5 - SPLICE
Making bold decisions along the way, Splice weaves a challenging tale of science, parenthood and sexuality all in the disguise of a well crafted science fiction horror hybrid. The performances were top notch and the creature was highly imaginative and visually interesting. For the most part more about spectacle than gore, the film does sport a very "Gallagher" moment when a cage containing two squabbling creatures overturns and splatters the audience in red gooey goodness. At its core, it’s a genetic take on the Frankenstein story infused with sexuality and parenthood. Perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the year, Splice is a fun, thought provoking, visually stunning monster film.
4 - SHUTTER ISLAND
All I really have to say is the director’s name, Martin Scorsese, and the inclusion of Shutter Island to a top 5 list is immediately understandable. Add in popular actor Leonardo DiCaprio and it’s impossible to ignore. Based on Dennis Lehane's 2003 novel, Shutter Island is a genre blending thriller weaving a haunting tale of U.S. Marshall investigating a missing inmate at a secluded asylum and dealing with his own demons along the way. Hanging on the fringes of the horror genre with its psychological undertones and revelations, Shutter Island illustrates the more fragile corners of one man’s mind and questions what is perceived versus what is real. Scorsese is in top form, displaying astonishing transitions and set pieces. He subtly drops in visual cues hidden in the narrative to cue the more observant viewers in on the story. All the actors are fantastic, riveting. Shutter Island is a mind challenging treat that deserves to be viewed - and enjoyed - multiple times.
3 - RARE EXPORTS: A CHRISTMAS TALE
Last year, Dead Snow was the little independent foreign flick that could; this year, it belongs to the Finish film Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, a confident gem of a twisted holiday treat. Never has the legend of Santa Claus taken such a devious little turn. In Rare Exports, an English archaeologist excavates a mysterious frozen block of ice out of the Korvantunturi mountains unleashing an unfriendly holiday threat the to the locals trying to keep their family business from bankruptcy. Impressively directed by Jalmari Helander with beautifully cinematography by Mika Orasmaa, Rare Exports a wonderful adult genre treat for the genre fan for the holidays. A must see.
2 - LET ME IN
A Hammer Films remake of a hit Swedish film Let the Right One In, Let Me In stars Chloe Moretz and Cody Smith-McPhee as Abby and Owen, a pre-teen vampire and an outcast lonely boy. Directed by Mike (Cloverfield) Reeves, Let Me In matches the haunting beauty found in the international success and creates a touching, emotional English companion. Moretz and Smith-McPhee deliver the best genre performances of the year with the rest of the cast equally stunning. Devoid of all the typical State-side genre tropes (over-aged teens, jump scares, jokey dialogue, and bad CGI effects), Let Me In is the most mature adaptation of a vampire tale the US theaters have seen in a long time. Well done.
1 - PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 2
Last year, a tiny budgeted shocker took America by storm and created a monster hit. Paranormal Activity touched on a common fear - what if your house is haunted. A sequel announced for October 2010 had most curious whether it would measure up or fall flat. Would it be an Aliens to Alien or a Blair Witch Project 2 to Blair Witch Project? Director Tod Williams follows the same formula originated by Orin Peli and brought only a few needed tweaks and changes to great effect. The most successful being the addition of a fleet of security cameras through out the house which allowed Williams to ramp up the tension allowing the viewer to see more than the residents in the home. Of all the movies seen this year, Paranormal Activity 2 was the best time I had in the theater. I jumped, screamed and laughed at all the right places. It may not have been the best crafted film (that would have been Shutter Island), but it was the film that resonated with me the most and has become, without a doubt - for me, the best horror film of 2010.
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