As always, my Best Of list isn’t just of films that came out this last year, but ones that were first time viewings for me, because when it comes down to it, whether it came out in 2022 or 1952, if it is the first time I’m watching it, then it is a new movie. So, my Best Of lists usually tend to have more older titles than newer ones, which might have something to do with the lack of originality in modern day productions. That being said, I was amazed to see how many newer titles ended up on my list this year, with 7 out of the 10 coming out within the last three years. That was a very nice surprise and gives me hope for the future of the horror genre. Now let’s get to this year’s Best Viewings list.

This was another good year for movie watching for me, getting a total of 412 films for the year, and 196 of those being new viewings. That doesn’t beat my record since I’ve been keeping track over the last 15 years. My all-time record was in 2020 when I got 422 total and 259 of them being new viewings. But a damn site better than last year! I always strive to average out 1 movie a day, but don’t always do that. So, getting over 400 was a nice surprise this year and one trend I hope I can continue. Here they are, listed in alphabetical order.

All the Moons (2020) – I stumbled across this one on Amazon Prime, with no idea what it was about and was completely blown away with it. While some would say that it just borders on the horror genre, because it deals with vampires and the supernatural, I’m counting it. But if you’re looking for a film to actually be scary, then this isn’t one of them. But I hope, however, that doesn’t stop you from watching it because it is an incredibly beautifully made film.

A young girl who is living in a convent for young girls during the late 1800s, a young girl is the only survivor after the convent is destroyed during a bombing, though she is seriously injured. A strange woman arrives to save that not only does she have healing powers, but she can give the girl immortality, if she promises to stay with the woman and be her companion. The young girl agrees and is taught the ways of being a vampire, to feed on the blood of dying soldiers, to avoid the sunlight, and to keep hidden from normal society.

I’ll leave the rest of the story for you to discover, but it is a beautiful story that spans many decades, with some really well-written characters that many of them go without even having a name. As I say, not really a horror film but I think it has enough elements in the supernatural for everyone to enjoy.

Directed by Igor Legarreta and filmed in Spain, and stars Haizea Carneros who plays the young girl. Itziar Ituño and Josean Bengoetxea also star in the film, both of whom also appeared in Errementari (2017), a film that also blew me away that needs to be seen.

Antlers (2021) – I had heard about this one when it first came out but had completely misunderstood what the story was about, so I passed it up until 2022. So glad I did get to it because it is an amazing piece of cinema. Without giving much of what the story is about, it takes place in a small mountain town that really looks to be on its last legs, close to becoming a ghost town. A new teacher, who actually just returned to this town that she grew up in, notices that one of her students is showing signs of abuse and wants to help. What she doesn’t realize, there is something very strange going on at the boy’s home. Could it be something that his father came across in the old, deserted mine in the beginning of the film?

Director Scott Cooper, who’s first film, Crazy Heart, snagged a Best Actor Oscar for star Jeff Bridges. Antlers is his 5^th film, and he once again has the benefit of having a very talented cast, especially that in the role of young Lucas, played by Jeremy T. Thomas. His performance immediately captures your attention and heart, as you understand the very bad situation he is in, especially when you find out he also has a younger brother, played by Sawyer Jones. Keri Russell plays the teacher, who grew up dealing with her own abusive father, so she not only knows the signs, but gives her even more reason to want to help.

This is a film that makes you feel just like the town they are living in . . . just depressed. You feel sorry for them, but understand their plight, not being able to afford to leave, or just feeling like they have to stay there because it is their home. But when this new terror arises, nobody is expecting it. And let’s give a real shout out to the makeup effects team who designed, created, and brought the creature that we see onscreen. Original, effective, and damn creepy.

The Body Snatcher aka Ladron de cadaveres (1957) – A friend recommended this title to me and just happened to find it at the next convention I was at, so I immediately picked it up. I’ve been a fan of Mexican horror films since the late 90s and have recently really started to delve into the El Santo films, so I wasn’t completely thrown for a loop on the mixture of horror and wrestling. But what I wasn’t expecting was that it was not only taking itself very seriously, but it was pretty damn entertaining.

