Editorials
Mr. Disgusting Picks the Best Horror Films of 2014!
Other Year’s Lists: 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020
While studios are focusing on their franchises and remakes, independent filmmakers are building a horror army that’s one to reckon with. This is now the 13th anniversary of our annual Best & Worst editorials, and what makes this year stand out is that the majority of films on my list came from an independent source – even if a studio eventually released some.
On paper, we’re moving the right direction. There are a plethora of new up-and-coming horror filmmakers, and more and more horror films are being made outside of the studio system. The bad news is that it’s not a sustainable system, meaning we could be living in the golden age of independent horror cinema. Instead of bitching and moaning when a studio announces their next sequel/remake – take that negative energy and focus it in the right place…seek out and support an indie film you’ve been hearing so much about.
With that, let’s take a look at just how good 2014 was…
This is the first time I couldn’t narrow my list down to a top 10. In fact, I’m sitting on 20 films that all deserve some love – and if I can use the site as my own personal soapbox, so be it.
What I present to you are two batches of films, with the first 10 in no particular order, while the final 10, below, are shared in the typical countdown format.
Best Horror Films of 2014: 20-11
TOP 10 HORROR FILMS OF 2014
10. The Town That Dreaded Sundown (Universal Home Entertainment)
Alfonso Gomez-Rejon is quickly becoming a name is horror. After helming the sequel to The Town That Dreaded Sundown, he’s gone on to work on FX’s “American Horror Story: Freak Show,” which mirrored his talents shown in this modern day take on the 1976 classic. What I love about this Blumhouse production – dumped to home video – in that it has an otherworldly feel, and reminds me of the old Halloween films if they were to have taken place in the world of David Fincher’s Zodiac. The stunning cinematography only heightens a serious creep factor…oh, and there’s plenty of slasher gore to go around!
9. Nightcrawler (Open Road)
Dan Gilroy’s crime thriller isn’t a horror film, but it’s as thrilling as any genre pic I’ve ever seen. Jake Gyllenhaal plays a terrifying sociopath who is intent on being the first to the news. It’s a very relevant movie that basks in social commentary without being preachy. It’s also one of those movies where you end up rooting for the villain, which sort of makes Gyllenhaal the perfect antihero. There’s also no shortage of car chases and violence (there’s a multiple murder caught on tape) to go along with supremely astounding performances by both Gyllenhaal and Rene Russo.
8. Summer of Blood (Dark Sky Films)
Summer of Blood may be the first of its kind. This hipster horror film was written/directed by and stars Onur Tukel, who delivers a self-reflective performance in the vein of Clerks, but with real social commentary from the male gaze. Oh, it’s also a vampire movie, and a hilarious one at that. This is a must for horror fans that can handle heavy exposition, but should be warned that it’s not going to connect with everyone. In fact, if you can’t stand the opening scene, you should probably turn it off. For those who find it as gut-busting funny as I do, you’re in for a clever ride that’s littered in sex and violence.
7. Under the Skin (A24)
If you’re looking for a scary alien-abduction horror movie, Under the Skin is the closest since Fire In the Sky. In fact, I think it has one of the most terrifying abduction sequences ever caught on film. While the book may be better (and scarier), Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin is slow-burn horror at its best. It’s both spooky and nerve-wracking, with Scarlett Johansson delivering a maliciously premeditative and seductive powerhouse performance.
6. Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead (Well Go USA)
I strongly disliked Tommy Wirkola’s 2009 Sundance zombie pic Dead Snow and couldn’t understand why they’d bother with a sequel. It was one of the last films I planned to see this year, and ended up being one of my favorites. I’m unsure if it was because of the budget (was it larger?) or if Wirkola is listening to his critics, but Dead Snow 2 is an insanely fun Peter Jackson-esque splatterfest! Beginning immediately after the first, it builds into an outrageous and gory blast that really deserved to be seen with an audience. There’s plenty of homages to go around, especially one to Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead 2, where the main character is gifted with an undead super arm that’s central to the sequel’s plot. But what really ties the movie together is the American zombie hunters group, led by comic actor Martin Starr. I won’t ever watch Dead Snow again, but I plan to have multiple screenings of its sequel that has infinite replay value.
5. Wolf Creek 2 (RLJ/Image Entertainment)
I’m still raving about Greg McLean’s Wolf Creek sequel, which was a complete tonal shift from the first slasher. As I said in my review, Wolf Creek 2 is the slasher horror fans have been dying for; it’s like Crocodile Dundee, High Tension, Texas Chain Saw and Elm Street all mixed into one insanely fun, yet dirty, grimy and vicious slasher massacre. What makes it spectacular is McLean’s decision to make it more of a fun horror comedy than what they call “torture pron.” Mick Taylor becomes more like Freddy Krueger than Leatherface, and what viewers get is a super fun, wild ride that’s sure to become a cult classic.
