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Meagan Navarro Highlights the 10 Best Horror Films You Might Have Missed in 2019

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*Keep up with our ongoing end of the year coverage here*

In the digital age, we’re inundated with content constantly. Between endless streaming services and VOD, there’s a wealth of horror available at our fingertips at all times. So much so that it’s tough to keep up. It doesn’t help that the marketing for VOD, limited theatrical, and straight-to-streaming titles don’t have the same budget as major theatrical releases, if at all.

In other words, some of the year’s best offerings can slip through the cracks with ease.

If you’re looking for great horror releases that you might have missed this year, these ten horror movies are among the best of 2019.


Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made

A ‘70s-style film about a teen and her younger brother who enter a forest to dig a hole to hell is said to be a cursed film that causes inexplicable deaths to those who watch it. Antrum is that film. Or rather, it’s an experimental film that invokes a William Castle-like gimmick to examine the chilling power of storytelling. Book-ended by a mini-documentary that explains the cursed film’s history, it’s the central film itself that holds the most intrigue and magic. A throwback Italian style horror story about two youths dabbling with dark forces oozes with eerie atmosphere and mood thanks to subliminal imagery and the year’s best horror sound design. The Blair Witch style pretense won’t be for everyone, but for those that prefer more atmospheric and adventurous storytelling, this is a must.


The Black Forest

Hailing from Brazil under the title A Mata Negro, this regional tale of witchcraft bides its time to get going but builds towards one of the most exciting finales of the year. In a remote rural village, a young woman comes across the Lost Book of Cipriano, full of spells and dark arts. The more she dabbles, however kind her intent, the more things go awry, wreaking havoc on her life and the lives of the villagers. What begins as a serious fable eventually gives way to Sam Raimi and early Peter Jackson levels of splatter fun and demonic mayhem.


Kindred Spirits

In Patrick Bromley’s review for Lucky McKee’s latest out of Cinepocalypse, he called it “a pretty damn good Lifetime movie.” He had no idea how on the nose he was; Kindred Spirits debuted on Lifetime in October. Granted, it was a special early screening before it hits the usual VOD cycle in 2020. All of which to say, McKee dials up the insanity on this psychological thriller to high levels. The plot sees a single mother’s somewhat estranged sister reappear in her life, unaware of how disturbed her sister is. This movie goes to some seriously zany places, and it’s highly entertaining. Fantastic performances by Thora Birch and Macon Blair keep it grounded enough to be emotionally engaging, too.


Belzebuth

This one’s a Shudder original that offers up a unique perspective on demonic possession horror. Director/Co-writer Emilio Portes makes that clear right out of the gate by breaking one of horror’s biggest taboos, slaughtering children. Not just once, either, but an insane amount. That’s what kicks off the plot, which sees a police detective investigating a school massacre after suffering a tragic personal loss. There’s a connection between them, and it’s far more complicated than it initially seems when a Vatican priest arrives. A mashup of various subgenres with Tobin Bell playing a very unreliable character that will keep you guessing, Belzebuth is a refreshing reminder that demonic possession can still surprise.


Depraved

A PTSD-suffering field surgeon harvests body parts and uses them to create an entirely new man in his Brooklyn apartment. If that sounds like a modern-day retelling of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, that’s because it is. Only this time, it’s through the lens of indie horror master Larry Fessenden, in his first spin back in the director’s seat in years. The result is a refreshing twist to a familiar story, with surprising new depth and poignancy. Moreover, it continues Fessenden’s penchant for maximizing a minuscule budget to create something far more luxurious in style.


Sweetheart

Without any fanfare or marketing, Universal quietly slipped J.D. Dillard’s aquatic horror creature feature onto VOD and digital late October. It deserved better. In it, Kiersey Clemons stars as Jenn, a woman who washes ashore on a small tropical island but quickly realizes she’s not alone. She doesn’t just have to contend with surviving the elements, but a malevolent entity that appears each night. Think Cast Away but horror. I suppose the lack of dialogue for a long stretch of the film might not be the easiest sell, but Dillard and his leading lady are more than up to the task. It builds into a thrilling showdown, offers up a fresh creature design by Neville Page, and wins the prize for one of the year’s most breathtaking shots; it involves a flare at night, and you’ll know it when you see it.


The Golden Glove

Fatih Akin’s film, based on Heinz Strunk’s novel of the same name, is exquisitely made. It’s gorgeous and so well crafted. The problem, for many, is that it tells of serial killer Fritz Honka who murdered many women between 1970-1975 and hid their body parts in his apartment. The title refers to Honka’s favored hunting grounds; a little dive bar called the Golden Glove. Meaning that it’s one seriously uncomfortable watch. From the opening scene, Akin invokes Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer and Angst levels of depravity. It’s bleak, shocking, and won’t be for everyone, but it’s a tremendously riveting piece of work.


