Excellent Horrors With a Twist
Enjoy some of my favourite, and lesser-known horror films that invest in a strong script, unique ideas and vexing resolutions that will linger and make you think. If you appreciate novel story lines and unexpected twists these are for you. All films rated 8/10 or above
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- DirectorOz PerkinsStarsEmma RobertsKiernan ShipkaLucy BoyntonTwo girls must battle a mysterious evil force when they get left behind at their boarding school over winter break.9/10: This film instantly hooked into me and confounded me so that I was compelled to watch it a second time days after the first viewing. We follow two storylines: first, two girls are left alone in a large boarding school. One of them is vulnerable and clearly troubled, sinking deeper into mental frailty, while the other is a rebel with a pragmatic view on life. In the other story, we see another girl travelling alone, headed towards the same boarding school. Taken in by a kind man and his seething wife, all three travellers have their secret motivations. The story is unlike anything else on offer and is an instant horror classic that deserves to find a wide audience, despite its puzzling but enthralling storytelling. Superior horror that is truly innovative, it demands to be seen over and over.
- DirectorDavid Robert MitchellStarsMaika MonroeKeir GilchristOlivia LuccardiA young woman is followed by an unknown supernatural force after a sexual encounter.9/10: Chilling atmosphere that will cling to you, this film is the most effective safe-sex movie ever invented. With its menancing, slow-moving antagonist that can take on shifting form, the film delivers non-stop scares for our young heroine, who seeks to figure out how to break the pattern of the stalking figure gaining ground, ever closer to its target.
- DirectorGustavo HernándezStarsFlorencia ColucciAbel TripaldiGustavo AlonsoA young woman becomes trapped inside a house and is unable to contact the outside world as mysterious forces haunt it.9/10: La Casa Muda has been remade but don't be fooled by the remake: this is a perfect horror film that will scare you deep to the core. A young woman and her father returns to their family cabin and find themselves stalked by an unseen force. The twists and turns will shock, with the use of camera angles and atmosphere creating an unique terror with a ghastly reveal.
- DirectorDaniel StammStarsPatrick FabianAshley BellIris BahrA troubled evangelical minister agrees to let his last exorcism be filmed by a documentary crew.9/10: Instantly becoming one of my favourite all-time horrors, this is an exorcism film that plays with the expectations of the genre. The story centres on a weary protagonist who has turned his back on doing fake exorcisms and lost his faith as a pastor along the way. Out to expose the fraud of exorcisms, his desire to help a young naive girl who lives in a secluded farm lead him to question his purpose. The ending is one of my favourites, as we see him accept the horror of what he has witnessed.
- DirectorYannick DahanBenjamin RocherStarsClaude PerronJean-Pierre MartinsEriq EbouaneyAn end of the world battle between gangsters, cops and zombies.8/10 This French film is horror at its best: uncompromising, well-acted, with a flipped genre grabbing you by surprise. The Horde starts as a complicated heist film, with police and criminals thrown together into an apartment complex, with revenge at hand. That's before swinging into one of the most genuinely frightening zombie movies. Smart characters with a strong woman lead, it's a blast.
- DirectorJustin BensonAaron MoorheadStarsPeter CilellaVinny CurranEmily MontagueA man imprisons his estranged junkie friend in an isolated cabin in the boonies of San Diego to force him through a week of sobriety, but the events of that week are being mysteriously manipulated.8/10: This film is a love note to every horror aficionado who appreciates a smart script over silly gore. At the heart of the movie is strong, believable performances from the leads playing two best friends. One has come to rescue his childhood friend from his drug addiction, chaining him up in a most unethical detox method. Inside the dilapidated cabin, they reminisce about how their lives turned out so differently. Outside, however, someone starts leaving them clues about the previous visitors to the secluded region. The ambiguous clues along the way and the bold ending alone makes this one of my favourite horrors.
- DirectorAlex TurnerStarsHenry ThomasPatrick FugitNicki AycoxA group of Confederate soldiers hole up in an abandoned plantation after robbing a bank and find themselves at the mercy of supernatural forces.8/10: This is a blend of a Western with a horror film. A band of slippery characters have just committed a robbery and need a place to hide. A large house hidden away seems like the perfect place to gather their senses, but an unseen horror awaits. Relish the ending and all the scares in between.
