Truth or Dare (2018)

Truth or Dare (2018)

Dir- Jeff Wadlow

While on a trip to Mexico, a group of college friends is invited by a friendly stranger to play a Truth or Dare game, yet they soon find out that the game comes with some deadly consequences. Directed by Jeff Wadlow, Truth or Dare is a Blumhouse produced horror film starring Lucy Hale, Tyler Posey, and Violett Beane. While the film has a unique spin on the popular party game, the movie isn't as scary as one would think. Outside of Lucy Hale, none of the other cast members stand out beyond their predictable roles. The film seems reliant on tropes that have already been better utilized in films such as Final Destination or It Follows. Truth or Dare isn't a terrible movie; it just falls short due to the PG-13 rating and the lack of suspense for what should have been a surefire winner. 

X (2022)

X (2022)

Dir- Ti West

Set in 1979, a group of filmmakers out of Houston travel to a rural town in East Texas to make an adult film but find themselves fighting for their lives with their elderly hosts. Directed by Ti West, X stars Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, and Brittany Snow. X is an homage to the 1970's Tobe Hooper's Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Eaten Alive films. The hot and dusty atmosphere makes for a perfect horror movie setting and genuinely captures to feel of a small Texas town despite being filmed in New Zealand. Mia Goth leads an excellent group of young actors who would be right at home in any '70s horror or adult movie. The film has a fantastic soundtrack that sets the perfect mood for the cast and the events that shape the story. As with other A24 movies, X is more than a slasher; it is a film that captures the contrasts between being young and alive with the trapping of age and losing your spirit. X is a film that will appeal to fans of traditional 70s exploitation style horror and old school slashers. 

Wish Upon (2017)

Wish Upon (2017)

Dir- John R Leonetti

An unpopular teen girl is given a mysterious Chinese box that grants her seven wishes, but little does she realize that each wish comes with a terrible price. Directed by John R Leonetti, Wish Upon stars Joey King and is inspired by the classic horror short story The Monkey's Paw by WW Jacobs. Although director Leonetti changes the story, the essential premise remains in this modern take. The pairing of Ryan Phillippe and Ms. King as father and daughter make for a believable family unit as Ms. King tries to make a better life without realizing that the cursed box will only bring misery. While the film's PG-13 rating does temper the violent deaths, there are still enough thrills to entertain the younger audience; this film is clearly intended.

Tokyo Gore Police (2008)

Tokyo Gore Police (2008)

Dir- Toshihiro Nishimura

In the future, Tokyo has privatized its police force as they fight against the threat from deadly mutated humans called "Engineers." Ruka is a police officer tasked with hunting and destroying Engineers but her quest to find her father's murderer will reveal some dark secrets. Tokyo Gore Police was directed by Toshihiro Nishimura and starred Elhi Shiina, best known for her role in Audition. Tokyo Gore Police is well named; the film is gory and features some genuinely grotesque body horror-related mutations. The action is intense, and the movie has the feel of a Manga story. Despite this, the film has some great dark humor that helps carry the viewer through this orgy of mutations. While not well known outside of Japan, Tokyo Gore Police has become a cult classic and one of the best J Horror films this century. 

Annabelle: Creation (2017)

Annabelle: Creation (2017)

Dir- David Sandberg

Twelve years after the death of his daughter, a dollmaker and his wife welcome six ophan girls and a nun to live with them in their farmhouse. Unfortunately, a disabled girl named Janice enters a forbidden room and unleashes a demon that uses a porcelain doll and the dead daughter's image to haunt the household. Annabelle: Creation was directed by David Sandberg and is a prequel to 2014's Annabelle and part of the Conjuring series of movies. The second installment of the Annabelle series takes place 12 years before the events of the first Annabelle installment and presents an origin story for the cursed doll. However, it is genuinely terrifying in the same way the first Conjuring movie was. While the eponymous porcelain doll is the film's central focus, the real star is child actress Talitha Bateman, who portrays the disabled orphan Janice. Annabelle: Creation is a rare sequel that improves on the original film and is followed by a third installment that features Ed and Lorriane Warren briefly. 

