10 Recent Horror Movies That Were Sent Out To Die

Even the studios had no faith in this bunch.

Salem's Lot
Max

Horror advocates have been spoilt for choice over the last few years. With the recent release of The Substance, Smile 2, Terrifier 3, Nosferatu, and a deluge of other gems, it's challenging to catch up with everything. 

Despite the fact Alien, Saw, and Predator have been flagging franchises for quite a while, the latest instalments have reignited interest in these brands. And with a legion of chilling sequels, reboots, and new IP on the way, the future of horror couldn't be brighter.

Although many great slashers, creature features, and dystopian thrillers have risen to the top recently, there's been plenty of turkeys too. Though the entries on this list range from indie projects to studio-based blockbusters, they each share one common denominator: they are mindbogglingly terrible.

What's worse is several of these bungled projects were doomed from the start. The producers and advertisers put minimal effort into the marketing, so potential customers didn't know what the films were about or when they were released. 

Sometimes, the horrors in question were abruptly dumped onto streaming, even though they've could made a killing in theatres. In situations like this, you have to wonder if the powers-that-be wanted them to fail.

10. Apartment 7A

Salem's Lot
Paramount

Okay, nobody was asking for a prequel to Rosemary's Baby. However, there wasn't much interest in an Omen prequel either, and The First Omen was a triumph. Taking that into account, Apartment 7A deserved to be judged on its own merits.

Our story opens with a down-on-her-luck dancer called Terry (Julia Garner) who befriends an elderly couple after moving into an apartment. Terry believes the couple can use their industry connections to help with her career at first, but later realises their true intentions are far more sinister.

Were it not for Julia Garner owning the role, Apartment 7A would be a waste of time. Though it emulates the atmosphere of its predecessor, the film focuses more on tying itself to the original rather than telling its own story. Apartment 7A follows Rosemary's Baby almost beat-for-beat, so it feels like a retread rather than a prequel. 

Considering Rosemary's Baby made drastic changes to the novel it's based on, Apartment 7A had the opportunity to tell a story closer to the source material. Instead, it imitates the same themes as before, but with less nuance.

Apartment 7A was released on Paramount+ last year with so little fanfare, there was next-to-no indication it was connected to Rosemary's Baby, not to mention a horror movie. 

Contributor

James Egan has been with Whatculture for five years and prominently works on Horror, Film, and Video Games. He's written over 80 books including 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts About James Bond 1000 Facts About TV Shows