I'm really surprised that Lamb has a Metacritic score in the 60s and thus didn't make this list. That was definitely my top horror movie of last year, though some people might classify it differently. Is "existential dread" a genre? Anyway, maybe the inherent strangeness of the premise or the bummer ending turned people off, but I think it was very well-made, unsettling, and had a story that I still ruminate over (no pun intended).
Also, it's so fascinating that A24 is just about the only film distributor that has such a strong brand at this point that a lot of my friends and I will basically see anything they put out just based on it being A24. That might be a good topic for a future article, to explore that phenomenon. I can't think of another example, except maybe Pixar back in the day, of a studio or distributor curating their content so carefully that a certain group of people are going to see the movies more because of that stamp of quality than any actors or directors or the plot of the film.
The odd thing about A24 is that their brand-building/curation has resulted in a certain anticipated aesthetic, especially when it comes to horror films. You could watch Lamb or Saint Maud or The Babadook or The Witch, and they all seem like they share DNA, despite coming from different filmmakers and different spots around the globe. Anyway, I respected Lamb more than I liked it, but it's certainly a stronger and more distinctive effort than #5 and especially #4 on the list. (That said, the margins can get awfully thin on these aggregated sites.)
Would be interested to hear Scott's top 5 horror movies for 2021. I agree with the preamble that the so-called "elevated" horror movies tend to be better reviewed, but there are only so many slow-moving, quietly creepy movies I can watch without falling asleep. On the other end of the spectrum, I quite enjoyed Malignant. The aforementioned Candyman, Don't Breathe 2, and Quiet Place 2 were all decent, but I feel like I must have missed some high quality horror this past year.
See, that's what I hoped for, too, in doing this project. And I did like the first three quite a bit, especially Saint Maud. I'm with Jamsheed in really enjoying Malignant, particularly that nutso final act, but I'd love to hear if any below-the-radar great horror movies escaped my notice.
Surely the greatest horror film of 2021 was Malignant. Resolutely unelevated and gloriously fun, even a bit scary at points. Anyway, I really loved it though I can imagine a lot of people found it too arch.
The other sorta notable one that comes to mind is The Night House, which I know a lot of people really liked, but I thought was marred by a pretty unconvinced third act.
Of the ones on this list, I think I’ve only seen Saint Maud, which was certainly effectively creepy.
Very glad you watched Sator, a below-the-radar debut that I found super compelling. The Filmmaker article on its making is super fascinating. And Saint Maud is terrific!
I have a soft spot for Psycho Goreman, probably because I saw it in a gleefully cathartic theatrical screening, although calling it horror is a stretch.
My other highlight horrors of 2021 according to Letterboxd are either 2020 bleedovers (The Empty Man, Gretel and Hansel) or only debatably horror (Coming Home In The Dark, more thriller really) or probably a 2022 release (Mad God).
Thanks, Doug! I really feel like writing about The Empty Man at some point, because it seems like it's gathering a cult appreciation. Certainly not your run-of-the-mill studio horror film by any means.
Please do! I just saw this film and loved it a lot, even with all its spectacular messiness. But afterwards I kept thinking about your phrase “extratextuals” and how it applies to “The Empty Man.”
I am normally in complete agreement with your rule. Bringing real life events surrounding a film into criticism may seem fun but it can muddle up the examination of whether a film works on its own merit.
But after giving “The Empty Man” some thought, I think I enjoy just how much the elements surrounding the rise of the film’s newfound popularity (after its initial dismissal) mirror and complement the messages within the film itself. The Empty Man’s whispering-word-of-mouth popularity and stare-into-the-void commentary is both true to me, the viewer discovering the film, and its central protagonist, James.
I feel “The Empty Man” would make such an important inclusion to The New Cult Canon because it seems to carve a new path for a cult movie to be born (much like the Tulpa in the film’s plot) within our film culture landscape.
How did “El Topo” and “Pink Flamingos” become such cultural milestones (so much so that Disney straight-up air lifted Divine and placed her as Ursula in The Little Mermaid)? Well, you had to be in New York in the ‘70s. What about “Eraserhead”? The same only in the ‘80s. If these films were at your video store, you were lucky.
A lot of what makes a cult film has to do with scarcity. You had to be in a big city at a certain period of time to “get it”. But that is not true with “The Empty Man”.
It played relatively everywhere (albeit for a brief period of time) but it can now pretty much be streamed anywhere.
The rise in popularity of “The Empty Man” excites me because those of us who’ve responded strongly to it get similar feelings to what, I assume, those who were discovering midnight films in big cities in the ‘70s.
We’re all stuck at home during a global pandemic. Yet it still feels like a cult film is emerging. We’re all whispering to each other, “Wanna see something cool that your friends don’t know about?”
