Doghouse

Doghouse (2009)
Dir: Jake West

A group of men find themselves in a village which is overrun with man-hating cannibals.
Enjoyable British horror comedy that doesn't take itself too seriously. What it lacks in plot it makes up for with solid direction and a strong cast that all seem well aware of what film they are making. The witty script provides some good laughs, but this is definitely not a date movie.

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

Silent Night, Deadly Night

Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
Dir: Charles E. Sellier Jr.

A tormented teenager goes on a murderous rampage dressed as Santa Claus.
Average slasher film that was quite controversial when it was first released. After the creepy opening the film starts to struggle, with only a couple of gory deaths saving it from being totally forgettable. The winter setting provides some good imagery, but it pales in comparison to the far superior 'Black Christmas'.

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

Joy Ride

Joy Ride (2001)
Dir: John Dahl

Two brothers on a road trip are terrorised by a trucker after playing a prank on him.
A tense, well directed thriller that manages to flesh out a simple premise and provide some truly nerve-wracking scenes. The mysterious killer is superbly voiced by Ted Levine and there's also solid performances from the lead trio. The impressive cinematography also elevates this film above others in the genre.

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

Mothman Prophecies, The

The Mothman Prophecies (2002)
Dir: Mark Pellington

A journalist investigates strange reports of a mothlike creature appearing in a small town.
An underrated film that is wonderfully written, acted and directed. Pellington brilliantly sets up an atmosphere of unease and a feeling that something terrible is about to happen. It starts out as an intriguing little mystery, but becomes something so much more by the time it reaches the stunning climax.

Story: 9
Acting: 8
Directing: 9
Scares: 6
Gore: 2
Overall: 8

Thesis

Thesis (1996)
Dir: Alejandro Amenábar

A film school student doing a thesis on violence discovers a seemingly real snuff movie.
Amenábar's first Spanish thriller is a solid effort that is let down by a sluggish pace and an unsatisfying ending. It's well acted by the leads and the subject matter provides some effective scares. Though the film's message is nothing new, it does manage to raise a few interesting points on violence in the movies.

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

Outlander

Outlander (2008)
Dir: Howard McCain

A man from a far-off world crash lands on Earth during the time of the Vikings.
Decent sci-fi/fantasy that deserved a bit more recognition. It's an interesting concept, combining the Viking era with aliens and space age weaponry, and for the most part it works well. There's some good action and effects, and as a slice of mindless entertainment it's not bad.

Story: 7
Acting: 6
Directing: 6
Scares: 3
Gore: 5
Overall: 6

Midnight Meat Train, The

The Midnight Meat Train (2008)
Dir: Ryûhei Kitamura

A New York photographer becomes obsessed with a serial killer who stalks the subways.
An impressive English-language debut from Kitamura that gives him a good showcase for his visual talents. Based on a Clive Barker short story, it has an interesting premise and builds to an exciting climax. There's plenty of gore and some inventive visuals that add to the enjoyment of the film.

Story: 7
Acting: 6
Directing: 8
Scares: 6
Gore: 9
Overall: 7

Feast II: Sloppy Seconds

Feast II: Sloppy Seconds (2008)
Dir: John Gulager

The monsters attack a neighboring town where the survivors from the bar are hiding.
Incredibly poor sequel that is like a parody of the first film. It swaps the clever mix of scares and comedy that the first film had, for all out gore and slapstick humour. The characters are all completely horrible and the creature effects are just embarassing this time around. An insult to the first film.

Story: 2
Acting: 2
Directing: 2
Scares: 3
Gore: 9
Overall: 2

Signs

Signs (2002)
Dir: M. Night Shyamalan

A family living on a farm discover mysterious crop circles threatening an alien invasion.
Superbly tense movie from Shyamalan that is let down by a sloppy ending. The set up is fantastic and the minimal way the story is told really adds to the atmosphere and suspense. The cast are all great, it's just a shame that everything is ruined by such a ridiculously flawed finale.

Story: 8
Acting: 9
Directing: 8
Scares: 7
Gore: 2
Overall: 8

Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters (1984)
Dir: Ivan Reitman

Three scientists set up a ghost extermination agency calling themselves the Ghostbusters.
A classic movie that is as good today as when it first came out. The film works on almost every level, with the cast as near to perfect as possible. While it is one of the funniest films ever made, it also has some decent scares provided by the wonderfully cheesy 80s effects. A great film that's lost none of its charm.

