Without further ado, here is
TOP 10 HIDDEN HORROR GEMS
10) THE POSSESSION OF MICHAEL KING
There are A LOT of 'Found Footage' horror films, I'd say that about 75% of them are total rubbish and don't work. The possession of Michael King is a great little Found Footage movie about a skeptic of the paranormal who rather foolishly, undergoes rituals that apparently invoke evil. I won't say any more on the subject. But what I will say is that this film gets straight into the action and features a likable protagonist who at you root for if you are a non-believer. It has its faults (obviously stupid decisions made by King, some times there is too much shaky cam) but on the whole it's a solid horror flick.
9) FEAST
This is one of those films where if I tell you why it's good, it'll spoil the film. A horror/comedy that doesn't go too far in the comedic direction and that has some amazing special effects, clever plot twists and is generally well-made. It has sequels, but personally I'm not a fan of them, they just killed it for me.
8) WE ARE STILL HERE
Horror is currently experiencing a sort of 80's revival and it is brilliant. With Synth-style music, Beautiful hand-drawn poster art (Above), Older plot devices such as the lone serial killer and more tongue-in-cheek acting, and I couldn't be happier about that as I see the 80's as they golden age of horror. We Are Still Here focuses on a group of people who stay at a haunted house where not everything is a simple as it may first appear. The CGI effects here work really well and don't go overboard, the acting is solid, the film does have the odd jump scare, but not so much that you'll get annoyed by it, and the tone of the movie leaves you feeling uneasy about what may happen next. plus it's from 2015 so it's not got that cheap 90's look to it.
7) GRAVE ENCOUNTERS 1 & 2
Both of these films need to be watched together as they compliment each other very well and are both equally as good as the other. Another Found Footage film that is in that 25% area of pure goodness, Grave Encounters features an abandoned asylum, Ghosts, well-timed jump scares and a creepy atmosphere. The acting is a bit up and down in parts, but in general both these films are real winners and will leave you appreciating the more 'indie' scene for horror films.
6) HOUSEBOUND
Housebound is as you may expect from the poster, about a house that has an unwanted guest. I'm not gonna say any more about that because the less you know the more you'll love. I want to say this film is from New Zealand but i may be wrong on that. This film is not gory at all and is more what I would call a 'Terror' film in the sense that it is creepy, genuinely scary, and doesn't rely on gore to keep the viewer hooked. The acting is good although you will hate the mother in this because she's just so irritating. This film will also have you checking your closet and loft to make sure you're not being watched.
5) THE TUNNEL
Best way to describe this film? The Descent + Urban Exploration. my last Found Footage film on this list and another solid movie. Don't be fooled into thinking that you can expect lots of screaming by the poster, because more than anything, silence is our protagonist's ally here. No real gore to speak of but lots of claustrophobic moments and a whole lot of shaky cam.
4) HATCHET
The classic serial killer flick is back in force in Hatchet. Starring Kane Hodder (The Jason Vorhees) as Victor Crowley, the deformed hatchet wielding psycho, We go to the swamps of... Well I don't remember too well the name, I'll guess Louisiana, and run for our lives as Crowley hunts us done like pigs to the slaughter. This film is brilliant, Cheesy in parts, gory as all hell in others, and great in all the rest. This is the kind of film you can imagine taking a date to at one of those american drive-in cinemas. Love it.
3) IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS
There aren't many true to form Lovecraftian horror films, Sure there's Re-Animator, 2005's B&W Call Of Cthulhu, and that god awful Dagon from years ago. But there just aren't enough actual Lovecraft-style films - and no I don't count Alien or The Thing as Lovecraftian - until you look In The Mouth Of Madness (See what I did there). In The... The above film is simply put, Awesome. It's from the early 90's and is full of bizarre and surreal horror elements. When an insurance investigator looks into the disappearance of horror author Sutter Kane (Great name) he gets more than he ever could've imagined when he enters a sleepy little forgotten town. It's a shame that Rotten Tomatoes has this film rated so low on their meter because in all honesty this is what Lovecraftian fans want from a horror film. It's got this odd atmosphere that makes you instantly know that something just ain't right. and it tries to play with your mind (Which to the average moviegoer comes across as a plot hole, but fans of Lovecraft will view as something like the insanity meter from Eternal Darkness) It's a film that's got a lot going for it if you can get yourself in the right frame of mind.
2) BEHIND THE MASK: THE RISE OF LESLIE VERNON
A self aware horror film that gives away the ending voluntarily half way through and shows you every trick in the serial killer's handbook, yes please!. Behind the Mask takes every classic 80's horror cliche and turns it sideways, You actually follow the serial killer and y'know what? He's a funny funny guy who reminds me of Jim Carrey, Not to mention that the film has brilliant cameos from famous horror icons, a great soundtrack, a brilliantly scary mask, and perfectly done action. Behind the Mask would've taken my #1 spot. unfortunately for it, #1 was just too good to put anywhere else.
1) SHUTTER (2004)
In my opinion, Without a doubt, The best Asian horror film of all time. Shutter is a Thai film and blew me away when I watched it. From start to finish you feel at unease, sensing that, like many Asian horror films, the creepy girl is only one turn away.
I love Asian horror, But I see films like Ringu and Ju On as early starts in the J-Horror scene, and while good, they are rough and the art hadn't been refined enough at that point. This is where Shutter shines. The film times it scares perfectly and builds upon a plot gradually and at a good pace without stumbling about. Yes there are Jump scares, but this is Asian horror, if it ain't a creepy white girl creeping up on you then it ain't Asian.
DO NOT WATCH THE REMAKE! It fails at delivering the same kind of scare that the original does. It's not just the plot that is so unnerving about Shutter, But the setting, Location and shaky albeit believable acting that has you scared to turn the lights off.
I've never seen the Dubbed version to say if it's any good or not but generally I'd advise against dubbed work because it never really fits and pulls you out of the immersion.
Well that's it for another WR Top 10. I wanted to include films in this list that aren't as popular as you may expect - there's a lot of lists with It Follows, The Babadook, and others on them which are great movies, but are super popular - so that you can dig a little deeper and find yourself a great little horror gem.
Hope you've enjoyed this list. please check in next time for more Witless Top 10's.
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