2016 was a pretty fantastic year for horror. Featuring a diverse
collection of theatrical and indie released films; it was a year that gave us
some terrific sequels and prequels, as well as originals. From the artistic The
Witch to the terrifying The Conjuring 2, 2016 proved that some
of the best, most original movies were coming from the horror genre. in a sea
of remakes, even less well-received films felt newer than some of the more
questionable choices in Hollywood. That's why, in 2017, hopes are high. Already
this year, we've seen duds and stars, and this week's list looks at the three
best, while mentioning some of the worst.
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| (imdb.com) |
While never completely fresh or revolutionary, It Comes at
Night is amazingly well-done. It creates such a tense atmosphere that the
weight of the world rests on the shoulders of the viewer. The dream sequences
are horrifyingly anticipatory and with some gut punches to be expected later
in the film, audiences can expect to be thoroughly gloomy after it ends.
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| (imdb.com) |
2. The Void
With an amazing marketing campaign, iconic costuming and some
terrific special effects, The Void is truly impressive. Balancing a
variety of subgenres, this movie is sure to appeal to most movie watchers.
Between believable acting, 80s stylizations and an abundance of scares, the sci-fi cult film, The Void feels
entirely new in a genre inundated by similarities. The Void is the rare horror movie that, despite some occasional shortcomings, features so many amazing things, that its hard not to root for. It's a film you want to recommend over and over again, because it is a must see. The Void is fun and scary and encapsulates so much of what horror used to be, it's a welcome throwback.
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| (imdb.com) |
1. Get Out
Get Out made
quite the splash when it was released. Capturing race relations in the United
States within the context of an easy-to-understand horror movie, this film is
surely a modern classic. While not scary for the typical reasons, this movie
is, through and through, eye-opening, pure entertainment. Its funny, dark and
suspenseful. Even as audiences begin to figure out exactly what may be happening,
Get Out demands constant attention. It's a thrilling journey and by far
the best horror movie to be released this year.
Honorable Mentions: Alien: Covenant, Split, The
Blackcoat's Daughter and The Devil's Candy
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| (imdb.com) |
Dishonorable Mentions: Rings, The Bye Bye Man and Be
Afraid
Between terribly timed scares, stuffy atmospheres and mediocre
acting, each of these three films fail in very similar ways. They're completely
unaware of their shortcomings and fall apart on so many levels that their
releases are pretty surprising. Rings, a follow-up/reboot of the
original pairs of the American remakes, suffers greatly from awful CGI,
unbelievable performances and a plotline that is more nightmarish than the weak
scares and atmosphere. The Bye Bye Man is just as bad, featuring nothing
redeemable outside of a fun catchphrase. But, like the overly plugged line,
this is a movie you shouldn't think about, shouldn't say and most definitely
shouldn't see. Then there's the indie release of Be Afraid which even taken
lightly given its smaller budget, feels lazy and poorly made.
