Everyone loves a good scare! Well… most of us do anyway. I have always been a horror movie fan, I just have a problem with finding ones that scare me. So when I finally do see a movie that startles me or makes me think, I hold it close to my warped heart. Horror is a fine art, it takes a creative, not necessarily evil mind, to make these demented images, creepy monsters, ghouls, ghosts and to tell the tragic stories of the innocent being slain. In the end, good doesn’t always triumph over evil and I think that is what I like about horror films. Below are five horror gems that I found on Netflix that you definitely shouldn’t miss if you’re a horror fan.
1. Would You Rather? (2012)
I stumbled across this about 2am one night when I couldn’t sleep and was looking for a film to watch. I hit play and was pleasantly surprised. It does have a cookie cutter plot. The movie tells the story of Iris, who takes care of her ailing brother and needs money for him to have a marrow transplant. She takes the offer of a rich man who invites a group of people to his mansion to play a sadistic game called “Would You Rather?” The winner will walk away with the financial help they seek. The game is played by rounds. Each round the dinner guests have to choose whether to inflict pain on themselves or inflict pain on the other guest that is chosen to play. They have a certain amount of time to make a decision or Mr. Lambrick will take matters into his own hands. The movie is interesting, there are decisions made in its rawest forms and the outcomes are grisly. It is worth a watch, it isn’t necessarily original but there are some nice twists that pay off nicely.
2. The ABCs of Death (2012)
This is one that I overheard a couple of my friends talking about and decided to take look. I like anthology type films and this one features 27 directors producing 26 different chapters each corresponding to a letter in the alphabet. They were allowed to do what they wished with their short film, as long as it had to do with their assigned letter which represents the manner of death that is portrayed on the screen. I’m not spoiling any of them here, keep in mind there are 26 short stories, which means not all of them are winners. Some are REALLY BAD but there are some that are really solid. There are a lot of graphic scenes, I was a bit surprised by a couple of them. Through the good and the bad, it is a nice concept and worth checking out.
3. Tucker and Dale Vs. Evil (2010)
Tucker and Dale Vs Evil has gained in popularity over the past couple of years. And for good reason, it is a brilliantly made horror/comedy that is destined to be a cult classic. The film is about two best friends going on vacation to their run down mountain house that they want to become their dream summer home. They encounter a group of college co-eds who are immediately afraid of Tucker and Dale and assume them to be axe murderers. Things escalate from there when, after a misunderstanding, Dale rescues one of the girls from drowning and takes her back to the cabin to recuperate. The other college kids automatically think that she has been abducted and vow to rescue her from the backwoods killers who took her. I’m not going to go much more into it than that, but if you are into parody and horror, then this is one that you cannot miss!
4. American Mary (2012)
American Mary was the first move that I watched this past October in my 31 Nights of Halloween marathon. Mary is a dedicated medical student, who falls on financial difficulties. She gets lured into the world of body modification and makes decent money off of individuals that want to make themselves more unique. She continues her schooling while earning decent money on the side. Mary’s professor wrongly assumes she is a prostitute and invites her to a seedy surgeon’s party where she is unaware of his ulterior motives. It is a dark comedy but it’s not without gore and its share of disturbing moments. Not for everyone, but it was nice to see that the female wasn’t the normal cliche character in a horror film.
5. Re-Animator (1985)
I’m going to round out my list with one of my favorites. Professor West is a scientist who has discovered a formula that brings the dead back to life by reanimating their tissue. The film is explicitly graphic and perverted in nature, but it works because everyone involved in making this film seems not to take it so seriously. There are moments that are sickening but it is so over the top and intentionally cartoonish you can’t help but chuckle along as you watch. Re-Animator is already a cult classic and if you haven’t checked it out yet, then what are you waiting for? If you have seen it, then watch it again!
What are your favorite Netflix horror movies? Have you ever come across something streaming that shocked you to your very core? Let us know in the comments!
