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The 10 Best Horror Films of 2021: Kelly McNeely’s Picks

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Hahaha, 2021, amiright? I mean, this was – generally speaking – an improvement on 2020, but still. And since the world basically shut down in 2020, many of the films released this year were made in 2019 or 2020 but didn’t see distribution until 2021, which makes the whole “best of the year” thing a bit muddy, admittedly. But hey! I’m gonna do it regardless. Because I care, and I want to share some stuff with you. 

So, here is a list of 10 of my personal favorite horror films from 2021. Based on a completely arbitrary rating system, from a list of films that I saw. Happy New Year! Let’s hope the next one goes a bit smoother. 

What Josiah Saw

10) What Josiah Saw (dir. Vincent Grashaw)

Synopsis: A family with buried secrets reunite at a farmhouse after two decades to pay for their past sins.
Why You Should Watch It: This was one of my favorites out of Fantasia Fest this year (read my review here). It’s a solid southern gothic focused on sins and sinners, revealing uncomfortable secrets in a structured-by-the-chapter format. The performances, the cinematography, the music, and the script are all impeccable, delivered with a lived-in layer of dirt and grit that makes the film feel so very personal. 

I had to sit with What Josiah Saw for a bit after my first watch, but it dug into me. I couldn’t get it out of my head. It’s complex and damaged. It’s haunting. It’s not an easy watch, but it’s storytelling is forcefully effective. You won’t soon forget it.
Where You Can Watch It: It’s not streaming anywhere yet, but keep an eye out for this one. 

9) Malignant (dir. James Wan)

Synopsis: Madison is paralyzed by shocking visions of grisly murders, and her torment worsens as she discovers that these waking dreams are in fact terrifying realities.
Why You Should Watch It: Malignant is James Wan’s giallo-inspired bizarro-superhero psycho-slasher, and it’s an absolute blast. There’s something about seeing a large scale horror film with a fresh, original plot and various bits of scenery for the actors to chew that’s really heartwarming. We get remakes and sequels out the wazoo, but Wan is one of the few (and I hate to use this term, but) “mainstream” working genre directors who can pull off this kind of humble creativity with such grandiose effect.  

It’s reminiscent of a good-ol-fashioned popcorn flick, but with Wan’s signature scares that light up the screen. His fight scenes are wild, his fear scenes effective, and the ideas within the film are the kind of frightful fun that we’ve all come to expect from Wan. It’s just a straight up good time at the movies, for the classic horror fan in all of us.
Where You Can Watch It: Rent on AppleTV, Amazon, Google Play, and more

Fear Street

8) Fear Street Trilogy (dir. Leigh Janiak)

Synopsis: After a series of brutal slayings, a teen and her friends take on an evil force that’s plagued their notorious town for centuries.
Why You Should Watch It: Ok so maybe this is three films, technically. All the same, Fear Street is an impressive teen horror trilogy that makes itself accessible to younger audiences without pulling any punches. It’s surprisingly violent with deaths that actually carry emotional weight. The attacks on the teens feel desperate, the victims terrified and frantic. It’s heavy! And earns its commendable R rating; nothing is sacrificed for the sake of broader appeal. 

This is a trilogy made for horror fans, both for adults who have grown up with the genre, and for teens who are maybe just embracing their special scary side. The second entry (Fear Street 1978) is particularly perfect for slumber parties, revisiting the classic summer camp slasher and offering lessons in friendship. Fear Street is a serious take on the teen horror boom, revived from the 90s for Gen Z. Because if we’re going to bring back 90s fashion, please please please let us bring back the 90s teen horror cycle too.
Where You Can Watch It: Exclusively on Netflix

7) Last Night in Soho (dir. Edgar Wright)

Synopsis: An aspiring fashion designer is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer. But the glamour is not all it appears to be and the dreams of the past start to crack and splinter into something darker.
Why You Should Watch It: In terms of visual spectacle, Last Night in Soho is truly impressive. Using camera tricks and clever editing, Wright seamlessly stitches together scenes through a mirror’s image with Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy in perfect harmony. Paired with Wright’s ability to craft a stellar soundtrack, the film transports you to a grand, vibrant era where everything is magical – but nothing is as it seems. 

