In the waning days of 2015, well be polling SHOCKs stable of fantastic freelancers to see what horror flicks made them tick the loudest.
We continue with the luminous Amy Seidman…
BASKIN
This film is one of the greatest I have ever seen, period. I cannot stress enough how incredible it is, nor can I describe it. You HAVE to see it to believe it. If you get a chance to see it in the theater, I highly recommend it. Not just for the advantage of being able to enjoy the imagery and sound, but to really take in every What. The. Fuck uttered by the audience. The film has a very CALVAIRE-esque tone to it and CALVAIRE also happens to be one of my favorite films of all time. Director Can Evrenol is going to do huge things. Huge terrifying things.
THE VISIT
Getting old is scary. You start forgetting things, your eyesight gets worse and after 9:30pm you start scratching at the basement door furiously while naked. Ya know just Grandma things. To balance out the scares in this M. Night Shyamalan flick is the comedic relationship of the squabbling sibling duo visiting Grandmas and Pop-Pops house while their mom has a midlife crisis on a cruise with a new young lover. This is my favorite octogenarian horror film since HOMEBODIES and it really took me by surprise. Shyamalan created a very tense and terrifying film completely without the assistance of gore or multi-kills. Another huge and pleasant surprise for me in 2015. I always knew you had it in you M. Night, ya old dog! Welcome back!
99 HOMES
Never did I think one of the scariest films I would see in 2015 would be about real estate. In a time if economic uncertainty, 99 HOMES plays to the very real fear in America of going into foreclosure and being kicked to the curb (sometimes literally). Its a very real and refreshing take on survivalist horror. Andrew Garfield was the really big surprise for me since I never considered him an”actor actor if you know what I mean. I saw him as a Hollywood actor. He has earned his stripes and more with this. This film stressed me out more than I can explain in a top 5 list. See it for yourself, and then hug every possession in your home and tell them you love them.
THE GIFT
The writing/directing debut of actor Joel Edgerton is a cautionary tale to not be shithead to anyone because you never know when it will come back to bite you in the ass or to leave you a gift. Giving presents doesnt sound that scary but when they are used as a vehicle to enter into someones home, life and relationship the gift feels more like a curse. THE GIFT is perfectly paced and exquisitely cast. Its a film that shows a little can go a long way when executed properly and Edgerton did such a great job crafting the script and the look and character of his ‘Gordo’. Be kind to your fellow man, people!
ANGUISH
ANGUISH looks like IT FOLLOWS and plays like a more supernatural take on THE EXORCIST sans the Dick Smith handiwork. The concept at its core is not new to anyone who has watched horror within the past 40 years but it has a really nice spin on it that sets it apart from other possession/decent into madness movies. This film really captured the feeling of teenage suburban loneliness and how complex the mind, body and soul truly are when deeply tapped into. It also harnesses the heartbreak of a parent losing a child be it to an accident or to mental illness. Either way the deep mourning felt by the mothers trying to cope with these great losses really stuck with me. It doesnt reinvent the wheel but it is a thing of quiet and heart-wrenching beauty.
