Written by Josh Brewer, January 1, 2017, at 4:30 p.m. Tweet to: @theJWBrewer
The Top Ten of 2016
2016 has come and – thankfully – gone, taking with it a slew of quality horror flicks. After a solid year, it’s always worth taking a look back at the flicks that got me through the year, as well as shitting on a few of the corpses that made an appearance. Without further ado, The Top Ten of 2016
Shitshows of the Year – The Boy and The Forest
There’s nothing sadder than a pair of PG-13 wannabes that sold out before they even opened. The Boy was a scarless piece of drek with a terrible twist and horrible overtones while The Forest only managed to make everyone involved look worse.
And to the best – Number 10 – 10 Cloverfield Lane
A hidden flick from early in the year that played its simple set up well and rocked a few stellar performances, especially from John Goodman. Disturbing and entertaining, even if the ending did leave a little bit to be desired.
Number 9 – The Purge: Election Year
The Purge series finally gets a quality entry with this fun, stylish, and out there execution. As subtle as a truck driving through a nitroglycerin plant, and with satire to spare, The Purge: Election Year rocked it’s summer release.
Number 8 – The Eyes of My Mother
Beautifully shot and wonderfully disturbing, The Eyes of My Mother may be one of the most painful flicks to watch this year. Watch it, but be careful. This puppy leaves scars.
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umber 7 – Train to Busan
The first of a pair of quality South Korean flicks this year, Train to Busan not only manages to be a solid zombie flick, it also stands as a great commentary on parenting and priorities. Plus, Zombies!
Number 6 – Green Room
A thriller to the n-th degree, Green Room takes a slew of familiar bits and places its own signature spin on things. The result is a vicious, darkly funny flick with a mean streak about a mile wide.
Number 5 – The Conjuring 2
The Conjuring franchise’s second entry is just as strong as its first, if not even more so. With star turns from Vera Farminga and Patrick Wilson, The Conjuring 2 takes everything up a notch.
Number 4 – Hush
Another simple flick that is executed to the highest degree, Hush rocks its 80+ minutes of horror goodies and takes it all up a notch. A quality twist on the home invasion thriller, and a flick that refuses to follow the genre norms, Hush is the best Netflix release this year.
Number 3 – Don’t Breathe
Speaking of twists on the home invasion thriller, Don’t Breathe is everything I love in a summer release. Twisted in all the right ways, vicious in a few more, Don’t Breathe rocked my socks off.
Number 2 – The Witch
One of the best slow burn horror flicks of recent memory – though there’s another on this list – The Witch is a stand out genre flick. When the finale hits, it hurts so good that even the film’s few flaws are quickly forgotten. Who would have thought that the best American horror flick of the year would be a period piece?
Number 1 – The Wailing
A tragically beautiful horror film that works not only as a supernatural thriller but also as a commentary on the failure of man. The Wailing hit me right where it hurt in the best possible way. My favorite flick of the year.