Reef, The

The Reef (2010)
Dir: Andrew Traucki

A great white shark hunts the crew of a capsized sailboat along the Great Barrier Reef.
An average thriller in the same vein as Open Water and Adrift., and just like those movies the actions of the people involved consistently frustrate and annoy. The acting isn't bad and the director manages to deliver some decent thrills, especially the shark scenes which are well handled.

Story: 5
Acting: 6
Directing: 6
Scares: 5
Gore: 4
Overall: 5

Descent: Part 2, The

The Descent: Part 2 (2009)
Dir: Jon Harris

The sole survivor of a spelunking exploration gone horribly wrong is forced to follow the authorities back into the caves.
An unnecessary sequel that fails to recreate the sheer terror of the original. The character's actions are frustrating and the film just feels like a retread of scenes that were done much better already. There's still the odd decent scare but it's not really worth it.

Story: 4
Acting: 5
Directing: 4
Scares: 6
Gore: 7
Overall: 5

Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil

Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil (2010)
Dir: Eli Craig

While on vacation at their dilapidated mountain cabin, Tucker & Dale are attacked by a group of college kids.
Hilarious horror comedy that takes the most familiar of horror setups and cleverly turns it on its head. The cast expertly play along and manage to create characters you genuinely care about, while the director keeps the pace up and the blood flowing.

Story: 7
Acting: 7
Directing: 7
Scares: 3
Gore: 7
Overall: 7

Shrooms

Shrooms (2007)
Dir: Paddy Breathnach

A group of friends experience creepy visions while tripping on mushrooms in the woods.
A poor effort that rips off dozens of better movies without adding anything new. The acting is so weak and the characters are so unlikable that you struggle to care if any of them survives. While it has some creepy imagery, it fails to build any suspense or tension and the scares barely register.

Story: 2
Acting: 4
Directing: 3
Scares: 4
Gore: 3
Overall: 3

Captivity

Captivity (2007)
Dir: Roland Joffé

A man and a woman wake to find themselves trapped in a cellar, where they are psychologically tortured.
Inept thriller that has nothing to recommend about it. The acting is woeful and the characters lack the depth necessary to make you care for them. There's nothing in the way of scares or gore, and the film is utterly predictable throughout.

Story: 3
Acting: 3
Directing: 2
Scares: 2
Gore: 3
Overall: 2

Last House On The Left, The (2009)

The Last House On The Left (2009)
Dir: Dennis Iliadis

After brutally assaulting two women, a gang unknowingly finds refuge at a house belonging to the parents of one of the victims.
Impressive remake that improves on Wes Craven's original. The characters are more fleshed out and the acting is a huge step up. The director keeps things at a good pace throughout and resists the temptation for cheap shocks, at least that is until the unnecessary ending.

Story: 6
Acting: 7
Directing: 7
Scares: 4
Gore: 7
Overall: 7

Antichrist

Antichrist (2009)
Dir: Lars von Trier

A grieving couple retreats to their cabin in the woods, hoping to repair their broken hearts and troubled marriage.
An experimental horror film from Lars von Trier that focuses on the different stages of grief after a terrible accident. The acting is strong and it's visually rich, but the surreal aspects only serve to cover up a story that doesn't really go anywhere.

Story: 4
Acting: 7
Directing: 5
Scares: 2
Gore: 8
Overall: 3

Collector, The

The Collector (2009)
Dir: Marcus Dunstan

A man breaks in to a house only to find the rooms have all been booby trapped.
An interesting concept that feels like it could have been made as a prequel to Saw. It is well directed and entertaining, despite some sizeable plot holes that start to distract. Also the film focuses more on the different gruesome traps than on trying to develop its characters, but it's still a worthwhile effort.

Story: 6
Acting: 6
Directing: 7
Scares: 6
Gore: 7
Overall: 6

Crazies, The (2010)

The Crazies (2010)
Dir: Breck Eisner

The inhabitants of a small town go insane when a toxin contaminates their water supply.
A decent remake that improves on the original. The bigger budget allows for more action and thrills, and the acting is solid from everyone involved. Eisner stages some impressive scenes and keeps the tension racked up throughout. While there's nothing really original here, it's still an enjoyable update.

Story: 5
Acting: 7
Directing: 7
Scares: 6
Gore: 5
Overall: 6

New Moon

New Moon (2009)
Dir: Chris Weitz

When the Cullens leave town, Bella finds comfort in the arms of childhood friend Jacob.
Dire sequel that fails to put right the wrongs of the first movie. The directing is even worse this time around and the acting suffers too, with the three leads struggling to make the story convince. It picks up a little towards the end with the introduction of new characters, but the series desperately needs a better director.

