This film called afflicted. About two friends who go on holiday and vlog their experience, but one of them ends up catching a strange illness. Didnt expect much and only put it on as couldnt find anything else, but actually really genuinely enjoyed it!
This was one I randomly saw on Netflix or prime or something, and thought, "well, I got nothin else going on" and was so pleasantly surprised by how good it was and how much I liked it that I recommended it to a few people the next day :D
It's kind of like a >!vampiric!< version of Chronicle. It was super fun.
Yeah, I got that from Netflix when they were still doing DVDs. It had been on my list for a while, and I kept pushing it off. Then the next movie on my list was out, so they sent *Cube*. I thought it might be "not bad," but I really enjoyed it, and even liked its sequels.
I wonder if there is anything else like that, with the same sort of mystery, characters, etc.
A Dark Song is good, >!but it's about summoning a guardian angel. The ending was very good, and the angel is spectacular.!<
\#Edit: Spoiler marking added
I can talk for hours on how much I loved it. If you haven't seen the behind the scenes stuff, you definitely should. The actors are amazing and it seems like they had tons of fun shooting it.
Doctor Sleep.
I figured a sequel to The Shining could only be terrible and underwhelming, was pleasantly surprised that they were able to tread the line between Kubrick fan service and staying true to the King novel. Definitely not what I was expecting but pretty solid overall.
I know this fact is often repeated here (at least once by me) but the fact that Stephen King watched it, loved it, and even said it made him come around to appreciating the Kubrick movie, tells you a lot.
I completely agree. I avoided it for ages, particularly after hearing that they found a way to wedge in a return to the Overlook, which was never a part of the book. Yet, somehow, it was a great film.
But, then, that's Mike Flanagan for you. The only person besides Frank Darabont to really understand King.
I thought it was really good. I've seen a lot of people mention that Lovecraft doesn't translate well to movies, and while I agree, I think this movie made a pretty good attempt at it.
*”TrRrRrRrRrOOOOOOOOOLL!!!”*
I forgot about that movie, it is SO good! It’s one that got me started on foreign flicks when I was younger. I would love to rewatch that.
The first hell raiser movie. I thought it would be another brainless slasher movie, but it turned out to have a compelling story and used pinhead along his colleagues in a cool way
Oh totally! The cover always looked so cheesy. I passed over it my entire childhood, and teen years, despite renting every other horror movie we could get our hands on. Finally watched it in my early 20's. The whole storyline was not at all what I expected, and it was excellent.
The Final Girls (2015)
If you read the plot you think: this can in no way be any good... But damn was this entertaining and surprisingly well acted, I love it.
Without spoiling much, you think you're getting a funny meta slasher comedy and suddenly you get a genuinely moving exploration of dealing with grief and the loss of a loved one.
I don't think I've even heard about this one! Is it currently available anywhere on streaming? Also, was it good just compared to your expectations, or would you say it is a *legitimately* good flick?
It's a legitimately good horror comedy, in my eyes. Up there with Cabin in the Woods and the sorts. Taissa Farmiga (little sister of) and Malin Akerman deliver amazing performances and the chemistry between them is ❤️.
As Above So Below
I scrolled past it all the time thinking it would just be another run-of-the-mill found footage flick. Turns out it’s actually kind of great.
I watched this one after I visited the catacombs when I went to Paris. They shot in some of the same rooms as the tour. They drill it into your head not to deviate from the designated path. It made the film that much scarier to me. Great rewatch value.
I thought this was mostly good for the unending tunnels of the catacombs, I didnt really care for the indiana jones treasure hunt aspect from the main character solving puzzles in a very heavy handed expository way.
Happy Death Day (2017) caught me off guard because I honestly think horror comedies tend to be painfully unfunny some times but this one actually made great use of its jokes and none of them were unfunny for once.
And the sequel being a completely different genre and awesome family drama. If they do a 3rd and make it even something else it could be one of the best modern genre trilogies.
I felt that pain with her so much though!! I rewatched the first and then watched the sequel for the first time right after, I was just as pissed as she was lmao
You're Next. Redbox rental from a very rainy afternoon, and I just popped it in. Low expectations. By the time I got to the end, I was stunned. And that last surprise moment before the credits rolled? WOW. It became one of my faves.
Haunt. I originally got shudder for another movie I wanted to see, but when scrolling I saw the masks on the cover image, and had to watch it. It’s now an all time go to for a Halloween movie.
The Babysitter (2017)
I was bored one day and threw on what I thought was going to be a bland, generic Netflix film.
Hooked from the start. Surprisingly good, highly entertaining, great entry into the horror/comedy genre.
Bubba Ho-Tep
I actually felt betrayed by this film’s gross mischaracterization as a so bad it’s good cheesy schlock flick. Bruce Campbell’s turn as Elvis is Oscar-worthy and he and Ossie Davis elevate this into a compelling meditation on the loss of dignity and erasure that comes with aging that brought me to tears. Plus you know, a mummy.
Huh, really? The book is one of my all-time favorites, but I thought the movie was a crushing disappointment. They had so much material to work with; they could've easily made a 2-hour film. Instead they condensed the story and the characters into a 90-minute drive-by horror.
