Lists
5 Must-See Meta Horror Films You Might Have Missed
What’s a final girl? A look into Meta-Horror
How many times have you watched a horror film and despite all your warnings the character runs upstairs instead of outside? It seems like despite being in a horror film, these people have never seen a horror film in their life. That’s where meta-horror comes in.
In this universe horror films are real, sometimes literally. You see, horror fans are not content with just watching horror films. We want a horror movie inside of a horror movie that’s watching its own horror movie. Meta-horror is the Russian nesting dolls of the movie world. Creating layers upon layers of references for fans to dig through.
Not only that, but they also explain the rules of the genre for newcomers. Scream and Cabin in the Woods are the most loved movies in this sub-genre. They are both amazing films, but that’s not what we are here to talk about today. It is my job to find some films you may have missed. So, get your notebooks out, there will be a test after this one.
You Might Be the Killer
Have you ever sat down with friends and talked about life’s really important questions? How do we solve world hunger? What is the meaning of life? Most importantly, what makes a film a slasher? The latter is the discussion famed authors Chuck Wendig (The Book of Accidents) and Sam Sykes (Aeons’ Gate) had on twitter in 2017. This conversation laid the groundwork for one of the campiest meta films to ever see the light of day.
This gem of a film doesn’t get as much attention as it should. Starring the magnificent Fran Kranz (Cabin in the Woods) and Alyson Hannigan (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). You Might be the Killer gives us a look into the comedic aspects of the slasher genre. This film knows who its audience is, and it plays the part wonderfully. If you want an 80’s slasher, without some of the more problematic things that go along with 80’s slashers, then check out You Might be the Killer.
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon
Do you have questions about the practical aspects of the slasher genre? Like how is the killer always right behind the final girl? Why does the power always go out in the abandoned farmhouse, or why does it even have power to begin with? These are the hard-hitting questions that Behind the Mask set out to answer.
Nathan Baesel (20 Years After) gives us a peak behind the curtain in his role of Leslie Vernon. This film is a perfect example of how the mockumentary format should be used. It blends equal parts comedy and realism, creating an unsettling feeling throughout its runtime. If you ever wanted to know how slashers feel about their legacy, check out Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon.
The Final Girls
The Final Girls is a film exploring the concept of final girls. It doesn’t get much more meta than that. The term love letter to the genre gets thrown around a lot these days, but I truly believe that it holds true for this film. Starring Taissa Farmiga (American Horror Story) and Adam Devine (Workaholics), The Final Girls shows us that slasher films can have heart.
This film plays out like someone spilled a bag of “Oops, all 80’s tropes” all over the production set, and the results couldn’t have been better. This film gives us everything we love and hate from the genre. It doesn’t shy away from depicting the problematic views of the time, while embracing the cheese and gore that we still love today. If you want some guilt free camp in your slasher film, check out The Final Girls.
Scare Package
Scare Package is horror made by horror nerds for even bigger horror nerds. This is a meta horror anthology set inside of a horror V/H/S store, set inside of a horror movie. What more could a horror fan possibly ask for? Not only does it have every trope known to genre fans, but it also features the divine visage that is Joe Bob Briggs (The Last Drive-In).
This film may not have a cohesive plot, amazing effects, or even great dialog. It does have one thing that makes it stand out above all of the other films on this list. It stars Joe Bob Briggs playing Joe Bob Briggs in a movie about a movie. If that doesn’t sell you on the film, then I don’t know what will. If you leave this movie craving more, as I did, then luckily for us all Scare Package II: Rad Chad’s Revenge was released in December of 2022.
Funny Games
Funny Games is unlike every other film on this list. It isn’t funny, campy, or pleasant by any means. I am not even sure what genre this fits into. Is there a sub-genre for soul crushing bleakness? Director Michael Haneke (Happy End) is not content with a simple wink at the audience like most meta directors. He chooses instead to look you in the eyes as he tortures his creations, reminding you along the way that this is what you asked for.
Meta-horror is designed to make viewers feel like they are in on the joke, Funny Games makes you feel like an accomplice to a murder. If one life altering event per evening isn’t enough for you, there are two versions of this film. Fans are divided over whether the 1997 Austrian version or the 2007 English Remake are more traumatizing. For those masochists out there, I recommend watching them back-to-back. If you are looking for a film so depraved that you will feel dirty after, then check out Funny games.
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Lists
Thrills and Chills: Ranking ‘Radio Silence’ Films from Bloody Brilliant to Just Bloody
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, and Chad Villella are all filmmakers under the collective label called Radio Silence. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett are the primary directors under that moniker while Villella produces.
They have gained popularity over the past 13 years and their films have become known as having a certain Radio Silence “signature.” They are bloody, usually contain monsters, and have breakneck action sequences. Their recent film Abigail exemplifies that signature and is perhaps their best film yet. They are currently working on a reboot of John Carpenter’s Escape From New York.
We thought we would go through the list of projects they have directed and rank them from high to low. None of the movies and shorts on this list are bad, they all have their merits. These rankings from top to bottom are just ones we felt showcased their talents the best.
We didn’t include movies they produced but didn’t direct.
