With a fresh month of horror ahead of us, I take a look into what’s in store for horror enthusiasts in May. From the shark-infested waters of Something in the Water, to the political satire of Founder’s Day, this month is shaping up bring a diverse and delightful mix of horror movies. So, without further adieu, here are my top picks for May 2024.
Something in the Water – May 3, 2024
It was 1975 when Jaws was released, instilling the fear of sharks in millions of people worldwide. Since the iconic movie landed, sharks have found themselves to be the centerpiece of many horror movies and, while none have yet to quite have the same effect as the fearsome fish of yesteryear. However, all may be about to change with the release of Something in the Water nipping at our heels.
Something in the Water follows a group of five female friends as they set out for one of the dream wedding of one of their companions. With it being a horror movie, however, things take a nasty turn as they find themselves stranded in the ocean with a bloodthirsty shark (dooooo-dum).
Starring Hiftu Quasem (The Witcher and Killing Eve) alongside Lauren Lyle (The Outrun and Vigil) and Nicole Rieko Setsuko, Something in the Water will play host to some promising talents and, with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them‘s Hayley Easton Street in the director’s chair, this movie will hopefully have some bite.
Mind, Body, Spirit
The Blair Witch Project has long since been a source of inspiration for found footage horror movies but sadly they’re very rarely done right, Mind, Body, Spirit, however, looks like it will be a promising edition to the sub-genre. The movie follows a yoga guru and “influencer” as she moves into her late grandmother’s house. It’s here she discovers an old and battered book containing an ancient self-help routine written in Slavic text. Inevitably, Anya chooses to follow the ancient ritual and unwittingly unleashes a malevolent force that haunts her to the edge of sanity.
I agree, once written down the plot sounds generic and tired. However, the trailer promises some genuine scares with this one and I remain hopeful, despite my faith in found footage movies. This will be the debut movie for directors Alex Henes and Matthew Merenda, who also co-wrote Mind, body, Spirit and I’m hoping they start with a bang.
Pandemonium – May 23, 2024
I’m not usually one to get excited about foreign-language movies but Pandemonium really has really turned my head. The movie follows a man named Nathan who, after realizing he has died in a car accident, enters a gate to “the other side” to discover it wasn’t Heaven he was stepping through. Nathan, an evidently evil man in life, steps through and descends into the fiery pits of Hell. Here he is guided through the Devil’s Depths and doomed to endure the pain of a tortured soul.
From what we can see of the trailer, Pandemonium looks to be an unnerving and unsettling journey into Hell and a cinematic masterpiece. This Dante-esque imagining of the afterlife is my most anticipated movie coming out this month and I wait in hope for a thought-provoking adventure that will stay with me long after the final credits have rolled.
Summary
While there are a handful of other horror movies coming out this month, these are the ones I – personally – am looking forward to the most. What movies are you waiting for this year? Let us know in the comments.
