Editorials
00’s Retrospect: Bloody Disgusting’s Top 20 Films of the Decade…Part 4
You’ve all been waiting, and now it’s here: the unveiling of Bloody-Disgusting’s list of the Top 5 horror films of the last ten years. Again, the list reflects the opinions of all B-D contributors (each of whom came up with their own personal Top 20 list from which the results were tabulated). You may not agree with the films on the final list (in fact, it’s inevitable that the majority of you probably won’t, at least not in the order they’re assembled), but these five movies are all excellent examples of the genre that will go down in history as classics in the eyes of the majority of horror movie fans. Of course, if one of your faves was left out and you’d like to rant about it, let us know. We can relate: keep in mind that every B-D contributor had films from their own personal lists that didn’t make the cut either… And now, without further adieu, we present to you the Top 5 horror films of the 2000s.
Also read: 00’s Retrospect: Dead on Arrival — Ten Horror Duds of the Last Decade
The last ten years have been a wild ride for horror fans. Thanks to countless innovators and a host of amazing films, it can safely be said that the 2000’s trump the 1990’s by a wide margin. Sure, that decade had groundbreakers like Scream and The Blair Witch Project, but that’s nothing compared to the number of great horror films (and, for that matter, the number of total horror films) that this decade has had to offer. To celebrate, the staff of Bloody-Disgusting decided to take a vote on the Top 20 horror films* of the 2000’s (along with one honorable mention), and the below list is the result. Looking over it, it’s actually pretty telling that nearly half the movies (9 out of 21) were produced on foreign soil, which just goes to show that this decade in horror was as much about the range of impressive imports as it was about the American product. Your favorites aren’t on there? Cry us a river. Or better yet, let us know what we missed. And make sure, at some point before the New Year, to get on your knees, clasp your hands together and pray to the horror gods to make the next decade as good as the last. – Chris Eggertsen
5. Session 9 (USA Films; August 10, 2001)
As they often say in real estate, location is everything. And Brad Anderson couldn’t have set his nerve-wracking, slow-burning horror opus in a better one: an abandoned New England mental hospital. Of course in filmmaking, location really isn’t everything, and Anderson clearly understands that. Which is why Session 9 isn’t just a cheap, hack `n’ slash, instantly-forgettable type horror film, but a psychologically probing, deeply unsettling journey off the edge and into the abyss of the human mind. The film is old-school in a lot of ways, particularly in that it doesn’t just rely on cheap shocks to scare the living daylights out of us. Indeed, the scariest moments in the film are those that involve disembodied voices, eerie visuals and the mere suggestion that something horrible is about to happen. This is the stuff bad dreams are made of.
4. The Mist (Dimension Films; November 21, 2007)
Frank Darabont, known for helming adaptations of Stephen King’s more dramatic works, totally nailed this adaptation of King’s short story about a group of small town folk who become trapped inside a grocery store when a mysterious mist rolls into town and simultaneously unleashes a host of nasty creatures. The scary stuff works extremely well (including a mostly-great use of CGI), but what really drives this one home is Darabont’s focus on the divide that forms between two factions of the townspeople – the paranoid, Bible-thumping types led by rabid fundamentalist Mrs. Carmody (played by a great Marcia Gay Harden) and the more rational-minded, decidedly left-wing members of the populace. Love or hate that downer of an ending, this allegorical microcosm of Bush Jr.-era America is spot on, and elevates an already-excellent film to even greater heights.
3. The Descent (Lionsgate; August 4, 2006)
This Neil Marshall-directed film begins as a tale of gung-ho female empowerment and ends in a blood-soaked orgy of every-woman-for-herself pandemonium. One of the scariest films of this or any decade, The Descent is so effective because Marshall understands how to layer on the frights. It would be bad enough if this group of female spelunkers was facing flesh-eating humanoids in a normal, everyday setting, but the fact that they’re battling them while trapped in a series of claustrophobia-inducing caverns is almost too much to bear. Marshall is an expert at conveying an all-consuming dread and disorientation, but what really makes the film work is that he takes the time to give the characters actual personalities so we truly care what happens to them. Ultimately, The Descent is the purest kind of horror film – ruthless, unforgiving, showing no mercy.
2. Shaun of the Dead (Focus Features; September 24, 2004)
Shaun of the Dead isn’t just the best horror-comedy of the decade – it’s quite possibly the best horror-comedy ever made. Edgar Wright’s film about a couple of aimless English blokes caught in the middle of a zombie pandemic seemingly came out of nowhere and went on to become one of the biggest cult films of all time. It’s a case of all the right elements coming together at just the right moment – not only is the film smartly and stylishly directed, but the endearing performances by the entire ensemble cast are pure comic gold. Wright also takes a page out of Romero’s book by providing a sharp satiric subtext that serves to elevate the film above mere slapstick. Simply put, Shaun of the Dead is about as close to perfection as movies get; intelligent, thrilling, one-of-a-kind.
