5

28 Days Later (2002)

Originally I wanted to watch The Fog tonight since I watched The Mist yesterday, but then I remembered that the 2005 version of the film is a remake of a 1980 movie and decided to save both for Throwback Thursday/Follow Up Friday this week. Then I realized that I hadn’t yet written about this movie, and that its sequel isn’t too bad and would fit in well tomorrow, and, well, here we are!

I really like this movie. It’s got a lot going for it. The music is well done, the cast is great, the story compelling. And the infected absolutely terrifying. I feel like this was the film that really brought zombies back into the mainstream (although technically they’re not zombies in this film, but still), and it did that surprisingly well.

30 Days of Night (2007)

Tonight’s the longest night of the year, so I figured it was only appropriate to celebrate with this movie. And if you like horror movies, it’s a great movie to celebrate with.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

This was one of the first movies I remember truly scaring me. “Nightmare” is right – Freddy Krueger haunted my dreams for months every time I’d watch it. And I’d watch it often, because it was also one of the first movies that made me realize…I love being scared.

Wes Craven truly understood how to scare his audience. Every aspect of the movie works in concert to evoke the most fear possible… the background music is perfect (that nursery rhyme sticks in your head in just the worst way), the sound effects are chilling (those “finger-knives” scraping across metal get me every time), and the pacing keeps you at the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

A Quiet Place (2018)

So…I’m on a roll with movies I apparently didn’t give enough of a chance the first time around? Maybe it’s because this movie was SO hyped up when it came out, but I remember thinking “yeah, that was okay”…and today I truly appreciated it.

Alien (1979)

The entirety of my review tonight was going to be “movies are stupid” because that’s how I feel right now, but this is an incredibly not stupid movie so it didn’t feel right. There’s a lot to be said for this movie, and maybe you’ll get to read some of it next week when I watch the first sequel.

American Mary (2013)

Here’s another movie I love. I actually like it better than the one I’m watching for my birthday tomorrow, but I needed a pick me up tonight and this is one of my happy movies (yes, really) so here we are.

I haven’t seen this one quite as many times as the Dawn of the Dead remake (of course I’ve had about 8 years longer with that one), but since I first watched it a couple years ago I’ve probably seen it 20 or 30 times. It’s just so…interesting.

Baghead (2023)

Okay, to be honest, this is between four and five stars for me, but it’s been a while since I’ve rated something a full five stars, and this was entertaining enough, so…

Banshee Chapter (2013)

I really, really like this movie. The first time I watched it was on a big TV in a dark room and it scared the crap out of me. There are a lot of jump scares in this one, but they don’t feel cheap. The tension has already been built up and so the jump scares feel like just a relief rather than comic relief.

This is a story “based on actual events” that genuinely does something original. I appreciate that it poses a bunch of questions but then answers them as well. There are times when it’s appropriate to leave something to your audience’s imaginations, but I feel that many films use it as a crutch instead of a statement. This movie has an opinion and doesn’t leave you feeling unsatisfied at the end.

Before I Wake (2016)

I originally watched this way back in 2016 and was going to write about it for the original run of this site, but there was some distribution issue and I wasn’t sure it was technically available anywhere so I put it aside and am finally getting back around to it.

Black Box (2020)

This movie was SO GOOD. So good. I was worried it wasn’t going to stick the landing but it did.

Blade (1998)

Okay, this is another highly nostalgia-driven rating, but I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t give it five stars.

Candyman (1992)

There’s something about the familiar that can be so scary. I think Candyman has always been particularly scary to me because it’s set in Chicago. I recognize the highways from above, I attended classes in that college, and I stared out my window at Cabrini Green every time we drove to my grandparents’ condo downtown. Everything about the movie (except, thankfully, for the Candyman) is so familiar.

And can I just say that Philip Glass should have done the music for every horror movie ever? That opening sequence is fantastic and incredibly haunting.

