Trying to assemble this list was more of a struggle than it has been in years past. Could this be because I waited until December to watch a third of the movies that make up my entire year-end tally? Possibly. 2019 had a surprising amount of quality theatrical releases, but the indie gems seemed much harder to find than usual. I found myself sifting through a lot more bummers to find the films that sparked an interest. That said, I managed to put together thirteen contenders that I am quite fond of.
13. Haunt
Another strong entry into the film category I like to call, “reasons why I will never step foot into a Halloween haunted house attraction,” Haunt poses the question “what if the haunt was real?” While other films have handled this with a more supernatural approach, Haunt’s villains are decidedly more flesh and blood, which there is also plenty of. This fun little haunted house flick has definitely earned a seasonal viewing.
12. Eli
This late-entry Netflix original is a surprising twist on a tired genre. To say which genre would be a huge spoiler, but it’s safe to say that all may not be as it seems when a boy with an autoimmune disorder is taken to a mysterious facility that promises a cure. The last 30 minutes or so of the film completely turned this watch around for me, earning it a spot on my list of year-end favorites.
11. The Hole in the Ground
While initially put off by the film’s 5.7 rating on imdb, when I did decide to give this one a go, I was very pleasantly surprised. When young Chris wanders into the woods one night and comes back mysteriously changed, his mother begins to suspect that the thing that has returned from the woods is not her son. You know exactly what this movie is as soon as you read the plot synopsis. You will not be shocked. You’ve seen this movie before. But after watching ten slow burn art-house films in a row, sometimes a solid folklore/creature flick is exactly what the doctor ordered.
10. It: Chapter 2
While undeniably one of the biggest theatrical releases of the year, this movie earned its place on the list. With an incredible assembly cast that bears uncanny resemblances to the actors portraying their younger selves in the previous iteration, this second entry into the two-part film series has a surprising amount of heart, and dunking on Stephen King, which is always fun. Yes, the CG is bad, but that wasn’t enough to derail my theater-going experience.
9. Us
After the success of Get Out, there was no way Jordan Peele’s next horror entry wasn’t also going to wow audiences. The cast is incredible, the soundtrack is to die for, and, to put it simply, you’re going to have a good time with this watch. Some pretty major plot holes keep it lower on my list than perhaps would be expected, but there’s no denying what a major feat this production was, and it absolutely warrants second and third viewings.
8. Midsommar
Another much-anticipated second entry for a director who’s previous film stunned audiences, Ari Aster’s follow up to Hereditary is perhaps an unsurprising success. When Dani finds herself stranded in rural Sweden amidst a pagan cult’s mid-summer festivities, events begin to escalate to an increasingly violent and disturbing degree. Midsommar is deeply uncomfortable, absolutely stunning visually, and undeniably bizarre.
7. Crawl
The moment I saw the poster for a film wherein massive alligators were the antagonists, I was sold. When a young woman and her injured father are trapped in the crawlspace of a house that is quickly filling up with water during a terrible hurricane, they soon find that they are not alone down there. I’m not sure if you can call this a creature feature when the creatures are crocs, but it certainly filled that same void for me in a year full of more cerebral horror.
6. Parasite
Another entry that explores the dynamic between the have and the have-nots, Parasite is the story of a poor family that, under false pretenses, integrates themselves one by one into the lives of a wealthy family who’s glamorous home holds a terrible secret. This film starts out innocuous enough but quickly devolves into something far more disturbing. I found myself mouth agape at numerous points during my theatergoing experience.
5. Little Monsters
This charming Hulu original tells the story of an irresponsible uncle and elementary school teacher who join forces to protect a group of students from a zombie outbreak during a field trip gone awry. This is a horror comedy with a lot of heart, and the only thing negative that I have to say about it is that it will get the song “Shake it Off” stuck in your head for days.
4. The Nightingale
When young ex-convict Clare teams up with an aboriginal guide named Billy to track down the officers who committed horrible acts of brutality against Clare and her family, this unlikely duo is forced to brave the wilderness as well as the dangers of seeking revenge on those in a position of power, together. If you can stick it out through the incredibly brutal beginning, the rest of this journey will be well worth the wait. This is a film that I did not expect to adore as much as I did, but the plight of Clare as well as the bond formed between her and Billy completely drew me in. This film matters.
3. Villains
Bill Skarsgård and Maika Monroe shine as two amateur criminals who, on the run from a botched robbery, seek shelter in a nearby home, only to discover that the homeowners are not the harmless suburban family they may have expected. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll find yourself once again debating whether or not it’s okay to find Skarsgård charming after watching two It movies.
2. The Lighthouse
Two Lighthouse keepers struggle to keep sane after finding themselves stranded on a remote island when their rescue boat doesn’t show. That’s it. That’s the movie. And it’s great. Dafoe and Pattinson carry this behemoth of a black and white film shot in a nearly 1:1 aspect ratio, and they are both phenomenal. Dafoe’s drunken rants in slurred nautical tongues will fill your head with visions of the sea, and Pattinson’s convoluted hallucinations will make you see mermaids in a whole new light. Always remember, it’s bad luck tah kill eh sea bird.
1. Ready or Not
After Mayhem and The Babysitter, Samara Weaving already had top billing on my list of horror front women, both in my mind and my heart, and Ready or Not is no exception This absolute romp of a horror comedy is an hour and a half of pure joy. Weaving shines as a bride who’s forced to endure her new husband’s eccentric family’s unconventional wedding-night tradition, in a cat and mouse, well, cats and mouse film for the ages.