There’s a horrible dark side to the 1960s glamour that is uncomfortably real, and very scary. McKenzie and Taylor-Joy have a magnetic energy – you just want to see them happy – and they’re master manipulators when it comes to your emotions. They take you on a roller coaster of radiant joy and paralyzing fear, and it’s easy to get swept up in it all. Wright has proven to be a formidable storyteller, and Last Night in Soho is a true flex of his creative energy.
Where You Can Watch It: Available for rent on AppleTV, Amazon, DirectTV, and more

Saint Maud Release Date

6) Saint Maud (dir. Rose Glass)

Synopsis: A pious nurse becomes dangerously obsessed with saving the soul of her dying patient.
Why You Should Watch It: Did I first see this in 2019? Yes (click here for my review). Is that cheating? Maybe, but it just got distribution in 2021 so I’ma count it. Saint Maud is a tense and twisting tour into obsession and fanaticism that will make even the most devout a bit uncomfortable. Morfydd Clark as Maud is endearing and sympathetic, tragic yet empowered by her faith. Jennifer Ehle as Amanda, Maud’s ward, is a sensual snake who inspires both admiration and a warning caution. 

Saint Maud is the feature film debut from writer/director Rose Glass, and it’s certainly made her a name to watch out for. The final frame gave me chills I have not felt before or since, and though I don’t want to hype it up too much, it was one of the most powerful theatrical experiences I’ve had.
Where You Can Watch It: On Netflix in Canada, in the USA on Hulu, Epix, and more

Slumber Party Massacre

5) Slumber Party Massacre (dir. Danishka Esterhazy)

Synopsis: A remake of the 1982 slasher film about sorority girls attacked by a maniac killer with a large electric drill.
Why You Should Watch It: We’ve seen a large… large number of horror remakes over the years, but Danishka Esterhazy’s Slumber Party Massacre is an 80s remake done right. Written by Suzanne Keilly (Leprechaun Returns, Ash vs Evil Dead) this SyFy original is surprisingly funny, playing up just about every single slasher trope you can think of with its tongue firmly planted in-cheek. 

In true Slumber Party Massacre fashion, it incorporates slow-motion shower scenes and skimpy pajamas, but with a male focus that adds to the feminist-leaning comedy of the film. There are also quite a few little references for fans of the original franchise. Esterhazy and Keilly clearly have a lot of respect for the intent put out by the 1982 film’s writer, Rita Mae Brown, and really understood the “feminist slasher parody” assignment. The result is highly enjoyable. You can read my full review here.
Where You Can Watch It: Streaming on FuboTV, On Demand, and more

4) Titane (dir. Julia Ducournau)

Synopsis: Following a series of unexplained crimes, a father is reunited with the son who has been missing for 10 years. Titane: A metal highly resistant to heat and corrosion, with high tensile strength alloys.
Why You Should Watch It: Ok, so that synopsis is… not helpful. At its most basic, the film is about an exotic dancer who is impregnated by a car and – following a string of brutal murders – makes every effort to hide from authorities. So, that said, Titane is unlike anything else you’ll see this year. Or for a while, really. 

Titane premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and took away the prestigious Palme d’Or (a win so exciting that jury president Spike Lee accidentally let it slip before the announcement had been made). Ducournau – also known for Raw, a cannibal coming-of-age tale – is the first solo female filmmaker to take home the prize, and it’s well earned. Titane has a raw sexuality and blunt force violence that’s hypnotic, unsettling, and inescapable. It won’t be for everyone, and that’s ok! But if you can get into it, it’s a wild ride.
Where You Can Watch It: Available for rent on AppleTV, Google Play, Redbox, and more

werewolves within

3) Werewolves Within (dir. Josh Ruben)

Synopsis: Feature adaptation of the video game where werewolves attack a small town.
Why You Should Watch It: Werewolves Within is a horror-comedy murder-mystery with a heart of gold. Written by humorist Mishna Wolff and based on the Ubisoft multiplayer VR game of the same name, the film is like a whimsical whodunnit gone violently awry, and an honest-to-goodness warm hug of a horror film. 

