Jigsaw

Director: Michael Spierig and Peter Spierig

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3348730

Review: One or two effective moments nestled in a flat and uninteresting film with twists that only elicit a reaction of "oh ok".

Watch it if: You can't help yourself.

And if you liked: The Saw films.

Cult of Chucky

Director: Don Mancini

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3280262

Review: Starts well but falls into a crumbling mess around halfway and never recovers.

Watch it if: You're heavily invested in the Chucky series.

And if you liked: Curse of Chucky, Child's Play 3

Aaah! Zombies!

Director: Matthew Kohnen

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1027762

Review: Drags hard towards the end but has a novel enough central idea that there's some fun to be had.

Watch it if: You're ok with some very hammy comedy.

And if you liked: Escape from Tomorrow, The Return of the Living Dead, Creepshow 3

The Haunting in Connecticut

Director: Peter Cornwell

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0492044

Review: Revels in cliche too much and show clear signs of story changes but has some genuinely creepy effects and some nice ideas.

Watch it if: You're ok with some old tricks.

And if you liked: Donnie Darko, The House on Haunted Hill (1999), Insidious

Check this out: In a Dark Place: The Story of a True Haunting

I Am Not a Serial Killer

Director: Billy O'Brien

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4303340

Review: Lets itself down a little towards the end but is otherwise a well performed and moody piece with an intriguing villain.

Watch it if: You're ok with letting a film go where it goes.

And if you liked: Some Kind of Hate, Elephant, Fargo, The Thing

Check this out: I Am Not a Serial Killer

The Boy

Director: William Brent Bel

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3882082

Review: Well put together and starts with a decent idea but quickly resorts to old standards for the rest of its runtime.

Watch it if: You want something fairly wacky.

And if you liked: The House of the Devil, The Pact, Housebound

Raw

Director: Julia Ducournau

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4954522

Review: Handles its balance well between silliness and empathy with perfectly executed special effects and good use of music.

Watch it if: You can handle some fairly nasty gore.

And if you liked: Carrie, The Battery, Felt

Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant

Director: Paul Weitz

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450405

Review: Some wild ideas and effort but such a tonal mess it's hard to become engaged.

Watch it if: You want something that at least doesn't get boring.

And if you liked: Hocus Pocus, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Check this out: The Vampire's Assistant

Under the Shadow

Director: Babak Anvari

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4273292

Review: One or two cliched jumps aside, manages to bring a nice spooky tone with some fun ideas and strong central performances.

Watch it if: You're interested in something complex delivered simply.

And if you liked: The Babadook, Let the Right One In, Pan's Labyrinth

The Strangers

Director: Bryan Bertino

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482606

Review: Bleak and unrelenting with a story that never loses interest or ideas.

Watch it if: You're interested in something that manages to stay fresh without reinventing the wheel.

And if you liked: Hush, Halloween, You're Next

The Bad Batch

Director: Ana Lily Amirpour

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4334266

Review: Subtle in its setting without going too small with some great atmosphere and weird performances.

Watch it if: You can handle a small amount of upsetting gore.

And if you liked: Entertainment, Mad Max, Spring Breakers

Blade Runner 2049

Director: Denis Villeneuve

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1856101

Review: Intense and immersive with breathtaking audiovisuals and a plot that slowly builds to a perfect emotional gut-punch.

Watch it if: You're interested in contemplative, cerebral science fiction.

And if you liked: Blade Runner, Ghost in the Shell, Children of Men, A Scanner Darkly

The Dark Half

Director: George A. Romero

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106664

Review: Far too long and doesn't really expand its ideas enough but there's still some fun to be had including an impressive dual performance.

Watch it if: You enjoy seeing Stephen King get very meta.

And if you liked: Basket Case, Monkey Shines, Magic

Check this out: The Dark Half

Children of the Corn

Director: Fritz Kiersch

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087050

Review: Derivative and shaky but reasonably inventive with some fun moments.

Watch it if: You can handle a lot of weird kid acting.

And if you liked: Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, Sinister 2, The Burning

Check this out: Children of the Corn

XX

Director: Jovanka Vuckovic, Annie Clark, Roxanne Benjamin and Karyn Kusama

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3322892

Review: A mixed bag but nothing atrocious with at least one fully solid entry and some nice ideas.

Watch it if: You have an interest in anthology horror.

And if you liked: Holidays, The Babadook, V/H/S

Check this out: The Box