Top 5 Best Horror Movies of 2010

As the year is coming to a close I can’t forget to mention this years greatest horror movies and boy… I have to say that I am sort of disappointed. Not because of the turnout but because the movies that I chose hardly fit into the category of horror. It’s rather sad that most of the ‘real’ horror movies made the top worst movies of the year and the dramas and thrillers made the top best movies. I blame this on the fact that all the studios were so preoccupied with remakes, sequels and slapping 3D onto all their films that they didn’t take the chance with a good ORIGINAL horror film. I would say it was a very disappointing year for horror but there were some diamonds in the rough… I just hope that someday these studios will learn. Below are my top picks for 2010 and I hope you enjoy.

Buried – Now I know it’s not a horror movie but goddamn is it scary! What can be more frightening than waking up, not knowing where you are, who captured you and finding out that you are buried in the ground in a wooden box? No, it’s not horror and it doesn’t have a monster or a ghost but it’s horror that people face over in the Middle East. What do you do in this situation? You can’t scream, you have limited oxygen and you only hope that you have light, water and a phone. This film was an indie movie that came out of Spain that hit big in theaters and rightfully so. What made Buried this good? The direction and set pieces (yes, set pieces) were a lovely homage to Alfred Hitchcock. We were thrown into the psyche of Paul Controy as he tries to figure out why he was put in a box. The cinematography was brilliantly choreographed, Reynolds’ performance was outstanding and the sound design made it feel like you were in that box with him. I found myself getting claustrophobic as I watched it. Personally, I thought it was one of the best movies of the year and not just within one genre.

The Crazies – I loved this movie. I loved it more than I thought I did back when I saw it. It was probably the best remake of the past 10 years and rightfully so. It was scary and I’ll admit that I jumped out of my seat several times and though I didn’t see the original… I’m willing to bet that it was far scarier than the Romero’s. What I especially loved about this film are the set pieces, mainly the car wash, which add not only to that small town feel but also that sense of a fading small-town America. Timothy Olyphant and Joe Anderson both demonstrated that they are badasses and that was probably the highlight of this film. Is it a zombie movie? No, it’s not. Is it a damn fine, action filled horror flick? You bet your dollar. Look for an especially creepy scene involving a pitchfork and a crazy doctor.

Shutter Island – If you knew me, you could understand why I was so thrilled when I found out that Martin Scorsese was going to direct a horror movie. To my surprise it wasn’t a horror but rather a thriller and a damn fine one. Everything from the art direction, to the performances all the way down to the opening and closing shots were so carefully crafted. I didn’t read the book so I can’t really compare the two but as a stand-alone movie it delivered the mystery, the chills and one sad ending. I’m not sure why many people didn’t like this after its release but I fear that it had something to do with the fact that many people guessed the ending. I’m not going to say that I disbelieve anybody but I am absolutely sure that a majority of the people who claimed they knew the ending are bullshitting because even my dad (who I swear moonlights as a detective) didn’t even catch this one.

Splice – This was a film that wasn’t really horror but rather a drama, or perhaps a thriller. Initially, I know a lot of people didn’t like this movie because it was too weird for them and maybe even funny to see Adrian Brody kissing a monster but I really enjoyed it. I thought it was a breath of fresh air compared to all the remake, sequel, uninspired garbage that Hollywood was dishing out. The girl who played Dren was outstanding as a character that isn’t human but also a character that doesn’t talk. I thought the story was very compelling, produced well and brilliantly directed. It was one of those movies where it was so weird, and so awkward that I couldn’t keep my eyes off it. I wanted to know what would happen next. I think it’s one of the most underrated “horror” movies of 2010.

The Last Exorcism – Yes, it’s hard to believe that I have this movie as one of my top horror movies of this year but hear me out. It’s a very strange, unbalanced documentary that tapes into why people believe in God and how people can be manipulated to do things for God. The film shows great characterization and though it’s pacing is pretty awkward the film is a slow buildup to a very powerful yet controversial ending. It has minimal scares and it seems like an in-movie documentary on how Reagan was exorcised in The Exorcist. I think what I really liked about it was it’s commentary on contemporary religion.

HONORABLE MENTION

Devil – Unlike some people, I actually liked this movie. It wasn’t outstanding in any way but I wanted to see how it would be played out. I’m not one of those idiots that will immediately throw a movie to the side because the director turned into a hack because this movie wasn’t directed by said hack. The film was very gripping in the sense that I wanted to know how it would end. I liked the characters were somewhat stale but likeable, however I wanted more depth with the Mexican maintenance man… I felt he could have had a lot of potential. I know I am in the minority here but I would have preferred if Shayamalan directed this.

