With the new trailer for Welcome To The Blumhouse, the first four stories under its roof were unveiled with brief glimpses of their story lines are as well as the characters. They will be released in October 2020 on Amazon Prime Video in pairs beginning with The Lie and Black Box on October 6th followed by Nocturne and Evil Eye on October 13th. The new trailer recommended that audiences “unsettle in” for these four additions to Blumhouse Productions – here is every clue about each movie that was revealed in the trailer.
Each story comes from various filmmakers who have artfully crafted these tales of horror with the Blumhouse production company by their side. Director Sud’s The Lie stars Mireille Enos, Peter Sarsgaard, and Joey King (The Kissing Booth). Brothers Elan and Rajeev Dassani teamed up to create the story of Evil Eye with actors Sunita Mani (GLOW), Sarita Choudhury, and Omar Maskati. Black Box is directed by Osei-Kuffour Jr. and stars Mamoudou Athie (Jurassic World 3), Phylicia Rashad (Creed), Amanda Christine, Tosin Morohunfola, Charmaine Bingwa, and Troy James (Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark). Zu Quirke’s Nocturne includes Sydney Sweeney (The Handmaid’s Tale), Madison Iseman (Annabelle Comes Home), Jacques Colimon, and Ivan Shaw. Blumhouse is primarily known for their different movie franchises, but this series of eight films are defining a new moment in the history of the genre. Until now, a production company releasing eight films in the span of a single month is virtually unheard of.
Every director and their cast bring something new to the horror genre with stories that are bound to unsettle any viewer. They range from personal pieces that speak on generational trauma and the betrayal of a close friend. While story details were made available prior to when the trailer dropped, the scenes revealed that there is more to each story than what’s already been released.
Black Box Is A Sci-fi Horror Story
The beginning of the trailer showcases a sci-fi based horror movie as Nolan (Mamoudou Athie) from Black Box is shown with a bizarre piece of equipment over his head. Lilian (Phylicia Rashad) tells him to repeat the phrase, “I run my mind, it does not run me.” This likely alludes to some form of memory loss or his mental state becoming increasingly unpredictable. The equipment revealed in the trailer appears to have a similar look to Black Mirror season 4, episode 6, “Black Museum”, when Dr. Peter Dawson abuses the technology with dire consequences. While these characters will not confront the same sadistic desires as the doctor in Charlie Brooker’s series, it does appear as though his memories will fade away and he will struggle to hold onto them.
What Joey King’s Character Could Be Lying About
When Joey King first appears on screen, she is surrounded by snow and using her inhaler. The trailer does not reveal what she is so freaked out about, but the synopsis provided by Blumhouse suggests that she may be involved in a murder. The title of the film suggests that she is lying about something, which could be about assisting in some sort of murderous action.
Family Is The Key To Getting Away With Murder
As The Lie's story line unfolds in the trailer, Joey King’s family surrounds her in an emotional hug. It is suggested that they are helping their daughter cover-up what could bring justice to the film’s victim. Despite the fact that they coddle their daughter, a brief moment in the trailer reveals that Joey King’s character is taken by an unknown assailant. Whether or not this will result in her end is unknown, but it is sure to draw attention to the fact that there's something important that she's not being truthful about.
A Musical “Blood Sport” In Nocturne
Nocturne involves a high school full of talented performing arts students and musically inclined teenagers. The protagonist (Sydney Sweeney) of the story looks angry throughout the trailer’s entirety, which seems to hint that she may be plotting something sinister. It could mean that she wants to climb her way to the top of the class without any concern for anyone but herself. When an off-camera voice states that music can be a “blood sport”, they allude to a possible competition where winner takes all, and the loser meets a bloody end.
Bizarre Symbols & A Possible Ritual
There are two moments in the trailer where bizarre writing and drawings appear in a journal. They are presumably apart of the Nocturne story line, which means that one or more of the characters may dapple in darkness to achieve their dreams. One moment in particular places a drawing in the book of possible spells juxtaposed with a physical representation of it. The main character sprawls out on the grass with an ornate crown on her head, suggesting that she is rising as the queen supreme of her elite performing arts high school.
The Evil Eye Presents Indian Mythology
Elan and Rajeev Dassani’s Evil Eye features Indian mythology of reincarnation and generational trauma. It tells the story of a young woman (Sunita Mani) who has fallen in love with a man (Omar Maskati), whom her mother does not entirely trust. She believes that he could be the reincarnation of an old rival who has come back to ruin their lives. Each scene featuring the film displays Indian cultural practices that may be unfamiliar to a western audience, but are very personal as well as important to the directors and their story.
A Dark Family Secret
Evil Eye contains an unknown dark family secret that can only be revealed once Welcome to the Blumhouse releases. Until then, the trailer only reveals that there will be blood, water, and a physical fight between two lovers. The use of water could represent rebirth, but it could also define the end for one of the characters as a result of their drive to close a chapter on this dark family secret.
The Dead Woman & The Contortionist
In the final scenes of the trailer for Welcome To The Blumhouse, a woman appears with half of her head missing and a man contorts his body out of a baby’s crib. The woman does not appear to belong to any story in particular, but it's likely that she will be featured in The Lie. This is due to the fact that they have not released any information on how the person in that film died, and it's the only movie with a synopsis that makes a point to highlight a dead character. As for the contortionist, he belongs to Black Box. Earlier in the trailer, he is seen during a wedding, which appears as a memory. The main character is in the midst of losing his own memories, which means the contortionist could personify the deterioration of his mind.
The release of the first two films in the Welcome To The Blumhouse series arrive in early October, and are sure to provide the same kind of horrors that put the production company on the map. With franchises such as The Conjuring under their purview, Blumhouse productions is a trusted distributor in the horror genre who have proven themselves time and again. Welcome To The Blumhouse may assist in saving Halloween in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic with these scary stories packed with sci-fi horrors, murder, mayhem, curses, providing something for nearly any fan.