You know how you get those “best films ever!” lists and they’re always basically the same lists… For horror you’ll have The Exorcist, The Omen, Night Of the Living Dead, etc etc etc… Well, it’s kind of pointless reading those lists because you already know what’s on them. All you’re really looking for is validation of your own tastes and someone to argue with… (plus maybe a few sneaky recommendations that might have passed you by) So! I thought I’d put together a list of horror films that I love but which don’t tend to appear on these lists. With any luck there’ll be a few you haven’t seen and that you can seek out. 🙂 they aren’t in any particular order.
5: The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
Before he made Sinister (the scariest film in my Shocktober list this year), Scott Derrickson wrote and directed this courtroom drama based horror. It tells the story of Emily, a girl suffering from demonic possession, and the priest trying to cure her through exorcism. It mostly takes place in the courtroom (the priest is being accused of negligent homicide) with flashbacks showing Emily’s afflictions and the progression of her illness.
Watch it for: Jennifer Carpenters performance as Emily. The screams she emits would put some black metal vocalists to shame. They made dummies to stand in for her when she needed to contort to certain shapes but ended up not using them because she was flexible enough to do it all herself… Honestly, she’s incredible.
4: The Eye (Gin Gwai) (2002)
This Pang Brothers directed film from Hong Kong which came out buried amongst the J-horror hits of the late 90s actually has more in common with the recent Korean cinema trend than its contemporaries from Japan. A young woman has a cornea transplant, giving her her sight for the first time since she was 2. She has to learn to use her eyes and interpret what she sees, and comes to realise that she is seeing more than those around her. I haven’t actually watched it in a number of years but as it was distributed by Tartan in the UK I have high hopes that Arrow will pick it up for a bluray release!
Watch it for: The fascinating mystery, the warmth of the storytelling, and the explosive finale.
3: Cujo (1983)
It’s probably surprising to have a Stephen King adaptation on this list, but I feel it kind of gets forgotten amongst the notoriety of The Shining, Carrie, etc. For me this is one of his strongest stories. A woman (Dee Wallace showing why she was for a while the queen of horror) and her son, trapped in a broken down car, guarded by a rabid dog. It is as simple as that. It takes a fair while to get there as well, you’re almost lulled into thinking you’re watching a different film. The final 45 minutes though is some of the most tense cinema I’ve ever seen.
Watch it for: The rotating shot inside the car.
2: Spring (2014)
Another film that lulls you into forgetting what you’re watching is Moorhead and Benson’s Spring.
A young American man travels to Italy, there he meets Louise. He falls head over heels for her, but she is not what she seems.
This film has been compared to many things but it isn’t truly like any of them. I don’t want to give too much away but it’s intriguing, beautifully shot and has excellent performances and creature effects in spite of its low budget.
Watch it for: Daylight horror done right.
1: The Devil’s Backbone (2001)
It’s hard to imagine that once upon a time Guillermo Del Toro wasn’t the household name he is now. In 2001, before Pans Labyrinth, he made a low budget Spanish horror film which… Isn’t strictly a horror film.
More a mystery with a ghost in it than a haunting movie, it’s strength lies in the tragedy of its plot. It plays out like an urban legend or a fairy tale, or even a gothic novel. The child actors are all excellent, and the adults are all multi dimensional. Not a moment is wasted and I can imagine that on a rewatch (I only watched it for the first time this month) even more depth is revealed.
Watch it for: A tragic mystery that will keep you guessing to the end.
What would you have put on this list? 🙂
Screening Violets 