Horror Quarter 1, 2021

I caught up with 18 new release horrors that came out between January and March this year. See below for my ratings (out of 5) and recommendations:

Synchronic 4

Hunted 3

Psycho Goreman 3

Bloody Hell 3.5

concrete_savanna 2

Saint Maud 4

Shook 2

Sator 4

Come True 4

The Pond 2

Fear of Rain 2

The Night 3.5

Slaxx 3.5

Seaspiracy 4

Lucky 3.5

Violation 4

The Queen of Black Magic 3

Shadow in the Cloud 3

The torrent of quality horror films continues into 2021; one of the few bright spots in an unceasing global pandemic. In a typical year, the horror films that come out in the first quarter are not the most anticipated, often lower-quality material. To the horror fan's delight, the beginning of 2021 has been a string of positive surprises.

Right away in January, we got the newest Benson and Moorhead film, Synchronic. I am huge fan of their other work, especially The Endless and Spring. Their new film brings familiar elements to the table like time travel, dual male leads, and bizarre visuals. Sychronic is less cerebral but remains engaging and even manages to pull at the heartstrings a bit, an experiential combination these creators have perfected over the years.

The film that has stayed with me most since watching it is Saint Maud. I'm even itching for a re-watch sometime soon. I've never seen a film able to balance so deftly the line between religiosity and mental illness. The ideas here are provocative, creepy, and dare I say, even a little queer. Writer-director Rose Glass gives us something really special.

Another must see horror film this year is the Netflix documentary Seaspiracy. From the same producers of the equally-awful titled Cowspiracy, this film takes pains to meet the public where they are on the topics of fishing and ocean destruction, walking the viewer through an important series of issues, culminating in the revelation of the root of the entire problem. I find the gotcha style of these documentaries incredibly annoying, but it doesn't lessen the significance of the information within. This film is for everyone, but it's targeted at all the seafood lovers and plastic-conscious environmentalists out there. It might be the scariest thing I will see all year.

If you're looking for recommendations from 2020, take a look back at my top 10 of the year. Additionally, if you're interested in following along with upcoming Horror Quarters, you can do so via Twitter or my blog. You can also follow me on Letterboxd. Enjoy your scare!