As the clock ticks down and 2017 comes to a close, the good folks here at HorrorBuzz have once again asked me to pop by and provide my annual picks for the year’s ten best horror films. Like always, I’m honored that this esteemed publication seems to think my opinion counts for something. I can only assume this is because Pennywise already lured all the far more qualified people down into the sewer.

But, I digress.

2017 turned out to be a banner year for the genre. Eleven returned to eat more waffles, Jigsaw came back to play some more games, and horror movies made an impact at the box office like never before. Indeed, if you have a taste for fright, this year offered something for everyone. In fact, there was so much good content released this year, it made putting together a list of the 10 “best” quite a difficult task.

And honestly, I like it that way.

With so many voices from around the world and varying walks of life contributing to the genre, it means that audiences are embracing our beloved bloody cinematic world like never before.

As such, the following ten films reflect, for me, ten of the most shining moments horror had to offer in 2017. That being said, just because I don’t list a “stand out” movie of the year here doesn’t mean I don’t like it. For example, I thought Happy Death Day was a return to slasher excellence and I truly believe religious shocker A Closer Walk With Thee was one of the year’s best debuts.

Ultimately, that’s what it’s all about: Finding that movie you love and celebrating it unabashedly. Here are a few of mine. Perhaps you’ll agree with me on some, perhaps you won’t. At the very least, I hope that I can point you toward a new discovery that will give you a new fright in the new year.

The HorrorBuzz Top 10 Horror Films of 2017

10. Prevenge

Savage and satirical, Alice Lowe’s film about a pregnant woman who goes on a homicidal rampage is one of 2017’s most inspired pieces of filmmaking. Prevenge tells the story of Ruth (Lowe), a widowed expectant mother who believes her unborn baby is guiding her to kill. Though the film embraces its sense of absurdity (Ruth has conversations with her verbose fetus), the strength of Prevenge is that it always takes Ruth and her journey quite seriously. Even as we travel with her on this murderous path, there’s a part of us that continues to sympathize and understand her plight. It’s a rare horror film that can make us both fear and identify with the monster all at once, but Lowe does so here with aplomb.
Also, it should be noted for mere trivia sake that Lowe herself was eight months pregnant while shooting Prevenge, adding an extra layer of bizarre “fact-meets-fiction” to an already delicious viewing experience. Original review here

9. Thelma

There’s a certain intensity that exists in the unrequited love of adolescence that never quite translates to adult life. Imagine then, if that raw emotion also came with something more. Something beyond our understanding. Something diabolical. Such is the story of Thelma, the Norwegian film about a religious girl whose attempts to deny her feelings for her female friend cause her to manifest psychokinetic powers. Helmed by filmmaker Joachim Trier (Louder Than Bombs), Thelma explores the notion of coming to terms with one’s authentic self, albeit through the lens of horror. A slow burn slice of cinema, Thelma nonetheless engages audiences with a sense of raw honesty. Even as the title character’s powers begin to grown beyond her control…leading to devastating results…we feel for her. Thelma is not a story of otherworldly power, but rather very real emotion and longing. This is arthouse horror presented in the most relatable and human of ways.

8. Raw

Simply put, there’s life before viewing Raw and there’s life after. Telling the story of an affirmed vegetarian who tastes meat for the first time, this French/Belgian production left quite the impact on the festival scene when it caused viewers to faint during screenings. At turns abstract and stark, Julia Durcournau’s tale of cannibalistic awakening explores themes of sexual fluidity, adolescent identity, and what it means to lose oneself to darkness. A challenging and chilling watch, Raw is the kind of film that forces the audience to confront their own morality and leaves you thinking about what you’ve witnessed long after the credits have rolled. The less said about Raw the better, as it is a film that is best experienced, even at the detriment of one’s own sense of security afterward. Savage, blood-soaked, and strangely beautiful, Raw is ultimately a triumph, making it one of the best horror films, not just of the year, but of all time. Original review here

7. Gerald’s Game

Long believed to be Stephen King’s “unfilmable novel” due to its fixed location and lurid subject matter, this story of a woman trapped in her bed following a sex game gone wrong proved to be one of the year’s most surprising shockers. Expertly realized by filmmaker Mike Flanagan (Hush), Gerald’s Game excels in building anxious tension throughout its runtime, and certainly left me wringing my hands in quiet discomfort. Furthermore, one can’t discuss the movie without mention of the command performance of Carla Gugino in the lead. Gugino’s raw energy as a woman trapped by kink and circumstance is at turns compelling, horrifying, and tragic. In a just world, she’d be nominated for a slew of major awards, but at the very least she can rest on her laurels knowing that she and the rest of the people involved in Gerald’s Game helped realize one of the greatest King adaptations in ages.

