July is a big month for superhero movies. The DCU releases Superman on July 11th, and the MCU’s Fantastic Four: First Steps comes out on July 25th. That’s exciting news for a superhero nerd like myself, but as a horror nerd, it also makes me want to revisit some superhero horror movies. That very specific sub-genre is rather small, but it does exist. Here are a few of my favorite superhero horror movies you can stream this month!
Brightburn (2019)
This might be the best modern superhero horror movie. Brightburn is a twisted (and unofficial) take on Superman’s origin story. A spaceship crashes into a rural Kansas town, and the baby inside the ship is raised by a married couple. The boy, Brandon, develops amazing powers (like Superman’s), but instead of using those powers for good, he uses them to kill the people who treat him poorly. His actions spiral out of control, making this a decidedly dark villain origin story.
Batman Returns (1992)
Though it isn’t explicitly a horror movie, Batman Returns is easily the scariest of the live-action Batman films. The biggest reason for that is The Penguin, as played by Danny DeVito. He’s amazingly creepy, but there’s also a level of sympathy built into the character. Just like some of the classic movie monsters like The Wolf Man and Frankenstein’s monster. The overall Gothic aesthetic is also firmly rooted in horror, as is the character of Max Shreck (Christopher Walken), who was named after the actor who played Count Orlok in Nosferatu (1922), Max Schreck.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
Dark magic fuels this fun horror-tinged entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With the Scarlet Witch under the influence of dark powers, Doctor Strange protects the multiverse-hopping America Chavez from Wanda’s grasp. The story has many plot threads that run into and through it, but the basic story is easy to follow on its own. Plus, the horror trappings throughout the movie are a lot of fun.
Unbreakable (2000)
Though it’s more of a dark thriller than horror, Unbreakable is one of the best grounded superhero movies ever made. Bruce Willis stars as David Dunn, a man whose unlikely survival of a train crash leads him to realize that he has certain powers that could be used for good. Unbreakable is suspenseful and dramatic, and it might be my favorite M. Night Shyamalan movie.
Robot Ninja (1989)
And now for something trashy (in a good way). Robot Ninja is about a comic book creator who decides to become a real-life vigilante modeled after his own fictional character, the Robot Ninja. He has a suit made and goes out to fight crime, but he pretty much immediately gets in over his head. Someone innocent dies during his first night wearing a mask, and soon after that he’s beaten nearly to death by criminals. Things get worse from there. Robot Ninja is very campy, and it’s filled with low-budget gore.
