If you have been reading my reviews this year and my Bottom Ten Films Of The Year, you’ll know that I think this has been a pretty weak year for films, a year where ambition and originality have been in short supply, a year where the obsession with getting that all-important ‘PG-13′ or ’12’ rating and simplifying everything so a ten year old can understand has dominated, a year where every other film seems to be in that Big Con known as 3D, a year where once again bloody Batman left me mystified as to its supposed ‘quality’. You get the idea. Very few visits to the cinema have had me leaving with that great feeling you get when you exit the screen with the wonderful sense of having experienced something special. There has been good stuff though, especially for me from the animated movie which in my opinion is increasingly a source of creativity of a kind that is increasingly lacking elsewhere. Partly because I’ve struggled to be impressed, and actually partly I think because some films I was just not able to see because they weren’t showing locally [a good example being Beasts Of The Southern Wild which seems great], you’ll probably find this a very odd list, something I make no apologies for. At the very least though, it’ll probably surprise you, and I stand by every film I include!
With apologies to, and just for fun; Ted, Salmon Fishing In The Yemen, Men In Black 3, Skyfall, John Carter, The Lorax, Looper, Chronicle, The Grey and Berberian Sound Studio, all of which made the top 30!
20/ THE PACT
review – https://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2012/06/the-pact-out-in-cinemas-8th-june/
2012 seems to have been the Year Of The Fairly Good Horror Movie, with lots of okay movies, but very little standing out and overall there being a distinct lack of nerve-wracking terror, heart-stopping tension and inventive nastiness, and some would class two later genre entries in this list as more thriller than horror [though I personally disagree]. Just ahead of The Woman In Black by a hair’s breadth on this list is Nicholas McCarthy’s cleverly written and superbly directed chiller, with a brilliant performance by Caty Lotz, and certainly crafted with care throughout. I didn’t personally find it quite scary enough, but its very European atmosphere is incredible and actually quite unlike any other horror film this year. I can’t wait to see what McCarthy does next, because on the evidence of The Pact he has it in him to make some true classics of the genre in the future.
19/ THE WOMAN IN BLACK
Matt Wavish’s review – https://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2012/02/the-woman-in-black-2012/
Ross Hughes’s alternative review – https://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2012/03/the-woman-in-black-2012-the-alternative-hcf-review/
Well it certainly scared me. Despite some nonsensical complaints by snobby horror fans that it was too tame and aimed at Harry Potter fans, The Woman In Black was a lovely old-fashioned ghost story, with that peculiar mixture of comfort and terror that spook tales of this nature have, though I was just as pleased that the revived Hammer films now had a solid hit. Mr Radcliffe, I will say, did not impress me in his role, but when he is alone in that house, sitting at his desk or wondering down the halls, in scenes that stretch out the suspense to an unbearable point and were really quite brave [think of it, a third of the film is one guy alone] in a film aimed at a mass audience, the film really impressed me and had me all nervous and edgy in the best possible way. Though of course if I finally get round to seeing the BBC adaptation I may change my opinion a bit.
18/ ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER
Matt Wavish’s review – https://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2012/10/abraham-lincoln-vampire-hunter/
This got mostly poor reviews and failed to set the box office alight either, but this site’s own Matt Wavish recognised the film’s quality and I also thoroughly enjoyed this immensely fun combination of historical biopic and bonkers action/horror movie, cleverly written by Seth Graham-Smith, which makes it hard to believe that this year he also scripted the mess that was Dark Shadows. Timur Bekmambetov uses 3D in the way it should be used, as a gimmick,and after Wanted delivers another thrill ride whose over-the-top silliness and excess is part of the fun, while also showing that he could easily make a more true-to-life, sober film if he wanted to. Apparently they changed virtually everything from the graphic novels, but I don’t care, I’ve never read them.
17/ WE BOUGHT A ZOO
review – https://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2012/03/we-bought-a-zoo-in-cinemas-now/
Typical. The first Cameron Crowe film I really liked, as opposed to just liked, and it gets a weaker reception than usual for his films. Maybe it did have more Hollywood schmaltz than normal, but Hollywood schmaltz can be great at times, and damn it if I wasn’t getting desperate for them to save that bloody zoo. Saying that, even if it is basically an inspirational tale of a broken man who regains some meaning to his life, it doesn’t soft-peddle the depression aspect, and even Crowe’s penchant for using pop songs like score, something I find a little irritating, works really well here. And at last Scarlett Johansson, in the first of two films this year, has began to act and stop pouting all the time. A real heart warmer in the best way, and we all need that sometimes.