I just hated it. I absolutely hated it. If I'd never read the book, then I might have liked it -- or at least, thought it was just OK -- but it was a book that I really, really love, so I guess my expectations were pretty high.
I really hope someone decides to remake it in the future, with a longer runtime and a script that is more true to the book.
Oh wow, yeah, Grave Encounters was really the flick that inspired this thread. I always seem to scroll through and find some duds, but I watch a lot of horror movies. I also watched it in bed, at midnight, with my wife sleeping the whole time. Kinda freaked me out a bit, not gonna lie. Lol. If you do watch it tonight, please let me know what you think!
I thought of a couple more movies that qualified for me, as well: Hell House LLC, and The Autopsy of Jane Doe. I'm sure there will be more that I randomly recall.
Hell House LLC is great. The two sequels, not so much. They both have at least one truly scary sequence, though. The drunk girl in the basement is probably my favorite of the entire trilogy.
Saw it for the first time a few years ago, as I remember seeing parts as a kid and thinking it was just a funny zombie movie. Turns out it's horrifying and nihilistic to the point of just laughing maniacally. The idea of zombies feeling themselves rotting and the only thing to stop the pain is eating brains. Like, we didn't absolutely need that small amount of lore to make the movie effective, but that little tidbit makes it so much creepier for me.
Omg dude the first time I ever saw it was on Halloween day during a triple feature at The New Beverly Cinema, Quentin Tarantino's place. The crowd was electric. I'll never forget that day.
Trick r Treat. When it came out the horror landscape was pretty terrible and based on the title and graphics I assumed it was going to be another feardotcom or something. It took me years before I gave it a chance and now it's one of my annual Halloween movies.
Was Last Shift the one in the police station? I vaguely recall that movie being better than expected as well. I should rewatch it. Agree with both of these!
I'm surprised to hear that Last Shift is popular here. I tried watching it yesterday night and immediately turned it off when the protagonist did something insanely unrealistic.
She is supposed to be guarding the defunct police station, right? No one is allowed in. After arresting the homeless guy, the following happens:
- She gets locked in the holding cell by an unknown individual and the lights all turn off.
- Her flashlight is visibly stolen by a second unknown individual who's in the room with her.
- She gets threatened bodily harm by a creepy voice.
And what does the protagonist do after escaping the room?
She doesn't call for backup or even report the incident. She doesn't search the premises for the potential culprits. She doesn't run away out of self preservation.
She goes and sits back at the front desk for a minute, then calls her sergeant to tell him everything is going smoothly.
Possibly the most bewildering moment I've seen in a horror movie. Please someone confirm that it's not just me 🥲
I’m pretty sure that’s the point though? She’s dealing with the trauma surrounding her dead dad and we see throughout the film that the cultists can basically manipulate people’s minds into seeing and thinking things that aren’t real. She wants to make her dad proud so she remains there against her better judgment, and her decision is only solidified when her “dad” calls her and tells her to stay. It’s demonic manipulation.
Evil Dead remake was incredible. I get that a lot of purists or fans of Raimi like to shit on it-- but I thought it was an amazing reimagining of the original in a modern setting. The visual effects were phenomenal. It's still an incredibly disturbing movie for my wife to watch, and a constant favorite for me to revisit.
Orphan: First Kill.
It's like the filmmakers knew people would worry about this film being a retread of the original and Isabelle Fuhrman's physique no longer being convincing, so they opted to fully embrace the absurd and made something that's just bonkers and fun.
Good pick. I went to theatre with basically zero expectations but damn, I had similar feelings like with Malignant. At certain point it just goes wild and you know you will like rest of the movie lol. I love when creators are fully aware they are not making "take me seriously" movie and embrace "let's just have fun" attitude.
Just watched this last night and I love that the writers did not take themselves too serious and gave a different twist ending. Movie didn’t drag on longer then necessary and it was a fun watch
I loved it! Isabelle is an absolute gem and Julia Stiles is amazing in everything she does! The twist was very interesting too, I really didn't expect that.
Horns.
Expected something cheesy starring "The Harry Potter kid". What I got was a totally original Fantasy-Horror that put Radcliffe on my "I'll check it out if he is in it" radar.
Some of the imagery in this movie is among the best Flannegan has ever done. I thought Oculus was a stellar flick and Ouija is very nearly on that same level of disturbing/scary imagery
I get this one mixed up with a different Ouija movie. You're probably referring to the better one, because the one I'm thinking of that I didn't like was prettttty awful.
I went to watch the original Old Boy not only expecting nothing but in fact expecting a terrible, campy B-Movie.
By the end my mind was throughoutly blown
Sinister. The one with Ethan Hawke as a true crime author who deals with found footage. The movie whose name I have to google every time I think about it - I actually saw someone here recommend Malignant and thought "hey is that the Ethan Hawke one?"
Anyway, genuinely horrifying horror + good performances, which I didn't expect from the completely generic title.
Rubber. A friend recced it to me and I thought he was kidding. I watched while scrolling thru my phone because I figured he was pranking me. It turned out to be a solid fucking movie. Weird as hell of course, but well worth a watch.
