Top 10 Genre Movies To See in 2017!

Last Updated on August 3, 2021

Meddy New Year friends and frequenters! Can you believe 2017 is officially on the brink? Insane, right? It seems every year grows shorter and shorter. Be that as it may, it’s now time to look ahead, to start anew, to refocus on what’s to come in the next 12 months. And that, of course, also includes horror flicks, genre joints, movies of every stripe. And seemingly more than most, the year 2017 marks the return of a number of well established horror/thriller franchises, be they reboots, origin stories or outright sequels. We’re talking Voorhees, Jigsaw, Deckard, the Xenomorphs, Pernnywise…hell, even The Mummy is being excavated for resurrection. Should be a hell of a year at the movies!

So join us in our anticipatory preview as we highlight our Top 10 Genre Movies to See in 2017!

#1. ALIEN: COVENANT (MAY 19TH)

From one Ridley Scott sequel to another! This time though, instead of merely entrusting a younger director to carry on his grand vision, Sir Ridley himself will helm ALIEN: COVENANT, the de facto sequel to his overall satisfying 2012 voyage of visceral violence, PROMETHEUS. In COVENANT, a new space-traveling crew finds itself gravely imperiled when landing at a putatively unmanned paradise, only to find a dwelling race of intergalactic monsters. Only David (Fassbender), the lifelike android from PROMETHEUS, has survived, and will now be joined by a killer cast that includes Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Demian Bichir, Danny McBride, Carmen Ejogo, James Franco and fellow holdovers Noomi Rapace and Guy Pearce. Given the stature of the first film, given the meastro in the director’s chair, given the cast and groundwork laid by PROMETHEUS, how could ALIEN: COVENANT not be out most anticipated movie of 2017?!

#2. BLADE RUNNER 2049 (OCTOBER 6TH)

Is Deckard a replicant or not? The debate has persisted for 35 years, and now, perhaps a modicum of light might be shed on the subject when Denis Villenueve unveils his post-apocalyptic vision of BLADE RUNNER 2049 this October. And damn it, we can’t wait! Not only does the great Harrison Ford reprise his iconic role of Rick Deckard, he’s joined by the brilliant starring and supporting cast of Ryan Gosling, Jared Leto, Robin Wright, Ana de Armas, Barkhad Abdi, Lennie James and Dave Bautista. As for the story? Gosing plays Officer K, a new LAPD Blade Runner who uncovers a potentially devastating secret which leads him on a hunt to find Rick Deckard, who has been missing for the past 30 years. Normally we’d scoff at the idea of a new BLADE RUNNER flick, but given Scott’s producorial blessing and Villenueve’s personal pedigree (PRISONERS, SICARIO, ARRIVAL), we couldn’t have higher hopes for 2049!

#3. MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (NOVEMBER 22ND)

Where are my Agatha Christie fans at? Come on now, what’s not to love about a murder-mystery whodunit set on a barreling locomotive? Granted, tall shoes to fill for Kenneth Branagh, who not only stars and directs, but must contend with the legendary Sidney Lumet’s 1974 film version. He’s also taked with eclipsing, or at least living up to, Albert Finney’s Hercule Poirot. This time however, an equally stellar cast includes Johnny Depp, my gal Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Penelope Cruz, Michael Pena, Judi Dench, Josh Gad and Derek Jacobi. It’ll be interesting to see how much, if at all, the story strays from the original, the conclusive culprits of which felt a bit of a cop-out. Interestingly, one of the key writers of the film, Michael Green, also worked on scripts for the following Top 2 flicks on our list!

#4. FRIDAY THE 13TH (OCTOBER 13TH)

Anyone else just get the chills from the photo above? Granted, this isn’t an official still from Breck Eisner’s FRIDAY THE 13TH, as it reportedly hasn’t even begun filming yet. But time is a’ticking for the apt release date of Friday, October 13th (2017), in what by all accounts is bound to be an origin story of sorts. Word is the never before seen papa Voorhees is bound to play a crucial cog in the story. Whatever the case is, because Eisner acquitted himself quite well with his 2010 CRAZIES redux, not to mention what a critical drubbing the 2009 “best-of” remake suffered, Eisner must know he needs to deliver the goods to us F-13 fanboys. Beyond that, all we really know about the flick is that the script was penned by Aaron Guzikowski (PRISONERS). This will also mark the 13th film in the entire franchise. Lucky 13, let’s hope!

#8. FLATLINERS (SEPTEMBER 29TH)

We really don’t know who on Earth was clamoring for a FLATLINERS resuscitation, but the fact that the ever-intense Danish director Niels Arden Oplev (THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO) has found interest in the project ought to be good enough to warrant some serious hype around here. With Kiefer Sutherland confirmed to be reprising his role of Nelson 27 years after originating it, he’ll be joined in the flick by the impressive likes of Ellen Page, Diego Luna, Nina Dobrev, Kiersey Clemons and James Norton. The script has been adapted from Stephen Susco’s original by Ben Ripley (SOURCE CODE), who should know a thing or two about near-death reincarnation. Word is the flick will be more of a series sequel than an outright redo, which is just fine by us. Shot in Canada, apologies, but all we’ve been able to muster this early in pre-production is a set-photo of the principals, seen above.

