Editorials
Six Investigative Horror Films to Watch Ahead of ‘Saw X’
Lovecraft may have argued that the strongest kind of fear is the fear of the unknown, but there’s no denying the intellectual thrills of unraveling a good old-fashioned mystery. After all, some answers can serve to make a story even scarier, and I have a personal soft spot for horror yarns about grizzled investigators attempting to piece together a morbid puzzle.
This is precisely why I’ve been a fan of the Saw franchise from the very beginning, with the detective angle behind all the blood and guts making this gruesome franchise stand out amongst other so-called “torture-porn” movies.
And with the long-anticipated Saw X on the horizon this week, we’ve decided to come up with a list recommending six of the best investigative horror films ahead of Jigsaw’s latest killing spree. After all, sometimes it’s fun to figure out exactly why our protagonists are going through these horrific ordeals even if their demise is a forgone conclusion.
As usual, this list is based on personal opinion, but don’t forget to comment below with your own investigative horror favorites if you think we missed a particularly intriguing one.
With that out of the way, cue “Hello Zepp” and onto the list…
6. Untraceable (2008)
It seems like every other horror film from the 2000s was trying to shoehorn some form of “modern” technology into the script in an attempt to appear hip. While this usually resulted in bizarre movies like Hellraiser: Hellworld and the divisive Cry Wolf (which I actually happen to enjoy), one of the better examples of properly incorporating tech into genre thrills happened to be Gregory Hoblit’s underrated psychological thriller Untraceable.
Following an FBI special agent (Diane Lane) as she tracks down a high-tech serial killer who streams his sadistic murders online, the film ends up touching on some prescient issues regarding cybersecurity and humanity’s fascination with the morbid side of the internet. While there’s nothing here quite as disturbing as Jigsaw’s infamous traps, Untraceable still boasts plenty of gruesome moments that are likely to leave you squealing just as much as the victims featured on KillWithMe.Com.
5. I See You (2019)
To dive too deeply into the plot of Adam Randall’s underrated I See You would be a disservice to both the viewer and the filmmakers, but suffice to say that this mind-bending thriller follows a police detective (Jon Tenney) attempting to solve a child abduction case while he and his wife (Helen Hunt) deal with strange happenings inside their own home.
While it may take a while for you to settle into the film’s numerous twists and turns, I See You is the best kind of mystery flick in that it invites the viewer to make sense of the story alongside our lead investigator. In fact, I’d argue that this one is even better on repeat viewings once you finally know how all the pieces fit together and can appreciate the narrative craftsmanship behind the experience.
4. The Empty Man (2020)
Lost in the shuffle of 20th Century Fox’s acquisition by Disney (not to mention a certain worldwide pandemic that utterly annihilated theatrical releases), David Prior’s The Empty Man has become something of a modern cult classic as its popularity has spread through online world-of-mouth. Telling the story of former detective looking into a secretive cult, The Empty Man is a chilling mash-up of cosmic horror and the very best Creepypastas.
While the movie certainly has its flaws, with the director claiming that the theatrical release was more of a rushed rough draft than a proper final cut, there’s still plenty to love here if you’re a fan of Lovecraftian investigations and slow-burning terror – so long as you can stomach the bloated runtime.
It may not be for everyone, but The Empty Man is slowly but surely finding its audience.
3. Lord of Illusions (1995)
The final theatrical release directed by Clive Barker, Lord of Illusions is a strange little film that likely baffled audiences that were expecting something more along the lines of Hellraiser than a supernatural Chinatown. Loosely based on the final story of the Books of Blood anthology, the film follows Scott Bakula as paranormal detective Harry D’Amour as he investigates a cult based in the Mojave Desert.
Cannibalizing disturbing moments from Barker’s other stories (with a creepy finale lifted straight from The Skins of Our Fathers), Lord of Illusions is a great time for horror fans who enjoy their otherworldly terror accompanied by a side of neo-noir intrigue – just make sure that you watch the director’s cut for extra scares.
2. Hellraiser: Inferno (2000)
The Hellraiser sequels are notorious for repurposing scripts that had nothing to do with the franchise and forcefully inserting the Cenobites into them, but this wasn’t the case for all of the franchise’s straight-to-video follow-ups. Despite rumors of the contrary, Scott Derrickson’s Hellraiser: Inferno was originally pitched as a standalone Cenobite yarn that only tangentially related to the events of previous films.
Following a corrupt police detective as he searches for a killer dubbed “The Engineer”, the film plays fast and loose with the Hellraiser mythos by preferring to tell a surreal standalone story about a broken man atoning for his sins – with the end result being a surprisingly fresh take on Barker’s original premise.
1. The Resurrected (1991)
Also known as Ancestor and Shatterbrain in other territories, Dan O’Bannon’s The Resurrected is one of the most criminally underseen Lovecraft adaptations out there. A modernized retelling of The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, this neo-noir thriller tells the story of a private investigator (John Terry) hired to look into the affairs of the eccentric chemist, Charles Dexter Ward (Chris Sarandon). Naturally, otherworldly horror ensues as the detective realizes that Ward’s family has been involved in necromancy for generations.
An atmospheric treat for fans of moody noir ambience and cosmic horror alike, The Resurrected is my favorite film on this list despite having been re-edited by the studio against O’Bannon’s wishes. While it’s unlikely that we’ll ever see a proper director’s cut, it is possible to track down a workprint version of the film with all the original scenes intact.
