Wayne (Martin Henderson) is a hopeful producer who casts his younger girlfriend Maxine (Mia Goth), and fellow actress Bobby-Lynne (Brittany Snow) to star alongside former marine Jackson (Scott Mescudi) in Wayne’s upcoming “dirty movie”, The Farmer’s Daughter. Joining them is director RJ (Owen Campbell) and his girlfriend Lorraine (Jenna Ortega). The group head to a rural farm in Texas owned by the elderly couple Howard (Stephen Ure) and Pearl (Mia Goth), who are kept in the dark about what the crew is shooting. Although Howard and Pearl’s unwelcoming reception proves to be tense, events soon turn much more sinister…
Ti West’s long awaited return to the genre is a stinging melody of psychosexual dread, fleshy fearfulness and enough tension to make those with nerves of steel clench their jaws. The A24 produced film fuses together multi-dimensional acting and a flawless sound arrangement to harness a bold take on modern-retro cinema and the intertwined wiring between horror and venereal subtexts.
DSC_4467.NEF
X thrives on a meta-commentative spectrum where West clearly pours out his devotion to the art of filmmaking itself. There’s the external level of self-referentiality via the characters being part of a production crew, going out to make a film in hopes of taking advantage of the upcoming home video market. Accompanying the obvious and very direct nods to the audience is the group’s discussion of elevating a niche genre movie to be a product of quality and the potential that independent cinema holds. Rather than just rely on overt dialogue to marry the borders between screen and reality and how the 1970s setting advanced a creative surge for exploitation across all media is the reintroduction of split screen, wide zooms, and swiping transitional cuts. These factors are reminiscent of seventies classics such as Black Christmas (1974) and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1994) and still maintain a level of rarity amongst modern cinema, making these small touches noticeable, yet vital in bringing the viewer back in time.
The pastiche ode to a bygone culture makes the film the love letter to cinema that it is. West has long infused a certain level of passion into his films, with The House of the Devil (2009) and The Innkeepers (2011) lingering success being down to their unique portrayal of the nefarious horror that lurks amongst isolating souls and settings. Whilst the crystal clear loyalty to filmmaking is a crucial plot device, one of the more direct double-entendre strands is birthed from the film’s most ferocious element.
Hardcore porn is treated with an air of respect in X. West adds in the quintessential argument of morals thanks to a tense conversation between the holier-than-thou Lorraine and the rest of the crew, but overall the art of erotica serves as more than a cheap trick to lure in movie-goers and appease to the cliche that horror is just gory smut. It’s not a secret that horror has a long history of being taboo. Whilst heavy genre cinema still gets its premieres and mainstream releases, expressing a passion for horror still raises a few eyebrows to this day. X amalgamates the stereotypical lowbrow elements of horror and sex to conjure an artful expression of lust for life, bloodshed, and downright grizzly violence.
The weighty symbolism is both subliminal and full throttle mainly down to the absolutely riveting performances from every single cast member. Brittany Snow rips off that Pitch Perfect (2012) reputation to deliver a totally surprising parade, Scott Mescudi unveils his best performance yet, Jenna Ortega cemented her role as a future scream queen, Martin Henderson excels at the whole ‘everything is bigger in Texas’ vibe, Owen Campbell perfects the ‘awkward’ fish out of water role, and last but not least is Mia Goth in this career defining performance. X provides a stage to exhibit Goth’s immense talent and versatility as an actor. The entire aesthetic of Maxine is reminiscent of Linda Lovelace, another sex symbol from the decade. More significantly Maxine possesses this usually unattainable confidence that spares no prisoners and dares to be tested, fashioning a level of allure that makes the viewer both unsure and undoubtedly mesmerized by her assertiveness.
Whilst mimicking sleazy skin flicks holds a majority share in X’s growth, the cinematography is far from amateur. The brooding shots sweeping over the rural setting, as well as the slow motion scenes flourish stunningly within the slowburn narrative that allocates time specifically for director of photography, Eliot Rockett, to flesh out an eerie atmosphere that purposefully subverts our gaze and amplifies our curiosity. One particular scene masterfully raises the tension level through a bold overhead shot of Maxine taking a dip into a seemingly vacant lake. However, amongst the stillness in the swampy frame is a scaly alligator lurking right next to the unknowing Maxine. Whilst this reveal isn’t a spoiler, it does shed light on how West continuously diverts our attention and misdirects where the presumed violence is going to come from. The segment is a straight cut lesson on how to build a potent scare with no dialogue and soap opera dramatics.
Indeed, X has ample amounts of foreboding cinematography, bountiful performances, and unmissable set design, but one area that really rips into the visceral nature of the story is the hard hitting soundtrack. Audiences will definitely find themselves bopping along to well known tunes and the not so subtle “bow chicka wow wow” music that accompanies TheFarmer’s Daughter scenes. Welding the score to the more grounded texture of X is the cover of ‘Oui Oui Marie’ by Chelsea Wolfe, whose rendition of the dainty cabaret-esque 1918 song saturates the film with a gritty, dusty tonal expression. It’s just another one of the countless ways West dovetails the film’s neo-grindhouse influences throughout every single vessel.
X has already achieved a warm welcome from frequent horror watchers and hard to please critics. And it seems that the film’s legacy has only just reached the surface as West is already in the editing phases of ‘Pearl’, X’s prequel, which will follow Howard’s disheveled wife and how the cabin was occupied as a boarding house during the first war. As if this wasn’t already a surprise to fans, West has also revealed that he has begun writing the third film which will chronologically follow the events unfolding after X’s ending. Whilst this is pretty big news considering X was released less than weeks ago, the slasher sub-genre does adore adding a string of sequels.
X truly is the full package! Whether it’s the narrative arcs descending into touchy allegories surrounding death, or if it’s the sheer gory pandemonium X has it all, making it not only one of West’s most impressive films to date but also an unmissable soon to be classic.
Looking for more top horror lists and reviews? Check out our blog here..
During an online seance, six friends unintentionally invite the presence of a sinister demonic force into their call, leading to fatal consequences.
Host will definitely be appearing in cinema textbooks in years to come, thanks to Rob Savage’s groundbreaking, record-shattering, and award winning horror that took the entire world of cinema and beyond by utter surprise. Co-written by Savage, Gemma Hurley, and Jed Shepherd is a modern tale of what can go wrong when you mess with the dead. Right from the bat Host’s method of execution is such a vital contributing factor to its success.
The film was entirely filmed during the pandemic using Savage’s real life friends as the cast, creating a breeding ground for genuine chemistry to appear and radiating a realistic quality that blurs the barrier between reality and fiction, giving the impression that the viewer is properly stuck in with the action. Joining the meeting of blurred lines is the Zoom-like staging, which for pretty much everyone was a massive part of 2020. With workplaces closed and gatherings cancelled during the pandemic, society had to interact on virtual platforms, like one big facetime. And although it is crucial to state that Host is not a pandemic-based film, the online telling of events is a key component in how the story unfolds, with the psychically distanced characters exaggerating the harrowing sense of isolation.
12. Don’t Look Now (Directed by Nicolas Roeg, 1973)
After suddenly losing their daughter Christine (Sharon Williams), Laura (Julie Christie) and John Baxter (Donald Sutherland) travel to Venice, Italy, where John is overseeing his commission to rebuild an old church. Whilst dining Laura meets two mysterious sisters (Clelia Matania & Hilary Mason) who tell Laura that they can see the deceased Christine. Despite being skeptical, John begins to see Christine wandering around the streets of Venice.
The entirety of Don’t Look Now can be encapsulated within the opening sequence. This scene is composed of over 100 shots and lasts seven minutes. It may not seem crucial to the whole film, but the imagery of damp weather, water, the colour red, reflections, doorways, close-up of eyes, and nature echoes the true connotations of Nicolas Roeg’s observations of agony through loss. Such substantial depth is given to the characters of Laura and John through their striking portrayals of parents suffering from the worst of tragedies.
Yet, they do not overplay their roles, avoiding any caricature claims and creating this bonded connection between the two, mingling Don’t Look Now’s ability to get under the skin of the viewer. Don’t Look Now forces us to come to terms with our own impending doom, no one is safe from the all being and all knowing presence of death. And whilst the threat in Don’t Look Now plays more on the character’s mental strength, a sense of psychical danger constantly looms, but we never know where from…
13. The Omen (Directed by Richard Donner, 1976)
The newly-adopted Damien (Harvey Stephens) raises his parent’s (Gregory Peck & Lee Remick) suspicions when strange occurrences begin to happen at the hands of Damien’s evil ways, leading them to the disturbing truth that their adopted son might be the Antichrist.
Supernatural horror played a large role within 1970s horror, with Richard Donner’s The Omen lining up with the likes of The Exorcist (1973). Allowing the film to remain recognisable after all these years later is the impeccable naturalness that Donner works with, even when the subject matter is woven with mysticism. Through this cosmic underlay comes a film rife with disturbing imagery that toys with societal fears of evil defeating the ‘good’. And thanks to the moralistic tone the horror is enveloped through an abundance of psychological terror and suspense.
This is mainly explored via a supposedly innocent subject, an actual child; making the viewer fearful of the most innocent of topics. Accompanying The Omen’s slow, creepy exposition is the pioneering achievements that were made in pushing horror out of its shell and into a commemorated piece of art (which was rare for the time). The film won an Academy Award for Best Original Score, which is no surprise as Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting composition combines atmospheric choir tones with Latin chants which remain chilling no matter how many times you hear the chime.
14. Censor (Directed by Prano Bailey-Bond, 2021)
Enid (Niamh Algar), an uptight film censor at the height of the video nasty panic, watches a film that parallels the events surrounding her missing sister’s disappearance, leading Enid on a quest to uncover the truth.
Nothing screams British traditionalist attitudes towards horror than the video nasty scandal. The 1980s saw a rise in home video recorders, introducing an influx of mainly Italian and American exploitation films and supposedly “corrupting” the minds of the country, due to the sick filth that these films displayed. Whilst this era of film censorship has not been lost on the history of cinema, not a single film has covered and used the scandal as a tool like Prano Bailey-Bond’s incredible hit Censor. Enid’s career as a film censor is a mechanical device that aids the story very nicely, with the metaphorical message of the video nasties being ‘an invasion of the mind’, mimicking Enid’s descent into a chaotic spiral where she is unable to differentiate fact from fiction. Censor is clearly food for the mind and soul, but for good measure Bailey-Bond also visually hypnotises the viewer through the vivid colour palette that has a 1980s aesthetic without being overly flashy and electric.
15. Dracula (Directed by Terence Fisher, 1958)
Jonathan Harker (John Van Eyssen) takes up a post as a librarian at Count Dracula’s (Christopher Lee) castle. After a lack of contact from Harker, vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) goes to the Count’s lair only to discover Harker has been turned into a vampire, leaving Van Helsing racing against Dracula to get to Harker’s fiancée Lucy before it’s too late.
Hammer Horror has reigned as a booming success within cinema for decades, making a name for themselves by bringing classic monsters from literature to a technicolour screen, including Frankenstein, The Mummy, and the one and only Dracula. Legendary auteur Terence Fisher took on history’s most significant vampire, and his execution was certainly monumental in creating the creature that audiences all know and love today. Christopher Lee is open about his inspiration for this role, having not seen any previous Dracula-based films prior to filming, but he did read the original Bram Stoker novel (1897).
Lee recognised the unusual romanticised portrayal of an undead man, leading him to play his role with an air of subtle eroticness and a shade of elusiveness. What Dracula essentially did for the genre was create an extravagant boost in making the image of the vampire one of high class, a wealthy being who oozes aristocracy and freedom to do what one likes. Lee makes Dracula unstoppable in his wrath, forcing us to be both highly intrigued and fearful of this mysterious bloodsucker.
16. The Girl with All the Gifts (Directed by Colm McCarthy, 2016)
A deadly disease has abolished free will and essentially turned those infected into zombies. Melanie (Sennia Nanua), is one of the few immune to the breakout and is confined to a research facility. After a lab breach, Melanie escapes along with her teacher (Gemma Arterton) and two soldiers on a quest to evade the infected, and potentially guide the rest of humankind’s survival.
