Best Horror Movies of 2010
2010 is finally over. Now, it's time to pick the best fright flicks of the year.
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- DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsNatalie PortmanMila KunisVincent CasselNina is a talented but unstable ballerina on the verge of stardom. Pushed to the breaking point by her artistic director and a seductive rival, Nina's grip on reality slips, plunging her into a waking nightmare.Director Darren Aronosfsky's psychological horror film about a ballerina on the edge of sanity tops #1 this year, thanks to Natalie Portman's Oscar-worthy performance, and some truly disturbing moments of paranoia, sexuality and shock.
- DirectorMatt ReevesStarsKodi Smit-McPheeChloë Grace MoretzRichard JenkinsA bullied young boy befriends a young female vampire who lives in secrecy with her guardian.An American remake of "Let The Right One In," Matt Reeves finishes 2010 with the be-all-end-all of vampire movies that is supported by great direction, a stellar cast, and a heartbreaking story.
- DirectorVincenzo NataliStarsAdrien BrodySarah PolleyDelphine ChanéacGenetic engineers Clive Nicoli and Elsa Kast hope to achieve fame by successfully splicing together the DNA of different animals to create new hybrid animals for medical use."Frankenstein" meets "The Fly" in Vincenzo Natali's sci-fi horror film about two scientists that splice two genes together and get a female creature that is partially human, but very violent. Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley work very well together, and the idea that we're not too far away from this type of science helps to make "Splice" a movie that David Cronenberg would be proud of.
- DirectorTod WilliamsStarsKatie FeatherstonMicah SloatMolly EphraimAfter experiencing what they think are a series of "break-ins", a family sets up security cameras around their home, only to realize that the events unfolding before them are more sinister than they seem."Paranormal Activity" was a box-office success thanks to a wonderful marketing campaign and lots of scares. The sequel, "Paranormal Activity 2," doesn't demand audiences to see it. However, Tod Williams' film equals the original. It's very creepy, it doesn't look like the cast is acting, and the build-up is fantastic. The house doesn't consist of just one camera, but six, and therefore, you are on the edge of your seat with suspense. Sounds like "PA2" offers up more sleepless nights than its predecessor. The best sequel since "Aliens?" It's possible.
- DirectorBreck EisnerStarsRadha MitchellTimothy OlyphantDanielle PanabakerAfter a strange and insecure plane crash, an unusual toxic virus enters a quaint farming town. A young couple are quarantined, but they fight for survival along with help from a couple of people.Breck Eisner's remake of Romero's 1973 film is better than the original. It's super-scary, and the messages on bio-terrorism and fear of disease gets to you more than anything about the film. "The Crazies" is good enough to drive you insane.
- DirectorMartin ScorseseStarsLeonardo DiCaprioEmily MortimerMark RuffaloTeddy Daniels and Chuck Aule, two US marshals, are sent to an asylum on a remote island in order to investigate the disappearance of a patient, where Teddy uncovers a shocking truth about the place.From director Martin Scorsese("Taxi Driver," "Casino," and "Raging Bull"), "Shutter Island" stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo as two federal marshals that visit a creepy asylum where a patient has supposedly escaped. As the marshals delve deeper into the history and the hospital's treatments, their fate does not look pretty. Obviously inspired by David Lynch("Blue Velvet") and Stanley Kubrick("The Shining"), "Shutter Island" is very atmospheric and nightmarish, and it has an A-list cast, including: Ben Kingsley, Emily Mortimer, Max Von Sydow, Michelle Williams, and Jackie Earle Haley. "Shutter Island" will stay with you long after you've watched it.
- DirectorAlexandre AjaStarsElisabeth ShueJerry O'ConnellRichard DreyfussAfter a sudden underwater tremor sets free scores of the prehistoric man-eating fish, an unlikely group of strangers must band together to stop themselves from becoming fish food for the area's new razor-toothed residents.Once in a while, a horror movie comes along that doesn't take itself seriously, and its only purpose is to entertain. "Piranha 3D" knows what it is, and it is a fun popcorn flick that offers up something for everyone: Lots of gore, gratuitous nudity, cheesy acting from big-name stars, and large carnivorous fish. What more could you ask for?
- DirectorAdam GreenStarsShawn AshmoreEmma BellKevin ZegersThree skiers stranded on a chairlift are forced to make life-or-death choices, which prove more perilous than staying put and freezing to death.Basically "Open Water" on a ski-lift, "Frozen" is director Adam Green's("Hatchet") biggest surprise yet. Three kids on vacation at a ski-lodge decide to go for one last ride down the hill. Suddenly, the lodge shuts down, and they are stuck on the lift. How long can they survive? Can they find any way of getting off the lift without breaking a bone or being attacked by ferocious wolves? Unbearable suspense and major "ouch!" moments make "Frozen" a winner!
- DirectorDaniel StammStarsPatrick FabianAshley BellIris BahrA troubled evangelical minister agrees to let his last exorcism be filmed by a documentary crew.Let's just nickname this one "The Linda Blair Witch Project" and say that for a PG-13 horror film, it scares the living daylights out of you.
- DirectorSamuel BayerStarsJackie Earle HaleyRooney MaraKyle GallnerThe spectre of a disfigured man haunts the children of the parents who murdered him, stalking and killing them in their dreams.One, two, Freddy's coming for you. Jackie Earle Haley brings back the fearsome side of Freddy Krueger that was lost in the sequels. And with the idea of micro-naps, staying awake is that much harder for the Elm Street teens, and you never know when somebody is asleep or not. A sorely underrated remake.
- DirectorJoe JohnstonStarsBenicio Del ToroAnthony HopkinsEmily BluntUpon his return to his ancestral homeland, an American man is bitten and subsequently cursed by a werewolf.That's right. "The Wolfman" makes my list of the best horror of 2010. Anthony Hopkins, Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, and Hugo Weaving shine, and the gory kills are great. This film is not like "Van Helsing"(Thank god!), and it is done so much in the spirit of a good, old-fashioned monster movie. "The Wolfman" made me howl at the moon with glee!
- DirectorTom SixStarsDieter LaserWinter WilliamsAshlynn YennieA mad scientist kidnaps and mutilates a trio of tourists in order to reassemble them into a human centipede, created by stitching their mouths to each others' rectums.It's definitely not a pleasant film to watch, and the acting isn't all that, but it's so bizarre, disturbing, and surprisingly original. It won't appeal to everyone, that's for sure. And I most likely never want to watch it again. But I suppose fans of midnight movies will find some schlocky entertainment value in "The Human Centipede."
- DirectorJames WanStarsPatrick WilsonRose ByrneTy SimpkinsA family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further.Directed by James Wan and Leigh Whannell, the creators of "Saw," and produced by "Paranormal Activity" director Oren Peli, "Insidious" is this generation's "Poltergeist." It is easily one of the creepiest, most frightening, surprising, original, and well-acted haunted house movies since "The Others." Warning: if people at your window scare you, don't watch this movie. A PG-13 horror movie with actual dread.