Check out part one here and our worst-of list here!
5. The Long Walk
Even with the prolific nature of Stephen King, Hollywood is adapting his work faster than he can churn it out these days. Which makes the fact that it took someone so long to finally adapt the master of horror’s best book written under his Richard Bachman alter ego all the more surprising. What is less surprising is that it was brilliant. Clearly a passion project for director Francis Lawrence, The Long Walk is as brutal as it is touching, anchored by a young male cast that deserve to be the leading men of the future.
4. Predator: Badlands
Only do this once. I know I already said the same thing in my review, but it is worth repeating. Predator: Badlands, while being an excellent movie, and certainly my favourite action movie of the year, works as much for the novelty of being from the point of view of the Predator, as it does from the tight script, great action, and accomplished performances.
3. Weapons
From the best Stephen King adaptation of the year to a film that expertly captures the author’s small town horror sweet spot. Told out of sequence to keep us guessing, Weapons is a stylish morality tale that charts the reactions of townsfolk after an entire elementary class, except for one boy, goes missing all in one night. It is tense, disgusting, even a little funny, though aunties that haven’t been heard from for a while will now be under a lot more scrutiny thanks to Amy Madigan’s already-iconic turn as the villainous Gladys.
2. Bring her back
From the duo behind the surprise feel-bad hit, Talk to Me, the Philippou brothers have somehow outdone themselves with Bring Her Back – both in terms of quality and in terms of sheer feel-bad attitude. All of the other films on this list entertained me immensely; Bring Her Back made me feel cold inside. Sally Hawkins, in the year’s best performance of any actor and I will hear no arguments, expertly weaponised the charm, unassuming nature, and gentleness that made her Paddington’s mum to manipulate and destroy everything in her path. Bring Her Back is so good that I never want to watch it again.
- Sinners
In a year where the Conjuring franchise’s wheels finally fell off, it was lucky we had Sinners to fight the good fight of blockbuster horror. Ryan Coogler, who before now had only made one other film that wasn’t based on an existing IP (2013’s Fruitville Station) took the clout he earned from Creed and the Black Panther movies and produced one of the best, most singular horror films of the 21st century. Sinners is what happens when a passion project sees its themes through from production to screen, and, with a novel use of the vampire as a metaphor for cultural homogeny it updates one of the best monsters of cinema in an age where it sorely needs it.
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By Kevin Boyle
(header image via Geek Girl Authority)
No But Listen 