The Girl with All the Gifts champions a bravely talented cast composed by the likes of Glenn Close, Gemma Arterton, Paddy Considine, and the girl with all the gifts herself, Sennia Nanua. The film is a literal breath of fresh air, especially considering the heavily flooded sub-genre, but Colm McCarthy’s treatment of the original source material, M. R. Carey’s book (2014) of the same name, is an enlightening prospectus that tackles human ideologies and how the mistakes society makes shouldn’t always be pardoned. Coupling up with the entangled web of consciousness is the starkly dramatic set designs and use of setting to convey a musty land that has perished due to the lack of societal efforts, almost furthering this message that people are the cause of the devastation, not necessarily the infected ‘zombies’.
17. Saint Maud (Directed by Rose Glass, 2019)
Maud (Morfydd Clark) is a young nurse who leads a simple life based on reclusivity, routine, and devout catholicism. After an undisclosed incident at her previous job, she takes on the role of hospice carer for Amanda (Jennifer Ehle), an eccentric retired dancer riddled with terminal cancer. Maud’s religious nature transcends into obsession, leaving her to believe that she can save Amanda’s soul from damnation no matter what the cost.
Saint Maud became one of the most talked about films in recent years, with the buzz promising an unorthodox descent into female chaos and the shattering effects of falsified devotion. The film is an intimate depiction of a carer’s unravelment into an alluring yet dangerous territory as she weaves her way in and out of consciousness to show the true extent that the psyche is willing to go through to achieve inner peace. Escorting Saint Maud’s spiritual temperament is the inherently British setting that grounds the reality of the film, allowing it to not become too whimsical and in return establishing a realistic uneasy environment that rings too close to home. The North Yorkshire coast acts as Maud’s playground where the dazzling vibrancy of the seaside arcades and packed pubs contrast against her empty and dark sense of mind. Through both the emotive tones and atmospheric setting, a world of uncertainty is grounded where we never know what to expect.
18. Peeping Tom (Directed by Michael Powell, 1960)
Mark Lewis (Carl Boehm) is a psychopathic serial killer who takes it upon himself to film his victim’s murders.
Peeping Tom may have a bountiful reputation as being an absolute classic, and that is very much true, however, upon the film’s release, a consensus arose that regarded Michael Powell’s work as too perverted, leading it to be pulled from some cinemas and damaging Powell’s reputation as a filmmaker. Powell’s brave notion of fixating a message between voyeurism on screen and real-life has been an inspiration for leading directors for years including the ‘Master of Suspense’, Alfred Hitchcock. Most notably Peeping Tom was an influential point in Psycho (1960) and retrospectively has a subtle impact on the origins of meta-cinema. Besides the innovative take on prying eyes, the film clearly is a visual celebration that revels in starkly lit rooms with stunning shadows that emulated the previous decade’s passion for noir cinema and mysterious figures.
19. Ghostwatch (Directed by Lesley Manning, 1992)
A documentary camera crew is invited into Britain’s most haunted house, leading to a night of chaos and terror.
If there’s one thing that British people love, it’s paranormal ‘reality’ television. Shows such as Most Haunted and Celebrity Ghost Stories have kept the curious entertained for years, but there’s one programme that went above and beyond and gave audiences the fright of their lives. Ghostwatch was a pseudo-reality made-for-TV special that aired on Halloween, 1992. BBC1 advertised the special as a live broadcast with the presented events being ‘real’ and the reactions being genuine. Little did the public know that the scripted show was recorded weeks before.
None of it was real, but as no one watching knew, the BBC switchboard received over 1,000,000 phone calls from concerned audiences detailing their fears over actual ghosts being presented. Considering that the respected Michael Parkinson was involved, many were furious over this hoax. Over the years Ghostwatch has acted as an inspiration point for countless television mediums including Derren Brown. More significantly, the creators behind Host (2020) have gone on to state that Ghostwatch was a point of reference for them, even going as far as to include subtle hints within the film. For example, in Host a Zoom caller ID reads 31101992, the same date as Ghostwatch’s broadcast.
20. The Woman in Black (Directed by James Watkins, 2012)
Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) is a young lawyer working in 20th-century England. Following his wife’s death he travels to a remote village for work, however, he soon discovers that his late client’s house is terrorised by a vengeful ghost. Based on Susan Hill’s 1983 novel of the same name is one of Britain’s most terrifying ghost stories as the emotionally bound film is a white-knuckled terror fest from start to finish. This gothic horror is a modern Hammer Horror film, with their familiar grand story elements being immediately recognisable. But rather than feel like a classic film that we’ve all seen before, James Watkins uses Daniel Radcliffe’s incredible talent to showcase a vengeance-fuelled film in a romanticised light where both style and substance equally collaborate to create a highly effective horror.
The film works on two levels, one being the familiarity of the narrative, and the other being the eerie gothic setting that is reminiscent of films such as The Haunting (1963). The almost castle-like environment surrounded by dark water and foggy skies immediately set up an environment that feels unsafe and beyond uneasy. The Woman in Black also understands its need to create something refreshing. Even though Hill’s work has been developed previously, the film throws in effective jumpscares when necessary to surprise the viewer, whilst also working on creating tension through simple atmospheric measures.
Looking for more top horror lists and reviews? Check out our blog here..
1. Shaun of the Dead (Directed by Edgar Wright (2004)
The lives of aimless salesman Shaun (Simon Pegg) and his do-nothing roommate Ed (Nick Frost) are turned upside down when a zombie apocalypse hits the streets of London.
Burrowing itself as one of Britain’s most iconic films is Edgar Wright’s Shaun of the Dead, a gory zombie mashup with a classic sentiment and enough one-liners to get even stone-faced viewers a right belly laugh. The world Wright establishes from the get go is dull and monotonous, giving Shaun and Ed’s habits a paint-by-numbers feel. Even after the first zombie appearance nothing much changes, they ‘keep mum’ about the severity of the literal apocalypse. Although the humour thrives in the humdrum moments, what keeps the script fresh is the continuous trajectories that Wright throws in the mix.
The original strategy for Shaun’s zombie action plan is to go to his mum’s (Penelope Wilton), kill his snobby step-father (Bill Nighy), grab his disgruntled girlfriend Liz (Kate Ashfield), then “go to The Winchester, have a nice cold pint, and wait for all of this to blow over”- if that doesn’t ring true to the good ole’ British spirit then I don’t know what does! Overtime Shaun of the Dead has done nothing but continue to defy everyone’s expectations for both British cinema and horror, with the film even featuring in the likes of Stephen King and Quentin Tarantino’s top film’s lists, and that’s not to mention the fact that the Zombie Godfather himself George A. Romero was so impressed that he gave Wright and Pegg a cameo role in Land of the Dead (2005).
2.The Wicker Man (Directed by Robin Hardy, 1973)
Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) lands on the grounds of Summerisle, a small Scottish island, to investigate the disappearance of a child. Howie’s puritan ways are tested after being shocked at the Islander’s worship of pagan Celtic gods and behaving in an open frivolous manner, leading Howie to suspect that something suspicious lurks around the corner.
British folk horror has seeded its way through the roots of classic cinema with the assistance from The Unholy Trinity- Witchfinder General (1968), Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971), and The Wicker Man (1973) with the latter being a distinctly respected piece of British cinema. In the early 1970s, writer Anthony Shaffer read the novel Ritual (David Pinner), detailing the events of a Christian police officer investigating a supposed ritualistic murder in a small village. Shaffer and Robin Hardy decided to use the novel as a source to create a horror focused upon old religion to contrast against the flow of Hammer horrors being released; lead Christopher Lee was also keen on breaking away from his archetypal Hammer roles.
Over the production course, it was decided that the film would stay away from graphic violence and gore as a focus on visceral material was not the method they wanted to adopt as their fear provoker. Hardy wanted a slow burning sense of doom to gradually unveil itself within the viewer, bubbling up an atmosphere of complete dread where we know that something terrible is going to happen, but are unaware of the when and where’s. And that’s precisely what was achieved. The Wicker Man has an earthy quality, one whose quiet tension is sown from the first scene, brewing a disconcerting air of trepidation and awe over the alarming exposition and dark landscapes.
3. Eden Lake (Directed by James Watkins, 2008)
School teacher Jenny (Kelly Reilly), and her boyfriend Steve (Michael Fassbender), take a trip to a remote lake in the English countryside to spend a romantic weekend together. However, a group of delinquent teens takes their chaos a step too far, resulting in a bloody fight for survival.
Eden Lake is a rough and gritty story that uses contemporary moral panics against a muddy backdrop to expel a level of savageness that rings back to classics such as Straw Dogs (1971) and Deliverance (1972). James Watkins works at a fast pace to immediately portray Jenny and Steve to be wholesome and soppy, far from the violent criminals they’ll be running from. Whilst the plot is being thickened we are lulled into siding with the couple. During this Watkin subtly plants in elements that foreshadow their fates. For example, instead of enjoying a chill evening in a beer garden, they are surrounded by screaming kids who are way up past their bedtime, followed by angered parents slapping the littluns. It may not be much, but from the getgo, a divide is created.
During the mid to late 2000s, every news channel and paper would have a feature on rising violence amongst adolescents, raising the alarm over the knife crime epidemic, but rather than give admittance over how these problems are created due to social and generational issues, the blame would be placed on ‘hoodies’ and grime music. Filmmakers such as Watkins employ the worries of Broken Britain to create a film that makes you feel morally conflicted and worrisome. Collaborating with the commentary is the film’s genuinely frightful nature. The woods have birthed an incredible setup for horror to thrive, with the dark trees casting haunting shadows and exuding a sense of isolation. Eden Lake tactically positions us alongside Jenny and Steve in the hardened wilderness, knowing that like them we are all alone amongst the terror.
4. 28 Days Later (Directed by Danny Boyle, 2002)
Cillian Murphy in “28 Days Later” (Photo by Sundance/WireImage)
A team of animal rights activists clumsily free a chimpanzee infected with the Rage virus which causes its host to go into a zombified uncontrollable rage. Four weeks later, Jim (Cillian Murphy) awakes from a coma, not knowing that civilization has come to an end. Whilst hastily discovering what’s happened he runs into a group of survivors and travels with them to a supposed safe haven.
The scene is the early 2000s, slow brooding zombies have held the spotlight for long enough, it’s time for rapid, furious, rabid zombies to rule the platform. By nature zombies are abject, their entire basis repulses, what with their drooling mouths and mangled decaying skin. When combined with the fact that the infected can climb and race, a terrifying recipe for fear is created. Danny Boyle knows how to alert our darkest anxieties, and 28 Days Later rivets and rolls to sharply hone in on that white-knuckle terror from the very first scene.
The setting avails use of the desolate grounds of the skeletal London town and dispiriting countryside as a terror provoking instrument that contrasts against the quick-paced camerawork and of course the zooming undead themselves. Adding to the intense pandemonium created in 28 Days Later is the panic-inducing score composed by John Murphy. The soundtrack continuously blasts synthesised electric drones that faintly mimic the air raid signals which would have gone off within those 28 days of the apocalypse. All of these elements, from the widescaped cinematography and booming score, to the heated performances and crazed zombies all meld together to create an unmissable showstopper.
5. The Devils (Directed by Ken Russell, 1971)
In 17th-century France, Father Grandier (Oliver Reed) attempts to protect the city of Loudun from the corruption-fueled establishment run by Cardinal Richelieu (Christopher Logue).
Ken Russell was a known agitator of the BBFC, igniting feuds amongst movie-goers over the graphic content of many of his films, and The Devils really take the honours for being not only one of his most controversial films but also a conqueror in 1970s banned British cinema. A large part of the contention resides with the themes of promiscuity painted upon a religious foreground, highlighting hierarchical abuse structures within worship and Rusell’s conscious wielding of distasteful, excess debaucheries. The Devils lewd principles take centre stage and become entirely inescapable, luckily enough the horror aspects are not covered up by the excess vulgarity. Plague-infested bodies being dumped into a limb pit, self-mutilation, and maggots sliming out of skull sockets are just some of the ghastly imagery that audiences are subjected to, thrusting the film into a dark territory that drives out a panicked and tense reaction.