4. Lost Soul (Severin)
I’m a huge fan of documentaries, but it’s sort of unfortunate there aren’t many based on horror films. Thanks to director David Gregory we take a look behind-the-scenes of the infamous 1996 The Island of Dr. Moreau, which starred Val Kilmer and Marlon Brando. Gregory’s “Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau” shares the tortuous path Stanley set down to make his dream project with New Line Cinema. In what makes a perfect documentary, Stanley’s journey comes full circle as he tells of behind fired from the production, only to have snuck on the set as an extra to witness the furthering chaos. “Lost Soul” is as inspirational, exhilarating, and heartwarming as it heartbreaking and disincentive. “Lost Soul” should become required viewing in film schools across the globe as it’s both a life lesson and reality check. It’s the horror version of “Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse,” which is ironic as Apocalypse Now also starred Brando.
3. As Above/So Below (Universal Pictures)
I can’t remember the last time you guys gave me as much shit as you did for my review of As Above/So Below, directed by the Dowdle brothers (Quarantine, The Poughkeepsie Tapes, Devil). I don’t care what anyone says, but I thought this movie was fucking scary, and seeing it in an empty theater with incredible sound only heightened the experience. As I said in the review, As Above/So Below is a found-footage movie that shows that the subgenre can still work when it’s not abused. It’s astoundingly authentic, which could be the main reason why it’s one of the scariest movies in years. And even though it has its flaws, I champion the terrifying As Above with the highest praise possible…and still do.
2. Only Lovers Left Alive (Sony Classics)
I thought the vampire genre had completely died until I saw Jim Jarmusch’s romanticized horror film. Being that the majority of the drama takes place in a singular location with heavy exposition, the only way it could work is with a powerhouse performance. Only Lovers has two. Tilda Swinton, who is one of my favorite thesps of all time, stars with up-and-coming Goth king Tom Hiddleston. The two play century-old vampires (deeply in love) who are reunited after years apart. Things get out of hand when their disruptive sister (Mia Wasikowska) arrives, and destroys everything they’ve built together. It’s a wonderfully exotic and engaging piece of art that hopefully puts the viewers’ short lives into perspective.
1. Babadook (IFC Midnight)
A lot of Bloody Disgusting readers think Babadook is overrated, although I personally think it’s just overhyped. While Jennifer Kent’s chilling supernatural fairytale is my pick for best horror movie of the year, it’s never going to live up to the hype of being one of the best movies ever made, cause it’s not. Babadook, simply put, is a spine-tingling bedtime story for hardcore horror fans. Kent puts on a filmmaking clinic, using a perfect blend of storytelling, editing and sound design to create a slow-burn horror tale that’s guaranteed to get under the skin.
Editorials
‘Immaculate’ – A Companion Watch Guide to the Religious Horror Movie and Its Cinematic Influences
The religious horror movie Immaculate, starring Sydney Sweeney and directed by Michael Mohan, wears its horror influences on its sleeves. NEON’s new horror movie is now available on Digital and PVOD, making it easier to catch up with the buzzy title. If you’ve already seen Immaculate, this companion watch guide highlights horror movies to pair with it.
Sweeney stars in Immaculate as Cecilia, a woman of devout faith who is offered a fulfilling new role at an illustrious Italian convent. Cecilia’s warm welcome to the picture-perfect Italian countryside gets derailed soon enough when she discovers she’s become pregnant and realizes the convent harbors disturbing secrets.
From Will Bates’ gothic score to the filming locations and even shot compositions, Immaculate owes a lot to its cinematic influences. Mohan pulls from more than just religious horror, though. While Immaculate pays tribute to the classics, the horror movie surprises for the way it leans so heavily into Italian horror and New French Extremity. Let’s dig into many of the film’s most prominent horror influences with a companion watch guide.
Warning: Immaculate spoilers ahead.
Rosemary’s Baby
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The mother of all pregnancy horror movies introduces Rosemary Woodhouse (Mia Farrow), an eager-to-please housewife who’s supportive of her husband, Guy, and thrilled he landed them a spot in the coveted Bramford apartment building. Guy proposes a romantic evening, which gives way to a hallucinogenic nightmare scenario that leaves Rosemary confused and pregnant. Rosemary’s suspicions and paranoia mount as she’s gaslit by everyone around her, all attempting to distract her from her deeply abnormal pregnancy. While Cecilia follows a similar emotional journey to Rosemary, from the confusion over her baby’s conception to being gaslit by those who claim to have her best interests in mind, Immaculate inverts the iconic final frame of Rosemary’s Baby to great effect.
