top ten horror of 2010
Because I’m a die hard horror fan and because of the 531 movies I saw this year 231 of them were horror films I’ve decided to write up a quick top ten list of my favorite 2010 horror films. My regular top ten actually had three of these movies on the list.
10. Rare Exports - This was a total surprise at Fantastic Fest. I knew it was a crazy Santa Claus movie and that sold me immediately, but what I wasn’t expecting was just how well the movie was shot, how outstanding the script was and how great the actors were. It was instantly a classic Christmas themed horror movie for me. See my Film Threat review for a more in depth look into Rare Exports.
9. Frozen - I am a unabashed fan of Adam Green’s work. He hasn’t done a movie I’ve disliked and I think with Frozen he’s shown that his range is increasing and he delivered a stunning thriller that had me on the edge of my seat. I was really into the performances and Frozen has several cringe worthy moments that have stuck with me.
8. The Last Exorcism - Coupled with a sense of dread and some of the best performances of the year from Ashely Bell and Patrick Fabian, The Last Exorcism [and REC2] proved that first person perspective horror films still work. It’s a crying shame that Fabian and Bell won’t be recognized by major award outlets for their roles because they were in a horror movie.
7. Let Me In - see my Film Threat review for details but Let Me In goes to prove that even a film that topped everyone’s favorite lists of 2009, including mine, has the ability to be remade.
6. I Saw The Devil - I saw several revenge thrillers from Korea this year and two have stood out: I Saw The Devil and Cold Fish, my number 5 pick. Nobody does revenge and realism like Korea and when you have Ji-Woon Kim directing Byung-hun Lee [The Good, The Bad and The Weird] and Choi Min-shik [Old Boy], you’re creating cinematic dynamite.
5. Cold Fish - Saw this gem at Fantastic Fest and when it was done I had to take some deep breaths to recover from the final act. Shion Sono delivers a bleak, dark, ugly tale where an unsuspecting family gets involved with a serial killer and ends up unleashing a wave of evil into their lives.
4. Lake Mungo - While this is only number four on my list it’s the only movie on here that actually scared the living shit out of me. Before watching, I was certain I was about to subject myself to another mediocre After Dark Horrorfest movie. Boy, was I wrong! Sitting at home, late on a Friday night, lights out and beer in hand, I got totally immersed in this documentary style tale of a family dealing with the loss of their daughter. I hate to give too much away as I think it’s one of those flicks you should go into blind, like I did, but after it was done, I had to turn the lights on and put on a goofy comedy to try and clear my head. I still slept uneasy for a week.
3. The Loved Ones - I was lucky enough to see this Australian teen slasher flick twice this year and both times have been highly enjoyable. The Loved Ones features an insane soundtrack, a shining Robin McLeavy and a hilarious subplot between Jaime and Mia which I’d watch a movie about those two wacky kids anyday. I have a hard time finding anything about this movie to dislike and it’s a joy from start to finish.
2. A Serbian Film - the only movie on this list that I CANNOT recommend anyone watch. A lot has been said about it and when I was in one of the first US audiences to see it, I was left flabbergasted. It’s disturbing, disgusting, horrific and yet so well done and delivers such a message that I could not get it out of my head for weeks.
1. Black Swan - Natalie Portman is downright amazing in the role of a woman in search for perfection in the ballet world. Conjuring the overall sense of dread and despair, much like Replusion, Anarnofsky had me stunned. Easily the best horror film of the year and it deserves to be praised as much as it has.
Finally, I’d be amiss to not recommend a few other horror films I saw this year that I believe should also be seen which range from goofy and gory to straight up scary:
[REC]2
Stake Land
The Crazies
Bedeviled
Devil
Hatchet II
Piranha 3D
Mirrored from [noahphex.com].