Four Months In, 2017 Is Already a Better Year Than Most; See What You Might Have Missed!
Everywhere you go you’ll hear that horror is a dying genre. Yet, every year seems to produce a handful of top-notch films. We’re not even halfway through 2017, and we’ve already seen some legitimately amazing movies.
If you’ve been particularly picky this year, open that narrow mind because we’ve got 15 flicks that are going to entertain the hell out of you!
15 Underworld: Blood Wars
An insane and explosive final entry in this long-running franchise left the jaws of viewers glued to their chests. We get an awesome, easy to follow story; loads of Selene; and a brand spanking new villain that looks surprisingly awesome. Certainly the best Underworld since the second film of the franchise.
14 Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
The things that Underworld did well in finalizing its lengthy saga, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter did just a little better. We got monsters (even dragons, believe it or not), non-stop action, all kinds of zombies, and some big challenges to overcome. Gone is the muddled sci-fi as horror returns to close the curtain on an extremely popular franchise.
13 Kong: Skull Island
Kong: Skull Island is loaded with outrageous action sequences, strong performances, and some monsters to die for. And I’m not even talking about the titular character – Kong almost looks tame compared to some of these other beasts. That’s a great quality to the film, and there’s more than one performer who also shines, raising the stock of this one. It isn’t flawless, but it is damn fun.
12 Dig Two Graves
A sorrowful tale that’s likely to stir a wealth of emotions within viewers, Dig Two Graves is extremely powerful. It’s closer to a crime mystery than a horror film, but there are some deep, dark recesses in this film that completely justify the genre classification. A low-key flick as of today, it may have quite the following in 10 years.
11 Cruel Summer
The major tearjerker of this lineup, Cruel Summer is a terribly depressing film. But the realism of all the ultraviolence just taps a nerve inside that begs the eyeballs to wander, disgusted by the depravities of the antagonists. Cruel Summer, based on factual events, will leave you broken, sorrowful and angered. It’s more thriller than horror, but make no mistake… you will be frightened by the feature.
10 Freak Out
Military soldiers fighting for their lives against a mysterious menace that generally goes unseen. Sounding absolutely badass, Freak Out is loaded with unnerving sequences, high tension, and a few amazing performances. It’s another standout Israeli film, and it earns a huge recommendation from us. Freak Out may be flying under the radar, but it’s already one of the best of 2017.
09 Capture Kill Release
The last year or so has brought us some top-notch found footage films. Sure, some rubbish has shambled past, but for the most part the hungry talents find a way to overcome all obstacles and deliver the goods and then some. This one’s about a deranged couple fueled by murderous lust, and it is highly, highly disconcerting!
08 Dead West
One of the best cat and mouse films we’ve seen arrive this calendar year, Dead West caught just about everyone surprised. As it turns out, it’s all about a morbid serial killer who goes on a mission to find his true love. Sounds romantic… until women begin disappointing him. What else to do but stick a knife in a broad’s belly once she’s irritated the Ladykiller. Great ‘80s throwback gem with a few secrets that I’m not going to share here. Just watch the flick!
07 The Girl with All the Gifts
Here’s an interesting spin on the zombie. Viewers are immediately dropped into a quarantine-like facility. The hallways are lined with doors, locked tight. And in each of these rooms sits a child with serious gifts. In fact one of these students, Melanie, has gifts beyond the wildest imagination. But will those abilities help to save or doom the surviving members of the facility, now eager to scatter as fast as possible? This is another intelligent flick that once again proves it’s about story first and foremost.
06 Raw
Watch this flick, and there’s a good chance you’ll steer clear of all meat… possibly forever.
Shot in an artistic style that echoes shades of A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (in color), this is actually a story all its own; and it’s every bit as heartbreaking as it is eerie. And believe me… it does get eerie and, eventually, disgusting, which you’ll immediately grasp as the movie’s final few minutes tick by.
05 The Blackcoat’s Daughter
If Alfred Hitchcock had somehow been exhumed and discovered to be alive and in good health, he’d get right back to the studio and make a film just like this! This psychological chiller feels hopelessly desolate, and that may be the very reason that things come crumbling down in a nearly abandoned school’s dormitory. A shocking finale waits, and a series of likable characters experience extreme breakdowns before crossing a line that should never be invaded upon… argh – I’m aching to share spoilers with you. Can’t. Do. It!
04 The Void
What an unbelievable flick! This is part The Thing, part Splinter, and part Hellraiser; but at the same time it is entirely its own film. Outside of a few stylistic maneuvers and some makeup work, the picture distances itself from the aforementioned productions. It can be a little befuddling at times, but that’s part of the charm. Watch closely here, and cherish the beautiful throwback style of the movie!
03 Split
For a few years there a lot of “fans” had declared M. Night Shyamalan a washed-up, never to thrive again flash in the pan. Boy, were the jokers who felt that way dreadfully, dreadfully wrong! Before there was Split, there was The Visit, another impressive picture that allowed Shyamalan to breathe a little bit. And breathe he did because when he returned with Split, a super engaging and chilling tale of a man with a myriad of personalities, his beacon was shining as bright as ever. Unfortunate for this guy’s victims, they’re typically young, slender, and unlikely to successfully escape the man. But one question looms: Can they survive The Beast?
02 The Devil’s Candy
The indie grand slam of the year is, thus far, Sean Byrne’s haunting The Devil’s Candy. If you missed this flick about a family who moves into a house, only to be stalked by a strange man who claimed to have once lived there, you’ve missed an absolutely insane flick. It’s easily one of the best of the year thanks to the work of Ethan Embry and Pruitt Taylor Vince, who turn in paralyzing performances that immediately elevate the film. The bat-shit crazy finale is just the icing on the cake!
01 Get Out
Racial tension, paranoia, and a constantly edgy tone set this film apart. As with a few others on this list, I’m not too eager to paint the details for you. There’s a reason this film is being recognized as a groundbreaking effort, and as good as Daniel Kaluuya and Allison Williams may be (they’re terrific for the record), it’s the complexities of the plot that are going to have your jaw hanging open. The grim undertones of the film are also going to leave you feeling extremely uncomfortable. With this effort Jordan Peele proves he’s better suited behind the camera than in front. Here’s hoping he gives us more treasures to adore.
