Last good horror/thriller?

dr gonzo

I'm not trying to start a thread attacking any current films or film making styles but Shutter Island made me think that there hasnt imo been a really intense, mysterious terror (not horror) filled film in ages. I saw the trailer for Shutter Island and i just thought it looked like an old-school, intense thriller and i wasnt wrong.

Anyway thats a complete mess of a post but basically can anyone think of any fairly recent films that have been genuinely scary or engaging without being torture porn rubbish like hostel. quality script, film making etc?

To get the thread rolling the only one thats coming to mind is What Lies Beneath. It came out right at the time when supernatural films had gone by the wayside and

I found it refreshing that the antagonist was actually a ghost in the end

. Very well made film suspense wise.

Professey Chin

Drag me to Hell got me good but Im a massive Sam Raimi & Evil Dead fan.I missed horrors like that.

dr gonzo

Ultimate Chin wrote: »

Drag me to Hell got me good but Im a massive Sam Raimi & Evil Dead fan.I missed horrors like that.

Ah yeh of course, i loved that film.

DazMarz

Horror movies that have been genuinely creepy and terrifying and not just cheap gore-filled slash-fests that rely upon ''jump'' techniques (revealing the ghost in the mirror with a big musical crescendo is a pet peeve of mine) have been very few and far between in recent times. There is so little out there that can be deemed original or even remotely scary viewing. But in the last decade or so, some movies have stood out for me as having genuine moments of creepiness and horror, that made goosebumps rise...

-The Sixth Sense: more psychological than pure horror really, but it definitely has its moments where you do feel a sense of horror. Superb performances from Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment and Toni Collette make this truly inspiring as a modern masterpiece of film making. While it does not neatly fit into the horror pigeonhole (nestling more comfortably in the more ''Supernatural Psychological Chiller''....) it is nonetheless one of the most confident, assured and critically acclaimed films to fall under the sweeping umbrella genre of horror that has been made in cinema history.

-Eden Lake: again, this British film relies more upon suspense and a psychological edge rather than pure horror to drive home it's brilliance. The plot revolves around a young city-yuppie couple who try to escape their lives for the weekend to the idyllic countryside. They are increasingly hassled by a group of local teenagers. Things start to rapidly escalate and the film enters into survival horror of the highest calibre. The most frightening element of the whole film is how ''normal'' and ''everyday'' the threat and horror is and how easy violence is meted out. The clichés fly mightily, but some great performances make sure that this film stands out amongst the crowd of Naughties' horror movies.

-28 Days Later: another British flick, this time we have one of the most brilliant forays into the zombie film sub-genre ever. Britain lies ravaged and broken by a super-virus that turns normal humans into bloodthirsty and vicious killing machines. The few uninfected survivors struggle to survive in the harsh landscape of a country torn apart. Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson and Christopher Eccleston all play roles in this superior horror flick, which boasts some genuinely horrifying moments, but also ratchets up the tension and suspense masterfully several times throughout. Was also followed up by 28 Weeks Later which is also a very good film and well worth a look.

-Saw: despite the litany of progressively more awful sequels that now pollute late night-TV, the original Saw was revolutionary when released in 2004. Again, like most of the better horrors, it relied more on suspense and psychological elements, rather than straight out slash-and-gash (though there was no shortage of gore on display throughout, perfect for those of weak dispositions). It has since spawned the sub-genre of 'digital horror movies' and was even such a pop-culture icon in the mid-to-late Naughties, it inspired Christopher Moltisanti of The Sopranos to attempt to produce his own "Saw meets The Godfather Part II" horror movie, released as 'Cleaver'.

Black Swan

Let the Right One In (2008)

MickShamrock

28 Days Later

t4k30

The fourth kind. Terrifying !!

sweetie

DazMarz wrote: »

-Eden Lake: again, this British film relies more upon suspense and a psychological edge rather than pure horror to drive home it's brilliance. The plot revolves around a young city-yuppie couple who try to escape their lives for the weekend to the idyllic countryside. They are increasingly hassled by a group of local teenagers. Things start to rapidly escalate and the film enters into survival horror of the highest calibre. The most frightening element of the whole film is how ''normal'' and ''everyday'' the threat and horror is and how easy violence is meted out. The clichés fly mightily, but some great performances make sure that this film stands out amongst the crowd of Naughties' horror movies.

