Popcorn Frights 2019: Horror Fest Announces First Wave

Do you like your popcorn seasoned with horror?

Led by the world premiere of Haunt, from the writers of A Quiet Place and Dare, the 5th annual Popcorn Frights Film Festival will get under way in Miami, Florida, USA, in the cool of the summer. And I use the term 'cool' advisedly, as in, if you stay inside watching movies, you'll stay 'cool.'

Of course, the films in the fest's lineup can also rightly be described as 'cool' for genre fans. In addition to Haunt, the North American premiere of The Sonata and the East Coast premiere of Bit are early highlights.

Haunt is described thusly: "The latest chiller from the writers of the acclaimed A Quiet Place present another deliciously gory scarefest for horror fans to eat up. On Halloween, a group of friends encounter an "extreme" haunted house that promises to feed on their darkest fears. But the night turns deadly as they come to the horrifying realization that some nightmares are real. Horror connoisseurs will sweat, squirm, and relish every splatterific minute of it."

Meanwhile, Bit is described as "a gleeful mash-up of The Lost Boys and Ginger Snaps, with enough spurting arteries, crunching bones, and wicked wit to keep you laughing through the screams." As for The Sonata, "This fantastically feverish chamber piece starring Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner) presents an enthralling, truly exhilarating and gloriously realized work of gothic horror that will keep you guessing until the almost unbelievable ending."

Other titles that jump out at me in the first wave include Daniel Isn't Real, In Fabric, Knives and Skin, and Satanic Panic. More titles will be revealed in the coming weeks. The fest will run from August 8-16 this year.

Check out all the films that have been confirmed so far at the festival's official site.