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.

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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.

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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.

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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.  

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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.

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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: The Mist (T.V. Series)

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Converting content for television - whether pulled from books or movies - can be a difficult and arduous task. Television series like The Exorcist on Fox rightfully received lukewarm reviews and even though it was better than okay, something felt missing. But, there have been plenty of success stories. Bates Motel, for instance, was widely popular for audiences and critics alike. Now that it's over though, those craving new horror on television need to look no further than The Mist.


Similar in style to the 2007 film and based on the novel by horror icon Stephen King, the Spike series follows a family of three facing the impending evil of a dense fog with sinister creatures within. Like the movie and novel, the television show traps characters together indoors. In the series, the first three episodes - now streaming on Spike - bring a mother and daughter, the daughter's alleged rapist and a multitude of others into a shopping mall, while the father a pair of prisoners an old lady and the girl's best friend, as well as an officer and a few others hold up in a church.


The series stars Alyssa Sutherland (Vikings), Gus Birney (Darcy) and Morgan Spector (The Drop) as Eve, Alex and Kevin Copeland. Holly Deveaux (The Phantoms) and Okezie Morro (Red Tails) play the two prisoners, Luke Cosgrove (Shiver) plays alleged rapist Jay, Russell Posner (The D Train) plays best friend, Adrian, and Frances Conroy (American Horror Story) plays the newly widowed Nathalie. Each of the series' stars is adequate in their role, but Sutherland and Spector truly stand out. Sutherland is able to capture her role as a witty and protective mother perfectly, as is Spector able to uphold his identity as a caring, but more laid-back father. Each is intently political constructions that the series shows indications of disrupting and for that, The Mist wins additional points.


There are some parts of the first three episodes that feel cheesy or a little off. One pair of scenes that are placed together use the word "bitch" in a way that'll make audiences cringe, not because it should be deemed offensive, more because a better comeback would be worthwhile. These are less problems with the stars though and more a reoccurring theme with some hack writing that seeps into an otherwise good series. The graphics also seem to bounce back and forth between entertaining and just laughable, as some of the things seen in the mist are more visually stunning than others.


The Mist Is certain to appease horror fans who may not mind some of its more questionable aspects. Despite feeling a little too made-for-SyFy, there is plenty of creepy moments and some good acting. Whereas some horror television shows take a turn for the dramatics, The Mist is a welcome addition to the horror universe because it seems dedicated to horror itself. There's gore, survival and an atmosphere of loss similar to The Walking Dead. If at all predictable, this series offers enough to keep attention without requiring too much thought. 7 out of 10.