Underrated Horror Movies

[Zymologist]

I watched a movie called Bone Tomahawk with Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, and Matthew Fox. I actually really liked it. It reminded me a bit of ravenous, in that it's a cannibal horror-western that alternately hilarious and dark.

[Adrift]

I watched a movie called Bone Tomahawk with Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, and Matthew Fox. I actually really liked it. It reminded me a bit of ravenous, in that it's a cannibal horror-western that alternately hilarious and dark.

Yep. Strange bit of filmmaking. Not sure exactly what I think of it, but I loved the soundtrack.

[MsJack]

I watched a movie called Bone Tomahawk with Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, and Matthew Fox. I actually really liked it. It reminded me a bit of ravenous, in that it's a cannibal horror-western that alternately hilarious and dark.

Interesting. I just added it to my Netflix queue, I love horror.

It Follows (the best way I can describe it is that it's about a sexually-transmitted demon) and The Babadook (about a storybook monster that terrorizes a single mother and her troubled child) were the best horror movies I saw last year, but those both reviewed very well, so I'm not sure you would call them "underrated."

[Zymologist]

Yep. Strange bit of filmmaking. Not sure exactly what I think of it, but I loved the soundtrack.

Based on the descriptions of Bone Tomahawk, I was expecting to like it, but I ended up liking it even more than I expected. It was way funnier than I though it would be. Something about the semi-formal, kind of stilted dialogue really clicked with me, and I actually liked Matthew Fox in this movie. There's some really funny lines in this movie.

[Zymologist]

Interesting. I just added it to my Netflix queue, I love horror.

It Follows (the best way I can describe it is that it's about a sexually-transmitted demon) and The Babadook (about a storybook monster that terrorizes a single mother and her troubled child) were the best horror movies I saw last year, but those both reviewed very well, so I'm not sure you would call them "underrated."

It Follows was good, but I'm still not sure what I thought about The Babadook. It was odd, but worth watching.

Edit: I should add that Bone Tomahawk gets quite brutal at the end. Great movie, but be prepared.

[Adrift]

Interesting. I just added it to my Netflix queue, I love horror.

It Follows (the best way I can describe it is that it's about a sexually-transmitted demon) and The Babadook (about a storybook monster that terrorizes a single mother and her troubled child) were the best horror movies I saw last year, but those both reviewed very well, so I'm not sure you would call them "underrated."

Yeah, I wouldn't really call them underrated either. Maybe Babadook is a bit of an exception since it wasn't shown in many American theaters. Honestly, I didn't find Babadook all that impressive. Visually it's very entertaining, and I think the film was very well crafted, but you seen one psychological horror, you've seen them all. Though thematically they're pretty far off, you can see echoes of films like Psycho, Todd Haynes's Safe, Repulsion, Jacob's Ladder, and the like in it. Basically the psychological unraveling of the main character whose personal demons are manifest in the real.

The Following, on the other hand, was totally my groove. Very creepy morality tale that reminded me of a good Twilight Zone/Outer Limits/Tales from the Darkside episode. It falls apart a bit in the 3rd act, and gets a bit inconsistent (something that I think Quentin Tarantino noted as well), but overall it's a return to quality mainstream horror. Something we've been missing ever since the influx of bigger budget, trope heavy, mainstream garbage coming from James Wan.

I also saw The Witch recently, and eh...Like Babadook I felt let down by its lack of originality. It's a beautiful film. The use of Old English was a nice touch. The acting is fine. The atmosphere is genuinely creepy, but in the end it's more art house than horror. It's not a particularly scary film. It's very predictable (I had the plot and ending figured out within the first 15 minutes), and, honestly, I feel that Antichrist and A Field In England did the same art house/horror premise (and in A Field in England's case, the same period) a bit better (and first).

[Adrift]

Based on the descriptions of Bone Tomahawk, I was expecting to like it, but I ended up liking it even more than I expected. It was way funnier than I though it would be. Something about the semi-formal, kind of stilted dialogue really clicked with me, and I actually liked Matthew Fox in this movie. There's some really funny lines in this movie.

There is. I was actually pretty surprised by what they got away with in this film with that cast. I mean, it's somewhere between a serious indie period piece with some great acting, and a cheesy b-horror film. I suppose that's intentional, but it left me scratching my head. In the end I liked it. I think I might have liked it better had they'd gotten to the point a bit sooner though.

[Zymologist]

There is. I was actually pretty surprised by what they got away with in this film with that cast. I mean, it's somewhere between a serious indie period piece with some great acting, and a cheesy b-horror film. I suppose that's intentional, but it left me scratching my head. In the end I liked it. I think I might have liked it better had they'd gotten to the point a bit sooner though.