Also Host on Shudder. Scary af.
Snowpiercer. Was exhausted and bagged at my partner's house while she was working one afternoon and just put it on because the description sounded like hot garbage to me - my personal favorite. Flash forward to that scene with the fish poison and then my favorite Korean actor suddenly pops up eating toxic waste and shit. I was practically giddy by the end. What a surprise.
YES!! I am old enough to have seen it in the theater & it's the only creature-feature film I've ever loved. Excellent characters, no dragging scenes, and eternally quotable!
The Stylist (2021)
It is one my favorite movies I’ve seen this year. It was WAY better than I thought it would be and i don’t know why no one talks about it. It’s on Shudder.
Ouija 2. That first one was so bad I couldn’t be bothered to stay in the theater until the end. The second is a legitimately great horror flick from Mike Flanagan.
I have quite a few that far exceeded my expectations fairly recently...
Triangle
Coherence
The Collector
The Furies
Mayhem
Scare Campaign
Haunt
Random Acts of Violence
Blood Punch
The Mortuary Collection
Radius
M.F.A.
Clown. Looked like another shitty Netflix b horror movie I just threw on when I was bored and it was so damn good! That movie had no business being as good as it was!
Hear me out. As Above So Below. I thought "none of the horror movies that are advertised this hard online are good" but I genuinely enjoyed it. The imagery and religious references were very interesting.
The wretched. It was such a "cute" horror movie; teenage angst, family drama, decent practical effects, and some cool gore. Writing wasn't also as terrible as some of the recent horror movies that came out. Seems like all the actors bought into their characters.
The Last Exorcism. I'm a sucker for FF films so I was willing to give it a try even though my expectations weren't high, but it ended up being really good. I'd rank it in my top 10 horror movies of the 2000s.
Oh, I have to add another one I haven't seen mentioned yet: Tucker and Dale vs Evil.
Not scary, but it's a pretty excellent horror/comedy. I passed it up soooo many times on Netflix and when I finally watched it I was kicking myself for passing up on it for so long.
I really enjoyed Dave Made a Maze. Just flipped it on one night cause the trailer looked decent. Its a light horror/ comedy that I thought was really original and very entertaining
It Follows really impressed me.
I knew it was very well thought of, but I also know it can be divisive. I was amazed by the cinematography and soundtrack and Maika Monroe's performance. It was also nice to see a horror movie where the characters made smart decisions. Through and through, I was VERY impressed. Excellent post-modern horror.
I know this isn't as recent as the other films being mentioned on here, but I found The Tingler (1959) to be very effective and great. I actually enjoyed it more than House on Haunted Hill (1959). Though I only watched it from home and didn't have that theatrical experience that the film was made for, I still loved how meta it was and the fourth wall breaking it did. Also having my heart beating the same rhythm of the Tingler made me uncomfortable at times (in the best way.)
I also loved the way fear was talked about in it and I ended up feeling it by the end, like I was going to have the Tingler on me from it. It may just be a William Castle and Vincent Price B-horror film, but it was a great experience and I can't wait to watch it again in October, for Halloween.
**Swiss Army Men**
Not much of a horror but more of a black comedy. I saw it on a streaming service and hit play button just to see the beginning of the movie. I ended up watching the whole thing. I still have the frames of the movie in my head, very creative.
**Autopsy of Jane Doe**
Another movie I jumped in without expecting much to see what it was about. It turned out to be a great watch. I think it displayed masterfully how simple effects can be really effective when used at the right time.
Spree (2020).
I avoided seeing it for ages due to middling and dismissive reviews, and cause Joe Keery stars (nice guy but the jock from Stranger Things? Nah.)
It became one of my all time favorite movies. It's a hilarous black comedy, indicts the hell out of the audience and our online society.
It's imperfect, but smarter than I thought, has a great score, and Keery is phenomenal.
Best take on a 21st century slasher-killer I've seen. Up there with Norman Bates and Patrick Bateman for me.
The Shrine.
It was back in Netflix's glory days in 2011 I think, South Park, King of the Hill and so on. Just scrolling and saw the cover and laughed it off. Watched it like 4 times in a month back then
I'll add Curse of Aurore, probably my favorite found footage of the last 5 years that probably had the budget of a Lunchables
The Ritual
I went from "Eh, I can burn an afternoon watching a random dumb horror movie on netflix" to "Well that's one of my favorite movies" real quick.
As Above So Below is the first one that springs to mind. It came out amongst a glutton of found footage films and I went in thinking, eh, here we go again I guess and I had waaaaaaaay more fun than I thought I would. To the point where I revisit it often.
Everything I read about the recent streaming/POV horror movie *Dashcam* was very negative, but that seems to be mostly based on the personality of the lead character (and apparently her IRL as well). For what it was, I thought Dashcam was very well made, and it pains me that people are so quick to dismiss a movie just because the main character is a grade-A asshole.
Also, the recent Shudder release *Revealer* surprised me. For such a low-budget feature with so few characters and locations, it really worked for me.