Rare Exports – Just in time for the Christmas season, this film is a dark but rather odd look at the Santa Clause mythology. I can’t really say if this is horror or drama or what type of genre this fits into but I can agree that it is one hell of a trip. The direction was very strong and the story was very imaginative. I found the characters likable and lovable but what takes the cake are the elves. Yes, Santa’s elves are naked old men and we get to see, up in front, them running in the snow. I would love to watch this fun, whimsical but dark movie again just so that I can truly appreciate it for the Christmas gem it is.

Here’s hoping that 2011 will be much bett— oh who am I kidding. It won’t be.

Review - Splice (2010)

Folks, this was one of the best horror experiences that I had in a long time. It’s a big smack in the face to Platinum Dunes and their mediocre, poorly developed horror remakes. This is a film that is unique, original and extremely message driven… something that horror films lack nowadays. Splice is about a two lovebird scientists who create a new life form by combining the genes of several other life forms. The result is a shy and extremely misunderstood ‘creature’ named Dren whom they take in as their child, so to speak. The film then develops into a character study and how these two scientists interact with Dren (which is Nerd spelled backwards) as she grows on a rapid pace. I don’t know how else to explain the story but It’s provocative and very compelling. The film takes a very liberal view on the morality of cloning and abortions.

Before I even touch base with the subtext I want to state that this film is more or less of a drama as well as a horror. In fact, as an audience member I could relate to Dren in the sense of being misunderstood. I felt sorry for her because she is a ‘mistake’ and that she is some kind of new creature that doesn’t quite understand who she is. It’s chilling, haunting and very sad to see her try to except who she is and what the world is around her. In some scenes I actually wanted to shed a tear for her. The parents, Elsa and Clive (played wonderfully by Sarah Polley and Adrien Brody) are great as a couple and they feed off of each other. The chemistry between the three characters is bone chillingly fascinating and it’s almost as though you are observing them observing Dren.

As I sat there watching how Elsa and Clive care for Dren, while at the same time trying to hide her from society I could not help but think that it’s a great modern tale, or reworking, of the Frankenstein monster. Dren was created for the greater good but they ended up creating something that was misunderstood and mistaken as a monster and therefore she turned into a violent creature. It’s a tragic tale that really got to me. I even compared this to Cronenber’s The Fly in the sense that The Fly was a tragic villain. The most heartbreaking scene in the whole movie would probably be when Elsa interacts with the newborn baby and it’s so fascinating.

Splice is highly sex driven and those who have seen it will know about the certain scene between Dren and Clive, which was surprisingly not hammy or awkward. In the beginning few scenes we are introduced to Fred and Ginger, two masses of living tissue that were spliced from different genes and their body structure looks like that of a penis. It’s not shocking in any way that primal sex, procreation and primitive consummation is part of the motif of the film. The biggest theme in the movie is the issue of abortion and the morality of tampering with genetics to help mankind… or in other words, playing God. It’s executed quite well but it’s a tiring subject and I think that’s one of the problems of the film. It came out to late. These subjects have been debated countless times and personally it’s getting a little tiring but it’s still a great film with a great message.

Even the special effects are extremely well done in this movie and you almost see Dren as a complete physical character. Going from a fetus, to a newborn baby, to a little girl and then to a full grown woman… it’s truly captivating and how the effects looked and felt so real. Delphine Chanaec does a stellar performance of Dren and even though she doesn’t say anything, it’s easy to tell what’s going through her mind. It takes talent to convey good physical emotions and she pulls it off quite well.

There are also some flaws in the movie and they are mostly logical flaws as in how do they really get away doing an experiment like this in secrecy when there is no such thing as secrecy? Or simple questions like that, which I can understand some people might be a little baffled by it but if you are enthralled in the film and it’s characters, you’ll forget about it. Hell, even Elsa takes whole other character route in the third half of the movie and I was kind of baffled as to why she suddenly turned against Dren. It didn’t make sense and it took me away from her character a little. Though, Clive’s character arc was a little more predictable but still very enthralling.

Overall, I’ve said it over and over again in this review… Splice is one of the most compelling, touching, frightening film that I have seen and it puts the remakes in their place. It’s a film that’s about the characters, about Dren and does raise a lot of good ethical questions. Personally, it was the saddest film that I’ve seen so far but it keeps you on your seat with anticipation of what will happen next. Splice is a brilliantly haunting film that will keep you engaged in its storyline, despite some small flaws here and there. I strongly suggest this movie but be warned, it is also a heavy drama so don’t go in thinking that it will be good and creepy within the first minutes. But do yourself a favor and support originality and see this film.