What's New on VOD This Week?

*We've also updated our VOD Release Dates page with 15 or so new movies, so be sure to head over there to check them out.

January is going out with a bang on the VOD front, with five notable Horror & Genre movies that are all worthy of a rental, in different ways.

*Be sure to click the pics to rent the movies, or watch their trailers. Or both. Or neither. It really depends on your mood, now doesn't it?

THE ASSASSIN

An assassin accepts a dangerous mission to kill a political leader in seventh-century China.

The Assassin has been called a visually stunning action film, and if its trailer is any indication, then it's something that I think we're going to love. Then again, these kinds of movies are usually hit or miss with us, so maybe we'll end up hating it.

Either way, we'll be watching it.

Rent it if you like artsy Martial Arts flicks.

BACKTRACK

Psychologist Peter Bower's life is thrown into turmoil when he discovers that the patients he has been seeing are ghosts. Risking his own sanity, Peter delves into his past to uncover a terrifying secret which only he can put right.

Backtrack could end up being a generic Psychological Thriller, but the trailer looks strong, and it's got a great cast going for it, so we're definitely intrigued.

Backtrack is streaming exclusively on DirecTV until February 26th, when it hits all VOD platforms, and sees a Limited Theatrical release.

Rent it if you have DirecTV. If not, then you can't.

CRIMSON PEAK

In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds - and remembers.

Now that it's hit VOD, we've finally had a chance to check out Guillermo del Toro's latest, Crimson Peak. This is a gorgeous Gothic Horror movie that offers far in the romance and drama departments than it does any sort of pure Horror, but it does have its share of creepy and bloody moments too.

Rent it if you love Gothic Romance, or if you're a fan of the average Guillermo del Toro movie.

FREAKS OF NATURE

In the town of Dillford, humans, vampires and zombies were all living in peace - until the alien apocalypse arrived. Now three teenagers-one human, one vampire, and one zombie-have to team up to figure out how to get rid of the visitors.

Quietly released last October, Freaks of Nature is a Horror Comedy that never really got onto many people's radar. It looks fun, and more than a bit silly, but it looks like a fun watch at least, so why not give it a go if you're looking for a laugh or two.

Rent it if you're looking for a Guilty Pleasure sort of experience.

THE MAN IN THE ORANGE JACKET

A young man is fired from his job at the sea port and begins to stalk his boss and his beautiful wife. After a blood chilling turn of events, he attempts to escape his past by moving into the lavish mansion previously owned by his boss. The embittered young man tries to assume a new identity and lead a luxurious life, but nothing will prepare him for an unsettling visit by a vaguely familiar guest. After that unnerving encounter, the house will no longer be a safe haven, becoming, instead, a twisted and dangerous trap haunted by menacing spirits.

You can check out our review of The Man in the Orange Jacket below for a more in-depth look at our feelings on the movie, but in short we found it to be an engaging, well-crafted movie that delivered on the tension, even if it didn't quite reach its potential, or push the boundaries as much as it could have.

Rent it if you like creepy, atmospheric foreign thrillers.

Backwater, In the Hell of Dixie, and Survival Knife look like they're all B-Grade efforts (at least from their trailers), but then there are lots of us out there who like B-Grade Horror, so their release is at least notable.

I'd definitely watch the trailers before giving them a blind rent though.