Worst2First: My Top Ten Horror Films of the 2000s

Worst2First:
My Top Ten Horror Films of the 2000s

The 2000s was a tumultuous time especially for Americans, as 9/11 forever transformed our concept of safety and security, and the horror genre took a deep shift away from the traditional slasher genre and was able to expand into different facets that weren't before utilized.  The zombie craze was just beginning, the advent of superior cheaper filming equipment opened the door for the found footage subgenre to explode, the international wave of the likes of J-Horror from Japan and the New French Extremity from France made horror much more international, and the 2000s saw the birth of a new type of horror subgenre - the torture porn.

Before I get to the top ten, here's those that didn't quite make the list:
#25 - Dog Soldiers (02)
#24 - The Orphanage (07)
#23 - Cloverfield (08)
#22 - Triangle (09)
#21 - Rec (07)
#20 - Hostel (06)
#19 - The Devil's Backbone (01)
#18 - Dawn of the Dead (04)
#17 - Martyrs (08)
#16 - Inside (07)
#15 - The Mist (07)
#14 - The Grudge (04)
#13 - Cabin Fever (02)
#12 - Session 9 (09)
#11 - The Descent (05)



Now here are my top ten favorite horror films of the 2000s...


**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**

#10

Final Destination
2001

The slasher subgenre was put to rest in the 2000s, and in its place there was more supernatural elements than your traditional killer behind the mask.  It's easier to avoid the likes of Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees, but how do you escape Death itself?  "Final Destination" centers around a group of students who exit an airplane before takeoff after one kid has a premonition of death, and find that his premonition came true and they were spared - or were they?  Death won't be denied, and it seeks out to claim its due in a series of Rube Goldberg-esque traps that are ingenious and original, even if a bit farfetched.  Seeing Death dispatch its victims in wholly unique ways was invigorating and gave a real shot in the arm for the genre.

#9

Paranormal Activity
2009

1999's "The Blair Witch Project" gave a resurgence of the found footage subgenre, and the 2000s brought about cheaper prices for handheld cameras, resulting in countless wannabe found footage directors saturating the market with these style of films, but none achieved the success of 2009's "Paranormal Activity," which went on to become one of the highest grossing independent films of all time.  The film centers on a young couple being haunted by spirits in their home, but its story weaves into a rich, full backstory that continued on in the lesser-successful sequels, but audiences will remember the tense, frightening original as one of the subgenre's best.

#8

Trick 'r Treat
2007

John Carpenter's 1978 "Halloween" forever forged a relationship between its titular holiday title and film, and ever since then cinema has tried to find another comparable Halloween-themed movie, and finally achieved that status with 2007's "Trick 'r Treat," which has also become synonymous with the season.  The film follows four stories that are interconnected centering around the events of a small town on Halloween night, with the burlap-sacked menace Sam tying them all together, as he dispatches anyone who doesn't follow the rules of Halloween (wear a costume, hand out candy, never blow out a Jack-O-Lantern).  The film is a loving tribute to what we've known the holiday to be, filled with bloody goodness, tongue-in-cheek humor, and an unforgettable new movie villain.

#7

28 Days Later
2002

Seven years before winning an Oscar for directing "Slumdog Millionaire," Danny Boyle directed this expertly done "zombie" film set in a post-apocalyptic London.  Cillian Murphy's Jim wakes up in the hospital to find the world he knew is gone, replaced by a virus that turns its victims into ravenous, speedy rage monsters.  The monsters themselves are the background of the story, as Boyle crafts an extremely well-done character study film that has a gritty realism to it, along with unforgettable images, such as when Jim first wakes up and wanders the London streets to find them completely deserted.

#6

The Exorcism of Emily Rose
2005

No exorcism film has managed to achieve the greatness of the 1973 film, but "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" easily comes the closest.  Based on the true story of the botched exorcism of Anneliese Michel, the film splits itself into two halves - one half a courtroom drama, the other an all-out descent into the depths of hell.  Tom Wilkinson stars as a priest on trial for the accidental death of Emily Rose during an exorcism, while Laura Linney plays his skeptical lawyer.  These two deliver powerful dramatic performances, but are eclipsed by newcomer Jennifer Carpenter, who plays the titular role with extreme gusto and unabashed veracity, as she contorts her body into inhuman shapes and screams with pipes that are literally inhuman.  You'll feel yourself looking over your shoulder, hoping there's never a devil on your shoulder after seeing this masterpiece.

#5

The Others
2001

With the Oscar-winning pedigree of Nicole Kidman, "The Others" is a fantastic Gothic-horror haunted house film that's filled with naturally tense moments and expertly crafted scares that are created over the backdrop of a beautiful haunted house and elegant time.  Kidman's Grace lives in a towering mansion with her two children who have a disease where they can't come into contact with sunlight, and all are tormented by ghosts in the house.  Kidman gives a powerhouse performance, and the film itself is a wonderful delight that sets itself apart from other haunted house period pieces due to the shocking twists and turns that are involved.

#4

Saw
2004

Giving rise to what's known as torture porn, "Saw" gave birth to horror cinema's newest killer icon in Tobin Bell's Jigsaw, and offered an unrelenting body horror thriller filled with strong performances and shocking twists that almost no one saw coming.  While its history is diminished with the sequels, the original still stands out as a thing to behold, a story about a dying man who sets intricate traps for people he feels aren't enjoying their lives as they should, and offers salvation for them at a price.   The concept the killer portrays is something intriguing and far apart from the traditional reasons to kill, and the traps themselves are ingenious - and all were once used back in the day in real life.

#3

Shaun of the Dead
2004

While not traditionally known as a horror film, "Shaun of the Dead" is filled with zombie violence, blood, and suspense - even if you'll be rolling on the ground laughing the whole time.  Simon Pegg stars as the titular Shaun, a nobody living in England who finds himself in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, and sets out to protect his friends and family from the oncoming horde of the dead.  Edgar Wright perfectly encapsulates not just a zombie apocalypse, but also provides surprisingly sentimental stories and of course laugh-out-loud moments that make the film one of - if not the - best zombie comedies of all time.

#2

Let the Right One In
2008

Generally when you think of vampires, you think of a Dracula-like bloodsucker who seduces his victims before bringing his fangs to their neck, or a gang of rebel youthful bikers that terrorize a small California town - but you don't immediately think of a young girl who only wants to protect her neighbor friend.  Young Oskar is continually picked on at school and has no friends, until he meets Eli, a young girl who moved into his apartment complex.  The two strike a friendship and more, until Oskar learns Eli's secret - she's a vampire, and needs to feed on blood to survive.  Yet this doesn't separate the two, as the film perfectly blends drama and horror, filled with compelling performances and a surprisingly touching story under the backdrop of blood and gore.

#1

The Ring
2002

While its now dated since no one uses VHS anymore, "The Ring" managed to terrify and excite audiences and still to this day provides a superior tense mood with unforgettable images and powerhouse performances.  Gore Verbinski's remake of the Japanese horror film "Ju-On," "The Ring" centers around a cursed videotape that, when watched, gives the viewer seven days to live before they're killed by a spectral girl with long flowing black hair covering her face.  Naomi Watts stars as an investigator who watches the tape and sets out to end the curse by solving the mystery before both she and her young son succumb to the terror.  Watts gives a dedicated performance and mixed with Verbinski's directing and Bojan Bazelli's cinematography that evelops the entire film in an eerie bluish hue, the film managed to terrify audiences and make them think twice about watching a videotape with no title on it again - as well as providing one of the most frightening final moments set to film.