The Insider: Industry Pros Name Their Movie of the Year

“THE INVITATION was such a fantastic horror entry for this year. I did not know much about the plot or what was going to transpire. Unraveling in an eerie slow burn, what I thought would have been an entertaining thriller turned into horror at the beginning of the third act unfolding into a nightmare where the scope and ramifications against a small group becomes dwarfed moments before the credits roll. Excellent and original.”

“A Netflix Original, I AM THE PRETTY THING THAT LIVES IN THE HOUSE is an exercise in anxiety. It’s not a nail-biting-tension; it’s a slow simmering unease that is portrayed in numerous ways, but most markedly it’s in the facial expressions of the people in this haunted house. Add in the drawn-out shots, the strange after-burn images that linger on screen, and the “story within a story” and you get a memorable, if not slow and unusual, experience. Also, there’s a good chance you’ll never think of a phone cord as innocuous. Good thing we have cell phones.”

 “I headed into THE REZORT with very low expectations being yet another zombie movie but within 15 minutes I realised this film had something more to offer than gore & screaming. The premise was one I recognised as Westworld with Zombies. Post Zompocalypse the world has recovered & all traces of the zombie virus have been eliminated except for on THE REZORT a small island where you can pay to have a contained “safe” zombie killing holiday. Of course you know it’s going to go horribly wrong but there is enough substance & a wicked twist near the end that makes it relevant. Great casting, acting, cinematography, characters and story set this one apart from the Horde for me.”

“THE CONJURING 2. Nice! It’s about time we had a long and intense horror movie like this one. A good mix of scare jumps, plot twists in the story and some delightful stressful moment that we could have forgot it would still be possible to have.”

“It’s been a long time since a horror movie stayed with me the way THE EYE OF MY MOTHER did, a movie that had me sipping a glass of whiskey and staring at the ceiling for 20 minutes after the credits rolled. On paper, it’s a simple origin story of a serial killer, how one goes from a carefree child to locking people up in their barn for years at a time. But THE EYES OF MY MOTHER works because of how much it doesn’t show you. Much of the horror is implied, as the viewer begins to grasp how wicked this woman really is. And though her actions don’t hold up to much logical scrutiny, you’re too busy dry heaving over what’s been happening in that barn. The movie doesn’t show you, but in your mind’s eye, you know–and it’s bad.”

“As a guy who makes a living killing folks I must be honest and admit I’m not the biggest horror fan. I love the late 70’s & 80’s flicks that i grew up on and seem to base what I like on those formative years. I’m also a bit of a snob and find most recent horror films less risky, too safe, not at all original and at times too preachy. So when asked what was my favorite flick of the year one movie stood out that truly blew me away. GREEN ROOM is the movie at the top of my list. I’m not sure if it’s a straight up horror movie but it scared the hell out of me. It is a simple story of a punk band playing a venue they didn’t want to and after witnessing something they shouldn’t have now they must fight to leave. Maybe our current political landscape played a little into my decision but the reality of a group of neo nazis trying to take out our punks terrified me. The monsters in this movie were real…no ghosts, no goblins and no slasher icons…the threat felt real to me.

Kudos to the cast, all played it perfectly. Having recognizable names was not a distraction due to their commitment to becoming the characters. The tension never let up once it ramped up. The story was simple- it didn’t try too hard. The movie looked beautiful and the violence played it to painful perfection. Setting it mainly in one location, a horror movie staple, helped. GREEN ROOM reminded me of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, a movie to this day that gives me chills. Like Henry after viewing GREEN ROOM I wanted to take a shower…I felt filthy and that I viewed something maybe I shouldn’t have. The pain our punks both delivered and went through had me on the edge of my seat. I cheered for them and winced in pain when they faced retribution. Our bad guys and their dogs proved monsters are real. GREEN ROOM is the best film of the year because it didn’t need a gimmick to scare, it told a story that could happen. The real world is a scary place.”

“What I liked most of THE MONSTER – It goes back to that monster we’re all afraid of as children – It makes your imagination run wild with the terror only a child can experience, THE MONSTER works because it makes you feel like monsters are real living creatures that exist in our world. I don’t know how else to put it into words, why are you making me say this?”