Nightmare Beach (1988)

Nightmare Beach (1988)

Dir- James Justice and Umberto Lenzi

A mysterious biker wearing a dark helmet targets random beachgoers for murder during Spring Break. While the police suspect a local motorcycle gang, one young man decides to investigate after his friend disappears. James Justice and Umberto Lenzi directed Nightmare Beach, starring Sarah Buxton, Nicolas De Toth, and Jon Saxon. The film is one of the last Giallo-style movies setting the events in Florida with the standard masked killer, beautiful victims, exotic location, and incompetent police. Nightmare Beach is a unique blend of traditional Italian Giallo with American T&A, making it feel like a Spring Break horror-comedy. With plenty of booze, boobs, and wicked death scenes, Nightmare Beach is easily one of the more unique spins on the classic Italian horror movie with enough sleaze to make it feel right at home with other trashy 80s horror films.    

Bad Milo! (2013)

Bad Milo! (2013)

Dir- Jacob Vaughn

A young married man facing stress from work and home life begins to suffer abdominal pain that baffles his physician and worries his wife. He soon discovers that within his bowels resides a demon that feeds off his stress and frustration only to now fear if he can control it. Bad Milo is a  2013 horror comedy directed by Jacob Vaughn starring Ken Marino, Gillian Jacobs, and Peter Stormare. Bad Milo is a strange, violent, and fun horror movie that features a great cast and innovative premise. The gore and body humor make this a gross film, but the humor does make it easier to handle, with Marino showing his great comic talent. The Milo puppet may at times look silly but is undoubtedly one of the more creative and silly horror villains. 

A Nun's Curse (2019)

A Nun's Curse (2019)

Dir- Tommy Faircloth

A young woman takes a group along with her as she photographs the ruins of a church. Then, after they are locked out of their vehicle, they walk to a nearby abandoned prison haunted by a murderous nun's spirit. A Nun's Curse is a paranormal horror film directed by Tommy Faircloth and featuring horror movie favorites Felissa Rose and Damian Maffei. While the film features a ghostly nun, it isn't religious, with the usual ghost story fright and some gory kills by Felissa Rose's Sister Monday. While not as ambitious as The Nun, A Nun's Curse is a low-budget slasher that fans of Ms. Rose may enjoy, especially when they reveal the ghostly makeup that would even terrify Valak herself.   

Soul Reaper (2019)

Soul Reaper (2019)

Dir- Bob Pipe

Friends travel to a remote cabin in the woods to hold a stag party for their friend Charlie. Ignoring the warnings of locals, the group arrives at a creepy-looking cabin, and as their friends begin to disappear, they wonder if Charlie is playing one of his notorious pranks or if something sinister is occurring. Directed Bob Pipe, Soul Reaper plays out like a cross between Evil Dead and Friday the 13th with none of the elements that made each of those horror classics. The cast is decent, but they don't truly stand out, and the film can't decide if it's a fright film or horror-comedy.   

Jack the Ripper (1976)

Jack the Ripper (1976)

Dir- Jesus Franco

A London doctor takes care of the poor during the day, but he picks up prostitutes in the evening and murders them out of self-loathing he has for his prostitute mother. As Scotland Yard looks for clues, a detective turns to his ballerina girlfriend, looking to use her as bait for the killer. Directed by Jesus Franco, Jack the Ripper stars Klaus Kinski and Josephine Chaplin in a film that plays pretty loosely with the history of the infamous serial killer. The film is extremely misogynistic with its numerous scenes of nudity and graphic violence towards the female victims. Franco was known for this kind of exploitive filmmaking, yet Jack the Ripper has a somewhat coherent plot, unlike many of his other movies. One of the other problems is the utterly inaccurate portrayal of the victims of Jack the Ripper, as none of the women he killed share the names of the genuine victims. Kinski is well cast as the killer who displays some altruistic tendencies despite being a sadistic monster. 

Wyvern (2009)

Wyvern (2009)

Dir- Steven R Monroe

A small Alaskan town celebrating the end of no nighttime instead finds themselves attacked by a dragon-like flying creature attacking all creatures, including people. With no help from the outside, a group of citizens from the town seek out the creature's lair looking to destroy it. Wyvern is a Scy Fy movie produced under the Maneater collection of monster films. The film is easily one of the best entries of the collection with the CGI dragon-like monster and decent cast that includes Barry Corbin, Erin Karpluk, Don Davis, and Elaine Mills. Directed by Steven R Monroe, who would also direct the I Spit on Your Grave remake and sequel along with Mongolian Death Worm. Set in Alaska, the film has a great easter egg with two actors that appeared in the CBS tv series Northern Exposure.  

