Putting a Top 10 list is always hard. There are so many horror movies that are fun or cool but not quite five-star films. Then there are so many movies with great performances or direction, but the overall product misses the mark. I thought this would be easier now that I’m one of the top five critics in my home! Which is harder than it should be for someone that lives alone! However, it’s never easy. I changed this list so many times that I have whiplash. However, here are 10 horror and genre-adjacent movies that made me glad I saw them. Some are terrifying, some are fun, and all are highly rewatchable for me.
The Innocents
A group of children discovers that they have powers in this supernatural thriller. I find children terrifying and some of these were little sociopaths even before anything even happened to them. However, the four lead children were amazing actors, which is very hard to do at their age. Their performances made everything disturbing, and the final showdown will live with me for some time.
Significant Other
A couple goes camping and finds sinister forces instead. We all thought we knew what this movie was going to be when pushed play. However, this movie is a chaotic ride through the wilderness anchored by Maika Monroe and Jake Lacy. I was pleasantly surprised and I have been trying to get everyone I know to watch it so they can have the same emotional rollercoaster as I did.
Watcher
A woman moves to Bucharest with her husband and begins to suspect a neighbor is a serial killer. Maika Monroe really switched wigs and came back for another spot on my list. I love this movie because it feels like the sophisticated horror movies we didn’t appreciate as kids. This film serves the 70s vibe in a modern world while also being a cautionary tale to believe women.
Nanny
Aisha (Anna Diop) takes a job working for a white family and finds out the American Dream is a nightmare. Diop deserves awards, and I’m obsessed with Nikyatu Jusu’s direction. While this movie is a little more arthouse than I typically like my horror, it tackles “subtle” racism so much better than the other movies that came out this year. It’s a breath of fresh air to see all the topics it tackles handled with an actual understanding of the real problems.
Prey
Naru has to protect her tribe from the ultimate predator in this Predator prequel. This is possibly the most gorgeous movie I have ever seen. We also need to find ways of keeping Amber Midthunder in the genre because her performance is melt-your-face-off amazing. I rolled into this movie with low expectations because overall the franchise is what it is. I walked out ready to order merch and finally saw the value of this ongoing beef with these aliens.
Bodies Bodies Bodies
A group of young frienemies gather for a hurricane party and start to think someone among them is a murderer. No other movie made me laugh this hard this year. The ensemble is amazing, the script is coated in the kind of dark humor that I get out of bed for. It was about time for a horror comedy whodunnit with women leads. Also, Lee Pace got to play a himbo, and it warmed my cold dead heart.
Satan’s Slaves 2: Communion
A storm traps a family in their apartment building where they find out they have unfinished business with the malevolent forces from the first movie. Joko Anwar tries hard to give me nightmares with these movies. I didn’t think this sequel would live up to the original, but there’s more blood, bodies, and foreboding than the first one. The elevator scene alone should have this movie turning up on quite a few of our lists. Everything that comes after is an express bus to hell.
Scream
A new group of young people finds their friend circle being stabbed by the newest Ghostface imitators. I knew Radio Silence would give us a good time. However, I didn’t know they would give us something so close to bringing us the excitement we had with the original Scream. This is also another banger cast that is stacked with more faves than will fit in this section. I wrote an article detailing my worries before the movie came out, and they were all addressed before the credits rolled. My love for this franchise is loud and ugly. I added this one to my comfort watches the second it started streaming, and I have lost count of how many times it has lulled me to sleep.
Nope
Horse trainers make an unsettling discovery on their ranch. Jordan Peele has entered his Steven Spielberg era, and it’s just as good as his Alfred Hitchcock era. He also brought along Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, and Steven Yeun, and introduced us to our new favorite Brandon Perea. I have spent hours, maybe days, discussing how this movie is high art and what Jean Jacket represents. I feel I will be doing this for years to come, and I’m happy to do it.
Everything Everywhere All At Once
A woman finds herself swept up in a chaotic adventure where she has to save the world by connecting with all the lives she could have led. This movie should be everyone’s number one. Like, it made us laugh, cry, and wonder about our squandered potential. We watched badasses Michelle Yeoh and Stephanie Hsu give an acting masterclass. They also had the audacity to round out the cast with Ke Huy Quan and James Hong who have earned a movie of this magnitude. This film is an experience, and we’re not worthy.
Honorable Mentions:
A Wounded Fawn
Barbarian
Bones and All
Fresh
Piggy
The Menu
Violent Night
Let me know if we have some new favorite movies in common at @misssharai.
Test Tags: Best of 2022
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