The horror genre is flexing and evolving. If we look at the films that were released this year, there’s proof of that. I, for one, am craving innovative and unique stories but I am also looking for stories that make me feel something tangible and lasting. With each passing year, I find myself saying “this year was a big year for horror.” But this year, I looked at my Letterboxd list and thought, maybe this wasn’t our year. On the other hand, we had films like Weapons and Sinners shifting the conversations around the genre. There’s a lot to be grateful for in that regard.
That said, there were some films this year that stuck with me, reviving the hope that horror is saying loudly for all to hear that it is indeed evolving and it’s only going to keep thriving from here. Here are the ten films that I feel stood out this year and continue to push the genre forward.
10. Vieja Loca (Crazy Old Lady) [Fantastic Fest]
I don’t know what it is about old people and horror, but it’s always a terrifying ride when they are involved. Directed by Martín Mauregui, Vieja Loca is about an aging woman who’s experiencing an Alzheimer’s episode that spirals out of control when her daughter’s ex comes to check in on her. Rooted in Argentinian history, what we get is a horrifying look into a woman’s tormented past. It’s unsettling, claustrophobic, and downright creepy.
9. Best Wishes to All
What if happiness was more than a feeling but a way of life? And in order for you to have it, someone else had to give up their own? What is the cost of one’s happiness? Best Wishes to All, written and directed by Yûta Shimotsu, is a Japanese horror film that explores that idea. Deeply foundational in that atmospheric slow burn J-horror is known for, the film is simplistic and creepy. There’s this dark comedic undertone that shows up at times, but it only adds to the eeriness of what’s going on in this film. There’s lore, suspense, and an exquisite performance from Kotone Furukawa.
8. Dust Bunny
Growing up, I was the kid who wanted to live inside the worlds of her favorite movies. I can’t tell you how many times I watched The Secret Garden, Time Bandits, or The Neverending Story. Watching Dust Bunny took me right back to being that kid. Starring Mads Mikkelsen, Sophie Sloan, and Sigourney Weaver, Dust Bunny is about a girl who hires her neighbor to kill the monster under her bed when it eats her parents. It’s a whimsical nightmare that only intensifies as it goes along. No, this one isn’t scary, but it’s an adventure well worth the time.
7. Mārama [Imagine Fantastic Film Festival]
Gothic horror is having a moment and I am here for it. Mārama explores themes of colonialism, appropriation, and heritage. In the film, a young woman travels from New Zealand to find out more about her family. What she discovers is that there is more to the story of who she is and where she came from. This is a layered story with all the elements of gothic horror told from an Indigenous perspective. New filmmaker, Taratoa Stappard, has an eye for striking visuals and knows how to create that sense of dread and suspense that gothic horror thrives on. There is a scene in this movie that I could loop nonstop and never get tired of. When people say a horror movie is art, this is what they are referring to.
6. Final Destination: Bloodlines
Final Destination: Bloodlines was a revival and a goodbye for horror fans. It revived the beloved Final Destination franchise after a 14 year hiatus. The film delivered the nostalgic energy of the earlier films and added in new lore and concepts, breathing new life into the franchise. We all know what to expect from a Final Destination movie: great kills. Bloodlines did not disappoint. It also served as a goodbye to horror icon, Tony Todd. His scene is one of my favorite scenes of any movie this year. This was a fun time at the movies; something we need more of.
5. The Long Walk
If I can be honest, not much about sitting through another Stephen King adaptation appeals to me but The Long Walk is definitely one of the better ones. In the film, 50 boys representing their state have been chosen to walk until there’s only one left standing. Everyone else meets their end in brutality and violence. JT Mollner’s script is what drew me in with The Long Walk. Director Francis Lawrence gives it to us straight, using the camera like a witness to the raw, unsettling truth of this competition. David Jonsson and Cooper Hoffman are standouts, but the ensemble cast also showcase powerful performances that hit hard, and caused me to shed a tear (or three).
4. Frankenstein
Gothic season continues with Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein. As a fan of GDT’s Crimson Peak, I expected similar vibes but his adaptation of Mary Shelley’s classic is fantastical and dark. Artfully crafted sets and (actual) beautiful gowns are only a taste of the grandeur that is this film. From the explosive opening scene to its heart wrenching end, frame after frame, GDT delivers one of the best book adaptations put to screen.
3. The Ugly Stepsister
I only have adjectives for this one: old, daring, grotesque, beautiful, and bloody. I’m sure I have more. The Ugly Stepsister is a Nordic body horror anti-fairytale about three women who deal with the cards that life has dealt them. Blichfeldt not only captures the brutal side of beauty standards but she manages to delve deeper into the perspectives of a lonely mother desperate to save herself from ruin, a daughter that wants to please her mother and have a fairytale romance, and a stepsister who cannot have the man she truly loves (because of his status) while dealing with her grief. After watching this film a couple times, it’s still hard to believe that this is Emilie Blichfeldt’s first feature film. She thrusts us into an immersive make-believe kingdom where beauty is everything.
2. Bring Her Back
You know that loud, collective gasp that happened in the theater when you were watching Hereditary? If you’ve seen the movie then you know the moment I’m referring to. Well, Bring Her Back is like that during 80% of its runtime. The Philippou brothers are back and I’m grateful for it. This only being their sophomore feature, the brothers are making their mark in the horror genre. Bring Her Back, another film of theirs that tackles grief, is a brutal beast of a movie. Laura (Sally Hawkins), a woman who lost her daughter, decides to foster siblings in order to carry out a plan to bring her daughter back. This movie is everything I could ask for from the genre this year. It’s unsettling, visually stunning, gory, and disturbing as hell.
1. Sinners
There are a handful of films released this year that impacted me as a critic. And there were even less that impacted me as an individual, as a Black woman who loves horror films. There was only one and that was Sinners. Written and directed by Ryan Coogler, Sinners follows twin brothers who return to their hometown to start a business only to find themselves in an all-night face off with vampires. But the movie is less about vampires and more about people. It’s history, culture, music, inspiration, the blues, ancestry, family.
With a score by Ludwig Göransson, costume design by Ruth E. Carter, and inspiring performances from the entire cast, Coogler’s script brings this historical horror story to life. As the only film this year that I watched more than five times, Sinners is why I love horror. It serves as a reminder that horror is more than jump scares and cheap thrills, it’s a genre that reflects who we are and what we fear.
Was it a Great Year?
In a year that felt heavy in more ways than one, horror didn’t just provide an escape but it also provided connection and reflection. These films are representative of the diverse stories that continue to drive this genre forward. Was it our best year? Maybe not but these films show us that even in those quieter years, there are still films being made that prove why horror will always be that girl.
