10. Wrong Turn
Listen, the 2021 competition laying ahead is tough. This latest entry into the Wrong Turn universe is fairly watchable and has earned its keep in the modern horror canon. But it also places dead last. That said, I will likely always check in on this series.
9. The Forever Purge
History is surely going to be kind to The Purge franchise. This dedicated and prolific horror storytelling ecosystem is one that demands my respect, even if it’s not exactly my kind of thing. While there are some entries in the lineup I can get excited about, The Forever Purge is not one of them.
8. Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City landed like a bit of a sneeze. Still, we here at Dread Central enjoyed this cinematic refresh of Capcom’s Resident Evil more than the average Joe. What can we say, the mood in this entry was on point. We’ve been fans of director Johannes Roberts’ work for years, and his efforts here lead us to believe that his creative future looks bright.
7. Slumber Party Massacre
SYFY’s Slumber Party Massacre gets points for surprising me. This production doesn’t knock on the door and introduce itself; it lets itself in and slaps you across the face. And that’s alright with me. Directed by Danishka Esterhazy and with a script by Suzanne Keilly, this all-new Slumber Party Massacre might not be for everyone. But we liked it just fine.
6. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It
Initially slated for a September 2020 release, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It was one of the largest horror delays caused by the pandemic. When it finally landed in the spring of 2021, it felt like a breath of relief, possibly inflating my affection for this cheesy and self-serious third film. I firmly believe this sequel is worth its weight in gold in fun, and in 2021, the value of fun has definitely gone up.
5. Spiral: From The Book Of Saw
Darren Lynn Bousman’s Spiral: From The Book Of Saw was just what we needed this year; a familiar face in a fresh new look. Getting Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson into the Saw franchise was a good move. They helped make this gritty Seven-esque installment a little bit more fun. As it was first slated for May 2020 and then delayed a full year, getting to finally sink my teeth into this bloody meat patty was undoubtedly a satisfying experience.
4. Candyman
Nia DaCosta’s startling new vision of Candyman was no disappointment. The subtly of some of the kills and scares deserve applause, and the performances in this reboot were Major Awards Night caliber. Teyonah Parris dominates the screen in every scene she’s in, making me curious as to what a follow-up entry following Brianna would look like. The gallery death scene is worth the price of admission alone. Candyman (2021) will not be forgotten anytime soon.
3. V/H/S/1984
2021 was home to the triumphant return of the V/H/S franchise. Following an enthusiastic world premiere at Fantastic Fest this past September, V/H/S/94 came barreling out of the doors like a chainsaw-wielding cannibal. And how could you ever forget Raatma, the outrageous creature from its Storm Drain segment? You couldn’t, that’s how. You will never forget Raatma. The true Time Magazine Person of the Year. Hail Raatma.
2. Halloween Kills
I know you’re still exhausted from the Halloween Kills discourse. I get it, I’m tired, too. Really. But the fact that we were all up at night talking about this movie—for what felt like months—makes me feel that it’s due some serious respect. Say what you will about the second Blumhouse entry into the Michael Myers universe, it kept the Halloween flame burning bright as ever. There were once brutally long spells of wasteland between Halloween entries. And I’m sure there will be again. So I guess I’m just happy to be here.
1. Chucky
Don Mancini is a hero. The way that we behave, we surely do not deserve him. Yet he rides into town like a knight in blood-splattered armor to deliver us the best television adaptation of a legacy horror franchise that has ever existed. Mancini displays a seriously impressive balancing act of fun, scary, campy, nostalgic, and serious with the first season of his SYFY Chucky series. And we applaud our King. We can’t wait to see what the second season of Chucky does. We have a feeling it’s about to get bigger and wilder than most of us are expecting. See you soon, Charles.
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