Chatroom (2010)

Before I say anything else about this movie, I need to offer the biggest Content Warning AND Spoiler Warning I’ve written yet. This movie is about, and depicts, suicide, depression, and bullying, including driving others to suicide.

If you or someone you know needs help, please (in the US) dial 988, the National Suicide Lifeline, visit https://www.crisistextline.org/ , or text HOME to 741741 to reach a volunteer Crisis Counselor.

Cry_Wolf (2005)

Somehow I never saw this when it came out, so maybe it’s just nostalgia here (those AOL Instant Messenger sounds take me way back, and I’d almost forgotten about Bon Jovi’s acting years) but I loved this movie. I was skeptical about a PG-13 horror movie, but this one delivers and proves that you can craft a good scary story without relying on swearing and gore.

I was happy about the Gary Cole cameo, but sad about the terrible Gary Cole British accent. Was it too expensive to find a real British actor to play Owen’s father? He was only in 30 seconds or so of the film. Despite that, the rest of the cast is wholly believable (okay, aside from Paul James’ hair) and has a chemistry that is, at least as far as most of these movies have shown me, hard to find.

Darling (2015)

I think I have a new favorite movie. Or at least new favorite movie of the moment. Maybe it’s because of my newfound adoration of Lauren Ashley Carter. Maybe it’s because the movie is black and white and my favorite shade of pink.

Maybe it’s because I discovered that you can change the appearance of subtitles on Netflix to make them giant and bright pink (and you haven’t lived until you’ve seen subtitles screaming FRENCH LOUNGE MUSIC at you in bright pink).

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

As you may have guessed, I love this movie. I saw it in theaters when it came out. Twice. And I almost never see things in theaters. I know it’s not perfect, but I’d be lying to myself (and my readers) if I rated it anything less than 5 out of 5. Today’s viewing confirmed that, of course.

(Spoiler alert. There might be a lot of spoilers for this one.)

Dead End (2003)

I loved this movie. I mean, of course I loved this movie. It’s got Ray Wise and Lin Shaye and a strange, silly plot. What better present for Christmas Eve?

Disturbing Behavior (1998)

Look, I’m really sorry that so many of my reviews for this year are pure nostalgia. This probably isn’t really a five-star movie, but I LOVE IT SO MUCH. I love everything about it.

Don't Breathe (2016)

Holy crap. This movie is terrifying. Don’t Breathe is the perfect name for it. I know I found myself holding my breath more than once during this one.

Double Blind (2024)

(I apologize in advance, but this whole thing might be spoilers?)

Eve's Bayou (1997)

I loved this movie. It’s not a terrific scary movie, but it is an epic, fantastic story. And EVERYONE in the movie was just so good.

Fresh (2022)

Ok, this is a movie I actually appreciate MORE the second time around, even knowing all the reveals. It’s so entertaining and there are a ton of little details I may not have picked up on when I watched it the first time, and I loved it this time.

Gerald's Game (2017)

So, I think this movie wins for making me cry the hardest of any movie I’ve watched this year. Actually, I don’t recall crying for ANY other movie I’ve written about this year. And I’m a BIG crier, especially for movies.

Hide and Seek (2005)

SPOILER Warning: If you plan on watching this movie, just know that I love it and don’t read this review until after you’ve watched it. I don’t want to spoil anything for you.

Wow. I’d forgotten how much I like this one. Even knowing all the twists didn’t decrease my enjoyment of this movie.

This is mostly due to the phenomenal cast. While I was initially skeptical that Robert De Niro could believably play the father to Dakota Fanning (an incredibly young Dakota Fanning at that), I have to admit they both pulled it off. Famke Janssen and Elisabeth Shue were just two of the familiar faces in the supporting cast, all of whom were great.

High Tension (2003)

I’m easily distracted, so I often skip foreign movies because I know I don’t pay enough attention to the subtitles to really follow the plot. And dubbed movies, especially dubbed horror movies, are pretty hit or miss (more often on the “miss” side). But this one hits, and it hits hard.

