Empire Australia - 08.2019

Small towns under attack

From dolls to demogorgons, 2019’s cinematic bad ’uns are

terrorising the communities ofNORTH AMERICA

WORDSJOHN NUGENT ILLUSTRATIONINFOMEN

X-MEN: DARK PHOENIX

LOCATIONRED HOOK, NEW YORK

THREATTELEKINETIC MUTANT

The conclusion of the X-Men saga in its current form

saw Jean Grey return to her normally sleepy

hometown — only for things to go haywire.

Unleashing uncontrollable Phoenix powers is not the

kind of homecoming you’d want, really.

OUT NOW

STRANGER THINGS

LOCATIONHAWKINS, INDIANA

THREATDEMOGORGONS

The hit Netflix nostalgia-fest is back. Now set in 1985,

there are new characters (and a new mall!), but

supernatural threats from the Upside Down continue to

make puberty difficult for the teenagers of Hawkins.

NOW ON NETFLIX

BRIGHTBURN

LOCATION‘BRIGHTBURN’, KANSAS

THREATEVIL SUPERHERO

Most superhero babies found on a Kansas farm

go on to save the world. Unfortunately for the

residents of Brightburn in this James Gunn-produced

horror, this superhero baby is a murderous little rascal.

OUT ON DVD, BLU-RAY AND DIGITAL 28 AUGUST

ANNABELLE COMES HOME

LOCATIONSANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA

THREATA CREEPY DOLL

In this third instalment of theConjuringspin-off, the

haunted porcelain antique doll has now been locked

up in a cabinet — alas, not enough to keep evil spirits

from being unleashed on another house of horrors.

OUT 10 JULY

SCARY STORIES TO TELL IN THE DARK

LOCATIONMILL VALLEY, CALIFORNIA

THREATSTORYBOOK MONSTERS

In 1968, a group of small-town teenagers read a

freaky-looking book — and accidentally conjure up

terrifying monsters with names like The Pale Lady,

The Jangly Man and Harold The Scarecrow, in this

Guillermo del Toro-produced chiller.

OUT 26 SEPTEMBER

NARCOS: MEXICO

LOCATIONGUADALAJARA, MEXICO

THREATTHE CARTEL

It may not be a supernatural threat (and it may not be

that small a town) — but when the drug trade rolls up

in this Netflix show, a brutal war begins between the

DEA and drug traffickers, with the innocent residents

of Guadalajara caught in the crossfire.

NOW ON NETFLIX

THE DEAD DON’T DIE

LOCATION‘CENTERVILLE’, UPSTATE NEW YORK

THREATARTHOUSE ZOMBIES

The setting of Jim Jarmusch’s zombie-comedy is only

specified as Centerville (“a real nice place”,

in reference to a Frank Zappa song) —

but Upstate NY served as the filming location.

OUT 24 OCTOBER

PREVIEW

IT: CHAPTER 2

LOCATIONDERRY, MAINE

THREATEVIL DEMON CLOWN

Every 27 years, classic Stephen King fearmonger

Pennywise revisits the New England town

of Derry. And now he’s back, with the grown-up

Losers’ Club forced to face their fears — not

to mention their advancing age.

OUT 5 SEPTEMBER