This weekend marks the release of one of the most anticipated horror films in recent memory. The marketing campaign for the newest adaptation of Stephen King's It has had viewers terrified on the edge of their seats before the movie has even come out. I figured with all the buzz around It, now would be a great time to look back on some horror hits of the past five years. All the films I've chosen from were released after September 1st 2012. I also find that horror at times can be subjective so to narrow down what is "horror" and what is not, I only included films that IMDb had horror listed as a genre. So because of that some thrillers that I really enjoy such as The Gift will not be on this list.
I tried to see as many movies as I could for this list but unfortunately some such as Light's Out, Green Room, and Evil Dead managed to slip past me.
As usual I also have a few honourable mentions.
The Witch- Most people seem to either love or hate The Witch. I find the film to be very interesting as it tells an old style horror story. I will say that at times the slow burning pace of the film and the old English accents can cause the movie to drag but overall I enjoyed the film a lot. It also gave me a reinvigorated dislike of goats.
Alien: Covenant- Much like The Witch, this is a film that has divided many people. I think where the film loses people is how much of the mythology introduced in Prometheus is used. While I found the more horror based moments to be a lot of fun, I think more focus on what made Alien great, and less focus on themes introduced in Prometheus could land this film a spot in the top 9.
Crimson Peak- I think Guillermo Del Toro is an incredible filmmaker and I thought the visual style he brought to Crimson Peak was fantastic. The set and costume designs were absolutely fantastic and the performances throughout are all solid. Unfortunately I didn't find that the story was told as well as it could have which detracted from it for me.
The Shallows- I really love this movie and I would have put it in the Top 9, but I just don't think of it as a horror film. I mostly think of it as a fun summer thriller, which it succeeds at very well. I think a darker tone might cause me to put it on my list but unfortunately I just don't think of it as a horror film.
#9- Don't Breathe (2016)
I found this film on demand a few months back and absolutely loved it. While on paper the home invasion thriller is nothing original, the twist of having three young people being hunted in this house by a crazy blind man gives the genre a new twist. The tension is the film's driving force and is caused through great direction and unsettling visuals. Steven Lang's performance is absolutely phenomenal and the rest of the cast also does a great job.
#8- Train to Busan (2016)
I had never really given foreign films a shot for a long time, I figured reading subtitles throughout an entire movie would be tiring. However, I heard great things about Train to Busan so I figured I'd check it out. I'm a pretty big fan of zombie movies and this didn't disappoint. Even though I had to read subtitles I was still impressed with the well written dialogue and I thought that there was a surprising amount of scenes with very deep emotion. The struggle of all uninfected people trying to reach the safe cars of the train is tense and breathtaking to watch, and while I know foreign language films aren't everyone's thing, this is definitely one to check out.
#7- Split (2017)
While some people thought The Visit was the return of good Shyamalan, I think the movie is pretty bad. This year's Split however, is very good. While the awards season won't give him much credit, I think James McAvoy's performance in this film is easily one of the year's best, the way he is able to portray so many drastically different characters while making the audience uncomfortable with each is amazing to watch. I think Anya Taylor-Joy's performance is great as well and as always, Shyamalan delivers a fantastic twist at the end.
#6- World War Z (2013)
As I said before, I really like zombie movies, and the one that started it all for me was World War Z. While there are others like Zombieland and Shaun of the Dead that I enjoy more, this movie is a lot of fun. I think Brad Pitt gives a great performance in the leading role and I think some of the different ideas within the zombie genre that World War Z brings to the table are very cool and original. While I know not a lot of people enjoy it as much as I do, World War Z takes the six spot on my list
#5- Hush (2016)
I hadn't actually even heard about Hush until I was working on this list and it ended up being one of my favourites. The cool premise of a deaf writer being stalked in her home had me interested and the tension of the film had me hooked. John Gallagher Jr is fantastic as "The Man" and Kate Siegel's performance in the leading role fits the film beautifully. Mike Flagan's direction is what really makes the film work as he constantly has the audience on the edge of their seats.
#4- The Conjuring (2013)
While I also really enjoy The Conjuring 2, I decided to only put one of the films on this list to allow some other films to shine. The Conjuring is does a great job of putting the audience into the creepy atmosphere the Warren's work in. It also does a good job of earning its scares. Instead of just throwing a jump scare in to get people's hearts racing, James Wan builds the tension up in each scene, leading to a satisfying scare. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga are also fantastic in their leading roles.
#3- 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
10 Cloverfield Lane had a great promotional campaign that had me eagerly awaiting its release. After seeing the movie it was instantly one of my favourites of the year and that didn't change as the year went on. The film's atmosphere is very creepy and claustrophobic as neither the audience nor characters within the film know whether or not the air outside John Goodman's bunker is safe to breathe. So instead of seeing what it's like outside we see the craziness that is Goodman's character, and the fight to escape from Michelle, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Dan Trachtenberg's directorial debut is thrilling and fantastic.
#2- The Babadook (2014)
While not a huge financial success, The Babadook is easily one of the top horror films of recent years. The mysterious creature haunting Amelia and Samuel is creepy in both design and actions, and may well be one of the best recent movie monsters. What I love about the film is that the audience watches expecting the Babadook to wreak havoc on this family, but in reality just the fear of the creature causes them to go mad. The performances are great, the direction and writing is great, and The Babadook is an overall great movie.
#1- Get Out (2017)
What a great film. Jordan Peele decided to kick off his directing career with a horror film and boy did it pay off. Despite mostly being known for sketch comedies, Peele managed to create arguably one of the top horror films of the century. This movie is incredibly creepy without relying on jump scares or gore, and manages to create an incredible, original idea, which isn't easy to come by these days. I think the entire cast is phenomenal, especially breakout star Daniel Kaluuya. I personally think that Get Out can be one of those horror films that withstand the tests of time, and I truly hope it does. So due to just how overall fantastic the movie is, Get Out takes the number one spot.
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