6. Dog Soldiers (Directed by Neil Marshall, 2002)
A small squad of soldiers attend a mission in the Scottish highlands against a Special Air Service unit. Morning comes and they come across the unit’s sprawled apart remains, pushing the conclusion that someone or more like something is after them.
Neil Marshall forgoes a cosmopolitan setting and characters in favour of occupying the screen with rural land and pragmatic characters that waft an essence of realist brutalism throughout a fantastical storyline. Furthering the tough as nails exhibition is the apt lack of dramatics surrounding the werewolf’s existence. Marshall has stated that the werewolves purposefully do not have a lore background or curse-infused reasoning for their being.
The werewolves’ tall, gangly stature is enough to be absolutely nerve-wracking, especially when they bare their protruding fangs ready to sink into their prey’s unlucky flesh. The maximization of terror actually comes from an unexpected place, the humorous dialogue. Witty quips such as “We are now up against live, hostile targets. So, if Little Red Riding Hood should show up with a bazooka and a bad attitude, I expect you to chin the bitch” have the audience cracking up, but rather than linger in the comedy Marshall exploits the fact that our guard is down and uses the settled mood to throw in unexpected lashes of gore and frights, shaking the expectations of the audience. Dog Soldiers both mopped the floor with many creature features and created the blueprints for many werewolf films to come.
7. Kill List (Directed by Ben Wheatley, 2011)
Jay (Neil Maskell) and Gal (Michael Smiley) served together in the forces, creating a strong bond. Eight months have passed since they left an unspecified disastrous assignment, leaving Jay mentally scarred, making him unable to work. After an argument between Jay and his wife Shel (MyAnna Buring) over money worries he joins Gal in a contracted job to kill a list of people.
Ben Wheatley over the years has created some true standout British horror’s including Sightseers (2012) and A Field in England (2013), and most recently In the Earth (2021). Kill List unveils Wheatley’s naturalistic filmmaking methods in a remarkably raw manner that inflames a deep level of disturbance amongst the viewer, guaranteeing a hold over them for long after watching. Joining his fervent displays of provocation are the award worthy performances from Michael Smiley, MyAnna Buring, and Neil Maskell who all bring such ferocity and realness to their characters that it’s nearly impossible to tell that they’re actors and not the actual people they are portraying.
Kill List somehow goes both full throttle and gentle within its storytelling, with the subtle elements of something darker lurking amidst the surface, whilst also pushing frenzied chaos into the frame. This perplexing balance is even more advanced by the unpredictability of Jay and Gal’s actions, pronouncing the ambiguous nature of events and the slight art-house style that Wheatley adopts.
8. Prevenge (Directed by Alice Lowe, 2016)
Pregnant widow Ruth (Alice Lowe) loses her partner in an unfortunate climbing accident, leaving her alone. Shortly after, she begins to hear her baby talking, convincing Ruth to exact revenge on anyone involved in his death.
Alice Lowe’s directorial debut is an absolute shocker of a film. Prevenge is literal proof that budget constraints and the brackets of independent cinema are not blockades in creating a potent piece as Lowe hatches an audaciously somber and fruitfully macabre vision of a woman unhinged. There is not a single moment where we don’t align with Ruth. We have to listen to her and follow her every step, encouraging us to see the world through her damned perspective.
This creates an off-kilter atmosphere that fashions a normal-looking world, but with a surreal and untrustworthy ambiance, similar to British TV shows such as Green Wing and The IT Crowd. Prevenge is entirely impressive as it is, but what pushes the film’s intrinsic likeability even further into the atmosphere is the personable energy that the film emits. Lowe wrote, directed, and stars in this one-woman show, all whilst she was actually pregnant in real life. The level of dedication and the film’s success has to be owed entirely to her.
9. The Ritual (Directed by David Bruckner, 2017)
A tragedy strikes in a group of friends, leaving the bond disabonded. To rekindle their friendship the four of them set out on a hike through the rural Scandinavian wilderness, however, when a wrong turn ends them into ominous land, they must fight for survival.
The Ritual remains efficient, rich, and menacing– heeding onto the complexities of trauma and the threat of expelling one’s grief inwards, rather than seeking the comfort of shared loss. Boasting The Ritual’s emotional rhythm is David Bruckner’s ability to take elements of the source material (Adam Nevill’s 2011 novel of the same name) and manifest a story that alludes to Nevill’s rural atmospheric strengths, but with a surreal edge that transcends the barriers between the mind and the psychical body.
Due to this constant escalation of illusory texturization, the viewer can never decipher what the fates of the four will be. Immediately, when an isolated forest setting is disclosed an air of the ‘other’ forebodes the script, with many recalling the likes of The Blair Witch Project (1999) or The VVitch (2015) as an archetypal framework for The Ritual to base itself around. However, Bruckner dismisses the urge to be predictable or imitate previous works, opting for unfamiliar occurrences that have you questioning whether the sinister happenings are held within the fragile group’s mind or if something very real and very evil is actually at play.
10. Hellraiser ( Directed by Clive Barker, 1987)
Frank Cotton (Sean Chapman) opens a portal to hell after solving a puzzle box, unleashing sadomasochistic beings called Cenobites, led by their leader Pinhead (Doug Bradley) who tears Frank’s body to shreds. Frank’s brother Larry (Andrew Robinson) and his wife Julia (Clare Higgins) have a strained relationship, which led to Julia having a secret affair with Frank before his death. To rekindle their estranged relationship the pair move into Frank’s old house, where a skinless Frank is accidentally resurrected, who convinces Julia to lure men back to the house for him to drain.
Director Clive Barker originally was a writer, having written the screenplays for Underworld (1985) and Rawhead Rex (1986), however, he was rather unhappy with the final execution of his developed work, leading him to direct the film adaptation of his novella The Hellbound Heart (1986). Immediately, Barker knew that he wanted to create a piece dosed in creative eccentricity and a horror betrothed to the atmosphere and cutting edge originality. Considering the fact that the film developed into an entire franchise, it’s assured that Barker’s goal of a successful adaptation was achieved.
Hellraiser’s moral compass is enriched with a dreamlike quality, resulting in dark sequences of death and destruction, and whilst the overall effect is beyond alluring, the primary source of the film’s seduction is due to the cruel unearthly creatures donning sharp exteriors and bondage-like clothing. The genealogy of the Cenobites has been diagnosed as ‘religious based’, with them deriving from a religious sect in the underworld known as the ‘Order of the Gash’ where their evolution has made them unable to differentiate pleasure and pain. Pinhead and his followers’ existence transport the film into a higher level of transgressiveness, allowing for the viewer to become blinded and lost within the utter absurd nature of Barker’s vision.
Looking for more top horror lists and reviews? Check out our blog here..
Neil Marshall, born and bred in Newcastle has long held a reputation for being both implausibly daring in his work and a true genre filmmaker. Over the past 20 years of his career, Marshall has managed to produce nothing but original work that tours every spector of horror and fantasy, exploring grizzly ghouls and monsters to folklore and sci-fi escapades. It can certainly be said that Marshall is the film version of a globetrotter. And within his first-rate range, he never misses a beat, creating cult classics and award-winning flicks.
Marshall’s broadening work demands attention, it’s clear to see that blood, sweat, and tears have gone into his films, warranting a dedicated and acclaimed reception from audiences and critics alike. He even earns himself a ‘splat pack’ badge, joining the likes of Rob Zombie and Eli Roth in the stand for creating superbly nasty movies.
Now, Marshall is directing the upcoming rip-roaring action-horror The Lair which surrounds a group of half-human, half-alien creatures being let out on the loose and the fight to demolish them before they demolish the world.
After graduating from film school Marshall went on to work as a freelance film editor, working with Keith Bell (fellow film school graduate). In 1998 the pair worked on a low budget action-thriller Killing Time, which utilised everyone on set, with even Marshall venturing out of editing and contributing to the action coordination and choreography. The passion and vocation that everyone had in just trying their best to create something, inspired Marshall and Bell to say ‘you know what’ and get their own film rolling. This film which started out as a could-be pipeline dream ended up being one of Britain’s most hallmark horror’s, kicking the genre into a new era and generating a fantastic auteurship for Marshall. This film is Dog Soldiers!
Dog Soldiers (2002)
A routine training exercise in the Scottish Highlands for a small squad of British soldiers turns deadly when they are violently attacked by a group of vicious werewolves. Left without any form of transport or communication the team is forced to hide out in a remote farmhouse to wait for the full moon to disappear, little do they know the werewolves will stop at nothing until every one of them is dead.
A whole twenty years have passed since Dog Soldiers was released, but the time has only made it richer, marinating a full-bodied horror that gushes enough blood to satisfy gorehounds, whilst also layering an intense narrative that unveils the inner terror of self-destruction and how internalised fears flourish to become a united enemy with the larger threat at hand, which in this case is werewolves.
Incidentally, although Marshall delves into the context and demands of human nature, the actual layout of the lycanthropes themselves is simple but ultra efficient. An American Werewolf in London (1981) and The Howling (1981) both excel in highlighting the whole point of metamorphosis and what it means to transcend the boundaries between man and animal, however, rather than thrive in the actual transformation itself, Marshall uniquely opts for displaying a rooted story of the werewolf being the enemy, and that’s it. There’s no flamboyance of creating a ‘curse’ around the creatures. At the heart the film is a war horror infused with these beasts that are capable of being terrifying enough without having a tinseltown backstory.
Infusing this basis of soldier vs. monster set within the emotional confounds of a military cladding is the whole idea of anonymity. The aforementioned lack of humanity regarding the werewolves immediately forms a hierarchical structure that makes the creatures ultra ruthless. There is no sense of empathy lingering behind the claws and fur, nor is there an opportunity for the viewer to sympathise with the beast. Alternatively, they are barbaric and cruel, willing to rip into every muscle because of their natural hunger for flesh. It’s quite scary to think that this feral ferocity is bared with no holding back.
Brilliantly juxtaposing this nameless violence is the natural curiosity one feels towards the soldiers. As with any film exploring a small group of people, there is that certain dynamic where some individuals are favoured more than others. If this was any ordinary group we could easily be angered at any displays of chauvinistic masculinity and toxicity, instead, their experience of being in the military begs us to take a deeper look at how their anger is formed and why some characters are cruel and almost as barbaric as the villain at hand. The macho bravado archetype slowly dissolves, showing that ego fuelled swashbuckling, which usually saves the day in action horror, isn’t enough to fight off these evil monsters.
Taking a step back from the emotive reasonings, it’s vital to look at why this film stands out and has kept its place as one of the most important werewolf films of the 21st century. The amalgamation of utilising the stereotypes of soldier characteristics to make the werewolves seem even more brutish is ingenious. It forces the viewer to dial into their own fearlessness, amping up the adrenaline and making this a film they’ll remember and feel incredibly immersed in.
The Descent (2005)
After a tragedy strikes a group of friends they decide to gain back their bond by going on a caving trip into the Appalachian Mountains. Everything is going smoothly until they realise that the cave they ventured into is not only undiscovered but is also plagued by hungry creatures.
The Descent is Marshall’s second film and another horror. But rather than dilly-dally around in the same territory, Marshall spared no expense and created something that no one expected, shocking the world of dark cinema and shaping one of the best horror films to come from the 2000s, if not of all time.
Originally The Descent’s most iconic factor, the all-female cast, was not initially planned, with a mixed lineup being considered in the first instance. Marshall rethought this element after he noticed that within horror women were highly underrepresented. This created a rare level of dimension that many films at the time wouldn’t dare venture into. Each character, no matter how minor, is fully fleshed out in the way that you could picture their lives outside of the film, they aren’t just paid professionals reading lines, they are ‘real’. Massive respect has to be dealt to Marshall for working in a collaborative way with the performers to develop multi-dimensional personas. Whilst filming the crew and cast would explore alternative ways in which their lines could be acted out, allowing for a sense of gritty realness to be exposed in the character’s manners, furthering their evolution from victims to fighters. In fact, in the DVD extras for The Descent Marshall calls this method of filmmaking the “flaky pastry” principle.
