2021. What can I say about it? Started off horrible, things got semi-back to normal, and now it’s all crashing back down again. But the one constant for me: movies. I got back to form with my movie watching this year. Mostly, and unsurprisingly, horror. Surprisingly large amount of very solid films, and I’m actually very content with these 13 films. Was even a tad difficult to narrow these down. A few of these aren’t pure horror; I felt like bending the rules and genres a little. Without further ado, my favorite of the year.
Classic A24, slow-burn, arthouse horror. Yeah, I cringed while typing that sentence. But for real, this movie is all about the mood. The atmosphere of this film is so thick you can feel it rolling out of your TV screen like a thick fog across a lake on a crisp morning. Also, religious horror is just something I personally enjoy a lot.
12. Broadcast Signal Intrusion
This is a movie that nobody is talking about…mainly because I saw it at the Telluride Horror Show, and it was kinda just quietly dumped onto paid streaming sites at some point. But it’s a movie, set in the 90’s, basically about an early internet sleuth. A man discovers strange video footage while cataloguing tapes at a local news station. He ends up going full red-string-board thinking they are clips from a murderer who has kidnapped women, and tries to hunt him down. Style wise, it almost had some The Ring vibes to it (major plus).
Honestly, I really liked this movie. It should probably be higher on my list. Rebecca Hall is just absolutely splendid in this (as well as anything else she touches). Creepy, mysterious, and just a great atmosphere. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t enjoyed this film
10. Bloody Hell
A pretty over-the-top story about a man who violently stopped a group of bank robbers, was found guilty for something, and moved to Finland after a lengthy prison sentence. That’s just the first like 10 minutes. This movie has flashbacks on top of flashbacks, a wonky storyline (without being ridiculous or too quirky), and just a playful tone that is never funny nor dead serious. Just a straight up fun movie.
9. Till Death
Megan Fox proving that Jennifer’s Body wasn’t a one hit wonder, and she has a very solid and deserving place within the horror genre. A movie that I knew nothing about, and absolutely shocked me at its multiple twists and turns. Did not see a vast majority of what happens coming. And Fox is just a stud, knocks the performance out of the park.
I delayed watching this for a while, for no real good reason. But recently catching up with it…wow. I was really really surprised by it. V/H/S/2 & Viral were pretty not good. But this blew me away. Every segment within it was great. It all had the perfect VHS/90’s style vibe to the footage, some of the stories (especially ones in darkness) were genuinely creepy. This movie needs more love.
7. Last Night in Soho
I was contemplating if I should include this or not. I enjoyed the film quite a bit, but once again, not very horror. Small percentage. But it’s got The Queen herself, Anya Taylor-Joy, so I had to. A stylish, trippy mystery film with a twist or two that you may or may not see coming. Edgar Wright has a way with a camera, and has yet to disappoint yet.
6. Titane
Julia Ducournau’s return after her festival hit Raw, does not disappoint. Starts off in a brutal fashion, and just gets progressively weirder and weirder from there. This thing leans into the body horror side of things, and would pair well with a lot of David Cronenberg films. Yet again, performance and cinematography are some of the biggest draws to this film for me. I’m sensing a pattern.
5. My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To
This movie doesn’t have a single funny bone in its body. It’s an extreme slow burn family drama, centred around a traditional horror character. They strip his scariness away, and it becomes two siblings living and caring for their sick younger brother. That’s it. Full of heart, emotions, wonderful performances, and 1.33:1 imagery that adds a beautiful, delicate layer on top of an already vulnerable film.
4. The Trip
I don’t know how to describe this without giving anything away. Let’s just say…the tone of it is kinda lighthearted and silly, and I found it to be quite an amusing film (not funny, but humorous). It also might be the single most bloody, violent film I’ve seen all year. Just wild. Bonkers. Off the rails.
3. Coming Home In the Dark
Sundance premiere I wanted to see, but wasn’t able to catch up with until it landed on Netflix later. I’m so glad I did (thanks for the text, Byron!), because this thing was MEAN. Like, I’m talking, complete and utter existential dread. Do not go into this expecting a happy-go-lucky, horror comedy. No. This thing slaps you in the face from the jump, and never takes its foot off your throat. Yet, because of the absolutely top tier performance from Daniel Gillies, I couldn’t take my eyes off it.
Sorry Kelly! Listen. I know this movie won’t be enjoyed by the vast majority of people who watch it. But it ticked every box for me. 16mm? Check. Amazing score? Check. Dialogue that had me laughing out loud? Check. Dasha’s lazy cadence? Check. I don’t know what else you could ask for. I don’t even care about the plot or where this movie goes (although I really did enjoy it a lot); the sum of all its separate parts equals a total package that I fell in love with.
1. The Medium
If you all have been paying attention over the years, I’m a found footage Stan. While most people are tired of the format, I’m instantly drawn to it and am usually always positive about them. The Medium is no different. A mockumentary from Thailand, it’s centered around a local medium possessed by familial spirit. This thing gets absolutely bonkers by the end, and all things considered, was everything I wanted. Screened at the Telluride Horror Show, and is already on Shudder for all you wonderful humans to enjoy.