The Exorcist
William Friedkin’s horror classic shook audiences to their core upon release in the ’70s, largely for its shocking imagery. A grim battle over faith is waged between demon Pazuzu and priests Damien Karras (Jason Miller) and Lankester Merrin (Max von Sydow). The battleground happens to be a 12-year-old, Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair), whose possessed form commits blasphemy often, including violently masturbating with a crucifix. Yet Friedkin captures the horrifying events with stunning cinematography; the emotional complexity and shot composition lend elegance to a film that counterbalances the horror. That balance between transgressive imagery and artful form permeates Immaculate as well.
Suspiria
Jessica Harper stars as Suzy Bannion, an American newcomer at a prestigious dance academy in Germany who uncovers a supernatural conspiracy amid a series of grisly murders. It’s a dance academy so disciplined in its art form that its students and faculty live their full time, spending nearly every waking hour there, including built-in meals and scheduled bedtimes. Like Suzy Bannion, Cecilia is a novitiate committed to learning her chosen trade, so much so that she travels to a foreign country to continue her training. Also, like Suzy, Cecilia quickly realizes the pristine façade of her new setting belies sinister secrets that mean her harm.
What Have You Done to Solange?
This 1972 Italian horror film follows a college professor who gets embroiled in a bizarre series of murders when his mistress, a student, witnesses one taking place. The professor starts his own investigation to discover what happened to the young woman, Solange. Sex, murder, and religion course through this Giallo’s veins, which features I Spit on Your Grave’s Camille Keaton as Solange. Immaculate director Michael Mohan revealed to The Wrap that he emulated director Massimo Dallamano’s techniques, particularly in a key scene that sees Cecilia alone in a crowded room of male superiors, all interrogating her on her immaculate status.
The Red Queen Kills Seven Times
In this Giallo, two sisters inherit their family’s castle that’s also cursed. When a dark-haired, red-robed woman begins killing people around them, the sisters begin to wonder if the castle’s mysterious curse has resurfaced. Director Emilio Miraglia infuses his Giallo with vibrant style, with the titular Red Queen instantly eye-catching in design. While the killer’s design and use of red no doubt played an influential role in some of Immaculate’s nightmare imagery, its biggest inspiration in Mohan’s film is its score. Immaculate pays tribute to The Red Queen Kills Seven Times through specific music cues.
The Vanishing
Rex’s life is irrevocably changed when the love of his life is abducted from a rest stop. Three years later, he begins receiving letters from his girlfriend’s abductor. Director George Sluizer infuses his simple premise with bone-chilling dread and psychological terror as the kidnapper toys with Red. It builds to a harrowing finale you won’t forget; and neither did Mohan, who cited The Vanishing as an influence on Immaculate. Likely for its surprise closing moments, but mostly for the way Sluizer filmed from inside a coffin.
The Other Hell
This nunsploitation film begins where Immaculate ends: in the catacombs of a convent that leads to an underground laboratory. The Other Hell sees a priest investigating the seemingly paranormal activity surrounding the convent as possessed nuns get violent toward others. But is this a case of the Devil or simply nuns run amok? Immaculate opts to ground its horrors in reality, where The Other Hell leans into the supernatural, but the surprise lab setting beneath the holy grounds evokes the same sense of blasphemous shock.
Inside
During Immaculate‘s freakout climax, Cecilia sets the underground lab on fire with Father Sal Tedeschi (Álvaro Morte) locked inside. He manages to escape, though badly burned, and chases Cecilia through the catacombs. When Father Tedeschi catches Cecilia, he attempts to cut her baby out of her womb, and the stark imagery instantly calls Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury’s seminal French horror movie to mind. Like Tedeschi, Inside’s La Femme (Béatrice Dalle) will stop at nothing to get the baby, badly burned and all.
Burial Ground
At first glance, this Italian zombie movie bears little resemblance to Immaculate. The plot sees an eclectic group forced to band together against a wave of undead, offering no shortage of zombie gore and wild character quirks. What connects them is the setting; both employed the Villa Parisi as a filming location. The Villa Parisi happens to be a prominent filming spot for Italian horror; also pair the new horror movie with Mario Bava’s A Bay of Blood or Blood for Dracula for additional boundary-pushing horror titles shot at the Villa Parisi.
The Devils
The Devils was always intended to be incendiary. Horror, at its most depraved and sadistic, tends to make casual viewers uncomfortable. Ken Russell’s 1971 epic takes it to a whole new squeamish level with its nightmarish visuals steeped in some historical accuracy. There are the horror classics, like The Exorcist, and there are definitive transgressive horror cult classics. The Devils falls squarely in the latter, and Russell’s fearlessness in exploring taboos and wielding unholy imagery inspired Mohan’s approach to the escalating horror in Immaculate.
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