Summer of 84 (2018)

Summer of 84 is a fun film with a great ending. A lot of people say that it has a Stranger Things vibe but for me, it is more like Stand By Me & Goonies.

The story is incredibly tense, and in the end, it transforms into a brutal horror film. I’m a sucker for twists, and this one caught me completely out of a guard. The characters could be developed a little more, but the actors are all great and a delight to watch. The flick also has one of the best scores I’ve heard in years.

Your appreciation for this movie will depend on how much 80’s nostalgia appeals to you because the movie nicely recreates that decade and its teenage culture.

Unsane (2018)

Unsane is a very unique movie. Steven Soderbergh never stops to amaze me.

In this low budget but well-done Horror/Thriller, he crafted one of the most uncomfortable, unnerving, scary and creepy movies that I’ve seen in a while.

In my opinion, one of the reasons the movie has this unsettling vibe is because it was filmed on iPhones. It also has a cool 70’s vibe and an amazing performance of Claire Foy.

Soderbergh could have made any movie he wanted to, yet he chooses to make this one. And I respect that very much!

Hereditary (2018)

What a great directorial debut for Ari Aster. This is an instant horror classic. Not a cliché slasher movie, but a refreshing change for the genre.

I loved the story plot. It’s a slow burn horror so don’t expect cheap jump scares and meaningless gore but expect a strong feeling of discomfort and a very disturbing atmosphere.

To summarize, Aster made a dread-filled masterpiece.

Halloween (2018)

This is a very enjoyable sequel to the original Halloween with John Carpenter on board.

Forty years have passed since the original movie was released to theaters. And the director David Gordon Green does a great job continuing Carpenter’s story.

Michael Myers is back and more brutal than ever. He is still absolutely Terrifying. Jamie Lee Curtis gives an excellent performance reprising her role as Laurie Strode, who has been suffering from PTSD for 40 years following her escape from Myers back in 1978.

Halloween 2018 is a lot of fun and a solid return to form. It has some great murderers scenes, a lot of gore, and that old-style horror movie feels. Also, I loved all the callbacks to the original and the fantastic score. It is not a perfect flick but, is a major upswing from anything we’ve got in the past.

Finally, a Halloween sequel that is worthy of the name it bears.

Suspiria (2018)

Suspiria is a brutal movie. So Shocking and unapologetic.

The cinematography is gorgeous, and the dance sequences are amazing. The movie has stellar performances from Dakota Johnson and Tilda Swinton and was directed by Luca Guadagnino.

I love the slow burn of this movie. Suspiria has an unsettling atmosphere the whole way through without resorting to cheap tricks. The horror sequences in the movie are some of the most visceral and brutal you will ever seem.

The last 30 minutes are beyond the usual hack and slash. And it is probably one of the most bizarre cinema experiences you will ever have.

The Perfection (2019)

The Perfection is one of the most insane movies I’ve seen. A revenge film that is as unsettling as it is gruesome. It reminds me so much of Asian horror films.

The movie is super weird and pretty disturbing at some parts and it has really good twists. At first, I thought the movie was about one thing, then it became something else, and then it became entirely different.

The Perfection keeps you on your toes the entire time. And I think that more filmmakers should take more chances like the director Richard Shepard did in this movie.

Happy Death Day (2017)

I came to Happy Death Day with very low expectations and I was pleasantly surprised with the movie.

This is a fun approach to the slasher flicks using the Groundhog Day trope with a great performance from Jessica Rothe.

The movie had some inconsistencies here and there but overall I thought it was a good flick. It has some fun and gruesome murder scenes and a lot of mystery. It doesn’t take itself seriously and achieves exactly what it wanted to. Mix horror, comedy, and sci-fi genres and make a very entertaining movie.

I loved the twist ending, I didn’t see it coming at all.

There is a sequel for Happy Death Day called Death Day 2U which is actually pretty good and explain the reason behind the time loop. I didn’t include it on this list because it tones down the horror and slasher elements, and double down on the comedy and Sci-fi ones.

Creep 2 (2017)

Creep 2 picks up at an unknown amount of time after the events of the first movie.

The sequel more than lived up to the original. It is just as weird and unsettling as the first one. A real emotional roller coaster throughout.

The acting is great, Mark Duplass does an awesome job being creepy. And I really like the concept of a serial killer going through a midlife crisis.

Some awesome anxiety-driven scenes break conventional horror-film traditions. The atmosphere is phenomenal and, if you like the first one you will love this one.

I’ve read that Duplass is writing this as a trilogy. So, I can’t wait for the third movie!

Get Out (2017)

Get Out makes for a strong directorial debut from Jordan Peele. He has done an impressive job with this movie.

I love how this is a horror/thriller film while also being very thought-provoking in its social commentary on racial issues.

The story and the characters are amazing and you really feel the tension building throughout the movie.

Get Out is chilling, gripping and extremely twisted. Very tension driven and so well executed!

The Babadook (2014)

The Babadook gets under your skin and has a genuinely creepy vibe throughout.

This original Australian horror is truly disturbing. Many will see it as a straight-up monster movie. But this is actually a horror flick that doesn’t use jump scares moments, but a great script about depression and grief.

The slow deterioration of the main character is so scary as any monster would be. The whole time you feel like something terrible is coming.

Director/writer Jennifer Kent made a truly iconic horror film.