A mad scientist is trying to put the brain of animals into wrestlers, thinking because of their strength, they can withstand the operation. However, like all mad scientists, the plan doesn’t go as well as they thought, and he ends up creating monsters. An up-and-coming wrestler agrees to help the police in finding and arresting this scientist and again, it doesn’t go according to plan. Directed by Fernando Méndez, one of the key figures in the early Mexican horror films. Right after this film, he would direct El Vampiro (1957), El ataúd del vampiro aka The Vampire’s Coffin (1958), and Misterios de ultratumba aka The Black Pit of Dr. M (1959), all considered classics in the genre. Ladron de cadaveres is filled with actual wrestling (especially when compared to what they call wresting today), monsters, and a lot of action. Great stuff.

The Cursed (2021) – First of all, I still stand by the statement that this is not a werewolf movie! Might be about humans turning into some sort of beast-creatures, but it is not a werewolf movie in the traditional means, where a character is cursed and turns into a wolf every full moon, or even whenever they want. Agree or disagree, makes no difference on just how great this movie really is. It does do an exceptional job at showing just how much we suck as a species!

In 19^th Century France, a rich landowner decides he wants these gypsies off his land, so he decides to just have them massacred. But a curse is set upon the family before it is all over. A set of animal teeth, in the form of a kind of set of dentures, is put in someone’s mouth and one of the landowner’s children is bitten. Then the curse starts, and bad things happen.

The film has a great story, taking a different take on tradition and what the viewers might be expecting, but it is a very captivating and intense story, that no matter what kind of film you think it is, I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy the hell out of it.

The Dark and the Wicked (2020) – There are some horror movies that are exciting, thrilling, and can even leave you a little breathless at some points. But then there are those like this one, that just fill you with a sense of dread. While there are more than enough elements in this film to creep you out, as well as give you a few good scares, it is the tone of the movie that will remain with you long after the credits finish. Writer / director Bryan Bertno gives us a tale about an old woman who lives with her dying and comatose husband out on a goat farm. Her son and daughter return home to the farm, even against their mother’s wishes, to help out and be there for their family. Shortly after their arrival, something even worse happens, that sets the two siblings in a tailspin of trying to figure out not only why it happened, but what is causing all the strange things happening around the farm.

This is a great script, and well directed, but I feel that it is the performance of the two siblings, played by Marin Ireland and Michael Abbott Jr. that really make this film have the impact that it does. Especially with Ireland, since she basically is the “witness”, the character that we, the viewer, are following along with what she is seeing, trying to figure it out as she does. The film is very dark in both tone and look, with a lot of scenes taking place in and on the farm, with very little lighting. This one will definitely get under your skin and have you thinking about it for days afterwards. That is a sign of a very effective and powerful horror film.

Hellbender (2021) – A couple of years ago, I saw the film The Deeper You Dig (2019), which was a low budget film, but I really enjoyed the originality of it and the characters. Turns out that the film was made by a family, with the Father (John Adams), mother (Toby Poser) and their daughter (Zelda Adams), being the writers, directors, as well as playing the main three characters of the story. It impressed me so much that when I heard about Hellbender, made by the same family, I knew I would check it out and once again, I was very impressed.

Poser and her daughter Zelda are in the mother / daughter roles again, but this time, the daughter Izzy, is not allowed to leave their property for some reason, while the mother does all the errands. During their time together, they write, perform, and record their rock songs. Another sign of their talent . . . they are really playing the music that they actually wrote. But Izzy starts to feel restless, longing to have friends besides her mother. When she does wander off and meets a stranger, something bad happens. The mother tries to explain why she must stay away from other people, but that doesn’t stop Izzy.

A very different look at witchcraft, being very unique and quite different than what you’d expect, but damn creepy and effective. I’m really digging this family’s approach to filmmaking and love that it is a family business, not to mention that they seem to really be good at what they are doing. Definitely some people to keep tabs on.

Hellraiser (2022) – I went into this like I have for the previous entries in the Hellraiser series, with not a lot of hope. Since the last 5 entries in the series have been less than stellar, I was hoping a new and fresh set of eyes on the subject might bring in something better. And just like opening the box, my prayers were answered.