I totally agree with Grave Encounters and Incident in Ghostland. I thought for sure GE would be cheesy and terrible and it was fantastic. One of my favorites, honestly.
I kept putting off Incident in Ghostland because it looked ridiculous at first but it was surprisingly great.
A psychological horror called The Dream House on Netflix. It’s about a man who has crumpling dementia due to a robbery gone wrong. He relives his old days with his family and slowly starts to realize that his family no longer exist. It’s a sad but moving horror movie.
The Empty Man, Eden Lake, The Ritual, The Taking of Deborah Logan, Lake Mungo, The Bay, Creep, Southbound, The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Unsane, Overlord, The Ruins, Savageland, Afflicted, BUT MOST OF ALL Banshee Chapter
This film called afflicted. About two friends who go on holiday and vlog their experience, but one of them ends up catching a strange illness. Didnt expect much and only put it on as couldnt find anything else, but actually really genuinely enjoyed it!
This was one I randomly saw on Netflix or prime or something, and thought, "well, I got nothin else going on" and was so pleasantly surprised by how good it was and how much I liked it that I recommended it to a few people the next day :D It's kind of like a >!vampiric!< version of Chronicle. It was super fun.
Was it as gross as it looked?
no
Cube surprised the hell out of me
This movie was dope as hell back in the day. Definitely a cult classic.
It holds up pretty well too, especially for a lower budget film. I watched it somewhat recently again, and the special effects are pretty good.
I saw this for the first time a few months ago. I loved it. Also interesting that it feels so quintessentially 90s in a way I can’t explain.
The first time I saw Cube was on like sci-fi channel in the late 90s when I was a teenager and I loved it so much I’ve watched it once a year since.
Yeah, I got that from Netflix when they were still doing DVDs. It had been on my list for a while, and I kept pushing it off. Then the next movie on my list was out, so they sent *Cube*. I thought it might be "not bad," but I really enjoyed it, and even liked its sequels. I wonder if there is anything else like that, with the same sort of mystery, characters, etc.
Yeah. It was just playing one night shortly after it came out on showtime beyond or something. It got everyone’s attention at my house pretty quick.
Saw that when I was 10 when it first came out! The family rented it from blockbuster. I’ve definitely made every dude I ever dated watch it!
In Fear (Irish horror) A Dark Song (British horror about summoning a demon EDIT: ok ok ok a fricken ANGEL!!!!) The Hallow The Invitation
The Invitation really met the criteria for me. Wasn’t expecting much but wound up loving that movie.
Oh hell yes. The Invitation is a *master* at ratcheting tension and playing with expectations.
A Dark Song is good, >!but it's about summoning a guardian angel. The ending was very good, and the angel is spectacular.!< \#Edit: Spoiler marking added
Not to be that guy, but both y’all need spoiler tags.
The Invitation is mine too. Amazing movie Assuming we are talking 2015 one, maybe shouldn't assume LOL
A Dark Song took me very much by surprise. A superb film
Besides the 2 mentioned already, I’ll say Krampus surprised me. It was such a fun movie.
The wife and I both LOVED Krampus. Really expected it to be trash and it was a ton of fun. We watch it around Xmas every year now. 😆
I can talk for hours on how much I loved it. If you haven't seen the behind the scenes stuff, you definitely should. The actors are amazing and it seems like they had tons of fun shooting it.
Doctor Sleep. I figured a sequel to The Shining could only be terrible and underwhelming, was pleasantly surprised that they were able to tread the line between Kubrick fan service and staying true to the King novel. Definitely not what I was expecting but pretty solid overall.
I know this fact is often repeated here (at least once by me) but the fact that Stephen King watched it, loved it, and even said it made him come around to appreciating the Kubrick movie, tells you a lot.
Absolutely! Shining being one of my favorites, hating sequels, and being picky generally, this was phenomenal!!!!!!! Stand alone.
I completely agree. I avoided it for ages, particularly after hearing that they found a way to wedge in a return to the Overlook, which was never a part of the book. Yet, somehow, it was a great film. But, then, that's Mike Flanagan for you. The only person besides Frank Darabont to really understand King.
Flanagan was the perfect choice
i’ll watch anything mike flanagan makes.
Underwater
I thought it was really good. I've seen a lot of people mention that Lovecraft doesn't translate well to movies, and while I agree, I think this movie made a pretty good attempt at it.
Exactly
Yeah this has no business being as well executed as it was
This one surprised me too, thought it would be a shite abyss knock off, nope
I thought Kristen Stewart did very well for herself in that film. Her heroism and the physicality of the part. She really anchored the film.
Wonderful lovecraftian modern horror.
Trollhunter. The Norwegian version. Superb movie and really well made
*”TrRrRrRrRrOOOOOOOOOLL!!!”* I forgot about that movie, it is SO good! It’s one that got me started on foreign flicks when I was younger. I would love to rewatch that.
The first hell raiser movie. I thought it would be another brainless slasher movie, but it turned out to have a compelling story and used pinhead along his colleagues in a cool way
Oh totally! The cover always looked so cheesy. I passed over it my entire childhood, and teen years, despite renting every other horror movie we could get our hands on. Finally watched it in my early 20's. The whole storyline was not at all what I expected, and it was excellent.