Whilst the internalised dramatics and pathos for the narrative rely heavily upon the group of misguided cavers, what is essentially one of the most indispensable factors has to be the film’s own boogeymen- the Crawlers.
The humanoid animals lurking amidst the caves have become known as Crawlers. Their grotesque slimy skin instantly repulses, creating a cringy curdingly feeling that makes you feel so grateful that you’re not one of those explorers who met their end down in the tunnels. The creature’s gnarly stature is monstrous as it is, but the bulk of the Crawlers innate creepiness derives from their unique ‘human-like’ qualities. The Crawlers were basically cavemen who never left the cave. They never evolved into people as we know it, they stayed lurking underground. Most distinctively, their superhuman traits aid them in adapting to life below the surface, including acute hearing and scent tracking, they can climb any rock and function flawlessly in the dark. To some extent, The Descent uses a very old but very effective moral tale, the women have come down into the Crawlers territory and their reaction is simply defensive.
The inherent reaction stimulated by the caves is one deeply connected to an intrinsic fear, claustrophobia. By nature, the threat of being trapped and restricted is totally triggering, alerting this unlearned panic that will get under the skin of every single viewer. To make matters worse the cave itself is littered with human scraps and bones, which gives the environment its own unique gothic architecture. Indeed, the setting is bone-chilling as a result of the clever set design. The more solid walls of the caves were made from mouldings of real cliff faces, creating the backdrop for many scenes. Whilst the drippy ceiling hangers made from foam and spray paint gives off the impression of stalactites, the mineral formation that manifests underground. The polystyrene based shapings remain impressive to this day, but with budget constraints, the production could not afford to build miles of alcoves, in reality there were only six structures built, but due to retexturising, colouring, and deceptive lighting, the impression of endless caverns was executed.
The Descent is a true horror. Every single scene is daringly dark and terrifying, with the nightmare-fueled creatures and unforgiving ethos becoming almost as panic provoking as the extremely claustrophobic caves.
Doomsday (2008)
In 2008, the Reaper virus was unleashed in Scotland, taking over its host and making them homicidal. The government is unable to contain or create a cure for the virus, forcing British officials to create a 30-foot wall isolating the country. Fast forward to 2035 the supposed obsolete virus is found in London, leading a team to travel over the border in hopes of finding a cure. Along their journey, it is revealed that the Scottish survivors have been divided into two teams: a group of medieval knights, and a tribe of deadly bandits.
After the success of Dog Soldiers and The Descent Marshall began attracting the attention of major studios offering big and bold budgets to create something fantastical, rare, and boisterous, and let’s just say that Marshall certainly delivers.
Marshall is very open about his admiration for 1980s cinema having grown up during that period. During the late 1970s / early 1980s classic films such as Mad Max (1979), The Warriors (1979), and Escape From New York (1981) thrived in painting picturesque landscapes dominated by ferocious rebellions and dusty grounds, accompanied by starkly gruesome politics that were formed thanks to apocalyptic style tragedies and disasters. Just like these classics, Marshall encapsulated that old-school dystopian vibe that aimed to be completely obscure to the audience whilst also being stylistically captivating.
The separation between Scotland and England and the virus work together in providing a thought-provoking plot device, as well as generating a devilishly delicious setup for utter mayhem to ensue. The road to destruction is grim from the very start. After crossing the border the team is met with aggression and terror, especially when it’s unveiled that the ‘living’ have turned into ravenous cannibals, revelling in the anarchy they started. Marshall has stated that Doomsday is not a horror, but it is filled with horrific things and an abundance of meaty gore.
The sci-fi elements work in harmony within the post-apocalyptic confinements that purposefully leave the audience bewildered. Upon its release, questions arose regarding ‘plot holes’. In actuality, there is literally no need for Marshall to go into the science of the virus or explain the character’s actions. The capabilities of sci-fi allow for rules and laws to slide, with Marshall forming the theologies and world order to his taste, creating a land that is blatantly irrational and rightly beyond anything explainable.
Doomsday is deliberately frenzied, pushing a sense of hysteria onto the viewer. The Reaper virus is akin to the likes of the Rage virus in 28 Days Later (2002) in the way that they cause its victim to become mindless animals.
Through this a contagious force of energy is thrust onto the viewer, getting their adrenaline pumping at all the chaos and violence. And this said ‘chaos’ comes in by the boatload. The manic society formed behind the border have these epic battles and circus-esque performances that really do perplex and amaze, especially when the tribe’s jukebox is filled with 1980s bands like Fine Young Cannibals, Adam Ant, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood.
The land explored within Doomsday is murky and filled with death, but the atmosphere on-screen and generated off-screen is electric and memorable. The creative freedom seen within Marshall’s filming is off the charts, allowing for every weird and wonderful thought to be expelled, making Doomsday a standout film.
The Reckoning (2020)
After her husband dies during the Great Plague, Grace Haverstock (Charlotte Kirk) is unjustly sent to be placed in the hands of England’s most feared witch-hunter Judge Moorcraft (Sean Pertwee). Despite her pleads of innocence, she experiences unbearable levels of emotional abuse and psychical torture at the hands of Moorcraft and his fellows. During her imprisonment, the endless trauma is not the only thing Grace has to fight as she battles against her internalised demons as the devil himself worms his way into her mind.
Whilst all of Marshall’s work remains individualistic from one another, The Reckoning exudes such sheer amounts of distinct personality that forces the film to seriously stand out from many films released in 2020.
Marshall acted as executive producer on Edward Evers-Swindell’s Dark Signal (2016), a highly underrated British indie horror. Evers-Swindell announced to Marshall that he had been working on an idea for a new film surrounding witches, particularly focusing on the element of ‘are they, aren’t they?’ when it comes to the witch prognosis. Along with Kirk, Marshall began exploring the history of witch hunts and soon became very interested in giving this idea a full backbone. Amid the excitement of Marshall getting back into his horror roots he started to come to terms with the reality of witch hunts and the fact that they never really ended, they just take place in new shapes and forms.
Folklore and fables have been at the heart of horror for many years, whether it’s the damning crusade that accompanies the old tale legends or the possibility that something dark exists, people crave bygone lore. As everyone knows, the existence of the witch trials were very much a real thing with women being socially ostracised and sentenced to death at even the most trivial of matters. The truth behind these hunts surrounds the deeply embedded misogyny and prosecution of the other that bared itself within the seeds of society. The Reckoning combines both the real tragedy of witch history and the essence of old traditions to fabricate a film drenched in thoughtful performances and immersive backdrops.
The characters of both Grace and Moorcroft encapsulate the push and pull relationships with period pieces. It’s easy to dissect who’s the protagonist and who’s the villain in many horror films, but in The Reckoning a rare standpoint of neutrality is slightly integrated to keep the viewers on their toes, abandoning formulaic storytelling in favour of sewing together a vibrant film brimming with dynamic personalities.
From an aesthetic standpoint, the vibes of a grimy, blemished society are strongly portrayed. To create a believable period film every stop needs to be pulled out and no stone left unturned. And Marshall does just that. The set pieces have a texturized nature that aids in the catalysation of key plot points. Grace’s experiences of otherworldly exploits are stunningly melodramatic within its stylization, creating surreal imagery that is both untouched and theatrical.
The Reckoning serves as an exciting point in Marshall’s career. At this point he has explored all sorts of monsters and the darkest depths of society, leaving a signature within cinema that ventures into every territory.
Neil Marshall’s new action horror ‘The Lair’ is currently in post production and due for release in 2022/23.
Looking for more top horror lists and reviews? Check out our blog here..
With any great movie comes a barrage of sequels, requeals, remakes, prequels, you name it… One of the most daring franchises has to be The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Over the years the series has been there, done that — recreating Leatherface’s origins just to knock it back down in the next film. With that being said, there have been some great genre staples to come from this wild franchise, so lets rank them and see who will be the undefeated champion.
*From worst to best*
9- Texas Chainsaw 3D (Directed by John Lussenhop, 2013)
Texas Chainsaw 3D is a true stinker! Considering that the gap between the start of the TCM franchise and this film is nearly 40 years, it is nonsensical that this is the best the creators of Texas Chainsaw 3D could come up with. The film is an accidently hilarious sequel that is painfully generic. Being a direct sequel from the original, the essence of backwoods Texas gone rogue remains the same, thus allowing for some redemption when it comes to the dusty setting and the grimy aesthetics. Nevertheless, although director Jon Luessenhop nailed the aspect up a small town loaded with seedy no-gooders, the execution was flawed as a result of every single character being totally unlikeable; yes, even the characters that we are supposed to be rooting for are simply written as pieces of meat for Leatherface to carve his way through.
8- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning (Johanthan Liebesman, 2006)
Coming in as a strong second-to-last entry is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning. This film, directed by Johnathan Liebesman, is a prequel to the 2003 remake which intended to wipe the entire franchise slate clean and start afresh. The successful remake (we’ll get on to that later) sparked a wide interest in developing a backstory behind the film’s events, leading to this prequel. However, any hope of igniting a spin-off trilogy died a tragic death, mainly due to how formulaic this paint-by-numbers film candidly is. The entire premise follows this sequence: chase scene, hide and seek, jumpscare, chase scene, hide and seek, jumpscare, and so on and so forth. It’s not necessarily that Liebesman does not expel talent, in fact he efficiently puts on a great show, the pacing is frenzied leading to a tense ride, but it feels as if this film has been made a million times before. Unfortunately, the originality factor is certainly lacking.
7- Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Directed by David Blue Garcia, 2022)
Not only is David Blue Garcia’s Texas Chainsaw Massacre the newest film in the franchise, it is also the most opinion dividing one out of the entire series. To pinpoint exactly why this film bares a fued-fuelling reception is difficult. There is plenty of disdain over the pointless plot devices that are thrown out such as gentrification and mass violence, only for the themes to be buried away *very* soon after their abrupt introduction. There is a general understanding amongst viewers that a horror film doesn’t have to be seeping in politics to be meaningful, sometimes wicked kills and tense climaxes are more than enough to obtain a rocking reputation. This is where Texas Chainsaw Massacre ultimately withers. The award for brutal ferocity has to be handed to Garcia, he pulled some epic punches when it came to creative kills. Yet, the lack of attention to detail, particularly surrounding the characters mind-boggling decision making and the overthinking of Leatherface’s motives is what makes the film number 7 out of 9.
6- Leatherface (Directed by Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo, 2017)
Moving on to the second prequel is Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo’s Leatherface. Maury and Bustillo previously released the standout French horror Inside (2007), meaning that the then-latest entry into the franchise would be in good hands. And considering the daunting pressure, the duo did pretty well. Unlike the previous prequel, the background story of how Texas’s number one torture family came about was not shallow, nor was it reliant on surface levels of childhood trauma as an excuse for violence. Alternatively, they explore this territory of trauma and flesh it out with themes such as family ties, neglect, and abandonment all amalgamating to create a monster. Yet, all of this expansion would not have been the same without the driven performances from every central character, leading to a personable story that dares to provoke a deeper level of engagement from the viewer.
5- Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (Directed by Jeff Burr, 1990)
New Line Cinema saw copious success with Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), audiences were craving scares and as with any production company, they saw the potential in buying the rights to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The film was plagued by production disruptions and pesky critics who enforced multiple cuts, dishevelling any chance of creating a coherent story. Despite the initial reception, over the years a small but powerful cult fanbase has emerged, ensuring that this film doesn’t get lost amongst the massive franchise. The fan reaction is truly deserving as the chaotic display of gratuitous mayhem and bizarre interactions are far more entertaining than what mainstream media gives it credit for. Besides the film being a total blast, it also excels in the subject of meaningless gore, ensuring its place alongside underrated slasher classics such as The Slumber Party Massacre (1982) and The Mutilator (1984).
4- Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (Directed by Kim Henkel, 1994)
It’s safe to say that horror films surpassing the twenty-year mark are retrospectively favoured, albeit in ode to the somewhat vintage nostalgia effect, or simply due to the lack of overly seasoned CGI. And although the TCM franchise has a rocky reputation, there is one entry that has never garnered much praise or recognition- Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation. Matthew McConaughey and Renée Zellweger may be busy lugging around a suitcase brimming with Academy Awards and Golden Globes, but back in the day they both starred in Kim Henkel’s take on a group of teens who encounter Leatherface and his crew on the most important night of their adolescent lives (prom!). Henkel already had a bloodline within the franchise after co-writing the original 1974 hit. Together Hooper and Henkel crafted this masterful script that dared to employ exploitation as a medium to dissect cultural ideologies within America. Whilst the allegorical form cemented the film’s rich success, Henkel renounced this earnest path in honour of ensuring that Next Generation would helm to a tongue-in-cheek style of humour that boasts ridiculous dialogue and messy scenarios that are so bizarre they verge on the side of surrealism. Despite the consensus, there is a real beauty hidden amongst the madness. Nothing really makes sense, everything is a bit of a charade, but one thing’s for sure, you are guaranteed a wild fun ride that will stand out amongst the rest for a very long time.
3- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Directed by Marcus Nispel, 2003)
The art of perfecting a remake is akin to a boxing ring, where the audience raises an original piece of work against a retelling to see who’s the winner; and Marcus Nispel’s 2003 remake of Hooper’s classic undoubtedly puts up a fight. What allows Nispel’s take on The Sawyer’s to be quite the triumph is the endless brutality that begins within minutes of the film’s opening, Nispel aims to expel as much vile and volatile content as he possibly can. The ‘full steam ahead’ narrative did not sit well with critics at all. Complaints ranged from the excess of shock, to the brutish manner in which the subject is handled. Although it’s true that Nispel isn’t delicate within his portrayal, that doesn’t mean that the film is any less entertaining. The early 2000s saw a rise in splatter films (also dubbed torture porn) that had no qualms in going full throttle on gore. Whilst Saw (2004) and Hostel (2005) garnered a lot of recognition in rebirthing the subgenre, it was The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (03) that belongs to that initial dive into ‘bloody for the hell of it’ horror. And for that reason, alongside the excellent final girl portrayal from Jessica Biel, Nispel deserves the third spot on this list.
2- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (Directed by Tobe Hooper, 1986)
D’you know what works a treat in horror movies? … chainsaw wielding maniacs. Guess what also works great in a horror movie– seeing Dennis Hopper and Caroline Williams battle against the most enjoyably preposterous version of The Sawyer family you’ll ever see. Every single second of this sequel is exciting and thrilling, not at any one moment do you know what direction you’re heading in, ensuring a crazy trip for both hardened horror fans and genre rookies. Tobe Hooper was a cinematic legend, partly due to his ability to take dark subject matter and develop it into serious cinema, but that success was also a consequence of his aptness to create eccentric films that dared to be different and go against what studios demanded.
When this sequel was made, Hooper found it difficult to secure funding, no one wanted to take a chance. Even once the film was fully completed, producers were unhappy with the dark comedy results. Makeup artist Tom Savini also received backlash regarding Leatherface’s appearance, apparently it was too polished! Over the years critics praised the 1974 original, and so they should, but there was always that certain charm missing from reviews because the film was defined as a ‘horror’. The mainstream criticism about the sequel regarded Hooper’s lack of socio-political commentary. And in the knowledge of that, this film takes any form of allegorical reading and throws it in the trash as an indirect comment to pretentious media outlets who think that horror cinema (unless symbolic) is not worthy of fame. His message wasn’t in vain as the film now has a beyond impressively large cult status, and has since gone on to be one of those most beloved films out of Hooper’s entire career.
1- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
It would be criminal to not place The Texas Chainsaw Massacre(1974) as thenumber one spot on this ranking. To this very day (a whole 48 years later) this film still has the viewers on the edge of their seats, nail biting over what happens next. What transcends the film into an even higher level of achievement is its independent background. Hooper was employed as an assistant director at Austin University, whilst doing documentary camerawork on the side. Together with Henkel, he took inspiration from the cultural landscape at the time. The issues explored revolved heavily on America’s coverup of worldwide conflicts, hence the film’s fake narrational warning that the “film you are about to see is true”. From this point, a series of additional affairs came to light, such as the embodiment of technological advancements making rural society obsolete. Hooper and Henkel delve into creating a hefty framework with ease, but that is certainly not the film’s only winning factor. The aspect of less is more rings entirely true within the film. The censor boards in many countries saw TCM as a threat to society, banning it almost immediately. However, the film is far from a bloodbath, with the implication of the characters’ deaths taking control. To succeed in creating a sense of visceral dread amongst the viewer, all whilst limiting the actual ‘telling’ of events is still commendable to this day.
Looking for more top horror lists and reviews? Check out our blog here..
Fede Álvarez and Rodo Sayagues are the talented squad behind the triumphant Evil Dead (2013) and Don’t Breathe (2016), thus when the news broke that they would be writing the latest installment in the labyrinth that is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise movie-goers were buzzed for this upcoming bloodbath. The director, David Blue Garcia was the cinematographer in the innovative meta-horror Bloodfest (2018). The trio have proven themselves to be eminently superior in their spector, so why was Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) so anticlimactic?
It has been nearly fifty years since Leatherface’s killing spree, and he is still nowhere to be found, leaving the area on edge. Entrepreneurs Melody (Sarah Yarkin) and Dante (Jacob Latimore) decide to travel to the Texas ghost town of Harlow to auction off the properties in hopes of modernising the old town. Joining them is Dante’s girlfriend Ruth (Nell Hudson), and Melody’s sister Lila (Elsie Fisher) who is reluctant to move after a traumatic incident occurred in her past. Everything is going to plan, until they find an old woman, Mrs. Mc (Alice Krige) who claims to still own one of the properties. An argument ensues and Mrs. Mc has a heart attack. Little do the group know that her now grief-stricken son is Leatherface (Mark Burnham) who vows to get revenge.
First things first, fortunately the film is only 81 minutes long, any longer would be treacherous. Within this short frame of time, every opportunity to thrust the film into a noble territory is brushed under the carpet in favour of attempting to mold Leatherface as an anguished villain. He is shown more than once idling over his loss, longing for that sense of ‘home’ to come back. Through a melodic tone, contrasting his hideous demeanour against lamenting tones of heartache could be a harrowing analogy for how the monstrous harbours delicate emotions underneath, but no, instead they’ve opted for lazy filmmaking that genuinely had me audibly laughing out loud at any scene that aimed to be touching.
Speaking of ruining potentials, the biggest gripe seen across the board for this film is the exploitative commentary-or lack thereof-regarding very real, and very serious subjects. We have essences of racism, school shootings, gentrification, and survivor’s guilt all being chucked in your faces within the first twenty minutes. Lila is seen with a gunshot scar in her chest and is scrolling through anti-gun posts on social media, clearly indicating a previous trauma, and even a flashback of her lying amongst her dead fellow students in the school is shown. Considering the current climate, this sort of topic shouldn’t be used as a quick quip at ‘realism’, in fact, it’s ignorant in how Lila’s rickety manner towards weapons is shaken off as soon as Leatherface appears. The time wasted on her arc could have been used a lot wiser, possibly the minutes could have been spent on making the return of the iconic Sally Hardesty (Olwen Fouéré) less negligible. Accompanying the film’s main events is the subplot surrounding Sally’s reign as the local Leatherface survivor and how she’s been searching for him ever since, waiting to put an end to the evil.
Halloween (2018) brought back Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) in style to tackle The Boogeyman. After all those decades spent planning she brought her A-game and delivered one hell of a whooping. I don’t blame the producers for wanting to recreate what Halloween did, the film was a roaring success at the end of the day. It was a dream to see Strode back at it, whereas Sally Hardesty’s return is a shambles. When we first see her she’s in a disused shack gutting a pig, looking badass, let’s just say that I was thankful to see some action finally happen. However, her arrival to Harlow is so brief and lackluster that her presence within this film was not necessary at all. Sally’s inclusion was pointless, which means that surely the focus would be on the rest of the new gang, nevertheless, they weren’t important either.
Horror films tend to write the characters just for the sake of disposing of them soon after meeting. When we go to watch a film we know that three-quarters (if not all) of the characters will eventually meet their demise. In the case of Texas Chainsaw Massacre, I wasn’t rooting for anyone to survive, clinging onto the edge of my seat in case the lead died, instead I couldn’t wait for them to pass on. They were unlikeable and the performances were shallow, not necessarily due to the actor’s abilities, but because of how cringy the dialogue was and how many brainless choices were made.
Everyone believes that they’d be the Lara Croft of horror, but in reality, death is more likely than survival for all of us, especially those who believe they’d stand a chance. In this film’s case, I could not fathom some of the fatal decisions made. The mistakes truly floored me!
Despite all the hurrah over the negatives, there are glimmers of hope throughout. One of the most commendable factors is the pacing. The action starts fairly quickly and lingers for long, the lack of lollygagging around ‘who’s who’ was a great decision. And thanks to the fast pace the violence has time to shine. Unlike Sally, Leatherface is back, hardcore style. Once he starts his bloody vengeance there’s no going back and the town of Harlow turns into complete hell. The anarchy really kicks up when Leatherface takes over a bus full of annoying gen-z’s, slicing and dicing his way through with his good ole’ chainsaw.
I’m aware of my remarks regarding the characters, but there was one redeemable persona- the chainsaw. The chainsaw was transformed from a weapon into a whole antagonist. Leatherface begins his rampage using his bare hands, before rushing to get the chainsaw, leading him to return to his metaphorical stomping grounds. Multiple shots hone in on the chainsaw with a bright light surrounding it, framing the weapon as a being rather than an object.
With Garcia having an extensive background as a cinematographer, the film was technically stunning. A plethora of visuals were captivating, allowing the film to have some beautiful moments of relief before the horror resumed. In essence, the visuals alone save the film from being dreadful, I’d even go as far to say that the aforementioned bus scene will go down in horror history for being bloody iconic.
This film is a sequel, so I can’t compare it to the original. What made Hooper’s vision groundbreaking was the dirty, sweaty atmosphere that made the viewer uncomfortable and on edge, especially when you combine this aesthetic with the fleshed-out symbolism surrounding the seedy underbelly of America and the glorification of violence. Everything in Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) is glossy, even the dusty ghost town of Harlow seems like it came straight off of a Hollywood studio set. There was no grit or immersion, I just watched the events unfold.
The entire franchise can be messy and confusing, just like every horror franchise’s timeline, but they sincerely missed an opportunity to create something suspenseful that gets under your skin. Whilst a sense of doom and gloom surrounds my judgement over this film, I could see myself rewatching it for easy entertainment, similar to how Friday the 13th (2009) is a quick watch when you fancy a bit of slashy gore. And that’s all this film is.
Looking for more top horror lists and reviews? Check out our blog here..
“Roses are red, violets are blue, one is dead, and so are you…”
Heart-shaped chocolates, fuzzy teddy bears, and crimson roses all encapsulate that over-bearing gushy feeling that sets hearts racing across the world all in ode to Valentine’s Day. Whilst I can’t say that I’m not a fan of hopelessly romantic films such as The Notebook (2004), there really is something special about Valentines-set horror’s that ooze bloody appeal. Without a doubt, one of the most reputable Valentine’s thrillers has to be My Bloody Valentine (1981), and as with any rocking slasher, this movie has been remade, leaving just one question- which one is better?
Let’s find out in the latest edition of Dead Northern’s Original vs. Remake…
The scene is 1981, within the last few years rising classics have dominated the horror market, including Halloween (1978) and Friday the 13th (1980). The genre is very much alive, gaining interest amongst younger viewers rapidly. During this time we’ve had decent Christmas horror’s (Black Christmas [1974]) and of course a plethora of summer flicks, including Tourist Trap (1979). It became clear that seasonal horror was indefinitely a growing trend, leading to studios to pick up newbie-director George Mihalka to create the future classic that is My Bloody Valentine.
