Dread Central’s Best and Worst of 2014
John Squires’ Picks
2014 was an interesting year for horror, as the theatrical releases mostly sucked a big one and the VOD releases were pretty damn exceptional. Now more than ever it’s clear that the best horror is experienced inside the comfort of the home, which is totally cool with me – since I hate leaving the house anyway.
As always, I haven’t quite gotten around to seeing every single film I had on my list to see before I wrote this list, and it’s likely that at least one of the ones I missed would’ve been on here if I had. But hey, what can ya do. I’ve only got so much time in the day, and Creepy works me right down to the goddamn bone(r).
The only order these are in is alphabetical, as I loved all five too much to choose favorites. Sincerely.
At the Devil’s Door: I was really bummed to see the lack of support for this one in Dread’s reader poll, but I can only assume that’s simply because many have not yet seen it. At the Devil’s Door is quite frankly a master class of modern horror, writer/director Nicholas McCarthy crafting the sort of movie that Hollywood has been trying – and failing – to make for an endless number of years now. Refreshingly unconventional and genuinely scary, this is one film that I won’t soon be forgetting.
The Babadook: It’s somewhat impossible to write a ‘Best Of’ list for 2014 and not include The Babadook, one of the most impressive debut features in horror history. It’s what’s going on underneath the surface of the Jennifer Kent-directed film that really made me fall for it, as it’s one of those movies that uses a monster to tell a story that really, at the end of the day, has nothing to do with a monster. The Babadook has more depth than every 2014 theatrical horror release combined and will likely stand the test of time – in a big way.
Late Phases: In many ways, Adrian Garcia Bogliano’s first English-language feature represents everything I love about indie horror, in that it’s a film driven by story and characters, above all else. The werewolves, which are practically-created and totally badass, are almost an afterthought to the story of Nick Damici’s Ambrose, a blind Vietnam veteran who struggles to bond with his son. Damici is as terrific as the film itself, which reminds that werewolf cinema still has some bite left in it.
The Sacrament: It’s somewhat shocking that a horror film hadn’t been made about the real-life Jonestown Massacre until Ti West came along, as it’s one of the most genuinely disturbing stories of all time. But I’m glad that it didn’t because I can’t imagine anyone doing it better than Ti West. Highlighted by a powerhouse performance from Gene Jones, The Sacrament is an utterly disturbing piece of POV cinema, chilling me to the very core of my being.
The Taking of Deborah Logan: No movie released this year scared me more than The Taking of Deborah Logan, which somehow took two haggard sub-genres – possession and found footage – and turned them into horror gold. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel but it spins it incredibly well, and it’s Jill Larson’s performance as an Alzheimer’s patient that really sealed the deal on this one making my list. As long as I live, I don’t think I’ll ever get THAT image out of my head. You know the one.
Other films I greatly enjoyed this year, which I hated to exclude from the list, include Wolf Creek 2, Tusk, The Houses October Built, Grand Piano and The Town That Dreaded Sundown. As Above, So Below also deserves a mention, mostly for being the one wide-release film I saw in theaters that I actually kind of dug. Had a lot of fun with that one. Rock monsters 4 life.
My least favorites of 2014 were almost entirely the ones I saw on the big screen. Stinkers like Ouija, Oculus, Devil’s Due and Annabelle made me question why I continue paying to see horror movies in theaters, and Dracula Untold made me question why the shit it wasn’t a… horror movie. But I don’t see the need to spend time talking about movies I hated, so let’s leave this portion of the list at that.
