Greetings, fright fans! I’m beyond thrilled that the good folks here at HorrorBuzz reached out and asked me about my top ten horror films of the past year. As a devotee to the genre, I watch a lot of movies over the course of a given year, and still can’t get enough fright in my life.

I’m happy to say that 2015 was no different. This was a remarkable year for new, fresh, and exciting entries to the genre. It was also a great time for brilliant homages and unrelenting blood floods. For some reason, HB thought my opinion on this topic mattered (silly ghouls), and, as such, I took the assignment quite seriously. From indie fare to the multiplex, I contemplated what releases knocked my socks off, made me hide my eyes, and had me screaming for more.

The following represents my very favorite horror had to offer in 2015. From camera-savvy vampires to killer school children, I have to say that it was a year that didn’t disappoint.

So, without further ado, let’s jump into the fray:

10. Cooties

cootiesThe premise of Cooties (scripted by Insidious/Saw screenwriter Leigh Whannell and Scream Queens co-creator Ian Brennan) is ambitious: Take the familiar infected/zombie trope of the genre…and make the afflicted school children. I say this is an ambitious move, because in today’s climate, to make a horror movie where the adults are forced to bump off a whole school’s worth of children is tricky. Furthermore, to make the audience start cheering when they do so seems patently preposterous. Yet, at the advance screening of Cooties that I had the pleasure to attend, this is exactly what happened.

Telling the story of a school that accidentally serves infected chicken nuggets to its students, turning them into flesh-hungry monsters, Cooties is a jubilant joyride of good old-fashioned survival terror. When it’s discovered the virus only effects those who haven’t gone through puberty, the school’s teaching staff, comprised of an ace cast of actors (Elijah Wood, Alison Pill, Nasim Pedrad, Jack McBrayer, Rainn Wilson, and Whannell himself), must strike back. Cathartic for anyone who had to put up with someone else’s kid, Cooties is a hooting and hollering exercise in comedic terror. Packed with gross out moments and quippy one-liners, Cooties is a cult classic in the making.

Cooties
RATING: R
Runtime: 1 hr. 28 min.
Directed By: Jonathan Milott,  Cary Murnion
Written By:  Leigh Whannell,  Ian BrennanJosh C. Waller

9. Dismembering Christmas

DismemberingChristmasThe great thing about the horror community is that, for all the major market movie releases that happen within a given year, there is also an overwhelming tide of independent fare. More than any genre, horror has seen filmmakers rise from the world of low budget to  great acclaim because those devoted to fright films tend to approach their work with extreme passion, whether they have the dollars or not. As such, I tend to keep an eye on the indie releases during the year, and I watch a great deal of regionally-produced horror films. There are a lot of truly remarkable filmmakers out there doing outstanding work, and I’m happy that in the internet era, fans get a chance to find and celebrate them.

One release that truly stood out for me in 2015 was the indie holiday horror flick, Dismembering Christmas. Wonderfully directed by Austin Bosley from a cracking script by Kevin Sommerfield, the movie takes the familiar “cabin in the woods” trope and gives it a seasonal twist. Sharpened candy canes and bloody snow make this rollicking slasher a great entry into the Christmas horror subgenre, but the moxy and great production from the cast and crew ensure that it’s just an all-around fun slice of slasher goodness. I look forward to adding this movie to my annual holiday horror rotation.

Dismembering Christmas
RATING: R  
Slasher Studios Dismembering Christmas - Final Trailer (2015)
Runtime: 1 hr. 14 min.
Directed By: Austin Bosley
Written By: Steve Goltz
Kevin Sommerfield
Buy the film here

8. Dude Bro Party Massacre III

DudeBroPartyMassacre3Patently gross and unquestionably juvenile, the majesty of Dude Bro Party Massacre III is that it’s a film that knows exactly what it wants to be. Playing as the third entry in a film franchise that doesn’t actually exist, the movie presents itself as a third generation VHS dub of a down and dirty slasher flick taped off a late night cable broadcast. For those of us who grew up discovering horror and cult cinema from these late shows (USA Up All Night comes to mind), Dude Bro is a brilliant love letter and perfect satire of that generation of film. Centering around a boy who infiltrates a fraternity to get answers about his twin brother’s death at the hands of a killer known as “Motherface,” DBMIII hits all the right notes, even while playfully subverting expectations. Employing the kind of gritty gore and frank sexuality that has made the Troma canon a fan favorite (DBMIII isn’t a Troma release, but they are definitely kindred spirits), the movie is an onslaught of blood, chaos, and erections. If you like your genre fare a little gonzo, Dude Bro Party Massacre III delivers with flying colors.

Note: Patton Oswalt gets a shout-out for bringing his brand of comedy to the flick as a nicoise salad tossing cult leader. Also keep an eye out for YouTube sensation Jimmy Wong as a beleaguered frat member.