Piercing

Director Nicolas Pesce’s adaptation of Ryu Murakami’s novel of the same name is one twisted and darkly funny love story. That makes sense, considering Murakami is the author behind Audition, and Pesce’s previous film was The Eyes of My MotherPiercing stars Christopher Abbot as Reed, a family man who checks into a hotel room with the intent to murder the escort he ordered to his room. He gets far more than he’s bargained for when the troubled Jackie (Mia Wasikowska) shows up. Aside from the commanding leads, Pesce wears his cinematic influences in plain sight; his sophomore feature is essentially a modern Giallo. Pesce isn’t just pulling from films like The Bird with the Crystal Plumage or The Fifth Cord; he’s put Goblin’s music front and center.


Harpoon

If you like your horror comedies on the pitch-black side with a heavy heaping of blood, this is for you. Emphasis on the pitch-black. Harpoon is a lean, mean thriller that sees a trio of unlikeable rich best friends embark on a day trip on a new yacht. Rivalries, dark secrets, and sexual tension emerge when the boat breaks down and leaves them stranded in the middle of the sea. Even when you think you know the outcome, director Rob Grant keeps the nasty surprises flowing. The allegiances shift continually and the dialogue is endlessly snappy, but above all, it’s a mean-spirited and brutally funny horror-comedy thriller that’s not for the weak-stomached.


We Summon the Darkness

This endlessly entertaining ‘80s Satanic Panic midnight crowd-pleaser shouldn’t be missed. Don’t let this slip through the cracks, in other words. The plot follows three best friends that embark on a road trip to a heavy metal concert across a landscape stricken by a series of Satanically inspired murders. They meet a trio of guys and invite them home, but their night of continued partying takes a deadly turn. Alexandra Daddario and Maddie Hasson are loving their roles, and it’s downright infectious. Heavy metal, Satan worshippers, murder, and zany levels of fun; it’s an absolute blast. 

Horror journalist, RT Top Critic, and Critics Choice Association member. Co-Host of the Bloody Disgusting Podcast. Has appeared on PBS series' Monstrum, served on the SXSW Midnighter shorts jury, and moderated horror panels for WonderCon and SeriesFest.

Editorials

The 10 Scariest Moments in the ‘Ghostbusters’ Movie Franchise

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scariest Ghostbusters

WARNING: The following contains mild spoilers for the Ghostbusters franchise. 

Yes, Ghostbusters is a horror movie – gateway horror to be exact. Setting aside the fact that the title literally contains the word “ghost,” a foundational element of the scariest genre, the franchise follows a group of paranormal researchers who battle entities attacking from beyond the grave. After countless rewatches, the classic films and newer sequels may not scare us much anymore, but how many times have we as genre fans asserted that a film does not have to be “scary” to be considered horror?

Genre classification is nebulous and any film that centers on ghosts has a place in the sprawling house of horror. Yes, it’s true that most viewers over the age of thirteen will find more to laugh about than scream while watching a Ghostbusters film, but each entry contains a handful of terrifying moments. With Gil Kenan’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire uniting three generations of the parascientific warriors, perhaps it’s time to highlight the most frightening moments from each phase of this legendary franchise. 


Ghostbusters (1984)

A Haunted Library

scariest Ghostbusters movie

Ivan Reitman’s original film begins with a campfire tale come to life. We follow an unsuspecting librarian as she ventures deep into the stacks to reshelve a book. With her hair blowing from a spectral breeze, we watch a hardcover float across the aisle to the opposite shelf. A second book follows, but the librarian remains unaware. She finally notices the disturbance when card catalog drawers open on their own spewing cards into the air like literary geysers. She flees through the maze of narrow stacks only to come face to face with a mysterious force who blows her back with a powerful roar. We won’t see the Library Ghost (Ruth Oliver) until a later scene, but this introduction firmly positions the film that follows in the world of horror. On first watch, we can only speculate as to the ghost’s malevolence and whether or not the librarian has survived the encounter. It’s the perfect introduction to a world in which ghosts are not only real, they will pounce on unsuspecting humans at the drop of a … book. 

Shaky Ground

The original finale may not be the film’s most terrifying moment, but it has become the franchise’s most iconic image. When faced with choosing a form for Gozer (Slavitza Jovan), Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) inadvertently conjures up an image from his childhood. Moments later, a set of once-cheery eyes peer through the skyscrapers. The Stay Puft Marshmallow Man towers over the city, stomping and destroying everything in its path. While there’s definitely something terrifying about a jovial mascot turned deadly killer, what happens moments before is arguably scarier. 