Directed by David Bruckner, who was the co-director on independent films like The Signal (2007) and Southbound (2015), as well as the incredible The Ritual (2017), we get not a sequel or remake really, but just another tale in the Hellraiser mythos. We’re never really told that the “Priest” in this entry is the same character as Pinhead from the originals, but since the only similarities are the rows on pins around the head and face, I guess some feel that would be enough. Personally, it didn’t matter to me. The same goes with that the character was played by Jamie Clayton instead of Doug Bradley. Both performances are well done and memorable.

Now, while the original is still my favorite, and I do like Hellbound and half of part 4, let me say that I felt that this new entry was as close to the original as we’ve gotten so far. The issue I have with Hellboard is that the Cenobites are brought to the forefront right in the very beginning and throughout the film, taking a lot of their mystery away. But in this new film, they go back to hiding in the shadows, only getting glimpses of them here and there. We see something, but we are not exactly sure what we’re seeing. I think that works so much better than having them walking about in the light. Sure, just a personal thought, but that does affect my reasoning on why I like this one so much.

Odessa A’zion plays a young and troubled woman who is trying to keep herself clean, but old habits die hard. When she starts obsessing over a little puzzle box her and her new boyfriend had stolen, the deeper she gets into the puzzle, strange things start to happen around her.

The designs of the Cenobites are a cross between the new and the old. We see a Chatterer, the Priest (aka Pinhead), but there are a few new ones that are just as terrifying. But again, they are kept out of the direct light so we can’t really see the details of their pain and suffering, which again, I really liked that.

Give it a chance when you can. Well worth your time.

Terrified (2017) – Out of all of the films I watched last year, this has to be my absolute favorite. How much did I like it? Enough to where I watched it three times inside of two weeks. Now this isn’t the gory clown movie that is all over the internet, but a film from Argentina, written and directed by Demián Rugna, that will definitely give you the creeps. I’ll tell you right now, this isn’t a film that ties up any loose ends at the end of the story, so if you’re one of those that has to have everything explained and makes sense out of it all, you might not like this one. But if you can get past that, you have to see this one.

There is an area in this town that seems to be either cursed, or maybe a gateway to hell, but strange and terrible things happen there. When a young man wakes up in the middle of the night to see is wife floating above their bathtub, slamming back and forth against the wall, he can’t fathom what is going on. Granted, he is taken into custody because his wife’s blood is all over him from him trying to stop what was happening. And then it gets really strange! A young boy is hit by a bus on the street in front of the house, but apparently the body comes back and is found sitting at the kitchen table. A retired cop is called back to help a friend on the force to try and help explain what is going on. As they delve deeper into the mystery of the area, while being helped by a couple of scientific researchers, more and more creepy things happen, and more and more scares are given.

I first came across this on Amazon Prime and could not believe more people weren’t talking about it, which is what I’m hoping to do by covering it here.

The Third Eye (1966) – Earlier in the year, on one of our Discover the Horror Podcasts, when we were covering Joe D’Amato films, I, as well as my other two hosts, were shocked to find out that D’Amato’s notorious film Buio Omega (1979) aka Beyond the Darkness was actually a remake of a film called The Third Eye. Lucky for us, it wasn’t too long after that Arrow Video released their Gothic Fantastico: Four Italian Tales of Terror box set, which included The Third Eye.

When I sat down with it, I figured the story would be only a passing similarity with the D’Amato film, because there is no way a film that came out in the mid ‘60s was going to be as dark and twisted as the remake. Boy was I wrong.

Frano Nero plays a young count with a domineering mother who is driven mad once both his mother and fiancée (played by Erika Blanc) are mysteriously murdered though they both look like accidents, though the audience knows who is behind it all. Right after the funeral, he digs up his girlfriend and because he is a taxidermist, he stuffs her like one of his animals and keeps her in his bed. This gets kind of weird when he brings home new girls to sleep with and they see the corpse lying there next to them!

Gioia Pascal plays the housemaid that wants more in life than her current job and agrees to help the count hide the bodies of these girls he brings home, but only if he agrees to marry her. But just when we think things might turn out somewhat normal, his fiancée’s twin sister shows up and Nero completely loses it.

This really is a must see, whether you’re a fan of Italian gothic horrors or just of the genre, it is amazing how dark and twisted this film is for one that came out in 1966. Granted, all of the films in that Gothic Fantastico set are worth seeing!

