Worst in Show: 2017 Horror (Pt. II of II)



(imdb.com)

5. Wolves at the Door
Horror fans eat up pretty much all types of brutality in film as long as the result is warranted, fictional and generally in tasteful,  good fun. So when the marketed-as-a-horror-film true account of the grisly Manson Family Murders was unleashed in the form of Wolves at the Door, it should have come as no surprise that this unnecessary, distasteful and one-dimensional depiction left little to satisfy viewers. Told through a true perspective with little added depth, this movie would have done far better to stay clear of any real life cults, members or slain victims with living relatives. At least then the very blatant The Strangers rip-off would feel a little more spirited and tactful.

(imdb.com)

4. Be Afraid

Indie horror can lead to some pretty great little gems. Unfortunately, Be Afraid is far from sparkling. Confusing, immature and generally dumb, Be Afraid should have stayed out of the public purview. It's a laughable and disjointed little film with little to enjoy and little to write on.

(imdb.com)

3. The Bye Bye Man

The Bye Bye Man is a rough film to get through. Melding teen horror, far too many conventional scares and poor CGI, this almost jokey movie didn't raise any hopes for the 2017 year in horror. The Bye Bye Man is filled with unlikeable and generally unreasonable characters with little meat. Like so many made-for-the-masses horror films, like Ouija, this movie felt deeply insincere and unstylish; two things that could have been changed and brought the movie a long way past the mediocrity viewers were left with.

(imdb.com)

2. Rings

Objectively, Rings is the worst horror film of the year. In a rare first-person perspective, I've not forgotten how terrible this film was and how more than half of the audience in my theater stood up and walked out midway through. The experience was painful, but unlike anything I'd ever witnessed. No movie I've seen in a theater - big or small - has caused such a unanimous uprising. Tepid, poorly acted and incredibly tension-free, the CGI-fueled Rings felt insulting to both the original Ringu and the American remake. It wholly deserves every criticism it gets, and probably more. In fact, had it not been for one film's release, it would most certainly take the top spot. 

(imdb.com)

1. Jeepers Creepers 3

In a second rare first-person perspective, I'm going to declare here and now, that I never saw Jeepers Creepers 3. But almost as objectively as one could look at Rings and personally as a human being, I can say that this movie is surely garbage. Directed by convicted child molester Victor Salva, Jeepers Creepers 3 picks up after the first film and... Well honestly, it doesn't matter because this movie was an offensive cash grab. It's an insult to horror fans everywhere that spend much of their time arguing that the genre isn't filled with creeps and criminals. That's it.

Worst in Show: 2017 Horror (Pt. I of II)

For what has been a mostly stellar year in horror, from big budget masterpieces to smaller indies, there have been a number of misses in the industry this year. So, as the prospects of ripping open some presents begin to take over minds all across the country and much of the world, we're taking a moment to rip open some of 2017's worst horror movies. Like those fantastic releases this year, these terrible horror films come in all shapes and sizes. Sequels, reboots and indies, alike found plenty to groan over. Here are the ones that warrant the loudest noises of displeasure.

(imdb.com)

10. Amityville: The Awakening

In Amityville: The Awakening, Bella Thorne continues to jumps deeper down the scream queen rabbit hole and horror fans ask why she's being allowed to. What makes her marketable in these roles? In this film, viewers will continue to wonder. Bland, typical and far less impressive than most haunted house films, Amityville: The Awakening does answer the question as to why it had such a tumultuous release- it just wasn't worth releasing.

(imdb.com)

9. 12 Feet Deep  

Winning points for concept, but losing the majority in execution, it'd be easily to believe that 12 Feet Deep would be the claustrophobic thriller of the year. Supposedly about a pair of sisters' fight for survival trapped in an Olympic pool, this movie brings in too many other plot lines in an almost anxious fear of the silent, overarching dread it should have driven (swam?) home. 12 Feet Deep isn't the most offensive release of the year, but it’s certainly one of the biggest let downs.

