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10 Horror Movies That Wouldn’t Let Us Leave!

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With supernatural forces at their fingertips, horror writers have been known to trap characters in some truly sinister situations using whatever means necessary. From time-loops to highways that lead nowhere, some of the genre’s best films have played with characters (and our expectations) by forcing them to deal with a weird scenario they can’t escape.

So while Jigsaw resorted to lock and key, these ten films saw more mysterious forces at work, giving us some of the best horror this side of The Twilight Zone.


Haunter

Haunter

Described by producers as a “reverse ghost story”, Haunter sees teenager Abigail Breslin trapped in a house and forced to relive the same surreal series of events day-in and day-out. She can’t leave and she can’t seem to contact anyone on the outside. The worst part is she seems to be the only member of her family who realizes it’s even happening.

Haunter comes from Vincenzo Natali (Cube, Splice) and slipped under the radar when it was released by IFC Midnight. But it’s a well written film that stands as a great example of how to craft a great ghost story in a unique way.


Dark Floors

Dark Floors

This Finnish horror film was the brainchild of Mr. Lordi , leader of the popular heavy metal band Lordi. In the film, members of the band play monsters who terrorize characters trapped in an inescapable hospital that seems to be trapped between dimensions. Only a strange girl seems to hold the key to their escape and survival.

Notorious for having one of the most confusing endings in horror history, Dark Floors was not well received when it was first released. Lost to obscurity, I hope the internet will help it find a following as it’s got great atmosphere and undeniably cool concept at its heart.


Triangle

Triangle

Another film that flew under the radar when it was first released but now has a rabid fan base is Christopher Smith’s time-trapper, Triangle. Triangle sees its lead character shipwrecked in a storm and boarding a mysteriously derelict cruise ship. But before you can say, “Ghost ship!”- the film takes a hard left turn and sends viewers on a wild trip through an endless and inescapable time loop.

Punctuated by a truly fantastic head-scratcher of an ending, Triangle remains a top notch UK horror entry.


No Man’s Land: Rise of Reeker

RiseofReeker

Dave Payne’s prequel to his original breakout, Reeker, sees a group of band robbers trapped in an off-road gas station/diner by a mysterious force field. One by one they are stalked and killed by a hooded figure that reeks of death.

While the film is not as well regarded as its predecessor, it’s retains the same mysterious premise that made the first such a hit. It also amps up the surreal and often darkly funny tone which, for my money, makes it pretty enjoyable.


Room 1408

Room1408

Ghost stories don’t usually get under my skin, but 1408 remains an exception. Still one of the best Stephen King adaptations made, the story story sees a paranormal debunker played by John Cusack checking into room 1408 at the fictitious Dolphin Hotel.

The strangeness that follows builds to a thundering crescendo as we realize Cusack is trapped in the room that seems to exist out of time and space with the rest of the world. Even when he’s out, he’s in. It’s borderline brilliant.


Identity

Identity

Another Cusack joint, Identity kind of shits the bed by telegraphing its twist right up front. But even with that issue, once the film starts moving, it’s easy to get caught up in the mystery of murders happening to a cast of characters who find themselves trapped in a motel the universe won’t let them leave.


Southbound

Southbound

One of the best of the recent anthology boom, Southbound uses a nifty Twilight Zone wrap around to trap each of its characters amid endless desert highways all leading to the same demonic nexus point. Punctuated by top-notch writing by all of its collaborators, Southbound uses the scenario to force each of its characters to endlessly face their deepest fears and regrets – a wonderful metaphor for guilt.


Resolution

Resolution

Praised as an indie analog to the more bombastic Cabin in the Woods, which was released in the same year, Resolution sees two friends trapped in a cabin, plagued by mysterious clues that seem to lead them towards an inevitably violent resolution to the film’s story.


Dead End

Dead End

The inimitable Ray Wise stars in this horror gem about a family trapped on an endless stretch of road that becomes less and less tied to reality as the story unfolds. Terrorized by unexplained and downright unnerving occurrences as they travel, the end result is an intelligent indie that will have you wanting to talk about it with everyone you meet.


Mine Games

10MineGames

We’re saving the worst for last folks, but while Mine Games is admittedly bit thick, it’s time-twisting plot is guaranteed to keep your interest. This one involves a group of party seeking teens who make a shocking discovery in an old mine that sends them tail-spinning into an inescapable time trap that demands to be resolved.


Now, I know there are many others I’ve missed that fall somewhere just outside the realm of horror (Time Crimes comes immediately to mind), but you get the idea. I love these types of supernatural set-ups.

Editorials

‘Leprechaun Returns’ – The Charm of the Franchise’s Legacy Sequel

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leprechaun returns

The erratic Leprechaun franchise is not known for sticking with a single concept for too long. The namesake (originally played by Warwick Davis) has gone to L.A., Las Vegas, space, and the ‘hood (not once but twice). And after an eleven-year holiday since the Davis era ended, the character received a drastic makeover in a now-unmentionable reboot. The critical failure of said film would have implied it was time to pack away the green top hat and shillelagh, and say goodbye to the nefarious imp. Instead, the Leprechaun series tried its luck again.

