It has been an excellent year for horror. And while I didn’t get to see everything, I did see a lot. Below are my top 13 horror movies of 2016. There wasn’t really a system, but as I look over this I notice the same few boxes being checked. They’re all legitimately frightening, beautiful, original, and/or emotional. These are the movies that stuck with me and had me thinking about them long after the credits rolled.
13. Carnage Park
Sometimes bank robberies don’t go as planned, and sometimes the escape goes even worse. Carnage Park is cat-and-mouse survival horror. It’s a western tinged grindhouse flick, with strong visuals and some standout performances (looking at you, Pat Healy). I had a lot of fun with this one.
12. They Look Like People
They Look Like People is a mountain of uncertainty, insanity, and just so superbly tense. It’s a small film, a small cast, and occasionally mumbly, but it knows exactly what it’s doing. There’s a confidence to the filmmaking that made it so enjoyable for me. And as with all good slow-burn horror, the third act is really something. This was a great surprise when I picked it on Netflix.
11. Hush
Home-invasion is nothing new, but Hush’s twist to the genre (a deaf protagonist) made it feel fresh. It was a great detail that kept the movie in new territory instead of falling into tropes. Knowing the main character couldn’t hear kept me looking over her shoulder the entire time, a paranoia that made for an incredibly immersive experience.
10. Intruders
I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into with this one, but I can tell you exactly when I was all in for this story: “You’re not like this.” “You have no idea what I’m like.” It’s home invasion with a twist, and it manages to keep you questioning who you should be siding with for a large portion of the film. It was lots of fun, and something I’ll probably revisit soon.
9. The Witch
Witch movies aren’t hard to come by, but it’s rare they so perfectly create a window to the past. Originally subtitled A New England Folktale, The Witchis a fantastic period piece that’s equally dramatic and horrific. The story is folklore at its finest, delivered by some very strong actors (children included). The Witch was a dreadful experience in the best way possible.
8. Sun Choke
Psychological horror is intensely dependent on performances, and in Sun Choke Sarah Hagan delivers. Janie’s apparent recovery from and subsequent descent back into madness is just plain masterful. It makes for the kind of movie that sticks with you. And while it was a bit obfuscated at times, it’s still an anxiety inducing show that holds nothing back.
7. The Invitation
The Invitation was one of those movies that I’d heard so much about by the time I watched it that it felt like it couldn’t live up to the hype… and yet it did. Things start slow, but the guessing games of “who’s crazy?” and “what’s really going on?” make it an engaging experience throughout. The Invitation is worth watching literally to the last frame.
6. Blair Witch
The Blair Witch Projectis one of my favorite horror movies, so I went into this with lots of reservations. While the movie didn’t work for everyone, it did for me. Blair Witch makes good use of existing lore, and builds on it in some very interesting ways. The third act, in particular, shines from the inciting incident right up to the final shot. I’m glad I got to see this in theaters.
5. Last Girl Standing
My favorite movies, horror or otherwise, are the ones I find myself thinking about long after I saw them. Last Girl Standingwas that kind of movie for me. It’s a contemplative psychological horror movie set in the aftermath of a slasher film, a very slow burn. It’s a tough watch for those who empathize with characters, but that’s exactly what I loved about it. The performances conjured up some real emotion for me, and that definitely helped it to earn its spot here.
4. Green Room
This was a relentlessly bleak experience, and, if we’re being honest, equally vicious. I was sold on seeing this after the first trailer came out, and I’m glad I did. Just about every aspect of production is top notch, from the performances to the cinematography to the effects. An exercise in survival horror that I hope influences the subgenre for at least a little while.
3. 10 Cloverfield Lane
I want to say this was a fun movie, but that’s just not true. It’s an anxious, claustrophobic story. It’s consistently tense, and even the respites have a vague sense of dread to them. John Goodman’s villainous Howard sinister with a smile, a thoroughly disquieting performance that has had plenty of people calling for an Oscar nomination. This movie was beautiful, thematic, and engaging from start to finish.
2. Under the Shadow
Babak Anvari’s Under the Shadow is a neatly layered experience. It’s an exploration of the myth of djinns, an allegory for the damages of war, and an intimate character piece about a woman struggling with her circumstances. There’s a fine level of craftsmanship in just about every facet of the production, the kind of movie that shows horror can be so much more than blood and guts.
1. Darling
I’ve watched this movie 4 times this year, and just writing about it now is making me want to go for a fifth viewing. Director Mickey Keating brought in repeat collaborators for cinematography and editing, and it shows brilliantly. Everything meshes together so well and creates a perfect vehicle for Lauren Ashley Carter’s performance as the titular Darling. Definitely my favorite movie from 2016.