Looking back on cinema, you’ll notice that there have been quite a few movies based on urban legends. Most found their pop folklore inspiration without spending a lot of time and energy, but some others were a little more obscure in their choices. Either way, adapting urban legends always requires a good deal of creativity, especially if a movie doesn’t have the horror genre to lean on for its embellishments. 

Horror’s on-and-off relationship with urban legends dates back to the ‘70s, give or take. That particular decade was an age of substantial cultural changes, and one method of acknowledging the world was different was telling these friend-of-a-friend stories. It was only understandable that the more dreadful myths would then make their way to the screen; “The Babysitter and the Man Upstairs”, for example, was the starter material for Black Christmas and When a Stranger Calls.

Fast forward to the ‘90s, and we had another discernible uptick in urban legend movies. Horror remained the favorite destination, if you wanted to get these stories made and seen; the proof being Campfire Tales, I Know What You Did Last Summer, The Last Broadcast, and of course, Urban Legend. However, there was the occasional switch to other genres.

Twin films are not an uncommon occurrence in the industry, and they happen for a number of reasons. Even still, having two movies about the same campus legend was as freaky as it was refreshing. While their peers were more keen on turning the grislier myths into slashers, The Curve and Dead Man on Campus acted on their shared influence with humor.

The “Pass by Catastrophe” (or “The Suicide Rule”) legend first began to pop up in—where else?—the ‘70s. Although there have been plenty of variations since then, the original outcome endures; because of an obscure college policy, students are granted an automatic passing grade after enduring some kind of hardship. The version used for both The Curve and Dead Man on Campus, and the one I grew up hearing, has a roommate’s suicide being the deciding factor in that instant 4.0. These two movies, however, take the myth even further by having the students take the initiative, rather than waiting for fate to get involved.

The Curve and Dead Man on Campus were each shot in ‘97, but the former was the first to premiere. Before its title was changed from Dead Man’s Curve, Dan Rosen’s directorial debut was screened at Sundance. Initial reviews were more lukewarm than expected, but that wasn’t because of the cast. Coming hot off of Scream, Matthew Lillard was a certified scene-stealer here. That one-half of the original Ghostface duo proved he could work alone, even though he technically was partnered up in this wicked college thriller. Nonetheless, upstaging everyone came easy to him, and he did it with a deranged gleam in his eye.

Michael Vartan and Keri Russell, prior to their own breakout roles in the then-near future, were also mixed up in this messy murder plot to score passing grades. Vartan is Lillard’s more subdued accomplice who is still willing to kill for a spot at Harvard Business School, and Russell is his not-so-innocent girlfriend. As for the victim, who’s played by Randall Batinkoff, he was no slouch when it came to demanding your attention; that increasing misogyny is enough to make you side with his killers. 

If The Curve lacks anything, it’s a stronger saboteur for the young criminals (other than themselves). The two detectives (Anthony Griffith, Bo Dietl) on the case do have some clue as to what’s really going on among these dangerous collegiates, yet this duo is so unremarkable, they may as well have been left on the cutting room floor. Or at the very least, their parts should have been transformed into more screentime for Dana Delany’s underused character.

Accusations of mean-spiritedness have been thrown around in regard to The Curve, but surely, isn’t that the whole point? Entitled, desperate, and unfeeling college kids off one of their own just to get ahead—that concept alone is worthy of an “A”. The twisted conclusion is also the stuff of classic YA suspense; my own rewatch ended with the same sort of amusement I got from reading the works of R. L. Stine and Christopher Pike. It’s so overworked that it’s almost brilliant.

Had it not been for Halloween H20: 20 Years Later, Disturbing Behavior and Blade, the summer of ‘98 would have been a dry season for horror. And even though the plot of Alan Cohn’s Dead Man on Campus comes across as horror, I assure you, it is most definitely a college comedy. Granted, it’s darker than most—college freshmen are typically looking for fun, not at-risk students.

The Curve saw its cast committing murder, whereas Tom Everett Scott and Mark-Paul Gosselaar’s characters in Dead Man on Campus never draw blood. Hoping to score a suicidal roomie, so as to secure perfect grades that semester, is bleak stuff. Even so, the scenario here is one more akin to instant wish fulfillment. The two main characters ask for what seems like the impossible, then they eventually receive it.

