Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Best Horror Films Part 2: The Last Decade (2014 - 2024)

So it's been a minute since Part 1, Best of All Time, but just a refresher course - there will be no overly gory slasher films or zombie films on this list!  (Sorry.)

(In fact, the only exception for zombie movies I've ever seen is South Korea's "Train to Busan," but still not enough to make this list.)

The reason for this is slasher films are often short on story and long on gore, and as for zombie films?  Though my husband can't get enough, I think they've been done to death! 

A couple of these will be repeats of my Best of All Time series, so I'll say less about them than I did in the first post ;)


I've chosen 10, but there are some other runner-ups that just didn't "wow" me as much, for whatever reason?

Also, there are a few that I missed, so forgive me if I don't have something on this list and you go "Wait a minute, what about _____?"

Chances are, I just haven't seen it yet.  But I will. Oh yes, I will! Muhahahaha!

(Oh, sorry, just getting carried away in the spirit of things.)

Most likely, they are foreign films that are subtitled, which I do watch, but cannot be doing other things while I do so, so it makes it difficult.


Without further ado, in no particular order (with the exception of the first one, which IMO is the scariest film of all time), I give you the best horror films of the last decade ...


Hereditary (2018)



Again, since I've discussed it previously: Scariest of all time (in that it was the only film on any of these lists that gave me nightmares as an adult), will never watch it again, and yet it's also testament to how well made this film is!


A Quiet Place (2018)



Who wouldda thunk it, that America's sweethearts, John Krazinski and Emily Blunt, could've cooked up this monster scare, about aliens who hunt by sound?

Thus, the movie is largely silent and all communication is done in emotive American sign language, which somehow keeps you glued to your seat, both to intently watch what's being communicated, as well as waiting for the unfortunate moment that someone drops something on the floor or trips over a box (particularly the children) or laughs, burps or farts!  😂

It's also the story of a testament to strong families weathering anything to survive, all members of the team developing their own duties based on skill, regardless of gender or "disability" (one of the children is deaf - thus, the knowledge of ASL, which helped them to survive longer than others.)

Well-cowritten, acted and directed - by John Krazinski and Emily Blunt (and special mention of young, hearing-impaired actress, Millicent Simmonds.


Get Out (2017)





Jordan Peele has no shortage of original horror ideas that also give us plenty of social commentary conversation pieces, but his best film so far is the psychological horror flick "Get Out."

The film is about a supposedly  "liberal" family, who also recognizes they can profit off of the powerless and most vulnerable minority within American society, of people of color, by using their youngest daughter to lure them in under the guises of best friendship with women and engagement with men, then the psychiatrist mother hypnotizing them under, so that the neurosurgeon father can perform neurosurgery that restricts emotion and prevents them from not doing exactly as they're told, so that they can sell them to wealthy white people as house workers and husbands. 

The premise doesn't get much scarier than that, until you realize that American society is currently headed back to this mentality, more than they are forward, away from it.

Though far-fetched, you can still see how if anyone wanted to do this in our society, they certainly could and get away with it - and how even liberal-voting people can contribute devalue people of color and prey and profit off of them.

Though not the biggest "jump scare" movie every made, it's still chill-giving.

And a word to the wise - don't expect to see one of Jordan's Peele's movies with people you can't openly have a conversation about the social commentary with, later; particularly, this one.


The Witch (2015)



A young, barely recognizable Anja-Joy Taylor plays the leads in this Puritan-times horror flick, where she is taunted by witches and the devil pursuing her to join their coven, by systematically removing everyone and everything from her life, until she has nowhere to go and no one to tell, despite her prayers.

The freezing ambience is palpable, as is are her desperate prayers in vain.  Much like Hereditary, this one will hang on you for a bit afterwards, and yet (spoiler alert)  - at least she lives? 


His House (2020)




Prepare for the British re-entry into the horror space - because aren't British ghost stories the scariest?

Except this one has a twist.  Two South Sudanese seek asylum in the UK, but are tormented by something - is it really a curse, ghosts and hauntings,  or is it the result of unprocessed trauma, guilt, and grief - or is it both?

Watch and see.

The lighting, the story-telling, the dialogue, the editing, sound - there's a reason why this movie has a 100% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes!


The Night House (2020)




In a similar vein, a woman retreats to a the lake house formerly shared by her husband, who has recently committed suicide. 