Story: 3
Acting: 4
Directing: 3
Scares: 1
Gore: 2
Overall: 3

Stepfather, The (2009)

The Stepfather (2009)
Dir: Nelson McCormick

A young man returns home from military school and starts to become suspicious of his mother's new boyfriend.
This extremely poor remake has none of the original films atmosphere. The director seems to have forgotten to provide any scares or thrills whatsoever. Dylan Walsh is a poor replacement for Terry O'Quinn and there's one too many clichéd scenes at the end.

Story: 3
Acting: 2
Directing: 2
Scares: 2
Gore: 3
Overall: 2

Stepfather, The (1987)

The Stepfather (1987)
Dir: Joseph Ruben

Things turn deadly when a man realises the family he has married into isn't the perfect home he has been looking for.
Solid thriller that is carried by Terry O'Quinn's complex and menacing performance. The opening sequence is wonderfully creepy and the rest of the film has a suitably tense feel. While the plot is fairly obvious, it's still an interesting study into the mind of a psychopath.

Story: 5
Acting: 8
Directing: 6
Scares: 5
Gore: 6
Overall: 6

Blood And Chocolate

Blood And Chocolate (2007)
Dir: Katja von Garnier

A young werewolf is torn between keeping her family's secret and her love for a man.
A tedious experience that doesn't do enough to keep you interested. While the Budapest setting is atmospheric and provides some suitably gothic locations, the story is dull and riddled with plot holes. The casting is a little odd too, with the actors looking uneasy with the script and unable to sell the themes of the movie.

Story: 3
Acting: 3
Directing: 3
Scares: 1
Gore: 3
Overall: 3

Splice

Splice (2009)
Dir: Vincenzo Natali

Two scientists create a new organism by splicing together human and animal DNA.
An intelligent Sci-Fi horror that unfortunately loses its way towards the end. The plot raises some interesting moral questions and the CG effects are also impressive, the director cleverly using them only to enhance the character of Dren. The film becomes a bit too formulaic in the end and falls short as a result.

Story: 7
Acting: 7
Directing: 7
Scares: 4
Gore: 6
Overall: 6

Night Of The Living Dead (1968)

Night Of The Living Dead (1968)
Dir: George A. Romero

A group of people fight to stay alive when the recently deceased return from the grave.
This classic pretty much invented the zombie film as we now know it. By cleverly focusing the story on a small group of people in a single location, Romero creates a great amount of tension. The acting and make-up effects aren't bad for the budget, and you have to admire the influence this film has had on the genre.

Story: 6
Acting: 5
Directing: 8
Scares: 7
Gore: 6
Overall: 7

Survival Of The Dead

Survival Of The Dead (2009)
Dir: George A. Romero

On an island near America, two feuding clans fight to survive the zombie epidemic.
This latest offering is the weakest of Romero's zombie films and continues the series downward trend. The story is dull and devoid of scares or thrills of any kind. It comes across as more of a western than a horror film, but the acting isn't strong enough to carry any of the emotional or dramatic scenes.

Story: 3
Acting: 3
Directing: 3
Scares: 3
Gore: 6
Overall: 3

Cold Prey: Resurrection

Cold Prey: Resurrection (2008)
Dir: Mats Stenberg

Jannicke wakes up in hospital only to find that the doctors have revived the killer.
Weaker than the first film, this is still a stylish and atmospheric slasher. The story picks up right where it left off and apart from learning a bit more of the killer's background, it doesn't really add anything new. The setting is creepy even though it's not as isolated as the original, and there are still some great scares.

Story: 5
Acting: 7
Directing: 7
Scares: 6
Gore: 6
Overall: 6

A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010)

A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010)
Dir: Samuel Bayer

A group of teenagers begin having nightmares about a badly scarred, knife-fingered killer.
Unnecessary remake that completely misses the point of the orginal. Classic scenes are recreated but lack substance and the best scares are thrown away. Jackie Earle Haley tries his best to make Freddy his own, but the rest of the cast are forgettable and it doesn't have a tenth of the original film's creativity.

Story: 3
Acting: 3
Directing: 2
Scares: 5
Gore: 6
Overall: 3

Wolfman, The (2010)

The Wolfman (2010)
Dir: Joe Johnston

An American man returns to his ancestral homeland and is attacked by a werewolf.
What once looked like a promising update ended up as a missed opportunity resulting from a troubled production. The talented cast give it their all and the film has a nice gothic feel, but the story has been butchered so much that it doesn't make a lot of sense. The CG werewolves are terrible too.

Story: 4
Acting: 6
Directing: 3
Scares: 3
Gore: 7
Overall: 4

KM 31: Kilometre 31

KM 31: Kilometre 31 (2006)
Dir: Rigoberto Castañeda

After her twin sister falls into a coma after a car accident, a woman discovers the road she was on has a history of supenatural events.
A weak Spanish language horror film that borrows its style heavily from Asian films like Ring and The Grudge. The acting is below average and the director seems more interested in the special effects than telling a story, which is why the plot feels lazy and unoriginal.

Story: 3
Acting: 4
Directing: 3
Scares: 5
Gore: 4
Overall: 4