I really enjoyed sharing my favourite horror films of the 2010s with you yesterday, click here if you would like to read that one. The 2000s was a really great decade for horror in my opinion. There was a lot of riding on the coattails of the “Scream” franchise earlier in the decade, and by this time self aware slashers were pretty much done to death. “A bunch of college students go into the woods” was also a pretty popular theme at this point. But we also had some truly amazing entries into the genre, so here goes!
30 Days of Night
“30 Days of Night” was not well received either by critics or audiences so horror fans might find this entry on the list confusing, even if it is at the bottom of the pile. “30 Days of Night” is set in a remote Alaskan town that experiences a month of total darkness every single year. This year, the vampires are coming. And they are not sparkly Twilight Vampires. They are super fast, incredibly strong vampires that speak their own language, are not sexy in the slightest and actually look like movie monsters unlike many vampires.
I think this is one of the reasons I liked this so much. These are vampires as vampires should be in my opinion (Unless they are Buffy vampires, those get a pass). They have distorted, scary looking faces, move faster than you would think possible, are incredibly strong and basically unbeatable. The fact that they speak their own language makes them extra creepy and otherworldly. The other reason I love this is the remote location, there basically feels like no hope for our survivors as they wait desperately for the sun to come back. It starts Josh Hartnett and that's another reason people might not want to go and see it, but his performance is distinctly above his usual average. This one is just scary. Good old fashioned scary, with high tension and plenty of suspense. Vampires that actually scare you and don't want to take you out for dinner and a movie were a rare thing back in the 2000s (thanks Stephanie Meyer).
I am Legend
This might be another odd addition for some, but I absolutely love dystopian films and Will Smith makes this one really memorable. “I Am Legend” is set in the not too distant future, when a cancer cure goes awry and turns some of the population into super intelligent vicious creatures, not zombies nor vampires but not too far away from either. Robert Neville remains alone in the city with his dog Sam, trying to find a cure for the infected zompire monster thingies, hunting by day and hiding in his bathtub with his dog listening to Bob Marley by night.
This is the epitome of big budget horror and it kind of crosses into action film territory once or twice. Will Smith basically carries the entire film, there are a few scenes with other characters but it's mostly him, slowly losing his mind and talking to mannequins and wondering why they weren't placed where they were before. Based on a novel which had a very different ending, the monsters in this aren't dumb zombie like creatures as they are initially portrayed but are actually super intelligent, showing a near human like capacity for setting traps and hunting. Oh great, just what the world needs...super intelligent flesh eaters. “I am Legend” doesn't go for over the top CGI which makes a nice change for a high action film. I'm betting a lot of horror aficionados are going to strongly disagree with me for including this on the list, but what can I say, I love it.
Teeth
You may want to avert your eyes or cross your legs if you happen to be a guy. “Teeth” is a downright bizarre but excellent film about a teenage girl suffering from the mythical “Vagina dentata”. If you need that broken down for you, her vagina has a set of teeth. She first discovers this when a boy tries to assault her, and again at the doctor's office. Dawn is a sweet Christian girl who is an active participant in the local chastity organisation. At a time when she's trying to keep her own budding sexuality under wraps she has to deal with the fact that she's anatomically rather unique, to the destriment of several of the male characters in her life.
“Teeth” is weird. It's really really weird. It's also quirky and occasionally hilarious. This is another film which probably isn't going to scare you much (although if you are a guy you will probably cringe in horror) but it's really worth a watch all the same. With it's tongue firmly in it's cheek, “Teeth” spins a delightfully weird and satifical story of female sexual power. Usually, the funny moments in horror films are unintentional and it is certainly that way here, but not because it's cheesy or bad. “Teeth” is pretty quiet and slow moving as horror films go but it packs the occasional bloody wallop that will make approximately 50% of it's audience whimper.
The Descent
Another British entry on the list, directed by Neil Marshall. Though it is set in the Appalachian mountains it it was actually shot in the UK. Sarah is our protagonist, and she's part of a group of women who meet up occasionally and take part in adventure sport. After a session of white water rafting, Sarah is in a car crash that kills her husband and daughter. One year later, the women meet up again, this time in North Carolina, to go on a caving expedition in a local, well explored cave. After abseiling into the cave, they head down a tunnel only to have it cave in behind them. Here, Juno (the biggest daredevil and caving expert of the lot) admits that she lied, and this cave system has never been explored by man. As they desperately explore deeper and deeper into the cave system looking for an exit, they realise they are not alone.