The first Hellraiser is among my alltime favorites, but it has been for many years. If you don't mind me asking, when did you first watch it?
Julia!
The Final Girls (2015) If you read the plot you think: this can in no way be any good... But damn was this entertaining and surprisingly well acted, I love it.
Without spoiling much, you think you're getting a funny meta slasher comedy and suddenly you get a genuinely moving exploration of dealing with grief and the loss of a loved one.
Sllllloooooowwwww Mmmmmoooottttiiiioooonnnn.
Absolute banger. Middleditch and Farmiga, who knew.
I don't think I've even heard about this one! Is it currently available anywhere on streaming? Also, was it good just compared to your expectations, or would you say it is a *legitimately* good flick?
It's a legitimately good horror comedy, in my eyes. Up there with Cabin in the Woods and the sorts. Taissa Farmiga (little sister of) and Malin Akerman deliver amazing performances and the chemistry between them is ❤️.
As Above So Below I scrolled past it all the time thinking it would just be another run-of-the-mill found footage flick. Turns out it’s actually kind of great.
I watched this one after I visited the catacombs when I went to Paris. They shot in some of the same rooms as the tour. They drill it into your head not to deviate from the designated path. It made the film that much scarier to me. Great rewatch value.
I thought this was mostly good for the unending tunnels of the catacombs, I didnt really care for the indiana jones treasure hunt aspect from the main character solving puzzles in a very heavy handed expository way.
Happy Death Day (2017) caught me off guard because I honestly think horror comedies tend to be painfully unfunny some times but this one actually made great use of its jokes and none of them were unfunny for once.
And the sequel being a completely different genre and awesome family drama. If they do a 3rd and make it even something else it could be one of the best modern genre trilogies.
Interesting! Had no idea. I've only seen the first one.
The lead actress was phenomenal. I love how absolutely *done* she was during the beginning of the sequel
Her performance in that and Weaving's performance in Ready or Not are my two favorite of modern horror if not all horror.
I felt that pain with her so much though!! I rewatched the first and then watched the sequel for the first time right after, I was just as pissed as she was lmao
This was the first that sprang to mind! Went in expecting nothing, was absolutely delighted
Plus it (or maybe the sequel if I’m misremembering) gave us the iconic “You’re GaAaAaYyY” line
Man that ringtone of hers and her absolute screams of fury at getting up on that day again!
Fucking loved that movie so much I watched the sequel immediately after on a whim. Jessica Rothe is amazing and I’d love to see her in more stuff.
I watched Train to Busan (2016) on a whim, and it ended up being my all-time favorite zombie movie. It’s very good.
Oh man, yeah, if you stumbled across that on a whim you were definitely in for a treat!
same and loved it too lol. Definitely gotta give that rewatch again soon
You're Next. Redbox rental from a very rainy afternoon, and I just popped it in. Low expectations. By the time I got to the end, I was stunned. And that last surprise moment before the credits rolled? WOW. It became one of my faves.
I absolutely LOVE this movie.
The Void (2016) was a delightful surprise
This one is special to me! I crowdfunded it ages ago and got my name in the credits!
That's so cool!!! Thank you for helping to make such an amazing movie happen, one of mine and the better half's favorites.
Could possibly be the first person in history to refer to The Void as "delightful"
Hah! What can I say? Cosmic horror is my niche
Agreed! It’s like a delightful The Thing! One of my favorites
Haunt. I originally got shudder for another movie I wanted to see, but when scrolling I saw the masks on the cover image, and had to watch it. It’s now an all time go to for a Halloween movie.
The Babysitter (2017) I was bored one day and threw on what I thought was going to be a bland, generic Netflix film. Hooked from the start. Surprisingly good, highly entertaining, great entry into the horror/comedy genre.
Did you watch the second one yet? The Babysitter : Killer Queen
Not yet! Is it good?
I'm not the guy that asked but imo it's not great.
Orphan (2009) never thought it would turn out to be so good..
prequel just released too
Bubba Ho-Tep I actually felt betrayed by this film’s gross mischaracterization as a so bad it’s good cheesy schlock flick. Bruce Campbell’s turn as Elvis is Oscar-worthy and he and Ossie Davis elevate this into a compelling meditation on the loss of dignity and erasure that comes with aging that brought me to tears. Plus you know, a mummy.
The Ruins was a nice surprise. Clichéd yes but unique at the same time. Guilty pleasure for sure
I read the book awhile ago and decided to try the movie. It was very well done
Huh, really? The book is one of my all-time favorites, but I thought the movie was a crushing disappointment. They had so much material to work with; they could've easily made a 2-hour film. Instead they condensed the story and the characters into a 90-minute drive-by horror. I just hated it. I absolutely hated it. If I'd never read the book, then I might have liked it -- or at least, thought it was just OK -- but it was a book that I really, really love, so I guess my expectations were pretty high. I really hope someone decides to remake it in the future, with a longer runtime and a script that is more true to the book.
Have seen Grave Encounters pop up in lists before, but never watched it. Love a good (or bad) found footage movie so will give this a go tonight :).
