(1) Late Night with the Devil
A spot-on depiction of a 1970s late-night talk show that goes horrifically off the rails, Late Night with the Devil is an absolute blast. The entire film is a blast, but the climax takes things to a whole new level of jaw dropping.
(2) You’ll Never Find Me
You’ll Never Find Me, an unsettling slice of horror fare about two strangers who meet on a stormy night, is designed to keep viewers on edge from its opening moments, and it does so magnificently. Learn nothing more about it and put it high on your need-to-see list. I give it my highest recommendation.
(3) All You Need Is Death
Writer/director Paul Duane’s Irish folk horror All You Need Is Death, about a young couple who surreptitiously collect rare, unrecorded folk songs to sell for a profit is a terrific slow burner that fairly drips with dread as it takes viewers on a ride to wholly unexpected places. Aficionados of weird fiction in cinema should find plenty at which to marvel.
(4) When Evil Lurks
One of the best possession films in recent memory.
(5) The Wait
Writer/director F. Javier Gutiérrez directs his folk horror feature superbly, investing the film with a dark sense of foreboding from the start, with the dirt-poor existence of a man and his family and the oppressive heat being palpable in this occult chiller.
(6) Talk to Me
Talk to Me is a true chiller. It uses teens doing stupid things involving the supernatural as its jumping-off point and delivers a smart take on the subgenre, with plenty of surprises, well-earned emotional investment, and no small amount of eldritch atmosphere.
(7) The Deep Dark
Lovecraftian horror films are arguably hotter than ever, and France checks in with The Deep Dark (Gueules Noires, 2023), which I found to be a highly entertaining and intriguing creature feature about a group of 1950s miners who discover a crypt from another time, unknowingly waking up a bloodthirsty monster. With a goodly supply of patented French nihilism and super gore effects, The Deep Dark is must-see cinema for creature-feature buffs and Lovecraft aficionados.
(8) Brooklyn 45
Writer/director Ted Geoghegan’s terrific Brooklyn 45 is a chamber piece film that addresses real-life horrors as well as otherworldly ones. With a gripping story and a master class in acting from its ensemble cast — filled with names familiar to genre-film aficionados — this feature is one that fear-fare fans of all stripes need to add to their must-see lists.
(9) Cobweb
Reviewed for The Scariest Things! Boasting a playful, suspenseful screenplay, eerie set design, solid special effects, engaging performances, and assured direction, Cobweb is a blast. Go in as cold as possible and you should come out feeling highly satisfied.
(10) Lord of Misrule
I had a fun time with director William Brent Bell’s Orphan: First Kill (2022), which did everything it could to entertain thanks in large part to all-in batty performances and lots of credulity straining in its plot. With Irish folk horror Lord of Misrule, the director reels things in for a darker, more serious experience, investing the film with an eerie ambience throughout.
Honorable Mention: The Seeding
Imagine a horror film that combines elements found in Hiroshi Teshigahara’s classic Woman in the Dunes (Japan, 1964) with your favorite evil/feral child horror movie, add in a good deal of weirdness and mystery, and you’re only partially on your way to what writer/director Barney Clay’s The Seeding (U.S., 2023) holds in store for you. This harrowing work, which has lingered with me for quite some time, gets a wide release on January 26, 2024.
