The Best Horror Movies 2009 - and the Biggest Disappointments
The Best Horror movies 2009 include U.S. theatrical releases, foreign horror and Independent horror that deserves some recognition regardless of release schedules or budget. 2009 was a bit thin when it comes to horror, with the exception of a rash of remakes from hell, but there were still some quality offerings that shouldn't be missed.
Written by BHM Editor The Horror Czar, Don Sumner
January 1, 2010
The best horror movies 2009 list is counter-balanced by the biggest horror disappointments for the year. As always, these are not (necessarily) the worst films of the year but instead those which were released with enough fanfare or history to build a good bit of excitement among the horror community, only to leave disappointed horror freaks slack-jawed and headed for the exit. Then again, they may just be the worst ever by default... and some horror freaks are in their normal state when slack jawed, but this isn't rocket science.
Horror Freaks, Best-Horror-Movies.com presents The Best Horror Movies 2009.
The Best Horror Movies 2009
#1 - Zombieland
Review
Many times big budget and campy attempts at "horror" are nothing but crap, not so with Zombieland. Sure it is riddled with wisecracks from the ever-cynical Woody Harrelson and has a lovely cameo from the incomperable Bill Murray, but it is so much more... Great gore, killer kill scenes and an added bonus: zombies were brought back to the pinnacle of cool.
Everyone loves a zombie, but the world doesn't always keep this in mind. The popularity of lower budget zombie flicks and the proliferation of horror books portraying the zombie apocalypse should be enough proof, but it's not. Zombieland puts zombies back on top of Hollywood's "to do" list. You gotta like that.
#2 - Eden Lake
Review
Eden Lake seemed, as far as my experience, to come out of nowhere with some extremely graphic gore and an incredible dose of suspense. The twists and turns in the plight of the heroine just sealed the deal. This film is technically a 2008 film but the U.S. DVD was released in January 2009 so I'm counting it -this will appeal to the horror freak who longs for a rollercoaster ride of fright and shocks... not to mention those longing to hide in a bucket of excrement. Well, I guess you had to be there.
Eden Lake is not only one of the best horror movies 2009, but will likely end up on "best of" lists from this point forward. Not to be missed.
#3 - Trick 'r Treat
Review
Trick'r Treat is an anthology film with several stories portrayed in different places in a town celebrating Halloween. The stories are very well done, though not particularly scary... that's not the strength of the incredible film. Trick 'r Treat is a homage to the favorite holiday of Horror Freaks. There was a time when Halloween was the coolest ever, with horror marathons on T.V. for a month leading up the the date, and the Eve meant that every neighborhood was teeming with kids in costumes they'd worked on for weeks. Today, alas, Halloween seems to be falling out of favor. This film puts All Hallow's Eve back in the limelight and is absolutely one of the Best Horror Movies 2009.
#4 - Orphan
Review
Orphan got a ton of advertising and released to pretty good numbers in the theater, which in many cases can indicate that a film is dumbed down to the masses. Not so with Orphan. This one surprised many Horror Freaks with a very creepy set-up, frustrating moments and suspenseful conclusions. There are a couple of shockers in here also folks, so be ready.
Isabelle Fuhrman as the darling orphan Esther is absolutely phenomenal... I mean really, this girl had me from hello. The entire cast is good, but it is Fuhrman who propells Orphan to be one of the Best Horror Movies 2009.
#5 - Drag Me to Hell
Review
Sam Raimi is known by Horror Freaks as the writer and director of the legendary The Evil Dead, along with Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness. Since that time Raimi has been involved in quite a few horror films in the producer role and simultaneously gained national recognition as the director of the mega budget and CGI-laden Spiderman series.
Raimi's re-entry to the horror genre as writer and director was highly anticipated, and horror freaks were interested to see what years of CGI experience and big budgets would do to the outcome. Drag Me to Hell has the right amount of camp, scares and story to make it all work.
#6 - Dead Snow
Review
What's not to love about Nazi zombies! Watching them get cut up with chainsaws, that's what.
Dead Snow is a Norwegian film that starts with the age-old "kids spending vacation in an isolated cabin" theme and adds ancient curses and Nazi occupation to the mix for a gory and campy ride through zombie mayhem. The gore is good, the zombie rules are kind of followed, and the story is nice once it gets going. This entry to the best horror movies 2009 is ether a great and under-appreciated film, a guilty pleasure or merely a nice foreign entry to the zombie genre, depending on your point of view. One of the best horror movies 2009 in any case.
#7 - Thirst
Thirst is a vampire genre entry by the Korean filmmaker Chan-wook Park (Three... Extremes (2004) to the Best Horror Movies 2009 that adds unique elements to the common vampire lore. The "hero" fights an epic battle between the decency of his character and the evil of his urges.
Extremely graphic and dark, Thirst breaks many of the filmmaking barriers that are becoming so common in U.S. horror, and we at BHM are happy for it. Domestic critics recognized the power of this film while panning the graphic and dark nature as "over-the-top"... all the more reason to include Thirst as one of the best of 2009.
