Horror Quarter 1, 2020
The beginning of 2020 has swept through with a fun mix of horror films. I was able to catch up with 12 new releases. See below for my ratings of each:
Color Out of Space 3.5
Zombi Child 4
Gretel and Hansel 3
Come to Daddy 3
The Lodge 3.5
After Midnight 3
The Invisible Man 3.5
Extra Ordinary 4
Disappearance at Clifton Hill 2.5
The Hunt 3.5
Swallow 3.5
Snatchers 3
You would think with the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing, I could have watched far more films. But, I want to give a shout out to the television show The Outsider, which I decided to watch instead, and I'm glad I did. I highly recommend that supernatural mystery and King adaptation. Yet, this is the only television I can recommend at the moment. I've decided to take a break from TV generally, and focus more on my writing. Don't fret, because I shall not give up my consumption of genre film, my true love!
These first few months of 2020 were stronger than most year's initial months for horror films. I didn't see anything terrible, although I confess that I avoided a few films, namely The Grudge, Brahms: The Boy 2, The Turning, and Fantasy Island. My least favorite film from quarter one was Disappearance at Clifton Hill, a crime mystery type that I wouldn't recommend to horror fans due to lack of actual horror and some questionable writing decisions that influenced the viewing experience negatively.
On the flip side, my favorite film was Extra Ordinary, an Irish, supernatural-horror comedy directed by Enda Loughman and Mike Ahern. Extra Ordinary is a lot of fun, and with a cast like Maeve Higgins and Will Forte, you know you're in for something special and silly. I saw Extra Ordinary at an Alamo Drafthouse, and before the film they played a short horror film called Place, which was so so so good. However, I cannot find information about it anywhere! If you've seen or heard about this short film, let me know.
Also in the camp of films I liked best this quarter was the art-house zombie film Zombi Child, a strong entry into that subgenre. Zombi Child takes the zombie lore back to its roots in a slowburn, dramatic way that is seriously refreshing. Other high-level recommendations I have are The Invisible Man, The Lodge, The Hunt, and Color Out of Space. I hope these recommendations help in some small way, as we all live in quarantine and ride out the pandemic together (but separate). You can also follow me on Letterboxd. Happy, bloody watching!