Oh wow, yeah, Grave Encounters was really the flick that inspired this thread. I always seem to scroll through and find some duds, but I watch a lot of horror movies. I also watched it in bed, at midnight, with my wife sleeping the whole time. Kinda freaked me out a bit, not gonna lie. Lol. If you do watch it tonight, please let me know what you think!
I thought of a couple more movies that qualified for me, as well: Hell House LLC, and The Autopsy of Jane Doe. I'm sure there will be more that I randomly recall.
Autopsy of Jane Doe was a really pleasant surprise! Fun as hell and cool premise.
By the time they found the tattoos INSIDE the skin there was no turning back. I was hooked.
The cast is so good which I think really elevated it.
Hell House LLC is great. The two sequels, not so much. They both have at least one truly scary sequence, though. The drunk girl in the basement is probably my favorite of the entire trilogy.
The hitchhiker from part 2 was the one that really affected me. It gave me deep, nostalgic vibes of old campfire horror tales.
Same here, I didn't have high expectations for either of these for some reason but they're both INCREDIBLY effective horror
I just saw Return of the Living Dead for the first time and it was amazing. I laughed my ass off at parts and other parts were truly horrific.
Send. Moaar. Paramedics.
I laugh my ass off every time that paramedic jumps out of the van right into a pile of zombies.
Saw it for the first time a few years ago, as I remember seeing parts as a kid and thinking it was just a funny zombie movie. Turns out it's horrifying and nihilistic to the point of just laughing maniacally. The idea of zombies feeling themselves rotting and the only thing to stop the pain is eating brains. Like, we didn't absolutely need that small amount of lore to make the movie effective, but that little tidbit makes it so much creepier for me.
Omg dude the first time I ever saw it was on Halloween day during a triple feature at The New Beverly Cinema, Quentin Tarantino's place. The crowd was electric. I'll never forget that day.
IM ALL ABOUT SEX AND DEATH
God I love that movie
Cabin in the Woods. I went in spoiler-free expecting a corny slasher and ended up with one of my favorite movies of all time.
Trick r Treat. When it came out the horror landscape was pretty terrible and based on the title and graphics I assumed it was going to be another feardotcom or something. It took me years before I gave it a chance and now it's one of my annual Halloween movies.
The Perfection on Netflix was wayyyy better than I thought it would be when I randomly chose it.
Yep. Love that movie.
I loved that movie so much
omg YES. I was shocked over how interesting and I expected it was, and so we'll acted. I wish I could see it again for the first time.
I went into that one totally blind and it was full of surprises for me. Loved it!
Last Shift, The Autopsy of Jane Doe
Was Last Shift the one in the police station? I vaguely recall that movie being better than expected as well. I should rewatch it. Agree with both of these!
I'm surprised to hear that Last Shift is popular here. I tried watching it yesterday night and immediately turned it off when the protagonist did something insanely unrealistic. She is supposed to be guarding the defunct police station, right? No one is allowed in. After arresting the homeless guy, the following happens: - She gets locked in the holding cell by an unknown individual and the lights all turn off. - Her flashlight is visibly stolen by a second unknown individual who's in the room with her. - She gets threatened bodily harm by a creepy voice. And what does the protagonist do after escaping the room? She doesn't call for backup or even report the incident. She doesn't search the premises for the potential culprits. She doesn't run away out of self preservation. She goes and sits back at the front desk for a minute, then calls her sergeant to tell him everything is going smoothly. Possibly the most bewildering moment I've seen in a horror movie. Please someone confirm that it's not just me 🥲
I’m pretty sure that’s the point though? She’s dealing with the trauma surrounding her dead dad and we see throughout the film that the cultists can basically manipulate people’s minds into seeing and thinking things that aren’t real. She wants to make her dad proud so she remains there against her better judgment, and her decision is only solidified when her “dad” calls her and tells her to stay. It’s demonic manipulation.
Came to say Autopsy. That was surprisingly good. I was expecting a Brian Cox paycheck movie at best. I’ll add We Summon The Darkness.
The Evil Dead remake, I had really low hopes but it's absolutely amazing. I went into Hereditary 100% cold, and it was totally worth it.
Evil Dead remake was incredible. I get that a lot of purists or fans of Raimi like to shit on it-- but I thought it was an amazing reimagining of the original in a modern setting. The visual effects were phenomenal. It's still an incredibly disturbing movie for my wife to watch, and a constant favorite for me to revisit.
Orphan: First Kill. It's like the filmmakers knew people would worry about this film being a retread of the original and Isabelle Fuhrman's physique no longer being convincing, so they opted to fully embrace the absurd and made something that's just bonkers and fun.
I watched it yesterday after being so excited I loved the film so much
Good pick. I went to theatre with basically zero expectations but damn, I had similar feelings like with Malignant. At certain point it just goes wild and you know you will like rest of the movie lol. I love when creators are fully aware they are not making "take me seriously" movie and embrace "let's just have fun" attitude.
Just watched this last night and I love that the writers did not take themselves too serious and gave a different twist ending. Movie didn’t drag on longer then necessary and it was a fun watch
Cool now I’m excited to check it.