#8 - Paranormal Activity
Review
Paranormal Activity caused quite a stir in the horror community for a variety of reasons. For one, there is the controversy surrounding the film's quality, critics both slamming the film and singing it's praises. Then there is the "less than honorable" marketing tactics including a false "limited release" immediately followed by a campaign where fans were duped into believing that if they voted for a wide release that it may be granted. Amazing, it was indeed granted amid much fanfair... just as it was always planned to be. The bottom line is Paranormal Activity is an imaginative low budget film that is actually very good, sneaky tactics aside. The fact that it got so many folks talking horror again earns the nod as one of the best horror movies 2009.
#9 - Hurt
Review
2009 was an interesting year for horror, wrought with remakes of old classics released by the major studios. Thank goodness for Independent Horror is all I can say about that, and Hurt is an excellent example of why it exists.
Hurt is a story of a broken family and their taking-in of a young girl who has also endured tragedy by loosing both parents in a car accident. What we learn is that, for all concerned, things can ALWAYS get worse. Hurt is one of those films that is off the beaten path and should be sought out, hence the designation of one of the best horror movies 2009.
#10 - Sexy Killer
Review
Once upon a time there was a society matron obsessed with Barbie Dolls and being completely proper and sexy at all time. Oh, and she's a proud serial killer. SexyKiller is a Spanish film that has yet to get distribution in the United States beyond the festival circuit, but that will hopefully change. This film is a hilarious horror comedy with serial killers and zombies together at last, certainly Best Horror Movies 2009 material.
Our friends in the U.K. will have access to this film on DVD very soon, but those of us in the U.S. may have to wait. It will be worth it.
Honorable Mention:
My Bloody Valentine 3-D (Best Horror Remake of 2009), The Haunting in Connecticut, Surveillance (2008 film not released to DVD until 2009)
Top 5 Horror Movie Disappointments of 2009
#1 - Saw VI
Review
You know, this is like dé⋅jà vu all over again... in last year's annual list Saw V figured prominently at the top of the trash heap of the biggest dissapointments of the year, and miraculously another from the same franchise claims the top spot yet again. Last year it was because the movie was completely stupid and worthless, but this year it's a bit different. The gore and story were a bit better than last year's installment, but the filmmakers decided to drop to their knees before President Obama and service his throbbing healthcare agenda like horny little bitch boys. I'm all for political and social commentary in horror, but a blatant pollitical advertisement crosses the line, and that is all this film is. Number 1 of the Top 5 Horror Movie Disappointments of 2009.
#2 - The Collector
Review
The Collector had most of the sell-out horror movie sites run by corporate media concerns firmly in it's back pocket and enjoyed a phenomenal build up and an incredible amount of hype leading up to it's release. Here was a unique horror film, they said, borrowing a name from an old time classic but applying the writing talents of Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan from the Saw franchise to create a horror villian for the ages, a new bad guy to anticipate year after year in the theaters and on DVD. What crap. What we got instead an endless series of torture scenes with no actual development of anything compelling whatsoever. I don't know which is more disappointing, this film or the yay-hoos at "those other" sites who will say anything for the right amount of advertising dollars. They are a menace to horror freaks everywhere, and so is this film.
#3 - Halloween II
Review
(Okay, imagine for a moment that you are listening to Mary Tyler Moore in the Dick Van Dyke show for a moment)... "Oh Robbbbb!"
Oh Rob is right - I was SO disappointed in this film as I had hoped to include it in the Best Horror Movies 2009 section of this list, as I had his 2007 remake of Halloween. Alas, I cannot. Halloween gave us some insights to the psyche of Michael Myers and added some depth to the legend, which I thought was fantastic. Halloween II gives us nothing but a ghostly Sheri Moon and a bunch of shock scares worthy of instant amnesia. High hopes for this film, but to no avail. Mary Tyler Moore was right, and if she were available right now I'm sure she'd slap the hell out of Rob Zombie.
#4 - The Final Destination
Review
At what point is enough enough? The original Final Destination was a great film, largely because of the originality of having death itself as the killer seeking ways to take those who previously escaped death's grasp. There have been a couple of sequels that were not recieved well by the critical community although I thought they were great. Then came the "remake" in 3-D, The Final Destination. What crapola. No story, no character development, no nothing but lots of ridiculous gore that leaves humans in mangled and twitching masses on the ground. This is a complete waste of film and an abomination of a great concept that needs to just fade away.
#5 - Jennifer's Body
Review
Jennifer's Body seemed to have everything going for it, could have actually been a hopeful to be one of the Best Horror Movies 2009. Writer Diablo Cody was riding high on the success of her entertaining film Juno and the thought of sexy Megal Fox as a sultry succubus is oddly arousing. The story seemed good and the supporting cast talented. Then the film was released and all high hopes were dashed. Ms Cody, who proclaims a unique ability to capture the heart of "teenspeak", created dialogue so completely ridiculous it's unwatchable. Megal Fox came across like a complete moron uttering the crap lines she was given, making it impossible to tell whether she is a terrible actress or merely a frustrated one with a crummy script. Supporting cast were fine, as long as they didn't speak. What a waste.
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