Top Horror Movies of the 2000s

This movie defies several of the most terrible normalities of modern horror movies. Even when it uses "gotcha" scares it doesn't come off terribly because they are well-placed. With wonderful acting, cinematography, and music, this movie taps into our natural fears of claustrophobia, darkness, and the unknown. It has GREAT acting from all of the female leads, I can't stress enough how refreshing that is to see in a horror movie these days. And oh my goodness...CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT! What? In a horror movie?....NO WAY! A horror movie were you actually care about the characters. For proving that horror movies can be taken seriously (not to mention scaring the hell out of me)...it is one of my favorites.

Best horror movie of recent memory...an actual plot, amazing level of "believable" tension, and just about everything a good MOVIE should be (not just a good horror movie). ALL horror movie fans should see this movie! It is a good movie in general though, so if you're not afraid of horror movies, see it too.

Great scary movie. Too bad about The Ring 2 and all, otherwise I would have more good things to say about it...that movie was so bad it made this one worse even though it was made 3 years later.

I am so glad I refused to watch Quarantine before this! REC is a fantastic horror film. This seems like a natural and intelligent progression of the ideas Blair Witch Project first introduced to the masses (instead of a cheap imitation or rip-off), and not just because of the camcorder-style direction used. Expect lots of compare/contrast once I have seen Quarantine, but there is absolutely no way it is even half as good as this. This movie scared the living hell out of me...trust me that's rare! And wow what an ending. The tension build-up is so perfect! REC is one of the most well-made horror films this decade.

More later...

Pretty much pioneered the coming of age of the "horror torture" flick that seems to be all the rave now (see "Hostel", "Wolf Creek," "Turistas",etc.). Brilliantly executed plotline, something missing from most other horror movies...this means you Texas Chainsaw Massacre remakes...and a KILLER ending!

Even though the big reveal wasn't so original ("I see dead people" anyone??) I still found myself liking this movie a lot...and on repeat viewing it still holds up well...

The Mist is a surprisingly strong effort. It bravely tackles so many deeper themes that it overcomes its entire B-movie feel. It's terrifying mostly because of its thought-provoking analysis of human nature. Some of the scenes are heart-stopping (yes, you will be saying WTF quite often). Some great work from the cast here as well (Marcia Gay Harden , Toby Jones, and Laurie Holden stand out, but Thomas Jane is officially hugely underrated). My only gripes would be it's just a tad bit predictable and the CGI is borderline awful (why couldn't they spend a bit more...the movie would have benefited sooo much from it). I think these flaws are easily offset by the acting work, riveting story, and haunting atmosphere of the film. Overall, easily stands out as one of the best horror films of recent memory.

After watching Zombieland I can safely say 2009 has been a good year for horror comedy. The horror genre got a much needed kick in the rear end courtesy of Sam Raimi earlier in the year with Drag Me To Hell, which became one of the most fun and memorable outings in a long while for the genre. That was the wind up and pitch, and Zombieland is officially the home run. Now it's easy to become apprehensive given the fact that it's almost a certainty at this point Hollywood will try and capitalize on this momentum, creating far less original entries into this sub-genre of the genre, but just taking a second to comprehend what Zombieland has accomplished will probably make you smile. And even if that does not make you smile the film itself will already have done so repeatedly. This film is a riot. Literally, a laugh-a-minute extravaganza. Many clever elements employed throughout the movie keep it entertaining and original. Instantly quotable lines are unleashed furiously by the characters. Slow motion opening credits hint at the freshness of the film. Rules in the form of literal words for survival in Zombieland are superimposed into scenes so that characters' actions directly affect the words, serving as a constant inventive reminder of character motivations. Zombies are wiped out in a seemingly endless stream of different ways. It's just a complete joy to watch. The film does succumb to some of its ambitious fun in a few instances, a particular misstep being with the portion of the film that will most likely be the most memorable part to the majority. The cameo appearance (that I won't dare spoil) serves only to pull you out of the movie as the actors all linger on the verge of breaking the fourth wall. It's funny, but given the direction of the movie up until the segment it seems out of place. It recovers easily from this with its finale (so awesome) and its depth which is gradually revealed through the fundamental theme of needing people to survive awful circumstances, which is universal.

