Six Flix: This Week in Horror Movies (3/28-4/3)

One thing horror has taught us is that you can’t trust anyone, and this week’s films reinforce that with wicked betrayals and manipulation.

Editor’s Note:

If you’re staying snuggly at home, you’ve got Baghead new on Shudder. Also on Shudder is the excellent You’ll Never Find Me. On VOD rental, your choices include Mister Sleep, Hunting for the Hag, T-Blockers, Frogman, and Lisa Frankenstein, just to name a few.

In addition to those killer new releases, why not mix in some classics from years gone by you may have missed or that deserve a rewatch if it’s been a while.

It’s another week of bangers as we develop trust issues while exploring films about manipulation, gaslighting, betrayal, and people (or non-people) with very bad intentions. From the late 80s to the early 2000s, we mix sci-fi and slashers, thrills and kills for a week of very different but very fun watches

1. A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS (1987)

Our favorite iconic horror villain, Freddy Krueger, returns in Dream Warriors. This is one of our all-time favorite movies — the perfect balance of terror and dark humor.

We LOVE Robert Englund in this gorgeous addition to the franchise. It has incredible practical effects throughout. It also has a fun story, and we love the actors in it. Heather Langencamp and John Saxton returning to reprise their roles really helps tie it back to the original. Patricia Arquette does an outstanding job in her debut role as Kristen and has such a great scream! The whole cast shines and feels like a relatable group.

With Wes Craven returning after sitting out the sequel, Dream Warriors is on another level.

With an almost quadrupled budget from the original, they really kicked up the intensity. It starts off with a bang with an incredible dream sequence and fantastic effects that immediately suck you in. There are so many memorable nightmare moments in this installment: running in tar, the melting tricycle, the sleepwalking kill scene, and so many more.  This film has an extremely memorable soundtrack with the song “Dream Warriors” performed by Dokken which became the film’s anthem.

Freddy brings it harder than ever with his trademark witty one-liners, malice, and kills, making this a wildly fun watch perfect for any movie night!

2. FEAR (1996)

Fear is an intense teen drama/thriller starring Mark Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon.

We are not huge on Wahlberg in general, but in this film specifically, he does a great job. He is believably intense and insane as David, the violent and obsessive boyfriend. He genuinely does such a great job being smooth, charismatic, and charming, then switching to crazy, violent, and aggressive. The scene where he hurts himself in the street to frame Reese Witherspoon’s character’s father after he warns him to stay away from him is so diabolical and fantastic to watch.

The movie is fast-paced and keeps you entertained the whole time; although the base is a romance, it isn’t too mushy and doesn’t waste any time getting going. The tension builds quite well and leads to a very predictable yet intense and satisfying ending.

This is worth a watch if you’re looking for a quick teen thriller that packs a punch.

3. THE CRUSH (1993)

The Crush is a drama thriller that stars Alicia Silverstone in her debut role as Adrian, a young teen with an attitude and obsession problem.

She takes an interest in Nick, the man who is renting out her parents’ guest house (Cary Elwes), and begins to work her way into his life. Her fascination with him becomes more and more inappropriate, and she ends up kissing him. When he rejects her advances and tries to distance himself from her, she takes it a little personally and decides his life.

Alicia does such an amazing job being a villain, it is crazy this was her first role because she is incredible in it! She has such a piercing stare and menacing aura about her that really makes her perfect for this role.

Although Cary Elwes’s character is in the wrong as the adult in the situation, you ultimately end up feeling uncomfortable for him. There is an instance where she frames him for hurting herself, and it is beautifully executed, reminding us of Mark Wahlberg’s character in Fear.

It’s tense from beginning to end and has great performances throughout. We even get to see our girl, Jennifer Rubin.

The Crush is perfect if you’re in the mood for some teen drama and violence. 

4. THE FACULTY (1998)

The Faculty is one of our favorites. We probably watch it way too much, but it’s such a classic that it never gets old!

This movie follows a group of teens at a high School in Ohio, this rag tag team has the usual stereotypes of angsty teenagers aka the jock, the goth, the nerd, the popular girl, the loser etc. They start to notice the staff at their school acting strangely and band together to figure it out. Casey (Elijah Wood) believes that some kind of alien has taken over the teachers. This unlikely crew starts to unravel the mystery and tries to save the world.

It is such a fast-paced teen sci-fi horror film with some fun effects. The cast is stacked with tons of names: Jordana Brewster, Salma Hayek, Elijah Wood, Robert Patrick, Clea DuVall, Usher, Laura Harris, Josh Hartnett, and even Jon Stewart.

This is a fun teen twist on Invasion of the Body Snatchers. It’s full of great tension and has a humorous vibe.

The Faculty is great if you’re in the mood for a light-hearted sci-fi horror movie.

5. YOU’RE NEXT (2013)

You’re Next is an amazing slasher, starting off with an isolated group of people, siblings/friends/family falling under attack from crossbow-wielding murderers.

What makes You’re Next so much better than other slashers is the incredible and badass female lead (Sharni Vinson). She is not a stereotypical weak girl but a strong and incredibly capable survivalist. This film is brutal, dark, and gory, and It is great to watch the characters make all the right decisions in a slasher.

This movie holds your attention well with its awesome fight scenes and traps. It also has a great soundtrack.

This is the perfect choice for your movie night if you’re looking for a slasher with lots of bloody action and a killer final girl. 

6. THE GIFT (2015)

We love Jason Bateman, so this was a fun one for us.

The Gift follows a couple, Simon and Robyn (Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall), as they move into their new house after relocating for Simon’s work. They run into somebody while shopping for home supplies that Simon used to go to school with named Gordo (Joel Edgerton, who acts and directs this film).

From there, Gordo begins to make increasingly personal and inappropriate gestures, like going up to their house without asking for their address with a bottle of wine, filling their pond with fish, and repeatedly showing up uninvited while Simon is at work.

Chaos ensues, and it is a very intriguing story with a good amount of twists and turns along the way. We love the ending!

If you’re in the mood for a clever and creepy thriller, this one hits the spot.