252. (-29) Paranormal Activity 3

Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman

AKA:

2011 / USA / 83m / Col / Found Footage | IMDb
Lauren Bittner, Christopher Nicholas Smith, Chloe Csengery, Jessica Tyler Brown, Hallie Foote, Dustin Ingram, Johanna Braddy, Katie Featherston, Sprague Grayden

“This paradox—the less you see the more you think you see, or the more you think about seeing—is what used to make horror go. Before Tom Savini and Dan O’Bannon, and before the essential redundancy of torture porn, scary movies depended on viewers’ imaginations. The Paranormal Activity films return to that low-budget idea, with an exponentially high profits pay-off. Their plots are rudimentary, and this third installment’s architecture is both banal and ludicrous (as it elucidates how the sisters came to know the demon plaguing them in the first two films, it wades into hoary-old-witches waters). But you don’t go to horror movies for story. You go for sensation, to be moved. Paranormal Activity 3 not only gets that, it also asks you to get it, to be aware of how you’re being moved, and your part in the moving.” – Cynthia Fuchs, Pop Matters

Genres:

254. (-23) Land of the Dead

George A. Romero

AKA:

2005 / USA / 93m / Col / Zombie | IMDb
Simon Baker, John Leguizamo, Dennis Hopper, Asia Argento, Robert Joy, Eugene Clark, Joanne Boland, Tony Nappo, Jennifer Baxter, Boyd Banks

“The ideas fly as fast and furious as the body parts, but brilliantly Romero never stoops to obvious, dialogue-driven harangues, instead opting to submerge his conceit- that is, a divided society where zombies reflect our own political complacency – in the forgotten stuff of subtext. The gore is amped up appropriately from earlier films, and provides a literal cross-section of destruction and dismemberments; some of them exist for sheer thrill value, but Romero, unlike many of his style-stealing disciples, knows that substantive storytelling is the key to evoking true dread, not a coroner’s checklist of body parts.” – Todd Gilchrist, IGN Movies

Genres:

256. (-19) Planet Terror

Robert Rodriguez

AKA:

2007 / USA / 105m / Col / Zombie | IMDb
Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodríguez, Josh Brolin, Marley Shelton, Jeff Fahey, Michael Biehn, Rebel Rodriguez, Bruce Willis, Naveen Andrews, Julio Oscar Mechoso

“Planet Terror – Robert Rodriguez’s contribution to his Grindhouse collaboration with Quentin Tarantino – is a first-rate homage to the schlocky, sleazy B-movies of decades past, loading on the gore, clichés, and self-referential dialogue like there’s no tomorrow with a cascade of influences from John Carpenter, James Cameron, George A. Romero and Lucio Fulci (just to name a few), all the while topping off its gimmicky (though totally effective) construction with countless scratches, blips, audio/visual inconsistencies and even a carefully placed “missing reel” in its loving ode to the almost lost end-of-the-line theater experience.” – Rob Humanick, Projection Booth

Genres: Action, Zombie, Splatter, Black Comedy, Body Horror, Exploitation, Gross-Out Comedy, Horror Comedy, Girls With Guns, Epidemic

258. (+10) Freaky

Christopher Landon

AKA:

2020 / USA / 102m / Col / Comedy | IMDb
Vince Vaughn, Kathryn Newton, Misha Osherovich, Emily Holder, Nicholas Stargel, Kelly Lamor Wilson, Mitchell Hoog, Dana Drori, Katie Finneran, Alonzo Ward

“Simplicity is the secret to “Freaky’s” success. Should you ever need a textbook example of fluid film structure, particularly for a crowd-pleasing comedic thriller, this is it. Director Christopher Landon and co-writer Michael Kennedy’s snappy script barely has an ounce of fat to slow it down or give it an unattractive bulge. Every element introduced directly services story. Side characters deceptively appear disposable in singular scenes only to bound back a second time to pay off gags you didn’t see set up. “Freaky” stays speedy with inventively gory kills staged with whiplash-inducing momentum to make them feel outrageously fantastical. Amidst a wealth of self-aware slasher savagery, the movie makes time for emotional moments that are surprisingly sweet without dampening action. Whether it’s being sassy, silly, stabby, or even sentimental, the breeziness behind “Freaky” makes the movie’s mixture an easy treat to swallow.” – Ian Sedensky, Culture Crypt

Genres:

260. (-2) Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

André Øvredal

AKA:

2019 / USA / 108m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Zoe Margaret Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Austin Abrams, Dean Norris, Gil Bellows, Austin Zajur, Natalie Ganzhorn, Lorraine Toussaint, Kathleen Pollard

“Not only the perfect primer for horror neophytes but efficiently delivers sufficient shudders to satisfy even the most demanding genre buffs out there. It might not boast the big-idea mojo of many of the horror movies it quarries, but what’s genuinely refreshing here is how cohesively the scary stories are interwoven into the main narrative of the film and how effectively illustrator Stephen Gammell’s unique, grotesque visual signature is brought to life. But even more importantly than all of that, the film is an always-welcome reminder of just how potent literature is in our lives.” – Howard Gorman, NME

Genres:

262. (-14) The Shallows

Jaume Collet-Serra

AKA:

2016 / USA / 86m / Col / Natural Horror | IMDb
Blake Lively, Óscar Jaenada, Angelo Josue Lozano Corzo, Joseph Salas, Brett Cullen, Sedona Legge, Pablo Calva, Diego Espejel, Janelle Bailey, Ava Dean

“As good as Blake Lively is as the stranded surfer, the real star of The Shallows is Jaume Collet-Serra. The Spanish director is firing on cylinders using slow motion to build tension, misdirection to keep the audience on the edge of its seat, and still maintaining a sense of fun to harrowing ordeal on display. Opening with some GoPro footage of a shark attack, The Shallows opens like one of the more ominous episodes of Breaking Bad – you know something bad is going to happen it’s just a matter of how it happens. Knowing that the audience is curious as to how these events unfold, Collet-Serra frequently employs misdirection before unleashing the more horrific elements to incredibly effective results. It’s a constant cycle of building tension and releasing it ever so slightly before compounding the tension to an even greater degree.” – Sean Mulvihill, FanboyNation

Genres:

264. (-15) Rogue

Greg Mclean

AKA:

2007 / Australia / 99m / Col / Natural Horror | IMDb
Radha Mitchell, Michael Vartan, Sam Worthington, Caroline Brazier, Stephen Curry, Celia Ireland, John Jarratt, Heather Mitchell, Geoff Morrell, Damien Richardson

“Rogue may keep its creature hidden for large stretches in order to generate tension through omnipresent suggestion, but its expertly orchestrated set pieces don’t skimp on the killer-croc goods, providing enough glimpses of the beast feasting on terrified humans to deliver requisite horror-premise payoffs. Mclean’s tight scripting rarely relies on stupid behavior to elicit scares and refuses to one-dimensionally condemn its characters for less-than-noble reactions to trauma, exhibiting shrewd, nonjudgmental consideration for the strains its stranded travelers are under. All the while, his evocative widescreen cinematography of the Australian landscape – part Terrance Malick-entrancing, part John Carpenter-creepy – lends the action a sense of encompassing ominousness, and in its reverence for the natural world, proves in tune with the director’s own respect for his characters, his B-movie genre, and his audience.” – Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness

Genres:

