Dread Central’s Best and Worst Horror Films of 2016

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Dec 30, 2016
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Debi “The Woman in Black” Moore

Here it is again… the end of the year and time to reflect on the best and worst horror movies we saw during 2016. Truth be told, I didn’t see much that was terrible. Some disappointments, some missed opportunities, sure; but flat-out “worst”? Not an easy task to choose, and I’ll get to what made the cut shortly.

But first let’s shine a light on the stars of 2016, those films (and a few TV shows) that made it all worthwhile. Here are The Woman in Black’s picks for Best of the Year…

The Best

The runners-up include my favorite movie of the year – Swiss Army Man. Is it really a horror movie?  I’m honestly not sure so to satisfy the purists in the crowd, I’ve left it off my main list.  Which is also the case for Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” Fox’s “The Exorcist,” and Starz’s “Ash vs. Evil Dead,” three series that should be required viewing for anyone claiming to be a horror fan; but, again for the sticklers who feel we should stick to the silver screen, they’re relegated to the sidelines.  (Actually, if you include WGN America’s “Salem,” which is sadly leaving us at the end of this season, and Hulu’s “Freakish,” right there are five TV shows that make a pretty impressive Best of 2016 list just among themselves.)

But we’re here to talk movies, and the rest of my honorable mentions include Norwegian catastrophe drama The Wave, Rob Zombie’s kick-ass return to form 31, the stellar sequel The Conjuring 2, sci-fi superstar Arrival, and just squeaking in at the end of the year, The Autopsy of Jane Doe, which kept me at the edge of my seat for its entire runtime (forget The Witch – this is “the” sorcery film of the year).

Now, as for the crème de la crème…

Train to BusanTrain to Busan – Kicking things off is the best zombie flick to arrive on the scene in years.  Not only is it filled to the brim with incredible looking members of the undead, it’s also an emotional journey that hits all the right storytelling notes to deliver a full package.  If you haven’t seen this yet, remedy that situation immediately!

The Neighbor – Casting comedian Bill Engvall against type worked out well for director Marcus Dunstan as The Neighbor was by far the best suspense thriller of the year.  As our own Matt Boiselle said, it’s “an amazingly taut and tightly-wound package” of psychological terror that should be on everyone’s must-see list.

The Monster – Is The Monster “as flawless a horror film – and specifically a monster movie – you’re likely to find in this or any other year,” as Staci Layne Wilson stated in her review?  Is it really “an instant classic”?  On both counts I wholeheartedly agree!  The two co-stars, Zoe Kazan and Ella Ballentine, command the screen like few others managed to do this year; and if the emotional father/daughter journey of Train to Busan isn’t enough for you, then The Monster’s impactful mother/daughter tale is sure leave you with a lump in your throat and a trail of tissues on the floor beside you.

Hush – Director Mike Flanagan again lands on one of my Best of lists (his earlier effort Absentia was my favorite of 2011) with the home invasion thriller with a twist, Hush.  Starring relative unknown (and Flanagan’s co-writer on the film) Kate Siegel as a deaf woman who fights for her life against a masked killer, Hush quietly but assuredly cements its place as one of the year’s standout films.

10 Cloverfield Lane – If Oscar decides to honor a genre actor this year, then everyone should just get out of John Goodman’s way because hands down he deserves it for his work in 10 Cloverfield Lane, my favorite film of the year after Swiss Army Man.  This movie has it all – tension/suspense, claustrophobia, incredible performances, and even big beasties!  Plus, along with Goodman, we get Mary Elizabeth Winstead, my personal horror MVP of 2016.  Besides her work in 10 Cloverfield Lane and Swiss Army Man, she shone brightly in CBS’s short-lived “BrainDead,” about a brain-eating alien parasite running wild in Washington, D.C., which was probably a bit too timely and on the nose for some people’s tastes. (Next up for her is the new season of “Fargo,” and you can be sure we’ll be tuning in!)

The Worst

As for this Woman’s picks for Worst of the Year, I mostly avoided things that looked like crap so while I had no trouble picking my best of the year, coming up with five stinkers was problematic, which is why only three made the cut.  A few dishonorable mentions include the anthology Holidays (one of those “missed opportunities” mentioned above) and Morgan (with its pedigree – Ridley Scott produced; and Kate Mara, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rose Leslie, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Toby Jones, and Paul Giamatti all co-starred – it should have been “wow” but barely ended up “meh”).

Which leaves us with the worst of the worst…

The Mind’s Eye – I took a few notes while watching this one, which garnered some praise upon its release (including here on DC), but the film just didn’t work for me: “plodding… annoying… poor direction and bad delivery of dialogue… wasted idea.”  Was there any redeeming factor? Just “decent makeup and effects.”  All in all, this is one to avoid like the plague.

The Forest – This film wasn’t poorly made or acted, but it is incredibly dull and cheesy.  It had a lot of potential given its setting (Japan’s Aokigahara, aka the Suicide Forest) but turned out to be nothing more than lightweight fluff with no substance.  Everyone involved deserved better.

The Disappointments Room – You have to begrudgingly admire a movie that puts its review right in the title.  Calling this film a “disappointment” is putting it mildly. It’s filled with cliché after cliché as well as wooden performances.  This is one that really should have just stayed locked away in the attic.

MORE 2016 Best & Worst on the NEXT page!

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