16/ FRANKENWEENIE
review – https://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2012/10/frankenweenie-in-cinemas-now/
The first of three animated movies on this list, something that I make no apologies for whatsoever. Just when I thought Tim Burton was starting to lose it a little with the disappointing quality of Alice In Wonderland and Dark Shadows, along came this stop-motion expansion of his early live-action variant of Frankenstein. With its love of old horror movies oozing out of every frame and a story which is clearly very personal to the director- for a start, it seems to show how he felt as a kid – Frankenweenie may lose some of the tale’s emotion in the action-packed final third, but its constant inventiveness and the sense that Burton is clearly engaged in what he is making [his last two efforts felt like assignments] certainly make up for that. Welcome back Tim.
15/ SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN
review – https://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2012/05/snow-white-and-the-huntsman-in-cinemas-now-2/
Much like many years ago where you sometimes got two films on the same subject and the second one buried the first [i.e.Robin Hood], we had two movies based on Snow White this year and the first, Mirror Mirror was virtually ignored. It was a fitfully enjoyable pantomime aided by Tarsem Singh’s visual skill, but this second effort, a really impressive directorial debut from Rupert Sanders, was far superior and actually had some of the magic that I felt was lacking from the huge disappointment that was The Hobbit. Making the most of the dark aspects of the story but also c0ntaining moments of beauty and some good laughs, it’s a all-round fun package that even proved to me Chris Hemsworth could act. As for Kristen Stewart; well, she still isn’t very good as an actress, but I don’t really understand the widespread hate!
14/ THE RAID
Matt Wavish’s review – https://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2012/09/the-raid-2011/
To be honest, I wasn’t totally blown away by The Raid as many including our own Matt Wavish were. They’ve been doing this kind of thing, with action that is just as exciting and well choreographed, in Hong Kong for decades. But there’s no doubt that it’s a thrilling ride, and it’s good that many people were able to see decent fighting on the screen for a change this year, fighting that you actually see. Most films with fighting in this year adopted the perverse decision to make it as hard as possible to see it due to the stupid editing employed. Barely pausing to catch its breath and thankfully refusing to do things that the planned Hollywood remake probably will do like add a love interest and tone d0wn the brutality to get a lower rating, it’s the kind of action movie that really gets the adrenalin going and leaves you shaken but very very satisfied.
13/ THE EXPENDABLES 2
review – https://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2012/08/the-expendables-2-in-cinemas-now/
The Raid may have been full of pulsating and intricately choreographed fight sequences, but for me the best “Hell Yeah!”, ‘Hit The Roof’ moment of the year was the sight of Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger blasting away together at hundreds of bad guys. The Expendables was immensely entertaining in its own right, but this sequel for me beats it, its tongue-in-cheek feel being one of the things that makes it so enjoyable. It’s basically a load of movie icons having a good time and poking fun at themselves, with probably as many laughs as Ted, while Simon West’s direction at times brings the proceedings close to the action classic that is Con Air. The post-added CG blood looks crap, but overall The Expendables 2 gave me the giddy escapism that this year’s outings from the likes of Spiderman, Batman,and even dare I say it 007 weren’t really able to.
12/ RISE OF THE GUARDIANS
review – https://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2012/12/rise-of-the-guardians-in-cinemas-now/
The second animated film on this list has one of the best ideas in ages. What if Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Jack Frost, the Sandman and the Tooth Fairy really existed and were superheroes who protected the minds and dreams of children? Proving once again the diversity the output of Dreamworks and easily outdoing in quality this year’s disappointing efforts from Pixar and Aardmann, Rise Of The Guardians takes its great premise and turns into a wonderfully wierd action movie, its headlong pace still managing to occasionally stop for some moments of real beauty, with the scenes of the Sandman creating dreams some of the most wondrous moments of the year. What a shame this film wasn’t a smash it deserved to be, because I would have loved to see these guys in action again.
11/ RED LIGHTS 
review – https://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2012/06/red-lights-in-cinemas-now/
Red Lights doesn’t seem to have been much liked, but I was very impressed with Rodrigo Cortez’s follow-up to the fine Buried. He creates a really eerie and suspenseful atmosphere to the point where I was actually quite frightened, while making the most of his intelligent script that certainly kept me guessing till the end and also had much to say about the paranormal and perhaps our need for it. Perfectly paced, containing excellent performances by almost everyone including Robert De Niro’s best in years, and with a twist that I loved [though the director’s original variant is darker and better], this is one movie that I feel has been criminally neglected and misunderstood by people who I think expected a typical, simplistic thrill-ride. Surely a film that is basically about the creation of a superhero deserves better?