X (2022) – I have liked quite a bit of Ti West’s films but have never loved any of them. Until now. I caught this opening weekend, and it blew me away. Not only was it a great film and had an original story, but I also loved how West took all the staples and usual trappings of horror films and turned them on their heads. You think you know how the film, or even a particular scene is going to go, but it goes in a different direction. He assembled a great cast, created a unique story and location, and then let it all play out in front of the camera.

While at this time it was really unknown at the time, but while I was seeing it for the first time, I had no idea that Goth was not only playing Maxine, but the old lady Pearl as well. Major kudos to her because that could not have been easy, especially under all that makeup. But it really works. You really feel for the characters, who are strong and independent, but they really aren’t bad people. Maybe a little misguided but are trying to make it. Okay, maybe they are bad people, but the script gives them a little more depth than some crazy hicks out in the mountains like we normally get.

The film was beautifully shot with some really amazing camera work. There are plenty of moments that will have you jumping, squirming in your seat, as well as parts that you won’t see coming. Kudos to Goth for creating two characters and playing them so well. Then again, the rest of the cast are perfect as well, especially Own Campbell, the film student with his eyes on fame from being a classy director, to his young girlfriend, played wonderfully by Jenna Ortega, who decides she wants more than to be a boom operator on the film.

Honorary Mentions

Last Night in Soho (2021) – Amazing shot and crafted story by Edgar Wright, filled with an incredibly talented cast of actors, both young and older, really making this film a wonder to view.

Come True (2020) – Low budget film that really gets you thinking, in this tale very reminiscent of Cronenberg, about a young girl doing a sleep study.

The Sadness (2021) – Probably one of the bloodiest, most violent, and gory films of the last couple of years. Not a zombie film, but more on the lines of 28 Days Later, it still packs a punch and makes some scenes difficult to watch.

Crimes of the Future (2022) – A triumphant return of David Cronenberg. Not his best film by any means, but it really feels like Cronenberg from decades ago. And it’s a great little film.

The Black Phone (2021) – Scott Derrickson’s twist on the serial killer movie, throwing in a bit of ghost story to make it different, which it does, and he does quite well. Set in the ‘70s, which they pull off incredibly well, it really keeps you guessing how it is going to end. Stellar (and scary) performance by Ethan Hawke.

UGH!

Now, I try not to be negative here at the Krypt (keyword: try) but there were a few films that I saw this last year that just made me shake my head in shame. Now, films are obviously subjective to the individual viewer, and if a person enjoys it, then good for them. Just because I didn’t care for one, or if I did like it, that doesn’t mean everyone else should feel the same. But there were a couple of titles, big name titles with a lot of hype, that I felt I needed to comment on.

Halloween Kills (2022) – I have not been a fan of the Myers series since the original Halloween 2. I never saw a need or a reason to bring this new trilogy back, other than to cash in on the fans. I’m not sure when creators decided it was okay to just ignore what had previously happened in the series and go in a completely different direction. Maybe they’ve been taking cues from politicians that just act like they never said or did anything wrong or stupid, so therefore it never happened. But even if we ignore that they are ignoring everything after the original film, this new series is just plain silly.

The fact that in this second entry in this new series, Laurie Strode is screaming at everybody “You fucking sheep! It’s not him!” is about the most real and truthful comment about this new series. And if the “evil dies tonight” comment was said one more time, it would have made any attempt at a drinking game of it deadly. Seriously.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022) – Yes, this new entry does actually have a chainsaw massacre. But besides that, it makes the new Halloween series look like Hitchcock was directing. Dumb doesn’t even begin to explain this film. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to realize someone looked at this new Halloween series, bringing back Curtis to make a sequel to the original, and decided to do that with the TCM franchise. Just the idea that Sally from the original, was able to not only get on with her life, but then become a Texas Ranger spending all her free time trying to track down the ones responsible for her friend’s death, is about as silly as you can get. The fact that Leatherface would be in his ‘70s, but yet could still be as active and strong as he is, again, just silly. Wait, or are we trying to say he’s now some sort of Michael Myers or Jason and is indestructible?

It’s one thing to try and reboot a series because of a creative idea, but when it is rebooted solely on getting money from the fans and not really caring about the final product, I think it is pretty sad. I know that making money is the whole point of movies but sometimes the creative ones involved get to make the main decisions.