The cave system itself might be the scariest thing about “The Descent” for me. “The Crawlers” as they have been nicknamed by fans of the film, are pretty creepy critters, but the overwhelmingly oppressive and claustrophobic film set is what really did it for me. The deep black of the caves is as much monster in it's own right as the Crawlers are. With that being said, the Crawlers are pretty creepy in themselves. Slimy white humanoid monsters that are blind but have other heightened senses similar to a bat, they are some creepy little monsters. “The Descent” has a fairly low budget feel but is very well made. This one is on the gorier end of the scale, but the gore never feels cheap or used for shock value, indeed shock value isn't really needed because of the tension maintained in the film itself.
Let the Right One In
Although the American remake was good from what I've heard, I've never bothered to watch it. The original is wonderful. A Swedish film of the novel of the same name, “Let the Right One In” is about a bullied twelve year old boy called Oskar, who finds himself befriending a strange child named Eli. All set among the backdrop of a frozen little Swedish town, where murdered bodies keep turning up.
This one is a little hard to explain and it's also a long while since I've seen it. It is in no way conventional horror and is definitely on the more artistic side, so if you like your bloody slashers this one might bore you to tears. It took two years to select the young leads for this film and both of the child actors give incredible performances. The cold backdrop provides a mirror to the cold heart of many of the characters, especially the adults. The cinematography is amazing and the approach to the death aspect of the “Let the Right One In” is always restrained and sensitive. It is about as far from a modern horror film, or even a mainstream classic horror film, as one would be able to get. It does have it's own chilling feel to it however and it's not just that the set looks so bloody cold! This is another horror film for people who don't like horror films, it's very unique among the genre. If you do decide to watch it, I really recommend the subtitles over the dubbed version, as always!
Eden Lake
Starring Michael Fassbender before he was famous, “Eden Lake” is an unusual choice for myself because it's extremely gory, but it's just too damn well made not to make it into this list. In this film, Jenny and Steve decide to take a romantic weekend getaway to a place called Eden Lake. So far, so cliché. What they find in the area is a pack of near feral teenagers who are unruly, aggressive and in possession of a very aggressive dog. When an altercation in which the dog tries to attack Steve ends in him accidentally killing the dog, the ringleader of the pack of teenagers (played by Jack O'Connell) decides he's going to hunt them down and torture them.
“Eden Lake” is horrific, scary, gory and extremely dark. It's essentially a morality tale about “Broken Britain”. Jack O'Connell as the ringleader gives one of the strongest performances here, with just a hint of pathos in the final scene. He spends all the film goading the other kids on, who are younger than him and not as enthused about trying to murder the film's main characters. Eden Lake does not skimp on the gore but it all has a purpose. We are made to care for the main characters early on and it's absolutely horrifying watching their lives be ripped apart as they are on the run from the kids from hell. This to me is hand's down one of the best British horror films in recent years. I've watched it once only and I have no intention to return to it, even though it was brilliantly made. I couldn't rewatch it to write this review. If you're sensitive, I suggest you give this one a wide berth.
May
Well known for off-beat and quirky horror, “May” is one of Lucky McKee's finest. Angela Bettis of the atrocious Carrie remake (don't let that put you off) stars in this equal turns horrifying, sweet and sad story of May, quite possibly the world's sweetest sociopath. She works in a vet's office and has massive trouble connecting with other people. She also seems to have a taste for the sicker things in life but in the most mild-mannered way possible. She wants desperately to connect with someone, and turns her affections towards hot mechanic (Jeremy Sisto), then sex crazed lesbian receptionist (Anna Faris, hilarious as usual), and even towards volunteering with local children.
“May” is very unusual for a horror film. First of all, our protagonist is the character that you should probably run from, but she's so adorable, gawky and sweet it's just impossible. This is a weird little tale about friendship, love, human connection and well...horror. May looks for love in all the wrong places and is thwarted time and time again. Her adorableness begins to rub off as her behaviour starts to edge towards the creepier and stalkerish end of the scale. It is full of pitch black humour, and Anna Faris brings some glorious sexual innuendo and a load of laughs. This is definitely one of the more unique horror films I've seen and there is a distinct lack of falling into cliches and tropes. It's a beautiful little film but don't be distracted by all the schmaltz, it has it's fair share of horribly cringey and gross out moments.