Enter Dead Man on Campus with certain expectations, and it just might satisfy your craving for black comedy. Mind you, it’s neither pitch black, nor does it go as far as its setup suggests. For a more grim college comedy, I point you toward Douglas Curtis’ The Hazing (a.k.a. The Curious Case of the Campus Corpse) and Doug Liman’s Getting In. Those two movies, which aren’t without their own tone issues, are even bigger oddballs than this one.

These movies are of that “you had to be there” category of ‘90s cinema. It’s hard to think that either of them would be produced today, at least not without advisory warnings. Of the two, though, The Curve is the least likely to shock, on account of it being a thriller. Death comes with the territory. With Dead Man on Campus, its era-specific approach to mental health is perhaps too indelicate for modern, more enlightened audiences. Proceed with caution if you think the pitches sound iffy.

I can’t speak for everyone, but laughing about my own dark times is how I cope with them. It’s likely why I enjoy the urban legends that give shape to our innermost fears, and make life feel more manageable (logic be damned). Absurd as they are, they can also be weirdly comforting. It only makes sense that the movies they inspire have a similar effect.

The post ‘The Curve’ and ‘Dead Man on Campus’: The Twisted Urban Legend That Inspired Two Very Different Movies appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The director of one of the best zombie movies of all time is back with a brand new one in theaters this weekend, and this week also brings a new Barney-inspired horror movie from the director of viral hit Too Many Cooks, the at-home debut of the Pinocchio horror movie starring Robert Englund, and the wide theatrical expansion of a critically acclaimed new nightmare from NEON.

Here are the new horror movies that released August 24 – August 30, 2026!

Part of the cinematic universe known as the “Poohniverse,” Pinocchio Unstrung puts a horror movie spin on the classic tale, and the film is now available on Digital at home.

The chilling reimagining of the familiar fable unfolds inside an elite London prep school. Created by Geppetto and influenced by a sinister Cricket, Pinocchio launches a violent crusade to carve himself into a real boy like his brother, one piece at a time…

Richard Brake (Barbarian) stars in Pinocchio Unstrung as the obsessive Geppetto, with horror icon Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street) as the voice of Cricket.

Pinocchio is voiced by Jude Evan Lloyd and brought to life via a practical animatronic created by Todd Masters (“Tales from the Crypt,” Slither). Cameron Bell, Jessica Balmer, Jack Art Gray, and Peter De Souza-Feighoney round out the horror movie’s cast.

Rhys Frake-Waterfield (Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey) writes and directs the British slasher, in addition to producing alongside Scott Jeffrey via their Jagged Edge Productions.

This is fifth entry in the Twisted Childhood Universe, following Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey and its sequel, Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare, and Bambi: The Reckoning.

Nicolas Winding Refn’s Her Private Hell is now available on Digital.

In the film, when a mysterious mist engulfs a futuristic metropolis, unleashing a deadly and elusive entity, a troubled young woman searches for her father. Her quest collides with an American GI on a harrowing odyssey to rescue his daughter from Hell.

Sophie Thatcher (“Yellowjackets”), Charles Melton (“Riverdale”), Kristine Froseth (How to Blow Up a Pipeline), Havana Rose Liu (No Exit), and Diego Calva (Babylon) star.

The ensemble also includes Dougray Scott (Hitman), Aoi Yamada (Perfect Days), Shioli Kutsuna (Deadpool & Wolverine), and Hidetoshi Nishijima (Shin Ultraman).

Nicolas Winding Refn directs Her Private Hell from a script he co-wrote with Esti Giordani (“Vida”). Pino Donaggio (Carrie, Don’t Look Now) composed the score.

Refn produces under his byNWR Originals banner. Executive producers include Takuma Takasaki, Kimberly Willming, Christina Erritzøe, and Lene Børglum.

Her Private Hell is rated ‘R’ for “some strong/bloody violence, sexual content, and language.”

Aura Entertainment brought director Jesse V. Johnson’s Above & Below to select theaters last month, and the shark attack film is now available on Digital outlets at home.

30 feet below. 10 minutes of oxygen. 1 apex predator.

In shark attack horror movie Above & Below, “Friends embark on a dream vacation of parties and diving, but their trip takes a terrifying turn when criminals attack them at sea.”