Amongst the cheery atmosphere of Valentine Bluffs, a Canadian mining town, a dark history is fostered. Twenty years previous two supervisors in the mines abandoned the rest of the miners to attend the annual Valentine’s Day dance. In their haste they forgot to check the methane gas levels, resulting in a tragic explosion where the only survivor, Harry Warden, was left to rot, falling back on cannibalism to survive. The year after the incident Warden went on to hunt down the two supervisors, gutting out their hearts and placing them in Valentine’s gift boxes warning the town to never hold another Valentine’s dance ever again or else. Considering decades have passed many of the townspeople have buried his threat and decide to hold another dance, but whilst the residents are hanging up paper mache hearts and red balloons, the mayor and the police chief receive that same old heart shaped box containing a bloody human heart.
Launching My Bloody Valentine’s celebrated reputation is the full bodied plot basis that refuses to succumb to customary genre archetypes. Screenplay writer John Beaird and writer Stephen Miller established a story rooted in the mythos of tall-tales and the recklessness of jovial youths. The film is far from being a formulaic story, there is no summer camp monster, nor are the characters ridden with stupidity, making all the wrong turns at a risky time. The killer’s ethos may still be entrenched with a revenge based quality, yet the apt pacing and added love triangle element fuse together to concoct a balanced parable.
Further forgoing simplicity in favour of rich storytelling is the established production values that unfortunately are rather rare in 1980s slashers. The town of Valentine’s Bluff couldn’t get any more theatrical and audacious if it tried. Theming the town to be like the inside of a soppy Valentine’s card works wonders for the subject matter, it’s even somewhat gutsy. As overused as ‘juxtaposition’ is within horror analysis, in the case of My Bloody Valentine it’s entirely fitting. Seasonal horror universally benefits due to its own eccentric use of timely gimmicks. Without jack-o-lanterns and trick or treaters, many horrors set on All Hallows Eve wouldn’t have that same sentimental texture that drawers viewers in; just as My Bloody Valentine wields cupid tokens and sugar-coated characters to sweep the audience of their feet. The overt heart decorations and cozy atmosphere force an endearing streak of emotiveness, meaning that when someone meets their demise a grievous blow is delivered straight to the viewer.
It’s not just Warden that slashes the town to shreds, the vicious censorship that the film suffered also rips away at Mihalka’s work. When the film hit censors, the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) was less than bemused over the gratuitous brutality. A total of nine minutes were cut and it wasn’t until 2009 when Lionsgate released the film that only an extra three out of those nine were restored. My Bloody Valentine is pretty gruesome with the kills being unmatched amongst many films at the time, but the graphicness that was removed from the film could have made Warden more of a threatening force to be feared, lining him up with genre greats.
Well, this is where the remake drastically differs. A feast of gratuitous nudity, explicit kills, and powerful stylisation all are put under the spotlight in Patrick Lussier’s 2009 retelling of a small town killer.
Tom Hanniger (Jensen Ackles), son of the Hanniger Mine’s owner accidentally causes an explosion, caving in multiple miners, except for Harry Warden who whilst waiting to be discovered killed his fellow workers to conserve oxygen. One year later Warden awakens from his coma, murdering anyone he can at the hospital. Whilst Warden is preoccupied, Tom and his girlfriend Sarah (Jaime King), and their friends Axel Palmer (Kerr Smith) and Irene (Betsy Rue) attend a party in the mines as if a tragedy never occurred, but it’s not long until Warden makes his way to the mine vowing revenge. Sarah, Axel, and Irene escape but Tom is left to battle it out. Luckily for Tom, Sheriff Burke (Tom Atkins) shoots Warden before he can kill again.
Ten years have passed since the incident, and all seems forgotten; that is until Tom returns to the town of Harmony where he intends to sell the mines. Unfortunately, losing the tunnels is not the town’s only demise as it seems that a pickaxe wielding killer is on the loose yet again.
Having a 3D film basically does the marketing itself. Audiences crave immersion, the feeling of being one with the screen, the ability to be fully engrossed within the beauty of cinema. 3D cinema is exciting, especially when you add gory hits and blood spurts into the mix, then you’re in for a real treat, and the results really do show. Within the opening weekend alone over $24 million was grossed. Across the years the film has both raked in over $100 million at the box office and has received a cult status amongst horror fans.
The film is certainly not perfect, but the acclaim is truly deserved.
Kicking off the positives is the ruthless homage to crazy 1980s horror that doesn’t hold back on anything, almost like a rendition to B-movie aesthetics without the cynicism. There’s more than enough gore, crude language, and bare flesh to go round for everyone, with the film’s most redeeming quality rooted within the immodest finish that Lussier brazenly brings to the screen. With this being said, the violence was not overtly slapstick and gross, it was instead genuinely horrifying, it made Harry Warden a more iconic figure to be feared. The kills within the original were terrific, but his nature of being this damaged soul forced into revenge is slightly shallow within the execution. Although this is not necessarily Mihalka’s fault, alternatively the blame falls on those pesky censors. Rather than play tennis over which film is more graphic (bear in mind that the time the remake was made the threshold for violence was much higher) it’s vital to focus on how the remake’s gritty aesthetic is thoroughly entertaining and beyond rewatchable, which is aided by the film’s R-rating typicalities.
The remorseless brutality meant that not a single soul felt safe. Similarly, the way the slate was wiped clean after the exposition based opening meant that throughout the rest of the film every person was a suspect. Whilst Valentine Bluffs is cheery and wholesome, brimming with bubbly charisma, the remake’s town named ‘Harmony’ sweeps away the original’s dreamy atmosphere in favour of bestowing aloof locals who seem stuck in the dead-end town, and that’s just the background folk. The main characters are far from innocent, having affairs and backstabbing one another. To make matters even more complex, the whole whodunnit aspect is dialed up to 100 as the cryptic killer seems to not have a directly clear motive.
Speaking of the town’s unruly natives, the intertwining character dynamics coupled with the stellar performances propel the film into unfamiliar territory for mainstream slashers. I am a major raver for slashers, the good, the bad, and the ugly all reign supremely in my books, but that’s not to say that over the years the poor acting within a few select films tarnishes the overall effect. Within My Bloody Valentine the performances from Ackles, King, and Atkins definitely make the film a standout feature that begs to not be swept under the remake rug.
The entire premise of an unknown assailant cutting their way through a small town is the primary likening between both the original and remake. The plots are not separate. Lussier adapts the remake to be more of a companion piece, allowing for a sense of freedom. One of the most noticeable differences actually lies within the set design. Whilst Valentine Bluffs drenched itself in lovey-dovey iconography, in the town of Harmony the killings just so happen to take place around Valentine’s day, rather than the events being a direct correlation to the festivities. In fact, if you took away the odd notion towards the holiday the film could take place at any other point in the year. Although this aspect allows for a lot of flexibility regarding the viewer, for me it took away a certain level of charm that Mihalka honed in on.
To align both films together is a losing battle as they are entirely individualistic- a quality that is so precious to a successful remake. And whilst the kills in the remake are righteously barbaric, it is vital to remember those epic scenes found in the 1981 version, including the one and only laundromat kill, who doesn’t want to see a charred body lifelessly spinning in a bloody tumble dryer?
In other words, comparing two slashers that were made decades apart is trivial. Audiences have matured, many fans have seen it all, becoming desensitized to good old-fashioned carnage. The callousness that Lussier exhibits is only natural for a modern-day slasher, but then at the same time the original still holds up with every single watch, never becoming diluted or worn.
When it comes to this battle of ‘Originals vs. Remakes’ it’s certainly a tie.
Looking for more top horror lists and reviews? Check out our blog here..
At a party a group of friends use an Oujia board in the hopes of harmless fun, but the connection between the afterlife and reality becomes blurred when an evil spirit unleashes a world of chaos.
Witchboard was notably shunned by many audience goers and critics after its 1986 release, leaving a sour reputation in its wake. Many years after, as with most 1980s cinema, the film received a cult status, with devotees rewarding the over-the-top storyline alongside the flamboyant characters. Witchboard dares to stand out from the rest of seance-based films, partly due to the lack of sterness regarding contacting the dead, but also in how it tiptoes the fine line between being a horror comedy without becoming a mocking parody.
Movies that delve into supernatural territory, particularly those who use an Ouija board as the tool to talk to spirits, don’t gel well with touches of comedy. Yet, director Kevin Tenney has this unique ability to fuse outrageous plot points with sizable spooky visuals. Speaking of Tenney, it can be said that the brazenly wild dynamics of Witchboard created a stylistic backbone for his future work, especially Night of the Demons (1988), everyone’s favourite Halloween popcorn movie.
2- The Haunting in Connecticut (Directed by Peter Cornwell, 2009)
In hopes of relieving the journey travelling to and from hospital for their son Matt’s (Kyle Gallner) cancer treatments, the Campbell’s move into a nearby rental where the family begin to experience terrifying hauntings and violent outbursts from the ghosts occupying the house.
Before everyone knew The Conjuring’s (2013) Ed and Lorraine Warren’s names, there was The Haunting in Connecticut, which is based on a “supposed” true story (the word supposed being used operatively) that the Warren’s investigated in the 1980s. From the outset, the film’s reliance on tropes that horror habitually uses is noticeable, the whole idea of a family moving to a haunted house is not unfamiliar, nor is the notion of the apparition affecting the young in the house, but the execution of such familiarities pushes the film into refreshing depths that creep up slowly on the viewer.
Through a magnifying glass, deeper themes such as the fragility of morality is abundantly clear, mostly owing to Matt’s condition, but also in relation to the house’s history that is unearthed from a terrifying on-screen seance. The seance scene reveals that the previous occupant had some truly sinister intentions up his sleeves. What allows all of these dense threads to disperse is the ultra ominous vibe that is composed by the classic supernatural elements, that no matter how many times they’ve been done can still be a good’un.
3- Host (Directed by Rob Savage, 2020)
A group of six friends host an online seance to relieve some boredom, little do they know that they accidentally lured in a deadly demonic presence.
Though 2020 was a quieter year for cinema, independent filmmaker Rob Savage took the entire world by storm with his spine tingling feature debut, Host. Co written by Gemma Hurley, Jed Shepherd, and Savage is this regenerative effort in injecting an adrenaline boost into found footage and the rising trend of desktop horror. The premise was sparked from a viral prank that Savage pulled on his friends during a zoom meet-up, in which he claimed that strange occurrences were happening in his attic, leading him to ‘inspect’ the site and find a demon. Of course, the unknowing zoom attendees freaked out, and screamed in terror over the charade. With all the viral attention studios quickly became interested in this entirely unique and timely story, leading to the streaming giant Shudder picking up one of the 21st century’s most raved about films.
What’s so special about Host is the personable impression that it holds. The cast and crew were already acquainted, infusing the film with a creepy level of realness. Those brave enough to watch Host actually feel like they’re in the call, taking part in the terrifying action. Across the entire film the seance plays out rather realistically in terms of character reactions. There are those who take the medium seriously, appreciating the threat that the dead can hold, and then there are the others who can’t make it more than two minutes without laughing. Belief isn’t necessary to feel a part of something ‘higher’, and Host uses this sceptical notion to guide and control what the viewer feels. Yes, we may laugh along at the beginning over the *very* precise jargon used within this seance, but by the end it is impossible not to feel provoked by the mysterious art of spiritual channeling.
4- The Changeling (Directed by Peter Medak, 1980)
After a tragedy, composer John Russell (George C. Scott) begins to experience strange phenomena at his stately home. To confirm his suspicions he holds a seance with sinister consequences.
Although The Changeling has long garnered gleaming praise, it isn’t held up alongside the genre’s heavyweights such as The Shining (1980) and Rosemary’s Baby (1968), despite the film’s creative and nerve-jangling execution. Driving The Changeling is thesense of existential dread that ceases to remain contained in one space. This terror stems from the emotive connotations of trauma, which we are led to believe is solely confined within the house and its history, but in reality director Peter Medak thematically implies that the hell being unleashed within the building has the potential to grow and grow until it becomes so enriched in evil that nothing will stop the torment.
