10 Horror Movies That Prove January Is a Box Office Dumping Ground

January 1, 2025 5:11 AM

"Whenever horror fans hear that a new movie, no matter how much buzz might be surrounding it, has earned a January release date, we immediately get nervous."

This post brought to you by my increasing anxiety about the two-weeks-out release of Wolf Man, which has had little-to-unhelpful PR thus far.

posted by cupcakeninja (11 comments total)

January movies are not all bad.
posted by fairmettle at 5:27 AM on January 1 [2 favorites]

Though January movies are not all bad, it is true that January horror movies are usually the nadir of the genre (the exception that proves the rule). Now Wolf Man may just have been set to January because it's a low recognition kind of property and they want to give it the best chance they can, but Holy Spirit Halloween, that is not a promising character design.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 5:54 AM on January 1 [1 favorite]

I actually liked the first half of The Bye Bye Man, which had some nice chemistry between the leads, but the second half just sort of deflates, letting all the plot and energy just kind of fart out. In some ways, it was worse than a thoroughly bad film, because it promised way more than it could deliver.
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:56 AM on January 1 [1 favorite]

When The January Man was released in January, it wasn’t just because of the name.
posted by Lemkin at 6:18 AM on January 1

Mod note: [#HappyNewYear! We've added this to the New Year's roundup on the sidebar and Best Of blog!]
posted by taz (staff) at 8:56 AM on January 1

Or as redlettermedia refer to it: F**k You It's January!
posted by mikemacman at 10:27 AM on January 1 [1 favorite]

If I'd seen that character design in the theater, I might have said "are you fucking kidding me" out loud, even if children were present.
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:33 AM on January 1 [1 favorite]

Got dragged to Bye Bye Man in theaters for a date night. Never let her forget it.
posted by lock robster at 12:44 PM on January 1 [1 favorite]

Surprisingly, I kinda liked I, Frankenstein when I saw it randomly one night.
posted by teece303 at 1:26 PM on January 1

Wow, that Wolf-Man design is... not impressive.
posted by doctornemo at 4:42 PM on January 1

The poster for "I, Frankenstein" is MUCH more entertaining in Spanish.
posted by straight at 5:14 PM on January 1 [3 favorites]