Bloody Pit of Horror (1965)

Bloody Pit of Horror (1965)

Dir- Massimo Pupillo

While scouting locations for an important project, a photographer and his crew are captured and tortured by a mysterious red-clad maniac, who thinks he is a reincarnated executioner killed centuries before. Directed by Massimo Pupillo, the movie starred bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay. While the film appears for general audiences, the violence is surprisingly graphic for this era, with scenes of torture and murder. Bloody Pit of Horror is one of many films featured on RiffTrax, giving this otherwise mundane B movie new life for fans of cheesy horror. 

Jackals (2017)

Jackals (2017)

Dir- Kevin Greutert

A concerned family hires a cult expert to kidnap and deprogram their son after he has fallen in with a deadly cult. But, while holding an intervention in a remote cabin, the family is under siege by the cult looking to get him back. Directed by Kevin Greutert, Jackals stars Deborah Kara Unger, Stephen Dorff, and Ben Sullivan. Jackals is a 2017 home invasion thriller involving a deadly cult looking to return one of its followers and kill anyone who stands in their way. While this is undoubtedly a decent recipe for a great thriller, it has already been done quite brilliantly in the film Straw Dogs. Jackals is a scary movie, but so much of the tension in this movie can be enjoyed in better films such as You're Next, The Strangers, and The Green Room. 

Incarnate (2016)

Incarnate (2016)

Dir- Brad Peyton

A young boy is possessed by a malevolent spirit being carried by a homeless woman. A team led by Dr. Seth Ember is called in to evict the evil presence, but he soon learns that this demon may be one he has encountered before. Incarnate was directed by Brad Peyton and starred Aaron Eckhart and Carice van Houten. Incarnate is unique in possession movies for its protagonist insisting that demons, as described in the Bible, aren't real but are evil forces looking to take over human hosts. The film is terrifying but follows the usual possession trope while introducing concepts used in films like Inception. Aaron Eckhart is quite convincing in this challenging role, and Ms van Houten is entirely unrecognizable as the mother given her role in Game of Thrones. With so many demonic-themed movies released in the past decade, Incarnate does introduce some new ideas and is genuinely scary. 

Stage Fright (2014)

Stage Fright (2014)

Dir- Jerome Sable

After performing on Broadway, a young diva is murdered by an assailant wearing the mask of the villain of the stage production. Ten years later, the daughter of the murdered diva auditions for the same role in a summer camp production only to find someone is murdering the cast and crew. Stage Fright is a 2014 musical horror black comedy written and directed by Jerome Sable featuring a cast that includes Allie MacDonald, Minnie Driver, and Meat Loaf. Stage Fright is a unique film in that it is an operetta-style film with several songs that are performed by the cast. Lead actress Allie MacDonald is outstanding in her role as Camilla; the rest of the cast is entertaining in this musical slasher homage to Phantom of the Opera. Following in the style of Rocky Horror Picture Show and Anna and the Apocalypse, Stage Fright is a mildly frightening horror-comedy with some great songs and dynamic performances by its young cast.  

Some Kind of Hate (2015)

Some Kind of Hate (2015)

Dir- Adam Egypt Mortimer

A troubled teen is sent to a reform school after he fights back against his bully, but when he encounters the same kind of bullying, the spirit of a deceased bullied girl offers to seek vengeance on his behalf. The film stars Ronen Rubinstein, Grace Phipps, and Sierra McCormick, directed by Adam Egypt Mortimer. Some Kind of Hate is a supernatural horror film that follows a troubled teen who gets revenge thanks to a vengeful spirit. While not a standard horror trope, the film does have a sympathetic main character and terrifying spirit that seems to offer help with a deadly outcome. While some of the characters may seem cliche, the film presents a commentary on revenge and how there are often no easy solutions to problems in life. Some Kind of Hate may not get a lot of attention from the usual horror crowd; it does have a terrifying evil spirit worth checking out. 