What all that means is that I love this movie. A lot. It’s incredible how effective this movie is. “High tension” is absolutely right. This movie is a thrill ride that just doesn’t let up. The story isn’t entirely original, but the acting, the pacing, and the background music all work together to make this a really scary story.

Host (2020)

This is a five-star movie for me, but I have to acknowledge it’s perhaps because of a few “superficial” things versus the movie itself. Like, it’s less than an hour long! You could barely call that a feature film! And most of the characters have British accents!

House of Spoils (2024)

Okay, I…have no explanation for this five-star rating. Genuinely I don’t, because when I think about it, there’s…not much of a real story to this film. It’s not truly scary. It doesn’t have a whole lot of familiar faces.

Insidious (2011)

This movie is creepy as hell. I’ve seen it several times and each time it’s still creepy as hell. I’m sure it’s partly because of that creepy song, partly because of the perfectly placed jump scares, and mostly because that demon is one really scary demon.

Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)

I hesitated a little before giving this one a 5 out of 5 because it’s not perfect, but I forgot how awesome the experience is watching the first two movies back to back so it’s mostly earned it. I think the story is incomplete without this movie, so if you liked the first one you’d be doing yourself a favor to watch this one – and an even bigger favor by watching it immediately after watching the first one.

It (1990)

I may be biased writing this, because you could probably say that this is the movie that started it all. The details are fuzzy, but I remember seeing this when I was about five, so it may have been when it aired the first time. I think I was supposed to be asleep, and whoever was watching didn’t see me sneak up behind them (I do that sometimes) until the commercial break.

Anyway, next thing I do remember is that for the next several years, I thought there was a clown under my bed that was going to eat me. I still sometimes leap into my bed from three feet away so nothing grabs my ankles. And sometimes I still have to turn on all the lights in my house in the middle of the night so I can fall asleep.

It's What's Inside (2024)

I had SO MUCH FUN with this movie. Maybe it’s because I watched it with a friend I hadn’t talked to in a while. Maybe it’s because I was just in a mood to watch anything but Halloween. Or maybe it’s because this movie was super fun and entertaining!

Jeepers Creepers (2001)

In addition to my penchant for creepy old abandoned buildings (one of which appears in this film, in fact), I also have a penchant for old-timey songs used to incredibly creepy effect. The eponymous song in this film is a stellar example of just that (the version of “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” used in Insidious is another stellar example that I should review here eventually).

So this may sound silly (so business as usual), but Jeepers Creepers is spot on. This movie creeps me out. The Creeper is super creepy, the Creeper’s sewer is super creepy, and the Creeper’s truck is super creepy. There’s a lot about this movie that’s just super creepy. So of course I love it. And of course I’ll probably dream about the Creeper for the next few nights.

Margaux (2022)

This movie is so silly, and I loved every stupid, ridiculous minute of it. I watched this for a second time today, and I’m pretty sure I liked it even better than I did the first time around.

Since I’m pretty sure I’ll need to spoil a lot of this, I’ll start by saying that I absolutely recommend this movie to anyone who is wary of AI (or smart homes), social media influencers, AirBnBs, and…I don’t know, college undergraduates who all look wayyyy too pretty to be part of a “Nerd Herd”?

Mimic (1997)

I’m pretty sure I saw this originally in theaters, when I was young enough to be a big horror fan but too young to really have big deep thoughts about movies. And I remember liking it back then! I mean, Mira Sorvino, Giancarlo Giannini, AND Charles S. Dutton? What’s not to like?

Pandorum (2009)

I’ve seen this movie once or twice before, but oddly can’t remember whether I saw it in theaters or not. I have to imagine that means I did not, in fact, see it in theaters – it seems most likely that I was watching this at home while distracting myself with other things. Because I just did not remember how awesome this movie really is.

Or, I don’t know, maybe it’s the string of pretty good movies I’ve been watching lately that’s been softening me up…maybe it’s because I have a soft spot for Ben Foster (and Dennis Quaid!)…maybe it’s just because this is a really awesome movie.

