The Top Twenty Horrors
1- Insidious: Director, James Wan (review)
This was certainly the most successful horror of the year, creating a wave of excitement on its cinema release and making horror popular amongst cinema goers again. For those reason’s alone Insidious deserves its place at the top, but let’s not forget this was one of the best scary horrors to have come along for a very long time. Wan brilliantly mixed sheer terror with well timed scares and some much needed comedy thanks to some paranormal investigators and Wan’s partner in crime Leigh Whannell. Insidious basically made horror fun again, and being scared has not been this much fun in a long long time.
2- Hobo with a Shotgun: Director, Jason Eisener (review)
Jason Eisener created something of a cult classic with his witty, violent and terrific tale of quite simply, a hobo with a shotgun. One of the most violent films of the year, but all delivered so over the top and with so much sense of fun that it was almost impossible to be offended, and that is meant in a good way. Rutger Hauer played the pissed off hobo as if he was born to play him, delivering some of the funniest one liners of the year and clearly loving every single second of it. If you haven’t managed to see this film yet you are missing out on a minor classic.
3- The Woman: Director, Lucky McKee (review)
After two horrors injecting some fun into the genre, Lucky McKee’s biggest film to date sucked all the fun dry in this intense, shocking and thought provoking brutal piece of cinema. The Woman leaves a lasting impression and a bitter after taste and McKee showed off an incredible maturity and amazing discipline to get his film perfect. The story of a local family falling apart, and of the subsequent catching and ‘taming’ of a wild woman by the rule heavy Father, offered up many questions about morality and right and wrong. Thankfully McKee allows you to be the judge, just don’t go into this film expecting a nice journey.
4- Apollo 18: Director, Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego (review)
Well I liked it, even if the majority of the movie world didn’t. I am a sucker for most found footage horror, and when directors come up with new and fresh ideas and pull it off as good as this then I am hooked. The film wasn’t without its flaws, but the scares were delivered unexpectedly and powerfully. The story of three astronauts heading to the Moon on the mysterious Apollo 18 mission was delivered back as footage NASA supposedly did not want the world to see. Creepy stuff indeed, with a brutal but brilliant ending.
5- Alyce: Director, Jay Lee (review)
Still not issued a release date here in the UK, remember the title of this superb horror and make sure you get to see it on release. A shocking, savage journey as we follow Alyce and her spiral into drugs and madness after accidentally pushing her friend off a roof. Jade Dornfeld provides amazing good looks and one of the finest performances of the year in horror. Alyce had everything, violence, sex, comedy and lots and lots of shocks. A near perfect horror.
6- Tucker & Dale VS Evil: Director, Eli Craig (review)
Yet another cult classic in the making, this horror very cleverly turned the murderous country ‘hillbillies’ horror on its head. A group of friends head off to country for a weekend getaway, but so have local hillbillies Tucker and Dale. Completely harmless, the college friends believe in the myth that all hillbillies are serial killers so much they end up creating chaos as Tucker and Dale just want a quiet weekend of fishing and drinking beer. Some moments of damn near genius comedy, great characters and Katrina Bowden in a bikini, you couldn’t ask for much more from a horror comedy!
7- The Shrine: Director, Jon Knautz (review)
A simple tale of three friends heading off to investigate a mysterious cult in a Polish country village, The Shrine walks through just about every ingredient horror has to offer. The film has some of the creepiest imagery you will see all year, one particular scene in the woods surrounded by mist with a demonic statue was one of the highlights of the year. I loved every second of this brilliant piece of work, and a bizarre and hugely satisfying ending leaves a lasting impression that you have just watched a very special horror indeed.
8- Stake Land: Director, Jim Mickle (review)
A fascinating take on the vampire genre as director Jim Mickle blends an apocalyptic horror filled with vampire/zombie hybrids. The story focuses on a group of survivors as they head across America in the hope of finding a safe place to live where there are no vampires. An often slow moving, but incredibly rewarding horror that really gets you thinking about what you would do in that situation. Stand out performances from all involved, the frightening film is often quite beautiful in its setting, and brings out all sorts of emotions you wouldn’t normally find watching a horror.
9- Paranormal Activity 3: Directors, Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman (review)
The third film in the popular found footage franchise went back to the very beginning and delivered the most aggressive film in the series yet. Expertly timed scares and some stunning special effects made this a real gem, a slow builder but once the ‘activity’ started, there was no let up. Even though I have no idea where the story can go next, roll on part four I say.
10- Grave Encounters: Directors, The Vicious Brothers (review)
More found footage goodness, and even though the film does take things into silly territory come the final half hour, the build up is superb and incredibly scary. A group of TV paranormal investigators spend time locked in a so-called haunted mental asylum which is now closed down. Great acting, superb use of timing and even though the shaky camera does become a little annoying, the set up is wonderful. Watch it with the lights out, if you’re brave enough!
