Movies
[BEST & WORST ’11] David Harley’s List of the Best Horror Films of 2011!
Like my worst-of list, my best-of compilation was really easy to put together. There was quite a bit I liked this year and, unfortunately, six of the films below haven’t been released stateside yet – The Divide and Kill List are around the corner, though. Every year, I toy with the idea of not including unreleased films because it leaves little room for discussion once it’s posted, but in the end, I just wouldn’t be happy with the list- for purely selfish reasons, it’s a little easier to do it like this since I wouldn’t have to hold off on (and possibly forget to use since I saw it so long ago) films like The Loved Ones, which I used last year.
Out of the thirteen films on this list (including three honorable mentions), more than half are foreign, six are performed in a foreign language (seven if you count hood slang), one received a perfect score from me, and zero are remakes, sequels, reboots, or prequels.
Best Horror of 2011: David Harley
Micah (Best/Worst) | Lonmonster (Best/Worst) | Evan Dickson (Best/Worst) | Lauren Taylor (Best/Worst)
Posters (Best/Worst) | Trailers (Best/Worst) | Performances (Best)
It does everything Scream 4 does, but better and with a time-traveling bear.
Atmospherically shot by frequent collaborator Pablo Rosso, Sleep Tight shows a lot of growth for Balaguero, who up until now had a terrible track record for solo efforts. Marini’s script might be built upon a simple, familiar premise but the characterization is excellent, giving Tosar the ammunition needed to create one hell of a creepy villain.
Sean Durkin’s Polanski-ish tale of reintegration, family and paranoia is an intelligent slow-burn with a great vague ending. Elizabeth Olsen is fantastic as the confused and mentally-unbalanced Martha, whose reality bounces back and forth from the disturbing memories she has of living in a commune, and being under the care and supervision of her older sister Lucy (Sarah Paulson). The way the film functions, leaping from dreams and memories to “reality” is well done, and the relationships Martha has with her Lucy – who functions as her sister and mother – and Patrick (John Hawkes), a smooth talking cult leader who brainwashed her with a false sense of security and belonging, are intense and give way to some memorable intimate moments.
I can’t even begin to explain how excited I am for The Wicker Tree next year, but Kill List definitely left my folksy, religious horror appetite satisfied in the meantime. Ben Wheatley’s follow-up to Down Terrace boasts incredibly intense performances by stars Neil Maskell and Michael Smiley, and features a doozy of an ending that will unhinge even the most hardened of genre fans.
The Divide is a terrifying and bleak vision of the future whose performances and images will stick with you for days after you watch it. Xavier Gens’ direction and Laurent Barès cinematography create a moody, claustrophobic atmosphere that never feels stale despite its closed-quarters setting. The tone is vile and the characters devolve into sickening states of being (Ventimiglia and Eklund are really fantastic at being gross cavemen), but the reality-based approach to Gens’ end of days is enough to make it the best apocalyptic tale this year.
Home invasion films traditionally don’t leave you feeling good after the credits start rolling, even if there’s some sort of resolution. We like to think we’re safe in our homes, so the scenario is bleak, frightening, and kind of joyless, but You’re Next takes that expectancy and throws it out the window. Writer Simon Barrett and director Adam Wingard managed to make a bunch of guys laying siege to a house feel fresh, all thanks to some great humor and wit.
Livid is a haunted house movie about a bunch of kids that try to rob the wrong woman and it functions in that sense; it’s just that everything else has a very lucid quality to it. Rooms appear and disappear out of thin air, ghosts show up in one scene and never make their presence known again, and things that have no business being in the same movie are thrown together, but the concoction of del Toro, William Castle, Hammer, and European splatter rationale is surprisingly solid.
Pedro Almodovar skillfully throws in everything and the kitchen sink in his perverse take on Georges Franju’s controversial Eyes Without A Face without it self-combusting. Intelligent and provocative, The Skin I Live In is a beautiful, funny, weird, and shocking experiment done right.
The transition of Attack The Block‘s anti-heroes into traditional heroes is well done, the humor is spot on, and the creature design is creative and nifty. Joe Cornish’s script does a great job at reinvigorating the “kids fuck stuff up” genre, but it also gives a dose of heavy – and interesting – commentary when Moses thinks out loud about the government corruption; it’s hard out there and nobody’s making it easier. That’s one introspective kid.
Kim Jee-Woon is one of the best directors of the last decade, creating noteworthy films like A Tale Of Two Sisters, A Bittersweet Life and The Good, The Bad, The Weird, so it should come as no surprise that I Saw The Devil is an incredible serial killer opus that is without a single boring moment. Lee Byung-hun and Choi Min-sik give compelling performances as two men consumed with revenge anger and the story is as thrilling as they come, but if there’s one thing that stuck out to me, it’s the mind-blowing (and sure to be iconic) in-car fight sequence.