The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973)

The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973)

Dir- Alan Gibson

A British secret agent witnesses a satanic ritual that will involve four prominent members of society with a sinister plan. Occult expert Professor Van Helsing suspects that the mastermind of this plot maybe his nemesis Count Dracula. The final Hammer Studio Dracula movie pairing Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing was a follow-up to Dracula AD 1972. This installment was a disappointment for the studio that had capitalized on Dracula during the 1960s; this movie has more in common with an Ian Flemming spy thriller than the gothic horror spawned by Bram Stoker. The Satanic Rites of Dracula has few scares, fewer action scenes, and pretty much one of the silliest endings for a vampire movie. The best way to enjoy this entry is to seek out the Elvira Mistress of the Dark version.     

Savage Creatures (2020)

Savage Creatures (2020)

Dir- Richard Lowry 

A pair of female vampires encounter a couple of hungry cannibals only to find that they have some out-of-this-world problems when aliens invade and turn the human population into zombies. Savage Creatures is a sci vampire movie directed by Richard Lowry and starring Kelly Brown and Victoria Steadman. Serving as a metaphor for the pandemic, Savage Creatures is a low-budget horror film mixing four major horror tropes into isolation-style apocalypse films with vampires as the unlikely anti-heroes. The two actresses are decent, but the film does suffer from too many ideas being tossed together. The film also has some lackluster creature effects and not enough vampire action. Despite this, Savage Creatures is somewhat entertaining and will keep your attention thanks to the creative mixing of so many popular horror genres. 

The Driller Killer (1979)

The Driller Killer (1979)

Dir- Abel Ferrara

A mentally unstable artist begins to attack homeless people near his rundown New York City apartment with a power drill. Abel Ferrara directed and stars in this infamous grindhouse classic release in 1979. One of the notorious video nasties, The Driller Killer was banned in the UK until the late 90s despite the film featuring a minimal amount of gore. The film is gritty and has the look of a low-budget student film, but the performance of Abel Ferrara gives the film some credibility that has made the film a cult classic.    

Bride of Scarecrow (2018)

Bride of Scarecrow (2018)

Dir- Louisa Warren

A woman finds out she has inherited a farm in Wales but is not aware that there is a curse tied to the property. She invites some friends over and learns that she is marked by a scarecrow that returns every 20 years looking for a bride. Directed by Louisa Warren, Bride of Scarecrow is a follow-up to Curse of the Scarecrow by the same director. As a sequel to the terrible Curse of the Scarecrow, this film does not offer much more and features too little carnage to make it a decent slasher. The cast is unremarkable, and there are just too many boring scenes to keep a viewer's attention. As for the scarecrow, this was easily one of the least convincing villains as it is just a person wearing a costume and is about as scary as a Disney villain. Unfortunately, this movie has nothing to recommend, and pretty much the same can be said for the film it follows. 

Nightmare Castle (1965)

Nightmare Castle (1965)

Dir- Mario Caiano

A jealous scientist catches his wife with a lover and tortures them to death. Afterward, he takes on her half-sister as a new wife, hoping to grab her family fortune, but she gets visions that reveal his cruel intentions. Directed by Mario Caiano, Nightmare Castle stars Paul Muller, Helga Line, and Barbara Steele. Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell Tell Heart, Nightmare Castle is an Italian gothic thriller that follows Mario Bava's work. Barbara Steele excels in dual roles, and it is her performance that elevates an otherwise mundane film and gives it some horror credibility. Director Caiano's work coved many genres with movies set in fantasy, the Roman era, and gothic horror. Nightmare Castle may not be among the best horror thrillers of the sixties, but if you are a fan of Vincent Price's Poe movies or Barbara Steele, you will enjoy this gothic thriller.  

Empty Rooms (2012)

Empty Rooms (2012)

Dir- Adam Lamas 

A single mother and her autistic child move into a new house only to find themselves terrorized by supernatural entities that seem to be drawn to her son. The mother faces a series of events that make her family and others suspect she might be the one putting her son in danger. Empty Rooms was directed by Adam Lamas and featured Ramlah Yavar as Maddie. The film is a standard haunted house tale that offers too few scares to make the movie stand out among other thrillers. The film does have a decent conclusion that would have worked better as an anthology segment instead of a full-length movie. 

