Let me start by saying there are still many films that came out this year that I have yet to see. However, when first considering my Best list, I was almost concerned I wouldn’t be able to produce enough films that were good enough. 2013 wasn’t very kind to the horror genre, in my opinion. Sure, we had a few big name releases this year and quite of few of them were remakes. But even with these, I wasn’t sure I could pull a top 5. After looking at every single movie released this year, I was finally able to scrape up a few that definitely stood out. What were they?

Read on…

Not a perfect horror film, but definitely not a movie you’d expect from a member of Broken Lizard – the guys behind movies like Super Troopers. Paul Soter’s debut horror film had a balanced mix to make for an eerie and disturbing movie about new parents whose baby just doesn’t want to sleep. Combine that with some psycho woman wandering around their property and you get a nice little movie worth checking out.

The only way I can describe James Wan’s The Conjuring is “classy”. The scares, the acting, the setting, the entire feel for the film seems to be warm and inviting, though the story being told is chilling. While the jump scares may have been what shocked the audience, it was the bedroom/behind the door scene that got me. What exactly was in that darkness? The imagination taking hold to answer the question is why I describe The Conjuring with that one word.

This Is The End, while being mostly a comedy, mixed in the right elements of horror to make it a bit disturbing. Whether it be the giant sinkhole to Hell, or that amazing tribute to Rosemary’s Baby, (ok, it’s probably my Seth Rogen infatuation), the unsettling subject of the Apocalypse has never been this fun. And what is more horrific than knowing Danny McBride may cover everything in your house with his, uh, man goo? Again, it’s not exactly a horror film, but for what it is, it deserves placement for sure.

The Battery is quite possibly the one movie on my list that some people still may not have heard of. Yet, it is quite possibly the best zombie movie to come about in a long time. Classic in the sense that it focuses on the hardships of the survivors versus the zombies themselves, the movie is simple and clean. There is nothing fancy about it – including its $6,000 budget – and that’s what makes it damn good.

This is the one I waited on all year. Being a huge fan of the original, and making it my #1 of 2011, Insidious: Chapter 2 delivered for me, personally. I loved how it was connected to the first film, yet told a separate story at the same time. While it wasn’t absolutely perfect, the disturbing plot, and Patrick Wilson’s insanely awesome acting, had it almost steal the #1 spot for me again…but…I saw another movie that blew me away…

I had the opportunity to see Maniac in March of this year, and like a damn idiot, I passed on it. I am still kicking myself. There are so many things about this movie that make it absolutely incredible. Elijah Wood is perfect for this role with his unsuspecting little boy face. Those mannequins. The way the movie is filmed. THE SOUNDTRACK – dear god! That soundtrack is just amazing and is repeat worthy in every way. Maniac, to me, is simple and beautiful. It has been a very, very long time since a movie has motivated me to write a story – and Maniac has done just that. That alone, to me, makes it, without a doubt, the best movie of the year.