The Ghostbusters arrive at the luxury apartment building to throngs of adoring fans. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) plays into this hero-worship and promises an easy solution to a supernatural problem. But before they can enter the building, lightning strikes the upper floors sending massive chunks of brick and cement raining down on the barricaded street. The ground begins to shake and a giant fissure swallows the entire team. It’s a destabilizing moment made all the more terrifying by its shocking reality. Speculation about the existence of ghosts may vary from person to person, but there’s no doubt that sinkholes are very real. It’s entirely possible that the ground we’re standing on right now could spontaneously begin to crumble, sucking us down into a seemingly bottomless void beneath the earth. 


Ghostbusters II (1989)

Runaway Baby

Ivan Reitman’s sequel begins with a sly update on the life of a beloved character as Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver) pushes a baby carriage containing her infant son Oscar (Henry and William Deutschendorf). When last we saw the attractive cellist, she was kissing Venkman in the wreckage of Gozer’s demise and the thought of this loveable lady’s man becoming a father may be more nerve-wracking than anything contained in the first film. We never learn much about Oscar’s real father, but we do discover that fate has a sinister plan for the adorable child. While Dana chats with her landlord, Oscar’s carriage rolls a few feet away. Dana reaches for the handle, but the buggy begins speeding down the sidewalk careening through the busy crowds. As if guided by unseen hands, the carriage twists and turns, then abruptly swerves into oncoming traffic. Cars honk and veer out of the way, but the racing carriage marks a collision course with an approaching bus. The wheels screech to a halt moments before what would surely be a deadly crash and Dana rushes to embrace her vulnerable child. This harrowing scene is likely to terrorize any parent who’s experienced the fear of trying to protect a baby in an unpredictable world.  

Sewer Screams

scariest Ghostbusters scene

While investigating the second film’s primary villain, Vigo the Carpathian (Wilhelm von Homburg), three of the Ghostbusters venture into the sewers hoping to find a growing river of slime. Ray, Winston (Ernie Hudson), and Egon (Harold Ramis) trek down an abandoned subway line while speculating about the hordes of cockroaches and rats they hear scurrying behind the walls. These vermin may be scary, but there are more malevolent monsters lurking in the dark. Ray and Egon both amuse themselves with the tunnel’s echo but Winston’s “hello” goes unanswered. Moments later, a demonic voice bellows his name from the dark end of the corridor. Waiting behind him is a severed head floating in the empty tunnel. As he tries to retreat, the team finds themselves surrounded by dozens of ghoulish heads that disappear faster than they materialized. Moments later, a ghostly train hurtles towards them, swallowing Winston in its spectral glow. Egon theorizes that something is trying to keep them from reaching their destination with effective scares designed to frighten the Ghostbusters and audience alike.  


Ghostbusters (2016)

Haunted Basement

Like its predecessor, Paul Feig’s remake opens with a spooky vignette. Garrett (Zach Woods) gives a tour of the Aldridge Mansion, a 19th century manor preserved in the middle of the busy city, and walks visitors through a troubling history of excess and cruelty. Hoping to inject a bit of excitement, he pauses near the basement door and tells the horrifying story of Gertrude Aldridge (Bess Rous), a wealthy heiress who murdered the house’s many servants. Hoping to avoid a public scandal, her family locked her in the basement and her restless spirit can still be heard trying to escape. Garrett triggers a trick candlestick to fly off the shelf, hinting at the spirit’s presence, but a late night incident shows that the deceased murderess may actually be lurking in her ancestral home. While closing up for the night, Garrett hears ominous noises from behind the barricaded door and watches the knob rattle against the heavy locks. An unseen attacker hurls him through the house and eventually drives him down the basement stairs to a sea of green slime pooling on the floor. The stairs crumble leaving the tour guide hanging on to the door frame for dear life as a spectral figure glides toward him with menacing hands outstretched. Once again, we won’t see the fully revealed ghost of Gertrude Aldridge until later in the film, but this terrifying opening sets the stage for a dangerous showdown with an army of the dead.