The ensemble cast are finely tuned to their characters and each other, with micro-reactions and pitch-perfect tone for each line. Sam Richardson – in particular – shines as a wholesome hero, acting as a champion of goodwill and neighbourly kindness. The energy floats somewhere between Clue and Fargo, but with a werewolf. So that’s fun. You can read my full review here.
Where You Can Watch It: On Netflix in Canada, in the USA for rent on AppleTV and more

Psycho Goreman

2) Psycho Goreman (dir. Steven Kostanski)

Synopsis: After unearthing a gem that controls an evil monster looking to destroy the Universe, a young girl and her brother use it to make him do their bidding.
Why You Should Watch It: Charmingly hilarious and delightfully gory, Psycho Goreman was one of my most anticipated films of 2021. I enjoy the works of writer/director Steven Kostanski (The Void) and his work with Astron-6 (The Editor, Father’s Day), so when I heard the premise of this film with his name attached, I was very excited. It did not disappoint. 

Psycho Goreman is one of few recent horror flicks that would be appropriate for children (in a horror-happy household, of course). It features a collection of creative (and entirely practical) monsters, all designed by Kostanski himself – an effects artist by trade. With the practical effects and the film’s two leads both still in grade school, Psycho Goreman has an Amblin-meets-Power-Rangers kind of vibe, but with a heavy dose of comedy. It’s just so much fun.
Where You Can Watch It: Streaming on Shudder, AMC+, and more

Fantasia 2021 The Sadness

1) The Sadness (dir. Rob Jabbaz)

Synopsis: A young couple trying to reunite amid a city ravaged by a plague that turns its victims into deranged, bloodthirsty sadists.
Why You Should Watch It: Maybe you shouldn’t, to be honest; this movie is not for everyone. It goes balls deep in violent depravity, with vicious visuals that might scar you for life. It’s well shot, but boy is it mean, and so over-the-top that it’s… actually really fun. It’s shocking, upsetting, and ruthless. As someone who’s partial to extreme cinema, I absolutely loved it.

The Sadness really shakes up the “violent infection” storyline. It comes at a time where a lot of horror films are playing it (relatively) safe for a wider audience, or directing their energy to more stylized, cerebral fare. This film says “fuck that” and just goes for it. It’s bold, brazen, and pretty damn exciting. You can read my full review here, and click here to read my interview with director Rob Jabbaz.
Where You Can Watch It: It’s still on the festival circuit, but keep an eye out for a release!

 

Honorable Mention:

Vicious Fun

Vicious Fun (dir. Cody Calahan)

Synopsis: Joel, a caustic 1980s film critic for a national horror magazine, finds himself unwittingly trapped in a self-help group for serial killers. With no other choice, Joel attempts to blend in or risk becoming the next victim.
Why You Should Watch It: This was on my Honorable Mentions list last year as well as it had only just hit the festival circuit, but it’s an absolute blast so I wanted to circle back ‘round to it this year. Made by horror fans for horror fans, it’s a true celebration of the genre, with an appropriately neon-hued and synth-scored bout of violent, vicious fun. 

If you love a good self-aware horror-comedy with killer characters and gruesome practical effects, you should definitely check it out. You can read my full review here.
Where You Can Watch It: Streaming on Shudder and AMC+

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‘Immaculate’ Stars Reveal Which Horror Villains They Would “F, Marry, Kill”

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Sydney Sweeney is just coming off the success of her rom-com Anyone But You, but she’s ditching the love story for a horror story in her latest film Immaculate.

Sweeney is taking Hollywood by storm, portraying everything from a love-lusting teenager in Euphoria to an accidental superhero in Madame Web. Although the latter got a lot of hate among theater-goers, Immaculate is getting the polar opposite.

The film was screened at SXSW this past week and was well-received. It also gained a reputation for being extremely gory. Derek Smith of Slant says the, “final act contains some of the most twisted, gory violence this particular subgenre of horror has seen in years…”

Thankfully curious horror movie fans won’t have to wait long to see for themselves what Smith is talking about as Immaculate will hit theaters across the United States on March, 22.

Bloody Disgusting says that the movie’s distributor NEON, in a bit of marketing smarts, had stars Sydney Sweeney and Simona Tabasco play a game of “F, Marry, Kill” in which all their choices had to be horror movie villains.

It’s an interesting question, and you might be surprised at their answers. So colorful are their responses that YouTube slapped an age-restricted rating on the video.

