While the rest of NYC is flocking to the parks to soak up the warming weather, cinephiles know that this month’s cinematic lineup is an absolute goldmine of modern terror. The horror genre’s current renaissance is bringing some serious heat to the big screen, and there is no better way to escape the busy city streets than hiding out in a dark, air-conditioned theater.
Whether it’s A24’s Backrooms you’re dying to see or you’re looking for tickets to the Obsession movie in NYC you need to act fast before these releases leave the rotation. Grab your popcorn and head to your favorite local spot to catch these four horror films in NYC theaters while you still can.
Hokum (out now)
Set in a remote, dreary Irish hotel, Hokum follows a grieving writer who travels overseas to scatter his parents’ ashes. However, his trip to find closure quickly unravels as he uncovers unsettling local folklore tied to the building’s dark past. As he stays longer, strange occurrences begin to blur the line between grief, memory, and something possibly supernatural.
Obsession (out now)
Curry Barker’s hit indie horror brings a twisted edge to the genre. The film follows Bear, a lonely music store worker who stumbles upon a mystical object known as the “One Wish Willow.” Desperate, he uses it to make his crush, Nikki, love him. The wish works, but it quickly spirals into something far darker. Inde Navarrete’s performance as Nikki is already being praised as utterly unforgettable.
Passenger (releasing May 22nd)
Directed by André Øvredal, Passenger takes the picturesque van-life aesthetic and turns it into an absolute nightmare. The film follows a young couple on a van-life road trip that witness a disturbing roadside accident. Soon after, they realize they are being followed by a mysterious, supernatural presence that seems impossible to escape.
Backrooms (releasing May 29th)
Directed by Kane Parsons and starring Renate Reinsve and Chiwetel Ejiofor, A24 is bringing the viral internet myth of “liminal spaces” to the big screen just in time to close out the month. Backrooms follows a therapist searching for a missing patient who has disappeared into a strange, endless alternate dimension. The film is currently tracking to be A24’s biggest domestic box office opening of all time, with projections hitting as high as $50 million.
