By Rebecca Rinehart
Rebecca’s Top Films of 2019
Giving credit where credit is due, I split my list into my top 5 theatrical releases and top 5 independent releases. Though some of the indie releases were not technically 2019, they all were released to the broader American audience within the year.
Theatrical Releases
5. Doctor Sleep
Mike Flanagan’s beautiful adaptation of the Stephen King novel lovingly pays homage Stanley Kubrick’s version of The Shining while adding the updated story of Danny Torrence dealing with a life of trauma. Performances by Ewan McGregor as adult Danny, Rebecca Ferguson as Rose the Hat and especially 14 year-old newcomer Kyliegh Curran as Abra elevate this to much more than the usual ho hum King adaptation.
4. Brightburn
We all have wondered what would happen if Superman was inherently bad and this film certainly gave us a brutal glimpse into that alternate reality. Elizabeth Banks as the conflicted mother of the otherworldly creature added a great amount of depth and heart. This gem from David Yarovesky gave horror audiences what they have been craving: low-budget quality filmmaking distributed to theaters instead of VOD.
3. Crawl
Alligators are often portrayed as villainous creatures in film. But Crawl made them even more terrifying not with genetic alteration or mysterious space meteors: Alexandre Aja merely paired plain old gators with a hurricane, creating a perilous situation that made us all wonder just how long we could hold our breath. Though this film seemed to have a very far-fetched premise on the surface, the actual plausibility of the scenario made it all the more terrifying.
2. Ready or Not
This movie surprised me as being the most fun I had in a theater all year. Samara Weaving, who wowed us in The Babysitter last year is likeable and relatable as the new bride in a quirky yet seemingly loving family of game barons. The characters were charming, the game was sadistic, and Weaving’s character kicked some serious ass against her in-laws.
1. Midsommar
If Ready or Not was the most fun I had in the theater in 2019, Midsommar made me equally uncomfortable in the same auditorium. Wunderkind Ari Aster’s follow-up 2018 fan-dividing Hereditary was anticipated as being one of the best or worst films of 2019 by the same crowd. Set in the bright midnight sun of Sweden, we follow Dani (the wonderful Florence Pugh) through the largest array of emotions and situations one person could imagine dealing with. The contrast of the white costumes, pale cult members, and idyllic imagery with physical and mental brutality pushes this one to the top of my list.
Independent Releases
5. One Cut of the Dead
While not all in the horror community agree that this should count as horror in our 2019 lists, I vehemently maintain that this is a movie made specifically for horror fans and thus deserves consideration. This low-budget Japanese film from 2017 made its way to American audiences on Shudder this year and with an incredibly creative twist (that I cannot divulge) became endearing to those of us who love independent horror. Must watch.
4. Clownado
Iconic SOV director Todd Sheets brings us yet another bizarre situation: evil magical clowns being transported by a tornado. Before dismissing this as a cash grab or Sharknado rip off a viewer must know two things: the title was developed years before the SyFy film series and these clowns are freaking SADISTIC! Led by Big Ronnie (brilliantly played by John O’Hara), a gang of satanic circus performers wreak havoc on a town already dealing with a natural disaster. A loveable group of wayward travelers band together to defy both dangerous elements. Many of Sheets’ familiar faces including Douglas Epps, Antwoine Steele, Sheila Brandon-Allen, and Dilynn Fawn Harvey make this almost a dream team ensemble for low-budget horror fans.
3. Cherokee Creek
Bigfoot movies have become scarce and low-quality in recent years, so the incredible poster art for Cherokee Creek featuring a sinister Bigfoot drew fans into the film. However, Todd Jenkins’ Sasquatch is particularly angered by urine and semen and coincidentally surrounded by a group of drunken juvenile guys throwing a bachelor party under the ruse of a camping trip. Strippers (of course!), sex, adolescent humor, gore, and even male full frontal nudity come together in a hilarious combination between a sex comedy and creature feature. Jenkins and costar Billy Blair use their real-life close friendship to add another level of enjoyment to the film. Come for the Bigfoot, stay for the boobs and blood.
2. Slaughterhouse Slumber Party
Director Dustin Mills is not exactly known for high-brow serious films. In what almost feels like a middle finger to naysayers, he brings us Slaughterhouse Slumber Party: a combination of naked pillow fights, demons, tons of blood, fart jokes, and a film-within-a-film that begs to be made. The cast is stellar, especially the hilarious Haley Jay Madison as the crass IBS-suffering party girl Courtney. Mills and FX guru Marcus Koch developed the practical and CGI effects that give this film a USA Up All Night vibe.
1. CarousHell
Though this film came out in early 2019, it has steadily remained at the top of my list all year. Steve Rudzinski’s strangely entertaining tale about Duke the Carousel Unicorn is definitely geared towards a very particular sense of humor and sensibility (namely, mine). Tired of being abused by ungrateful brats at the amusement park, Duke decides to go on a rampage against a particular boy who is being dragged to a party by his older sister. Filled with running gags and witty one-liners by Duke, this movie never fails to have me laughing hysterically. Again in a scene-stealing performance, Haley Jay Madison is Sarah, a woman whose lifelong desire is to be with a virile unicorn.
Becca is a horror podcaster, YouTuber, interviewer and writer who has an extreme passion for all things macabre.
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