I can never resist a horror movie – these horror movies are all available on Netflix right now – February 2018. Some are good, some are okay and others just aren’t for everyone. This post is Spoiler-Free:
Cabin Fever (2016)
Eh, this movie isn’t for anyone who has a weak stomach. Some people oppose remakes, I’m not one of them – if the remake offers either a new take or just a better overall movie. Eli Roth helped write this one though, so that gives it at least a +5. What can I say? That dude knows how to make some F*cking gory movies. I like that a comedic element was added to this one. Some comic relief is certainly needed when you watch a group of people deal with a flesh-eating virus. It’s a decent movie and worth a watch if you like gore-horror. It’s bloody- it’s gross and it has the typical horror-cliche-character-tropes in it, but it’s good nonetheless. Not a favorite, but decent.
The Ritual (Netflix Original)
We just watched this one last night. It had a pretty interesting plot and, as in most horror movies, the characters make some pretty dumb-ass moves. (But hey, that’s to be expected). It’s about a group of male friends who like to take Dude-cations. They debate back and forth about where to go and what to do – most of them shooting down Vegas, (meh). An event (that I won’t reveal), changes everything and leads them to hiking trail in Norway. If only they’s stayed on the trail…
It’s an alright movie, not necessarily up-to-par with what Netflix has been releasing lately, but okay. There aren’t a lot of ‘jumpy’ moments or ‘super-shockers’, but the premise is definitely interesting. I liked that it wasn’t what I expected going on – (that’s always a good thing, nobody likes predictable). Overall, I give it a C+.
30 Days of Night (2007)
Don’t like sparkling vampires? Yeah – me either. Screw that noise. This is the opposite. It’s an actual horror flick about vampires. They aren’t love-sick. They aren’t friendly and they have zero interest in getting in someone’s pants. This vampire film doesn’t stick with the tropes that are, (let’s face it), overplayed. It’s set in a town in Alaska that experiences – as the title says – 30 days of night. Perfect feeding ground for a group of hungry vampires, wouldn’t you say?
I like the way the vampires are in this movie – completely piss-your-pants-scary. The people who stay in the town must group together and find a way to live until the sun rises again. There’s a good amount of action in this movie and the characters are pretty cool too. I like it. It’s probably my favorite vampire movie. If you haven’t seen it – watch it. It’s a good one. A hard B+ in my book.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
Demon-possession movie featuring a character who did absolutely nothing to bring on her torment. If you look into it, this film is actually based on a real-life occurrence about a girl named Anneliese Michels who lived in Germany and died of malnourished and dehydration in the late 70’s. (It’s a pretty creepy ass story if you look into it).
The story is about a trial. Is the exorcism to blame for Emily’s death? Should the exorcist be held accountable? It’s a good swerve away from the traditional ‘exorcism stories’, as it flashes back and forth from the trial of the Priest to what really happened during the alleged exorcism.
There are some creepy parts. The sounds and visuals are scary and YES, I did jump a few times when I first watched it. It’s well done and worth a watch – solid B.
The Conjuring (2013)
Hey, another horror movie inspired by ‘true-events’. It features my favorite demon-fighting-couple: Ed & Lorraine Warren, (played by Patrick Wilson & Vera Farmiga). This movie is about one of the real-life cases the couple took on.
A family moves into a creepy new house and it’s not just creepy – it’s actually haunted. I may be a bit bias on this one though because I love all the horror movies created based on the career of the Warren’s. (I’ve even read many books regarding their experiences).
The movie is well done and has a good build up. There are lots of ‘pop-up scares’, as I call them – or ‘jumpy moments’. The acting is an A+ when it comes to all the characters and I really like the many horror elements that are in this film. I actually give this movie an A, because it falls into my top 100 favorite horror flicks.
47 Meters Down (2017)
This movie falls into the suspenseful horror category and doesn’t disappoint on that front. It’s also ‘survival horror’, which I tend to enjoy and it features real-life killing machines: SHARKS.
It is one of those movies where you’ll find yourself yelling, “Why the hell are you doing that?”
That’s common with a lot of horror, I suppose. I would compare this film to Open Water, with a bit more excitement. Basically 2 sisters, (one played by Mandy Moore), decide to go cage-diving in shark infested waters. Everything that can go wrong does and it’s a fight to see if either of them will see the surface again.
It’s pretty gripping and kept my attention. I do know a lot of people, (including my fiance/my dude), who don’t like these kind of films. I get it – too much waiting to see what happens. However, I liked it. If you like shark movies and suspense, this one is worth a viewing.
The Open House (Netflix Original)
Eh, it was alright but it left a lot to be explained. The guy who plays Clay from “13 Reasons why” is in it. Him and his mom aren’t having the best of luck. After the death of his dad – they are broke. Luckily his aunt has a house that she is selling where they can stay, with one caveat; they have to leave whenever there is an open house scheduled.
This one sort-of drug out for me and didn’t explain a lot of what was happening. There just seemed to be a lot of pointless parts. It wasn’t horribly done visually speaking but the writing and the plot weren’t great. Maybe a harsh D+ for this one?
Hush (2016)
I really liked this movie. Mike Flanagan directed it and he usually does a pretty good job, (Occulus). It’s about a deaf woman who doesn’t let her handicap hold her back. It’s no exception when some creeper tries to screw with her.
I liked the main character in this movie and really love to see a strong female lead in horror that doesn’t take torment lying down. She doesn’t make the usual stupid choices that ultimately cause characters their demise in horror flicks and that makes it interesting. A solid B and worth an add to your Netflix Queue.
Gerald’s Game (2017)
Oh, this movie…Where to begin? Well, it’s based on a story written by the crowned-king-of-horror: Stephen King. So, yes, I read the story a long time ago, (probably when I was too young to).
It’s basically a worse-case-scenario movie. When a couple goes to a cabin to kick their sex-life up a notch, the husband, Gerald, suggests handcuffing his wife to the bed. In the midst of being cuffed to the bed posts, her husband has a heart-attack, (courtesy of the Viagra he took), and dies, leaving her literally chained to the bed! Eek…what a shitty situation!
There was a lot of criticism given to this movie but I really liked it. The actors were terrific and the trepidation that came with every moment the woman is trapped there, totally helpless, was truly suspenseful. It’s a fight for survival, and a brutish one at that. Totally worth a watch, another solid B. Check out the trailer to see if it’s something you would like:
