing on codependence. Known as “Together“, the project serves as the first feature film directing endeavor by writer/director Michael Shanks. The story revolves around a duo who opt to leave bustling city life behind for a more remote existence, thereby losing touch with their social circle and general sense of community. As they progress, both individuals experience an alarming transformation that seeps into every facet of their lives, including their bond and even their physical bodies.

Touch Me

Including a term like “sexually explicit scenes reminiscent of anime” in your movie’s summary will surely catch attention and spark curiosity. This creative sci-fi film, produced by queer director Addison Heimann, is no exception.

The movie chronicles the story of two closely bonded friends who, in a turn of events, meet an alien with a narcissistic personality and a habit-forming nature. Indeed, narcissism isn’t exclusive to humans! Heimann drew inspiration from the audacity of Japanese cinema during the ’60s and ’70s, and her latest production is often referred to as a captivating, dreamlike experience. The ensemble features Olivia Taylor Dudley known for her role in “The Magicians,” Lou Taylor-Pucci famous for his part in “Evil Dead,” and Paget Brewster, well-known from “Criminal Minds.

The Ugly Stepsister

With an increase in films reimagining classic fairy tales with dark twists, it’s thrilling news that Emilie Blichfedlt’s gruesome film “The Ugly Stepsister” will be showcased at Sundance. This new adaptation of Cinderella remains truer to the original story’s grim tone as penned by The Brothers Grimm.

Rather than centering the story around Cinderella, the narrative shifts to Elvira, her stepsister who is fixated on physical beauty. In contrast to traditional fairy tales where Cinderellas are associated with silkworms, this tale features tapeworms, which is quite unpleasant. In a sense, The Ugly Stepsister resembles a whimsical take on the horror genre film The Substance, as it is portrayed as a comedic exploration of a 19th-century cosmetic surgery transformation.

2024-12-12 03:25