Would put Dog Soldiers and The Descent ahead of Eden Lake imo. I think the director of those two, Neil Marshall, produced EL.

ziedth

I can't genuinely remember being afraid in a cinema since scream.

I also think saw deserves mire credit then it gets because it suffers from it's sequels althoug I did enjoy the second one tbh

reap-a-rat

I wasn't scared too much in the cinema when I saw PAranormal Activity, but I sure as hell didn't sleep a wink that night!! I also found The Blair Witch project truly terrifying!

Magic Eight Ball

Ils (Them)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Them_(2006_film)

Denmark101

t4k30 wrote: »

The fourth kind. Terrifying !!

I haven't seen that- I'd love to see a good horror actually- who directed it?

Morlar

'Hush' for a very low budget british horror movie it was pretty good.

dr gonzo

some good british ones there that i had completely forgotten.

loved Dog Soldiers, descent and 28 days/weeks later

never saw eden lake, must give it a go.

uncleoswald

Has anyone seen The House of the Devil?

Been waiting for its release since I saw the trailer but I seem to have missed it or more likely it didn't get one, as it is now out on DVD. I thought it had a good spookey vibe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nafjwtha_ps

DazMarz

Trevor Coulahan wrote: »

Ils (Them)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Them_(2006_film)

Yes, have to agree totally with this one. It was one of the films I forgot to mention. I found it to be one of the most truly unnerving and chilling horror movies to be released in the last while.

"Come play with us.... why won't you play with us....."

Never trust angelic looking kids... They're bound to be little Satans!!!

TonyD79

The Mist is the best horror I have seen in recent years. Directed by Frank Darabont who also directed Stepen Kings other film The Shawshank Redemption.

Drag me to Hell wasnt really scary,- I laughed through most of it but my GF couldnt sleep after watching it:rolleyes:

The fourth Kind looks pretty terrifying but its got awful reviews and the whole based on actual events turned out to be B.S which takes away the scare element for me anyways.

Scruff

I thought The Mist was excellent as well.
Didnt think too much of the The Fourth Kind. The whole "based on a true story" line made it interesting if it hadnt been BS. When that was gone it just turned out to be slow moving and boring instead of having a load of suspense.

I thought Pandorum was pretty decent for a sci-fi horror.

very like Dead Space game if ye have played it but actually works as a movie[/url]

dr gonzo

Scruff wrote: »

I thought Pandorum was pretty decent for a sci-fi horror.

very like Dead Space game if ye have played it but actually works as a movie[/url]

I thought pandorum looked quite event horizony. is worth a look?

Also +1 for the mist, some bad reviews and

Quite a lot of hate for the ending

but on the whole i thought it was a good watch.

rich1874

Ultimate Chin wrote: »

Drag me to Hell got me good but Im a massive Sam Raimi & Evil Dead fan.I missed horrors like that.

Have to agree, Drag me to Hell was the best film i've seen in the horror/chiller genre for a good while. And i bet it'll be another while before i see one as good.

Mike Litoris

Session 9 is the best horror/thriller/mystery I've seen in a long long time.

Zero-Cool

uncleoswald wrote: »

Has anyone seen The House of the Devil

Oh my God don't waste your time on this! Truly awful, not one bit scary and very predictable. girl and boy alone in house. oh theres a noise, boy goes to check doesn't come back. tripe!

Is Session 9 any good? Dunno if I could take Heratio seriously.

Might give Ils a go if its as good as ye say. Always looking for a really scary film but they are few and far between.

+1 on Paranormal Activity. I was fully sure we had a demon in our place for weeks after!!

MrStuffins

A lot of great recommendations here but..........

t4k30 wrote: »

The fourth kind. Terrifying !!

STAY AWAY!!!!!!!

Tripe!

