Top 10 Horror Movies of 2009 (#11-20)

Well here it is. My Top Horror Movies of 2009! Sorry for taking so long to get this posted but I had to catch up on some of the movies I missed this year. I usually look at other people's lists and watch the movies that others claimed were the best. If I didn't, I would have missed a few sleepers and some hidden gems.

So this year's edition is a "fat as Texas" edition. I'm not just posting a top 10 list but adding #11-20 as well. This list of #11-20 you'll be surprised to find has many of the movies that can be found on the horrorsphere's Top 10 lists. I had a different take on what was considered "the best" this year and my picks are totally abnormal from everybody else. I'm just quirky that way.

First some fun facts and sidenotes!

• Though some of these movies came out in 2008, I label any movie that got wide releases or DVD releases in 2009 as coming out in 2009
  
• It's a mix of STV, indie horror and box office elephants
  
• Here are the movies I didn't see yet: Anti Christ, Cold Prey, Infestation, 36 Pasos, Jennifer's Body, The Last House on the Left, Rec 2, The Descent 2 and countless others
• 3 films that almost made the list that now get the Honorable Mentions tag: The Burrowers (2 spinkicks), Carriers (2 and half spinkicks), Bad Biology (2 and half spinkicks)
• The 20 films broken down by country: USA = 13, UK=1, France =1, Korea =1, Canada=2, Norway=1, Sweden=1
• The 20 films broken down by spinkick rating: 4 spinkicks=3, 3 and a 1/2 spinkicks= 2, 3 spinkicks=10, 2 spinkicks and a half=1, 2 spinkicks=4
• To read the entire review of the film click on the title.
  

So what did 2009 offer us in the world of horror?

• Shaky cam/POV horror makes a comeback that nobody saw coming
• All of Hollywood's remakes sucked and all were big giant turds
• The whispering killer kid movies stormed into the mainstream and excelled
• Zombie movies still packed a punch but vampire movies ruled the horror universe
• Long awaited movies made their much awaited DVD premieres
• My #1 movie is again not from the USA

Let's get to the list! Here is #20 to #11.

20.) The Hills Run Red (2 spinkicks)

The Hills Run Red got the hype treatment within the horror universe this year. It's premise, it's sleek grindy slasher and Sophia Monk wearing nothing should be enough to equal yayness and approval from us fans. For me, it equals more of a mix bag of donuts. Sure you get your oozing jelly filled, and your chocolate yuminess. But you also get your over done elaborate, sprinkled Boston cremes and some other exotic new flavors that catch your eye. Yeah, it looks pretty but it doesn't taste that good.

Well that's The Hills Run Red. It looks good from the outside but when you dig in, it's not as delicious as you thought it would be.

Read the full review here.


19.) Grace (2 spinkicks)

Grace is on many Top 10 lists this year. Can you believe I have this as #19?

Before you start throwing dirty diapers at me, I liked some moments in the film but as I wrote:

Overall, Grace is stretched out from a short to a feature and you can see some of the stretch marks on what didn't work. The idea is sound, the performances solid and the bits of gore are well done. But at the end of it, Grace's message doesn't resonate intensely on the "What would you do for your child" theme...

Read the full review.



18.) Evil Things (2 spinkicks and a half)

Overshadowed by Paranormal Activity, Rec and others, Evil Things takes the shaky cam and blends in some home invasion.

Finally, the movie is making the rounds on the horror blogosphere and getting the praise it deserves.

Read the full review here.



17.) The House of the Devil (2 spinkicks)

The House of the Devil is another one of those movies that's way up top on many best of lists. I loved the 80s nostalgia throwback machine but hated the slow burn.

I was not a fan of devil worshipping movies to begin with so I couldn't enjoy this as much as the rest of the horrorverse.

That isn't to say I didn't find moments of suspense and WTF craziness in The House of the Devil. It teases you with creepy moments and visual candy.

A very decent movie from Ti West that should be applauded just for the fact that it didn't adhere to all the conventions of 2009 horror.

Read the full review here.

16.) Drag Me To Hell (2 spinkicks)

Sam Raimi's return to horror was overhyped to say the least. Drag Me To Hell is vintage Raimi, no doubt and others have deemed this as one of the best this year.

No argument by me. I enjoyed seeing Deadite like goofiness and ocular trauma splattered with that Raimi-ness.

But why do I have this dismally at #16? Well I had a problem with the main character Christine. She was not the heroine I was expecting and played victim throughout.

It's basically Evil Dead lite. And I was wishing for the epic good vs evil Raimi horror of old.

Read the full review here.


15.) End of the Line (3 spinkicks)

Haven't heard of End of the Line? Most of America hasn't either. This little Canadian flick was released on DVD this year and blew me away by making the horror movie on a train work...and work well.

Basically it's religious cult going all homicidal on a train and the survivors trying to stay alive.

Somehow, I just dug it though it gets a little weird towards the end.

It's a sleeper movie of 2009 that should get its props.

Read the full review here.



14.) Paranormal Activity (3 spinkicks)

Paranormal Activity is one of the movies bumped from the Top 10. Everytime I would see another awesome movie, PA got knocked down a few steps. But it really did amp up the shot on video/POV horror film just like the Blair Witch Project did.

It's those night vision, sleep moments that are creepy and scary as hell. Simply said, I wrote:

Paranormal Activity is a very creepy and scary movie that follows the shaky cam/found footage formula to a tee. It doesn't live up to the hype, but it does get very close. The movie relies on ingrained fear of the unknown and tosses some sound effects, shadow and bizarre creepiness and an ending that people won't forget.

Read the full review here.

13.) The Children (3 spinkicks)

The second best killer kid movie of 2009. The Children is appearing on many lists and deservedly so. The best part is that the virus that has turned them into serial tots is never explained adding more to the mystery.

The adults play like victim fodder for a change and there are plenty of WTF moments.

The theme that plays throughout is the moral dilemma of the act of killing a kid to defend yourself or to save a loved one.

Those who are brave enough to watch The Children, you will never see a playground the same way again.

Read the full review here.


12.) Dead Snow (3 spinkicks)

It's Nazi Zombies!!!!!

I've been waiting for a Nazi zombie film for such a long time and Dead Snow is horror comedy that doesn't shy away from giving awesome LOLs and Kool Aid blood arterial spraying on white snow.

Blood, splatter, self aware Norwegian horror characters and chainsaws.

What more do you need for a good horror comedy?

Read the full review here.




11.) Orphan (3 spinkicks)

Orphan should be part of the Top 10 but I had to make the tough decision of who should be excluded. And Orphan was wedged into the #11 spot. I think this movie is on every top 10 list I've seen so far...but sadly not on mine.

Isabelle Fuhrma's performance is one of the best of the year, the scenes of Esther carnage are brutally sadistic (for a Hollywood movie) and the "twist" (one I predicted early on) still is one of the most clever explanations used in a horror movie in a long time.

Definitely the best killer kid movie this year and one of the biggest surprises in the box office elephant department.

Read the full review here.

jaded viewer related linkage:

Continue on to the Top 10 Horror Movies of 2009 #1-10........

• Check out The Jaded Viewer's Top 10 Horror Movies of 2010 (#10-1)
• Check out The Jaded Viewer's Top 10 Horror Movies of 2010 (#20-11)

Tags:
Top 10 horror movies of 2009, best horror movies 2009 , top slasher movies 2009 , 2009 horror movies

Categories: 2009 horror dvd, 2009 horror movies, 2009 horror trailers, top 10 horror movies of 2009