- DirectorBruce McDonaldStarsStephen McHattieLisa HouleGeorgina ReillyA radio host interprets the possible outbreak of a deadly virus which infects the small Ontario town he is stationed in.8/10: A truly fresh take on the zombie genre, Pontypool is a wonderful lark that exceeds expectations. Set almost entirely inside a small radio studio, much of the horror happens off camera to excellent effect. The characters are well-rounded and you'll root for them as they actively work to survive and find the cause of a disease that seems to be turning their town into violent beings. The ending is classic film noir.
- DirectorBill PaxtonStarsBill PaxtonMatthew McConaugheyPowers BootheA mysterious man arrives at the offices of an FBI agent and recounts his childhood: how his religious fanatic father received visions telling him to destroy people who were in fact "demons."8/10: A psychological terror grips a small-town family. The father thinks he sees true evil but he's dismissed as having mental health issues. The clever time jumps lead to a satisfying conclusion that lifts this movie above most others exploring the psyche of horror.
- DirectorNeil MarshallStarsSean PertweeKevin McKiddEmma CleasbyA routine military exercise turns into a nightmare in the Scottish wilderness.8/10: A gory delight, Dog Soldiers is a mash-up of two genres. It starts as a war movie, with soldiers being hunted in the woods after an exercise gone wrong. But something bigger hungers for them. This is not your average werewolf film.
- DirectorMike FlanaganStarsJohn Gallagher Jr.Kate SiegelMichael TruccoA deaf and mute writer who retreated into the woods to live a solitary life must fight for her life in silence when a masked killer appears at her window.8/10: Hush has many clever tricks up its sleeve, making the most of its interesting premise. A deaf author with writer's block is working in the middle of the woods when she becomes the random target of a murderous killer who delights in toying with her. But he gets more than he bargained for with this intelligent lead, whose problem solving skills are a joy to behold. Excellent woman-centred horror.
- DirectorJ.T. PettyStarsClancy BrownDavid BusseHarley CorizIn the Wild West a rescue party sets out to find a family of settlers that has vanished from their home under mysterious circumstances.8/10: A Western/horror crossover, this is an original tale drawing on familiar fragments. The story opens with two families besieged by supernatural forces. With his fiance missing, a man rounds up a rag-tag group of racist, violent men who think they are setting out to find Indigenous kidnappers. They want revenge. Little do they know that they are looking for something more ancient, and that they are the ones being hunted.
- DirectorLuiso BerdejoStarsKevin CostnerIvana BaqueroSamantha MathisA single father moves his two children to rural South Carolina, only to watch his daughter exhibit increasingly strange behavior.8/10: This is a rewarding and well-crafted movie for fans of slow-build up horrors. A father moves his resentful teenage daughter and young son into a small town at the edge of the woods. Looking to start over as a family, he struggles to deal with his daughter as she grows ever-distant. But once she starts to spend an alarming time outdoors transfixed by a mound of dirt, he learns there is more to his idyllic new home. This story is perfectly acted by the entire cast and delivers the horror to match its message about family sacrifice.
- DirectorToby WilkinsStarsShea WhighamJill WagnerPaulo CostanzoTrapped in an isolated gas station by a voracious Splinter parasite that transforms its still-living victims into deadly hosts, a young couple and an escaped convict must find a way to work together to survive this primal terror.8/10: A young male scientist with an aversion to the outdoors is coaxed into camping in the woods by his adventurous girlfriend when they are taken hostage by another couple. Little do the cursed lovers know that something more sinister roams the woods. With most of the action taking place inside a small gas station, this story does wonders to sustain terror as the characters fight for survival.