Story: 9
Acting: 10
Directing: 9
Scares: 4
Gore: 2
Overall: 9

Terminator Salvation

Terminator Salvation (2009)
Dir: McG

In a post-apocalyptic 2018, what's left of the human resistance fight back against Skynet.
Disappointing sequel that promised a lot more. The look of the film is great and the action sequences are well shot, but there's no real substance and the story doesn't make much sense. There are some good ideas hiding in here and you can't help but feel that a stronger director would have done more with it.

Story: 6
Acting: 7
Directing: 7
Scares: 2
Gore: 3
Overall: 6

Pan's Labyrinth

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
Dir: Guillermo del Toro

A young girl growing up in Spain during World War II escapes into a strange fantasy world.
A stunning movie from Guillermo Del Toro that combines stunning fantasy with harsh reality. The story, acting and special effects are all superb, and there's some good scares. It's wonderfully directed, yet while the fantasy world is beautifully realised, it's a shame that it takes a backseat to real world events.

Story: 8
Acting: 8
Directing: 9
Scares: 6
Gore: 8
Overall: 8

Donkey Punch

Donkey Punch (2008)
Dir: Oliver Blackburn

A group of holidaymakers on a luxury yacht turn on each other after a tragic accident.
Average horror movie that keeps you interested despite a plot that's been done too many times before. The acting is okay and the director manages to get the most of the minimal setting. Unfortunately it lacks any real imagination and it all becomes rather predictable by the halfway mark.

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

Eden Lake

Eden Lake (2008)
Dir: James Watkins

A young couple enjoying a romantic weekend away are terrorised by a gang of kids.
Harrowing British horror film that is tough to sit through. It's well directed by Watkins and the acting from the leads is solid. The problem with the story is that it's a little one dimensional, but the situation is so intense that it keeps you hooked right the way up to the bleak ending.

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

Dead Set

Dead Set (2008)
Dir: Yann Demange

The contestants on a series of Big Brother are unaware of a zombie outbreak outside.
Impressive British mini-series that would make George A. Romero proud. It mixes social satire with scares and gore, whilst borrowing heavily from films like 'Dawn Of The Dead'. With the 'Big Brother' reality series as its backdrop it also provides plenty of familiar faces and locations that add to the fun of it all.

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

Drag Me To Hell

Drag Me To Hell (2009)
Dir: Sam Raimi

A young woman is cursed by an elderly gypsy and her life becomes a living hell.
Enjoyable B-Movie from Sam Raimi, returning to the kind of horror that made his name. The film is a thrill ride of scares and gore, with a number of effective jump-out-your-seat moments. Alison Lohman is great in the lead and though the plot is a little obvious, it's good fun watching Raimi cut loose again.

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

Tormented (2009)

Tormented (2009)
Dir: Jon Wright

A bullied teenager comes back from the dead to take revenge on his classmates.
Decent British slasher film that is well directed by Wright. While the story follows a simple formula it keeps you entertained throughout and has some good death scenes. The effects aren't all that bad and the acting is pretty solid. A surprisingly well made horror film with a uniquely British sense of humour.

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

Silver Bullet

Silver Bullet (1985)
Dir: Daniel Attias

A young boy suspects a werewolf to be behind a recent spate of murders.
Dull adaptation of a Stephen King story. There's nothing new here and it seems like there's a lack of effort from all involved. The make-up effects are poor and none of the scares really work. Despite a young Corey Haim showing some early promise, this isn't really worth the time.

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

Isolation

Isolation (2005)
Dir: Billy O'Brien

A group of people on an Irish farm become the victims of an experiment gone wrong.
Atmospheric little horror film that is cleverly directed by O'Brien. The farm provides an eerie setting that is well used and there are a number of effective scares. The creature is wisely kept in the dark for the majority of the film and there's a decent amount of gore. A good effort that is worth a look.

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

Waxwork

Waxwork (1988)
Dir: Anthony Hickox

The owner of a wax museum uses his horror exhibits to unleash evil on the world.
Cheesy 80s horror film that just about gets by on some original ideas. The story combines lots of classic horror tales and though it's not always successful, it does have its fun moments. There are some very gory scenes but it fails to provide any solid scares, and while the climax is ambitious, it's also pretty ridiculous.

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