A lot of great horror movies tend to go overlooked. Everyone complains that there are no great new horror features being made, but oftentimes that’s because people are not seeking them out. For the most part, people just want to see something in theaters. When it’s not there, they complain about it, but they don’t often go looking for it on other platforms. I think 2015 showed an incline for theatrical horror, absolutely, but there’s still a long way to go. A lot of the films on this list can also be found on Netflix which is a great place to go to get your horror fix.
The problem with Netflix is that there is so much content and so much of it is just not good. That’s not a shot at the company at all, either, it’s just that cheaper titles are always easier to get the rights to and are often made to cater to the Netflix model.
It can get hard to pick out the good from the bad when scrolling down through those titles and when I’m in that situation I generally just give up and pick another TV show to binge-watch. Most people do. That’s how great horror movies get overlooked, even those that are very recent.
Creep
Creep is weird and uncomfortable, a lot more than I was expecting, actually. Mark Duplass does a hell of a job bringing this role to life and is so unexpected in it, given that most people are used to seeing him take on comedy. Sure, we’re all tired of found footage at this point, but this one does good things with the concept and is just an unsettling and impressive little movie that I think definitely warrants a bit more attention than it’s gotten.
A good old-fashioned monster movie with a bit too much CGI—especially when they reveal the monster, but it doesn’t matter when the story works this well. Kevin Durand gives an excellent performance in this one. And the characters are well-rounded and well written as a whole. There are impressively deep themes and character moments that I really dig and am so grateful to see in something like this. I don’t care if the monster doesn’t look great or if it doesn’t really have an ending because the story is so compelling.
Beyond the Black Rainbow
Beyond the Black Rainbow is a visual feast and a return to the style established by filmmakers like Dario Argento or Stanley Kubrick when they were in their prime. It has an incredible visual palette and a score that is just as amazing. The story stretches thin in places, perhaps, but the lead performance by Eva Allan is enough to keep the viewer interested, as is the overall weirdness and the need to piece together what is going on. It’s an impressive, beautifully shot and beautiful sounding movie.
Late Phases
Late Phases was like a dream come true for me. Not only is it a new werewolf movie, which I’ve been craving, but it’s done almost entirely with practical effects by the great Robert Kurtzman and his team. On top of that, it’s a really good story. Nick Damici and Ethan Embry are both excellent. At its heart, it’s about an old warrior looking for a final fight, choosing to go out on his terms and nobody else’s. There’s a lot of horror, some action and some really serious drama as well that make this one a must, especially for werewolf fans.
Starry Eyes
This is 100% a pure and honest horror movie about Hollywood. It’s especially focused on actors and the tribulations they go through, especially starting out. As supernatural as it may be, these are real-world horrors. That makes the film as a whole that much scarier. I can understand why it might not connect with every viewer, of course. Not everyone is an actor or creative type and not everyone struggles in quite that same way, but it really connected with me and I definitely thought it was impressive.
Odd Thomas
I’m not a fan of the director or the book on which the film was based, but I’m still a fan of this movie. If this is the sort of thing Stephen Sommers can do when he’s not making empty, billion dollar epics, then I am curious to see what he does next. Anton Yelchin is so likable and easily carries the whole thing on his shoulders, which is a fun horror-comedy all around that also knows when it works to go dark and when to hold back.
Proxy
Proxy shines in its uniqueness. There was nothing else like it when it was released and there’s nothing really like it now. It’s almost like an anti-Rosemary’s Baby. This is a woman with incredibly twisted reasons for why she has this great, driving need to become pregnant. There are so many twists and turns, the story is almost numbingly dark and—all in all—my jaw was on the floor multiple times with this one. There’s almost no sympathy for any of the characters, but there is that twinge of sympathy that still remains, so that you do wind up caring about these people even when you shouldn’t.
