Holy shit – another year down…..and another year that Mister Covid reared his/her ugly head and kept a lot of people out of the theaters (again). But…..throughout all of that mess, us horror fans still had plenty to cheer for in 2021! Now, below are a few of my personal favorites of this past year – followed by a few stinkers that were super stinky and really stunk like poo poo. I hope you enjoyed that last sentence because it was written by a 5-year-old. Let’s get to it!
Some Of The Best Of 2021
4. Psycho Goreman
Where my hunky boys at??? Wait, that sounded…….nevermind. But yes, even though Psycho Goreman was not particularly scary – it was damn entertaining, funny, gory, and it made me want to have a best friend like PG. Even though it was technically released in 2020 (there is another on my list like this as well), I didn’t get the chance to see it until it premiered on Shudder in 2021. Psycho Goreman hit my 80’s nostalgia spot right where I needed it to, and I’m down for a sequel and more hunky boys! Wait, that sounded…….
3. Fear Street Trilogy
Ok, more nostalgia spots getting hit here. While I hadn’t read the R.L. Stine books that the Fear Street Trilogy movies were based on, I still had a lot of fun watching them and honestly felt like this was one of those instances where something actually lived up to the hype. Broken down into three movies and time periods (1994, 1978, and 1666), the Fear Street Trilogy had a little something for everyone and didn’t skimp on the gore either. I went in expecting to be let down (possibly due to all of the hype), but came out borderline ‘loving it’.
2. Caveat
Again, much like Psycho Goreman, this film was technically released at festivals in 2020 – but Shudder gave Caveat the streaming treatment in 2021. The more this movie went on, the more I was intrigued (and that damn bunny was the cherry on top). It’s a slow burn for sure (much like another movie, Sator, that almost made my list) – but I dug the payoff, even if the ending was a bit ambiguous. Definitely checks the boxes for the creep factor, and the acting was top notch as well. Shudder wins again!
1. Candyman
I know, I know – it’s a somewhat controversial pick….but just be glad I didn’t put Malignant here. I honestly loved this re-imaging/sequel of the Candyman franchise. It was unnerving at times (much like the original) and the last 10 minutes were perfection to me. Did it feel rushed and a bit sloppy right before those last 10 minutes? Perhaps. But it didn’t take away from how I felt about the acting, the stunning cinematography, social commentary, and the homage to the original 1992 Candyman. This is how a reboot of a horror franchise should go!
Honorable Mentions: Malignant (yeah, yeah – get over it), A Quiet Place Part II (a great theater experience), Willy’s Wonderland (sure, why not), Sator, Army Of The Dead (fuck it, I had fun with it), A Classic Horror Story, V/H/S 94 (probably my favorite of the franchise), The Queen Of Black Magic (Shudder!), Censor
Some Thoughts On The Worst Of 2021
I thought about this for about 2 minutes (I gave no effort really) and I didn’t really have a huge list of movies that I hated for 2021, so therefore I don’t really have a ‘list’. I was prepared to put the Wrong Turn reboot/remake up here……but then the more I thought about what a batshit crazy plot it had, the more that I kind of thought it was ok. In a terrible kind of ‘ok’ way.
Also close to a ‘worst of’ list for me would be The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. It had little to no substance, either in the scares or plot department. It felt generic and almost like a rushed cash-grab. Maybe not the worst of the year for me, but definitely up there with the most disappointing. Vera could still get it though.
Ah, and then we come to Halloween Kills. Now keep in mind, I watched this twice in two nights (thanks, Peacock) because I thought maybe I missed something given how a good majority of my fellow horror fans were raving about it. All I got left with afterwards were “Evil Dies Tonight!” memes stuck in my head. Again, it wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever seen – but how some people were saying it was perfect still keeps me up at night (I’m a light sleeper). We shall see if Halloween Ends (god these titles they chose are stupid) can be my sleeper pick for the best of 2022, but I shall keep my expectations as low as the plot line for Halloween Kills.
See ya later, 2021! Onward and upward into 2022!
