Monsters
Anne Murphy
Six years after Earth has suffered an alien invasion a cynical journalist agrees to escort a shaken American tourist through an infected zone in Mexico to the safety of the US border.
Just when movie-goers have been lulled into thinking we've seen it all before, along comes a creative take on science fiction earth invasion that defies genre classification. Part adventure in a spectacular South American setting, it's the impending threat of romance blossoming, not the foreboding menace of the creatures, that provides most interest. The monsters are inventively depicted, and scary enough, but not as central as the title suggests.
The Descent
Anthony Macali
A group of six woman organize an adventure trip to go cave exploring. Things start to go wrong when they venture down unchartered caverns.
This is a classic genre movie exploiting the chilling atmosphere of murky caves and uncomfortably claustrophobic tunnels. As our adventures descend into the dark, the tension increases and the Gollum-like creatures come out to play. These predators are vicious, predictably narrowing our crew one victim at a time... with excessive blood so thick, it forms pools. A delight for horror fans who don't plan to delve into the sub terrane in the near future.
Let the Right One In
Wendy Slevison
Oscar, a young bullied boy, meets Eli, a beautiful girl who turns out to be a vampire.
If you thought all the original ideas for vampire movies had been used up, think again. Set in Sweden, this film uses the icy, austere conditions to illustrate and emphasise the lonely isolation of its young protagonists. This film holds nothing back as it deals with issues of first love and bullying, contrasted against the violent world of the vampire. The young stars are astonishingly good, and this innovative movie rates highly among the alumni of its genre.
Zombieland
Anthony Macali
A cowardly shut-in is forced to join up with a seasoned slayer in order to survive the zombie apocalypse.
"Zombieland" has zombies aplenty, but it would be unfair to label it this genre alone. In between the biting scenes you'll find a buddy comedy, and an adventure into the malevolent unknown. There are enough guns and gore to satisfy the blood-hounds, but also lessons in surviving the unreal epidemic, often shooting across then screen in its own typically amusing style. The characters are fully-fleshed out and thankfully realised in a world populated by a critical few. Fast, funny and terribly infectious.
Drag Me to Hell
Anthony Macali
A loan officer ordered to evict an old woman from her home finds herself the recipient of a supernatural curse, which turns her life into a living hell.
"Drag Me to Hell" is silly, funny, and far from scary. There are some frights and jumps, often summoned by a shadowy silence broken by loud crescendos. Any moments of genuine terror are banished by absurd humour, and its this release of tension that makes the film such a joy. While the second half might not match the quality of the first, it breaks the curse of formulaic cinema and is a movie that is equally distinct and entertaining.
The Orphanage
Anthony Macali
A woman brings her family back to her childhood home, where she opens an orphanage for handicapped children. Before long, her son starts to communicate with an invisible new friend.
There aren't many things creepier than a house haunted by ghost children. In a scare climax, a medium channels the voices and cries of the sick orphans. It might be a little clichéd, but it's far from shallow. It also deals with grief and loss, themes supported by impressive performances. While the story lingers in these moments, the twists of the finalé forgive the build-up. A beautiful story of life and death, "The Orphanage" is a film not to be abandoned.
The Loved Ones
Anne Murphy
When Brent turns down Lola's invitation to the prom, she concocts a wildly violent plan for revenge.
"The Loved Ones" take ingredients familiar to the horror genre, lonely country roads, self-conscious teenagers, power tools and a high school dance, and creatively serves them up in an inventive story. This movie is both frightening and funny, typically the comic moments are more frightening than fun. The recognisably Australian production is all the more macabre for having been achieved without shiny special effects, no gloss. It's crowned with shockingly good performances from actors we'll see more of. There's a haunting message that love hurts.
Diary of the Dead
Anthony Macali
A group of young film students run into real-life zombies while filming a horror movie of their own.