If you ever wondered what the really bizarre Japanese cousin of Fargo was like, Cold Fish is for you.
TrollHunter‘s tone isn’t quite straight-faced and isn’t super silly, striking a balance between the faux-realism set up by the cinema verite style and rules, and the low-budget CGI and parody of bureaucracy – a topic not explored this well since Brazil. Adding that extra layer of playfulness with the Jurassic Park references is only the icing on the cake.
Melancholia isn’t quite the rush that Anti-Christ was (there’s no “Chaos Reigns” equivalent to be found), but it is a great companion piece, continuing von Trier’s exploration of depression. Some people found Melancholia to be uplifting and a beacon of hope, but Kirsten Dunst sells her chronic condition so well that I fell into this daze afterwards. It’s a powerful performance, and easily her best since Virgin Suicides.
Movies
‘The End of Oak Street’ and All-Night ‘Wishmaster’ Wish-a-Thon Invade Popcorn Frights 2026 Second Wave
The 12th annual Popcorn Frights Film Festival returns August 6-16 for 11 days of horror fun in South Florida, and second wave programming announcements suggest it’s going to be even bigger and bloodier this year.
Highlights in this wave include a special screening of The End of Oak Street. Popcorn Frights will immerse audiences in the world of Oak Street with a tricked-out screening, themed games, special photo opportunities, and an open invitation to wear your best bitchin’ ’80s attire for an unforgettable night at the movies.
The fest is also conjuring magic and granting wishes with a special screening of Wishmaster, with FX artist Robert Kurtzman and star Andrew Divoff in attendance.
After this screening, the ultimate overnight horror endurance event hosted by the Wishmaster begins. “Audiences will descend into an all-night cinematic marathon featuring a secret lineup of genre oddities, forgotten gems, and delirious cult favorites, all united by one sinister theme: wishes gone horribly wrong. The only guarantee? You’ll be sitting in a movie theater… and you won’t be sleeping. Even better, the event benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation, with all ticket proceeds helping grant life-changing wishes for children facing critical illnesses.“
Also in attendance this year is actor William Sadler, joining for special screenings of Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey and The Shawshank Redemption. Felissa Rose returns for a live commentary of Sleepaway Camp and the premiere of The Barn Part III.
That’s only the start of wave two programming, but the fest isn’t done yet; expect a third wave soon.
Read on for the packed second wave of Popcorn Frights 2026 programming:
IN-THEATER FEATURE FILM LINEUP
The Barn Part III
Florida Premiere
United States | 2026 | 97 Min. | Dir. Justin M. Seaman
Years after the events of “The Barn Part II”, the group still fears that the three evil ones will return to finish the harvest once and for all.
Breeder
Florida Premiere
United States | 2026 | 97 Min. | Dir. Alex Goyette
An eccentric poodle breeder lures a broke college student to her remote ranch with a promise of research funding. But, as he soon learns, there’s a catch.
Drag
Southeast US Premiere
United States | 2026 | 86 Min. | Dirs. Raviv Ullman, Greg Yagolnitzer
Two burglars face disaster during a simple home heist when one suffers a back injury. As the clock ticks and pain sets in, their escape becomes increasingly chaotic before the owner’s return.
The End of Oak Street
Special Presentation
United States | 2026 | 100 Min. | Dir. David Robert Mitchell
The Platt family bands together to navigate their new surroundings after a cosmic event transports their suburban neighborhood to someplace unknown.
Hen
North American Premiere
South Africa | 2025 | 108 Min. | Dir. Nico Scheepers
After a brutal massacre, a childless couple discover a feral boy locked inside a wooden chest on an isolated farm. They take the child in, only to discover that the boy carries an inexplicable affliction: an unseen force that drives those who love him toward madness and despair.
Never After Dark
Florida Premiere
Japan | 2026 | 105 Min. | Dir. Dave Boyle
A traveling psychic who helps lost souls cross over encounters a powerful entity at a remote house. While investigating its origins, she uncovers dark secrets and faces a deadly threat from an unexpected source.
Unholy Night
US Premiere
Canada | 2026 | 91 Min. | Dir. Michael Gabriele
A family’s Christmas Eve dinner becomes a nightmare as Gino must protect his loved ones from his reanimated grandmother who crashes the celebration with murderous intent.
