6.
CropseyA really creepy documentary about an actual Staten Island, NY urban legend and child kidnapper. Not really much to comment on here since I had no idea what it was going in, but it was just a documentary featuring real interviews with real people about some really horrific child kidnappings and murders in the 70s.
The footage was super amateurish but I doubt the budget was over $10k so it's forgivable. The audio quality surprised me though, it was crystal clear. There were some really creepy parts, but the pacing was a little uneven and I found myself losing interest at points. Overall, I'd recommend it only if you have a lot of free time and are interested in a real life horror creep.
2 / 5
7.
ResolutionI hesitate to even put this movie here. It's sort of a weird cross-genre thing and if you think it's one genre going in, having the rug pulled out from under you at the end is an amazing thing.
This movie was recommended by Max Landis (screenwriter) on Twitter, and he stressed how important it was going into the movie knowing nothing but the title. Its presence on my horror list unfortunately betrays that a little.
While not much happens in the movie until the ending, I'm not as unforgiving about it as I normally am. The actors are excellent for a bunch of unknowns, and while there's pretty much no tension for most of the movie there is a general sense of uneasiness. It all comes together pretty well by the end, and seems almost too clever for its own good.
3 / 5
8.
BelowI had seen this movie about a haunted WWII submarine shortly after it came out and I remember it scaring the bejezus out of me as a young teen. Rewatching it years later, obviously it isn't as frightening but the "shock" moments still absolutely hold up. The acting is generally good, and although the story has a bit more depth than expected the "twist" is entirely too obvious. Still, this movie gets some points for the fresh and quite ingenious setting - you can't really run away when on a submarine, and the tight quarters makes for great claustrophobia.
3 / 5
9.
Secret WindowI've been meaning to give this a watch since it came out as I generally like Johnny Depp when he's not a cartoon, but... this movie was so bad. In fact, I think I kinda hated it.
The twist was completely predictable 20 minutes in.
The Mississipi dude was too laughable to be imposing.
The twist itself is dumb.
The ending is stupid.
Depp does the best he can, but he can't salvage this steaming pile. Avoid.
1 / 5
10.
Shutter (2004)My roommate recommended this Thai horror film that routinely makes various "scariest movie ever" lists. I didn't think it was quite that terrifying, but it has some really inventive scares and some fantastic atmosphere. The plot is a little predictable, but my roommate insists it's because this movie was copied by so many others. High marks for this one, give it a watch.
4 / 5
11.
As Above So BelowThis movie got murdered by reviews but I knew I'd eventually have to see it - found footage + the Parisian catacombs? Sign me the heck up. But as I said, the reviews weren't kind and the commercials made me less and less interested. By all accounts, it was a shallow movie with few scares piggybacking off a legitimately creepy place. (
There have been video cameras recovered from the catacombs in real life with their owners still missing.)
However, I was pleasantly surprised by this flick. It's not amazing or anything, but it actually does have a neat setup instead of just being "some jackoffs go thrillseeking and get lost" as I thought. The main character is searching for the tomb of Nicholas Flamel, which supposedly holds the Philosopher's Stone. It routinely crosses over the line of believability with some National Treasure "inspired" bits, but I didn't expect this movie to be realistic anyways so I went with it.
The location being real and legitimately horrifying adds a lot to this movie and I wouldn't like it nearly as much without it, but if you were worried it's all the movie was then I can confirm it isn't. Like I said, the movie isn't
great, my main complaint is that it starts pulling out supernatural stuff a little too early, but for me it was definitely worth the watch.
3 / 5