Poltergeist (1982)

This is one of the first horror movies I ever saw (on purpose, anyway) and boy, did it stick with me. I remember when I was younger I used to wake up in a cold sweat after nightmares about this movie. Luckily, I haven’t had one of those in years…but then again I also hadn’t watched this movie in years.

One thing that definitely went over my head when I was younger is the sense of humor this movie has. From the parents getting stoned in their bedroom to the teenage daughter letting it slip that she “remembers” the Holiday Inn down the street, there are several jokes in this that land much better now that I understand them. This movie hasn’t just held up over time, it’s actually gotten better – or I’ve gotten smarter or more experienced or something. Either way, I like this movie even more now than I did when I was a kid.

Pontypool (2009)

Ah, Pontypool. I almost forgot this movie takes place on Valentine’s Day. It’s fitting if you think about it, since the film is really about communication and relationships.

It is such a great movie. Stephen McHattie is wonderful as Grant Mazzy, radio star. There’s such neat character development from inside the radio station as you slowly learn what’s going on outside. The slow pacing of the first third or so of the film picks up once the doctor reveals the cause of the infection (and how it spreads), and from then the action is nearly non-stop until the end credits roll.

Saw (2004)

As promised yesterday, here’s the first of the Summer See Saw Sundays. I like this movie. It basically started an interesting (at least at first) trend in movies, some better than others, and created a new niche in the horror genre.

Scream (1996)

I’m so glad this movie turned twenty years old this year, albeit almost at the end.

Silent House (2011)

Okay, if you are into scaring yourself, I strongly recommend watching this movie alone, in the dark, on an otherwise quiet night. If that doesn’t work, well, I guess I’m easier to scare than you are, but it should still make for an enjoyable experience.

Sissy (2022)

I was on the fence about giving this one a full five stars, but I figure if I can give Disturbing Behavior five stars, I can give this five stars, too. It was FUN.

Static (2012)

I was about to ask myself (or rather, ask you) where I find these movies, but this one I got straight from Milo Ventimiglia’s IMDb page, so I suppose I already know the answer.

To perhaps no one’s shock or amazement, this movie was about family, love, and loss – and I liked it quite a bit.

Tales of Halloween (2015)

Normally I have trouble rating anthology films. Often the segments vary in quality, tone, or entertainment value. I had no trouble rating this one, though. Five out of five, no question. Well, some questions.

Talk to Me (2023)

This was one of those movies that was WAY hyped up when it came out. Critics loved it, people loved it, there was immediate sequel talk, etc etc etc…

And having finally watched it, I think it’s worth all the hype. This was a great movie!

The ABCs of Death (2013)

While I didn’t find every minute of this exciting like with Tales of Halloween, I’d still rate this five out of five for the concept. It’s just so cool. And it’s well implemented here.

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)

This is one of those films with a trailer that gives you incredibly high expectations that will probably be dashed when you finally see the movie.

The Aviary (2022)

Wow, I like this movie a surprising amount. I definitely remember liking it on my first watch, and even rewatching it at 1.75x speed this time, I was thinking WOW. So much yet so little happens. So many questions are posed and rarely answered.

The Craft (1996)

Okay, let me preface everything else I might say here with the fact that I am absolutely biased when it comes to this movie. I can’t tell you how excited I was when I realized I could use it for a Throwback Thursday review this year.

I can’t believe this movie was released twenty years (and two days) ago. I mean, I guess I can believe it. Middle school does feel like twenty years ago (yes, I’ve just dated myself). This movie was a sleepover staple for me and my three friends. We argued over who was whom in the group, because of course we all wanted to be Sarah (no, Sara, you don’t get to be her just because you have the same name).

The Descent (2005)

Previously I mentioned that watching Indigenous made me want to watch The Descent again, so that’s exactly what I did tonight. And yep – it’s still a better monster movie than Indigenous. And probably not just because I didn’t need subtitles for it.