This one looks like every other shark movie that’s been released in the last several years, but it’s armed with something that puts it a fin above the competition. Oscar nominated actor Antonio Banderas stars in Above & Below, with the cast also including Christina Ochoa, Laura Marano, Timothy V. Murphy, Louis Mandylor, Jess Liaudin, Ryan Bertroche, Ramiro Alonso, Diego Llinás, Rodrigo Poisón, Mario Tardón, and Donncha Tynan.

Anthony Steven Giordano wrote the screenplay.

German indie horror movie The Behemoth hit Digital this past Tuesday.

In the film from director Kai E. Bogatzki, “What begins as a quiet holiday in a snow-covered mountain village quickly descends into terror when a young couple crosses paths with a blood thirsty religious cult.

“As disappearances mount and the atmosphere grows increasingly oppressive, the couple realizes they are no longer observers–but targets–caught at the center of a horrific ritual that will unleash something far worse than death.”

Beatrice Fletcher and Johnny Vivash star in The Behemoth.

Director Shawn C. Phillips is back with sequel Desert Fiends 2, now available on Digital.

Bounty hunters pursue cannibal mutants while an influencer’s live event draws fans into danger, turning the desert into a gory slasher battleground of monsters, mayhem, and twisted laughs.

The horror-comedy sequel stars Eric Roberts, Vanessa Angel, Robert Carradine, Martin Klebba, Ginger Lynn Allen, Robert Lasardo, James Debello, Douglas Tait, Kansas Bowling, Brett Wagner, Kato Kaelin, Mark Torgl, Carl Solomon, Jack Berner, and Michael B Moynahan.

The first Desert Fiends, also directed by Shawn C. Phillips, was released in 2024.

Director Casper Kelly (Too Many Cooks, V/H/S/Halloween) is back with fresh nightmare fuel, with his latest feature film Buddy now playing in theaters nationwide from Saban Films.

Buddy centers on the titular unicorn mascot — a beloved children’s TV host with a squeaky-clean persona that belies his true nature as a dark and violent force of nature.

Here’s the official synopsis: “Inside the colorful world of It’s Buddy!, a group of children spend their days singing, dancing, and helping Buddy spread happiness. But when one child refuses to play along, Buddy is not pleased and cracks begin to appear in this seemingly perfect world.”

Cristin Milioti stars as Grace, a suburban mother inadvertently drawn into Buddy’s nightmare world, with Delaney Quinn as Freddy, a brave girl who begins to fight back against Buddy when he shows his true self. Keegan-Michael Key voices Buddy. The horror movie’s cast also includes Topher Grace, Michael Shannon, and Patton Oswalt.

Casper Kelly co-wrote the movie with Jamie King (“Jessica Jones”).

Meagan Navarro wrote in her review, “Casper Kelly drops viewers straight into the world of a kids’ show with a high-concept horror comedy that dials up the absurdities of kids’ television programming to a lethal degree. Those on board with an experimental structure and Kelly’s darkly playful sense of humor will find this raucous midnighter highly entertaining.”

South Korean filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan) is back with new outbreak nightmare Colony, and the film is now playing in U.S. theaters from Well Go USA Entertainment.

The South Korean horror movie follows Professor Se-jeong as she is thrust into a terrifying hellscape when a mutating virus is unleashed during a biotech conference, forcing authorities to seal the facility to contain the outbreak. Se-jeong and a group of survivors must fight to stay alive as the infected undergo horrific transformations and threaten to spread the virus.

Colony marks Gianna Jun’s (Blood: The Last Vampire) first feature film since 2015’s Assassination. She stars alongside Koo Kyo-hwan (Peninsula, Escape from Mogadishu). 

Ji Chang-wook (“Healer”) and Shin Hyun-been (“Hospital Playlist”) also star.

The viral outbreak horror movie is rated ‘R’ for “bloody violent content and some language.”

Colony is presented by Showbox and produced by Wowpoint and Smilegate. 

Serial killer thriller The Whisper Man is now streaming only on Netflix.

Adam Scott, Michelle Monaghan, and Robert De Niro star in The Whisper Man. The Netflix Original feature film is based on Alex North‘s 2019 novel of the same name.

In the film, “When his eight-year-old son is abducted, a widowed crime writer looks to his estranged father, a retired former police detective, for help, only to discover a connection with the decades-old case of a convicted serial killer known as The Whisper Man.”

The stacked cast also includes Michael Keaton, John Carroll Lynch, Hamish Linklater, Owen Teague, Will Brill, and Acston Luca Porto.