Mannequin On the Move

The scariest moment of the 2016 remake is arguably the vicious online hatred sparked well before the film’s release. In response to brutal comments posted to the first official trailer, the cast returned to film an additional scene in which they react to dehumanizing negativity. But another sequence may cut closer to the heart of this upsetting experience. The Ghostbusters respond to a call at a concert venue and split up to cover more ground. Patty (Leslie Jones) enters what she calls a “room full of nightmares” and immediately reverses course to avoid a multitude of mannequins stacked haphazardly in the dark. As she walks out the door, one of the faceless creatures turns its head her way. Walking on its own, this sentient prop follows her down the hall, pausing the moment she turns around. Eventually breaking cover, the mannequin chases Patty down the hall to the rest of the team. They unleash their proton packs and make quick work of the gargoyle-like ghost. Though this connection is surely unintentional, it’s a terrifying parallel to a faceless monster sneaking up to attack a woman simply trying to do her job. 


Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)

Smoke and Monsters

While Ghostbusters: Afterlife is nowhere near as scary as the horror films playing in the local summer school science class, Jason Reitman’s legacyquel does contain its share of frights. The film opens with a harrowing scene as we join Egon (Oliver Cooper) in the last moments of his life. Racing away from a sinister mountain, Egon’s truck collides with an unseen force and flips upside down in a field of corn. The elderly scientist races back to his crumbling farmhouse with a trap in hand, intent on ensnaring this invisible being. Unfortunately, the power fails and Egon has no choice but to hide the trap under the floorboards and wait. He sits in a comfortable old chair as a horrifying cloud of smoke drifts in behind him, momentarily forming the shape of a fanged beast. Demonic hands grab him from within the chair, likely causing the heart attack that will be listed on his death certificate. But his abandoned PKE meter below the chair activates, reminding us that Egon may be deceased, but he is far from gone.  

The Terror Returns

scariest Ghostbusters moments

Ghostbusters: Afterlife turns out to be a touching tribute to Harold Ramis as his friends and family unite to complete the beloved scientist’s heroic mission. In addition to a tearjerker ending, Reitman also includes a bevy of callbacks to the original film. Not only do the Spenglers square off against the team’s first enemy, Gozer (Emma Portner), the nonbinary entity brings back the Terror Dogs that once possessed Dana Barret and Louis Tully (Rick Moranis). These demonic beasts first rear their ugly heads while Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) stops by Walmart to buy a midnight snack. While the horde of mini marshmallow men are eerie in their gleeful self-destruction, the ghostly canine that chases him through the store is the stuff of nightmares. Early iterations of this fearsome creature are hindered by ’80s-era special effects, but Reitman’s version feels frighteningly real. While Gary frantically tries to find his keys, this Terror Dog snarls at him from atop his car dashboard, leaving the endearing science teacher with no way to escape. 


Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024)

Frozen Dinner 

After a film set in a small mountain town, the opening of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire takes us back to New York circa 1904. We see the fire station in its early years as a horse-drawn carriage responds to a call. Arriving at the scene, a fireman tests the door for heat and watches in horror as his hand instantly freezes. Inside, they find jagged shards of ice surrounding and piercing a frozen dinner party. Guests are posed in various states of ice-covered surprise while an eerie record skips in the corner. A figure covered in brass armor we will come to know as a Fire Master is crouched in the corner clutching a mysterious orb. When the fireman touches this rippling sphere, the frozen diners’ heads begin to explode, an ominous precursor to the chilling threat awaiting the newest Ghostbusting team. 

Lights Out

If Ghostbusters: Afterlife featured the lo-fi gear of the 80s, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire hurls us into the future. Wealthy financier Winston Zeddemore has been surreptitiously building a new containment unit to relieve pressure on the original model along with a secret lab designed to study ghosts and haunted objects. In addition to fancy new gadgets and gear, this facility contains several captured spirits like a fanged Wraith and a speedy Possessor. Lab techs assure the astonished Spengler team that they are perfectly safe, but it seems they’ve overestimated the facility’s security. Lucky (Celeste O’Connor) and Lars (James Acaster) are studying the aforementioned orb when the power goes out, leaving them stranded in the dark with a cache of haunted objects. Not only does the ancient sphere hold a deadly spirit, the proton fields containing the captured ghosts have just been disabled. These terrifying creatures begin to drift through the walls toward the defenseless lab techs, perhaps at the bidding of an evil commander. Thankfully the generator kicks on in the nick of time, drawing the ghosts back into their cells. It’s a tense moment reminding us that no matter how charming the Ghostbusters may be, they still spend their days with evil spirits just waiting for an opportunity to wreak havoc.  


The Ghostbusters franchise excels at mixing humor and fear, practically setting the blueprint for the modern horror comedy. Moments from the original two films terrified a generation of gen-xers and elder millennials and newer iterations are currently scaring their kids. The fifth franchise installment effectively passes the proton pack torch to a new generation of Ghostbusters and we can only hope additional films will continue to induct future generations of Ghostbusters fans into the horror family as well. 

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is now playing in theaters. Read our review.

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