With such an elaborate backstory it could be easy to become muddled in its own eccentricity, yet any disarray is diffused as a result of the eerie seance scene where the presence of the ‘other’ becomes so heightened and serious that even seasoned horror fans will experience an eerie level of fear.
5- The Exorcist (Directed by William Friedman, 1973)
When 12-year-old Regan (Linda Blair) becomes possessed by an evil entity, her mother enlists the help of two priests to perform an exorcist.
It would certainly not be appropriate for a seance movie list to exist without the presence of William Friedkin 1970s showstopper The Exorcist. Many have said that the film is overrated, and maybe they’re right (questionable, I know), yet there is simply no denying the cultural phenomenon that is associated with The Exorcist. To have people fainting in the audience during screenings is extreme enough, let alone the outcry it caused amongst media censoring offices across multiple countries, which is the consequence of the harrowing depiction of Regan’s monstrous descent.
The idea that an innocent little girl could wreak havoc upon religion and humanity all thanks to an ouija board is beyond unsettling, especially considering the depths of hellish behaviour she experiences as a result. The medium of spiritual connection has always been alluring, society is naturally drawn to the idea of a spiritual realm. Regardless of general attitudes towards seances, they are not necessarily meant to provoke evil, nor are they meant to prompt devilish behaviour. Quite refreshingly The Exorcist is aware of this, and instead focuses on creating a narrative that rehashes cinema’s treatment of catholicism; generating a whole new interest and inspiration for audiences and filmmakers to explore.
6- Verónica (Directed by Paco Plaza, 2017)
In 1991 Madrid, teenager Verónica (Sandra Escacena) begins experiencing the presence of a sinister being after playing with an Oujia board.
Verónica is a first class extravaganza of nightmarish scares that ignites a surge of panic amongst those who are fearless enough to sit through the entire film. The slow beginning takes its time in building up the world around Verónica. By the time the action starts we have become so well connected with her situation, forcing the stakes to be raised. Rather than sitting back and watching the torment go down, we fear for the characters well being and the consequences of such events.
With this bond that Paco Plaza forms a running surge of originality is created, refusing any scene to slip into normality, instead the trepidation always arrives when it is unexpected. Joining the fierce narrative is the evocative ‘true story’ that inspired the events. Verónica is based upon the real case of Estefanía Gutiérrez Lázaro, who engaged in a seance at her strict catholic school using an Oujia board to contact a spirit. However, a nun interrupted the session by breaking the board, supposedly triggering an ancient anger which led to the death of Lázaro. The story may not be the first one of its kind, but where the case of Lázaro stands out is from the presence of the law. Spanish police ended up becoming involved due to the mysterious circumstances of the situation, leading even them to report of unexplained activity.
7- Seance (Simon Barrett, 2021)
At an elite boarding school a group of friends play a prank on a fellow student pretending to summon a ghost through a fake seance. But when they find her dead shortly after they suspect that they have awoken something evil. To make matters worse, when new girl Camille (Suki Waterhouse) arrives, a string of mysterious deaths occur.
Seance melds together two components of a great horror movie, an isolated setting and threat of the supernatural. Simon Barrett, who has written some stellar films such as You’re Next (2011) and The Guest (2014), tiptoes around the concerns of the supernatural through making the audience second guess the harrowing occurrences at the school. Not once do we know what direction we’re heading in, one moment the film is a whodunit puzzle and then the next he grapples with the idea of the occult. However, not once does the buffet of themes become messy, alternatively, it’s refreshing and totally absorbing to witness the complex enigma that is Seance.
Looking for more top horror lists and reviews? Check out our blog here..
A nightmarish videotape has begun making the rounds, leading to the unlucky viewer’s receiving a mysterious phone call warning them that they will die in seven days. After investigative journalist Rachel Keller (Naomi Watts) learns that her niece and several other teenagers die mysteriously after watching the video, she attempts to track down who made it and why. The investigation soon takes a sinister turn after her son Aiden (David Dorfman) watches the tape, causing her to contact her ex-husband Noah (Martin Henderson) to help her untangle this curse once and for all.
Upon discovering the dark secrets that the tape beholds, it is learnt that thecontent is not the cause of a typical urban legend, but instead a treacherous story about a young girl named Samara (Daveigh Chase) and her vengeful spirit.
Hideo Nakata’s 1998 horror sensation Ringu could be defined as an ubiquitous feat of fragile relationships, infestation of the home, and anxieties over the ever booming spec of technology. All of the above radiate nothing but the truth, yet to condense Ringu’s spine-tingling allegories to mere themes and societal reflections is simply reducing how evoking the film is on an affective level. Even those with nerves of steel will inevitably feel an eerie whisper of fear whilst viewing the film’s terrifying climax, which will not leave your thoughts until long after watching. With any groundbreaking media, there will be those who want to see it go further, to push the interest and increase profits. The most prolific case to date of Japanese horror being remade is Gore Verbinski’s The Ring (2002) which will celebrate its twentieth birthday this year.
Whilst the remake at hand would not win in an original vs remake battle, what The Ring does deserve praise in is its capacity to attract viewers to the genre, influence a string of filmmakers, and allow international cinema to flood the market, enriching horror cinema for the better.
The crash that 1990s horror saw was retrospectively quite damning. Besides a few standout films such as Scream (1996), the market was overwhelmingly flooded with uninspiring films, that was until the early 2000s came and a whole new tidal wave of creativity rushed in. The shift that the millennium film market saw was largely helmed by Verbinski. His previous credits at the time were scarce, hence the reason why he was not the producer’s first choice. Luckily enough David Lynch turned down the offer to direct The Ring, clearing up that spot for some new raw talent. From the very first point, it was made clear that The Ring would not be a grand guignol display of bleeding wounds and tedious jump scares. In contrast, the result is a brooding voyage that meshes both a sense of linear passiveness, akin to a false sense of stillness and a fantastical descent, rife with tangled backstories that pivot the film into unique supernatural territory.
Catalyzing the film’s premise is the infamous cursed tape that is making the deadly rounds. Verbinski folds in layers of symbolism through using smouldering surreality that can come across as slightly ‘film-school-y’, what with all the grainy footage, melding together a heap of Rorschach-esque imagery. Nevertheless, the presence of the tape remains to be nothing less than disturbing, particularly the scenes which mimic the now infamous experimental film Begotten (1989). Permitting shock value is not the tape’s only purpose, the texturized visual scenes of ladders, burning trees, darkened eyes, and most importantly glowing rings are inducing awareness of how Samara’s life mirrors Rachel’s own relationship with her surroundings. Through giving the tape a symbolistic consciousness a deeper meaning of explanation is adhered to.
There is a clear level of juxtaposition between divulging into elaborate character arcs, whilst remaining coherent and uncluttered. In a similar way, the anatomy of the original material and Verbinski’s re-envisioning both make the choice to expose familial-based issues, except the two filmmakers’ methods are rather oppositional. Verbinski has an archetypal take on the tape’s origins, quite bravely he’s not afraid to lean in heavy and get down to the story’s bones. Whereas Nakata conservatively creates a simple backstory of why the events were occurring. If you were to dissect the film with a fine-tooth comb there are major confusions, but it’s fairly obvious that the nonsensical mystery is purposeful. Not everything needs to be untangled, especially when it comes to horror which innately blooms through enigmas. It’s possible that this is the reason why The Ring resonates so well with many, there is no labyrinth of answers to fumble about with, the mystery is fully decoded for you.
Western produced cinema tends to heavily expose and reveal every little crumb through plenty of exposition, like a story being read out to a child. Yet, Verbinski’s fattening of Samara’s sensibility comes across as a valid attempt at painting a picture that tells a sorrow-ridden story. Rachel, Noah, and Aiden all have distant relationships with one another, causing Aiden to have an unusually sensible manner about him, allowing his parents to slightly take the backseat. Quite refreshingly, Verbinski does not suggest that Rachel should forfeit her career to create a meaningful bond with her son.
Instead, an emphasis is put on Noah who abandoned his own son, leaving Rachel to raise a child alone. Rachel’s career and access to certain technologies actually benefit her in solving the case of the cursed tape, diffusing any stereotype that a person cannot both have a family and a riveting profession. Within the subplot involving parenthood lies the true essence of the narrative. Samara’s wrath stems from the lack of humanity she endured, reflecting Aiden’s bond with his parents. He is now in danger, and it is up to Noah and Rachel to bandage together the tape’s context to save Aiden from a harrowing fate, facilitating themes of unification and regret.
Accompanying the film’s impassioned pathos is the distinct style that allows for The Ring to stand out amongst the rest.
It may be basic to revert back to colour theory. Reds and pinks are warm, thus presenting a passionate tone, with blues and green summoning a cold, bleak mood. But alas, Verbinski takes these elementary principles and maximises them to their full advantage. Nakata’s work across the board thrives in its minimalism, that placidity. In comparison American blockbusters relish in their vividness. The colour grading of The Ring defines the entire film, it can even be claimed that the final result would not be the same without it. Dull greys, murky blues, and waterlogged greens catapult the already gloomy Seattle concrete-jungle atmosphere into a horribly dark environment where horror breeds.
The Ring understands the rich history that preludes it. The film’s horror motifs all derive from fantastic 1990s Japanese cinema- the presence of an onryō, cruel technology, cityscapes, distant relationships, the delicacy of time, and an overarching emotion of loss. Presenting these tangible strands of dread through an Americanised light proved to be an exceptional profit builder and genre booster. Twenty years on, The Ring still holds an almost unattainable reputation that remakes find it hard to do- become integrated as a valuable, vital piece of cinema.
Major names such as Takashi Miike, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Takashi Shimizu, and Kōji Shiraishi are all honourable within Japanese horror, but prior to their work that propelled J-horror, there were many older films that are under-appreciated on a mainstream level. Work’s such as Tales of Ugetsu (1953), Kwaidan (1964), and Onibaba (1964) kickstarted the trend of positioning societal matters through a supernatural lens. The underlying contemporary issues that Japanese horror explores are entirely compelling, forgoing trivial circumstances, and that is entirely thanks to the above cinema. Without these films, Ringu and the book that acts as its source material (Ring, [Koji Suzuki, 1991]), let alone the remake, would not have been the same.
The Ring acknowledges that the marketed audience expectations would result in the film needing to adapt its cultural conjectures, hence the heavy background story and subplots. In a bittersweet way the conformity to a westernised forecast resulted in the aforementioned success, but at the same time, the film triggered a string of almost insulting remakes from J-horror classics such as Ju-On: The Grudge (2002), One Missed Call (2003), Apartment 1303 (2007), Pulse (2001), and Dark Water (2002). In trying to continuously adapt culturally-rooted stories a sense of villianisation against these major studios is created. Reimagining plots that belong to Japanese folklore without recontextualizing or appreciating their origins is rather unjust. The Hollywood system is known for its ruthless, remorseless stretches, and the influx of capitalising on East Asian cinema can be viewed as questionable. I highly doubt that Verbinksi created The Ring with the premise of fashioning a recycled meaning of Japanese horror in the west, and considering that Nakata openly admires this adaptation, it’s safe to say that The Ring is actually one of the few remakes that deserve acclaim.
Despite all the doom and gloom, there is a comforting prospect to come from J-horror’s influence. As with many people old enough to watch these films, I didn’t have a smartphone growing up to research world cinema, nor were there streaming sites that worked on importing foreign language horror for people to adore. Instead, I would watch The Ring or The Grudge (2004) in hopes of experiencing a film that ventured outside of the UK or the USA, seeing a new world. It was Verbinski’s work that helped spark my interest in world cinema. As I became older and had easy access to the internet I was enthralled to learn that The Ring was in fact not an original and that I now had an epically long watchlist from films across the entire land to sink my teeth into. Luckily enough with sites such as Netflix and Youtube, potential horror fans can experience films such as Audition (1999), Visitor Q (2001), Battle Royale (2001), and Marebito (2004) with ease.