James Ashcroft (The Rule of Jenny Pen) directs Netflix’s new horror movie The Whisper Man from a script by Ben Jacoby (The First Omen) and Chase Palmer (IT).

Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Angela Russo-Otstot, Michael Disco, and Kassee Whiting produce the thriller for AGBO (Everything Everywhere All at Once, Extraction).

NEON ends the Summer with their existential road trip horror movie It Ends, which opened in NY & LA theaters last weekend. The film’s theatrical release has now expanded nationwide.

Check your local listings to find the nearest location.

It Ends marks the feature debut by writer-director Alexander Ullom.

“Four recent college grads on a night time drive find themselves stuck on a road that sprawls on forever, with seemingly no end in sight. They are occasionally attacked by stragglers and have to find a routine to plan their rest stops, but after a few thousand miles it all feels the same. Still, they keep on driving, only in the belief something better will come eventually.“

Akira Jackson, Phinehas Yoon, Mitchell Cole, and Noah Toth star.

In the Ozploitation tradition, the Australian movie Penny Lane Is Dead is a blood-soaked, ’80s-set horror thriller, and it’s now streaming exclusively on Shudder beginning today.

Set on a hot summer’s night in 1986 Australia, 17-year old Penny Lane is celebrating getting into college with her longtime girlfriends. After Penny’s jealous and troubled cousin decides a cruel prank is in order, what begins as a thoughtless spiked cupcake game spirals into a night of bloodshed and revenge.

Sophia Wright-Mendelsohn, Tahlee Fereday, Alexandra Jensen (Talk to Me), Bailey Spalding, Steve Le Marquand (Vertical Limit), Fletcher Humphrys (“Wolf Creek”), and Ben O’Toole (Hacksaw Ridge) star in Penny Lane Is Dead.

Writer-director Mia’Kate Russell makes her feature debut on the project.

The film is the first outing from Sanctuary Pictures, the production arm of Umbrella Entertainment, who produces alongside Buffalo Media and in association with Cyan Films.

The post These 10 New Horror Movies Released This Week – Friday, August 28 appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Oscar winner Helen Mirren plays novelist Patricia Highsmith (The Talented Mr. Ripley) in the upcoming thriller A Talent for Murder, and the official trailer has arrived this week.

The movie is being released by Bleecker Street in theaters October 23, 2026.

In A Talent for Murder, “a callow young literary agent from New York is sent to Switzerland to persuade Patricia Highsmith to write one final installment of the Ripley anthology.”

Alden Ehrenreich (Weapons) and Olivia Cooke (“House of the Dragon”) also star.

Anton Corbijn (The American) directs from a script by Joanna Murray-Smith.

“We are thrilled to be reuniting once again with LD, as well as the great Helen Mirren, to release Corbijn’s captivating ode to not only Highsmith’s lively spirit, but her riveting work itself,” Bleecker Street CEO Kent Sanderson said in a recent statement about the movie.

A Talent for Murder will play at the Toronto International Film Festival next month.

The Toronto International Film Festival previews, “This smouldering chamber thriller from director Anton Corbijn imagines a strange confrontation between a literary agent and legendary author Patricia Highsmith, whose acclaimed, icily intelligent crime novels were the source material for such classic films as Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley.”

The post ‘A Talent for Murder’ Trailer – Helen Mirren Plays Patricia Highsmith in Psychological Thriller appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

There have been talks of Nick Cutter’s The Troop getting a movie adaptation for several years now, and Deadline reports that the project is finally taking shape at Paramount Primal.

Paramount Primal has acquired the rights to the 2014 novel, with Chris Basler writing the script.

The Troop follows a troop of boys who, while on their annual scout camping trip, encounter an intruder who unleashes something far more terrifying than any campfire ghost story.

As fear spreads, a brutal struggle for survival begins, turning the boys against the infected… and each other.

Lyrical Media (Onslaught) will produce the upcoming film adaptation.

Nick Cutter had told Bloody Disgusting back in May, “It is in the hands right now of a company called Lyrical, who is excellent, and they’ve got a script that they like.”

“That has been through so many iterations over the past decade or so,” he explained. “Different people have taken stabs at it. I remain hopeful that at some point it will see the light of day.”

Just three months later, here we are! Stay tuned for more.

In the meantime, Nick Cutter’s latest novel, The Dorians, is available now.

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