Convinced her husband is haunting her, she grows increasingly withdrawn, as well obsessed with communicating with him, as well as why he committed suicide, exploring all avenues.

Is she being haunted or is she descending into grief madness and obsession, or both? 

Once again, watch and see - plenty of jump scares, to be sure!


Speak No Evil - The original 2022 Danish film (haven't seen the current American version)




As stated above, I haven't seen the US version that is still in theaters, but I did see the original Danish film by the same title - and it scared the bejesus out of me. 

There aren't any ghosties in this film - just two families who met and got along famously while on vacay, when one family invites the other to their home - and trouble ensures.

Just the story of some greedy, garden-variety sociopaths, taking advantage of our often false belief that we truly know people we've only briefly encountered, as well as doubting your own perception versus being gaslighted. 

It's a slow burn that's truly disturbing, but this one makes the list because it disturbed my husband for days instead of me!


Last Shift (2014) 




There has been a remake of this movie called "Malum," which is essentially the same tale with a bigger budget, but worse reviews. 

The original is a low-budget entry, but sometimes those offer the best scares!

The film quality is low and it's filmed at one location -  but that doesn't mean sound, editing, directing and acting aren't!

A new police department has been built, and a rookie cop is assigned to keep night watch at the old police station until everything has been moved over.

Of course, it's haunted by former cult killers - or are some still alive?

AND, the police know it - or are they part of it?

Why was she chosen to work "the last shift?

And which is scarier - ghosts of Satanic cult members or actual Satanic cult members?

Watch and see.


Barbarian - 2023



Another pleasantly-horrifying-surprise, low-budget film, filmed in my husband's hometown, his beloved Detroit - in the abandoned district, it's already scary even before anything happens! 

Even if you took every "creepy pasta" Reddit story about Airbnb stays that have gone horribly wrong, this story tops them all, and will make you think twice before ever renting a home for vacay ever again!

A woman books a cheap Airbnb by herself, in Detroit, in preparation for a big job interview and finds it already occupied, but chooses to stay.  Soon, trouble ensues - but is it her new, strange roommate or someone/something else?

Tune in to see.

Now, this last one is the weakest of the 10, because although well-filmed and keeps you guessing, you're still yelling at the screen like ...

"Girl, why are you staying even one night, get the F out and sleep in your car!"

- and - 

"B*tch, don't go down in that creepy basement.  Why you going in the basement?" 

😂



____________________________________


Acclaimed movies I have yet to see in the last decade: 

Subtitled: 

Gonjiam Asylum (2018) - South Korean, subtitled.

Exhuma (2023) - South Korean, subtitled.

The Wailing (2016) - South Korean, subtitled.

Huesera the Bone Woman (2022) - Mexico/Peru, subtitled. 

Under the Shadow (2016) - British produced, Farsi speaking (subtitled).


English-Speaking

The Boy Behind the Door (2020)

Something about kids and kidnappers makes a hard watch.

My Heart Won't Beat Until You Tell It To (2020)

I dunno, haven't seen it because vampires have been done to death.

Relic (2020)  

I actually thought I had seen this one, but it was actually The Taking of Deborah Logan, which is a so-so-watch.

Midsommar (2019)

Actually, I started this movie late one night, turned it off due to the gore, and have yet to finish it?  After Hereditary disturbed me enough, plus the gore, it may be a "no, thank you?"

The Babadook (2014)

Unfortunately, I saw the end of this movie only, so I'd have to go back and rewatch the whole thing to give it a fair shake.


Movies that everyone raved about, but I found "meh."

It Follows (2015)

Loved the early-80s horror-movie vibe, complete with terrible editing that made you go "WTF," I hated the ending, and otherwise found nothing new to see here, move along

Skinamarink (2022)

Boring!  Interesting concept, with the camera angles and mostly just hearing things off screen and those creepy old cartoons, but my husband actually fell asleep!

Saint Maud (2019)

More madness than supernatural spooky, it was just ... sad.

Censor (2021)

Great concept, sputtered between action scenes.  A slow, spooky build is okay, but the action should be worth it?


Otherwise, yes - there will be some runner-ups at the end of this series, which will include movies like "The Conjuring 1, 2, plus Annabelle" - which were fairly good, but a little sappy and OTT in parts.

I think it's partly because we'd heard or seen all of the Ed and Lorraine Warren stories already.

However, I have to agree, there's a reason that other movies have swiped the side story of the demon nun from The Conjuring, a little known part of the story, that is super scary!





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