The Top 10 Horror Movies of 2009

2009 was a tough year for horror movies. Many did well at the box office, and there was no shortage of releases, but with the exception of #8 on our list, none really crossed over into mainstream awareness. And many of the best horror films of the year barely got a theatrical release at all (or in one case, went straight to DVD). There were plenty of sequels and remakes this year, but none of them cracked our top 10. So open up that Netflix account, put some of these films you may have missed on the queue, and experience some of the best chills that too many people missed.
#10: Carriers
Tagline: The Rules Are Simple. You Break Them, You Die…
Carriers has the dubious distinction of being this year’s most undeservedly meat-trained release. (Not familiar with the phrase? Check out last year’s Best Horror Films list to get the definition.) Dumped into 100 theaters for one week, Carriers inexplicably got the shaft, despite headlining Star Trek hunk Chris Pine. Unlike most virus flicks, this one doesn’t turn its victims into monsters — it simply kills them (albeit slowly and painfully). Which means that Carriers is really an effective morality tale about what happens to the bonds between friends and family when mortality is introduced. Well acted and beautifully directed, Carriers is a bit like a considerably better Cabin Fever minus the juvenile humor. A virus film that definitely seems all-too-believable.

#9: Grace
Tagline: Love. Undying.
Writer/director Paul Solet has said that Eli Roth (Hostel, Cabin Fever) is his mentor. Well, with Grace, Solet has already produced a flick that surpasses anything Roth has turned out. Grace isn’t the first film to play off of a parent’s fear that their newborn baby may not be quite right, but it still manages to be wildly original. Haunting, heartbreaking, and genuinely shocking at moments, Grace is a slow-moving yet absorbing tale of a woman whose pregnancy undergoes a shift as a result of a nasty car accident. At only 85 minutes, the film still feels a bit long– but it still is unlike anything else released this year, and demonstates that Solet is a real talent to be watched. A fascinating art-house terror tale.

#8: Paranormal Activity
Tagline: What Happens When You Sleep?
This year’s Blair Witch Project is the undisputed horror blockbuster of the year. Shot for a measly $15,000, it instantly blossomed into a full-fledged phenomenon. Admittedly more creepy than outright scary, it’s still a great film to see in a crowded room of people who shriek or laugh at every bump in the night. A refreshing lack of a soundtrack means that Paranormal Activity uses absolute quiet as its strongest weapon, and it works wonders. Those looking for constant scares may find it slow, and it doesn’t pack the wallop that Blair Witch does. But there’s no question that it’s ultimately quite a satisfying experience, and many in Hollywood could stand to learn a thing or two from its less-is-more success.

#7: Donkey Punch
Tagline: This Party is Going Overboard
You’ve seen it many times before — the horror film that shows that one bad decision can take otherwise rational human beings and send them into a spiral of self-destruction. Well, Donkey Punch takes that formula and puts a wild, sexy, hedonistic spin on it. Take a bunch of hot British 20somethings on a boat in the middle of nowhere, add in generous doses of sex and drugs, mix in one very bad judgment call, and you’ve got the sexy and twisted Donkey Punch. There’s nothing here you haven’t seen before (although there’s hopefully things here you’ve haven’t tried before) but when it’s this well written, directed, and acted, who cares? Go along for the ride, and remember — don’t try this at home. Seriously.

#6: Dead Snow
Tagline: Ein, Zwei, Die
This Norwegian horror flick was a hit in its homeland, but only got a very limited run here in the U.S. In a nutshell, it’s an Evil Dead homage, set in the dead of winter, and with all the zombies being dead Nazis SS officers. Gore is amped up to the max here, with limbs and intestines filling the screen at every turn. The humor is wicked, and makes plenty of jokes at its own expense. Acting is solid, and even if the film is more gloriously entertaining than scary, it still ranks as one of the year’s solid balls-to-the-walls monster flicks. Dead Snow, Zombieland, and the solid Pontypool show there’s definitely still great life to be had in the zombie genre.

#5: The Burrowers
Tagline: Evil Will Surface
Writer/director J.T. Petty, who made waves a couple of years ago with S&Man, really establishes himself as a major horror filmmaking talent with the quiet, smart, chilling horror-western The Burrowers, which tragically ended up going straight to DVD rather than getting the wide release it deserved. Set in 1879, The Burrowers focuses a group of men searching for a missing family of settlers, who may be the victims of a terrifying force that lives beneath the ground. It’s not often someone mixes two genres so successfully, by Petty has created something genuinely original here, and it leaves us waiting with bated breath to see what he’s got up his sleeve for his next project.

#4: From Within
Tagline: Death is Catching
This one flew under the radar as part of 2009’s Horrorfest series, but it deserved more exposure. Taking a cue from J-horror, From Within focuses on the idea of a suicide virus hitting the teenage population of a small religious town. Screenwriter Brad Keene (who also wrote the clever Gravedancers) has a fun time tweaking standard horror tropes, particularly with some effective wry humor. With a strong cast that includes Elizabeth Rice (”Mad Men”), Thomas Dekker (”Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”), Rumer Willis, and Steven Culp, From Within could easily have struck a chord with horror-seeking teens and adults alike, if only it had been given the chance.

#3: Thirst
Park Chan-Wook, director of Old Boy, has returned with the nihilistic, sexy, funny, disturbing vampire flick Thirst. In searching for a cure for a disease, a priest ends up with bloodsucker-like symptoms, driving him into a lifestyle that he has never had the courage to experience. It’s a true genre-bending flick that bounces crazily from horror to drama to black comedy and back again. The idea of a priest getting altered into a being whose entire existence revolves around pleasures of the flesh is a wicked concept, and the more you think you can guess where the film is heading, the more it changes. If you think you’ve seen everything that could be done with the vampire movie, then you need to seek out Thirst, pronto. But be warned — it’s not for the faint of heart.

#2: Drag Me To Hell
Tagline: Christine Brown has a good job, a great boyfriend, and a bright future. But in three days, she’s going to hell.
The one and only Sam Raimi returned to horror in full force with Drag Me To Hell. Purists were prematurely worried about the PG-13 rating, but don’t mistake that rating for Raimi going soft — this is one of his wildest, sickest flicks. Admittedly, it has its tongue so firmly in cheek that those not expecting to laugh may have been confused a bit. The film veers from pitch-black horror to gross-out humor in the blink of an eye, but it moves like a speeding bullet and you won’t be bored for an instant. It’s clear Raimi was not attempting to do something here that hasn’t been done before — he rather seemed intent on taking a traditional setup for a horror film (evil gypsy curses likable protagonist, with a ticking clock on her life) and turning it into a wild rollercoaster of shrieks, laughs, and blood. It’s quite a mean little film — not even little kids and animals get off easy in this one — but that devotion to delivering a good time just makes the end result that much more satisfying.

#1: The Broken
Tagline: Face Your Fear
Arguably 2009’s true horror masterpiece, The Broken isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea. It’s a bit slow, quiet, and much more story-driven than your typical horror movie. But it’s worth your time, and then some. It’s a brilliant twist on a classic horror film — although to even say what that horror film is would take away some of the fun. One thing for sure — this British chiller starring Lena Headey requires you to pay attention, and even picks up many additional nuances on a second viewing. If you’re looking for something that can get beneath your skin with suspense rather than jump-shocks, The Broken is one not to miss.