Best in Show: Horror in the City (Pt. I of II)

In a lot of horror movies, utilizing rural landscapes and dark forests add to the drama. These desolate locations create a sense of helplessness and dread, most often ending in a bloodbath. But, cities aren't so safe either. While woods offer plenty of winding shadows and dark emptiness, cities offer sharp corners and intense populations. In horror, movies that are set in the city are often just as terrifying - if not more terrifying - than those places in the wilderness. Sure, out in the woods you may feel alone, but in the city, you can't ever feel alone - danger could be lurking anywhere. This week's list covers horror movies that use cities to their advantage.

10. Rosemary's Baby

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Visually stunning, the 1960s classic, Rosemary's Baby, takes place perfectly nestled in an astounding apartment deep in New York City. Easily one of horror's most iconic films and most legendary setting, Rosemary's Baby has inspired numerous films shot in urban settings. From Annabelle to Devil's Due, pretty much any movie featuring a pregnancy seems to draw from this classic. Annabelle directly pulled from the beauty of the apartment complex in Rosemary's Baby and for good reason - it's the type of movie with enough visuals to produce countless films.

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9. Deliver Us from Evil

While not the scariest, Deliver Us from Evil makes the best use of its large scale setting. Utilizing much of New York City's derelict architecture, the critically panned, Deliver Us from Evil, makes great use of its surroundings. Featuring scenes in a zoo, apartments and standalone houses, the filmmakers used the entire city to create an expansive world commonly unseen in horror. Even it’s more typical locales, like the dimly lit basement brim with urban decay and tight corridors. Deliver Us from Evil has plenty of flaws to gawk at, but its amazing use of the city is underrated.

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8. The Day After Tomorrow

While not necessarily horror, the ever timely, Day After Tomorrow, is its own type of scary movie. With cascading views and a giant public library central to this apocalyptic adventure, Day After Tomorrow is a noteworthy disaster film that showcases the end of the world within New York City. While other films have showcases this location in dire circumstances, the way the diversity of the city is represented is pretty spot on, allowing room for multiple characters from different backgrounds to live facing the end of days. Using the antiquated library as a focal point, Day After Tomorrow makes New York City feel like its own little world, providing everything you'd need, while cutting you off from the actual world itself.

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7. World War Z

With the gigantic setting of the entire planet, World War Z feels like a massive feat. Beginning as a focused escape and expanding to larger borders encompassing entire cities, World War Z hits every mark. Between the opening scenes in an apartment complex deep within Philadelphia and expanding toward true chaos as all of Jerusalem goes under siege, this film balances intimate horror with massive world-ending nightmares. World War Z isn't your typical horror film that focuses on a group of survivors, but instead looks at the global impact of an outbreak. Its use of urban centers is terrific and definitely fresh.

 

6. As Above, So Below

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While not specifically dictated by the city above, As Above, So Below features a pretty fantastic urban setting beneath Paris. It just so happens that the catacombs beneath are real, thus qualifying it for this list. What makes this movie special in regards to the city is how terrifying the underground can become, despite the land above being lively and vibrant. Regardless of what is happening in Paris, the catacombs beneath are completely different and scary. They showcase just how deafening cities can be. Whether in a sewer or in an underground burial, As Above, So Below made tourist hotbeds feel desolate.