7 Thriller and Horror Movies We’re Watching This Winter
Short days mean long nights, and if you’re like me, that means you want to revel in some fresh, compelling thriller and horror movies. Here’s a list of seven films I’m watching this winter.
Thelma
For a lighthearted and cozy mystery, I can’t recommend Thelma enough. Thelma (June Squib) has been living alone since the passing of her husband years before, though her family—and especially her grandson Danny (Fred Hechinger)—lives nearby and wants to do as much as they can for her.
She’s used to being independent now, but technology still evades her, so when her grandson calls panicked and asking for bail money in cash, she walks straight to the bank. It’s not until she drops the parcel in the mail that she realizes she might have been scammed. Her family jumps in to help, but she’s so embarrassed at the police station that she’s resolved to get her money back by any means necessary. She enlists the help of her friend’s widower, and together they hunt down the scammers.
The best part of it, to me, was the way the characters utilized their elder care devices as spy devices. It’s a super heartfelt film, perfect to watch with family over the holidays.
The Substance
Thrilling body horror at its most deranged, here! If you love a suspenseful movie full of gore, this movie is for you. When gorgeous television aerobics instructor and actress Elisabeth Sparkle learns that her network is canceling her decades-long run of her show—because she’s in her fifties—she has to do something drastic.
On the drive home, she spirals out, distracted, as by billboards of herself are torn down, and her car gets T-boned. At her doctor, she’s totally fine physically, which is a miracle. Mentally, she’s still a wreck. Just as she’s being discharged, a hot young nurse slips a note into her coat pocket advertising The Substance. Because she’s desperate, Elisabeth is intrigued by the idea of spending one week as her current, natural self, and one as a stunning younger version. The catch is, they’re the same person, and she has to switch back and forth every week without exception.
Can she make herself follow the rules? And what happens if she fails?
Conclave
What happens when the Pope dies? I never knew—not really—until I watched this movie. And I’m still not sure that I know, since it’s a very secretive rite.
What I do know is that all the cardinals of the Catholic faith travel from all over the world to the Vatican, where they gather and vote to appoint the next Supreme Pontiff, which can take days. One cardinal presides over the conclave as dean, and as Father Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) does so, time after time, the ballots are inconclusive and go up over Rome in a cloud of black smoke. Pressure builds as onlookers observe the indecision, and within the conclave itself, various cardinals campaign for the role of Pope, despite the office’s requirement of humility. Among them are progressive Father Bellini (Stanley Tucci) and his main, perhaps corrupt, competition Tremblay (John Lithgow), the conservative Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), and perhaps the most foreboding, the hyper-conservative, Italian Tedesco. Beneath even the blatant politics, the cardinals sabotage one another, and their human qualities show more than the divine.
And just before they close the doors to be sequestered, an unknown cardinal arrives to the conclave, one whose missionary work in war areas has required secrecy for his own safety and his congregation’s. They’re not sure whether to even admit him, since they’ve only just become aware of his existence, and he has no foreknowledge of their politics at all. But there’s something about Father Benitez that’s intriguing and frank, and the viewer has to think that somehow, this psychological thriller would not be the same without his presence. It’s a beautiful movie, excellent performances, and costumes and setting that beg to be seen on the big screen.
In theaters on October 25.
Juror #2
When soon-to-be first-time dad (Nicholas Hoult) gets summoned to jury duty, he’s sure that he’ll be able to defer on the grounds that his wife is almost full term. No such luck. He proceeds into the homicide trial as Juror #2. With enough circumstantial evidence to convict, Juror #2 is the lone hold out… and it seems like he may have more to do with this crime than just delivering justice. But will the other jurors figure him out in time? What about the attorneys? And even if they do, will it affect the trial’s verdict?
In theaters on October 27.
Gladiator II
The sequel to Ridley Scott’s epic Gladiator, this film begs the question, “Are you not entertained?” I definitely give it a thumbs-up for entertainment value—it’s certainly one that should be seen in theaters.
Gladiator II follows Lucius (Paul Mescal), the son of the original film’s Maximus (Russell Crowe), as his North African city Numidia (now in Algeria) is captured by the Roman army, led by General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal). Lucius is enslaved as a prisoner of war and then after a ship voyage to Rome, mustered as a gladiator. That plot should sound familiar, as should the avenge for family’s death at the hands of Rome. The film checks most of the boxes of the original blockbuster, only lacking a heartfelt plot. We get a truly epic score. Gorgeous costuming moves and extends every movement. Cringe-worthy, corrupt antagonists that anyone outside their inner circle would have to root against.
A truly beautiful cast of men as warriors set against each other in the original bloodsport. Not to mention Denzel Washington in what I think is his most fabulous role to date—I always love him as a villain the most, so much so that here, I wanted him to win. But what really set this movie apart for me, and the main reason I’d suggest seeing it on the big screen, are the themed gladiator competitions. You might have learned about fighting rabid monkeys, riding rhinoceros, or enacting famous navel battles in the Coliseum filled with water in your ancient history class… but have you seen them? Well, now you can! It’s the perfect, long movie for a short winter day.
In theaters on November 22.
The Order
In 1983, an FBI agent formerly stationed in New York goes to Idaho to investigate a series of bank robberies that he thinks might be connected to a string of domestic terrorist attacks… and the Aryan Nations. Agent Terry Husk (Jude Law) follows a lead relayed by a local junior police officer, Jamie Bowen (Tye Sheridan), who heard it from a high school friend in a dive bar—a friend who has since gone missing.
Their suspicions are only off by a degree: a different, more violent and aggressive white supremacist group is at the wheel. They call themselves The Order, they’re led by one Bob Mathews (Nicholas Hoult), and they’re on step 5 of 6 in a preordained government coup. They’re building a war chest. The FBI is just a step behind at every turn, and it’s a gritty, wild ride that sounds all too familiar. Not only because of our current political climate, but because this story is based on true events. It’s harrowing, and definitely worth the watch. I wouldn’t be surprised if all the lead and supporting roles get award nominations, if not Zach Baylin’s script as well.
In theaters on December 6.
Nosferatu
I truly cannot wait for this one! I’m so excited for this remake that I have the promotional perfume in my inbox—yes, I’m so excited that I am one click away from spending $130 on a perfume I’ve never smelled that’s inspired by a movie I’ve never seen. Partly because it’s written and directed by Robert Eggers, who can do no wrong in my eyes, from The Witch to The Lighthouse, and partly because it’s a film inspired by (I think) the first vampire movie, released in 1922, of the same name. And this one looks much scarier.
Early criticism calls it a moody, gory, erotic Gothic horror. It’s the tale of “obsession between a haunted young woman (Lily Rose Depp) and the terrifying vampire (Bill Skarsgård) infatuated with her.”
In theaters on December 25.
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Mary Kay McBrayer is the author of America’s First Female Serial Killer: Jane Toppan and the Making of a Monster. You can find her short works at Oxford American, Narratively, Mental Floss, and FANGORIA, among other publications. She hosts the podcast about women in true crime, The Greatest True Crime Stories Ever Told. Follow Mary Kay McBrayer on Instagram and Twitter, or check out her author site here.