The general consensus for the Leprechaun films was never positive, and the darker yet blander Leprechaun: Origins certainly did not sway opinions. Just because the 2014 installment took itself seriously did not mean viewers would. After all, creator Mark Jones conceived a gruesome horror-comedy back in the early nineties, and that format is what was expected of any future ventures. So as horror legacy sequels (“legacyquels”) became more common in the 2010s, Leprechaun Returns followed suit while also going back to what made the ‘93 film work. This eighth entry echoed Halloween (2018) by ignoring all the previous sequels as well as being a direct continuation of the original. Even ardent fans can surely understand the decision to wipe the slate clean, so to speak.

Leprechaun Returns “continued the [franchise’s] trend of not being consistent by deciding to be consistent.” The retconning of Steven Kostanski and Suzanne Keilly’s film was met with little to no pushback from the fandom, who had already become accustomed to seeing something new and different with every chapter. Only now the “new and different” was familiar. With the severe route of Origins a mere speck in the rearview mirror, director Kotanski implemented a “back to basics” approach that garnered better reception than Zach Lipovsky’s own undertaking. The one-two punch of preposterous humor and grisly horror was in full force again.

LEPRECHAUN

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

With Warwick Davis sitting this film out — his own choice — there was the foremost challenge of finding his replacement. Returns found Davis’ successor in Linden Porco, who admirably filled those blood-stained, buckled shoes. And what would a legacy sequel be without a returning character? Jennifer Aniston obviously did not reprise her final girl role of Tory Redding. So, the film did the next best thing and fetched another of Lubdan’s past victims: Ozzie, the likable oaf played by Mark Holton. Returns also created an extension of Tory’s character by giving her a teenage daughter, Lila (Taylor Spreitler).

It has been twenty-five years since the events of the ‘93 film. The incident is unknown to all but its survivors. Interested in her late mother’s history there in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota, Lila transferred to the local university and pledged a sorority — really the only one on campus — whose few members now reside in Tory Redding’s old home. The farmhouse-turned-sorority-house is still a work in progress; Lila’s fellow Alpha Epsilon sisters were in the midst of renovating the place when a ghost of the past found its way into the present.

The Psycho Goreman and The Void director’s penchant for visceral special effects is noted early on as the Leprechaun tears not only into the modern age, but also through poor Ozzie’s abdomen. The portal from 1993 to 2018 is soaked with blood and guts as the Leprechaun forces his way into the story. Davis’ iconic depiction of the wee antagonist is missed, however, Linden Porco is not simply keeping the seat warm in case his predecessor ever resumes the part. His enthusiastic performance is accentuated by a rotten-looking mug that adds to his innate menace.

LEPRECHAUN RETURNS sequel

Pictured: Taylor Spreitler, Pepi Sonuga, and Sai Bennett as Lila, Katie and Rose in Leprechaun Returns.

The obligatory fodder is mostly young this time around. Apart from one luckless postman and Ozzie — the premature passing of the latter character removed the chance of caring about anyone in the film — the Leprechaun’s potential prey are all college aged. Lila is this story’s token trauma kid with caregiver baggage; her mother thought “monsters were always trying to get her.” Lila’s habit of mentioning Tory’s mental health problem does not make a good first impression with the resident mean girl and apparent alcoholic of the sorority, Meredith (Emily Reid). Then there are the nicer but no less cursorily written of the Alpha Epsilon gals: eco-conscious and ex-obsessive Katie (Pepi Sonuga), and uptight overachiever Rose (Sai Bennett). Rounding out the main cast are a pair of destined-to-die bros (Oliver Llewellyn Jenkins, Ben McGregor). Lila and her peers range from disposable to plain irritating, so rooting for any one of them is next to impossible. Even so, their overstated personalities make their inevitable fates more satisfying.

Where Returns excels is its death sequences. Unlike Jones’ film, this one is not afraid of killing off members of the main cast. Lila, admittedly, wears too much plot armor, yet with her mother’s spirit looming over her and the whole story — comedian Heather McDonald put her bang-on Aniston impersonation to good use as well as provided a surprisingly emotional moment in the film — her immunity can be overlooked. Still, the other characters’ brutal demises make up for Lila’s imperviousness. The Leprechaun’s killer set-pieces also happen to demonstrate the time period, seeing as he uses solar panels and a drone in several supporting characters’ executions. A premortem selfie and the antagonist’s snarky mention of global warming additionally add to this film’s particular timestamp.

Critics were quick to say Leprechaun Returns did not break new ground. Sure, there is no one jetting off to space, or the wacky notion of Lubdan becoming a record producer. This reset, however, is still quite charming and entertaining despite its lack of risk-taking. And with yet another reboot in the works, who knows where the most wicked Leprechaun ever to exist will end up next.


Horror contemplates in great detail how young people handle inordinate situations and all of life’s unexpected challenges. While the genre forces characters of every age to face their fears, it is especially interested in how youths might fare in life-or-death scenarios.

The column Young Blood is dedicated to horror stories for and about teenagers, as well as other young folks on the brink of terror.

Leprechaun Returns movie

Pictured: Linden Porco as The Leprechaun in Leprechaun Returns.

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