Best in Show: Nasty Neighbors (Pt. I of II)

While plenty of horror films are set nestled in desolate locations, some of the scariest stories come from the house right next door. Whether hiding bodies in their basement or harboring a dark secret, neighbors can be the unknown and unsuspecting evil you never knew you had to watch out for. Sure suburbia sounds nice and high-rises can build a sense of community, but when your fellow suburbanites or tenants are evil, isolation seems like the better plan. This week's list covers horror's scariest neighbors.

(imdb.com)

10. Will & Annie (Honeymoon)

While leaning more toward the isolated setting of films like The Strangers, the indie horror flick, Honeymoon, features a pair of distant neighbors who could make any new residents' skin crawl. When Paul and Bea set out for their honeymoon at a remote cabin, their closest neighbors are a pair of odd townies, Will and Annie. Will happens to know Bea from her youth and Annie, while quieter is deeply troubled. And, while Will ends up being less aware of the dark roots setting themselves into Annie and Bea, his initial hostilities toward Will are more than suspicious cannot be ignored.

(imdb.com)

9. Ryan Jacobson (House at the End of the Street)

Despite his troubled childhood and continued struggles, there's no denying the creep factor driving Ryan Jacobson. When divorcee Sarah and her daughter, Elissa, move into a secluded and wooded neighborhood, the nearby house at the end of the street proves to harbor more than the normal white lies of everyday families. Ryan lives there alone after the disappearance of his sister who happened to murder their parents. Things get increasingly unsettling as Elissa uncovers far more than she bargained for in her budding relationship with Ryan. Ryan isn't your typical scary neighbor; he's young, enrolled in school and seems relatively friendly, but through all of his childhood trauma, Ryan has turned into something far more evil.

(imdb.com)

8. Abel Turner (Lakeview Terrace)
Rarely do thrillers give as much of a perspective as to the crazed reasoning behind bad neighbors as in Lakeview Terrace. While completely unwarranted, there's something almost sympathetic about the unhinged Abel Turner. His actions while sinister and problematic are given plenty of backstory and while he eventually turns into quite the problem, he starts the movie as a grumpy old man. It’s a shame how evil he turns out to be because everyone would think having a cop next door would be the blessing of a lifetime.  Instead, it ends up being an absolute nightmare. 

(imdb.com)

7. The Castevets (Rosemary's Baby)

You have to love moving into a new place and discovering you have kind, even if a little overbearing, elderly neighbors. Well, that is until you realize they're far more sinister than they appear. Turns out, the Woodhouse's neighbors are quite the opposite of cutesy. In fact, they're anything but. Last week, the pair made the list of scariest old people in horror and for good reason. The Castevets' pension for Satan, hidden behind a desire to assist Rosemary and her pregnant needs, is anything but neighborly. Rosemary's Baby is a classic hinged on the great villains created in The Castevets. They're terrifyingly kind demeanors and their overly helpful nature make for something truly dark.

(imdb.com)

6. The Ferrins, Halversons and Mr. Cali (The Purge)While a lot of money may buy you a nice neighborhood, it certainly can't buy you nice neighbors. While the tension built around the neighbors surrounding the Sandin's may seem a little warranted, the added pressure of an annual anything-goes evening of horrors is all that's needed to break the camel’s back. Whether it’s the standoffish but innocent behavior exhibited by the Sandin's is partially to blame the horrific intentions of their neighbors is anything but couth. Despite the feigned culture and class of them all, this group of neighbors are vicious. They set out with a goal and set on the Sandin's house with all the ferocity of the deeply rooted mistrust and competition of upper-class living.