I would also like to thank my partner, Mandy. They have been here for me through it all. So supportive. They knew how much this meant to me. They could see the stupid twinkle in the eye I had when I talk about the blog. It means everything that they have been here by my side.
One of the biggest feats has been getting the opportunity for my first press junket with SYFY for Slumber Party Massacre '21. That was such a wild experience. Unfortunately I wasn't able to do the zoom chat interview, but that didn't stop me as conducted the Interview in my style - through email. It may not be the best way to do it, but it's casual and no pressure. It makes it just a normal conversation. And that's pretty cool.
I also had the pleasure of getting five screeners this year. Into the Blumhouse from Amazon Prime and the Fear Street series. It was wild getting to see them first and then conducting the reviews. Even more so for Slumber Party Massacre as had to deal with having a time where couldn't share certain aspects at first. It's honestly something I feel like has helped strengthen my writing.
And over on Twitter, we hit 473 followers. That's pretty huge considering I hadn't started the Twitter account till just July of this year.
There's also been my health that been dealing with. It's been all dental - so no worries about me going anywhere anytime soon. I underwent surgery and had teeth removed. That's what started everything this year. The blog gave me a way of keeping my sanity while I was in recovery. And hey, now have a big smile once again as received my dentures in time for Christmas. A Christmas miracle indeed.
Now, we are all here so that I can share my Top 10 of 2021. When I first started crafting the list, it looked a bit different. With the last week of last minute reviews, it changed things pretty drastically. Movies I had in the top spot were pushed back. Movies that I thought would be on the list - well, they were sidelined. It's a tough thing to sum up the best horror films of 2021. Or at the very least a Top 10.
*Links to the reviews for each film are available in the titles*
So let's kick things off with
Fear Street was an interesting addition to this list. The first Goosebumps movie I enjoyed a lot. It was one of Mandy and I's first movies that we went to. However, I always hoped for something a little more mature and adult than what we were given. Thankfully, Fear Street managed to be something very special. It brought back such wonderful memories and feelings that I had from watching the Stephen King adaptations in the late 90s/early 00s. It also helped that the films were not afraid of showcasing some of their inspirations on their sleeves. I mean 1994 and 1978 are clearly harkening back to Scream and Friday the 13th. This was also the series that brought this blog back from the dead. Plus the films are just a lot of fun. I'm still hoping that Netflix will wise up to release official blu ray release cause they would sell like gangbusters. And here's to hoping that we will get more Fear Street in the future.
Wrong Turn '21 was honestly everything that I was hoping it would be. It wasn't a retread of the familiar cannibal hickerbilly family that has played out by now. Instead this incarnation proved to be something of a reworking of what a Wrong Turn film could be. It was a pretty bold move that, for me, paid off.
Werewolves Within was just so much fun. It seem to come completely out of nowhere. I wasn't prepared for all of the colorful characters in the film. A lot of things worked together so dang well. And just the way the cast plays off of one another is utterly fantastic.
I enjoyed the original Slumber Party Massacre. It was interesting and honestly among the best in the early 80s slashers. This 2021 retelling brilliantly subverted all expectations. Whenever I thought the story was going to be going one way, the film would be like Nah. It also wasn't afraid of poking fun at itself and at the genre.
6: Antlers
Antlers worked really well for me. Yeah, I was prepared for it to be a creature film. But I wasn't expecting it to be as much of a character piece as it was. It was a nice change in what I came to expect from films lately. And the way that the film just builds to showcasing the creature was fantastic.
Next of Kin was another one that I didn't see coming. I went in expecting this to be a typical Paranormal Activity film. At this point, the franchise had played out its previous story with ghosts. This managed to take all of those expectations I had and smashing them. This is a different kind of film compared to those previous entries. By the end of the film, I was all on board with the direction that they were taking things. I'm hoping that we will see further installments with this storyline.
4: Candyman
Candyman. Candyman. Candyman. Candyman. Candyman. Nia DaCosta delivered a powerful film. The visuals and storytelling was all on point for me. Going into the film, I was already prepared to love it. Something I wasn't prepared for was the places it went. It beautifully mirrors the original film in a way that I haven't seen before. It also re-established what Candyman could be. And boy, he's the whole damn hive. I am prepared for wherever they take the story next as this furthered the mythos in such a unique way.
3: Malignant
Holy Shit! Malignant left me wanting more of this crazy James Wan. He took all of the expectations everyone had for the film and crafted a beautifully chaotic and utterly balls to the wall film. It beautifully follows the evolution of his film style as it starts on one side of the spectrum and ends on the other. That whole third act after the emergence of Gabriel was so off the wall in a wonderful way.
Last Night In Soho is a beautiful Edgar Wright masterpiece. It honestly felt like his Sixth Sense. The journey went on along with Eloise was so good. The visuals and dreamlike visuals is also on point. Plus, Swing Dancing sequence was super cool. I also was so set on knowing where the story was going, but Wright subverted that expectation. He was like Here hold my beer. This is another that I cannot recommend enough.
Holy Shit! The Night House was something that I never saw coming. It managed to get under my skin and make my skin crawl. And still is something that left thinking back on. The relatability of it made the film even more powerful.
Thank you all for a wonderful 2021. Here's to where 2022 takes us.
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