Jesse Eisenberg has to be one of the biggest breakout stars of the year. Starring in two exceptional movies in one year is a good way to boost your resume. Unfortunately, he has faced much criticism likening him to Michael Cera, to which I have to implore people to give him a second chance (or 3rd or 4th depending on how many of his films you've seen). There's definitely a depth to his performances that Cera lacks, and while it is easy to assume he has already been swiftly typecast, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for at least one more movie now that he's finally become recognizable. Those glimmers of gravitas he has displayed in Adventureland and Zombieland could potentially become something great. The rest of the cast does a great job too. Woody Harrelson seems born to play the role of Tallahassee. He shoots, he bashes, and he speaks with zeal and confidence, completely selling his character's view of the world overrun with zombies. Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin also do decent jobs in their roles. The script actually allows the characters to flourish, to the benefit of the actors and film.

Zombieland proves that fresh takes on old horror ideas can still be created, and it reaffirms what most of the comedies of 2009 seem to have forgotten. A good time at the movies doesn't have to come with the requirement that you leave part (or all) of your brain at the door. It's a comedy with ample supplies of fun, wit, and heart.

This movie was a great horror movie. Scary as hell...and I do mean as hell! Besides that, did a decent job of painting an apocalyptic view of society and doesn't miss a beat. Only falls into a few of the ridiculous cliches seen in all horror movies which (although it doesn't sound like it) is a definite plus.

Drag Me to Hell doesn't really succeed as a straight-out horror movie mainly because it just isn't that scary. But it makes up for it with loads of the "shock factor," which of course is different than being scary. Some of the things that happen will literally make your eyes pop wide open. In fact, it's actually more funny than scary but, for once, not in a bad way. Needless to say this is a rarity in itself for the horror genre as of late, films which are intentionally funny but don't overdo it, or just intentionally funny in general, have been sorely missing. One of the biggest things that stands out though, is how Alison Lohman plays the role of Christine Brown in a serious manner, no matter how demented the situation she was involved in becomes. She plays it straight all the way through and oh boy does the film benefit from it. If Drag Me To Hell has one weakness, it's its unnecessary reliance on "gotcha" scares, which probably would've worked better if the film were scarier. The mood of the film is far too light for those type of scares to be effective, although I would entertain arguments that some of these instances are meant to mock typical conventions of modern horror. On the whole, Sam Raimi really hit it out of the park with this one. So many memorable scenes destined to become some kind of classic in their own right (the car fight scene is pure genius, and the ending will leave your mouth hanging wide open even if you do manage to call it long before it happens). It's a horror experience you won't soon forget!

You know what? As bad as the movie sounds, it's good! Like really good! Definitely one of the better horror movies of the 2000s. Creepy stuff, and somehow manages to be comedic and not awful. Usually when horror movies are funny it's always a bad sign. Not so in this case. Maybe it's because it's intentionally funny for a change. Hmm, very good achievement for a horror movie in my opinion.

The single most SICK movie I have ever seen...and yes that is in the bad sense of the word....

Holy COWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry for the numerous exclamation points but I'm sure you'll be thinking something along those lines if you ever get to sit through this film. Seriously, I still can not believe what I watched. This is one of the bloodiest films I have seen in my life.

I decided to give French horror another shot (after being completely turned off from it by MARTYRS) because I've been hearing so much about the waves they've been making in modern horror lately. But now, I've seen three of them: High Tension, Martyrs, and Inside. I'm starting to pick up on some common themes in all of them, at least the ones I've seen. Specifically, what the heck is up with all the psychotic women?! All three of them center around the breakdown/torment of a woman mentally and physically. To say the least, that in and of itself is enough to disturb me just because of this common theme, it seems like it is the only way they can tell a story (but to be fair I've only seen these three so maybe it's no big deal).

I will give Bustillo and Maury credit here, French filmmakers seem to have a really strong grasp on minimalistic storytelling (something American horror should learn a thing or two about), and there are some really well-crafted scenes in this movie. But there are problems. The ridiculousness of the whole thing just screams at you, especially within the last 20 minutes or so of the film. It's unfortunate you kind of have to take the things that happen with a grain of salt. It relies too heavily on a few horror cliches (killer turning the lights off, cops doing stupid things, etc.). I would say the whole thing is on the verge of almost completely running out of steam by the end, that is if it weren't just becoming more and more brutally violent.

But luckily the gore is so gruesome you'll probably need most of the time to recover from each violent sequence in the film. I think in this case the good outweighs the bad because there are so many intense scenes. The tension is definitely there, not to mention the score is haunting and the acting is pretty strong. Inside has its moments and is definitely the best of the French horror films I've seen, but I hesitate to call it great.