Best in Show: Thanksgiving Horror (Part I of II)

Despite the horror of spending time with extended family around a table filled with food, Thanksgiving has remained a relatively untouched topic in horror. Sure, some films do touch on it and one, rather obnoxious killer turkey film (Thankskilling) is out there to enjoy (?), but pickings are slim. So what separates this list from any other fall horror list, well the films that made it on our Thanksgiving Horror countdown are movies that are either directly related to the pilgrim holiday or help set up the cold winter ahead. They're brooding, dark films lit by candles and backed by transitioning weather.

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10. Boogeyman

Boogeyman isn't a great movie, but it's one of those films that is actually set around Thanksgiving, warranting tis inclusion on this list. Unlike outwardly bad films like the aforementioned Thankskilling, there is real potential with this film. While it is otherwise wasted on cheap jump scares and quickly aging plot devices and tension, this ghoulish story does provide some sense of nostalgia for typical mid-2000s horror. Currently in a bit of a dark ages, these movies may be reflected on fondly in years to come for their cheap tricks and cracked acting.

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9. Hush 
Is Hush about Thanksgiving? Is it even about a family? No and no. But, what it is is a movie that finds a young woman, staying warm in otherwise cold weather, hunted by a man in a hat and jacket. The cold evening is obvious in this one and will chill you to the bone. Like many of the movies on this list, it's a bit of a stretch but in the world of autumnal movies, this one is definitely set later in the year. There are no warm oranges or nights in a sweater y a campfire. It's clearly not winter, but it's most definitely not before Halloween.

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8. The Village

There are plenty of reasons to have qualms with The Village. Critically panned and relatively predictable, the one thing this M. Night Shyamalan film gets right is it’s deeply fall atmosphere. The small, cut off town at the center of this movie is deeply unnerving, but also extremely communal; something those hesitant to celebrate Thanksgiving will resonate with.

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7. Shelley

An IFC Midnight original, Shelley is a prenatal Danish horror movie featuring plenty of warm flickering lights and chilled woods. Set in a remote cabin, Elena is tasked with being a live in maid for a couple with sinister intentions. Easily one of the more underrate films of the last few years, Shelley is a sleepy and bone-cold movie that'll leave viewers deeply unsettled. Definitely more of a late-fall movie than a spooky Halloween flick, Shelley may not feature a feast, but it does feature enough transitional climate to make the perfect film to watch on Thanksgiving.

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6. Howl

There's something very cold and distant about this indie werewolf flick. Filled with dark scenery, Howl is a British horror film that takes place entirely on a train. The exterior shots are rainy and dense fog continuously rolls through. Add on the brooding forest surrounding the stranded and jacketed passengers and this movie's tone is undeniably chilled. But, unlike wintery films featuring characters trotting away from dangers in the snow, these victims can all run - that is, if they don't get caught first.

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

Spending far too much time mining YouTube as well as various other sites listing greatest short horror films, the list below sums up the scariest and best horror shorts out there. Regardless of cinematography, quality of acting or the end result these are the strongest horror films for a quick jolt or a long-term haunt. Whereas many of the videos I found pulled more toward art than toward horror, the videos below are truly scary.

10. Ghost Car

Iconic is an understatement. If you went to school in the internet age, chances are one of your friends showed you this video as a prank. Regardless of how it has stood the test of time (it hasn't), this "car commercial" is perhaps one of the greatest short horror films out there. It's so simple and yet, I can guarantee witnessing it brings back all of the now comical nostalgia of youth. This video isn't fantastic in any way, but it most certainly did the job if you got someone to sit down and watch it, especially if they hadn't seen the title or read the description.

9. Pictured

I placed Pictured on this list for one technique: its use of a shaking picture frame. The acting in this short film isn't great, the eventual graphics aren't either - but, what is great is the moment in which the young woman whips toward the picture frame to see it in motion, something out of frame propelling it. It's one of those moments that strike a deep chord. Pictured falls apart outside of this, but  the work done by a shaking picture frame is worthy enough to scare people the same way mirrors have since the beginning of time.

8. Tuck Me In

Tuck Me In is a disturbing little film. While not the end all be all of horror, this short does enough of a good job to make adults question whether or not they feel comfortable checking under the bed themselves. One of the best parts about Tuck Me In is its ability to create strong suspense within a limited amount of time. While some horror movies take entire runtimes to create an atmosphere of seat-grabbing, this short does it in a matter of seconds, and by the inconclusive ending, audiences will feel severely frightened and desperately unsatisfied.

7. Cop Cam

This short feels very conventional, but it's carry through is powerful enough to earn a spot on this list. After acting on a 911 alert, a cop enters a home and soon realizes there is more at work within than a typical emergency. There's little establishment, but the difficulties of this are overcome by the first-person perspective of this dark film. Cop Cam is stylized almost like a horror video game in that it truly immerses the viewer in whatever world it exists in. Definitely one to watch in the dark.

 6. Box (Begins at 3:42)

As one of the 3:07 videos partnered by Vice and The Conjuring, Box is a strikingly short and horrifying video with very little context and plenty to give someone nightmares. It's directed by Ti West and features no plot, tons of vintage style and a creepy clown that gives It a run for its money. It's the type of gif-able short that does better in a series than it possibly would as a standalone video, but after seeing it, one can expect to be severely unsettled.