266. (-30) Resolution

Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead

AKA:

2012 / USA / 93m / Col / Drama | IMDb
Peter Cilella, Vinny Curran, Zahn McClarnon, Bill Oberst Jr., Kurt David Anderson, Emily Montague, Skyler Meacham, Carmel Benson, Justin Benson, Catherine Burns

“The horror in Resolution is effective because it’s well-crafted, but it’s greatly heightened by the fact that its two central characters matter. Chris and Michael really do come across as lifelong friends, at least at one time close to the point of basically being brothers. There’s a chemistry, a rapport, a genuine bond that’s rarely glimpsed in horror. There are layers and dimensions to these characters that transcend two or three word stock descriptions. The usual Junkie’s Running Dry clichés like the pale, gray makeup and hollow eyes you’re probably picturing are all noticeably absent; hell, Chris is the funniest and most charismatic guy in the movie. Resolution greatly benefits from having such an outstanding cast” – Adam Tyner, DVD Talk

Genres:

268. (-26) Ghost Stories

Jeremy Dyson & Andy Nyman

AKA:

2017 / UK / 98m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Andy Nyman, Martin Freeman, Paul Whitehouse, Alex Lawther, Paul Warren, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Nicholas Burns, Louise Atkins, Lesley Harcourt, Amy Doyle

“Horror has a long legacy of stories of people who think they know all there is to know about the supernatural, and learn about their ignorance the hard way. “Ghost Stories” doesn’t reinvent the wheel in any way, but it owes a debt to films that modern genre filmmakers might have forgotten. In that sense, it feels both old and new at the same time. And, perhaps most importantly, it’s honestly scary in ways most indie horror doesn’t even try to be. It’s the sound of a creaking door, footsteps when no one else is home, the sudden drop of temperature in the center of a room—these are ghost story elements that will always be timeless, and it’s so refreshing to see a modern horror movie that knows how to use them as well as “Ghost Stories.” – Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com

Genres:

270. (+22) Smile 2

Parker Finn

AKA:

2024 / USA / 127m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Naomi Scott, Rosemarie DeWitt, Lukas Gage, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Peter Jacobson, Ray Nicholson, Dylan Gelula, Raúl Castillo, Kyle Gallner, Drew Barrymore

“As someone who found the first film solid yet ultimately familiar in its influences, Smile 2 makes for one of the year’s biggest horror surprises. Scott delivers a career-defining performance, tackling so many layers to her character and with seemingly effortless ease. The scale is grander, and the scares are far more visceral and violent. But Finn’s mounting confidence and ingenuity are what’s most exciting; this filmmaker has only honed his scare-crafting chops to the sharpest of edges and is having a blast doing it. It makes for a satisfying thrill ride of jaw-dropping horror and unrelenting dread; a perfect Halloween treat for those in need of a good scare — or twenty.” – Meagan Navarro, Bloody Disgusting

Genres:

272. (-26) The Midnight Meat Train

Ryûhei Kitamura

AKA:

2008 / USA / 98m / Col / Splatter | IMDb
Bradley Cooper, Leslie Bibb, Brooke Shields, Vinnie Jones, Roger Bart, Tony Curran, Barbara Eve Harris, Peter Jacobson, Stephanie Mace, Ted Raimi

“As a horror picture plain and simple (though Midnight Meat Train is too convoluted to be called simple), there’s certainly no reason to complain here. The film delivers the goods in terms of graphic, bloody and quite brutal horror. This is one of the bloodier films in recent memory, and yet it is never goes into the area of torture porn. The film doesn’t linger over pain for its own sake and isn’t in the least sadistic in the manner of so much that passes for horror these days. Oh, it’s nasty enough—make no mistake. This is not a film for the squeamish, and I can easily imagine people who would be offended by its in your face bloodiness. I can also imagine a good many viewers who would be turned off by its occasional outbursts of dark-hued splattery comedy, especially the fate of the Jurgis character. Put bluntly, if bloody horror and the occasional flying eyeball aren’t your flagon of grue, this isn’t your movie.” – Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress

Genres:

274. (-22) Overlord

Julius Avery

AKA:

2018 / USA / 110m / Col / War | IMDb
Jovan Adepo, Wyatt Russell, Mathilde Ollivier, Pilou Asbæk, John Magaro, Iain De Caestecker, Jacob Anderson, Dominic Applewhite, Gianny Taufer, Joseph Quinn

“A very atmopsheric, surprisingly unpredictable, and quite visually gritty, yet slickly-crafted Nazi war drama with creepy zombie twist, “Overlord” infuses those two genres successfully enough to deliver one helluva fun ride full of thrills, turns, shoot-em-up action, and overload of gore splatter, and although it falls a bit short on pure frights, this utterly entertaining blood-fest manages to work well on dramatic level instead, mainly thanks to the strong turns by the well-interacting cast.” – George Beremov, CineMarvellous!

Genres:

276. (-31) Final Destination 5

Steven Quale

AKA:

2011 / USA / 92m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Nicholas D’Agosto, Emma Bell, Miles Fisher, Ellen Wroe, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, P.J. Byrne, Arlen Escarpeta, David Koechner, Courtney B. Vance, Tony Todd

“Fans of this franchise know precisely what to expect, and the film delivers it with wit and flair. The Final Destination movies are like inspired Kentucky Fried Movie sketches, but also like deadpan satires of a particular sub-genre they invented in the first place… This being a 3D movie, there are loads of sharp objects flying directly out of the screen. A group of youthful interns are employed at a drab office, presided over by a managerial nerd, adjoining a factory shopfloor. (So to the list of American institutions indirectly influenced by Ricky Gervais we can now add the Final Destination movies.)” – Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

Genres:

278. (+11) As Above, So Below

John Erick Dowdle

AKA:

2014 / USA / 93m / Col / Found Footage | IMDb
Perdita Weeks, Ben Feldman, Edwin Hodge, François Civil, Marion Lambert, Ali Marhyar, Cosme Castro, Hamid Djavadan, Théo Cholbi, Emy Lévy

“This is a tidy little horror film heavy on mood, light on gore, and bursting with a refreshing originality of story line. Fans of alchemy will find much to reward them here, including the true meaning of vitriol. Fans of the Lovecraftian school of weirdness will also find much to enjoy. Plus, there’s a dash of Dante, and a hint of Templars that make the mix of hubris and guilt that much more piquant… AS ABOVE SO BELOW gifts us with a lively history lesson on the catacombs of Paris, the history and practice of alchemy, and some nifty insights into ancient engineering practices even as it makes our pulses races. It’s a fun flick that is clever, surprising, and satisfyingly well-executed.” – Andrea Chase, Killer Movie Reviews

Genres:

280. (-24) Inland Empire

David Lynch

AKA:

2006 / USA / 180m / Col / Psychological | IMDb
Laura Dern, Jeremy Irons, Justin Theroux, Karolina Gruszka, Jan Hencz, Krzysztof Majchrzak, Grace Zabriskie, Ian Abercrombie, Karen Baird, Bellina Logan