11- The Rite: Director, Mikael Hafstrom (review)
I do love a good exorcism horror, and when it casts Anthony Hopkins as the main exorcist, there was no doubt this would deliver. There were many haters of this film, but I honestly thought it was one of the best exorcism horrors I have seen for sometime. Hopkins eats up his role, bordering on being over the top, but instead giving a frightening, powerful performance as he mentors a sceptical would-be exorcist. The story will draw you in so that when the scares do come, because you are so immersed in the plot you are usually scared off guard, and that is the most effective way to do it.
12- Little Deaths: Directors, Sean Hogan, Andrew Parkinson, Simon Rumley (review)
Anthology horrors are back with a bang, with Chillerama, ABC’ of Death and The Profane Exhibit all due in the UK next year. Little Deaths was the UK’s stab at the genre, and it really delivered. Three nasty, sinister tales all linked in some way by sex, this is dark, masterful stuff that creates atmospheres straight out of your nightmares. Not an easy watch, and very unpleasant in places, but expertly put together.
13- The Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence: Director, Tom Six (review)
Six made good on his promise to take things further with a sequel to his own Human Centipede: First Sequence. With the attitude of “you asked for it so you got it”, ‘Full Sequence saw the year’s best madman, Martin and his obsession with the first film which leads him to create his own human centipede, out of twelve victims, Getting all sorts of controversial attention, initially being banned in the UK and now banned in Australia, the film is a vile but funny study or Martin as he puts his plan into action. The final half hour is where it becomes repulsive an incredibly horrific. Not one to watch if you’re having your dinner!
14- Chromeskull: Laid to Rest 2: Director, Robert Hall (review)
Clearly learning from the mistakes of the flawed first film, director Robert Hall brought us one of the finest slasher’s of the year, and a massive improvement on the original. Chromeskull is back, and he wants to kill of innocent victims in new and fascinating ways. There are some glorious moments of shocking violence, with each death guaranteed to have you cheering at its brilliance. Not a film for the faint of heart, or easily offended.
15- A Lonely Place to Die: Director, Julian Gilbey (review)
With stunning scenery of Scottish Highlands, Julian Gilbey’s survival horror had the perfect setting for a dark, intense and relentless thrill ride as a group of climbers become hunted by some rather nasty individuals. Melissa George gives an almighty performance, and some of the chases and deaths will take your breath away. A frantic assault on the senses that rarely lets up for a moment, expert camera work really creates a chaotic ride that will have you guessing just who will survive.
16- Awakening: Director, Nick Murphy (review)
A good old fashioned ghost horror that will have you guessing all the way through as to whether these ghostly happenings are real or not. With some superb scares, a perfect atmosphere and a superb performance by Rebecca Hall, Awakening is proof that horror can still deliver good old fashioned scares.
17- Yellowbrick Road: Directors, Jesse Holland, Andy Mitton (review)
Another film that incorporates found footage, Yellowbrick Road see’s some friends head off into the woods to find the legendary and hard to find path. It is said the entire population of the village headed up the Yellowbrick Road back in 1940 and never came back. Some bodies were found mutilated, others disappeared. The friends are all believable and the directors build up a tense atmosphere that gives us some inventive surprises and some genuine shocks. A film that requires some effort from the viewer, the climax is bizarre, powerful stuff.
18- The Holding: Director, Susan Jacobson (review)
A tense film set in the beautiful countryside of The Peak District, The Holding see’s a local farmer who is trying to run her farm and raise her children by herself. Two bullies from the neighbouring farm want one of her Holdings, and when her deceased husbands friend turns up, she welcomes his assistance. However, things are not as simple as they seem and a good old fashioned psycho thriller ensues.
19- The Orphan Killer: Director, Matt Farnsworth (review due soon)
Creating one Hell of a buzz as the new slasher to beat, Farnsworth’s Orphan Killer is proud to be horrific, violent and extremely offensive. The director behaves like a kid at Christmas as he gives us one brilliant, brutal death after another. The film does have flaws, but the Orphan Killer is one of the most exciting and interesting new killers to have entered the world of slasher films for sometime. A welcome addition to the genre.
20- Blood Runs Cold: Director, Sonny Laguna (review)
Made on a mega cheap budget, this is certainly not a perfect film, but what it does show is that Laguna is a name to watch out for. If he can create a horror as good as this on barely a budget, given some real cash he could make something very special indeed. The premise couldn’t be simpler, four friends head to a cabin in the woods and fall prey to a brilliantly twisted new killer. The deaths are amazing to watch with clever camera trickery pulling off some superb effects. Yet another great addition to the slasher genre, and one we hope will continue with some sequels.
Coming next: My Biggest Let Down’s, followed by The Worst Films of the Year 2011
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