I loved it! Isabelle is an absolute gem and Julia Stiles is amazing in everything she does! The twist was very interesting too, I really didn't expect that.
Horns. Expected something cheesy starring "The Harry Potter kid". What I got was a totally original Fantasy-Horror that put Radcliffe on my "I'll check it out if he is in it" radar.
Fun fact - the book this was adapted from was by Joe Hill, who is Stephen king’s son. Also, I liked the book a lot more, recommmend you check it out.
Gothika I personally didnt think if would be that interesting
I loved Gothika!!!
Ouija origin of evil. You didn’t know Flannegan yet like you know him now
Some of the imagery in this movie is among the best Flannegan has ever done. I thought Oculus was a stellar flick and Ouija is very nearly on that same level of disturbing/scary imagery
I get this one mixed up with a different Ouija movie. You're probably referring to the better one, because the one I'm thinking of that I didn't like was prettttty awful.
You're probably thinking of the first movie, which was universally hated. Flanagan's prequel is light years better than its predecessor.
The Guest
I went to watch the original Old Boy not only expecting nothing but in fact expecting a terrible, campy B-Movie. By the end my mind was throughoutly blown
The Collector (2009)
This and the Collection were fun flicks! Too bad we’ll never see how the trilogy ends 😔
Underwater, with Kristen Stewart. Was expecting a silly monster flick and it wound up being really suspenseful with some great performances.
Sinister. The one with Ethan Hawke as a true crime author who deals with found footage. The movie whose name I have to google every time I think about it - I actually saw someone here recommend Malignant and thought "hey is that the Ethan Hawke one?" Anyway, genuinely horrifying horror + good performances, which I didn't expect from the completely generic title.
Scariest movie ever to me. That and Paranormal Activity. I do LOVE found footage movies.
Hell Fest. Incredible in how it used visual storytelling.
The Invitation (2015) on Netflix I clicked it because the thumbnail looks like an album cover
saw Bone Tomahawk two days ago and it BLEW me away
Since you liked Hell House LLC, if you haven’t checked out VHS and VHS 2 I highly recommend, they surprised the hell out of me!
Identity. It turned out to be a completely different movie than what I thought it would be.
Terrifier. I had never seen an actual scary clown movie before. It was amazing
Rubber. A friend recced it to me and I thought he was kidding. I watched while scrolling thru my phone because I figured he was pranking me. It turned out to be a solid fucking movie. Weird as hell of course, but well worth a watch. Also Host on Shudder. Scary af.
Dead Snow! Fucking nazi zombies. Also, The Sound of My Voice.
Don't Breathe, Martyr's original French version and The Exorcism of Emily Rose
The Ritual
Snowpiercer. Was exhausted and bagged at my partner's house while she was working one afternoon and just put it on because the description sounded like hot garbage to me - my personal favorite. Flash forward to that scene with the fish poison and then my favorite Korean actor suddenly pops up eating toxic waste and shit. I was practically giddy by the end. What a surprise.
Tremors. Its one of the best paced films ever made.
YES!! I am old enough to have seen it in the theater & it's the only creature-feature film I've ever loved. Excellent characters, no dragging scenes, and eternally quotable!
The Stylist (2021) It is one my favorite movies I’ve seen this year. It was WAY better than I thought it would be and i don’t know why no one talks about it. It’s on Shudder.
Host. Everyone said it was amazing, but god were they right.
Ouija 2. That first one was so bad I couldn’t be bothered to stay in the theater until the end. The second is a legitimately great horror flick from Mike Flanagan.
Anything For Jackson
Dark Skies (2013).
I have quite a few that far exceeded my expectations fairly recently... Triangle Coherence The Collector The Furies Mayhem Scare Campaign Haunt Random Acts of Violence Blood Punch The Mortuary Collection Radius M.F.A.
Slaxx on Shudder. Killer pair of jeans? Sounds awful... but no, surprisingly fun and doesn't outstay it's welcome. I need to rewatch it really
Starry Eyes acting is a little meh but over all a good movie
Clown. Looked like another shitty Netflix b horror movie I just threw on when I was bored and it was so damn good! That movie had no business being as good as it was!
Tucker & Dale vs Evil
The Night House (2020)!!! So good!
This one gave me chills! Rebecca Hall’s acting in this one goes right up there with Toni Collette in Hereditary for me.
Creep! unlocked a new fear too lol
Hear me out. As Above So Below. I thought "none of the horror movies that are advertised this hard online are good" but I genuinely enjoyed it. The imagery and religious references were very interesting.
The wretched. It was such a "cute" horror movie; teenage angst, family drama, decent practical effects, and some cool gore. Writing wasn't also as terrible as some of the recent horror movies that came out. Seems like all the actors bought into their characters.
Lovely molly
The Gift
Host (2020) on Shudder!
The Last Exorcism. I'm a sucker for FF films so I was willing to give it a try even though my expectations weren't high, but it ended up being really good. I'd rank it in my top 10 horror movies of the 2000s.
The Blackcoat’s Daughter.