Except the whispers are texts and posts online. And the midnight film plays on our TVs and devices at home…whenever we want. Spreading and growing like the film’s Cult of The Empty Man.
Oh man, this is a cool idea for a feature. I'm an obscenely big nerd about horror and I have two pretty solid 'maybe-under-the-radar' recs for ya Scott:
- The Medium by Banjong Pisanthanakun - holy hell, this legit works as found footage elevated horror and the ending is devastating. Easily the best horror movie I saw all year. (I'd put Saint Maud up there too.)
- Wrong Turn by Mike P. Nelson - I've never given a shit about this long-running garbage-ass series, maybe the worst 'has many sequels' horror franchise in the game, but this reboot does a great job of squinting at the premise, saying "oh wait, how about we do it this way" and having a lot of fun with it. If this was a straight up new horror movie w/out the Wrong Turn baggage, I think it'd have gotten a lot more attention. It's ain't elevated at ALL but it sure does work. It even made me enjoy Matthew Modine!
The only one I've seen out of these five is Candyman. The original film would be in consideration for my top ten ever, so I was pretty pleased to get a largely satisfying sequel even it needed to be longer and more fleshed out (which I almost NEVER say anymore).
Good to know Saint Maud is streaming on a platform I have, I've had that one on my list since Josh from Filmspotting started raving about it early last year.
Did you feel like Candyman seemed to peace out of its actual scary sequences too often? I liked the bit with the art critic (trying to vague here for spoiler reasons), but others like the girls bathroom scene seemed weirdly sheepish about delivering the goods.
A marvelous slow burn horror movie from last year that I wish more people saw and knew about is MY HEART CAN’T BEAT UNLESS YOU TELL IT TO. It’s about a family of adult siblings where the youngest is a vampire, and works as an allegory of addiction and codependency. Strong stuff.
Also recommended: JOHN AND THE HOLE. It’s got a fascinating framing device, and I don’t generally like framing devices. And shot in aspect ratio and on 35mm!
A bit surprised The Vigil didn't make it anywhere, though it might be considered a 2020 film due to festival releases. Either way, i thought it was extraordinarily effective and a welcome change with the use of Jewish culture and folklore. It's about trauma but it helps that the demon itself feeds off that, and it's first and foremost about the scares.
I'm really surprised that Lamb has a Metacritic score in the 60s and thus didn't make this list. That was definitely my top horror movie of last year, though some people might classify it differently. Is "existential dread" a genre? Anyway, maybe the inherent strangeness of the premise or the bummer ending turned people off, but I think it was very well-made, unsettling, and had a story that I still ruminate over (no pun intended).
Also, it's so fascinating that A24 is just about the only film distributor that has such a strong brand at this point that a lot of my friends and I will basically see anything they put out just based on it being A24. That might be a good topic for a future article, to explore that phenomenon. I can't think of another example, except maybe Pixar back in the day, of a studio or distributor curating their content so carefully that a certain group of people are going to see the movies more because of that stamp of quality than any actors or directors or the plot of the film.
The odd thing about A24 is that their brand-building/curation has resulted in a certain anticipated aesthetic, especially when it comes to horror films. You could watch Lamb or Saint Maud or The Babadook or The Witch, and they all seem like they share DNA, despite coming from different filmmakers and different spots around the globe. Anyway, I respected Lamb more than I liked it, but it's certainly a stronger and more distinctive effort than #5 and especially #4 on the list. (That said, the margins can get awfully thin on these aggregated sites.)
Would be interested to hear Scott's top 5 horror movies for 2021. I agree with the preamble that the so-called "elevated" horror movies tend to be better reviewed, but there are only so many slow-moving, quietly creepy movies I can watch without falling asleep. On the other end of the spectrum, I quite enjoyed Malignant. The aforementioned Candyman, Don't Breathe 2, and Quiet Place 2 were all decent, but I feel like I must have missed some high quality horror this past year.
See, that's what I hoped for, too, in doing this project. And I did like the first three quite a bit, especially Saint Maud. I'm with Jamsheed in really enjoying Malignant, particularly that nutso final act, but I'd love to hear if any below-the-radar great horror movies escaped my notice.
Surely the greatest horror film of 2021 was Malignant. Resolutely unelevated and gloriously fun, even a bit scary at points. Anyway, I really loved it though I can imagine a lot of people found it too arch.
The other sorta notable one that comes to mind is The Night House, which I know a lot of people really liked, but I thought was marred by a pretty unconvinced third act.
Of the ones on this list, I think I’ve only seen Saint Maud, which was certainly effectively creepy.
Very glad you watched Sator, a below-the-radar debut that I found super compelling. The Filmmaker article on its making is super fascinating. And Saint Maud is terrific!
