Sunday Scaries: The Horror Genre Has Been Good To Us So Far in 2022

The Sunday Scaries are upon us once again! Yes, as the weekend concludes, most of us feel an oncoming sense of anticipatory dread about the week ahead. Anxiety about work manifests itself into a feeling that’s known as the Sunday Scaries. However, we at Awards Radar are here to combat that, by taking back the name. Now, we want you think about a horror-centric piece on the site when you hear the term. So, let us continue on with another installment of the Awards Radar Sunday Scaries! This time around, we’re taking a look at the horror efforts that have graced screens so far in 2022…

Something that I noticed while looking over the various films of the year so far will bring a smile to horror fans. A fair amount of my favorite movies of 2022 so far have been fright flicks. Yes, horror has been making a really good showing throughout the first section of the year. Sure, there have been things with a mixed response like The Cursed, lesser efforts like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, or whatever Morbius is, but by and large, the genre has seen some strong efforts.

Things began with the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, where horror was in abundance. The highlight there was obviously Fresh, but other efforts there included Master, Resurrection, Watcher, and more. Fresh, however stood tall. In my review out of Sundance, I said “Fresh is a demented delight, through and through. Skewering the modern dating scene while also telling a thriller tale we’ve never seen before, it weaves an enthralling web.”

Outside of the festival environment, Scream was one of the first 2022 highlights, regardless of genre. This long in the making sequel continued one of the iconic modern horror franchises in an invigorating new manner. My rave review said: “Scream is, perhaps surprisingly, the most meta of the series to date. Not content to just be a goof slasher flick (which it is), the film takes aim at sequels of its own ilk. Also on the chopping block is the fictional Stab franchise, as well as elevated horror in general. What could have been scattershot and an attempt to be relevant instead feels like genuine freshness and the natural next step for this series.”

Recently, there was Ti West‘s X, which went from SXSW to theaters and has been one of the more well-reviewed films of the year. In fact, I had plenty positive to say about it in a review that functioned as a previous Sunday Scaries piece. That review included this bit: “Throwback horror serves many a purpose when it’s done well. Not only does let you appreciate what’s come before, but it also potentially introduces a whole new audience to the glory days of the genre. In making X a hybrid of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and a behind the scenes look at the making of something like Debbie Does Dallas, the film manages to blaze its own trail while bowing its head to cinematic history.”

This is all just over the first three or four months of the year, too. As I detailed earlier in the year here, 2022 still has The Black Phone, Disappointment Blvd., Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Halloween Ends, Nope, and much more. Even if only one or two of those are high quality, we still have the makings of one of the best years for horror in some time.

This doesn’t even take into account The Batman, which is at least somewhat of a horror inspired effort. We’ve already detailed this in two Sunday Scaries pieces, which should tell you something. My rave review had this bit, including its genre influences: “The Batman presents us truly for the first time with a cinematic interpretation of The World’s Greatest Detective. This version of the character is as much a sleuth as a superhero. It’s a new feel for this type of film, giving it a weight that never feels overly grim, even if it’s probably the most serious of the lot. By feeling like a cross between SAW, Se7en, Zodiac, and the darker comic book takes on the character, we’re given a full meal.”

Does this mean that the genre will continue to thrive this year? Time will tell, but 2022 does still have plenty of other promising horror titles. So, sit tight for those, but if you’re hungry for scary movies, the already has plenty to look back on! Consider this an inspiration to take one in today and enjoy…

Stay tuned for another Sunday Scaries installment next week!