It is a tricky one to fully decode my thoughts on The Ring. Without a doubt, it is a moving film, brimming with touching connotations that work on sympathising with Samara’s motivations. But the most novel part of bringing this Japanese spirit story to life is the widely sparked interest for a section of cinema that is beyond deserving of international attention.
Looking for more top horror lists and reviews? Check out our blog here..
Meta-horror has an innate way of merging laughs and terror to create a tense story that questions itself and the viewer. Although the origins of meta cinema is hard to pinpoint, it can be agreed that Wes Craven’s Scream (1996) helped catapult this underrated movement.
To celebrate the release of the Scream Franchise’s fifth installment coming out, Dead Northern has compiled a list of top ten must-see meta-horrors.
1- One Cut of the Dead (Directed by Shin’ichirō Ueda, 2017)
One Cut of the Dead follows a team of actors and filmmakers who must shoot a zombie film for a live television slot within one take.
This low budget Japanese flick began its journey into the horror hall of fame when it premiered in a small art house cinema. Although the reaction was positive, no one expected the film to have grossed over $31.2 million within only a year after its release, thanks to One Cut of the Dead winning the audience vote at the Udine Far East Film Festival in 2018. Considering that the film’s headlining act is zombies, the oozing blood and guts is not what gives it the winning charm that soared its reputation. Instead, it’s the unique structure that many films are not brave enough to explore. After the first act, the ravaging zombie attacks diffuse and a separate plot forms, almost like a prequel prior to the main narrative. From a glance, the smorgasbord of rotating filming methods and self-reflexive formulas seem chaotic, and that is very much true. It can be assured that One Cut of the Dead is not a restful watch, but that chaos and sporadic nature is what allows the film to be so full throttle the entire time.
2- Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (Directed by Eli Craig, 2010)
Best friends Tucker (Alan Tudyk) and Dale (Tyler Labine) take a trip to their cabin deep in the mountains. Their holiday soon takes a drastic turn for the worst when a group of vacationing college students believe them to be manic killers.
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil truly meets the definition of ‘expect the unexpected’ as director Eli Craig runs circles around the viewer throughout the film’s entirety. When an individual goes into a horror movie, whether they are an avid watcher or not, you bring in previous movie knowledge and experiences to know what the warning signs of danger are, and what characters are up to no good. The minute we see a group of young randy college students head into an isolated cabin in the woods it’s a given that they will soon be dropping like flies at the hands of some chainsaw-wielding maniac. I Spit on Your Grave (1978), The Evil Dead (1981), Cabin Fever (2002), and Wrong Turn (2003) all instill this sense of Urbanoia -a term coined by film professor Carol Clover-, meaning a general sense of fear over the inhabitants of backwoods America. The film understands the genre’s cliches and overdone tropes, particularly those found within Urbanoia cinema, including ‘close’ familial ties, parodied southern drawls, lack of hygiene and presentation, and above all sexual deviances. Rather than rip off every woodsy horror there is, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil introduces a pair of harmless West Virginia natives who from the outskirts wear dungarees, and have thick accents, but they are entirely civilized (more so than the college characters). Along the way, the tables are turned and the stereotypes are ripped apart to create a standout tongue-in-cheek extravaganza that is not to be missed.
3- Funny Games (Directed by Michael Haneke, 1997)
A family is held hostage by Peter (Frank Giering) and Paul (Arno Frisch), a pair of troubling killers who force their victims to play sinister games.
Funny Games will crawl under your skin at such a slow pace that you won’t even recognise how disturbed you are until after the film reaches its chilling end. Michael Haneke is a celebrated auteur for a reason. His extensive filmography explores the darkest level of the human psyche by breaking cinematic barriers and using film to directly speak to the viewer. Funny Games grandly flaunts a story rife with digs over the depiction of violence within mainstream media as a means of entertainment, tainting enjoyment with austere threat. Don’t be fooled, Haneke is not an ally with moral crusaders such as Mary Whitehouse (video nasty campaigner), in fact, his other work such as Benny’s Video (1992) and Hidden (2005) uses violence as a tool. Alternatively, Funny Games was made as a commentary on how senseless violence with no real purpose has become all too familiar to audiences. Paul breaks the fourth wall more than a couple of times to ask the audience what they want to happen next, asking us to bet on which group will survive. Whilst Peter continuously makes nods to the rules of cinema and what steps they are on within the narrative.
4- Demons (Directed by Lamberto Bava, 1985)
A crowd of random people are mysteriously invited to a screening of an unknown movie, only to become imprisoned within the cinema with hungry demons.
Demons appears on nearly every ‘must see’ classic horror list for a reason. The film satirises the main issue facing horror since its very beginning, particularly the troubles that were heightened in the 1980s. Decades ago horror was under threat from the media, not only were many films banned across the world but filmmakers and video store owners were being prosecuted for selling such ‘filth’ as the media would come to call it. The video nasty panic soared, concocting an intrigue amongst the curious thanks to its taboo nature. Demons capitalises on this allure, and it’s not very discreet in its manner either. The notion of a cursed theatre coming to life, corrupting random viewers for literally no reason is almost laughable in retrospect, but unfortunately very necessary. The fictional film presented within Demons is overtly graphic and violent, then all of a sudden the bystanders turn into monsters, killing anyone who they can latch their claws onto. Joining the copious reasons as to why Demons is considered a classic is the outrageously gruesome practical effects. Gory oozy pus, pulsating veins, extending fangs, green drool, and zombie red eyes are just some of the repulsive effects that are enough to make a horror veteran squirm.
5- Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (Directed by Scott Glosserman, 2006)
Leslie Vernon (Nathan Baesel) is a future serial killer who enlists the help of a documentary crew to follow him as he prepares for a night of slashing.
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon takes the form of a mockumentary aiming to deconstruct everyone’s favourite slashers through creating its own villain-based folklore. Wes Craven masterfully dissected the slasher subgenre in Scream (1996) with endless references to Halloween (1978), Friday the 13th (1980), Prom Night (1980), and The Town That Dreaded Sundown (1976). Since then many films have attempted to recreate the magic and nostalgic warmth that Craven managed to capture, but these tries have just come across as a carbon copy of recycled jokes, that is until Scott Glosserman created this epic descent into fictionalised monster-mayhem. Throughout the film we are treated to plenty of chucklesome moments, particularly Leslie’s exclaims over his fitness regime to keep up with his victims and his upkeep in theatre performance to create a suitable atmosphere. Amongst all the quips about the genre are the quick nods that certainly don’t go unnoticed, including the cameos from Robert Englund and Kane Hodder.
6- Return to Horror High (Directed by Bill Froehlich, 1987)
Director Josh Forbes (Scott Jacoby) is making a horror movie based on a series of murders at a high school where the killer was never found. Years have passed and there has been no signs of the murderer, that is until crew members begin to suddenly disappear.
Within the current climate, the common gripe with the genre surrounds the stream of remakes flooding the market. Many audience members reminisce about the good old days of horror. In the past (the good old days that people rave about) the general complaints regarded the abundance of slasher films which had been done time and time again. There is always going to be something to rant about, and Bill Froehlich noticed this. Return to Horror High bravely ignored the concerns over creating another slasher though reinventing the subgenres realm of expectations. Froehlich focused on the ‘film-within-a-film’ plot and a whole new territory was stirred. No character is safe and not a single scene could be trusted as we can’t tell whether the events were part of the in-house movie or the actual plot. Furthering the self-deprecating humour is the back and forth between the characters of Josh and sleazy producer Harry Sleerek (Alex Rocco). Josh wishes to create a meaningful piece of art that explores allegorical terrain, whereas Harry wants Josh to up the nudity and gore to increase sales; taking aim at the harsh reality of filmmaking.
7- Be My Cat: A Film for Anne (Directed by Adrian Țofei, 2015)
Adrian (Țofei) is an aspiring filmmaker with a very strong obsession with actress Anne Hathaway. In hopes of getting her to star in his upcoming project, he goes to extreme lengths to create a deadly demo.
Be My Cat: A Film for Anne is a Romanian found footage film that gets downright nasty in its harrowing portrayal of obsession, toxicity, and megalomania. Found footage films originate from movements such as Cinéma vérité and Mondo cinéma, assembling an end result that leans on the side of reality to conjure an intimate vibe. To say that this film blurs the lines between fiction and reality is one bold statement as Be My Cat goes above and beyond any found footage film’s attempt at transfusing the two. Țofei will genuinely have the viewer questioning whether this is a real snuff film coming from the dark depths of the web. The extremity is not the concern, in fact, it does not overindulge in explicit imagery, in lieu the terrifying pathos is owed to the acting and staging from Țofei. His character shows signs of humanness through explaining his favouring of women and cats and hatred of men and dogs thanks to his experiences of bullying growing up, notedly there are some signs of empathy between relations. Adrian has an almost childlike element to his persona where he constantly refers to his actions as not his own and just his characters. Forcing the viewer to determine whether he is just a very sick and confused man or a complete psychopath.
8- The Final Girls (Directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson, 2015)
Max (Taissa Farmiga), a young woman reeling over the loss of her mother who was a famous scream queen is transported back to the 1980s into the world of her mother’s famous movie, Camp Bloodbath.
Drew Goddard’s Cabin in the Woods (2011) seemingly changed the game for meta horror with the parodic take on the genre radiating success. Joining this boom in modern horror exercising conscious narratives is The Final Girls which has seemingly slipped under the radar despite the film’s critical acclaim. The Final Girls realises the silliness at just redoing what great summer camp movies such as The Burning (1981) and Sleepaway Camp (1983) have already done. Rather than focus on replicating overdone chase scenes and machete battles with the camp’s resident killer, the film takes us in a new direction through commenting upon how ridiculous the writing was from genre classics. There was always the forceful jock, the stoner, the dumb (and over-sexualised) blonde, and most importantly the final girl. Strauss-Schulsonknowingly avoids these gimmicks and refreshingly delivers something that genuinely hasn’t been done before.
9- The Last Horror Movie (Directed by Julian Richards, 2003)
Wedding photographer by day and serial killer by night, Max Parry (Julian Richards) takes us with him as he documents his grizzly murders.
The Last Horror Movie’s chilling portrayal of a damaged and ruthless man is entirely owed to writer and director Julian Richards, and Kevin Howarth who plays the titular serial killer Max. The story at its roots is not completely original, that’s not to say that it’s not utterly captivating and unique, but films such as Man Bites Dog (1992) have gone there before. The true terror is found within the film’s execution, thriving within its storytelling methods.
Max gets his assistant to film the events, creating a level of flexibility. it’s almost as if we were a fly on the wall watching his dirty deeds go down. Max appears as a rather middle class man with his extensive monologues delving into why the viewer wants to watch a horror film in the first place, this one in particular. The Last Horror Movie’s tone is conversationalist, creating a natural note, which of course sounds pleasant. That is until we are directly questioned about why the viewer is technically a voyeur deep down, receiving gratification from incredibly brutal material.
10- Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (Directed by Wes Craven, 1994)
Ten years after A Nightmare on Elm Street made its debut the movie’s lead, Heather Langenkamp (played by herself) has her life turned upside down as Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) has entered real life.
A meta-film list would not be complete without an entry from the one and only Wes Craven. The primary purpose of meta-horror is to bring cinema to life, to block the barrier that makes movies fictional. New Nightmare transfixes on tributing what makes horror so fascinating. At the end of the day, no matter whose side you take, horror films aim to scare and shock, in reality, why would anyone possibly want to feel purposefully alarmed? Craven acknowledges arguments made against the genre and mocks those who feel that the horror is exploitative. New Nightmare focuses on Freddy Kreuger leaving the on-screen universe to breach the railings of the real world.
In an expressive way, the film boxes up what Craven had advocated for years. It’s not horror that causes issues, alternatively, horror just releases what’s already there. Similarly, this exact same premise is explored in his next feature Scream. When Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) reveals himself as Ghostface he states that “movies don’t create psychos, movies make psychos more creative”. At this current moment in time scrutiny is at an all-time high, making Wes Craven’s New Nightmare more crucial than ever.
Looking for more top horror lists and reviews? Check out our blog here..
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are dead happy with it.OkNo