“Because watching movies is a bizarre business, and a movie creates its own world, in some ways more persuasively cogent and real than the reality surrounding it, Lynch positions himself in the no man’s land between these two realities and furnishes it with a landscape and topography all his own… It is mad and chaotic and exasperating and often makes no sense: but actually not quite as confusing as has been reported. Even the most garbled of moments fit approximately into the vague scheme of things, and those that don’t – those worrying rabbits – are, I guess, just part of the collateral damage occasioned by Lynch’s assault on the ordinary world. How boring the cinema would be without David Lynch, and for a long, long moment, how dull reality always seems after a Lynch movie has finished.” – Peter Bradshaw, Guardian

Genres: Surrealism, Psychological Horror, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Experimental, Postmodernism, Psychological Drama, Hyperlink Cinema, Postmodernism, Analog Horror, Supernatural Horror

282. (+11) Pearl

Ti West

AKA:

2022 / USA / 103m / Col / Psychological | IMDb
Mia Goth, David Corenswet, Tandi Wright, Matthew Sunderland, Emma Jenkins-Purro, Alistair Sewell, Amelia Reid, Gabe McDonnell, Lauren Stewart, Todd Rippon

“Pearl is notable for its bright colours, its bold emotions, its commitment to atmosphere and style and character, but it’s Goth that makes it remarkable. It could’ve been a low-rent prequel, the sort of thing you’d expect as a special feature on a DVD release, but instead, West and Goth have made an honest-to-God drama. It’s not seamless. It’s not a perfect pastiche. It’s a little slow, even by West’s standards. But damn if it isn’t something artful in a genre that’s so often as commercial as they come.” – Aren Bergstrom, 3 Brothers Film

Genres: Psychological Horror, Family Drama, Southern Gothic, Slasher, Period Drama, Melodrama, Black Comedy

284. (-8) The Bay

Barry Levinson

AKA:

2012 / USA / 84m / Col / Found Footage | IMDb
Nansi Aluka, Christopher Denham, Stephen Kunken, Frank Deal, Kether Donohue, Kristen Connolly, Will Rogers, Kimberly Campbell, Beckett Clayton-Luce, Dave Hager

“Where Levinson really shows his experience is in choosing not to make a ghost story, the subgenre’s most tired cliché; secondly, he’s managed to construct a film from fake Skype, home video and news footage to create something that feels believable… It’s cleverly put together, the threat nicely revealed via various footage and is never over exaggerated to such an extent that it loses touch with reality. There are a few gross-out moments that will definitely make your skin crawl. However the multiple sources and multiple viewpoints mean there is minimal character development. The ending is a bit of an anticlimax but in many ways that also makes it feel more authentic.” – Henry Northmore, The List

Genres:

286. (-29) Le pacte des loups

Christophe Gans

AKA: Brotherhood of the Wolf

2001 / France / 142m / Col / Werewolf | IMDb
Samuel Le Bihan, Vincent Cassel, Émilie Dequenne, Monica Bellucci, Jérémie Renier, Mark Dacascos, Jean Yanne, Jean-François Stévenin, Jacques Perrin, Johan Leysen

“Christophe Gans’ “Brotherhood of the Wolf” takes a colossal leap at that opportunity, melding all sorts of different genres, visual styles, scripting techniques, plot gimmicks, characterizations and story arcs like it were collecting souvenirs on a tourist’s excursion through the northern hemisphere. What’s quite remarkable about the result, at least other than the basic effort to use every element it can in 140 minutes, is how well the movie is made without seeming overly worked or lazy in the process. This isn’t a product that requires time to adapt to all the techniques tossed into the court, either, because it masters a balanced pattern almost as swiftly as the characters sail through their dialogue. It’s a stylish, smart, edgy, exciting and profoundly involving trek though familiar folklore, often better than the masses have been told and even more appealing after repeat viewings.” – David Keyes, Cinemaphile

Genres:

288. (-26) The Green Inferno

Eli Roth

AKA:

2013 / USA / 100m / Col / Splatter | IMDb
Lorenza Izzo, Ariel Levy, Daryl Sabara, Kirby Bliss Blanton, Magda Apanowicz, Sky Ferreira, Nicolás Martínez, Aaron Burns, Ignacia Allamand, Ramón Llao

“The Green Inferno” should be taken only as seriously as the midnight grindhouse flicks inspiring it. The movie is neither campy nor outright comical, but it is wholeheartedly intended to be delightedly demented entertainment, not a documentary commentary on hot-button topics of female genital mutilation or rainforest preservation. One can either be offended/repulsed by imagery of tribal villagers salting severed limbs and boiling a human head with an apple in its mouth or chuckle amusedly at the absurdity of it all. Those falling in the former camp should know better than to watch an Eli Roth cannibal movie in the first place.” – Ian Sedensky, Culture Crypt

Genres: Cannibal, Splatter, Sadistic Horror, Satire, Black Comedy, Cannibal Boom

290. (-27) Quarantine

John Erick Dowdle

AKA:

2008 / USA / 89m / Col / Zombie | IMDb
Jennifer Carpenter, Steve Harris, Jay Hernandez, Johnathon Schaech, Columbus Short, Andrew Fiscella, Rade Serbedzija, Greg Germann, Bernard White, Dania Ramirez

“Spotlights constantly flashing into the building’s windows from buzzing helicopters, police sirens wailing outside, and blaring bullhorn announcements create an relentless feeling of discomfort. The constant drone nearly irritates. And a lack of light — the electricity is cut to the building — coupled with the hand-held camera’s narrow field-of-vision give us an extreme sense of claustrophobia. Despite its lack of originality, the film’s script is actually quite tight and plays a huge part in the effectiveness of the film. The writers managed to avoid the oft-traversed pitfalls that slap the viewer back to reality with situations that don’t seem real… or with people who don’t behave as we’d expect. Here we’re totally convinced and find ourselves completely absorbed in the tragic situation at hand. Especially in a post-911 world, it’s not unrealistic to think we could find ourselves abandoned by authority. Now more than ever, we realize that every man for himself can be the difference between life and death.” – Frank Wilkins, Reel Talk

Genres:

292. (-28) Lovely Molly

Eduardo Sánchez

AKA:

2011 / USA / 99m / Col / Psychological | IMDb
Gretchen Lodge, Johnny Lewis, Alexandra Holden, Field Blauvelt, Camilla Zaidee Bennett, Kevin Murray, Katie Foster, Doug Roberts, Bus Howard, Josh Jones

“Since scaring the living daylights out of audiences with Blair Witch, writer-director Eduardo Sanchez has rather been left behind in the found-footage stakes thanks to the likes of Cloverfield and Paranormal Activity. Here he returns to the concept (as Molly gets increasingly frazzled she captures it all on a camcorder) with a truly disturbing sequence of events that rely on a rumbling sound design and the occasional big bang to keep audiences teetering on the brink… We could have probably done without the libidinous preacher and the running time could do with a trim, but this succeeds thanks to Lodge’s extraordinary central performance, a terrifyingly mesmerising study of a woman in diabolic torment” – Tim Evans, Sky Movies

Genres:

294. (-28) Dead Silence

James Wan

AKA:

2007 / USA / 89m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Ryan Kwanten, Amber Valletta, Donnie Wahlberg, Michael Fairman, Joan Heney, Bob Gunton, Laura Regan, Dmitry Chepovetsky, Judith Roberts, Keir Gilchrist

