Unreality Companion: Modern Horror Classics

In which I expand on the content from my weekly Unrealitymag.com article.

As I already mentioned somewhere across the internet, today is Halloween, a time when horror is never more in-demand and sought after.  It seems a high likelihood that many people reading this will be watching a horror film from under the covers at some point tonight.  But since I already explored why Blumhouse Productions is the premiere name in post-millennial horror earlier this month, and what I was hoping for in the growing Conjuring franchise just last week, I found myself at a loss for what to talk about this week - today - for Halloween itself.  It strikes me that every year, somebody (usually somebodies) ask me for a good horror recommendation.  And since I already covered the supreme classic at Unreality, I thought that I would mention my favorite post-Millennial horror films, many of which simply get lost among the shuffle.

Pulse (2001) - The inclusion of Pulse will doubtless confuse many long-time readers.  Wasn't that the same movie that I gave a 6 out of 10 to last December?  And yes, it is.  I would, however, be remiss if I failed to mention it on this list, as it is easily one of the most interesting films that I have ever had the privilege to see.  The film's central theme is that modern technology - for all of its conveniences and ways that it eases in communication - isolates, rather than connects.  Like Dawn of the Dead, Pulse postulates that the afterlife is a dimension of finite space, and that now that it's full, the dead are scouring the Earth, using our technology as the conduit for their return.  Like all of us, they incessantly crave human contact, only to result in our mutual self destruction when they actually achieve it.  It is a haunting reflection of the role modern technology plays in our lives and the inherent risks we assume by relying on its perceived benefits.

28 Days Later (2002) - Without a doubt, 28 Days Later is the greatest horror film to be made this century: a singular masterpiece that reinvigorated the listless zombie sub-genre in its 113 minute run time.  While "fast" zombies had been done before, they had never been done so well, nor so visibly as Danny Boyle's riveting vision of a world in which Britain was overrun by "Infected" - ordinary men and women exposed to the Rage Virus, which causes hyper-aggression, rabies-like symptoms and its victim to projectile-vomit blood.  It is an intensely frenetic film whose incredible cast and brilliant director perfectly capture the visceral potential of horror.

Ju-On: The Grudge (2002) - More tragic that viscerally terrifying, The Grudge is a slow-burning horror film: unrelentingly intensifying from its opening scene to its end credits.  It's easy to view the film's haunting in purely Western terms - an antagonistic family of specters tormenting their hapless living victims - but it's really far more than that.  It is a depiction of a cycle of violence that nobody, living or dead, is equipped to break: a family of spirits forced to repeat the vicious scenes that defined their lives in death, unintentionally drawing the living into their tragedy and just as unintentionally dispatching them.

Shaun of the Dead (2004) - Although far more comedic than it is horrific, Shaun of the Dead never-the-less succeeds at both simultaneously: poking fun of the genre that it itself is a perfect addition to.  It's the kind of horror film that even non-horror fans get excited about: something incessantly funny, intelligently written and showing off a deceptively good cast.

Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006) - Of the recent resurgence of comedic horror films, I always felt that Behind the Mask was criminally overlooked.  I only found out about it because of a horror themed film class that I took, and even then I had to rent it before I could see more than just a partial scene from it.  The film combines the familiar tropes of the slasher sub-genre with that of a mockumentary: following an optimistic killer on the eve of his first murder spree.  Its journalistic framework allows the title character to analyse his own genre  in a manner that is far less obtrusive to the narrative than the similarly themed Scream.  It's intelligent, insightful and comes together in a way that makes is just as hilarious as it is horrifying.

Frontier(s) (2007) - Frontier(s), or as I prefer to call it, The Parisian Chainsaw Massacre, succeeds at updating The Texas Chainsaw Massacre for the twenty-first century without seeming purely derivative of it.  After rioting breaks out in Paris over a heated election, a young group of criminals escape to the country, where they hope to regroup after a robbery.  The inn where they stay, however, is run by an inbred family of Nazis, who take issue with their colorful new customers.  Although it strays into a sub-plot involving the rejected, deformed children living in the mines surrounding the inn, it is nevertheless an incredibly potent and memorable addition to its genre.

Grindhouse (2007) - For a while, Grindhouse held the title of my favorite overall film.  Although it has fallen from that esteemed position, it is never-the-less an easy favorite of mine, especially within its genre.  A genuine double-feature, Grindhouse features a pair of interconnected films directed by Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino: the first a riotously hilarious take on zombie films, the second a high octane, feminist, victim-cum-avenger action-horror film with Tarantino's trademark dialog.  While the former is easily superior to the latter in terms of both its all-in attitude toward making a latter-day grindhouse film and its overall quality, the two are best when working in tandem with one another: replicating a B-grade cinematic experience with A-list talent.

Let the Right One In (2008) - Director Thomas Alfredson set out with to make an anti-Hollywood film, and has in every way succeeded.  Defying common sense in a genre defined by depicting the horrific acts of depravity of otherworldly monsters, Let the Right One In de-emphasizes the supernatural violence of its vampiric antagonist and instead chooses to focus on the everyday human-on-human violence of its otherwise mundane characters.  The result is a hauntingly poetic tale of a human boy seduced by the friendship of the only person in his bleak world who seemingly cares for him.  The romance is sweetly understated and impossibly unconventional, creating a story that is as potentially tragic as it is enrapturing.

