Top 10 Horror Films of the 2000s
The day after Christmas... crazy sales... more shopping... going to wal-mart is like a horror film in and of itself. So it's only fitting that I discuss the best horror films of the decade now. Let's get it goin'.
Basically 10 Little Indians with a psychology twist. What I will always remember about this movie is that I was able to call the killer based on the trailer alone. Not because it was easy, but because I decided that the killer would be the least likely character. Granted, it actually made sense in the context of the movie. Anyway, it had one heck of a cast, too. John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, Alfred Molina, Clea DuVall, John C. McGinley, Jake Busey, and Pruitt Taylor Vince. I also love the ending, especially how it ties back in a poem repeated earlier in the film. It's quiet and creepy. Love it.
Robert Rodriguez's half of Grindhouse (the better half, if I say so). It's wild and crazy and totally fun. Mutant "zombies." Fuzzy screens. Missing reels. A chick with a machine gun leg. Bloody action. It's almost too awesome for its own good. I put it this low on the list because it's really not scary whatsoever. I wouldn't even say it's marginally scary. But it's a horror film nonetheless. And, therefore, it's on my list.
Video game movies aren't known for being the best films ever created, but sometimes you get something at least halfway decent. Silent Hill is one of those. Sure, it has some flaws. If you know anything about the making of the film, it was originally going to be an all-female cast, but the production company didn't think that'd work. So what'd they do? They forced them to re-write the script and give the husband character a bigger role. And you can tell in the movie. Pretty much every part of the husband's part of the story is meaningless and somewhat boring (I always wanted to go back into the "Silent Hill" world when it flipped to the husband). Also, the ending is terrible and demands a sequel (which, luckily, I think they recently greenlit). But every other part of the film is fantastic and creepy. Pyramidhead is scary, as are all the other creatures. And the climax gets surprisingly violent. Fun stuff.
So... have you seen this movie? It's freaky. Not really much more to say after that. It has Matthew McConaughey in a role that isn't his usual. Is also has Bill Paxton (who also directed). It's a religious horror film, and you're never quite sure if all the religious stuff is true or not. But either way, it's unsettling. That's probably the best way to put this movie. Unsettling.
Most horror films these days are all about the shock factor. The jump scares. The blood and gore. The Mothman Prophecies has virtually none of this. And I don't know about you, but this movie scares the living crap out of me. What does it have? Creepy occurrences, telephone conversations, unexplained scenarios, and subtle scares that you have to be paying attention to get (the mirror lag, anyone?). Not to mention those red eyes. I always get scared to drive at night whenever I watch this movie. I know the first time I saw it, I had to drive home at night afterward, and at that time, I lived out in the middle of nowhere. So at one point, in the pitch black, my brake lights reflected off these two, well, reflectors that stood on either side of this little bridge... and in my rear-view mirror, they looked JUST like the two red eyes. I about had a heart attack. So it might not have the blood. It might not have the overt musical cue scares. But this is by far one of the most terrifying movies I've ever seen. So why, if it's so scary, do I have it at number 6 on the list? Because sometimes "fun," "concept," or even "depth" can trump ultimate scares.
Talking about the original here, of course. This is the case where "concept" and "fun" can trump scares. Is this movie scary? Not really. But its concept is super fun, and I love the heck out of this little film. It has some wickedly dark humor. It has creative kills. It's also the film that, believe it or not, really first introduced the world to Seann William Scott. And who didn't go "oh crap!" when you see the plane explode in the far background outside the terminal, right before the windows explode?
One of my favorite horror/comedies, and I place it under horror, as I believe there are more scares than laughs (though there are some good laughs). This is a film that totally takes the horror genre and turns it on its head... and then laughs mercilessly at it. From the opening moments with the "title cards" to the breaking of all horror rules, this movie is hella fun. It's just incredibly unfortunate that its two sequels are two of the most disasterous, unholy abominations ever put on celluloid (and I'm not being hyperbolic here).
It's rare to get a great sequel to a great film, but this was apparently one of the exceptions. It starred none of the original cast, nor did it have Danny Boyle behind the camera. But after the brilliant opening scene, you know you're in for a good ride. Sure, it doesn't have the depth of the original, but what it lacks in overall social commentary (I mean, it's there, but it's not as explored, I suppose), it totally makes up for in suspense.
Unlike the previous choice, this began a series wherein the sequels never quite lived up to the original. I mean, there's been some pretty good ones (2, 3, and 6 being the better ones), but there have also been a couple... not so great (4 and 5). Ironically, movies 4-6 were written by the same dudes who wrote Feast (and its sequels). So I suppose their record is for every good film they write, they also write two... well... not so good ones. But also, the guys who wrote and directed the first one didn't do that for any of the others (well, they acted as executive producers and helped with script ideas, but that was about it). Long story short (too late), the first Saw had a brilliant story and a jaw-dropping twist ending that's gone into the history books. I've seen this movie a ton of times, and I'll probably see it a ton more. And I love the main theme song, too. So... yeah.
I don't think I'll get a lot of arguments here. Danny Boyle created a horror film with complex characters, heavy themes, and strong social commentary. With a brilliant (second) opening that is essentially 15 minutes of Cillian Murphy walking around an empty London saying "hello?", the movie starts out artistically fantastic. It also had the balls to show full-frontal male nudity (Yes... yes... pun intended). I also love the main theme for this film, as well (the whole thing is nearly 30 minutes long in and of itself, but it has great pacing from slow and steady to fast and chaotic). And no, for the bajillionth time, they are not zombies.
The day after Christmas... crazy sales... more shopping... going to wal-mart is like a horror film in and of itself. So it's only fitting that I discuss the best horror films of the decade now. Let's get it goin'.