“So what makes Dead Silence more creepy and clever than the dozens of horror films that have preceded it in this decade? It comes directly from the talents of director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell. The scenarios they set in motion combine logical storytelling with strong suspense filmmaking and keep us in the audience in a constant state of alert, sitting on the edge of our seat, unable to predict what is going to happen next. Wan and Whannell never retreat to the typical horror cliches to achieve their scares. There are no unnecessary shock cuts, no red herrings and no abuse of bombastic musical scoring to tell audiences when to be scared. Where so many modern horror films are utterly predictable, the Saw pictures, all written by Whannell with producer credits for Wan on Saw 2 and 3, and now Dead Silence avoid predictibility by employing great staging and scene setting. The audience is so busy covering their eyes in anticipation of the next scare, they simply don’t have time to predict what comes next.” – Sean Kernan, Smart-Popcorn

Genres: Supernatural Horror, Mystery, Gothic Horror, Evil Doll

296. (+24) Antiviral

Brandon Cronenberg

AKA:

2012 / Canada / 108m / Col / Body Horror | IMDb
Caleb Landry Jones, Sarah Gadon, Lisa Berry, Douglas Smith, Nenna Abuwa, Donna Goodhand, Adam Bogen, Salvatore Antonio, Matt Watts, Dawn Greenhalgh

“If David Cronenberg is the king of body horror, Brandon would be the king of body parts. Almost the entire film is shot in an uncomfortable close-up. Shots of hands, eyes, arms, and stomachs all fill the screen. It’s as if the film is invading your personal space, like it’s the virus trying to get inside of the audience, and it works very well. Not only is it visually disturbing at times, but you begin to feel uncomfortable with it seeming to be so close. Imagine trying to have the most interesting two hour conversation of your life with someone who stands inches away from you. You wouldn’t dare leave for fear of missing something important, but you squirm the entire time.” – Will Brownridge, The Film Reel

Genres:

298. (-19) Prevenge

Alice Lowe

AKA:

2016 / UK / 88m / Col / Comedy | IMDb
Alice Lowe, Dan Renton Skinner, Jo Hartley, Tom Davis, Leila Hoffman, Kate Dickie, Kayvan Novak, Mike Wozniak, Tom Meeten, Marc Bessant

“The star of the show is Lowe, who is able to convey fragility, confusion and downright craziness, while being eight months pregnant in real-life. In addition to incorporating an ominous visual style to her direction that complements her wry screenplay, her performance as Ruth conveys an evident conscious clash. Her imaginary conversations with her unborn daughter shows a darker side to her psyche, but she is unable to resist the urge to kill. It hints that she is compelled by the remaining part of the love she lost, and so driven by her need for him that it blinds all sense and meaning.” – Katie Smith-Wong, Flick Feast

Genres:

300. (-29) Scream 3

Wes Craven

AKA:

2000 / USA / 116m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Liev Schreiber, Beth Toussaint, Roger Jackson, Kelly Rutherford, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Julie Janney, Richmond Arquette, Patrick Dempsey, Lynn McRee

“Whereas any old second sequel to a slasher franchise would be more than showing its age by now, “Scream 3” is that rare case in which it is not merely here to cash in on the big bucks, but was all along planned as a trilogy. One could possibly question if this is actually true, or just an excuse by the filmmakers once the original struck pay-dirt, but “Scream 3” does a fabulous job of wrapping things up and filling in the missing pieces, all the while delivering what fans have grown accustomed to: scares, snappy dialogue, believable characters, and some sort of unique spin on the otherwise cliched formula. While “Scream 2” was the most straightforward of the series, in terms of its violence and occasionally messy plot developments, “Scream 3,” like its 1996 precursor, is a multilayered funhouse of chills that does a more than sufficient job of keeping the surprising twists coming.” – Dustin Putnam, The Movie Boy

Genres:

302. (-25) Amer

Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani

AKA:

2009 / Belgium / 90m / Col / Psychological | IMDb
Cassandra Forêt, Charlotte Eugène Guibeaud, Marie Bos, Bianca Maria D’Amato, Harry Cleven, Jean-Michel Vovk, Bernard Marbaix, Thomas Bonzani, François Cognard, Delphine Brual

“This is basic movie Freud, elegantly mounted. The soundtrack (footsteps, dripping taps, creaking doors, banging shutters) is ominously exaggerated. The close-ups are extreme. Colours change melodramatically to fit the shifting moods. The music is borrowed from old horror films. The dialogue is at first sparse, then non-existent. Luis Buñuel (sliced eyeballs, insects crawling out of bodies), Mario Bava and Dario Argento are affectionately alluded to. Viewers are left to create their own narratives or absorb the events into their own dreams and nightmares. This is art-house horror, a pure cinema for connoisseurs, a return to late-19th-century decadence.” – Philip French, The Guardian

Genres:

304. (-24) Cam

Daniel Goldhaber

AKA:

2018 / USA / 94m / Col / Thriller | IMDb
Madeline Brewer, Patch Darragh, Melora Walters, Devin Druid, Imani Hakim, Michael Dempsey, Flora Diaz, Samantha Robinson, Jessica Parker Kennedy, Quei Tann

“Cinematographer Katelin Arizmendi fills the frame with a lush neon palate that is at once sexy and ominous. Sturdy assured direction from Daniel Goldhaber ensures that Cam will be a perfect mixture of style and substance, a hypnotic nightmare unfolding in a neon glow. Here’s a film that is seductive visually and stimulating intellectually, building its layers to further your unease. In what has shaped up to be a great year for horror, Cam stands near the top of the year’s best. It’s an engrossing, audacious work of horror filmmaking that pulls you in and keeps you captivated.” – Sean Mulvihill, FanboyNation

Genres:

306. (-1) The Canal

Ivan Kavanagh

AKA:

2014 / Ireland / 92m / Col / Psychological | IMDb
Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Rupert Evans, Steve Oram, Kelly Byrne, Hannah Hoekstra, Calum Heath, Maura Foley, Carl Shaaban, Anneke Blok, Serena Brabazon

“The Canal is a classic ghost story, one that burns slow but with might. It requires extreme patients but offers some extremely unsettling rewards. Kavanagh delivers haunting imagery mixed with stunning camerawork. As Evans’ character loses his mind, he’s being haunted by a “shadow” of an old man, one who appears in chilling nightmares and in the background of footage. Kavanagh’s film relies heavily on the atmosphere and mood to create suspense, and the constant bizarre imagery and tremendous sound design help deliver in spades. And while The Canal is brooding, it will test the patients of some viewers, and could really use a more impactful finale. Still, it’s refreshing to see a filmmaker show such restraint and put together such an old-school genre haunter.” – Brad Miska, Bloody Disgusting

Genres:

308. (-23) Insidious: Chapter 2

James Wan

AKA:

2013 / USA / 106m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne, Ty Simpkins, Lin Shaye, Barbara Hershey, Steve Coulter, Leigh Whannell, Angus Sampson, Andrew Astor, Hank Harris

“The story is told with suggestion more than with effects, and director James Wan’s mastery of sound, both soft and loud, not to mention its timing, is once again superb. Most of the effects are practical, which lends a verisimilitude to them that makes them all the scarier for the odd sort of familiarity they evoke… When the supernatural does show itself, it’s not with blaring music and jump cuts designed to make us jump. It’s just sitting there, minding its own business in a quiet corner, all the more terrifying for not being noticed, and for making us wonder what it’s going to do next. Yet nothing is more terrifying than the image of Josh, framed in a doorway, sunlight glowing behind him, streaming around him, and yet leaving him a looming darkness in the midst of it.” – Andrea Chase, Killer Movie Reviews

