In the waning days of 2015, well be polling SHOCKs stable of fantastic freelancers to see what horror flicks made them tick the loudest.
We continue with SHOCK’s managing editor Chris Alexander
5. ANGUISH
Not the kinky, weird 1987 Bigas Luna Spanish shocker of the same name, but writer/director Sonny Mallhi‘s contemporary ghost story/domestic drama; a muted, haunting (literally) tale of a withdrawn teen (Ryan Simpkins) whose lifelong mental illness just might be attributed to the fact that she is a receptor for the dead. Now, as she tries to settle into a new home with her long-suffering mother, it appears she might be possessed by the ghost of a fellow teen who refuses to leave and the mother of that deceased youth knows it. No gore, no violence, no sensationalism of any kind here; ANGUISH is simply an artfully executed story about loss and the refusal to let go of the memory of those taken from us. A beautiful horror movie.
4. JULIA
Roger Ebert once said when reviewing Darren Aronofskys PI, something to effect that if you gave him one solid character that he fully completely identified with or at least was fascinated by, he would follow that character anywhere he or she went on screen. This mangled quote applies perfectly to Matthew A. Brown’s film JULIA and the powerhouse performance that stalks every frame. THE HUMAN CENTIPEDEs Ashley C. Williams is magnetic as the titular character in this arty, kinky, strange and atmospheric psychodrama, a picture that positions itself as a rape/revenge thriller but evolves into so much more. The film is very good, stylish and sensual and strange but the central turn by Williams is what really sells it and sells it so very, very hard. The actress transforms from a hair-pulling nebbish to a blood-spattered avenging angel with grace and ferocity in equal measure. Its the best female performance of the year hiding in a muted indie horror film and though it wont win any awards this year, in a perfect world, it would. Ashley: were watching you with great interest
3. BONE TOMAHAWK
BONE TOMAHAWK is a major film, progressive in that it positions itself as one sort of brutal genre film (violent western morality tale) and then slowly, surely oozes over the line into an even more kind of brutal genre film (ultra-ULTRA-violent cannibal shocker) and ends up transcending both. Director S. Craig Zahler’s nightmarish oater from Hell opens with extremity and climaxes with what is beyond a doubt the most grueling to endure final reels in recent memory. In between, THE SEARCHERS-esque quest film is filled to the Stetson with richly detailed characterizations given life by a pack of unforgettable actors (Kurt Russell, Richard Jenkins, Matthew Fox, Sid Haig, David Arquette and many others). I am absolutely obsessed with this movie. I hung on every second of it. And I watched it three times in 2 days. Ill watch it many, many more before I meet my maker. Scary, funny, brooding, beautiful to look at and vomitous in its violence (though said violence is absolutely vital to the fabric of the film). More epic gore westerns please!
2. GOODNIGHT, MOMMY
If this unyieldingly disturbing motion picture doesnt make it on to every genre film critics Best lists this year than I advise you not to trust the scribes who omit it. Because GOODNIGHT MOMMY is a real deal horror movie, filled with dread, paranoia and psychosis, seen from the point of view of children, which makes it all the more alien and frightening. Im extremely pleased that a contemporary European arthouse psychodrama like this has gotten such well-deserved attention. Of course, because of its popularity, the usual strain of internet malcontents are calling it overrated, some ballsy lunkheads even saying it sucks. Well, theyre idiots. GOODNIGHT MOMMY is the most quietly unnerving movie of the year.
1. BASKIN
This astonishing Turkish horror film from director Can Evrenol is a ferocious, fluid and flesh filled, living, breathing nightmare caught on film and, though it has yet to be released on these shores, its my vote for the greatest goddamned horror film of this year, probably next as well. Now, I havent seen THE WITCH yet, so I can only comment on the pictures Ive seen; the disgusting, beautiful and astonishing BASKIN plays as it an alien saw a Lucio Fulci film, took acid, got naked and decided to make a horror movie. In Turkey. Baroque, bizarre, sexual, sickening oh, Hell just read my review out of the Toronto International Film Festival HERE.
So thats my list. Feel free to yell at me below
