By Rob Watts. Follow @RobWattsOnline
It’s only my opinion, but I think you’ll enjoy most, if not all of these 5 underrated (some forgotten) horror films. In no particular order of importance, here is my recommended list. Also check out my 10 More Horror Movies to Watch.
Borderland (2007)
Selected as one of the “8 Films to Die For” at the After Dark Horror Fest, Borderland is based on the true story of Adolfo de Jesus Constanzo, the leader of a satanic cult that practiced human sacrifices. The plot involves three American college students who travel down to Mexico for a week of strip clubs, prostitutes and debauchery. While their guard is down, being the naive travelers that they are, one of the men gets kidnapped and is held in a secret location as he awaits his fait during a human sacrifice. Keep and eye out for actor Sean Astin as he plays an uncharacteristically sadistic character. The film is very suspenseful, dark and gritty. It avoids the typical horror film stereotypes (as much as it can anyway) and keeps your interest throughout the film.
You’re Next (2011, 2013)
This independent slasher film revolves around a family reunion at a big vacation house in Missouri. The family, suffering from their own dysfunction, is targeted by masked assailants who surround the home, allowing no one to escape. Each family member is picked off one by one by the unknown terrorizers and it’s up to the remaining few to band together for their survival. There is, however, a pretty clever twist at the end. So if you’re not wild about gory effects in movies, the payoff at the end may be enough to keep you engaged throughout the entire film.
The Babadook (2014)
This creepy Austrailian psychological thriller is a film about a single mother and her young son who are tormented by an evil entity brought upon by a mysterious pop-up children’s book. In addition to the creeptastic tone of the film (like most Austrailian horror films), it also deals with sadness of losing a spouse, a child’s behavioral problems and deep psychological issues. It all swirls around a deep-thinking horror film that should be viewed with little distraction. You might be left scratching your head for a bit after watching this, but it has a way of staying with you until you’ve formed a solid opinion of the film.
The Hearse (1980)
Looking for an old school, classic ghost story from back in the day but are tired of watching the ones you’ve already seen? This 1980 film went widely unnoticed but it still packs the punch of a creepy, haunted house film made with the techniques that only the late 70s/ early 80s could provide. A city woman moves into the country after inheriting her late aunts house in a small, yet suspicious town. She is immediately shunned by the community upon her arrival at the home, which was used by her aunt to practice witchcraft and other satanic practices. Little does she know, the house is filled with secrets and slowly but surely, haunted occurrences begin to unfold in this eerie, suspenseful film.
Alone with Her (2006)
As if personal privacy hasn’t been a big enough issue already, this 2006 psychological thriller Alone with Her will creep you out at every turn. This part hidden camera, part POV shot film stars Collin Hanks as a twisted stalker who breaks into people’s homes, sets up hidden nanny cam-type spycams throughout the house, and begins to obsess over his victims, studying them to the point of lunacy in attempt to make interaction with them based on his knowledge of the victim’s daily routines, interests and behavior patterns. This is exactly what happens when he obsesses over a young girl that he randomly discovered in a local park one day. The fact that she was completely unaware that she was being spied on is disturbing enough, but how he manages to enter her life is truly terrorfying. A must-see film that should serve more as a wake up call, rather than a an entertaining horror film.
Harmonious Elements of a Composition! 