2020 was weird and fucked up year to say the very least. With movie theaters closed from March and beyond here, in New York City, I mostly only saw horror movies. As such, for the first time ever in the history of this site, the best movies of the year will only take into account horror flicks, and not other genres. Don't be surprised if this happens again come time to the list for this year. Anyway, despite all the shitty occurrences there were some legitimate amazing genre releases. Now, I did not, for one or another reason, see a couple of horror movies, including Freaky, The Dark and the Wicked, and Relic. Think of that as your heads up. You will also notice that this was a great year for horror movie docus, as three of them appear on here! It is also a great for those who like a little bit of artistry in their horror content. Plus, if you liked truly graphic splatter, there was some really good and gruesome gore to dive into.
Honorable Mentions:
1BR
Color Out of Space
The Cleansing Hour
The Hunt
GoodBoy
Impetigore
10. Bliss- The first of two Joe Begos movies to make this list,
Bliss is everything most modern horror simply isn't. This includes being metal as fuck, with killer, headbanging tracks in the soundtrack. The movie is also sexy with copious amounts of nudity, lesbianism, and a hot threesome. It is also graphically gory with intense amounts of bloodletting. Another highlight is the excellent acting, especially from the film's beautiful and insanely talented lead, Dora Madison. Meanwhile, the directing by Begos is beautiful, stylish. hallucinogenic, and trippy. All of this is wrapped around a movie that serves as an artistic allegory for drug addiction.
9. Fulci for Fake- The first of two documentaries that
Severin Films put out to appear on this list,
Fulci for Fake is honest, touching, and intimate. It, of course, deals with Lucio Fulci, one of my favorite directors of all time, and one of the biggest influences in my life. After watching it, I felt that I had learned much about both he as a persona and as a director. This is all achieved through captivating and excellently done interviews. The film captured both my whole attention and heart. And, by the end I wanted to learn even more about this legendary master of horror.
8. Tales of the Uncanny- The other docu from Severin is this wonderfully entertaining and loving look at anthology horror flicks. Countless of horror experts and masters of the genre talk about their favorite anthology movies and segments, therein, as well as chiming with their overall thoughts and words. Throw in some really cool movie clips, and you have a docu that is a blast to watch. It's one that will make you want to revisit all your favorites, as well as add movies that for whatever you reason you ain't seen yet to your must see list.
7. Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on THE EXORCIST- A Shudder exclusive,
Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on THE EXORCIST is a profound and deep talk with the master director on one of the greatest horror movies ever made. My full review is
here.
6. Yummy- This well acted, super gory, and hilarious Dutch zombie flick is one of the most underrated horror movies of the year. My full review is
here.
5. Random Acts of Violence- I seriously don't get why this one has split the horror community so much, I especially didn't get those who had a more negative reaction to it. It is brutal and savagely serious and is, thankfully, way more than just another slasher movie. Well acted and powerful, it doesn't fuck around, and, as an added bonus, has little to no humor. Instead, it has substance and sticks with you all the while dripping with graphic splatter.
4. VFW- The second Joe Begos movie included here is one badass motherfucker and absolutely my type of movie. A loving homage to John Carpenter's
Assault on Precinct 13,
VFW is an ultra-violent and fast-paced, unrelenting mix of action and horror. It is led by the always awesome Stephen Lang in what is one of my favorite heroic roles of last year. Bonus! This flick one of 2020's goriest horror flicks and has some truly great kills!
3. Host- Made during these quarantine times,
Host, surprised me with how fucking good it is! Featuring some excellent acting, this tech/ found footage movie is a lot of fun, as well as intense and wonderfully frightening. And, at little under an hour, this nail-biting and creepy ass flick, is the perfect length!
2. The Invisible Man-The last movie I got to see in the theaters, Leigh Whannell's
The Invisible Man, is one of the most intense horror flicks, I had seen in many a moon. It really had me on the edge of my seat with its white-knuckle suspense. Whannel's directing really knows how to build the terror and fear. Meanwhile, Elisabeth Moss' performance is perfection and perhaps my favorite acting in a horror movie last year. This, dear readers, is how you bring a classic story to modern times.
1. Possessor- Brandon Cronenberg (son of David) has delivered an intelligent, original, and impressively gruesome sci-fi/ horror movie. It sucks you right in keeps building itself up with a wonderfully captivating plot and story. It also pulls no punches whatsoever, as it features full frontal nudity, both of the female and male variety, and the gore is amongst the most graphic I saw last year. This one gives me hope that horror movies with skin and that hit a 10 on the splatter-meter are still alive and well. All of this is done with style and an artful look from Cronenberg and is further aided by excellent acting from the whole cast. In all honesty it is a fucking masterpiece and unlike most genre films from any year!
What were your favorite horror movies from last year? Let me know in the comments section below!
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