Dread Central’s Best and Worst of 2014
Debi “The Woman in Black” Moore’s Picks
When discussing 2014 horror films, one word comes to my mind: uninspired. And uninspiring. Which is why compiling my Top 5 of the year list is so problematic. I can barely remember 5 decent horror films, much less 5 that deserve the title of “best.” So I’m doing it a bit differently… instead of a Top 5/Bottom 5, I’m submitting a Top 3/Bottom 3 with several Honorable Mentions.
When it comes to films that left an impression during 2014, few were more visually mind-blowing than Snowpiercer, but since there’s been a bit of debate over whether it’s “horror” enough, I’ve opted to include it with my Honorable Mentions along with The Purge: Anarchy, a sequel that, while more action-oriented, improved so much on its original (which was a runner-up on our collective Worst of 2013 list) that I’m actually looking forward to another installment. Two other HMs that do fall squarely in the genre are Come Back to Me, which was my favorite indie of the year, and The Canal, which kept me engrossed throughout and then paid off my attention with a really great ending. The Guest, although more thriller than horror, is certainly worth a mention as well since it boasts the year’s best performance by Dan Stevens (runner-up has to be Manuela Velasco from [REC] 4: Apocalypse; talk about being put through the wringer!).
Now, on to the winners…
The Babadook: Leading the pack both on my list and on just about everyone else’s who works in the genre is The Babadook. Being in last position on this countdown, anything I say here is surely just repetition of those who’ve come before me so suffice to say that if you somehow managed to get through 2014 without catching this little gem of a film, make sure you do so asap so that can see what all the well-deserved fuss is about.
Tusk: Hands down the most memorable film I saw in 2014 was Tusk. I knew going in that of course someone was going to be turned into a walrus, but knowing it and actually seeing it are two entirely different things, and kudos to Kevin Smith for managing to shock and surprise this very jaded horror fan. I’m talking jaw-dropping. For that alone his film deserves a spot on this list.
The Houses October Built: Lastly, The Houses October Built managed to do something I honestly thought was an impossible task: injecting some freshness into the found footage sub-genre. Looking back over the year, the only movie that even sort of scared me and (aside from Tusk) made me squirm was this one. I guess we’ll find out next Halloween when it’s inserted into our seasonal viewing schedule just how well it holds up, but for now it’s enough of a stand-out to merit recognition.
Sadly, picking the worst of the year is a much easier task than picking the best. Any of the following Dishonorable Mentions could have just as easily wound up in the Bottom 3… the best of the worst (is that even a thing?) are Annabelle, Grace (aka Grace: The Possession), The Pyramid, and As Above, So Below. If you saw any of them, you’re well aware why I’ve included them; if you didn’t, then lucky you! Keep counting your blessings.
The Devil’s Hand: Of those that did make my Bottom 3, the worst has to be The Devil’s Hand (aka Where the Devil Hides), mainly because it has such a great cast that is left to flounder in a sea of painfully bad dialogue and ridiculous situations. Not to mention that at least a few of the “teenagers” look like they left college behind at least four or five years ago.
The Quiet Ones: Another big disappointment due to its stellar cast was The Quiet Ones. Plus it was so LOUD. And illogical. And just plain bad.
I, Frankenstein: Which brings us to one of the first films released in 2014, I, Frankenstein, which pretty much set the tone for everything that followed. Quite simply, nothing worked. Aaron Eckhart was horribly miscast, Yvonne Strahovski was wasted in a thankless role, and whoever greenlit this debacle in the first place should be ashamed of themselves. If any creature deserves better treatment, it’s Frankenstein’s monster; and if this is what we can expect from Universal’s upcoming re-imaginings of its most cherished franchises, we have a long, bumpy road ahead. Buckle in, Dreadies, and know we’ll be right there with you!
First, though, we have 2015 to look forward to… Lord knows it can’t get any worse than the year that just was!
