Luckily, the first offerings of the year are seldom an indicator of the genre’s place for the next eleven months, and 2013 was certainly no different.
Sometimes when assembling these lists I can’t even put together ten horror movies from the year that I truly love, but in 2013 I had to chop the list down from over 15.
Let the chopping begin!
Other staff 2013 Picks: Managing Editor Ryan Turek / Contributing Writer Ryan Larson / Contributing Writer Paul Doro
Spencer Perry's Best of 2013
-
#10
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters - I've lost some of you already, but I unapologetically love this movie. It has the right amounts of gore, humor, fun, and nonsense to make it a totally enjoyable schlocky movie. The witches and monsters all look great and the action is surprisingly superb. I'd be so down for this to become the next big franchise, as it seems it might.
-
#9
Jug Face: What is really striking about this movie is the acting. The premise is pretty out there to begin with but it's the way these actors sell everything that draws you in and grabs your attention. Sean Bridgers and Lauren Ashley Carter are stellar in this flick which will leave you guessing until the very end.
-
#8
Resolution: A simple enough movie that is really anything but simple. It's not until you're hooked into the film's real world issues that it starts to get creepy and I won't lie, my blood ran cold a number of times watching this one. It's a smart movie that will mess with you head and requires multiple viewings to bring it all full circle.
-
#7
V/H/S/2: I put the first one on my Top 5 last year and though I don't think the sequel is necessarily better than the first it did take the premise and extend it into exciting territory with fresh ideas and insane stories.
-
#6
The Lords of Salem: This movie is not everyone's cup of tea, but it is my cup of tea and I like my tea with witch stories, hair raising trippy images, and Ken Foree. As a Rob Zombie apologist, it's nice to see him working in how own realm with little interference from people in suits, and when he goes full on crazy it's amazing.
-
#5
Evil Dead: Like most of the horror community I was cautiously optimistic about this movie, but after seeing it on the big screen with a packed theater I knew I loved it. When you see a lot of movies, one of the factors for whether I consider something really special is if I want to watch it again and I've watched this one multiple times.
-
#4
The Conjuring: I think this is one of the most well made horror movies in years and what The Conjuring does so well is in its approach to the material which is without any unintentional comedic beats or even a moment of hesitation. In a world where we've "seen it all," The Conjuring offers us something new to keep us awake at night.
-
#3
You're Next: There are two things I really love about this movie, its nostalgiac throwback to '80s horror and the female protagonist. Though this certainly isn't the only film on the list with a female lead, it's the only one that plants her so succinctly into the survivor girl archetype (pun intended) without her becoming a wanna-be trope. This is one of those movies that will live on at Halloween parties for years.
-
#2
This is the End: I can hear you sharpening your pitchforks now, but ask yourself before you stab me: Is a movie that includes demons, the devil, possessions, exorcisms, in addition to pits to hell and cannibal tribes, NOT a horror movie? This Is the End is not only the funniest movie of the year, it's one of the best horror-comedies in years and something that can still illicit belly laughs even after multiple viewings.
-
#1
Insidious Chapter 2: I didn't get a chance to see Insidious: Chapter 2 until much later in its theatrical run, and by the time I did I was the only person in the theater which only amplified my terror to another level. This movie got under my skin like nothing else this year. It's chilling story with efficient, smart scares are some of the best of the year and the way that Leigh Whannell evolves the mythology of the series is what made me love it even more.