Immaculate is a religious horror movie that NEON says stars Sweeney, “as Cecilia, an American nun of devout faith, embarking on a new journey in a remote convent in the picturesque Italian countryside. Cecilia’s warm welcome quickly devolves into a nightmare as it becomes clear her new home harbors a sinister secret and unspeakable horrors.”

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Michael Keaton Raves About “Beetlejuice” Sequel: A Beautiful and Emotional Return to the Netherworld

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Beetlejuice 2

After more than three decades since the original “Beetlejuice” film took audiences by storm with its unique blend of comedy, horror, and whimsy, Michael Keaton has given fans a reason to eagerly anticipate the sequel. In a recent interview, Keaton shared his thoughts on an early cut of the upcoming “Beetlejuice” sequel, and his words have only added to the growing excitement surrounding the film’s release.

Michael Keaton in Beetlejuice

Keaton, reprising his iconic role as the mischievous and eccentric ghost, Beetlejuice, described the sequel as “beautiful”, a term that encapsulates not only the visual aspects of the film but its emotional depth as well. “It is really good. And beautiful. Beautiful, you know, physically. You know what I mean? The other one was so fun and exciting visually. It’s all that, but really kind of beautiful and interestingly emotional here and there. I wasn’t ready for that, you know. Yeah, it’s great,” Keaton remarked during his appearance on The Jess Cagle Show.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Keaton’s praise did not stop at the film’s visual and emotional appeal. He also lauded the performances of both returning and new cast members, signaling a dynamic ensemble that is sure to please fans. “It’s great and the cast, I mean, Catherine [O’Hara], if you thought she was funny last time, double it. She’s so funny and Justin Theroux is like, I mean, come on,” Keaton enthused. O’Hara returns as Delia Deetz, while Theroux joins the cast in a yet-to-be-disclosed role. The sequel also introduces Jenna Ortega as Lydia’s daughter, Monica Bellucci as Beetlejuice’s wife, and Willem Dafoe as a dead B movie actor, adding new layers to the beloved universe.

“It’s just so fun and I’ve seen it now, I’m gonna see it again after a couple little tweaks in the editing room and I confidently say this thing is great,” Keaton shared. The journey from the original “Beetlejuice” to its sequel has been a long one, but if Keaton’s early rave is anything to go by, it will have been worth the wait. Showtime for the sequel is set for September 6th.

Beetlejuice

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‘The Unknown’ From Willy Wonka Event is Getting a Horror Movie

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Not since the Fyre Festival has an event been so lambasted online as Glasgow, Scotland’s Willy Wonka Experience. In case you haven’t heard about it, it was a children’s spectacular that celebrated Roald Dahl’s offbeat chocolatier by taking families through a themed space that felt like his magical factory. Only, thanks to cellphone cameras and social testimony, it was actually a sparsely decorated warehouse filled with flimsy set designs that looked like they were bought on Temu.

The famous disgruntled Oompa Loompa is now a meme and several hired actors have spoken out about the inelegant party. But one character seems to have come out on top, The Unknown, the mirror-masked emotionless villain who appears from behind a mirror, terrifying younger attendees. The actor who played Wonka, at the event, Paul Conell, recites his script and gives some backstory to this frightening entity.

“The bit that got me was where I had to say, ‘There is a man we don’t know his name. We know him as the Unknown. This Unknown is an evil chocolate maker who lives in the walls,'” Conell told Business Insider. “It was terrifying for the kids. Is he an evil man who makes chocolate or is the chocolate itself evil?”

Despite the sour affair, something sweet may come out of it. Bloody Disgusting has reported that a horror movie is being made based on The Unknown and may get a release as early as this year.

The horror publication quotes Kaledonia Pictures: “The film, gearing up for production and a late 2024 release, follows a renowned illustrator and his wife who are haunted by the tragic death of their son, Charlie. Desperate to escape their grief, the couple leave the world behind for the remote Scottish Highlands – where an unknowable evil awaits them.”

@katsukiluvrr evil chicolate maker who lives in the walls from willies chocolate experience in glasgow x #glasgow #willywonka #wonkaglasgow #scottish #wonka #theunknown #fyp #trending #foryou ♬ its the unknown – mol💌

They add, “We are excited to begin production and look forward to sharing more with you as soon as possible. We are actually only a few miles from the event, so it is quite surreal to see Glasgow all over social media, worldwide.”

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