Well, it’s the end of another year and what a year it’s been! Some critics have deemed 2016 the worst year in film in a long time but, rest assured, that isn’t to say there haven’t been a good number of horror highlights amidst the disappointment. Without further ado, here is our Perpetual Pumpkin Patch top 5 horror movies of 2016! 5. BLAIR WITCH OK, hear us out… It goes without saying that BLAIR WITCH was not a scratch on the classic THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT but I personally feel that it didn’t deserve a lot of the negativity it received upon its release. Yes, it’s a lot less subtle than the original but there are some genuinely great, scary moments that makes it more than deserving of a place on this list. Whilst many reviewers were of the opinion that you see too much of the witch - whether it IS the Blair Witch is still up for debate - which was admittedly a very different approach to her totally off-screen presence in the first movie, what you did see was very creepy and unsettling. I especially enjoyed the reality-warping aspects that come into play toward the end of the movie with a hint of time-distortion reminiscent of the Grave Encounters movies. Out of all the movies on our list, this is the one I’d most happily rewatch and if you’ve not yet seen it, I’d highly recommend going in with an open mind. 4. 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE Any regular followers of the Perpetual Pumpkin Patch will know that the original CLOVERFIELD movie made our list of top horror films of all time. Needless to say, its successor had much to live up to. We use the word “successor” rather than sequel as the main set-up of 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE couldn’t be further removed from the initial movie’s concept of “Clovie”, a skyscraper-sized Kaiju smashing its way through New York City… The second movie follows Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) who escapes from an assumed unhappy relationship only to be involved in a car crash, shortly after waking up handcuffed to a bed in an underground bunker. The bunker has been built by its resident Howard (John Goodman) who tells Michelle that, since crashing, the world outside has become unsafe and vows to keep her safe providing she stays in the bunker. Rather than sci-fi monster movie, 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE plays out as a psychologic thriller with only hints at something strange going on at the edges. You are never quite sure of whether Howard is telling the truth or whether the world outside really is contaminated which all adds to the mystery of the piece. When all is finally revealed at the end, I personally felt it seemed a little jarring against the tone of the rest of the movie – hence why it is not higher on my list – but as the finale was seemingly divisive with the audiences and the majority of the movie is a great, original mystery-thriller, it’s definitely worth a watch. 3. DON’T BREATHE The set-up to this psychological thriller is as simple as it comes; three young amateur burglars decide to break into the house of an old blind man to rob him for “one last job”. However, they don’t count on the elderly resident being military-trained and a lot less infirm than he seems. At risk of spoiling what is already in this movie’s trailer, the tables are very quickly turned on our three thieves who are forced to fight their way out of the house before their assailant gets to them first. There are twists and turns throughout the movie, the result of which is much better and scarier than the sum of its parts. It has genuinely been a very long time I’ve felt quite as tense in the cinema and the tension itself is expertly crafted, especially during certain scenes where the threesome have to feel their way around a pitch-black basement whilst their antagonist is silently hunting for them. If horror is tension, this could easily be one of the scariest films of the year and, with its tight run-time and low-budget grittiness, it’s definitely the most commendable thriller of the last 12 months. 2. UNDER THE SHADOW This Iranian ghost story is without a doubt one of the best horror movies of the year. Set amidst the Iran-Iraq war, the movie follows Shideh who is left to look after her daughter Dora alone when her husband is called for duty. After an armed missile becomes lodged in the roof of their apartment building and the residents start to depart for safer areas, Shideh refuses to leave her flat which turns out to be a bad idea when her daughter starts to add strangely and it appears she may have been possessed by an evil Djinn… UNDER THE SHADOW is the director’s debut feature film and it is a truly impressive, atmospheric chiller in its own right. Whilst it isn’t the highest horror film on my top five list, it could in fact be the scariest movie of the year and has some horrific imagery that will stay with you long after the credits roll. 1. THE CONJURING 2 I admit I wasn’t a huge fan of the original THE CONJURING movie or its evil-doll spin-off ANNABELLE so I went into the second instalment with relatively low expectations. As it happens, the sequel is far superior and is an effective horror in its own right. Wilson and Farmiga have now fully settled into their roles as the ghost-hunting Warrens and this time they have a real task on their hands… Not only is their new case linked to a the ghost of a creepy old man called Bill and a nightmarish entity The Crooked Man haunting a house in Enfield, they also have to tackle a horrific demonic nun that seems to have a history with Lorraine Warren. The evil nun is the key selling point of the movie, so much so that she is getting her own ANNABELLE-esque spin-off in due course. There is one tension-filled scene in the movie which equates to Lorraine walking towards the camera in a dark room with a painting of the nun in the background of the shot which is quite possibly the single most terrifying scene I’ve experienced in the last few years. This year’s other noteworthy releases include THE NEON DEMON, HUSH, OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL, TRAIN TO BUSAN, THE SHALLOWS, THE INVITATION and GREEN ROOM; all of which were all strong contenders for the final list but didn’t quite make the grade. I’ve also heard great things about THE WAILING which has been on many critics lists of top 2016 horror but, as I haven’t had the chance to experience it for myself yet, I wasn’t able to consider it for my list. As for next year there is a LOT of great horror films to look forward including THE BYE BYE MAN, and A CURE FOR WELLNESS as well as big-hitters ALIEN: COVENANT, THE MUMMY, RINGS, SAW: LEGACY, THE DARK TOWER, INSIDIOUS: CHAPTER 4, ANNABELLE 2, JEEPERS CREEPERS 3, the long-awaited remake of IT and, providing it doesn’t get pushed back yet again, the new FRIDAY THE 13TH. As always, this is our personal top-ten which may not be the most critically acclaimed movies but the ones we most enjoyed. Let us know whether you agree or disagree and what your favourite horror films of 2016 were!