Zak Flaps

Not a recent movie by any means but a movie a lot of you scary movie fans may not have heard of. The Changeling (not the recent Angeline Jolie flick) was a genuinely scary movie. Made in 1980 starring George C Scott, would be in the mould of (for example) The Others as regards a spooky atmosphere.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Changeling-DVD-George-C-Scott/dp/B001AOHPYO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1270394000&sr=1-2

Well worth a look.

sxt

"The Descent" is another good un- A caving expedition into the deep depths which has eerie consequences

Myrddin

Mike Litoris wrote: »

Session 9 is the best horror/thriller/mystery I've seen in a long long time.

Strange, I found it absoloutley dire. It has the honour of being one of the only two dvds Ive ever given away. That, and Jaws 3...says it all for me

magma69

The Machinist was a damn solid psychological thriller/horror. Engaging plot and very well directed. It has an unsettling tone throughout the movie. Christian Bale's physical appearance was scary in and of itself. His performance was really good too.

Session 9, directed by Brad Anderson also is a very underrated little gem of a flick. Like The Machinist, it is not a masterpiece but a damn solid 7/8 out of 10 movie.

Edit: Just realised Session 9 has been mentioned. I really should read the thread before I post!

Mike Litoris

EnterNow wrote: »

Strange, I found it absoloutley dire. It has the honour of being one of the only two dvds Ive ever given away. That, and Jaws 3...says it all for me

Horses for courses etc. People have a hard time believing that I walked out of Jerry McGuire after 20 mins and that I thought The Dark Knight was absolute tripe but there you go.


Magma69 - Session9 deserves the second mention.:D

Myrddin

Mike Litoris wrote: »

Horses for courses etc.

Couldn't agree more There are many films I didnt like which seemed quite successful.

Watched Pandorum last night, it wasnt too bad. A little disjointed in places but quite watchable.

7th Moon tonight....anyone seen it?

Mike Litoris

EnterNow wrote: »

Couldn't agree more There are many films I didnt like which seemed quite successful.

Watched Pandorum last night, it wasnt too bad. A little disjointed in places but quite watchable.

7th Moon tonight....anyone seen it?

I actually thought the first 3rd of Pandorum was great but it was like the writer ran out of steam and switched style and suspense for some stale action ****.:(

RandolphEsq

sxt wrote: »

"The Descent" is another good un- A caving expedition into the deep depths which has eerie consequences

+1 on the Descent

Also, I thought Creep and Rec were scary. Rec was very creepy

Paranormal Activity anyone? I haven't seen it myself

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAnbWCjmOkA

ScumLord

Pontypool and the mist where good horrors that didn't fall back on gore.

Hank Scorpio

eden lake is a masterpiece - the ending is fantastic

watched the mist the other night after seeing it mentioned here, twas quiet a good movie

the descent is a decent movie, however i`d the descent 2, didnt think much of it.

old hippy

The Descent is a horror movie, surely? Damn fine one, at that.

If we're doing horror, I'd say Wolf Creek is pretty disturbing. Possibly most disturbing I've seen.

Audition - Japanese horror at it's best.

Oh and The Baby's Room. Awesome.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0430164/

InKonspikuou2

A mix of some horror/thrillers i liked from recent years.

Orphan
Dorothy Mills
Thirst (Bawkji or something to that effect in Korean)
Ils
Let the right one in
The others
[Rec]
El Orfanato
The Strangers
Martyrs
The Ruins
Red
Dead Man's shoes
A tale of two sisters
Rogue
Hard Candy
May
Inside
The Children

RandolphEsq

RandolphEsq wrote: »

Paranormal Activity anyone? I haven't seen it myself

It wasnt great to be honest. A good idea that was spoilt by very annoying actors. There were some creepy exceptions but overall it's quite boring.

Zero-Cool

I really enjoyed paranormal activity. Sure, wasn't the most exciting film but I can't remember the last time a film made the audience so quiet. The night scenes move in fast forward until something is going to happen and the clock on screen slows down. No one made a noise, no eating, drinking, shifting in chair, whispering, nothing. Complete silence. Was a really class atmosphere in the cinema (such a rar thing now a days.) Don't think the film would work well on dvd.