#1. Abigail
An update to the second film on this list, Abagail is the natural progression of Radio Silence’s love of lockdown horror. It follows in pretty much the same footsteps of Ready or Not, but manages to go one better — make it about vampires.
#2. Ready or Not
This film put Radio Silence on the map. While not as successful at the box office as some of their other films, Ready or Not proved that the team could step outside their limited anthology space and create a fun, thrilling, and bloody adventure-length film.
#3. Scream (2022)
While Scream will always be a polarizing franchise, this prequel, sequel, reboot — however you want to label it showed just how much Radio Silence knew the source material. It wasn’t lazy or cash-grabby, just a good time with legendary characters we love and new ones who grew on us.
#4 Southbound (The Way Out)
Radio Silence tosses their found footage modus operandi for this anthology film. Responsible for the bookend stories, they create a terrifying world in their segment titled The Way Out, which involves strange floating beings and some sort of time loop. It’s kind of the first time we see their work without a shaky cam. If we were to rank this entire film, it would remain at this position on the list.
#5. V/H/S (10/31/98)
The film that started it all for Radio Silence. Or should we say the segment that started it all. Even though this isn’t feature-length what they managed to do with the time they had was very good. Their chapter was titled 10/31/98, a found-footage short involving a group of friends who crash what they think is a staged exorcism only to learn not to assume things on Halloween night.
#6. Scream VI
Cranking up the action, moving to the big city and letting Ghostface use a shotgun, Scream VI turned the franchise on its head. Like their first one, this film played with canon and managed to win over a lot of fans in its direction, but alienated others for coloring too far outside the lines of Wes Craven’s beloved series. If any sequel was showing how the trope was going stale it was Scream VI, but it managed to squeeze some fresh blood out of this nearly three-decade mainstay.
#7. Devil’s Due
Fairly underrated, this, Radio Silence’s first feature-length film, is a sampler of things they took from V/H/S. It was filmed in an omnipresent found footage style, showcasing a form of possession, and features clueless men. Since this was their first bonafide major studio job it’s a wonderful touchstone to see how far they have come with their storytelling.
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Editorial
7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch
The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.
The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.
We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.
Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?
Scream Live (2023)
Ghostface (2021)
Ghost Face (2023)
Don’t Scream (2022)
Scream: A Fan Film (2023)
The Scream (2023)
A Scream Fan Film (2023)
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Lists
Horror Movies Releasing This Month – April 2024 [Trailers]
With only six months until Halloween, it is surprising how many horror movies will be released in April. People are still scratching their heads as to why Late Night With the Devil wasn’t an October release since it has that theme already built in. But who’s complaining? Certainly not us.
In fact, we are elated because we are getting a vampire movie from Radio Silence, a prequel to an honored franchise, not one, but two monster spider movies, and a film directed by David Cronenberg’s other child.
It’s a lot. So we have provided you with a list of movies with help from the internet, their synopsis from IMDb, and when and where they will drop. The rest is up to your scrolling finger. Enjoy!
The First Omen: In theaters April 5
A young American woman is sent to Rome to begin a life of service to the church, but encounters a darkness that causes her to question her faith and uncovers a terrifying conspiracy that hopes to bring about the birth of evil incarnate.
Monkey Man: In theaters April 5
An anonymous young man unleashes a campaign of vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and continue to systemically victimize the poor and powerless.
Sting: In theaters April 12
After raising an unnervingly talented spider in secret, 12-year-old Charlotte must face the facts about her pet-and fight for her family’s survival-when the once-charming creature rapidly transforms into a giant, flesh-eating monster.
In Flames: In theaters April 12
After the death of the family patriarch, a mother and daughter’s precarious existence is ripped apart. They must find strength in each other if they are to survive the malevolent forces that threaten to engulf them.
Abigail: In Theaters April 19
After a group of criminals kidnap the ballerina daughter of a powerful underworld figure, they retreat to an isolated mansion, unaware that they’re locked inside with no normal little girl.
The Night of the Harvest: In theaters April 19
Aubrey and her friends go geocaching in the woods behind an old cornfield where they are trapped and hunted by a masked woman in white.
Humane: In theaters April 26
In the wake of an environmental collapse that is forcing humanity to shed 20% of its population, a family dinner erupts into chaos when a father’s plan to enlist in the government’s new euthanasia program goes horribly awry.
Civil War: In theaters April 12
A journey across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House.
Cinderella’s Revenge: In select theaters April 26
Cinderella summons her fairy godmother from an ancient flesh-bound book to get revenge on her evil stepsisters and stepmother who abuse her daily.
Other horror movies on streaming:
Bag of Lies VOD April 2
Desperate to save his dying wife, Matt turns to The Bag, an ancient relic with dark magic. The cure demands a chilling ritual and strict rules. As his wife heals, Matt’s sanity unravels, facing terrifying consequences.
Black Out VOD April 12
A Fine Arts painter is convinced that he is a werewolf wreaking havoc on a small American town under the full moon.
Baghead on Shudder and AMC+ on April 5
A young woman inherits a run-down pub and discovers a dark secret within its basement – Baghead – a shape-shifting creature that will let you speak to lost loved ones, but not without consequence.
Infested: on Shudder April 26
Residents of a rundown French apartment building battle against an army of deadly, rapidly reproducing spiders.
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