It’s the time of year when readers are flooded with top ten lists full of movies that other people think they need to see. And here is one of them.
Thankfully, horror is the one genre that kept pumping during the 2020 Pandemic, so these lists are varied and diverse. Hopefully, you’ll find some surprises here. And who knows? Maybe your new number one?
The Rental, courtesy IFC Films.
10. The Rental
The Rental is the first of three IFC Midnight films on my list. IFC has been the savior of cinema in 2020, and movies like The Rental are why. This home invasion slasher creeps and crawls. It also features one of the best ensembles of the year with Dan Stevens, Alison Brie, and Sheila Vand in the main cast.
Available on Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital everywhere
Underwater, courtesy Twentieth Century Fox.
9. Underwater
Underwater is aquatic horror at its finest. It hits the ground running as a disaster movie, and the audience has chewed its fingernails down to the nub before a single monster even shows up. And monsters do show up.
Available on Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital everywhere
Possessor Uncut, courtesy Neon.
8. Possessor Uncut
Brandon Cronenberg earns his last name with Possessor Uncut. David Cronenberg’s son picks up where his dad left off when he started chasing awards, with a gooey sci-fi thriller that is full of surprises. Not for the faint of heart, but so good.
Available on 4k/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital everywhere
Host, courtesy Shudder
7. Host
Host is the movie that best encapsulates 2020, both in production and content. It was directed and shot over Zoom, and the plot revolves around the social networking business app. It also helps that it’s scary as hell. Not the best movie of the year, but easily the one that best represents the times.
Streaming on Shudder
The Platform, courtesy Netflix
6. The Platform
The Platform is 2020 on a more cerebral level. This dirty, grimy, brutal movie is a thin analogy for class structure, and one that is executed flawlessly. It’s also a very unsubtle warning to the upper classes.
Streaming on Netflix