- DirectorSeverin FialaVeronika FranzStarsLukas SchwarzElias SchwarzSusanne WuestTwin boys move to a new house with their mother after she has face-changing cosmetic surgery, but under the bandages is someone the boys don't recognize.8/10: A psychological exploration of parent-children relationships from the point of view of two troubled young boys. They live a solitary existence, playing in the woods near their lavish home. Their mother, whom they evidently spend little time with, returns from surgery and they do not trust that she's their real mother. This thriller will play with your expectations of the genre and reveal a truly harrowing ending that will test your limits and understanding. Excellent albeit controversial ending that will have you hitting the forums for a theory.
- DirectorBen WheatleyStarsNeil MaskellMyAnna BuringHarry SimpsonNearly a year after a botched job, a hitman takes a new assignment with the promise of a big payoff for three killings. What starts off as an easy task soon unravels, sending the killer into the heart of darkness.8/10: Truly terrifying and highly original, this film has a bizarre twist that will keep you talking for days. Seemingly a story following a contract assassin, the film takes its time building up all the characters with some of the best, most natural dialogue exploring the nature of relationships and friendshipos. The film will have you transfixed as the hired gun goes through the list of people he's been hired to kill. The build up, however, takes an unexpected turn with one of the most frightening endings that sets up a moral dilemma that comes out of nowhere. Watch and ponder.
- DirectorHowie AskinsStarsRyan McCoyBrett RosenbergAshley BrackenRyan makes a documentary on his friend, Brett, and his first time camping, until a mysterious figure in the woods starts hunting them.8/10 An unlikeable foursome set off camping in the woods and soon become separated. Evidence makes effective use of the found footage format to build up tension amongst the survivors who start to suspect the danger they face goes beyond their sabataged camper van. The film ends up becoming something altogether different than expected as the true nature of their persecutor is revealed. Besure to watch the credits for extra clues to unravel the chaos that is not fully explained in the film.
- DirectorDavid BrucknerDan BushJacob GentryStarsAnessa RamseyJustin WelbornScott PoythressA horror film told in three parts, from three perspectives, in which a mysterious transmission that turns people into killers invades every cell phone, radio, and television.8/10: Three overlapping stories are cleverly brought together to reveal why and how a transmission is turning people into murderers. Very well orchestrated story that is rewarding in its vision.
- DirectorDerek LeeClif ProwseStarsClif ProwseDerek LeeMichael GillTwo best friends see their trip of a lifetime take a dark turn when one of them is struck by a mysterious affliction. Now, in a foreign land, they race to uncover the source before it consumes him completely.8/10: A rare English-language film that centres on a person of colour, this is an excellent twist on a creature feature. Two best friends set off travelling and after a one-night stand, one of them is left with an illness that begins to transform him. Great pacing, strong ending.
- DirectorVincenzo NataliStarsAbigail BreslinPeter OuterbridgeMichelle NoldenA teenager is stuck in a time loop that is not quite the same each time. She must uncover the truth, but her actions have consequences for herself and others.8/10: Rather than drag out its premise, Haunter jumps quickly to the point: a loving family dies and are stuck in their home. They are being haunted by another menacing figure that preys on families past and present. This is a nice twist of the usual ghost story.
- DirectorAri AsterStarsToni ColletteMilly ShapiroGabriel ByrneA grieving family is haunted by tragic and disturbing occurrences.
- DirectorAdam MacDonaldStarsLaurie HoldenNicole MuñozChloe RoseA frustrated, angst-ridden teenage girl awakens something in the woods when she naively performs an occult ritual to evoke a witch to kill her mother.
- DirectorBrad AndersonStarsDavid CarusoStephen GevedonPaul GuilfoyleTensions rise within an asbestos cleaning crew as they work in an abandoned mental hospital with a horrific past that seems to be coming back.
- DirectorRobert EggersStarsAnya Taylor-JoyRalph InesonKate DickieA family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession.
- DirectorJennifer KentStarsEssie DavisNoah WisemanDaniel HenshallA single mother and her child fall into a deep well of paranoia when an eerie children's book titled "Mister Babadook" manifests in their home.
- DirectorM.J. BassettStarsSean PertweeAlex ReidToby KebbellJuvenile delinquents are sent to a small British island after a fellow prisoner's death, where they have to fight for survival.