#5. THE MUMMY (JUNE 9TH)

Ready for worldwide exhumation June 9th, 2017 is Universal’s THE MUMMY, which arises 85 years after the 1932 original. Here we get two bona fide movie stars going head-to-head, Cruise and Crowe, doing so under the direction of super-producer Alex Kurtzman. The script, penned by Jon Spaights (PROMETHEUS, DR. STRANGE) and Christopher McQuarrie (THE USUAL SUSPECTS, JACK REACHER), centers on the tomb of an ancient princess buried deep in a subterranean Egyptian crypt. Once dug up, a spell of malevolence is unleashed, and it’s up to Nick Morton (Cruise) and Dr. Henry Jekyll (Crowe) to quell the evil and restore peaceable order. Len Wiseman (UNDERWORLD) was originally poised to helm, then Andres Muschietti (MAMA, IT) was attached before going to Kurtzman’s watful eye. Can he avoid a sophomore slump after the personal drama PEOPLE LIKE US?

#6. INSIDIOUS CHAPTER 4 (OCTOBER 20TH)

Quick question, did anyone see the 2014 horror flick THE TAKING OF DEBORAH LOGAN? Well, apparently it was good enough to for James Wan and Leigh Whannell to pass the directorial reins over to its actor-cum director, Adam Robitel, to helm INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 4. Let’s hope the decision’s a prudent one. Better yet, let’s hope the rumors about the story focusing on Elaine Rainier’s back-story (Lin Shaye’s character) proves true. Honestly, she’s the blackened heart and soul of the entire franchise, so more of her would be ideal moving forward. That the teaser trailer focuses solely on Elaine is a damn good sign! While plot details have remained cloaked, we do know series holdovers Whannell and Angus Sampson will be back as Specs and Tucker, while newcomers Bruce Davison, Spencer Locke and Josh Stewart are also on board.

#7. THE BELKO EXPERIMENT (MARCH 17TH)

Believe it or not, the only out-and-out original genre piece on this here list – a movie that doesn’t constitute a sequel, prequel, reboot or remake – is the star-studded BELKO EXPERIMENT. Talented Aussie director Greg McLean (WOLF CREEK, ROGUE) takes inspiration from a script by horror-head James Gunn (SLITHER, DAWN OF THE DEAD) that sees a macabre social experiment inside a corporate office go horribly awry. Here’s the gist. 80 white-collar Americans in a Colombian high-rise are calmly, stoically ordered by a mechanical intercom voice to kill their fellow workmates. Or else be killed themselves. Michael Rooker, John McGinley, John Gallagher, Josh Brener, Tony Goldwyn, Adria Arjona and Mikaela Hoover all star in the flick. Since making festival rounds last year, the flick has garnered positive overall buzz, with our own C.Bum awarding the flick a 7/10 rating out of TIFF last fall.

#9. SAW: LEGACY (OCTOBER 27TH)

Can you believe it’s been 7 years since having a SAW movie to look forward to in October. It’s been mighty lonely during Halloween without our pal Jigsaw dishing all kinds of sick tricks and twisted treats. Ah, but this October marks the return of arguably the most dominant horror villain of the new millennium, this time under the sure to be intense direction of those German siblings, Michael and Peter Spierig (DAYBREAKERS, PREDESTINATION). We’re genuinely pumped to see what these guys bring to the Jigsaw puzzle, especially knowing that Tobin Bell is once again set to dawn the f*cked-up clown mask. While not ascertained to be titled SAW LEGACY, we do know the flick will be a series sequel, not a reboot as producers once considered early in development. And just as new blood has been added to the directors’ chairs, writers Pete Goldfinger and Josh Stolberg (PIRANHA, PIRANHA 3DD) will get their crack at riddling Jigsaw.

#10. IT (SEPTEMBER 8TH)

While honorable mention need be shouted out to the undated LEATHERFACE, CLOVERFIELD 3 (aka GOD PARTICLE) and Gore Verbinski’s A CURE FOR WELLNESS, the horror 10 spot this week is firmly bestowed upon Andres Muschietti’s adaptation of Stephen King’s IT. Not only is the creepy-killer-clown Pennywise due for an update, one that’s been in the works for 7 years, what Muschietti proved capable of in his movie MAMA has us genuinely intrigued. The story here takes place in 1989 and follows seven young Maine schoolkids known collectively as the Loser Club, who must not only deal with the troubles of adolescence, but also face off with an unspeakable monster in the guise of a clown. Along to help are the kids from 27 years ago, now all grown up and ready to face their scarifying memories once and for all.