1. Let the Right One In (Magnolia Pictures; March 10, 2009)
It’s rare enough for a horror film to be good; even rarer are those that function as genuine works of art. Let the Right One In, adapted from the novel of the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist, is one of those films – an austerely beautiful creation that reveals itself slowly, like the best works of art do. The simplicity of the story – a young boy, bullied in school, meets a young girl who just happens to be a 200-year-old vampire – allows Swedish director Tomas Alfredson to focus on these two pre-teen characters with a penetrating insight that not only makes it a great vampire film but a great coming-of-age film as well. Of course, calling it a coming-of-age story is likely selling it short. Because at its core, Let the Right One In is, simply, a human story, a pensive meditation on the transcendent possibilities of human connection. Most of all, it’s a film that sticks with you, and whose stature will continue to grow in the decades to come.
Editorial written by Chris Eggertsen
*Editor’s Note: For those of you interested in knowing how the list came to be, here’s an explanation. Bloody Disgusting writers collaborated on a list of some of the best films this decade. The entire list was given to the Bloody Disgusting staff who then built their own Top 20 lists. Each film was given a point value. 20 received 1 point, 19 received 2 points, and so on all the way to number 1, which received 20 points. The numbers were tallied and the result are the top films listed. The bonus film had tied with #20 and the tie was broken by the number of actual votes.
The following participated in the project: Mr. Disgusting, Tex Massacre, BC, David Harley, Ryan Daley, Chris Eggertsen, Jeff Otto, John Marrone, Horror_Guy, Mr_Bungle, Klown, Caustic Coffee and Tool Shed
“Elevated Horror.” Of all the combinations in the English language, that one is the most insufferable.
It represents almost a decade of scary movies that, for the most part, took themselves too seriously. Horror responds to the moment, so its “why so serious” lean makes sense as we scuttle through the “worst of times” equation of Charles Dickens’ famous opening lines. But there’s still an opening and a need for a lighter approach; one that not only has fun with its audience but takes the piss out of a genre that is seemingly letting its newfound “respectability” go to its head.
Wes Craven believed devotees see horror films to let out their fears one primal scream at a time. At their core, these movies are roller coasters; they bring us as close to the edge as possible before pulling us back into a safety net of reality. The need for a bigger and badder coaster increases during times when the size of that net decreases.
There’s a thrill that comes from imagining being in a foot race with a madman, or outthinking the hordes of zombies on the other side of the door, plus the scavenger humans coming behind them. There’s even a rush that comes from imagining how one might deal with possession to see good triumph over evil in the end. It’s all about building tension and releasing it through catharsis. That cathartic release usually sounds like screams followed by laughter, which signals relief. Genre heavy hitters over the past 10 years offered very little of that respite when the credits rolled. Films like Hereditary, The Witch, Talk to Me, and even Smile (pick one) keep that tension going after the screen fades to black.
Hereditary
As the genre became obsessed with creating trauma metaphors, that lack of release made sense. Anyone with even a small sample size of traumatic experiences knows those emotions don’t magically resolve themselves in an allotted run time. But how much trauma can one take? Especially when there’s a mess going on outside that few of us can escape from. Movies offer that off-ramp, no matter how short.
Everything can’t be, nor should it be, “elevated.” Audiences need thoughtful explorations of life’s ills via monsters as much as they need murdering masked maniacs with kitchen knives. And no, it doesn’t have to go any deeper than that. Sometimes, a knife is just a knife, and it’s still worth our time and respect. As weird as it sounds, that simplicity is comforting not in spite of the trauma but because of it.
The worst of times should manifest more than just anguish. People need to laugh just as much as they need to think seriously about this moment in time. Even the Scream franchise forgot the meta rock upon which it built its church when the latest foray sacrificed the subtle comedy for serious drama. Scary Movie returned at the perfect moment. It provides the necessary laughs, but it’s not a cure-all.
This isn’t a call for Scary Movie imitators but a return to a mainstream landscape where Killer Klowns from Outer Space sat with The Serpent and the Rainbow, nestled neatly with the latest Nightmare on Elm Street, which took nothing away from The Vanishing.
They Live
Even They Live, John Carpenter’s horror sci-fi satire sandwich, kept its tongue firmly in cheek while discussing serious ideas still relevant in 2026. Yes, a film about aliens taking over the world through subliminal messaging only visible through coded sunglasses is, in fact, a tad silly. Carpenter understood that mainstream horror can’t become so self-important that it never looks itself in the mirror and laughs at that inherent silliness.
The thing is, horror historically excels at poking fun at itself. Most of the Scream franchise, The Cabin in the Woods, or The Blackening show adoration without kowtowing. They recognize tropes and trappings but invert them for an audience already in on the joke, but one that also finds solace in said conventions. This keeps the genre on its toes; once something gets parodied, it’s usually time to evolve. That breeds new ideas and fresh filmmakers, which not only strengthen the genre’s collective voice but also amplify it.
Get Out, as “elevated” as some critics want us to believe it is, is a cathartic, populist scary movie that spoke to an untapped audience rather than speaking down to them. Backrooms is one of the biggest horror hits in years, partially because it’s fine-tuned for modern-day teenagers instead of their parents. Movies like these tell everyone the genre is open for business; open for innovation and, yeah, open for new ways in which people can lovingly poke fun at with a wink and a nudge.
Horror needs dread as much as it needs laughter.
Catharsis is just as important as tension, and pulpy populism has the same merit as more high-brow material. Respectability shouldn’t come at the expense of an experience akin to walking through a haunted house. At a time when joy seems in short supply, horror should look to its past to map out its future, and make things just a tad brighter for audiences.
Backrooms
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