- DirectorRyûhei KitamuraStarsVinnie JonesBradley CooperLeslie BibbA photographer's obsessive pursuit of dark subject matter leads him into the path of a serial killer who stalks late night commuters, ultimately butchering them in the most gruesome ways.
- DirectorMichael DoughertyStarsAnna PaquinBrian CoxDylan BakerFive interwoven stories that occur on Halloween: an everyday high school principal has a secret life as a serial killer; a college virgin might have just met the guy for her; a group of teenagers pull a mean prank; a woman who loathes the night has to contend with her holiday-obsessed husband; and a mean old man meets his match with a demonic, supernatural trick-or-treater.
- DirectorJuan Carlos FresnadilloStarsClive OwenCarice van HoutenIzán CorcheroTwo children living in different countries are visited nightly by a faceless being who wants to take possession of them.
- DirectorJeremy SaulnierStarsAnton YelchinImogen PootsAlia ShawkatA punk rock band is forced to fight for survival after witnessing a murder at a neo-Nazi skinhead bar.
- DirectorJohn GulagerStarsNavi RawatKrista AllenBalthazar GettyPatrons locked inside a bar are forced to fight monsters.
- DirectorJames WatkinsStarsKelly ReillyMichael FassbenderTara EllisRefusing to let anything spoil their romantic weekend break, a young couple confront a gang of loutish youths with terrifyingly brutal consequences.
- DirectorMatt ReevesStarsMike VogelJessica LucasLizzy CaplanA group of friends venture deep into the streets of New York on a rescue mission during a rampaging monster attack.
- DirectorGuillermo del ToroStarsMia WasikowskaJessica ChastainTom HiddlestonIn the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author is torn between love for her childhood friend and the temptation of a mysterious outsider. Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds - and remembers.
- DirectorJames WongStarsDevon SawaAli LarterKerr SmithAfter getting a premonition about a plane crash on his school trip, Alex, a student saves a few of his classmates. However, their situation gets complicated when death starts chasing them.
- DirectorJames MangoldStarsJohn CusackRay LiottaAmanda PeetStranded at a desolate Nevada motel during a nasty rain storm, ten strangers become acquainted with each other when they realize that they're being killed off one by one.
- DirectorJeff CrookJosh CrookStarsLauren Currie LewisChris FerryCody DarbeClaire Parker is going to die at the hands of a sadistic and depraved killer, she will endure a terrifying, unimaginable brutal death, and it will all happen again, and again.
- DirectorJoel AndersonStarsRosie TraynorDavid PledgerMartin SharpeStrange things start happening after a girl is found drowned in a lake.
- DirectorJustin BensonAaron MoorheadStarsAaron MoorheadJustin BensonCallie HernandezAs kids, they escaped a UFO death cult. Now, two adult brothers seek answers after an old videotape surfaces and brings them back to where they began.
- DirectorAri AsterStarsFlorence PughJack ReynorVilhelm BlomgrenA couple travels to Northern Europe to visit a rural hometown's fabled Swedish mid-summer festival. What begins as an idyllic retreat quickly devolves into an increasingly violent and bizarre competition at the hands of a pagan cult.
- DirectorVincenzo NataliStarsNicole de BoerMaurice Dean WintDavid HewlettA group of strangers awaken to find themselves placed in a giant cube. Each one of them is gifted with a special skill and they must work together to escape an endless maze of deadly traps.
- DirectorRomola GaraiStarsCarla JuriAlec SecareanuImelda StauntonAn ex-soldier, living homeless in London, is offered a place to stay at a decaying house inhabited by a young woman and her dying mother. As he starts to fall for her, he cannot ignore his suspicion that something sinister is going on.
- DirectorJeremy DysonAndy NymanStarsSamuel BottomleyDeborah WastellAmy DoyleAfter receiving a file with details of three unexplained cases of apparitions, skeptical professor Phillip Goodman embarks on a terrifying trip.
- DirectorJaume Collet-SerraStarsVera FarmigaPeter SarsgaardIsabelle FuhrmanA husband and wife who recently lost their baby adopt a 9-year-old girl who is not nearly as innocent as she appears.