Maybe the world hasn't quite returned to "normal" like we've been hoping, but there's definitely at least one good thing to come out of 2022: new and incredible horror movies! From exceptional franchise reboots to fresh and unique concepts, this year has been churning out hit after hit.
As we're passing through the middle of the year, let's take a look back at five of the best horror movies of 2022 so far—and five more we can't wait to see in the second half. After all, you can't have a good scare without building up the anticipation.
5 of The Best Horror Movies of 2022 (So Far)
Scream (January 14th)
The fifth film in the popular Scream franchise, this reboot revitalized our favorite slasher right. While it put our beloved survivors—Sidney (Neve Campbell), Gale (Courtney Cox), and Dewey (David Arquette)—in mid-sized roles to pay respects to the original, it put new characters at the forefront. 25 years after the original massacre in Woodsboro, a new killer takes up the Ghostface mantle. Targeting those with a link to the original group of victims and survivors, the masked murder is more dangerous than ever. When her sister becomes the first victim of a stabbing, Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera) will do whatever it takes to keep her safe.
Fresh (January 20th)
Dating is hard for everyone—but some girls just get all the bad luck. After becoming disillusioned with the online dating scene, Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) meets the charming Steve (Sebastian Stan) at the grocery store. Plunging headfirst into a romance, Noa agrees early on to join Steve for a weekend away. But tucked away in his luxurious home, she discovers her new boyfriend has an unusual appetite.
X (March 18th)
Drawing inspiration from the slashers of the 20th century, this film follows a group of adult filmmakers as they set up shop in a guest house on a Texas farm. The owners of the property—an elderly couple—are an intense and unusual pair. But as the pornographers pursue their unconventional American Dream, they start to perish one by one.
Related: The United States of Terror: 16 Iconic Americana Horror Movies
The Black Phone (June 24th)
Based on a short story by Joe Hill, The Black Phone was a highly-anticipated horror film this year that did not disappoint.
13-year-old Finney Blake (Mason Thames) is kidnapped by a sadistic child killer. Locked away in a soundproof basement, no amount of screaming will help him. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, Finney answers and connects through to the voices of the killer's previous victims. Victims who want to keep history from repeating itself.
NOPE (July 22nd)
Life on the Haywood's California ranch goes on as normal—until the fall of random objects from the sky kills their patriarch. Now siblings OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald (Keke Palmer) are determined to record video evidence of an unidentified flying object. Tech salesman Angel Torres (Brandon Perea) and documentarian Antlers Holst (Michael Wincott) are along for the ride as they make a chilling discovery.
5 Horror Movies to Look Forward to in 2022
Bodies, Bodies, Bodies (August 5th)
Dark comedy meets slasher in this next A24 film. With a hurricane rolling in, a group of wealthy 20-somethings throw a party at an isolated mansion. Tension is thick amongst the group, and the only solution is to play a good ol' murder-in-the-dark party game. But one of these fake friends is a very real killer...
Orphan: First Kill (August 19th)
A prequel to the 2009 film Orphan, this movie follows Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman) after she's made a clever escape from an Estonian psychiatric facility. Making her way to America, she insinuates herself into the lives of a wealthy family, pretending to be their missing daughter. But a shocking twist sees her go head to head against a mother (Julia Stiles) who will do anything to keep her family safe.
Related: Pint-Sized Mayhem: 11 Scary Movies Starring Very Evil Children
Dark Harvest (September 9th)
Based on the novel of the same name by Norman Partridge, this adaptation centers around the legend of the October Boy. Every Halloween, this monster wreaks havoc upon the citizens of a small Midwestern town, butcher knife in hand. Every year a brave few go up against him to get a ticket out of town. This year, Richie Shepard (Casey Likes) is determined to prove himself.
Halloween Ends (October 14th)
In what is (allegedly) the final installment of the Halloween franchise, this film picks up four years after the events of Halloween Kills. Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is living with her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak), writing her memoir and trying to embrace a fear-free life after years of no sign of Michael Myers. But when Allyson's new boyfriend, Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell), is accused of killing the boy he was babysitting, violence and terror once again grips the Strode family.
Related: 6 Horror Movie Sequels as Good as (or Better Than) the Original
Hellraiser (TBA)
While there's no date set yet for this remake of the 1987 film of the same name, Hellraiser is expected to hit Hulu sometime before the end of this year. There's very little information about the project at this time, but it's said to closely resemble Clive Barker's source material. Starring Odessa A'zion and Jamie Clayton, the plot centers around a young woman who must face sadistic, supernatural forces and a mysterious puzzle box after her brother disappears.
Related: 5 New Queer Horror Movies to Get Excited About (And 5 You Should Already Know)
