10. Come to Daddy
Elijah Wood with a strange mustache. It worked for me. It doesn’t hurt that the movie was also a surreal, weird tale of strained relations and uncomfortable reunions between a father and son.
9. The Hunt
Though, not a technically great movie, I had a real fun time watching it. The real star of the show, however, is Betty Gilpin as Crystal. Her character is so perfectly played you find yourself rooting for her as soon as you meet her.
8. Freaky
Like a nice snack right when you need a snack. I was ready to see some Vince Vaughn and this delivered (though, I could’ve used more, tbh). I was a fan of Happy Death Day 1 & 2 and I’m happy to add this to the list of “wins.”
7. Terrifier
Honestly, it was gory and fun and the clown was creepy. It was an easy, fun horror movie that hit all the right notes. Felt like movies I watched in high school.
6. Antrum
Give me a weird 70’s-style horror flick that supposedly has a death-curse tied to it and I’ll give you a spot on my top 10.
5. Gretel & Hansel
This movie was just so awesomely cool to look at. I loved its fresh take on an old tale. Plus it was maybe the last movie I saw in a theater last year? Can that be true?
4. The Dark and the Wicked
No lie, made me feel more scared than any other movie I saw this year. The movie’s real strengths were found in the scenes with the two siblings - each of those scenes felt almost uncomfortably realistic and helped to build tension.
3. The Vast of Night
You almost always have me at “aliens,” but this movie was such a refreshing, nostalgic take on aliens in film, and real-life reports of sightings. I immediately loved the main characters and thought both actors did a great job. The director’s style and the lighting choices created a beautiful atmosphere and made me feel like I was there.
2. Possessor
Possessor was such a great way to round out the year. Brandon Cronenberg has really created a unique, unsettling film and it’s clear that he’s been influenced by his father’s films. That being said, this movie was very much his own, with his own stamp on it. A wonderfully acted, written, and directed movie - one of the few “must watch” movies of 2020.
1. Host
Quite literally the perfect movie for 2020. It managed to come out and feel like an instantly relatable and timely indie horror flick. Like, I cant imagine how to better capitalize on the 2020 pandemic situation in a more perfect way.