The character development in this movie is so strong that I found myself relating to characters who aren’t anything like me. For one thing, I almost certainly wouldn’t wake up at 7am to go rock climbing, even in creepy old caves like the ones in the movie.

The Faculty (1998)

Okay, yeah, I’m so glad I moved things around to watch this tonight after watching Trap last night. Good decision all around. It’s been too long since I’ve seen this movie, and I forgot how much I enjoyed it.

The Forgotten (2004)

I’m still not caught up on sleep, and now I’ve got a literal pain in the neck bothering me, so this likely won’t be as verbose as it could be. But I’ll start off by saying that I really love this movie.

I’ve seen it several times and every damn time it ends I’m crying. Sure, it’s not quite as terrifying or mysterious after the first watch – but if you’ve never seen this movie before, it’s very much terrifying and mysterious.

The Lodge (2020)

For better or worse (mostly better, I think), it’s been a while since I’ve watched an endlessly dark and bleak film. This movie ends that streak with a bang (umm… apologizes in spoiler).

The Lost Boys (1987)

This is one of those movies that has had a lasting impact on me. The more I think about it, I realize it’s informed a bunch of aspects of my life: my brief obsession with Kiefer Sutherland that led me to write a fan letter to him describing the dream I had in which he was my father (to which I received no response, of course)…my love for cover songs (and Echo and the Bunnymen)…my affinity for scary movies and vampire novels.

I hadn’t watched this in a couple years, but the sense of nostalgia and whimsy I felt watching it tonight was awesome. Almost 30 years since it came out, this is still one of the best vampire movies I’ve ever seen and absolutely one of my favorite movies.

The Loved Ones (2009)

Today being the birthday of one of my favorite people, I decided this movie would be a good choice. Note that the honor is in the title only and not the content. And perhaps also in how much I liked this movie. Because I like it quite a bit.

The Menu (2022)

I have honestly been procrastinating writing about this movie for SO LONG. I love it. I have watched it SO MANY TIMES. I have tried to convince all of my friends and family to watch it. Sometimes I put it on to fall asleep to. But I’ve been struggling to really put into words WHY I love it so much.

So of course I watched it again. And I’m still not sure what to say. Honestly? What I say about this most often is “I love this horror movie. It’s hilarious.”

The People Under the Stairs (1991)

After watching this for the first time tonight, I’m wondering how had I not seen this before tonight? It must be the end of the year, because I’m pretty sure I’ve used that joke before.

The Sixth Sense (1999)

This might be another nostalgia-driven rating. I think it’s also a “replay rating” of sorts…it’s really hard to put yourself into the same frame of mind as when you’re seeing something for the first time.

The Stuff (1985)

Well, HERE is a silly B Movie I can get behind. Seriously, I knew I was going to like this from minute one.

The Thing (1982)

The Thing is one of the first scary movies I remember watching with my mom when I was younger (I’m pretty sure it’s mostly her fault that I love scary movies as much as I do), and I’m happy to report that 30-some years later, it’s still a great movie.

Sure, the special effects aren’t always believable and the technology is a bit outdated, but The Thing is a shining example of what the right cast can do in the hands of an amazing director like John Carpenter.

The Woman (2011)

Wow. I liked this movie way more than I anticipated. I watched it in broad daylight and it was still absolutely terrifying.

Thinner (1996)

I really like this movie. I also really like this book. This is probably my favorite film adaptation of a Stephen King story (though it may be tied with The Shawshank Redemption). It’s definitely one of my favorite Stephen King novels, and I think one of the first of his books that I’ve read.

Trap (2024)

I was worried about this one, because it was wayyyyy hyped up, and that usually doesn’t bode well for a scary movie. But I love Josh Hartnett, especially in scary movies! I even moved some things around on the calendar just so I could watch him in another tomorrow…and I thought his performance in this was excellent. He definitely has the “extremely creepy facial expression” thing down pat.