From major franchises to brutally clever indie hits, 2017 was a fantastic year for horror.
Sure, you probably already know about heavy hitters like It and Get Out, but plenty of
other great horror films were also released during the year.
If you're in the mood for some spine-tingling additions to your queue, here are our picks
for the best horror movies of 2017.
Split
M. Night Shyamalan has had a rocky decade or so, but Split was definitely a return to
his twisty form.
The story focused on the abduction of a group of young women by a man with multiple personalities,
which made for a taut and claustrophobic thriller, anchored by actor James McAvoy's transitions
between his character's many identities.
Critics praised his performance, as well as Shyamalan's ability to balance those shifting
points of view—and channel the filmmaking prowess that made him a name to watch after
The Sixth Sense.
Even better?
The director used his trademark twist in a way that no one saw coming, setting up a must-see
sequel.
Stephen King's It
Send in the clowns.
Stephen King's It was previously adapted as a TV miniseries in 1990, and that live-action
version of the author's horror classic still gives us nightmares—but it's nothing compared
to director Andy Muschietti's big-screen version.
"Hiya Georgie.
What a nice boat."
The film earned rave reviews, with critics hailing it as a terrifying and a clever exploration
of the psychological trauma King captured so well in his novel.
Bill Skarsgård's take on Pennywise the Clown is basically face-painted nightmare fuel,
so taking a trip to the sewers of Derry is well worth the risk.
Because hey, we all float down there, right?
Get Out
This isn't just one of the best horror movies of 2017—it's one of the best horror films
of the past decade.
Writer and director Jordan Peele leaves you guessing right up until the end, slowly ratcheting
up the terror with a story that starts out like any other innocent, average dramedy.
Peel back a few layers, though, and the story tackles race relations through the lens of
a horror tale, serving up a sharp, thoughtful, funny blend of horror and social satire that
treads almost a bit too close to reality at times in ways that will make your skin crawl.
The Devil's Candy
This indie horror flick focuses on an artist who starts painting terrifying images after
moving into a new home—and then someone starts terrorizing him and his family.
"I don't remember painting this."
This scary look into the depths of human depravity doubles as a clever subversion of the horror
movie tropes viewers have come to expect and was thus one of the most underrated movies
of the year.
Lake Bodom
If you're looking for a throwback to the classic days when machete-wielding maniacs prowled
the woods and menaced unsuspecting teens, book a trip to director Taneli Mustonen's
Lake Bodom.
This classically styled slasher focuses on the urban legend of a viciously fatal night
that occurred decades ago, as a group of teens plan a trip to investigate and recreate the
events of the old tale.
But it turns out they're in for a lot more than a mere homage.
Even if the movie doesn't exactly reinvent the gore genre, this is still a scary good
time.
Life
This space-set sci-fi horror flick hit the sweet spot by throwing The Thing, Gravity
and Alien into a blender.
The result was a whole lot of terrifying fun.
It focuses on the crew of the International Space Station as they investigate a mysterious
new life form that's been recovered on Mars.
Their experiments quickly take a turn for the worse when they realize this alien creature
might be a lot smarter -- and more sinister -- than they'd given it credit for.
"Life's very existence requires destruction."
It Comes at Night
This post-apocalyptic, psychological horror flick picks up after a virus has wiped out
most of the world's population.
The story focuses on a family that's cut itself off from the rest of the world to avoid the
plague.
When another group of survivors join them, paranoia and fear of what might be in the
woods drives them beyond the edge.
Critics praised the film for finding terror in the relationship among survivors, and bringing
a refreshingly simple doom to a tale of the apocalypse.
A Dark Song
When you dabble with the dark arts, it's almost certainly destined to go wrong.
That's the premise behind A Dark Song, which follows two people who retreat into a house
in the woods to try and make contact with those in the beyond.
What happens will stick with you long after the movie ends, nestling into your psyche
for some lingering scares.
It might've initially flown under the radar, but A Dark Song is well worth a visit.
Raw
The story of a vegetarian who develops a taste for raw meat is an interesting narrative,
but Raw wrings that premise for all it's worth and more, telling a story with deep social
and emotional poignancy, with a clever spin on the challenges of adolescence.
And the way writer and director Julia Ducournau wraps that story is a gory masterpiece positively
dripping with viscera and blood.
The Girl With All the Gifts
One of the smartest zombie movies in recent years, The Girl With All the Gifts uses the
undead to explore some deeper emotional and philosophical questions.
The story focuses on a group of children who are somehow immune to an epidemic disease
which has destroyed the world, and the role they can play in saving humanity.
It might be a post-apocalyptic zombie story with doses of sci-fi, but the film is packed
with more than a few good scares.
Annabelle: Creation
The Conjuring has quickly become one of the biggest horror franchises of the decade, and
the latest spinoff from the creepy mothership does not disappoint.
Annabelle: Creation, the second film to focus on the nefarious antique doll featured in
the main Conjuring films, jumps back in time to tell an early story from when Annabelle
was still a relatively new danger-doll.
A marked improvement over the first Annabelle film, the film was a surprisingly moody and
effective horror yarn.
​Happy Death Day
If you're looking for a horror flick with some biting humor, make a date with Happy
Death Day—it's Groundhog Day with a bloody slasher twist.
The film centers on a college student who's executed on her birthday, which she has to
keep reliving over and over until she can figure out who attacked her.
The story has charm and, although derivative, offers up some authentic thrills and humor
for audiences of the jump-scare persuasion.
The Babysitter
Netflix's The Babysitter is one heck of a fun little horror romp, best described as
an R-rated, blood-soaked, titillating modern-day spin on a 1980s horror B-movie.
It's obviously low-budget, but although it's not high art, the film is still well worth
the hour-and-a-half it takes to kick back and enjoy it.
It's a cheesy good time, so give it a shot and The Babysitter might just be the silly
little surprise you needed this year.
Better Watch Out
Critics are calling this one "Home Alone meets The Strangers" because the film puts a spin
on the home invasion thriller formula.
Better Watch Out follows what happens when invaders break in to a home protected by a
group of kids and their babysitter.
Instead of retreating in fear, the kids start setting booby traps and have a whole lot of
R-rated fun in the process to protect the house -- with plenty of twists to unwrap before
the credits roll.
"Isn't this exciting?"
Super Dark Times
If you're looking for a VHS-era throwback, the 1990s-set Super Dark Times finds terror
in the simple, boring life in suburbia.
The visceral thriller is considered "a coming-of-age nightmare" and landed to near universal critical
acclaim.
The story follows a group of teens who are driven apart following the disappearance of
another teen, and presents a bygone era of innocence through a bloody intense lens.
Gerald's Game
Stephen King's collection has been all over the small and silver screens this year, but
the latest adaptation quietly slipped under the radar—despite being one of the best
of the bunch.
Gerald's Game follows a wife who's left shackled to a bed after a weekend getaway with her
husband takes a dark turn.
She's forced to face everything from starvation to her own doubts and demons as she tries
to find a way to escape and survive.
The novel was previously thought to be unfilmable, so imagine everyone's surprise when the movie
not only happened -- but turned out to be pretty great, without sacrificing the meat
of the story.
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