Dude Bro Party Massacre III
RATING: R  
Dude Bro Party Massacre III - OFFICIAL TRAILER
Runtime: 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: Tomm Jacobsen
Michael Rousselet
Jon Salmon
Written By: Alec Owen
Jon Salmon
Michael E. Peter
Ben Gigli
Timothy Ciancio
Michael Rousselet
Tomm Jacobsen
Joey Scoma
Mike James
Brian Firenzi
Dude, Rent or buy the film from the official site here bro!

7. Creep

creepAdmittedly, found footage rarely does it for me. However, I’m open to any trope if it can be utilized effectively to create a sense of unease, and in the case of Creep, that unease is achieved tenfold.  Directed by Patrick Brice, who co-wrote the film with Mark Duplass (Safety Not Guaranteed), the truly chilling fact about Creep is its sense of familiarity to the world in which we live. Telling the tale of a videographer who is hired by a man on Craigslist, the set-up is remarkably simple. Any one of us in the work force at large have likely found/applied to jobs via the internet. We instantly understand the protagonist, and due to the charismatic manner of his employer, are not initially at odds with the man who hires him. But, as is the case with these films, things begin to slowly go wrong.

It’s in this devolution that Creep truly hits its stride. Brice and Duplass (who also star as the videographer and employer, respectively), deliver an unnerving tale of psychological engagement that leaves one pondering our own interactions long after the credits role. A-typical to the usual horror formula, the menace is not a man who stalks with a mask and knife, but is someone who we may know, trust, and have been charmed by. Creep is a strong reminder that the illusion of safety is often merely that…a construct in which we fool ourselves we exist within. With mounting tension that barrels toward an uncomfortable finale, Creep is the most genuine kind of dread: The kind that can happen to us.

Creep
RATING: R  
Creep Official Trailer 1 (2015) - Mark Duplass Horror Movie HD
Runtime: 1 hr. 22 min.
Directed By: Patrick Brice
Written By: Patrick Brice
Mark Duplass

6. We Are Still Here

wearestillhereFrom writer/director Ted Geoghegan, We Are Still Here is the kind of ghost story that we yearn for but so rarely get. On a surface level, this story of a house’s awakening may seem like a quiet and contemplative piece. But the true genius of Geoghegan’s execution is that, within the layers of We Are Still Here, there is a raging storm demanding to be heard.

Featuring acclaimed cult icon Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator) as a woman who moves to a small farm house with her husband after the death of their son, only to discover that the house is host to angry spirits, We Are Still Here is a brilliant expose of the layers of suffering and grief. Though the house is haunted, so too are the mourning parents. Although the film contains some truly chilling moments of horror and supernatural interaction, the true strength of We Are Still Here is that within the folds of its scares is an elegantly crafted statement on love and loss. I’m in awe of the understated beauty of this movie and of its truly wonderful, frightening execution. We Are Still Here is not merely a work of genre, it’s a work of genius.

We are Still Here
RATING: NR  
We Are Still Here Official Trailer 2 (2015) - Lisa Marie Horror Movie HD
Runtime: 1 hr. 24 min.
Directed By: Ted Geoghegan
Written By: Ted Geoghegan

5. What We Do in Shadows

What_We_Do_in_the_ShadowsFrom the crew that brought you Flight of the Conchords, What We Do In Shadows is an uproarious mockumentary about the lives of vampires trying to make a go in modern society. Present in the film are all the tropes one might expect from a vampire flick: Coffins, blood, and an aversion to the sun. But, beyond holy water and garlic, the film attempts to show what happens when the undead are forced to deal with paying rent, doing chores, and finding love and friendship.

From their outings with their human mate Stu, to the eventual revelation of the identity of a formidable foe known only as “The Beast,” What We Do In Shadows is a film for those who feel they’ve seen all that the subgenre has to offer. Cracking and light, the movie is nonetheless reverent to vampire lore and a blood-spattered romp that seeks to entertain as much as it does to chill.

What We Do in the Shadows
RATING: R  
What We Do in the Shadows - International Trailer
Runtime: 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: Jermaine Clement &
Taika Waititi
Written By: Jermaine Clement &
Taika Waititi

 

4. It Follows

ItFollowsInarguably one of the most discussed horror releases of 2015, It Follows is the kind of movie for which the horror community clamors. The movie presents an original premise, but also delivers a sense of nostalgia without being too heavy handed. It feels like something fresh, but also something we’ve always loved. Compared by many for being tonally similar to the early works of John Carpenter, It Follows succeeds not because it apes the master, but because it knows something that he did: The best scares sometimes are the most simple.

Telling the tale of a supernaturally passed STD, It Follows preys on our societal concerns about sex and promiscuity, as well as our perceptions of how our alleged actions follow us. Serving up some chilling visuals and a stark landscape, It Follows feels familiar not because it reminds us of other horror movies, but it reminds us of the stark moments of our own teenage years. Brilliantly acted, masterfully directed, and containing one of the best original scores for a genre flick in ages, It Follows earns it spot on this list for doing what it set out to do: Making a horror film that follows you long after you leave the theater.