10/ LIFE OF PI
review – https://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2012/12/life-of-pi-in-cinemas-now/
This superbly strange adventure film didn’t really need its framing story, and the big deal about this being worth seeing in 3D turned out, just as it did with Tron:Legacy, Prometheus and several other movies, to be a load of bull twaddle, as the 3D added nothing. This remains quite extraordinary viewing for most of its length though, utterly gripping despite being mostly set on a boat with a boy and a tiger, containing some beautiful shots which really took my breath away, and adroitly mixing realism and fantasy [the carnivorous island is a concept I will never forget]. Films like this also make me, for a few minutes at least, rethink my opinion on CGI, because the tiger in this one is so convincing for most of the time. And Ang Lee has finally made a film I could totally emotionally engage in.
9/ THE MUPPETS
review – https://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2012/02/the-muppets/
I never warmed to the Muppets as a kid and therefore never bothered to check out any of their films. Ten minutes into The Muppets, I was a fan of these terrific characters and their unique brand of what I call ‘intelligent stupidity’, and since seeing this film I have picked up five of the Muppet movies and will eventually get the lot. The story of this one, to be honest, is as predictable as you get, but you cares when the film sends you out of the cinema so happy and joyous. Succeeding in being both a celebration and a gentle mocking of its title creatures, it also has Amy Adams at her most delightful and even decent songs. Add a few touches of the bizarre, and you really do have a film that can be enjoyed by kids and adults equally, something which is less and less frequent these days.
8/ WAR HORSE
Matt Wavish’s review – https://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2012/01/war-horse-2011/
Though I remain of the opinion that his two best pictures are Jaws and Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, Steven Spielberg has managed to just about maintain a level of quality in his output; even his failures are still pretty good by the standards of many other filmmakers. Warhorse was often critised for being old-fashioned and sentimental, but to me, who watches and enjoys old films as often as [and sometimes more than] new ones, I would hardly consider that an insult, and I actually think that Spielberg held back on the sentimentality, even while he remains one of the best audience manipulators in the business. Time and place is superbly evoked in the first third while from then on scene after scene ram home to us the futulity and cruelty of war, climaxing in that shattering image of that horse trapped in barbed wire. I think we’ll allowed to feel emotional, aren’t we?
7/ ARGO
review – https://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2012/11/argo-in-cinemas-now/
Despite mostly excellent reviews, I wasn’t convinced that Ben Affleck, who as a director has surely atoned for his dreadful acting, would make this true story, a story whose conclusion was hardly kept a secret, as gripping and absorbing as all that, but I was wrong. He had me glued to the screen right from the beginning and I was virtually climbing the wall towards the end, even though there’s no real reason why people being detained at an airport should be so exciting, yet you could also call Argo one of the comedies of the year as it really is packed with perfectly timed and played laughs. Argo proves that you don’t need loads of action or gore to thrill, you just need a careful script and a director who knows how to make the most out of every scene. I do need to say that Affleck should have still given the lead role to someone else, but I’ll forgive him as his movie is so good.
6/ THE MASTER
David Gillespie’s review – https://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2012/11/the-master-2012-released-in-cinemas-now/
Though I watch more films than is probably healthy, I had unbelievably never seen a Paul Thomas Anderson film prior to watching The Master. They just didn’t seem like my cup of tea, which sounds like a lame excuse when I review films on a website, but there’s always too many movies to see and not enough time to see them, especially if you still want to have a ‘life’! Now that I have been seen The Master, I’m going to check out his other work as soon as possible. Uncomprising and disturbing in an often very subtle way [how on earth can the sight of the lovely Amy Adams giving a man a handjob be unpleasant?], this is a film for the patient and intelligent viewer who is prepared to think about what they seeing and not have everything wrapped up in a pretty pink ribbon. Joaquin Phoenix continues to be one of the finest actors of his generation, but then every performance is note-perfect in this thoroughly impressive drama.
5/ PARANORMAN 
review – https://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2012/09/paranorman-in-cinemas-now/
Quite simply the best animated film in some time, a wonderfully clever, subversive romp of a film which works as a horror film for the young kiddies but also as a loving twist on concepts and cliches of the genre for the adults. Superbly plotted, with at least two developments which I didn’t expect, it still feels able to be funny while refusing to pander to expectations of what a kids movie [which is, lets face it, what ParaNorman was marketed as] should be, such as sugarcoating everything. It’s also a technical marvel, stunning visually and taking the art of stop-motion further than it has ever been taken before, while the characters [even the dead ones] feel rounded and alive, but, to be honest, it was its loving, warm nostalgic feel for a more innocent, less knowing time and by extension the first stage in this horror fan’s life that made this child of old monster movies fall in love with it.
