2017 was a polarizing year for the horror genre to say the least. We had some of the strongest and most progressive along with the usual cheap dreck that critics can't wait to get their daggers into. Like our segment on 'Splice Here', we will list the top 5 in each category just to keep this list as short as possible for you. If we missed anything you felt deserved a spot, let me know in the comments as I'd love to hear your opinions. Let's get on with it shall we?
The Good
'IT' was one of the most anticipated horror films of the year, and my personal favorite. The polar opposite of Stephen King's 'Dark Tower' film released a month prior, 'IT' managed to defy all expectations and give us one of King's best film adaptations with likeable child characters, a terrifying performance by Bill Skarsgard, and some nice little bits of humor thrown in for good measure. This was well worth the wait and I can only hope the 2019 continuation will live up to the hype as well.
It was hard choosing between Jordan Peele's directorial debut and 'IT' for my number one spot, and I will admit that it somewhat came down to hype in end. However, that does not make 'Get Out' any less of a film as it successfully blends humor, horror, and has something to say without shoving it down your throat. Peele has some real talent for creating tension and scares as much as making me laugh and I hope 'Get Out's 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating, multiple award nominations, and making people think twice about judging a book by its cover will propel him further.
'Cult of Chucky' had a very mixed reaction among fans of the long-running series, with some finding its massive changes to the mythology going too far while others such as myself feeling that this was the much needed shot in the arm Ol' Chuck needed. Don Mancini is on a roll with his previous 'Curse of Chucky' reviving the series and leading it back onto the right track as well as his excellent work on the 'Hannibal' television series and with 'Cult' he's planted the seeds for something I am really interested in following down the rabbit hole. Yes, it's silly and over the top but when did 'Child's Play' ever imply it was otherwise?
'Annabelle: Creation' was a surprisingly good film. The previous entry, which was a spin off film based on a more successful franchise didn't exactly light any fires and 'Creation' at first glance seemed to be nothing more than the same. However, like last year's 'Ouija: Origin of Evil' this film has a better director behind the camera and as with that film, this prequel turned out so much better as a result. It strangely even stars the same little girl from 'Ouija'. She must be a good luck charm. While it's crippled by design by the film's ending as you know what's going to happen to set up the later stories, everything before that has great pacing, genuine tension, and very rarely have I jumped in genuine terror as I did with this movie.
Another surprise Stephen King hit, the Netflix exclusive 'Gerald's Game' was a film that many including myself thought impossible to make. The novel is so surreal, grotesque, and vile that many had no idea what director Mike Flannigan was planning with this one. Luckily, he turns out a dark thriller with all of the strong themes of the novel without going too far with it, making for one of the best original films you can watch on the streaming service right now.
The Bad
The worst film this year goes to 'Rings', a sequel that came about fifteen years too late. One can only wonder who was asking for this? Well, no one apparently because the film tanked big time and it was quickly forgotten. Now, despite the film not being as bad as some of those coming up its the negative impact of its reception that led to the cancellation of both 'Friday the 13th Part 13' and 'World War Z 2' making this a personal grudge of mine this year.
'The Bye Bye Man' is the most forgettable movie you'll see this year. The film's frequently quoted line "Don't Think It, Don't Say It" is all too easy with this early winter stinker. A film that was on the backshelf of a studio lot and quickly shoved out for a quick buck, 'Bye Bye' has everything wrong with horror movies today: jump scares, stupid or unlikeable characters, toned down violence/tension for a younger audience, and a terrible cheap attempt at a new horror mascot. Don't See It, Don't Look At It....
Remakes of horror films have become far too comfortable in the industry over the last decade or so. And because of that long period of constant recycling, we quickly came to a point of just drawing a name out of the hat, hence why we got a remake of the late 80's sci-fi thriller 'Flatliners'. While the original film had a large cast of famous stars like Kevin Bacon and Julia Roberts it really never got any attention outside of a small cult following. So imagine my surprise when seeing this new edition coming out and not being the least bit surprised when walking out of the theater that 'Flatliners' 2017 is one of the worst pieces of flaming trash I've ever seen. It's slow, boring, poorly acted, and full of illogical and contradictory science jargon that'll make your head explode.
The Universal Monsters are a big part of my love of filmmaking and a big part of my life growing up. They were also the pillars that built up their studio back in the early 1920s and without the likes of Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, and the Phantom of the Opera, we might have missed out on films like 'Jaws' and 'Jurassic Park'. So to see Universal Pictures turn their legacy into this is simply disgusting to me. An extremely desperate attempt at jumping on the Marvel bandwagon far too late, this is a poor use of everyone involved (yes, even Tom Cruise deserves better than this).
The film no one asked for, by a man so despicable it amazes me to this day he's free after only 24 months, Victor Salva's 'Jeepers Creepers 3' was so awful that even the most hardcore fans of the series were quick to hate on it. For years, the film was being marketed with a vastly different story involving previous characters getting together and fighting the titular Creeper. Instead, we are given a half-assed fright flick primarily set in broad daylight and a weak twist that SPOILERS turns out to reveal that the whole film is a prequel. I can't believe it took a bad film to make people hate a pedophile.
The 'Meh'
A really great premise, great performances from its cast, and a strong visual and directorial style from Gore Verbinski sadly couldn't save 'A Cure for Wellness' from mediocrity. The film begins to deflate long before it reaches the half-way mark and for a film that's nearly three hours, that can make it a really hard watch. It also takes what seems like an original and creepy premise and instead falls into over the top silliness and the typical cliches of the 'madhouse' subgenre. The film's large budget lead to diminishing returns and served a hard blow to the horror genre in 2017.
'Life' is nothing really special and it knows it. An alien lifeform attacking people on a spaceship isn't exactly genius, but it does manage to take some left turns here and there and overall the film's stylish design and the creature itself keeps it entertaining throughout. The biggest flaw of 'Life' is in its climax, which goes down a straight and predictable path that really ruins the rest of the experience. It is worth tracking down at your local Redbox, but don't expect more than a fun two hour time waster.
Much like 'Life', 'Happy Death Day' is pulled down by its predictable and neverending climax. But if anything, this is the best film out of the three here, with some dark humor keeping me engaged and giving me some genuine chuckles here and there. I also love the killer here, being one of the creepiest of the slasher genre. It's simply a fun slasher with some supernatural/comedic elements sprinkled in to keep it from seeming too dull. Worth checking out at your local rental box.
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