10. Identity (2003)
Basically 10 Little Indians with a psychology twist. What I will always remember about this movie is that I was able to call the killer based on the trailer alone. Not because it was easy, but because I decided that the killer would be the least likely character. Granted, it actually made sense in the context of the movie. Anyway, it had one heck of a cast, too. John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, Alfred Molina, Clea DuVall, John C. McGinley, Jake Busey, and Pruitt Taylor Vince. I also love the ending, especially how it ties back in a poem repeated earlier in the film. It's quiet and creepy. Love it.
9. Planet Terror (2007)
Robert Rodriguez's half of Grindhouse (the better half, if I say so). It's wild and crazy and totally fun. Mutant "zombies." Fuzzy screens. Missing reels. A chick with a machine gun leg. Bloody action. It's almost too awesome for its own good. I put it this low on the list because it's really not scary whatsoever. I wouldn't even say it's marginally scary. But it's a horror film nonetheless. And, therefore, it's on my list.
8. Silent Hill (2006)
Video game movies aren't known for being the best films ever created, but sometimes you get something at least halfway decent. Silent Hill is one of those. Sure, it has some flaws. If you know anything about the making of the film, it was originally going to be an all-female cast, but the production company didn't think that'd work. So what'd they do? They forced them to re-write the script and give the husband character a bigger role. And you can tell in the movie. Pretty much every part of the husband's part of the story is meaningless and somewhat boring (I always wanted to go back into the "Silent Hill" world when it flipped to the husband). Also, the ending is terrible and demands a sequel (which, luckily, I think they recently greenlit). But every other part of the film is fantastic and creepy. Pyramidhead is scary, as are all the other creatures. And the climax gets surprisingly violent. Fun stuff.
7. Frailty (2001)
So... have you seen this movie? It's freaky. Not really much more to say after that. It has Matthew McConaughey in a role that isn't his usual. Is also has Bill Paxton (who also directed). It's a religious horror film, and you're never quite sure if all the religious stuff is true or not. But either way, it's unsettling. That's probably the best way to put this movie. Unsettling.
6. The Mothman Prophecies (2002)
Most horror films these days are all about the shock factor. The jump scares. The blood and gore. The Mothman Prophecies has virtually none of this. And I don't know about you, but this movie scares the living crap out of me. What does it have? Creepy occurrences, telephone conversations, unexplained scenarios, and subtle scares that you have to be paying attention to get (the mirror lag, anyone?). Not to mention those red eyes. I always get scared to drive at night whenever I watch this movie. I know the first time I saw it, I had to drive home at night afterward, and at that time, I lived out in the middle of nowhere. So at one point, in the pitch black, my brake lights reflected off these two, well, reflectors that stood on either side of this little bridge... and in my rear-view mirror, they looked JUST like the two red eyes. I about had a heart attack. So it might not have the blood. It might not have the overt musical cue scares. But this is by far one of the most terrifying movies I've ever seen. So why, if it's so scary, do I have it at number 6 on the list? Because sometimes "fun," "concept," or even "depth" can trump ultimate scares.
5. Final Destination (2000)
Talking about the original here, of course. This is the case where "concept" and "fun" can trump scares. Is this movie scary? Not really. But its concept is super fun, and I love the heck out of this little film. It has some wickedly dark humor. It has creative kills. It's also the film that, believe it or not, really first introduced the world to Seann William Scott. And who didn't go "oh crap!" when you see the plane explode in the far background outside the terminal, right before the windows explode?
4. Feast (2005)
One of my favorite horror/comedies, and I place it under horror, as I believe there are more scares than laughs (though there are some good laughs). This is a film that totally takes the horror genre and turns it on its head... and then laughs mercilessly at it. From the opening moments with the "title cards" to the breaking of all horror rules, this movie is hella fun. It's just incredibly unfortunate that its two sequels are two of the most disasterous, unholy abominations ever put on celluloid (and I'm not being hyperbolic here).
3. 28 Weeks Later (2007)
It's rare to get a great sequel to a great film, but this was apparently one of the exceptions. It starred none of the original cast, nor did it have Danny Boyle behind the camera. But after the brilliant opening scene, you know you're in for a good ride. Sure, it doesn't have the depth of the original, but what it lacks in overall social commentary (I mean, it's there, but it's not as explored, I suppose), it totally makes up for in suspense.
2. Saw (2004)
Unlike the previous choice, this began a series wherein the sequels never quite lived up to the original. I mean, there's been some pretty good ones (2, 3, and 6 being the better ones), but there have also been a couple... not so great (4 and 5). Ironically, movies 4-6 were written by the same dudes who wrote Feast (and its sequels). So I suppose their record is for every good film they write, they also write two... well... not so good ones. But also, the guys who wrote and directed the first one didn't do that for any of the others (well, they acted as executive producers and helped with script ideas, but that was about it). Long story short (too late), the first Saw had a brilliant story and a jaw-dropping twist ending that's gone into the history books. I've seen this movie a ton of times, and I'll probably see it a ton more. And I love the main theme song, too. So... yeah.
1. 28 Days Later (2002)
I don't think I'll get a lot of arguments here. Danny Boyle created a horror film with complex characters, heavy themes, and strong social commentary. With a brilliant (second) opening that is essentially 15 minutes of Cillian Murphy walking around an empty London saying "hello?", the movie starts out artistically fantastic. It also had the balls to show full-frontal male nudity (Yes... yes... pun intended). I also love the main theme for this film, as well (the whole thing is nearly 30 minutes long in and of itself, but it has great pacing from slow and steady to fast and chaotic). And no, for the bajillionth time, they are not zombies.