VIRTUAL FEATURE FILM LINEUP
Big City Pizza
Florida Premiere
United States | 2026 | 80 Min. | Dir. Dusty Saunders
As tension rises in the big city for the Omni Ball Championship, Boney, a skeleton pizza delivery man starts his shift.
Break a Leg
Southeast US Premiere
Australia | 2026 | 89 Min. | Dir. Kaitlyn Boyé
An aspiring actor arrives at the audition of his career–only to find himself locked in the theatre alongside fellow auditionee and disgraced former child actress.
Cat Cam
Southeast US Premiere
United States | 2026 | 95 Min. | Dir. Sara Werner
When two cat owners decide to put up pet cameras in their new home while they’re away on a trip, they soon make a terrifying discovery as to why their cat has been acting so strange.
The Daughters of the Domino
Southeast US Premiere
United States | 2026 | 98 Min. | Dir. Jesse McAnally
A modern noir about a mother who must reunite with her estranged detective sister to find her missing teenage daughter.
Demonetize
East Coast Premiere
United States | 2026 | 96 Min. | Dir. Alexander Watson
Out-of-work television ghost hunters discover the key to getting their jobs back–and proving ghosts are real–is by working with the last group of people anyone would expect: Social Media Stars.
The Fright Stuff
Florida Premiere
United States | 2026 | 72 Min. | Dir. Mike Meyer
A deep dive into the life and times of the haunted attraction industry in the United States–the history, the people, the lasting imprint it’s had on the culture.
Hollow Girls
World Premiere
United States | 2026 | 87 Min. | Dirs. Greg Swinson & Ryan Thiessen
Six teenage girls are lured by a classmate into a deadly trap, unraveling a shocking true-crime nightmare of jealousy, kidnapping, torture, and murder.
Lenore
East Coast Premiere
Australia | 2026 | 88 Min. | Dir. David Ward
When a controversial influencer suddenly disappears, a terminally online sycophant goes hunting for answers, but comes face-to-face with the monstrosity of his own sins.
Life at Sandy’s
East Coast Premiere
United States-Norway | 2026 | 75 Min. | Dir. Aleksandra Hansen
A lonely American stuck in a small Norwegian town is lured in by the characters of a friendly sitcom with increasingly sinister intentions.
Narcisa’s Will
Florida Premiere
Brazil | 2025 | 85 Min. | Dirs. Daniel Dias & Clarissa Appelt
A woman returns to her childhood mansion after her famous mother’s death to sell it and split proceeds with her brother. While clearing the property, she uncovers unexpected family secrets.
Savage Prey
World Premiere
United Kingdom | 2026 | 90 Min. | Dir. David Ryan Keith
A year after her son vanishes without a trace in the remote Scottish Highlands, a grieving mother returns to the wilderness that stole him, refusing to let the mystery die.
The Vanishing Tour
East Coast Premiere
United States | 2026 | 91 Min. | Dir. Patrick Meaney
When a struggling band is carjacked and stranded in the desert, they seek shelter at a mysterious compound that houses a dangerous and otherworldly secret.
IN-THEATER RETRO LINEUP
Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey
35th Anniversary, 4K Restoration
United States | 1991 | 93 Min. | Dir. Peter Hewitt
A tyrant from the future creates evil android doubles of Bill and Ted and sends them back to eliminate the originals.
From Dusk Til Dawn
30th Anniversary Presentation
United States | 1996 | 108 Min. | Dir. Robert Rodriguez
*Presented with the original short film From Dusk Till Dawn
Two criminals and their hostages unknowingly seek temporary refuge in a truck stop populated by vampires, with chaotic results.
The Shawshank Redemption
Special Event, 4K Restoration
United States | 1994 | 142 Min. | Dir. Frank Darabont
After a banker is sentenced to life in Shawshank Prison, he forms an unlikely friendship with a seasoned inmate and clings to hope amid cruelty and corruption.
Sleepaway Camp
Special Live Commentary Event
United States | 1983 | 84 Min. | Dir. Robert Hiltzik
Bunks and showers are a mad stabber’s beat at a summer camp strictly for teens.
Wishmaster
Special Event
United States | 1997 | 90 Min. | Dir. Robert Kurtzman
A demonic djinn attempts to grant its owner three wishes, which will allow him to summon his brethren to Earth.
Individual tickets and All-Access Badges for the in-theater experience—hosted at Savor Cinema Fort Lauderdale and Classic Gateway Theater—are now available. Virtual All-Access Passes can also be purchased for streaming access to the full digital lineup. To order an In-Theater All-Access VIP Badge, click here, to order a Virtual All-Access Pass, click here.
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