The best 15 horror movies of 2016 - Barbara Torretti

Il 2016 si è rivelato un anno molto prolifico per l'horror. Nel lungo viaggio tra i meandri del genere ci siamo imbattuti in titoli molto forti e stilare una lista di soli quindici è riduttivo, oltre che penoso. In base ai film visionati durante l'anno (compresi quelli inviati a DarkVeins e all'Optical Theatre Film Festival), stilo, con grande sforzo, la mia personale lista di quelli che considero i migliori 15 film del 2016, pur sapendo che rimarranno fuori diversi titoli molto validi.

15 - Abattoir by Darren Lynn Bousman: undoubtedly a film with an original story. The house composed of rooms from other houses and in which murders were committed is certainly a magnificent location with incredible charm. Full of suspense, it delivers a surprising ending.

14 - The Chair by Chad Ferrin: based on Peter Simeti's graphic novel of the same name, the film recalls Das Experiment di Oliver Hirschbiegel. Asfissiante e cupo, ci mostra le torture inflitte ai carcerati all'interno del braccio della morte, un luogo che diventa l'inferno personale di ciascun carcerato. Here is our review.

13 -  The Mind's Eye by Joe Begos deals with psychokinesis, an underused theme that becomes the film's strong point. Surprising, it gives juicy sequences of confrontations between people with psychokinetic abilities. Very close to Scanners by David Cronenberg.

12 - Harvest Lake (review) by Scott Schirmer: a fascinating film that blends fantasy and horror for a perfect cinematic mix. Evocative, it is rich in sensual and poetic imagery.

11 - Good Tidings (review) Stuart W. Bedford: This is a film that ranks well among the top Christmas horror films. Iconic and unforgettable are the three Santa Clauses who, charismatic in their atrocities, bring the viewer into a strong and suffocating sense of siege typical of Carpenterian films.

10 - Circus Of The Dead by Billy Pon: a 2014 film that is being released soon. Circus of the Dead offers an excellent example of bad clowns, ready to commit all kinds of efferractions. A film that sticks well in the memory. Review here.

09 - American Guinea Pig: Bloodshock (review) di Marcus Koch: un film horror estremo in cui tutto funziona (storia, sceneggiatura, regia, effetti speciali, fotografia e cast) e che riesce a rendere reale l'orrore.

08 - Atroz (review) by Lex Ortega: a disturbing extreme horror film from Mexico that brings degradation, violence and many paraphilias to the surface. A merciless film that not only boasts a dense bouquet of torture, but is supported by a good script.

07 - Train to Busan by Sang-ho YeonSang-ho Yeon: an adrenaline-fueled, claustrophobic zombie movie from South Korea that leaves you with bated breath.

06 - The Invitation by Karyn Kusama: a highly tense, highly dramatic psychological horror film in which paranoia and tension intersect. Textbook ending.

05 - Night of Something Strange (review) by Jonathan Straiton: clearly retro in style, this film relies on practical special effects, tons of splatter but also humor and especially disgust by appealing to all those situations that might annoy the viewer.

04 -  The Eyes of my Mother by Nicolas Pesce is an elegant and refined insight into loneliness and its consequences: illness and deviance. Sad and perverse.

03 - Jack Goes Home by Thomas Dekker: a hard-hitting psychological thriller-horror in which drama mixes with madness. Unsettling ending. A film that carves out a place in the heart.

02 - The Autopsy of Jane Doe di André Øvredal: un'autopsia insolita è al centro della storia di questo immenso film permeato da un'atmosfera ammorbante. Sorprendente e particolare, offre una storia dagli spunti originali inimmaginabili.

01 - The Witch by Robert Eggers: an exemplary film about witchcraft masterfully written and directed by Eggers. Highly evocative and fascinating, it transports us into sweet and devilish imagery.