Dread Central’s Best and Worst of 2014
Steve Barton
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Brad McHargue’s Picks
For the first time ever, I’m going to focus on films that were given a legitimate release. Be it theatrical, VOD, or DVD/Blu-ray, all of these films are available to see outside of film festivals. Since I included a number of films released earlier this year on my 2013 list as “special mentions” – Big Bad Wolves, The Dirties, and The Sacrament – they won’t be included on this year’s list. The same goes for Spring, which will receive an official release next year despite being one of the greatest genre films I have ever seen. And Creep. And Closer to God. Stupid rules.
Anyways, enjoy!
The Babadook: I reviewed this film out of the Stanley Film Fest and have been championing it ever since. There is very little to say about it that hasn’t already been said, but in the end, it’s the type of horror film I gravitate toward: very real and human issues given a sinister and seemingly supernatural and metaphorical twist. I compared it to Session 9 in my review, and while I still find Brad Anderson’s thriller to be one of the greatest horror films ever made, Jennifer Kent’s stellar debut doesn’t lag too far behind. A bold claim? I don’t think so. It’s at 98% on Rotten Tomatoes for a reason.
The Guest: Admittedly not a “true” horror film, but arguing semantics and genre is a fool’s errand. Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett have yet to collaborate on anything not pretty fucking awesome, and while The Guest errs more on the side of an action-oriented thriller, it contains enough gleeful bloodshed to earn a spot on my list. From the perfect casting of Dan Stevens to the pulsing synth-based score from Steve Moore, The Guest solidifies Wingard and Barrett as two of the most exciting filmmakers working in the genre today.
Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead: I hated Tommy Wirkola’s first attempt at injecting some much needed life into the zombie film. Despite an admittedly fun premise, it wore its influences on its sleeve to the point where its humor was mostly mired in throwbacks to classic zombie films. We get it; you’ve seen Evil Dead. Wirkola’s second attempt breaks free from the constraints of its influences and embraces self-awareness . The result? A frenetic and self-deprecating romp through scenic Scandinavia that finally realizes that you can have fun with a zombie movie.
The Taking of Deborah Logan: This flew under the radar until it hit Netflix; then everyone and their mother couldn’t stop talking about this faux doc thriller that ties together the horrors of Alzheimer’s with demonic possession. Though not without its flaws, it managed to do well with the found footage conceit while offering some of the most exciting and exceptionally creepy moments in any horror film released this year.
Septic Man: Fuck you, this movie is awesome. Tony Burgess is a mad wizard who writes some of the most compelling and subtly brilliant films out there, even if they’re literally mired in excrement. His teaming up with Foresight Features has been a wondrous thing for horror, and I can’t wait to see what else they have in store.
I don’t like doing Worst Of lists. I see no real benefit in trashing a film outside the confines of a legitimate critique of the film. As such, I’m not calling them the “Worst” and will only devote a sentence or two to each. Also, bear in mind that there are only three here. It was a good year for indie horror, or at least what I saw was mostly good.
Devil’s Due: Its spot in the dumping ground that is the month of January was well-earned.
Oculus: I wanted to walk out a half hour in. Despite how well it weaved together the past and present, it was boring and filled with cliches. It’s a generic haunted house movie that uses a mirror as a villain… and that’s it.
Varsity Blood: I guess it took Jake Helgren actually directing the film he wrote to make something worse than Bloody Homecoming.
There are likely more, I just have yet to see them. It was a bad year for me. Been busy, man.
