The Under-Ranked: Halloween
For most people, Halloween represents Trick-or-Treating, superfluous amounts of candy and dressing up in ridiculous costumes. But for film fans, it is the time of year when horror films are in abundance. This year, we’ve been given horror sequels such as Saw 3D and Paranormal Activity 2 and TVs are sure to be packed with the horror films that are to be expected, such as The Exorcist and The Shining. But for those looking for something a little different from the norm, here are some of the great under-ranked horror films on Flickchart that will surprise you this Halloween.
First is May, from 2002, the story of a woman who has had a hard time finding connections with people due to her awkwardness and unusual sensibilities. For years, her only friends have been the dolls she has collected since childhood, but she soon finds herself surrounded with new acquaintances, which include Jeremy Sisto and Anna Faris. When her friends desert her one by one, something in May finally snaps as she gets revenge. May is an updated take on the Frankenstein monster and is a surreal and shocking take on the classic monster movie.
If you like your horror films ridiculous and insanely over-the-top, it doesn’t get much crazier then Feast. Winner of the Project Greenlight contest in its third year, Feast’s story doesn’t go much further than monsters attacking a bar full of customers who attempt to fight back. But what comes of this is a hilarious B-movie that focuses more on the gore and scares than for plot, which actually works here.
Speaking of ridiculous horror films, two of the most talked about shocking films of the last two years are The Human Centipede (First Sequence) and Antichrist. The Human Centipede (First Sequence) has one of the most unusual horror movie premises ever: what if three people were sewn together, mouth-to-anus, and forced to live that way? While the film doesn’t get much further than this unusual gimmick, it’s definitely a film that must be seen to be believed. Whereas Antichrist (available on Netflix Instant) has been made famous for its grotesque imagery of self-mutilation, it actually is a beautiful film from auteur Lars von Trier that works as a beautiful, albeit disgusting at times, metaphor for the pain of losing a child. Great performances by Charlotte Gainsbourg and William Dafoe might make some queasy, but are definitely alone worth suffering through the scenes of unsettling violence.
For those who like their horror mixed with comedy, Tommy Wiseau, director of The Room, widely considered to be one of the worst movies ever, has recently released his short film The House That Drips Blood on Alex (available on Atom.com). His latest film is about as scary as a Katherine Heigl film (which some might say is pretty terrifying), but the humor set in a horror theme is about crazy as possible. Wiseau showed he’s out there with The Room, but really pushes the limits of his oddness here. As I write this, The House That Drips Blood on Alex has only been ranked 32 times, which is a travesty for anyone who loves ridiculous horror comedy.
Finally, one of the best recent horror films released in theaters is Let Me In. The adaptation of the Swedish vampire film Let the Right One In, the story of a young boy who falls in love with a young vampire translates magnificently to American screens. Cloverfield director Matt Reeves improves upon aspects of the original, even though he does fail compared to its predecessor in ways as well, working as a perfect companion piece. Kodi Smit-McPhee (from The Road), Chloe Moretz (of Kick-Ass fame), and the always-fantastic Richard Jenkins make this one of the better horror remakes – and a beautifully crafted love story as well.
So whether you want to laugh, get scared, or get totally freaked out this Halloween, there are plenty of under-ranked films for you this October 31st.
This post is part of our User Showcase series. You can find Ross as rbonaime on Flickchart. If you’re interested to submit your own story or article describing your thoughts about movies and Flickchart, read our original post for how to become a guest writer here on the Flickchart Blog.
A lot of these things may not be any good, but one movie that is good and is surely under-ranked is “The Innocents” (1961) starring Deborah Kerr.