The internet video revolution has spawned a number of these "home camcorder" films. This medium is ideal for creating a claustrophobic and isolated environment, the perfect playground for zombies to scare. A relentless sense of dread seeps from the screen, a feeling that augments the relief and humour of other parts of the story. Scenes often end in fits of laughter, with the living dead dispatched in an array of innovative manners. With a mix of solid scares and laughs, and a fresh new perspective, "Diary of the Dead" is great fun.
Daybreakers
Luke Bartter
In the year 2019, a plague has transformed almost every human into vampires. Faced with a dwindling blood supply, the fractured dominant race plots their survival.
This violent, sci-fi horror presents the original idea of a vampire society with humans as the minority, giving the cast many great moments. The story and visuals are enjoyable, and by packing so much into a brief running time, there's never a chance of being bored. Whilst lacking in subtlety, clever action scenes and plenty of gore ensure "Daybreakers" has more than enough energy and excitement. It's far from perfect, but it's refreshing to see a vampire movie that doesn't suck.
Blessed
Anne Murphy
Seven lost children wander the night streets while their mothers await their return home.
"Blessed" pulls no punches as it explores a day in several corrugated relationships between mothers and their children. Melbourne is the gritty urban setting, effectively underscored by a pulsing soundtrack. For a film so set on portraying realism, it is surprising that some of the intertwined storylines stretch credibility beyond the boundary of believable. This is counterbalanced by a couple of stand-out performances that could wrench a still-beating heart right of your chest. Dead-beat, down-beat, cursed, cursing and blessed.
Paranormal Activity
Wendy Slevison
A couple becomes increasingly disturbed by a nightly demonic presence.
The title of this 'mockumentary' alone will be enough to send shivers down the spines of some. Following the 'haunted house' premise, this is a low-budget, high-scare-count thriller that works well due to the apparent normalcy of the protagonists. Filmed simply and sparingly - the hand-held camera work is a perfect device for enhancing the disarming 'real-life' quality - the suspense builds slowly but effectively. So does the nervous tension in the cinema, and the nail marks in the armrest! Not for the faint-hearted, take a friend and go in daylight hours.
Insidious
Stefan Bugryn
A family is haunted by evil spirits who try to embody their comatose child.
This has to be one of the scariest movies made in a long time. As a narrative, it doesn't break any new boundaries, but uses old-school shock tactics extremely well. It thrives on familiar moments like 'what's around the corner?', and 'who made that noise?', whilst slowly revealing the plot (and genuinely horrific creatures) as you go along. There are odd moments of humour that break the mood and don't belong in the film, but as a salute to the Hollywood Book of Horror, it is a frightening treat.
Black Sheep
Andrew O'Dea
An experiment in genetic engineering turns harmless sheep into blood-thirsty killers that terrorize a sprawling New Zealand farm.
"Black Sheep" is a horror comedy pertaining to the most unique of premises. It's clever and fun and gets away with it because there's no need to pull the wool from our eyes, and it's easy to just sit back and enjoy the mutton madness. These 'baa-baa bad sheep' blend enough humour and gore to create a sublime comedy. If you don’t take things like this too seriously, ewe'll be sure to laugh...
Thirst
Wendy Slevison
A failed medical experiment turns a man of faith into a vampire.
Take equal parts sex, love, murder, humour, religion, violence and vampires. Add one talented, visually adventurous director and a good dash of excellent acting, and you have a wild and unique cocktail called "Thirst." Drink it up, and you will definitely feel as though you have had an unusual, albeit lengthy, experience. This horror/comedy saga has so much going on that your head will be spinning by the last drop. A taste sensation not for the faint-hearted, but plenty of shocks and laughs for those brave enough to try it.
Rare Exports
Andrew O'Dea
In the depths of the Korvatunturi Mountains in Finland, 486 metres deep, lies the closest ever guarded secret of Christmas.
"Rare Exports" is a clever horror comedy that presents a very dark take on the tradition of Santa Claus. The unique and intelligent premise is what drives the film, and although some may find it slow in parts, the unusual story is strangely entertaining. It has a distinct visual style set against the white and cold of remote Finland, and considering its minimal budget, the perfectly apt CGI puts most big-budget Hollywood fare to shame. Perfectly fine stocking-filler.