The Strangers (2008) - Arguably based off the 2006 French film Them, The Strangers brought American horror films back to their  roots of tension as the mechanism of horror, rather than gratuitous gore and violence: even before Blumhouse Productions perfected this style of horror for the twenty-first century.  The story is simple, but the execution is sublime: slowly building its torment of a young couple into a frantic scramble for survival, chillingly for no more reason than the simple fact that they were home at the time.  Its understated direction is an immeasurably refreshing change of pace for the at-the-time bluntly executed and largely overwrought American horror style.

Quarantine (2008) - Based off of the far less engaging Spanish film [REC], Quarantine is the best-executed found footage horror film that I have ever seen.  It's frightening, claustrophobic and - most notable of all - its use of the camera as a source of light and night vision never brings into question the reason for why the protagonists keep filming (praise which I most recently levied against The Sacrament).  The final scare, in fact, is so intense that I had to clamp my hands over Becky's mouth just to keep her from screaming when I showed it to her in my dorm room back when I was the RA (I can't even imagine what my residents thought I was doing to her).

Zombieland (2009) - I almost considered not mentioning this film due to its omnipresent popularity, but decided that to do so would belittle this list's stated purpose of presenting the best horror films of the last fourteen years.  Zombieland is intelligent, funny and terrifying in equal measure.  Its cast is pitch perfect, especially for Bill Murray's surprising and instantly memorable cameo.  If not for Cabin in the Woods and Grindhouse, I would argue it being horror-comedy's unquestionable masterpiece.

The Last Exorcism (2010) - This is one of the two films on this list that all credit goes to Becky for showing me (the other being Grave Encounters).  Another found footage film, this time with the pretense of being a documentary about an exorcist's last hurrah amid his growing concerns over his faith, it likewise doesn't breed doubts as to why they continue with their set-upon framework.  Its characters are organic, as is their inherent doubts over the validity of exorcisms (focusing on its use as a placebo for individuals who are as deeply religious as they are deeply disturbed).  The ending, which I won't give away, is both as telegraphed as The Prestige's and as shocking as The Sixth Sense's.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) - This is one that I know will earn me a lot of flack for including it: a poorly received remake of a revered and iconic 80's horror film.  And I have to admit that I was skeptical when I first saw it too.  But, like Zombieland, I would be remiss to exclude it from this list, given that it is hands down the best Nightmare on Elm Street film out there (another opinion that sure to draw die-hard horror fans' ire).  The issue with the first film has always been that it rapidly loses steam after its terrifying opening sequence.  It's never a bad film - never near it, in fact - but it does devolve into a Home Alone-styled home defense climax, which is sillier than it is scary.  The remake not only doesn't suffer from this drawback (which would have earned my esteem just by itself) but features a far superior cast to the original, including then-unknown Rooney Mara as the film's protagonist and Jackie Earl Haley as the iconic Freddy Krueger, who owes more to the originally conceived Freddy Kruger (a horrifically burned child molester) than what the studio's dumbed him down to being (a somewhat burned child murderer).  What this film lacks in originality it makes for in intensity.

Grave Encounters (2011) - This is the second Becky-selected film to make the list, and one that loyal readers may remember from last Halloween.  The film follows the crew of an ill-fated ghost hunting expedition as they're tormented by the malevolent spirits (and demon) that dwell in an abandoned mental asylum.  Unlike the other two found footage films on this list, the protagonists had the foresight to plant steady cams throughout the asylum, meaning that they don't have to keep up with the pretense of them constantly filming every second of the film when they're being attacked by very real spiritual adversaries.  While it starts off slow, it does reach a satisfying end when the inevitability of their fate sets in.

Sinister (2012) - On the surface, Sinister just seemed stupid: the villain actually lived inside of the images made of him.  It was a sobering lesson in execution over conception, however, and my first real understanding of Blumhouse Productions as a real player in the horror genre.  It is tense, constrictive and absolutely terrifying, so much so that after showing this to one friend, and after chasing it with the happy-go-lucky Megamind, she still suffered from horrific nightmares all night, later swearing off horror entirely.  This film is not for the casual horror fan, but for those actively looking to be scared as much as possible.

The Cabin in the Woods (2012) - This is it: horror-comedy's money shot.  It is yet another film that doesn't need to be listed, but all the same will be.  The Cabin in the Woods is probably the best written film I'll mention on this post, and it's small wonder why (hint: it rhymes with Boss Sweden).  And, heretical as it may be to say, I'm actually happy that Whedon didn't direct this, if only because Drew Godard is so amazing behind the camera.  That, and his decision to go balls-to-the-wall on physical effects whenever they were possible has given the horror genre its answer to Christopher Nolan.  Seriously, check out some of the special features where they talk about how little CG they used.  I can only hope that Godard's Sinister Six builds on his success here.

Oculus (2014) - And so we come to the final film on this list: Blumhouse's most recent film that's not based off of The Conjuring.  This is easily the genre's best-directed film since Halloween: intercutting past and present events until they are completely indistinguishable from one another.  It is tense, riveting and absolutely terrifying through its final moments.  This is an absolute must-see not only of 2014 (where it's my current third favorite film) or its genre, but among movies period.

Now, this is not to say that these are the only recent horror films worth seeing (note the absence of The Conjuring), but that these are simply the best.  What recent horror films are your favorites?  Which ones should have been left off the list, or added onto it?  What horror films are you going to watch tonight when the night grows dark and the trick-or-treaters peter out?  Please share your thoughts in the comment sections below.

If you liked what you read, please share this post on social media and subscribe to this blog in order to keep up with the latest posts.  Ask questions or share your thoughts in the comments section below.