(imdb.com)

8. Darkness Rising

IFC Midnight has been quite a savior for horror in recent years. Distributing some of the biggest names in modern horror, the typically sleek distributors have dealt out some duds, but mostly their releases have been great. Unfortunately, one of their duds - this year's Darkness Rising - is a mark too big to ignore. Annoying, unintelligible and poorly told, Darkness Rising definitely brings the darkness. If only there was something scary within it.  

(imdb.com)

7. The Mist (TV Series)

What began as an intriguing recreation of the Stephen King novel of the same name, quickly divulged into a schlocky and redundant piece of bad special effects, mediocre acting and unlovable characters. The Mist isn't a movie and thus it’s difficult to compare to others on this list, but in a way, that makes it almost worse. Given an entire season to bring in the fears and unleash terror on audiences, The Mist serves as a blatant reminder that horror is only good, when all of its pieces work together. Not helping its situation is the previously released feature film of the same name that is far superior.

(imdb.com)

9.  Cold Moon

Just yesterday, Cold Moon received a scathing review from HOR(iley)ROR noting it as competition for worst of the year. However, upon reflection, it gets somewhat of a pass in light of movies that are somehow even worse. A mystery thriller with supernatural elements, this film follows the aftermath of the murder of a young woman in a small southern town. Digestible but not much else, Cold Moon feels entirely senseless. The violence? Senseless. The characters? Senseless. And the plot? Completely senseless. In multiple scenes it becomes clear how difficult it must have been to sell this movie to any distributer. There is little rhyme or reason for any of the film's direction and in the end... Well, chances are you won't make it that far.

Review: Totem

(imdb.com)

Is teen horror making a comeback? It certainly seems like it. For quite some time, this subgenre has burned out slowly; most notably with the crash and burning of the glossy, mediocre and boring Ouija. But, with films like Wish Upon and Amityville: The Awakening, it looks as if were in a renaissance. But, while film makers turn back toward these films, the question remains: will audiences be willing to stick around and watch? Totem would suggest that the answer is no.


Released by Cinemax and already in the peripheral of 2017's more impressive releases, Totem follows a teenager with a creepy relationship with her father, who in turn must protect them from a supernatural force that invades the house when the father's new girlfriend moves in. If the premise sounds unoriginal, it's because it mostly is. But if only to exasperate the film's flaws, the movie's eventual reveal and overall execution are equally as poor and unoriginal as the premise.


Totem stars Kerris Dorsey (Ray Donovan) as daughter/sister-turner-caretaker, Kellie, Ahna O'Reilly (The Help) as the dismantling newcomer, Robin, James Tupper (Revenge) as the father and Lia McHugh (Hot Summer Nights) as Kellie's sister. Across the board, each is equally tepid in their role. McHugh is somewhat more acceptable as the oddball youngster with little understanding, but outside of that, this cast sloppily fills the roles in a way that makes them seem tacked onto the project. Dorsey looks to be having fun in her chaotic role but her relationships between the other characters are unanimously cringe and Tupper, while making a valiant effort to create a dad whose try his best, never seems to have any real empathy or depth.


Narratively, Totem is a sloppy. Whether it’s the lack of commitment to character development or the lack of a consistent villain, there are just too many inconsistencies. What begins as a supernatural flick diverges into a crazed slasher far too late, Kellie's sister is odd but no one quite ever figures out how or why exactly. Instead it’s mentioned frequently, but only in passing, and Robin is maybe younger than the father but it’s never laid out fully how big the age difference is or what exactly the problem is.


The biggest flaw of all is how plainly boring Totem is. There isn't a single moment of tension, a single half-heartedly thrown in laugh or even a character that's worth rooting for. Totem has a lot of things working against it and does little to push forward. It's difficult to say Totem deserves to go unseen but, in a landscape with far better movies, the small release of it is completely warranted. 3 out 10.