The Best of '08: The Top 10 Horror Films

What a bumpy ride it's been. The thrill and subsequent disappointment of Diary of the Dead, the dizzying box office success of tween vampire romance Twilight, the emergence of new DVD shingles bringing a new slate of films to fans' home theaters... yes, it's been exciting. And, along with the usual awfulness that we horror fans are asked to endure, this has proven to be a great year for horror. Now I am here to list the 10 best horror films of 2008 and chew bubble gum. And I am all out of gum.


10) Cloverfield
Boom! Number 10 takes the old Gojira mythos and promises to deliver what every American horror nerd has wanted for decades - our very own American monster. Well, we got it thanks to producer J.J. Abrams and director Matt Reeves. Forget the shaky-cam gimmick (used to mostly-positive effect here) and the found footage schtick and focus on what makes this a monster movie worth seeing. The mad dash through the Manhattan subway tunnels, the lack of clear explanations, the glimpses of the behemoth as our protagonists struggle to survive - this stuff works. It is also important to note the significance of this film as an early release in 2008 that primed the pump for horror throughout the year. And, with a worldwide take of over $170 million, you can bet Cloverfield 2 will be swimming to shore soon.


9) Dance of the Dead
Like any mash-up, Gregg Bishop's winning combination of Romero-inspired zombie film and John Hughes-inspired high school comedy, Dance of the Dead will rise or fall based on the execution of these disparate genres. Crazily enough, it worked. The kids actually look like they belong in high school, the characters are sincere to wacky and the living dead stuff works, too. From the corpses rocketing from the graves to the zombie love scene that is so much more satisfying than you would imagine, this film won me over and left a grin planted on my face. Part of the Ghost House Underground series, this was one of the few American films under that shingle and easily the best of them.


8) Blindness
This movie took a drumming at the box office, but City of Men's Fernando Meirelles delivered an uncompromising parable with strong performances by Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo. The tale of a city struck by unexplained blindness and the ensuing imprisonment, the descent by the survivors into a state of tribal anarchy, all make this more than an art-house film. The images are often savage, and the cinematography ranges from the dreamily ephemeral to the caustic and bleak. This is not an easy movie, but a worthwhile one, and unlike any other movie I've seen this year.


7) Quarantine
[REC] is unquestionably one of the best horror films of this decade, but who would have thought that a remake could ever do it justice, particularly an Americanized remake with unknown directors? But, brothers John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle took a formula that worked and made the correct decision to tamper as little with the elements as possible while still delivering a unique experience. The cause of the outbreak has changed, and some scenes were added to increase the run time, but this is as faithful a remake as you're likely to see without the shot-for-shot antics of a Funny Games. Jennifer Carpenter gives one of the year's best freak-out performances here, and the final fifteen minutes rocket into terror just like it's source material.


6) The Strangers
Much like [REC], Bryan Bertino's tidy little shocker doesn't do much differently, it just happens to do it well. The broken relationship of the film's protagonists quickly taes a back seat to the real point of this movie - scaring the hell out of people. For the genre devotees, there were complaints that the film wasn't gory enough, or savage enough, but that's not where The Strangers intends to go. Instead, it ratchets up the tension slowly and steadily, without the usual jump-scare gags that deflate these films so quickly. The unexplained assault on Scott Speedman and Liv Tyler's home-for-the-night becomes an exercise in home invasion horror that sometimes stumbes but never falls. The final moments spent with the killers and a pair of young boys is a satisfying treat, as well. Also notable for the massive mainstream success it achieved, Bertino's movie proves that people still want to be scared.


5) Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer
The top 5 kicks off with Jon Knautz' return to the old-fashioned monster movie with a hero that I hope to see more of. Despite some questionable effects later in the film, there are enough quirky characters to make up for some technical issues. Trevor Matthews turn as the title character is an absolute blast, and Robert Englund delivers a real performance here as a possessed professor. Funny and fun, one not to be missed.


4) Splinter
Hitting DVD soon, Splinter is still available in some theaters and On Demand for you Comcast people out there. Director Toby Wilkins should have a bright future ahead of him if this is the type of film he can turn out. What starts as a hostage/prison break film becomes an exercise in bio-horror that nips at the heels of such legendary shockers as Carpenter's The Thing. The new evil that Wilkins and writers Kai Barry and Ian Shorr have created is a terrifying blend of virus and animal that makes for some truly amazing moments as the parasite controls its hosts. And, a scene involving a box cutter and a cinder block ensures I will never look at home surgery the same way.


3) Inside (A l'interieur)
I have said it before, but there is something seriously twisted about the French lately. Whether it's the home invasion thrills of Ils, or the upcoming Martyrs, the best work in horror today is being done by the Gauls. One of the best examples of this is Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury's blood-soaked nightmare Inside. As a soon-to-be-mother prepares for the coming birth, she is terrorized by a woman determined to take the baby... straight from the womb if she has to. This is a movie that revels in its violence and executes the most violent scenes with something approaching art. After repeat viewings, I still squirm at the film's conclusion.


2) The Mist (Black & White)
Yes, I know Frank Darabont's The Mist was technically released in 2007, but this new black and white version of the film wasn't available until this year and is worthy of the slot. This is the version of this film, filled with deep shadows that shine in the format. The tale of a mysterious mist trapping shoppers in a grocery store has never felt more creepy, and the effects lend themselves well to the gray scale that permeates the film. The ending has split some viewers, but it has always seemed appropriately bleak to me. This is a movie about how bad things can happen to good people for no apparent reason, and how it's possible to fail despite best efforts. If you've never seen this one, see it in its b&w version first and you'll find a great reminder of the monster movies of the '50s and why they are still relevant today.


1) Let the Right One In
This should be no surprise to regular readers. This is the absolute best horror film of this year, and one of the finest of the year period. If it doesn't snag a Best Foreign Feature award at this year's Oscars, I'll be stunned. This quiet tale of a bullied boy and his vampiric protector plays like a sliver of glass inching through the bloodstream. The first viewing is a remarkable experience, but what is most pleasantly surprising is the way that images and moments from the film continue to resonate. The more it takes hold of you as a story, the deeper it becomes, working its way through the veins until you feel it freeze your heart with the horrifying possibilities of how the relationship between Oskar and Eli will continue. Astounding in every way.


So, there we are. Now, we peek over the horizon into a new year, one that promises to be every bit as intriguing as this one. Have the happiest of New Year's, gang, and we'll see you back soon for more reviews, news and opinion as LBOTL parties like it's 2009!