The Devil's Backbone
2001's gothic horror film “The Devil's Backbone” was introduced to me by way of Guillermo Del Toro's back catalogue. The first film of his I ever watched was “Pan's Labyrinth” and I absolutely fell in love with that beautiful film. It's quite possibly my favourite ever. It couldn't be usurped by “The Devil's Backbone” but make no mistake this is still a truly awesome film. Set in Spain during the Spanish civil war, it follows a little boy called Carlos who is moved to an orphanage in rural spain. He starts being folowed by a strange ghostly entity, a little boy ghost named Santi.
Despite the young protagonist, “The Devil's Backbone” is a very adult film, full of imagery of war, betrayal and complex adult relationships. It could definitely be described as drama heavy and the actual ghostly scenes are fairly few and far between. Santi the ghost is however really quite chilling, and the story behind him is pretty sad. Del Toro's typical dark fantasy style is heavily present in this fairly slow paced, creepy film. It is as much a political commentary as it is a ghost story, exposing the horrors of war through a fantasy horror lens. Del Toro has claimed it is his most personal film. If you are someone who likes good quality films and basically considers most horror to be complete trash, this might well be one that you'd enjoy.
Ginger Snaps
“Ginger Snaps” is a cult classic and for good reason. Brigitte (Emily Perkins) and Ginger (Katherine Isabelle) are a pair of sisters who are also considered the school freaks. They are obsessed with death and have formed a pact to die together. One night, after just starting her period for the first time, Ginger is attacked by...something. She immediately begins to undergo a transformation, becoming instantly alluring to the boys at school and extremely bitchy and nasty to her sister.
“Ginger Snaps” uses the clever parallel of werewolves for female puberty and all the fear young women have about it. Ginger's increasing alienation from the only adult women around her who are basically unbearable to be around does nothing but increase her sense of rage. Her sister's growing confusion with her sudden insatiable sexuality is second only to her hurt and confusion over Ginger's nasty and erratic behaviour towards her. The pair have always been pretty nasty to everyone else, but very close with each other. “I get this ache. I thought it was for sex, but it’s to tear everything to fucking pieces.” This sums up the new Ginger, full of rage and hormones. Of course, in Ginger's case she was actually bitten by a werewolf so everything goes a bit pear shaped at the end. “Ginger Snaps” avoids big budget shocks, and the werewolves are actually pretty cringeworthy, in favour of fantastic storytelling, amazing acting and complex characters. It's funny, it's warm, it's intelligent and witty, it's not often very scary but it's so beautifully made that it's easily one of the best horror films of the decade.
28 Days Later
One of my favourite horror films of all time, and the one that convinced me not all zombie/infection movies are horrible. “28 Days Later” is the classic story of a zombie apocalypse except that “The Infected” as they are called are not truly zombies. The film opens with a bunch of animal rights activists breaking into an animal testing lab. They set free a chimp which is infected with what the scientists describe as “Rage”. Meanwhile, Jim (Cillian Murphy) lies in a coma after being hit by a car when riding his bike. He wakes up to a scary new world where uninfected humans are in short supply and the infected roam the city in packs. He teams up with Selena (Naomi Harris), Frank (Brendan Gleeson) and Hannah (Megan Burns). After hearing a radio broadcast about a safe haven, they set out on a journey to an army encampment near Manchester.
This was one of the films that introduced the incredible, chameleon-like Cillian Murphy to the world. And between him, Christopher Eccleston and veteran Brendan Gleeson, you have a tremendous cast for starters. There are one or two duds, Naomi Harris is a much better actress now than she was then and the little girl who plays Hannah leaves a lot to be desired actingwise. Despite this, the script is clever and occasionally darkly funny, the entire film is tense and creepy and the infected are terrifying. These are no slow moving, shambling creatures like in many movies of this sort. They are fast moving, intelligent and very, very angry. They don't so much want to eat you as to turn you into a rage monster like them. What's even scarier is the situation that our gang finds ourself in when they get to their destination. Humanity being wiped out has caused the army encampment to turn to dangerous ideas, and soon enough Jim and co. are fighting as hard to get out as they did to get in.
So those are my top picks from the 2000s...a couple of odd choices and one or two you might not have heard of, one or two you might laugh at me for including, and a few I'm certain you have heard of. Sleep well....if you can! Mwah hah hah hah.