4/ RED DOG
review – https://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2012/02/red-dog-short-review/
There is a good chance you may not actually have heard of Red Dog. This Australian film seemed to come and go in cinemas, and I reckon some of those few, probably with kids in tow, who did get to see it thought it was another comical kid’s film about a loveable dog doing funny things and were disappointed when it wasn’t. Well, I expected another comical kid’s film about a loveable dog doing funny things myself but was not at all disappointed when it turned out to be something different. Filled with that Aussie quirkiness that is a major part of many great films from Down Under, you will fall in love with its title character [and if you don’t, there’s really no hope for you] as the film tells its true story, but more than that it is a beautiful microcosm of life, mixing joy and sadness, humour and seriousness as it lets us live with its brilliantly drawn,acted and very real characters in a way that, when the film ended, really made me feel philosophical about life in an uplifting way.
3/ AVENGERS ASSEMBLE
review – https://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2012/04/avengers-assemble-in-cinemas-now/
Matt Wavish’s review- https://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2012/04/avengers-assemble-2012-out-now-in-cinemas/
I’m not the biggest fan of Joss Whedon, whose work too often comes across as thinking its cleverer than it actually is and not making the most of a great premise. This year’s The Cabin In The Woods contained both those flaws and is a perfect example of a movie which starts off well and gets progressively worse, though it still managed to be fun throughout. No such complaints about Avengers Assemble, in which he succeeded in the hugely difficult task of bringing all those Marvel superheroes together and making it coherent. It’s commerial blockbuster filmmaking at its very best, filled with awe-inspiring action and special effects, but done with care and intelligence. It knows and revels in the absurdity of it all, gently sending it up while at the same time celebrating these wonderful characters and making you care deeply for them. The cast all play their roles superbly, all have great moments and none get lost amidst everything, while at last we have a convincing Hulk! Even the post-added 3D wasn’t too bad, if still not neccessary.
2/ THE DICTATOR
review – https://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2012/05/the-dictator-in-cinemas-now/
If you want proof of how films can divide people, check out, if you haven’t already done, Matt Wavish’s article on his worst films of the year, because he has The Dictator on it. This is also indisputable proof that comedy, more than any other type of entertainment, is a very acquired taste. My wife loves Friends; I just want Jason Voorhees to come along and hack the lot of those smug, irritating people to bits. I personally consider Sacha Baron Cohen a comedic genius, and I’m now at the stage where the very sight of a picture of one of his characters makes me laugh. For me, The Dictator is total and utter proof that Cohen doesn’t need his usual interview format in a totally insane, unbelievably audacious comedy that has clearly offended some, and it seems to be mostly those annoying politically correct extremists who claim they are for free speech but actually want to stop people saying anything they don’t like. The Dictator, as usual for Cohen, savagely attacks social ills and prejudices while still [uncomfortably for some] lets you laugh at them with the hope that you will then think about why you were laughing. It’s a much more intelligent film than it seems to be, but more than anything else I just took away some of the most side-splitting scenes in years. The mobile phone! The head! Aladeen’s double!
1/ SLEEP TIGHT
review – https://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/2012/08/sleep-tight-2011-hcf-frightfest-2012-special/
In a way I am cheating with the inclusion of Sleep Tight . It was actually released in Spain in 2011, and it only seemed to turn up at film festivals this year. For some reason there appears to be a delay in it getting a general cinema release in the UK, to the point where I don’t think it will happen, and it is certainly going straight to DVD and Blu Ray in the US [Jan 8]. However, I’m including it, and may very well include it this year to if it does get a proper release. The reason? Because it’s a work of near-brilliance, a film that impressed me so much that it leaves everything else in 2012 standing. Avengers Assemble and The Dictator are films I loved, but they aren’t that great, and I almost feel embarassed at having them as the best films on 2012. Sleep Tight is a work of absolutely shattering power, one of the few new films in a while that truly made me feel. It wasn’t always a nice feeling, but it was there, jumping off the screen and filling my entire mind with dread and fear, and I thank director Jaume Balaguero from the bottom of my heart for reminding me how much emotion and power cinema can give, and how resonating and thought-provoking the cinema can be. I need to reiterate that Sleep Tight is not a ‘nice’ film, a gradual build-up of nastiness to one of the cruellest final scenes ever, but God how I felt it! How I so wanted to hug Clara and tell her it will be okay? How I so wanted Cesar to stop! How I was absolutely dreading what was going to happen next, but couldn’t wait either! How I actually laughed in a few places, and felt allowed to do so. Wow.
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