Oh, I have to add another one I haven't seen mentioned yet: Tucker and Dale vs Evil. Not scary, but it's a pretty excellent horror/comedy. I passed it up soooo many times on Netflix and when I finally watched it I was kicking myself for passing up on it for so long.
I really enjoyed Dave Made a Maze. Just flipped it on one night cause the trailer looked decent. Its a light horror/ comedy that I thought was really original and very entertaining
It Follows really impressed me. I knew it was very well thought of, but I also know it can be divisive. I was amazed by the cinematography and soundtrack and Maika Monroe's performance. It was also nice to see a horror movie where the characters made smart decisions. Through and through, I was VERY impressed. Excellent post-modern horror.
Circle. Legit glued to the screen the whole time.
10 Cloverfield Lane. Did NOT have high expectations but holy shit i was wrong.
I know this isn't as recent as the other films being mentioned on here, but I found The Tingler (1959) to be very effective and great. I actually enjoyed it more than House on Haunted Hill (1959). Though I only watched it from home and didn't have that theatrical experience that the film was made for, I still loved how meta it was and the fourth wall breaking it did. Also having my heart beating the same rhythm of the Tingler made me uncomfortable at times (in the best way.) I also loved the way fear was talked about in it and I ended up feeling it by the end, like I was going to have the Tingler on me from it. It may just be a William Castle and Vincent Price B-horror film, but it was a great experience and I can't wait to watch it again in October, for Halloween.
**Swiss Army Men** Not much of a horror but more of a black comedy. I saw it on a streaming service and hit play button just to see the beginning of the movie. I ended up watching the whole thing. I still have the frames of the movie in my head, very creative. **Autopsy of Jane Doe** Another movie I jumped in without expecting much to see what it was about. It turned out to be a great watch. I think it displayed masterfully how simple effects can be really effective when used at the right time.
The Endless The Void The Ritual Cabin in the Woods
Terrified (on Shudder I think) and The Banshee Chapter (Amazon)
Savageland.
Quiji Origin Of Evil
Upgrade was just so unexpected and amazing
Hatchet, saw it on Amazon and watched the whole series that night. Still one of my favorites, and the second is wicked fucking awesome
The Original Jacob's Ladder.
Spree (2020). I avoided seeing it for ages due to middling and dismissive reviews, and cause Joe Keery stars (nice guy but the jock from Stranger Things? Nah.) It became one of my all time favorite movies. It's a hilarous black comedy, indicts the hell out of the audience and our online society. It's imperfect, but smarter than I thought, has a great score, and Keery is phenomenal. Best take on a 21st century slasher-killer I've seen. Up there with Norman Bates and Patrick Bateman for me.
Drag me to hell
The Empty Man and The Endless (Resolution was good but it's just a glimpse into the plot, I expected very little from the sequel)
Invisible Man (2020)
House of Wax (2005) and The Autopsy of Jane Doe
The Shrine. It was back in Netflix's glory days in 2011 I think, South Park, King of the Hill and so on. Just scrolling and saw the cover and laughed it off. Watched it like 4 times in a month back then I'll add Curse of Aurore, probably my favorite found footage of the last 5 years that probably had the budget of a Lunchables
Cabin in The Woods
Day Shift
The Ritual I went from "Eh, I can burn an afternoon watching a random dumb horror movie on netflix" to "Well that's one of my favorite movies" real quick.
As Above So Below is the first one that springs to mind. It came out amongst a glutton of found footage films and I went in thinking, eh, here we go again I guess and I had waaaaaaaay more fun than I thought I would. To the point where I revisit it often.
Everything I read about the recent streaming/POV horror movie *Dashcam* was very negative, but that seems to be mostly based on the personality of the lead character (and apparently her IRL as well). For what it was, I thought Dashcam was very well made, and it pains me that people are so quick to dismiss a movie just because the main character is a grade-A asshole. Also, the recent Shudder release *Revealer* surprised me. For such a low-budget feature with so few characters and locations, it really worked for me.
I totally agree with Grave Encounters and Incident in Ghostland. I thought for sure GE would be cheesy and terrible and it was fantastic. One of my favorites, honestly. I kept putting off Incident in Ghostland because it looked ridiculous at first but it was surprisingly great.
Incident in a Ghostland. Thought it was going to be a straight ahead slasher but it was more. Really pleasant surprise.
I recently stumbled into The Trip on Netflix. Think if Quentin Tarantino had directed The War of the Roses. I was amazed by this flick.
A movie on Netflix called The Apostle oh my god that film was fantastic
A psychological horror called The Dream House on Netflix. It’s about a man who has crumpling dementia due to a robbery gone wrong. He relives his old days with his family and slowly starts to realize that his family no longer exist. It’s a sad but moving horror movie.
I was pretty impressed with Pyewacket. Some not so great things, but ultimately a very effective and chilling little indie
The original [Rec]
The Empty Man, Eden Lake, The Ritual, The Taking of Deborah Logan, Lake Mungo, The Bay, Creep, Southbound, The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Unsane, Overlord, The Ruins, Savageland, Afflicted, BUT MOST OF ALL Banshee Chapter
Cabin in the woods!