The Last Man on Earth (1964)

The Last Man on Earth (1964)

Dir- Sidney Salkow & Ubaldo Ragona

After a mysterious illness has turned most of the population into vampire-like zombie creatures, the sole remaining uninfected man struggles to survive and find a cure to help those infected. However, when he learns of other survivors, his hopes are dashed when he discovers they may not be immune as he is. The first adaptation of Richard Matheson's dystopian novel I Am Legend, The Last Man on Earth, stars Vincent Price as scientist Dr. Robert Morgan. The film features a number of flashbacks that show Dr. Morgan's life before the illness and his attempts to find a cure. While using the same source novel as 1971s, The Omega Man, The Last Man on Earth focuses less on the action and more on the survivor's struggle with loneliness and the despair over the loss of his family. Despite the film's mediocre box office, The Last Man on Earth has emerged as a cult classic and one of the films that would inspire later zombie movies such as Night of the Living Dead.  

The Killer Shrews (1959)

The Killer Shrews (1959)

Dir- Ray Kellogg 

A sea captain delivering supplies to an island research station finds himself trapped with some scientists and staff after a hurricane releases giant mutant shrews they developed. Unfortunately, the killer shrews are hungry, and their bite is poisonous, putting the group in danger as they run out of bullets. Directed by Ray Kellogg and starring James Best, The Killer Shrews is an independent sci-fi monster movie that features dogs dressed in long hair to look like giant shrews. The Killer Shrews was featured and mocked in It Came From Hollywood and the fourth season of Mystery Science Theater 3000, focusing on the lack of action during the first part of the movie and the silly-looking giant shrew costumes. Filmed in Texas, the movie was released with another mutant monster movie, The Giant Gila Monster.   

The Funhouse Massacre (2015)

The Funhouse Massacre (2015)

Dir- Andy Palmer

On Halloween night, five inmates from the Statesville Mental Asylum escape with the help of an accomplice and journey to a local carnival celebrating the very crimes of these maniacs. The escapees then murder dozens of the guests as a group of diner employees try to survive the carnage that they find themselves caught in. Andy Palmer directed the Funhouse Massacre with an impressive cast: Robert Englund, Jere Burns, Scottie Thompson, Clint Howard, and Courtney Gains. The cast of killers helps make this movie a carnival of carnage that fans of slashers will enjoy. Although quite violent, the film does have a darkly comedic tone that makes for a bloody good time, and fans of 80s horror certainly will appreciate the many horror movie cameos involved.  

Road Train (2010)

Road Train (2010)

Dir- Dean Francis

Four young adults on a camping trip in the Australian outback encounter a menacing semi-truck that forces them off the road after trying to outrun it. Soon after, they find the rig without the driver but soon learn that something evil is in control. Road Train is an Australian thriller directed by Dean Francis and starring Bob Morley, Sophie Lowe, Georgina Lowe, and Xavier Samuel. The film starts off with a great premise but is bogged down by a lackluster story that loses focus as it tries to spin a supernatural tale that does not work. While the film could have been a decent thriller along the lines of the 1970s classic film Duel, it does not have the right direction. One of a number of Austrian set horror films that have come out in the past decade, Road Train is not among the better films from the land down under.  

The Redwood Massacre (2014)

The Redwood Massacre (2014)

David Ryan Keith

Friends camping in Scotland fall prey to a mysterious masked killer near the site of the infamous Redwood murders. Redwood Massacre is a 2014 horror film directed by David Ryan Keith and starring a cast of exclusively Scottish actors. The film's plot is not too complicated and pretty much jumps into the murders with no time to waste. The film's location is set in the beautiful Scottish countryside and is the only positive thing about this movie. The plot itself is pretty much a Texas Chainsaw Massacre-style slasher with a large and murderous figure chopping up unfortunate folks who wander too close to his abandoned house. The gore scenes are done well, but the fake blood is sometimes too dark to look convincing. The Redwood Massacre's beautiful setting and decent score can't make up for the lack of plot and largely forgettable characters.  

A Haunting in Connecticut (2009)

A Haunting in Connecticut (2009)

 

Dir- Peter Cornwell

A family moves into a rental home and begins to encounter a series of supernatural events that keep getting more intense and more terrifying. One of the children meets and invites a minister to help investigate what they learn, leading them to believe that the whole family is at risk of supernatural evil. A Haunting in Connecticut is a supernatural thriller supposedly inspired by a true story and directed by Peter Cornwell. The film was moderately successful and would help usher in a wave of movies based on true events. Although skeptics have questioned the film's events, the film is still a compelling and terrifying film that fans of supernatural films will enjoy.