Genres:

310. (-22) The Love Witch

Anna Biller

AKA:

2016 / USA / 120m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Samantha Robinson, Gian Keys, Laura Waddell, Jeffrey Vincent Parise, Jared Sanford, Robert Seeley, Jennifer Ingrum, Randy Evans, Clive Ashborn, Lily Holleman

“LA film-maker Anna Biller achieves an ecstasy of artificiality in this amazing retro fantasy horror, delivered with absolute conviction. It’s designed, produced, written, directed and generally auteured by Biller herself, and lit and photographed by M David Mullen – apparently without digital fabrication. The Love Witch goes beyond camp, beyond pastiche; it ignites the pulpy surfaces of its tale and produces a smoke of bad-dream sexiness and scariness. It’s a B-movie with A-grade potency. But you have to stay with it, you have to understand its absolute seriousness before getting the comedy and the satire of the transactional politics in sex.” – Peter Bradshaw, Guardian

Genres: Satire, Supernatural Horror, Horror Comedy, Black Comedy, Crime, Erotic Thriller, Romance, Folk Horror, Gothic, Surrealism, Sex Comedy

312. (-12) Anna and the Apocalypse

John McPhail

AKA:

2017 / UK / 92m / Col / Musical | IMDb
Ella Hunt, Malcolm Cumming, Sarah Swire, Christopher Leveaux, Ben Wiggins, Marli Siu, Mark Benton, Paul Kaye, Ella Jarvis, Calum Cormack

“The playful spirit of “Anna and the Apocalypse” extends to its cinematography, where it swings wildly from colorful spaces like the Christmas show stage to the greyest shade of grim outside during the zombie invasion. Those visual contrasts amp up the already odd coupling of death, destruction, high kicks and high notes. In a saner movie, those two different color palettes may have looked too jarring but it works in the movie to play up the chaos—much of which takes place off-screen or in quick doctored shots of the town. What the movie lacks in budget, it makes up with spunk.” – Monica Castillo, RogerEbert.com

Genres:

314. (-27) Scream 4

Wes Craven

AKA:

2011 / USA / 111m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Lucy Hale, Roger Jackson, Shenae Grimes, Dane Farwell, Anna Paquin, Kristen Bell, Aimee Teegarden, Britt Robertson, Neve Campbell, Alison Brie

“It was the interplay between genre-fueled expectation and smart storytelling that created a number of memorable set-pieces (as well as twists) in the original trilogy. However, there’s no doubt that Scream 2 and (especially) Scream 3 failed to live up to the bar set by the original… Scream 4 is without a doubt a much better film than the prior Scream sequels – offering plenty of scares, suspicion, as well as light-hearted commentary about the state of the horror genre. More than any of the previous Scream installments, this film is unapologetic about meta-references and horror-film expectations – turning audience anticipation upside down once again. There are plenty of plot holes and a number of bland performances but for the most part the actors and filmmakers deliver an enticing and intentionally cheesy diversion from the current genre staples” – Ben Kendrick, ScreenRant

Genres:

316. (+33) Color Out of Space

Richard Stanley

AKA:

2019 / USA / 111m / Col / Science Fiction | IMDb
Nicolas Cage, Joely Richardson, Madeleine Arthur, Elliot Knight, Tommy Chong, Brendan Meyer, Julian Hilliard, Melissa Nearman, Amanda Booth, Keith Harle

“The joy of Color Out of Space is that its madness never comes at the expense of its internal logic. Lovecraft’s cosmic insanity and Stanley’s genre sensibilities prove to be perfect bedfellows as the filmmaker elegantly stacks chaos on top of chaos, delivering grotesque shocks aplenty, riding in step with the big ideas communicated via the sci-fi elements and the boldly ambiguous conclusion. Color Out of Space is one of the most interesting additions to the horror canon in years, with Stanley flexing his genre muscles to produce something that is never anything other than distinct and idiosyncratic.” – Tom Beasley, Flickering Myth

Genres: Cosmic Horror, Body Horror, Psychological Horror, Science Fiction, Family Drama

318. (-10) Wake Wood

David Keating

AKA:

2009 / Ireland / 90m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Aidan Gillen, Eva Birthistle, Timothy Spall, Ella Connolly, Ruth McCabe, Brian Gleeson, Amelia Crowley, Dan Gordon, Tommy McArdle, John McArdle

“Wake Wood is the latest evidence that new-model Hammer is harking back to a less atrocity-driven style of horror, built on an accumulation of creepy atmosphere rather than the systematic subjection of disposable teenagers to gruesome ordeals – though there’s no shortage of splatter here… [Keating] directs with a merciful lack of such modern horror tropes as herky-jerky editing and overemphatic score – the soundtrack here leans towards a peculiar pagan-like percussion, echoing the equally peculiar village ritual of banging sticks together. In fact, it’s the oddness of the rituals that provides the film with its most original aspects, combining elements of blood, earth and fire with the caesarean process” – Anne Billson, The Arts Desk

Genres:

320. (-25) Tusk

Kevin Smith

AKA:

2014 / USA / 102m / Col / Comedy | IMDb
Michael Parks, Justin Long, Genesis Rodriguez, Haley Joel Osment, Johnny Depp, Harley Morenstein, Ralph Garman, Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, Harley Quinn Smith, Lily-Rose Melody Depp

“The first two-thirds of Tusk is arguably the best film Kevin Smith has both written or directed. The dialogue feels more natural and distinctly menacing, he commands the camera like an auteur, and the performances from all involved are especially strong for this genre… If you are looking for an absurd yet original horror-comedy, Tusk mostly fills this void. The performances are all top-notch and, even though the last act spirals out of control a bit, the story is consistently engaging throughout. While this might not be Kevin Smith’s best work, it is by far the strongest direction from his storied career and all of the words I could muster would still not do the film’s story justice. Tusk demands to be seen to be believed.” – Aaron Peterson, The Hollywood Outsider

Genres:

322. (+15) Aterrados

Demián Rugna

AKA: Terrified

2017 / Argentina / 87m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Maximiliano Ghione, Norberto Gonzalo, Elvira Onetto, George L. Lewis, Julieta Vallina, Demián Salomón, Agustín Rittano, Natalia Señorales, Matias Rascovschi, Lorenzo Langer

“Rugna delivers on the scares and justifies the title of his latest feature. Winner of Fantastic Fest’s Best Horror Film, Terrified knows exactly how to make your skin crawl. Simply put, that is the film’s primary focus as there is minimal explanation or backstory as to what causes the horrific events on screen to emerge. Rugna serves up raw, visceral entertainment with special effects serving as the cynosure of the film while bypassing character development and plot. Part love letter to its horror movie predecessors, part uniquely crafted spooky tale, Terrified is a gory and gruesome gem that solidifies its spooky real estate within the genre we all know and love.” – Marisa Mirabel, SlashFilm

Genres: Supernatural Horror, Haunted House, Cosmic Horror, Mystery

324. (-33) Absentia

Mike Flanagan

AKA:

2011 / USA / 87m / Col / Mystery | IMDb
Katie Parker, Courtney Bell, Dave Levine, Morgan Peter Brown, Justin Gordon, James Flanagan, Scott Graham, Doug Jones, Ian Gregory, Connie Ventress