It Follows
RATING: R  
It Follows | official trailer #1 US (2015)
Runtime: 1 hr. 40 min.
Directed By: David Robert Mitchell
Written By: David Robert Mitchell

3. Goosebumps

goosebumpsIf you grew up in the 90s, the influence of R.L. Stine was omnipresent. With new titles in his Goosebumps and Fear Street book franchises being released on a nearly monthly basis, it stands to reason that if you got into the genre during that era, Stine and his machinations might have at least been partially responsible. As such, the popularity of the author’s work ensured that many of the stories have already made their way to screen. Goosebumps was adapted into a popular television anthology series in the mid-90s, and direct-to-video feature film versions of many of the novels have been produced over the years.

All things considered, perhaps the greatest thing about this latest adaptation of the Goosebumps moniker is that it chose not to focus on anyone one title in the franchise’s canon, but rather on the man behind them. Presenting a fictional version of R.L. Stine (played brilliantly by Jack Black), the movie tells the story of a teen who accidentally discovers that all of the contents and creatures of the Goosebumps novels are real, and that Stine has been working tirelessly to keep the monsters trapped in the pages of his work. Unfortunately, as tends to happen in these kinds of flicks, they creepy crawlies break free…and our young hero, the author, and several others must race through the night to bring them back and save the day. Playing like a horror version of Jumanji, Goosebumps is successful because it plays on its own nostalgia, but also attempts to do something new. A rollicking ride for fans new and old, Goosebumps is unquestionably the best Halloween release of 2015, and one of the most unapologetically fun genre films of the year.

 

Goosebumps
RATING: PG  
Goosebumps Official Trailer #1 (2015) - Jack Black, Amy Ryan Movie HD
Runtime: 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: Rob Letterman
Written By: Darren Lemke
Scott Alexander
Larry Karaszewski
R.L. Stine

 

2. Spring

SpringEnigmatic, gorgeous, and lush, Spring is both a horror film and an exercise in brilliant filmmaking. Filmed primarily in Italy, the movie utilizes its foreign landscape not to inspire dread, as so many genre films set abroad attempt to do, but instead draw the audience into a romance with a world beyond one they may know. At the core of the movie may be a tale of fright, but it’s also a love letter to foreign shores and they love they can inspire.

Telling the tale of an American (The Evil Dead  remake’s Lou Taylor Pucci) who relocates to an Italian village after the death of a relative, Spring is a film steeped in its surroundings. By the time our hero falls in love with a local girl, he’s already been enchanted by the world around him. As his romance with the local intensifies, he discovers that there may be more to her than meets the eye, and that while her lust may be human…her body may not. The joy of Spring is not in the minor details of the woman and her unearthly origin, but rather letting oneself become enveloped in the film’s surreal seduction. As if Andrzej Zulawski’s Possession were directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, Spring is an exquisite experience in love and fright.

Spring
RATING: R  
Spring Official Trailer #2 - Lou Taylor Pucci Romantic Horror Movie HD
Runtime: 1 hr. 43 min.
Directed By: Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead
Written By: Justin Benson
 

 

1. The Final Girls

finalgirlsThe truly remarkable thing about The Final Girls is that it is at once a brilliant love letter to a bygone era of slasher cinema, but also a startling refreshing and unique entry into the horror canon. From a mind-blowingly original script from M.A. Fortin and Joshua John Miller, The Final Girls is the kind of horror film that we’ve so sorely need for years. It dares to do something different, but also serves as a notice to the world at large about why horror fans love these kind of movies in the first place. On top of all that, it’s also undeniably sweet.

Telling the story of a girl (Taissa Farmiga) whose late mother (Malin Akerman) was once the star of a celebrated cult slasher film, The Final Girls is a brilliant cross-section of what it’s like to live with the legacy of a horror movie…as well as the movie itself.  When our lead and a group of friends are sucked inside the world of her mother’s movie, the usual goal of survival and escape becomes subverted by a daughter’s need to reconnect with her mother.  Poignant and playful, The Final Girls is a reminder that the things we love and the people we love are often intertwined, and that nostalgia can not only save us, but set us free.

The Final Girls boasts an extraordinary supporting cast (Alexander Ludwig, Thomas Middleditch, Alia Shawkat, Nina Dobrev, etc) who handle the film’s brilliant dialogue with deft skill. Comedic and cool, The Final Girls, to me, is truly the best of the best. Now, let’s hear “Bette Davis Eyes” one more time.

The Final Girls
RATING: PG-13  
The Final Girls Official Trailer 1 (2015) - Nina Dobrev, Adam Devine Movie HD
Runtime: 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: Todd Strauss-Schulson
Written By: M.A. Fortin
Joshua John Miller


The HorrorBuzz Top 10 of 2015 is a guest post from writer/actor Michael Varrati. A longtime member of the horror community, Varrati has served as a writer for such films as Tales of Poe, The Sins of Dracula, and the recent Flesh for the Inferno. He is one of the core members of Ultra Violent magazine, and has been featured in such films as Return to Nuke ‘Em High and Yeti 2: A Love Story. His recent non-horror film, A Christmas Reunion, starring Denise Richards and Child’s Play’s Catherine Hicks, premiered this December on the ION Network.

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