I have a soft spot for Psycho Goreman, probably because I saw it in a gleefully cathartic theatrical screening, although calling it horror is a stretch.
My other highlight horrors of 2021 according to Letterboxd are either 2020 bleedovers (The Empty Man, Gretel and Hansel) or only debatably horror (Coming Home In The Dark, more thriller really) or probably a 2022 release (Mad God).
Thanks, Doug! I really feel like writing about The Empty Man at some point, because it seems like it's gathering a cult appreciation. Certainly not your run-of-the-mill studio horror film by any means.
Please do! I just saw this film and loved it a lot, even with all its spectacular messiness. But afterwards I kept thinking about your phrase “extratextuals” and how it applies to “The Empty Man.”
I am normally in complete agreement with your rule. Bringing real life events surrounding a film into criticism may seem fun but it can muddle up the examination of whether a film works on its own merit.
But after giving “The Empty Man” some thought, I think I enjoy just how much the elements surrounding the rise of the film’s newfound popularity (after its initial dismissal) mirror and complement the messages within the film itself. The Empty Man’s whispering-word-of-mouth popularity and stare-into-the-void commentary is both true to me, the viewer discovering the film, and its central protagonist, James.
I feel “The Empty Man” would make such an important inclusion to The New Cult Canon because it seems to carve a new path for a cult movie to be born (much like the Tulpa in the film’s plot) within our film culture landscape.
How did “El Topo” and “Pink Flamingos” become such cultural milestones (so much so that Disney straight-up air lifted Divine and placed her as Ursula in The Little Mermaid)? Well, you had to be in New York in the ‘70s. What about “Eraserhead”? The same only in the ‘80s. If these films were at your video store, you were lucky.
A lot of what makes a cult film has to do with scarcity. You had to be in a big city at a certain period of time to “get it”. But that is not true with “The Empty Man”.
It played relatively everywhere (albeit for a brief period of time) but it can now pretty much be streamed anywhere.
The rise in popularity of “The Empty Man” excites me because those of us who’ve responded strongly to it get similar feelings to what, I assume, those who were discovering midnight films in big cities in the ‘70s.
We’re all stuck at home during a global pandemic. Yet it still feels like a cult film is emerging. We’re all whispering to each other, “Wanna see something cool that your friends don’t know about?”
Except the whispers are texts and posts online. And the midnight film plays on our TVs and devices at home…whenever we want. Spreading and growing like the film’s Cult of The Empty Man.
I love your Elevation Levels, even if they don't help evaluate the movies at all ;)
What?!?! They tell you how arty these movies are!
Oh man, this is a cool idea for a feature. I'm an obscenely big nerd about horror and I have two pretty solid 'maybe-under-the-radar' recs for ya Scott:
- The Medium by Banjong Pisanthanakun - holy hell, this legit works as found footage elevated horror and the ending is devastating. Easily the best horror movie I saw all year. (I'd put Saint Maud up there too.)
- Wrong Turn by Mike P. Nelson - I've never given a shit about this long-running garbage-ass series, maybe the worst 'has many sequels' horror franchise in the game, but this reboot does a great job of squinting at the premise, saying "oh wait, how about we do it this way" and having a lot of fun with it. If this was a straight up new horror movie w/out the Wrong Turn baggage, I think it'd have gotten a lot more attention. It's ain't elevated at ALL but it sure does work. It even made me enjoy Matthew Modine!
The only one I've seen out of these five is Candyman. The original film would be in consideration for my top ten ever, so I was pretty pleased to get a largely satisfying sequel even it needed to be longer and more fleshed out (which I almost NEVER say anymore).
Good to know Saint Maud is streaming on a platform I have, I've had that one on my list since Josh from Filmspotting started raving about it early last year.
Did you feel like Candyman seemed to peace out of its actual scary sequences too often? I liked the bit with the art critic (trying to vague here for spoiler reasons), but others like the girls bathroom scene seemed weirdly sheepish about delivering the goods.
I would agree, yes. The only really memorable scare for me was a character coming out of a hole in the wall in, like, the first five minutes.
A marvelous slow burn horror movie from last year that I wish more people saw and knew about is MY HEART CAN’T BEAT UNLESS YOU TELL IT TO. It’s about a family of adult siblings where the youngest is a vampire, and works as an allegory of addiction and codependency. Strong stuff.
Also recommended: JOHN AND THE HOLE. It’s got a fascinating framing device, and I don’t generally like framing devices. And shot in aspect ratio and on 35mm!
A bit surprised The Vigil didn't make it anywhere, though it might be considered a 2020 film due to festival releases. Either way, i thought it was extraordinarily effective and a welcome change with the use of Jewish culture and folklore. It's about trauma but it helps that the demon itself feeds off that, and it's first and foremost about the scares.