“Director Flanagan is a man who almost seems aware of what he is capable of doing and what he simply can not do on-screen and it shows in what is a very artistically self-aware indie gem that works as an enduring yet complex character study and a truly harrowing horror film. “Absentia” provides so many layers of subtle characterization, gentle exposition, and gripping back story that affords just enough depth for our protagonists to earn our sympathy without seeming as if we’re being manipulated in to caring for them. And that’s thanks to the absolutely mesmerizing performances from the entire cast, all of whom bear a strong importance to the end result of Mike Flanagan’s horror film that is utterly reliant on competent performances from a cast who has to sell not only the sheer terror of this situation that grows more and more maddening with each waking hour, but in the logical sense of loss and grief at the notion that they’re losing the battle to a force of evil they can barely comprehend let alone battle.” – Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed

Genres:

326. (+19) La llorona

Jayro Bustamante

AKA:

2019 / Guatemala / 97m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
María Mercedes Coroy, Sabrina De La Hoz, Margarita Kenéfic, Julio Diaz, María Telón, Juan Pablo Olyslager, Ayla-Elea Hurtado, Enrique Argüello, Alejandra Colom, Marvin Coroy

“Director/co-writer Jayro Bustamante deserves credit for delving into the horrors of genocide, the way the impact of it lingers across generations, and the mindset that allows those who perpetrated it to go into denial. La Llorona has a seriousness of purpose that marks it as an ambitious film. Cinematographer Nicolas Wong provides a gloomy, atmospheric look that is darkly beautiful. The effect is powerful in certain scenes, particularly the courtroom sequence where hostile onlookers loom ominously behind Enrique as he awaits his verdict.” – Mike McGranaghan, The Aisle Seat

Genres:

328. (-32) A Field in England

Ben Wheatley

AKA:

2013 / UK / 90m / Col / Drama | IMDb
Julian Barratt, Peter Ferdinando, Richard Glover, Ryan Pope, Reece Shearsmith, Michael Smiley, Sara Dee

“With A Field In England Wheatley and his regular writing partner (and wife) Amy Jump aren’t just outside the box – they’ve erupted way out of the storage depot… Before long we have runestones, magic-mushroom visions, much talk of alchemy and stolen manuscripts; there’s a black mirror that becomes an earth-engulfing planet and a man who’s shot dead, resurrected and killed again. All shot in moody, portentous black-and-white widescreen, bleak and beautiful, while Jim Williams’ nervy, percussive score deepens the sense of nameless foreboding. Does it work? For the most part, yes; though at times you may feel you’re being fed obscurity for obscurity’s sake… But one thing’s for sure: bracingly bold and (surely) inimitable, A Field In England is like no other movie you’ve ever seen.” – Phillip Kemp, Total Film

Genres: Period Drama, Surrealism, War, Psychological Horror, Folk Horror, Black Comedy

330. (-26) Juan de los muertos

Alejandro Brugués

AKA: Juan of the Dead

2011 / Spain / 92m / Col / Zombie | IMDb
Alexis Díaz de Villegas, Jorge Molina, Andros Perugorría, Andrea Duro, Jazz Vilá, Eliecer Ramírez, Blanca Rosa Blanco, Susana Pous, Antonio Dechent, Eslinda Núñez

“Cuba’s first zombie flick gives a twist of rum-soaked lime and shuffle-stepped tango to the social satire of George A Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, while also observing the post-modern metacinematic savvy of Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead. For when Brugués is not using the revenant deceased as a prism through which to affectionately lampoon half a century of Cuban history, he is either pastiching everything from the shark-on-zombie action of Lucio Fulci’s Zombie Flesh Eaters to the priest who likes to ‘kick ass for the Lord’ in Peter Jackson’s Braindead, or having his characters pose such daftly crucial genre questions as why, when it comes to the post-millennial living dead, ‘some are fast and some are slow.'” – Anton Bitel, Little White Lies

Genres:

332. (+14) Creep 2

Patrick Brice

AKA:

2017 / USA / 78m / Col / Found Footage | IMDb
Karan Soni, Mark Duplass, Desiree Akhavan, Kyle Field, Caveh Zahedi, Jeff Man, Patrick Brice

“Both films are portraits of a very disturbed but sardonically entertaining mind at their core. This one expands on Aaron’s psyche, his past, and hints at what happens when things don’t go his way. Akhavan brings her own intensity, and becomes just as unsettling at times, while ensuring that Aaron’s antics don’t stagnate by challenging him and the audience. Her deadpan focus brilliantly compliments Duplass’ goofy demeanor, more so as the film gets darker and darker. These characters go places that we don’t expect, and in a lesser team’s hands, it wouldn’t have worked. There is genuine talent behind these films, however, and that confidence shapes them into something unique.” – Ben Larned, Daily Dead

Genres:

334. (+7) Pengabdi Setan

Joko Anwar

AKA: Satan’s Slaves

2017 / Indonesia / 107m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Tara Basro, Bront Palarae, Dimas Aditya, Endy Arfian, Nasar Annuz, Arswendi Nasution, Egy Fedly, Ayu Laksmi, Fachry Albar, Asmara Abigail

“Anwar’s command of simplistic traumas is surgical and downright ruthless. The macabre awareness of James Wan meets the wild absurdity of Ben Wheatley or Can Evrenol, as to not spoil specific movie references. Twists and turns shift from blanketed apparition spooks to Rosemary’s Baby inspirations to goofball side characters and gruesome realities. A veritable piñata filled with gooey gut-punches and unbearable imagery. But you know what the best part is? It’s all sustained so sensationally well – 100-plus minutes of pure laugh-in-your-face audience torment.” – Matt Donato, SlashFilm

Genres:

336. (+18) In a Violent Nature

Chris Nash

AKA:

2024 / Canada / 94m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Ry Barrett, Andrea Pavlovic, Cameron Love, Reece Presley, Liam Leone, Charlotte Creaghan, Lea Rose Sebastianis, Sam Roulston, Alexander Oliver, Timothy Paul McCarthy

“Having said that, “In a Violent Nature” is mostly a formal exercise. What if we told a horror story not as much from the POV of the bad guy—it’s like we get to know his inner monologue—but merely trapped by his side? And Nash is careful not to make a “Hardcore Henry” version of this wherein we root for a ruthless killer. It’s not exploitative, even though it is often gross and brutal. In a sense, locking us beside the bad guy ups the tension because we can’t escape either. We’re as trapped as his victims, just hoping he doesn’t turn around.” – Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com

Genres: Slasher, Sadistic Horror, Slow Cinema, Splatter, Supernatural Horror, Postmodernism

338. (-32) Byzantium

Neil Jordan

AKA:

2012 / UK / 118m / Col / Vampire | IMDb
Saoirse Ronan, Barry Cassin, Gemma Arterton, David Heap, Warren Brown, Ruby Snape, Thure Lindhardt, Jenny Kavanagh, Glenn Doherty, Edyta Budnik

“Nearly 20 years after Interview with the Vampire, director Neil Jordan returns to the land of the living dead with Byzantium, the tale of a mother-daughter vampire duo whose 200-year history is threatened when their existence comes to light. Though much surer in tone than its predecessor, this is not quite as far from the Tom Cruise-Brad Pitt, big-budget razzle-dazzle as it would appear on the surface. While certainly made on a much smaller scale, Byzantium shares the earlier movie’s gorgeous look, signature Jordan lyrical touches and the material again focuses on the brooding nature of its central characte… this is a romantic, sensual, bloody good time of a movie for sophisticated adults.” – Richard Knight, Windy City Times

