Best in Show: Holiday Horrors (Pt. II of II)





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5. P2
P2 isn't the most memorable horror film. But, with a fantastic concept and a terrifically loony role for Wes Bentley, this Christmas horror movie should be anything but forgettable. This typical obsession-slasher movie follows a corporate woman working late on Christmas Eve who becomes entangled in a cat-and-mouse game with a security guard blocking her in a parking garage. Things transpire with typical horror conventions but the resulting film glows with holiday cheer and is an entertaining addition to any yuletide playlist.



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4. Black Christmas

Whether deciding on the campy, spooky original or the somewhat grotesque remake, Black Christmas is a practical go-to slasher film for the season. Neither are masterpieces and both have some great aspects, and some really bad ones. But, while the bad is glaring, the good provides enough jolly holiday fun to make them more than worthwhile. The original's use of horrifying, telephone breathing and the remakes obscenely terrifying killer provide the perfect reminder that while these movies are definitely reserved for a certain time of the year, they will always be scary. 

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3. Better Watch Out

One of the best Christmas horror movies out there also happens to be one of the newest. Starring a cast a fantastic young stars, Better Watch Out is a twisty slasher brimming with the essence of the holidays. The visuals are lush, the lights warm and the bloodshed gory. All of it culminates into a perfect experience with funny, but intense results. Better Watch Out deserves the fan base it's rapidly collecting because it's a spirited and captivating holiday horror film that knows how to work its simple premise. Better Watch Out is now streaming exclusively on Shudder, a great move for a great movie.







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2. Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale

Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale is probably the most outlandish film to make this list. Odd, but actually scary, this comical Finnish horror flick is reminiscent of the worlds of Guillermo Del Toro, but with an undeniable locale-point of view. Rare Exports is now streaming on Prime which makes it all the easier to see for those of us who may have missed it on its first rounds. Full of festive undertones, brimming with sweater-adorning characters and really, really scary elves, this holiday movie is a blast.

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1. Krampus
While maybe the most typical option and the more famous out of the others, its negligent to ignore how polished Krampus is. Never taking itself too seriously, the film is full of campy scares, jovial comedy and overall high quality entertainment. Not only is it an effective holiday flick, it’s also a terrific horror and comedy one too. With characters that are unlikeable, yet lovable, elves as creepy as those in Rare Exports and plenty of odd baubles and trinkets that come to life, the ever-charming Krampus is a masterful blend of cinema.



The Overlook: Savageland

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Mockumentaries are a hit-or-miss game in filmmaking. If done well, these films feel entirely nonfiction. Done poorly, and a mockumentary can seem flimsy, fake and ultimately unwatchable. That's why coming across an effective one that provides grounded realism with just enough supernatural aspects can be a great discovery. Films like The Bay or The Conspiracy tie dark and twisted realism with just enough slow-burning sprinkles of horror to become impressive - and fictional - cultural pieces; seamlessly tying in political themes and alarmingly realistic accounts to make for some truly terrifying horrors. Savageland is attempts to do similar.

Savageland takes place shortly after an entire town is mysteriously murdered. The sole survivor of the event - an undocumented immigrant - is instantly blamed. However, his photos from the event paint a very different picture. The film stars Noe Montes as Francisco Salazar, the sole survivor of the event, Monica Davis (California Solo), Len Wein (Gotham) and Edward Green (Distraction) play the most relevant interviewees, Monica, Gus and Len, respectively. Each of these cast members cater to the film's real-life point of view and provide some really grounded performances.

The best part about Savageland is its cultivated sense of suspense. Throughout the entire film, the interviewees continue to negate and question the released photographs validity. While the audience is led to believe Salazar is innocent, they can't help but wonder if it’s true. It's a really interesting and politically-fueled direction bolstered by the fact that the suspect is an undocumented immigrant and all that means in a trial. These political tones aren't so glaring that they distract from the film's fictional purpose, but they provide enough incite to help viewers understand how different ethnic and cultural backgrounds are handled in criminal proceedings.

Savageland takes awhile to really get going. Its attempts to stay closely connected to a timeline and unveiling remove some of the thrill of what makes true crime documentaries truly engrossing. With zero dramatizations, far too many interviewees and a host of blurry photographs meant to keep audiences' attention, Savageland does lose some points for its tedious pacing. This isn't something particularly terrible though, because the film manages to reach a climax that is at least somewhat compelling. A lack of concrete answers additionally lead to some frustration, but like many true-crime documentaries, sometimes the unanswered questions are what makes the result so disturbing.

While the film does suffer from lengthy explanations, the films best moments are entertaining enough to warrant a watch. Some of the more scary doctored photos provide a new and fresh take on what zombie films can be. In a world of redundant tales of survival, catering to a band of misfits brought together by the apocalypse, Savageland is completely different. Even when it becomes shaky, you can't help but continue onward, almost wishing that a companion film would be released of the actual events. 

The Overlook: Thirst

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Today's article is brought to you by brevity. Brevity: because life gets busy.

Amazon Prime is kind of a wasteland when it comes to horror movies. For every semi-good one, there are about 80 others that are nearly unwatchable. It's a dumpster playground of poorly acted, mediocrely put together monstrosities that make horror look less like a marketable genre and more like a joke. That's why, when coming across even a semi descent flick, something needs to be said.

Today, we recognize the watchable film, Thirst. By no means as polished or entertaining as it could have been, the indie creature feature telling the story of a group of troubled teens escaping the clutches of a chameleon-like alien is sometimes over-the-top. But, for a movie with little to no stakes to put into it, Thirst is a pretty good find.

Thirst finds a reformation camp in the desert attacked by a giant alien who picks off the family run business and the teens who occupy it. It stars John Redlinger (Nashville), Jes Macallan (Mistresses) as Claire and Karl Makinen (Conspiracy Theory) as Burt.  Like many of the recent films acknowledged on this site, there is a collection of even lesser known supporting characters that, in various capacities, fill their role properly.

This movie is something someone would most definitely watch half-asleep on a rainy afternoon, but it'll be able to maintain and mandate enough attention to keep those willing, awake. It never becomes revolutionary but, for what it is, it can definitely put audiences in a nostalgic mood reminiscent of yesteryears' creature features.

Thirst isn't anything fantastic. It's a pretty ridiculous film, but definitely provides enough entertainment for an afternoon in. With what was a presumably small budget, the uniqueness of this film is commendable, even if its execution isn't. There aren't many scares but the stark landscape and love-to-hate characters give a certain easy-viewing vibe that can be calming, if nothing else. It's got deaths scenes that are fun and a Chiller network atmosphere, which considering all of the actual duds on Prime, is a huge step up.