I laughed out loud when the back-up deputy finally got to look through the scope. Actually, I laughed out loud a few times. That deputy was hilarious.

[Adrift]

I laughed out loud when the back-up deputy finally got to look through the scope. Actually, I laughed out loud a few times. That deputy was hilarious.

Yeah, I love it when a film goes out of its way to make characters unique like that. Matthew Fox was attempting his very best Val Kilmer/Doc Holiday impression which I enjoyed. Also like the cameo by the indian historian and the back and forth between the two of them.

[MsJack]

Yeah, I wouldn't really call them underrated either. Maybe Babadook is a bit of an exception since it wasn't shown in many American theaters. Honestly, I didn't find Babadook all that impressive. Visually it's very entertaining, and I think the film was very well crafted, but you seen one psychological horror, you've seen them all.

I disagree. I've seldom seen the struggle of single parenthood and wrestling with grief portrayed so well on film, in horror or any other genre. That those messages were delivered through a pretty good horror story is remarkable.

The scene at the party where she winds up snapping at the other moms (something like), "Oh, not having time to go to the gym, what a tragedy. You must have so much to talk about with those disadvantaged women you work with," just brilliant.

[Adrift]

I disagree. I've seldom seen the struggle of single parenthood and wrestling with grief portrayed so well on film, in horror or any other genre. That those messages were delivered through a pretty good horror story is remarkable.

The scene at the party where she winds up snapping at the other moms (something like), "Oh, not having time to go to the gym, what a tragedy. You must have so much to talk about with those disadvantaged women you work with," just brilliant.

But, I mean, in Todd Haynes's film Safe you see a similar psychological melting down of a woman dealing with being a homemaker. I mean, yeah, the specifics may not be similar, but we've seen this overall premise before. The monster that lives within sort of thing is nothing new in horror. Again, that's not to knock the film, and if you enjoy psychological thrillers, then this is definitely one of the better ones. Personally, I'm more a supernatural horror type fan. I was hoping for a twist I didn't see coming a mile away, and unfortunately this film telegraphed its premise pretty early on. I'm glad I saw it, but I wouldn't see it again any time soon.

[MsJack]

But, I mean, in Todd Haynes's film Safe you see a similar psychological melting down of a woman dealing with being a homemaker. I mean, yeah, the specifics may not be similar, but we've seen this overall premise before. The monster that lives within sort of thing is nothing new in horror. Again, that's not to knock the film, and if you enjoy psychological thrillers, then this is definitely one of the better ones. Personally, I'm more a supernatural horror type fan. I was hoping for a twist I didn't see coming a mile away, and unfortunately this film telegraphed its premise pretty early on. I'm glad I saw it, but I wouldn't see it again any time soon.

I'm afraid I haven't seen Safe. I'll add it to my list. But I do tend to give credit to movies that, while not horribly original, deal with old ideas in fresh and invigorating ways.

SPOILER: I was a little bit surprised by the film's ending. I expected she would vanquish the Babadook once and for all, not have it living in her basement indefinitely as an unwelcome house guest. And most horror movies do wrap up that way: either the evil has been vanquished, or it won, or a last-minute twist reveals that it's still afoot and the heroes accomplished nothing. As I thought about it though, I realized grief is a lot like the Babadook's ending. You never really get rid of it, you just reach a point where you make it so that you have it but it doesn't have you, and some days will be much better than others.

[Adrift]

I'm afraid I haven't seen Safe. I'll add it to my list. But I do tend to give credit to movies that, while not horribly original, deal with old ideas in fresh and invigorating ways.

SPOILER: I was a little bit surprised by the film's ending. I expected she would vanquish the Babadook once and for all, not have it living in her basement indefinitely as an unwelcome house guest. And most horror movies do wrap up that way: either the evil has been vanquished, or it won, or a last-minute twist reveals that it's still afoot and the heroes accomplished nothing. As I thought about it though, I realized grief is a lot like the Babadook's ending. You never really get rid of it, you just reach a point where you make it so that you have it but it doesn't have you, and some days will be much better than others.

Yes. The heroine has learned to keep that part of her nature at bay...for the most part. Only feeding it occasionally, but not snuffing it out permanently, which, the film would have you believe, would be impossible to do, as even the attempt would cause the inner demon to exhibit himself in the most harmful of ways. There's a similar message in Jacob's Ladder where the protagonist at least has the option to let go of his demons, and in so doing finds that his demons "are really angels, freeing you from the earth." I preferred Jacob's Ladder's way of handling this theme, but I suppose the overall focus wasn't exactly the same.

[MsJack]

Really enjoyed Bone Tomahawk. Thanks for the recommendation.

[Zymologist]

Really enjoyed Bone Tomahawk. Thanks for the recommendation.

I love the banter and dialogue in that movie.