PS. Hard Candy in the list above sucked

MiloYossarian

Paranormal Activity and Martyrs were the two best horror films I've seen in years. In general horror films tend to be a bit cack unless you're an eight year old boy or real girly girl. I enjoyed Drag Me To Hell, but didn't really consider it a horror. I enjoyed Final Destination 3 as well because, for the same reason, thought it was entertaining. Re-watched Gingersnaps recently too which is a really good film, even if the effects are somewhat dated.

InKonspikuou2

sheehy83 wrote: »

PS. Hard Candy in the list above sucked

Okay it's not the easiest film to watch but it far from sucked. In terms of film making and performances it was very good.

belly19

Found Martyrs to be one of the best horrors I have seen in the past couple of years. This blog on the new wave of french horrors also reviews other movies http://newwaveoffrenchhorrorfilm.blogspot.com/

GirlOfGlass

Antichrist - it's more of a physiological thriller, so it's not exactly a proper scare, but it's certainly very strange and fcuked up!
I thought it was very good anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hw03QayJ2fU

adox

The Exorcist 3 is actually a really un-nerving and dark film. Really well worth a look.

Zero-Cool

GirlOfGlass wrote: »

Antichrist - it's more of a physiological thriller, so it's not exactly a proper scare, but it's certainly very strange and fcuked up!
I thought it was very good anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hw03QayJ2fU

Haha I thought the one scene where

she hits his bits with a stick and then jerks him till he starts shooting blood

hilarious! What a strange strange film!

GirlOfGlass

sheehy83 wrote: »

Haha I thought the one scene where

she hits his bits with a stick and then jerks him till he starts shooting blood

hilarious! What a strange strange film!

Possibly one of the strangest things I've seen. SICK!

fcussen

I haven't actually seen it but The Human Centipede http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wmTv2nqTHo looks like a larf.

corryworry

I could write a much longer post on the worst horror movies of late but I won't go off topic
I am a big believer that how good a scary movie is depends on your mood at the time of watching and your surroundings.
For anyone that hasn't seen paranormal activity yet, be thankful that you didn't get your experience of it ruined by ignorant teenagers in the cinema like i did - rent it and watch it in a dark room, it will probably scare you s**tless!!
Others that I have really enjoyed being scared witless at recently are -
The Amityville Horror (original & remake)
The Strangers
The Fourth Kind (ruined when i found out the true story claim was BS thou)
Pet Sematary (only watched it for the first time recently - I literally hid under the duvet!!)
The Mist (although someone had kindly already told me the ending:mad:)

Quick Question, has anyone seen Cloverfield? Want to know if it's worth watching - is it scary?

MiloYossarian

fcussen wrote: »

I haven't actually seen it but The Human Centipede http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wmTv2nqTHo looks like a larf.

Yeah, it is an interesting premise but it's supposed to be a complete cop out. The people in the centipede have their pants on which kind of defeats the purpose. And, I always wondered what the plot would be? You have a doctor who wants to create a human centipede so he kidnaps people and sews their mouths to the anus of the person in front of them, and then they have another person sewn to their anus. How do you fashion a plot out of that? Probably a cop on his trail or something like that, but still.

Zero-Cool

corryworry wrote: »

Quick Question, has anyone seen Cloverfield? Want to know if it's worth watching - is it scary?

I think it is definitely worth watching but don't be expecting an excellent film. Got a lot of mixed reviews and anyone I asked either loved it or hated it so you should just give it a go, see what you think. Loved that the camera guys name was HUD but thats just the games geek in me.

MiloYossarian

Quick Question, has anyone seen Cloverfield? Want to know if it's worth watching - is it scary?[/QUOTE]

Cloverfield is an excellent film, not sure about scary, depends on your tolerance levels I suppose. It's a high concept film that really pulls off its high concept. If you go into it dumb all the better, I saw it in the cinema when it first came out and was cloaked in mystery.

x in the city

classic film

almost believable.

and live now from sa we have sky news reporter john johnson...!

dr gonzo

Cloverfield and [REC] are both great. Watched Pandorum last night and its actually very enjoyable.