1. Backcountry

Backcountry came out of nowhere, didn’t it? If you had passed by the Blu-Ray cover in a store, you would probably disregard it as a random creature feature from the likes of The Asylum or one of those other low-budget schlock distributors. You would be incredibly wrong though, as Backcountry has more in common with last year’s Willow Creek than any of those films. More a film that happens to have a killer bear in it than a film about a killer bear, Backcountry follows Alex (Jeff Roop) and Jenn (Missy Peregrym, who has been largely absent from film since her debut in Stick It back in 2006) as they traverse the wilderness as part of their vacation. Much of the film is devoted to conversation between Alex and Jenn, who prove to be likable leads with realistic problems and quirks. Eric Balfour steps in for a little bit to stir up some trouble between the two characters, but otherwise it’s all Alex and Jenn. Don’t think that this is a boring film though, because once that bear comes into play (and trust me, he/she does), Backcountry becomes a tense fights for survival. I don’t want to say much more for fear of spoiling the events that occur late in the film, but Backcountry flew in under the radar and absolutely blew me away.

What horror films pleasantly surprised you this year? Do you agree or disagree with my choices? Let me know in the comments below or shoot me a Tweet!