However, no matter what version you watch, prepare for some legitimately thrilling investigative terror.
Editorials
Silly, Self-Aware ‘Amityville Christmas Vacation’ Is a Welcome Change of Pace [The Amityville IP]
Twice a month Joe Lipsett will dissect a new Amityville Horror film to explore how the “franchise” has evolved in increasingly ludicrous directions. This is “The Amityville IP.”
After a number of bloated runtimes and technically inept entries, it’s something of a relief to watch Amityville Christmas Vacation (2022). The 55-minute film doesn’t even try to hit feature length, which is a wise decision for a film with a slight, but enjoyable premise.
The amusingly self-aware comedy is written and directed by Steve Rudzinski, who also stars as protagonist Wally Griswold. The premise is simple: a newspaper article celebrating the hero cop catches the attention of B’n’B owner Samantha (Marci Leigh), who lures Wally to Amityville under the false claim that he’s won a free Christmas stay.
Naturally it turns out that the house is haunted by a vengeful ghost named Jessica D’Angelo (Aleen Isley), but instead of murdering him like the other guests, Jessica winds up falling in love with him.
Several other recent Amityville films, including Amityville Cop and Amityville in Space, have leaned into comedy, albeit to varying degrees of success. Amityville Christmas Vacation is arguably the most successful because, despite its hit/miss joke ratio, at least the film acknowledges its inherent silliness and never takes itself seriously.
In this capacity, the film is more comedy than horror (the closest comparison is probably Amityville Vibrator, which blended hard-core erotica with references to other titles in the “series”). The jokes here are enjoyably varied: Wally glibly acknowledges his racism and excessive use of force in a way that reflects the real world culture shift around criticisms of police work; the last names of the lovers, as well the title of the film, are obvious homages to the National Lampoon’s holiday film; and the narrative embodies the usual festive tropes of Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movies.
This self-awareness buys the film a certain amount of goodwill, which is vital considering Rudzinski’s clear budgetary limitations. Jessica’s ghost make-up is pretty basic, the action is practically non-existent, and the whole film essentially takes place in a single location. These elements are forgivable, though audiences whose funny bone isn’t tickled will find the basic narrative, low stakes, and amateur acting too glaring to overlook. It must be acknowledged that in spite of its brief runtime, there’s still an undeniable feeling of padding in certain dialogue exchanges and sequences.
Despite this, there’s plenty to like about Amityville Christmas Vacation.
Rudzinski is the clear stand-out here. Wally is a goof: he’s incredibly slow on the uptake and obsessed with his cat Whiskers. The early portions of the film lean on Wally’s inherent likeability and Rudzinski shares an easy charm with co-star Isley, although her performance is a bit more one-note (Jessica is mostly confused by the idiot who has wandered into her midst).
Falling somewhere in the middle are Ben Dietels as Rick (Ben Dietels), Wally’s pathetic co-worker who has invented a family to spend the holidays with, and Zelda (Autumn Ivy), the supernatural case worker that Jessica Zooms with for advice on how to negotiate her newfound situation.
The other actors are less successful, particularly Garrett Hunter as ghost hunter Creighton Spool (Scott Lewis), as well as Samantha, the home owner. Leigh, in particular, barely makes an impression and there’s absolutely no bite in her jealous threats in the last act.
Like most comedies, audience mileage will vary depending on their tolerance for low-brow jokes. If the idea of Wally chastising and giving himself a pep talk out loud in front of Jessica isn’t funny, Amityville Christmas Vacation likely isn’t for you. As it stands, the film’s success rate is approximately 50/50: for every amusing joke, there’s another one that misses the mark.
Despite this – or perhaps because of the film’s proximity to the recent glut of terrible entries – Amityville Christmas Vacation is a welcome breath of fresh air. It’s not a great film, but it is often amusing and silly. There’s something to be said for keeping things simple and executing them reasonably well.
That’s a lesson that other indie Amityville filmmakers could stand to learn.
The Amityville IP Awards go to…
- Recurring Gag: The film mines plenty of jokes from characters saying the quiet part (out) loud, including Samantha’s delivery of “They’re always the people I hate” when Wally asks how he won a contest he didn’t enter.
- Holiday Horror: There’s a brief reference that Jessica died in an “icicle accident,” which plays like a perfect blend between a horror film and a Hallmark film.
- Best Line: After Jessica jokes about Wally’s love of all things cats to Zelda, calling him the “cat’s meow,” the case worker’s deadpan delivery of “Yeah, that sounds like an inside joke” is delightful.
- Christmas Wish: In case you were wondering, yes, Santa Claus (Joshua Antoon) does show up for the film’s final joke, though it’s arguably not great.
- Chainsaw Award: This film won Fangoria’s ‘Best Amityville’ Chainsaw award in 2023, which makes sense given how unique it is compared to many other titles released in 2022. This also means that the film is probably the best entry we’ll discuss for some time, so…yay?
- ICYMI: This editorial series was recently included in a profile in the The New York Times, another sign that the Amityville “franchise” will never truly die.
Next time: we’re hitting the holidays in the wrong order with a look at November 2022’s Amityville Thanksgiving, which hails from the same creative team as Amityville Karen <gulp>
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