6. Cult of Chucky

Since the release of the original Child’s Play nearly thirty years ago, everyone’s favorite killer doll has certainly had one wild ride. Largely, the franchise owes its success to creator/writer/filmmaker Don Mancini, who has been with Chucky for every bloody step along the way. Mancini’s willingness to mix things up and inject fresh concepts into the series has, by and large, been its greatest strength. Rather than fall into the rote expectations of so many other long-running slashers, Mancini takes chances, expands the world, and has given us what may well be horror’s most ambitious and exciting franchise. With Cult of Chucky, Mancini and co. deliver one of the wildest entries yet…and the payoff is both vicious and delicious. The film reunites audiences with Nica (Fiona Dourif), who has been committed to a mental hospital following her battle with the pint-sized killer in the previous film. However, Chucky isn’t keen on unfinished business, and hatches a plan to get revenge on her, all the while causing havoc with the hospital’s patients. This time around Chucky employs methods beyond more than mere murder and reveals that his brand of evil has taken some strange new steps. By bringing fan favorites like Jennifer Tilly and Alex Vincent back into the fold, but also exploring new ground, Mancini delivers a film that is both nostalgic and shockingly fresh. Cult of Chucky is a bold new step for an already celebrated franchise, and is not merely a great sequel, but a damn fun film period.

5. Rift

What do you do when you’re being haunted by the ghost of a dead relationship? When a man (Björn Stefánsson) receives a phone call from his ex (Sigurður Þór Óskarsson), he travels to a remote cabin to confront him, convinced that his former lover may be on the verge of self-harm. Reunited, the two men find that they still may have some unresolved issues to work out. More so, it seems that they aren’t alone. Atmospheric and brilliantly realized by writer/director Erlingur Thoroddsen, Rift was a festival hit this past year and it’s not very difficult to see why. This Icelandic thriller forces us to confront the fractures that live within all of us and ultimately shows that it’s often the ghosts of our own choices that leave us in the cold. Rift is intimate and arthouse horror at its finest.

4. The Shape of Water

More of a stylized romance than an outright horror flick, Guillermo Del Toro’s genre bending tale of a mute woman’s (Sally Hawkins) love affair with an aquatic creature (Doug Jones) is a heart wrenching and elegant piece of cinema. By taking notions of “otherness” and the outsider to a fantastical place, Del Toro exposes something raw about the nature of humanity, and proves that often it is mere people who are the true monsters. Playing like a Creature from the Black Lagoon film filtered through the lens of a cinematic master’s longing, The Shape of Water is at once grandiose, yet shockingly intimate. By pulling back the layers of how we connect to one another, Del Toro has crafted a work that is in turns both touching and damning. The Shape of Water is, simply put, elevated genre material at its very finest.

3. Better Watch Out

I do so love a holiday horror…and when it comes to this season’s finest, Better Watch Out is the ultimate tree topper. Telling the story of a precocious youth left behind with a babysitter while his parents attend a Christmas party, the evening takes a turn when the boy and his resourceful au pair are seemingly set upon by some nasty home invaders. With a fairly simple horror movie set-up, part of the fun of Better Watch Out is going along for the ride and discovering that what you think you know may not be exactly correct. Indeed, the less information you have about the plot of the film, the better…as this is a pearl clutcher from start to finish. Featuring brilliant performances and some jarring new takes on a time honored genre, filmmaker Chris Peckover announces himself as a name to watch in the genre. Simply put: Better Watch Out is both a Christmas fright and true delight.

2. IT

In an unprecedented year of strong Stephen King adaptations (the aforementioned Gerald’s Game, Zak Hilditch’s 1922), one truly emerged from the crowd like a red balloon floating through the sky: It. Based on King’s epic, generation spanning novel of the fight between good and evil in a small Maine town, filmmaker Andy Muschietti’s new incarnation of the source material impacted audiences and the box office in ways few horror films have in ages. Of course, part of the tale’s continued allure can be found in the film’s villain, Pennywise the Dancing Clown. While fear of clowns is now known to be a widespread societal phobia, there’s also just something darkly engaging about a playful veneer hiding something monstrous. More so, however, I think the true power of IT is that it represents the moment we lose our childhood innocence, and that is a horror to which all people, one way or another, can relate. Featuring a next level ensemble cast, IT is a film that feels both epic and intimate, forcing us to take stock of who we are and what it means to grow up. More than just a monster movie, IT is a coming of age tale of the highest order. Original review here.

1. Get Out

Despite being released all the way back in February, few films in 2017 matched the impact of Jordan Peele’s directorial debut Get Out. Telling the story of an African American man (Daniel Kaluuya) who travels home with his white girlfriend (Allison Williams) to meet her parents only to have things go horrifically wrong, Get Out is genre material at its finest. Utilizing the guise of horror as a means to offer commentary on society and its privilege, Get Out is a sharp kick in the shins to an establishment that would otherwise like to ignore the systemic issues presented in the film. More so, social commentary aside, Peele’s sharp direction and clever script serve as announcement of a powerful new voice on the scene. Much as Scream instantly changed the landscape of the genre upon its release, Get Out feels like one of those pivotal moments in horror history. The film serves as a reminder that fright flicks, when done well, can truly have impact. In a year of magnificent horror films, Get Out is truly head of the class and for good reason: It’s scary, it’s fun, and it has something to say. Original review here

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The HorrorBuzz Top 10 of 2017 is a guest post from writer/actor Michael Varrati. A longtime member of the horror community, Varrati is the screenwriter behind several award-winning independent horror films, as well as a number of TV movies for networks such as Lifetime, Hallmark, Oxygen, and Ion. Varrati currently serves as the host of the queer horror series, Dead for Filth, on the Revry TV streaming platform.