Genres:

340. (-28) Black Sheep

Jonathan King

AKA:

2006 / New Zealand / 87m / Col / Comedy | IMDb
Nathan Meister, Peter Feeney, Danielle Mason, Tammy Davis, Oliver Driver, Tandi Wright, Glenis Levestam, Nick Blake, Matthew Chamberlain, Nick Fenton

“Jonathan King’s Black Sheep, from New Zealand, has no doubt about the style of movie it is attempting to make: trash gothic. It duly makes it. A deadly chemical escapes from a South Island animal lab and turns sheep sociopathic. Never mind the silence of the lambs. Listen out for the bloodthirsty baa-ing of the man-eating ovines. The special effects are of the kind you could do at home with a bottle of ketchup and leg of mutton. The scream-ridden soundtrack is often drowned out by audience laughter. It is all good, camp fun.” – Nigel Andrews, Financial Times

Genres:

342. (-26) Creep

Christopher Smith

AKA:

2004 / UK / 85m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Vas Blackwood, Ken Campbell, Kathryn Gilfeather, Franka Potente, Grant Ibbs, Joe Anderson, Jeremy Sheffield, Sean De Vrind, Ian Duncan, Debora Weston

“Creep” is a very atmospheric film, both in its early depiction of instantly recognisable London life, and its latter scenes of dark, oppressive tunnels that seem to have been influenced by the “Resident Evil” series of videogames. There are a good number of genuine scares, and the whole film has a claustrophobic feel which the director exploits to the full with uncomfortable moments, often involving the legions of rats which the creep seems to command. Similarly, in terms of blood, the film will certainly satisfy fans, with a good amount of splatter, and a couple of genuinely foul scenes that are sure to raise a shudder.” – James Mudge, Beyond Hollywood

Genres:

344. (-33) Citadel

Ciaran Foy

AKA:

2012 / Ireland / 84m / Col / Psychological | IMDb
Aneurin Barnard, James Cosmo, Wunmi Mosaku, Ian Hanmore, Amy Shiels, Ingrid Craigie, Pete Murphy, Jake Wilson, Chris Hegarty, Sandra McFadden

“Director Ciaran Foy – who found himself housebound following an attack – has constructed a lean and mean horror set in a shattered city that is both all-too-recognisable as broken Britain while also feeling totally alien. Barnard impresses as the shellshocked Tommy, crippled by his condition, yet drawing the strength from his unconditional love for his daughter to confront his barely human nemeses. Until the final reel, when there’s a half-hearted explanation for the feral delinquents, their presence is chillingly evoked, from sinister reflections in kettles and car doors to a solid menace distorted by frosted glass.” – Tim Evans, Sky Movies

Genres:

346. (-32) John Dies at the End

Don Coscarelli

AKA:

2012 / USA / 99m / Col / Comedy | IMDb
Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, Paul Giamatti, Clancy Brown, Glynn Turman, Doug Jones, Daniel Roebuck, Fabianne Therese, Jonny Weston, Jimmy Wong

“The narrative’s constant tonal shifts do become numbing after a while and the final act is frustratingly formulaic, but when John Dies At The End fires all cylinders, it is a spectacular rush. Director Don Coscarelli (Bubba Ho-Tep, Phantasm) knows exactly how to pitch this type of story, cleverly balancing a novel mix of drug comedy, gory body horror, and OTT sci-fi. At its best the picture resembles a cross between Joss Whedon’s Buffy and Ghostbusters as directed by Terry Gilliam. At its worst, the film is a noisy, unintelligible mess. Occasionally it is both of those things at once. It’s the type of movie where a man’s moustache leaps off his face and flies around the room for no explainable reason. If you can’t embrace the weird then you will have some trouble.” – Richard Haridy, Quik Flix

Genres:

348. (-29) The Hallow

Corin Hardy

AKA:

2015 / UK / 97m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Joseph Mawle, Bojana Novakovic, Michael McElhatton, Michael Smiley, Gary Lydon, Wren Hardy, Stuart Graham, Conor Craig Stephens, Joss Wyre, Charlotte Williams

“Being a cautionary tale about deforestation, The Hallow doubles as a horror-tinged allegory about the monstrous struggles of parenting and keeping a child alive. As a pure scare picture of the literal monster variety, it has a couple of jolts, one involving a tense attack on Clare in the attic, and goopy scenes involving a parasitic black fungus and the human eye are quite squirm-inducing, but director Corin Hardy really excels in building a measured sense of impending doom before unleashing his woodsy beasties. If the film spins its wheels a tad in the middle, The Hallow is still moody and sinister where it counts.” – Jeremy Kibler, Diabolique Magazine

Genres:

350. (0) The Vigil

Keith Thomas

AKA:

2019 / USA / 89m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Dave Davis, Menashe Lustig, Malky Goldman, Lynn Cohen, Fred Melamed, Ronald Cohen, Nati Rabinowitz, Moshe Lobel, Efraim Miller, Lea Kalisch

Genres:

352. (-34) Deadgirl

Marcel Sarmiento & Gadi Harel

AKA:

2008 / USA / 101m / Col / Zombie | IMDb
Shiloh Fernandez, Noah Segan, Candice Accola, Eric Podnar, Jenny Spain, Andrew DiPalma, Nolan Gerard Funk, Michael Bowen, David Alan Graf, Susan Marie Keller

“A good deal of the effect of “Deadgirl” rests on the atmospheric widescreen cinematography by Harris Charalambouse, which belies what must have been an extremely low budget (the long tracking shots in which the camera prowls the underground tunnels beneath the asylum are honestly gripping), and Phillip Blackford’s editing, which isn’t afraid to take things slowly, though in the action moments it’s appropriately swift and abrupt. Effects-wise, the picture is hardly state-of-the-art, and in fact the level of gore is pretty modest compared to the avalanche of blood and innards that fans of torture-porn are accustomed to. The fact that it’s relatively subdued by modern standards may, in fact, limit the movie’s popularity among the gross-out crowd, at the same time that its storyline turns off more mainstream viewers. That would be too bad, because “Deadgirl” is, despite some weaknesses, a surprisingly effective character study dressed up as a grisly horror movie.” – Frank Swietek, One Guy’s Opinion

Genres:

354. (-30) The Town That Dreaded Sundown

Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

AKA:

2014 / USA / 86m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Addison Timlin, Veronica Cartwright, Anthony Anderson, Travis Tope, Joshua Leonard, Andy Abele, Gary Cole, Edward Herrmann, Ed Lauter, Arabella Field

“Getting rid of the documentary style of the original and replacing the newscaster type narration voice over with a game Addison Timlin, THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN is a definite departure. The creatively shot flick can occasionally feel like overkill, yet it is refreshing to see a director try and liven up a slasher flick such as this. While the original was a more serious and thought provoking experience, this is a stylish and occasionally brutal true crime inspired feature. The impressive array of character actors adds a credibility factor to this horror show, and it all comes off far better than it could have.” – JimmyO, JoBlo

Genres:

356. (-16) Requiem for a Dream

Darren Aronofsky

AKA:

2000 / USA / 102m / Col / Drama | IMDb
Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Marlon Wayans, Christopher McDonald, Louise Lasser, Marcia Jean Kurtz, Janet Sarno, Suzanne Shepherd, Joanne Gordon

“Director Darren Aronofsky, fortunately, is addicted to images. He has put together a phantasmagoria of self-destructive obsession that is so visually astounding it becomes its own saving grace. Otherwise, we might not be able to bear it… Feverish hallucinatory moments and shocking “prequel” flashes of a character’s imagination are only the beginning of Aronofsky’s visual repertory. He finds a way to make a scream of despair visible. Other screams will make the screen rattle. He splits the screen, horizontally and vertically, and – addictively – repeats flashing close-ups of pill-popping, snorting and shooting up. The dreamy effects of the drugs circle upward. Their less-dreamy effects make refrigerators throb, and the screen distorts. The camera moves relentlessly across an apartment as the figure within frantically jumps and darts.” – Bob Graham, San Francisco Chronicle

Genres:

358. (-32) Scream VI

Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett

AKA:

2023 / USA / 122m / Col / Slasher | IMDb
Courteney Cox, Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Skeet Ulrich, Roger Jackson, Dermot Mulroney, Jack Champion, Josh Segarra

“Having the film take place in New York also helps expand on the world of Scream while also keeping the heart and soul of the iconic killer intact. These new locations does help create some fun ways for the characters to interact with Ghostface. The set pieces in this installment would give anyone some anxiety, leaving little room to breathe after each scene. The film even draws so much from the franchise’s history to build on its character-driven story. Even the kills feel a lot gorier than previous entries, which makes it seem like no one is safe from Ghostface.” – Mufsin Mahbub, All Ages of Geek

Genres: Slasher, Thriller, Satire, Whodunit, Halloween, Postmodernism, Horror Comedy

360. (+79) Smile

Parker Finn

AKA:

2022 / USA / 115m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Sosie Bacon, Kyle Gallner, Jessie T. Usher, Robin Weigert, Caitlin Stasey, Kal Penn, Rob Morgan, Gillian Zinser, Judy Reyes, Jack Sochet

Genres: Psychological Horror, Supernatural Horror, Psychological Drama, Mystery

362. (-29) Arpointeu

Su-chang Kong

AKA: R-Point

2004 / South Korea / 107m / Col / War | IMDb
Woo-seong Kam, Byung-ho Son, Tae-kyung Oh, Won-sang Park, Seon-gyun Lee, Jin-ho Song, Byeong-cheol Kim, Kyeong-ho Jeong, Yeong-dong Mun, Ju-bong Gi

Genres:

364. (-21) Fright Night

Craig Gillespie

AKA:

2011 / USA / 106m / Col / Vampire | IMDb
Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, Toni Collette, David Tennant, Imogen Poots, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Dave Franco, Reid Ewing, Will Denton, Sandra Vergara

“Scripted by Buffy alum Marti Noxon and directed by Craig Gillespie (Lars and the Real Girl), the film is packed with obvious but effective metaphors, plenty of laughs, digs at post Twilight vampirism and a couple of genuine scares. Throw in a great cast delivering performances that range from steadily dramatic to hilarious and unexpected, and Fright Night is a funny, savvy and suspenseful horror-comedy with plenty of entertaining bite.” – Tom Clift, MovieDex

Genres:

366. (-11) Little Monsters

Abe Forsythe

AKA:

2019 / Australia / 93m / Col / Zombie | IMDb
Alexander England, Josh Gad, Kat Stewart, Diesel La Torraca, Nadia Townsend, Marshall Napier, Glenn Hazeldine, Ava Caryofyllis, Charlie Whitley, Mason Mansour

Genres:

368. (-33) Ouija: Origin of Evil

Mike Flanagan

AKA:

2016 / USA / 99m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Annalise Basso, Elizabeth Reaser, Lulu Wilson, Henry Thomas, Parker Mack, Halle Charlton, Alexis G. Zall, Doug Jones, Kate Siegel, Sam Anderson

“What really stands out about ORIGIN OF EVIL is just how respectfully and dignified Flanagan treats the material. This is a tautly plotted, assiduously scripted horror movie that treats its subject matter seriously, so much so that it’s quite obvious Flanagan is a truly knowledgeable horror film fan who’s taken the time, care and craft to ensure likeminded horror-heads like us aren’t let down. This isn’t a chintzily venal, exploitative cash-grab like the first film was…the kind littered with laughable horror clichés and rote plot contrivances. No, this is a superior sequel in every filmmaking facet, a surprisingly well thought out movie that takes it’s time to slowly mount a level of dreadful tension and tightly coil your nerves until an absolutely manic and maniacal eruption caps off the final 20-30 minutes.” – Jake Dee, Arrow in the Head

Genres:

370. (-31) [Rec]³: Génesis

Paco Plaza

AKA:

2012 / Spain / 80m / Col / Zombie | IMDb
Leticia Dolera, Diego Martín, Ismael Martínez, Àlex Monner, Borja Glez. Santaolalla, Emilio Mencheta, David Ramírez, Miguel Àngel González, Ramón Agirre, Xavier Ruano

“It follows the basics of the zombie genre, going back at least to George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead” (1968). But director Paco Plaza throws in more than enough ludicrous touches of his own to grab viewers by their arteries and never let go. The movie’s highlight is punk-haired Leticia Dolera as the bride. When matters get drastic, she grabs a chain saw, cuts off part of her wedding dress, exposing a red garter, and goes on the offensive. Blood flows, limbs fly. There has never been another wedding day like this. “[REC] 3 Genesis” is a prequel to the first two “[REC]” movies, but that doesn’t much matter. You don’t need to have seen them to enjoy this film, which provides fresh blood for a tired genre.” – V.A. Musetto, New York Post

Genres:

372. (-11) Tumbbad

Rahi Anil Barve

AKA:

2018 / India / 104m / Col / Supernatural | IMDb
Sohum Shah, Jyoti Malshe, Anita Date, Ronjini Chakraborty, Deepak Damle, Cameron Anderson, Dhundiraj Prabhakar Jogalekar, Madhav Hari Joshi, Piyush Kaushik, Harish Khanna

Genres:

374. (-22) Joy Ride

John Dahl

AKA:

2001 / USA / 97m / Col / Thriller | IMDb
Steve Zahn, Paul Walker, Leelee Sobieski, Jessica Bowman, Stuart Stone, Basil Wallace, Brian Leckner, Mary Wickliffe, McKenzie Satterthwaite, Dell Yount

“Directed by the meticulous John Dahl (1994’s “The Last Seduction”), who excels at telling noirish stories of murder and mayhem, “Joy Ride” is an absolutely merciless thriller–exciting, marvelously crafted, strongly acted, and with more than a few moments destined to increase your heartbeat. Taking a short premise that could be described as “three victims terrorized by a giant truck,” director Dahl and screenwriters Clay Tarver and J.J. Abrams thankfully do not clutter the ingenious storyline with lots of subplots, nor do they feel it necessary to ever visually unveil the psychopath behind the big rig. Not knowing exactly what Lewis, Fuller, and Venna are up against makes for an even more unshakably eerie experience.” – Dustin Putnam, The Movie Boy

Genres: