Halloween is upon us and instead of listing my favorite horror movies (which I’ve done before), I thought I’d rank all of the 20 horror movies I saw this year from worst to best. There’s a couple of distinctions to make before we get into my list. First, I haven’t seen every horror movie that was released this year so if there’s one I’m missing it’s probably because I never got around to see it. Second, some of the movies you’ll see on this list might be borderline horror. Third, and maybe the most important part, this is my list. We might get another horror movie or so down the road but considering that tomorrow is Halloween, this is the perfect list to talk about for the holiday. With that all taken care of, let’s begin!
#20 HALLOWEEN ENDS
The less said about Halloween Ends the better in my estimation. What’s really unfortunate about this Halloween movie is that this new trilogy started off with a lot of promise back in 2018 with the reboot/sequel. By changing the direction of the franchise and also serving both respectfully as a sequel and ignoring the lore in the other films and even the Rob Zombie movies, Halloween builds upon the legacy in a great fashion, even if it does come across as traditional. It really served as a wonderful homage to the first film and it was great to see the return of a scary Michael Myers and rustier and tough Laurie Strode.
While many detested the follow up in Halloween Kills, I still contend that it delivered on a fun and enjoyable slasher experience that beautifully pits Michael Myers as the most devilish and brutal he’s ever been before. It’s not as tight or focused as the previous film, but it definitely had moments. Halloween Ends is the most baffling and unorthodox experience with a horror movie I’ve had in years because it completely lost any of sense focus. While it goes for some bold swings and new ideas, they couldn’t have ended a franchise more poorly. Michael Myers and Laurie Strode both have very little to do, certain characters feel rushed and it completely disregards the events set up in Halloween Kills. Not only is it the worst movie on this list, it’s the most underwhelming horror movie that 2022 has to offer.
#19 PREY FOR THE DEVIL
As far as quality goes, Prey for the Devil is pretty much as bad as Halloween Ends, but the only difference is that it had a central focus (even if it doesn’t always work). When it comes to commonality, Prey for the Devil just feels empty, hallow and incredibly lackluster. It’s not as nails on a chalkboard cringe like Halloween Ends was and it has maybe a few watchable moments here and there, but this is a painfully mediocre and poorly contrived horror movie. Prey for the Devil is a perfect example of a studio made horror movie that virtually offers nothing freighting, predicability and lazy jump scares.
The biggest problem with Prey for the Devil isn’t the formulaic or contrived aspects, it’s the fact that the movie never had a strong paranormal effect or presence. When you watch films like The Conjuring, Insidious or IT, you feel the presence of something demonic or unspeakable. You may not see it all the time, but you feel it with the tension and the attachment of the characters. With Prey for the Devil, it’s a movie that’s buried on the ideas of possessions and performing exorcisms, when they almost feel like after thoughts or just background aspects. It never feels in sync with the rest of the movie. It’s not as cringe as Halloween Ends but it fails to make an effective impression.
#18 MEN
Let me preface with this selection by saying I liked Men. It’s no where near the level of excellence of Annihilation or Ex Machina, but it’s still an overall solid film from Alex Garland. But over the course of the five months since I saw it, my enjoyment of the film has slowly faded away and I will explain why. First and foremost, there’s definitely a lot of great things about the movie. My biggest take away with Men is the lack of dialogue that it prominently features. Garland effectively uses the camera to tell the story by drawing you into the horror and raising the tension. There’s one particular scene involving Jessie Buckley’s character wandering in the forrest and it’s genuinely a spine tingling sequence. The rest of the movie features strong and eerie moments of creepiness and gothic moments that only A24 could pull off.
Performances wise, Men delivers great performances from Jessie Buckley and especially Rory Kinnear, who easily gives the best performance of his career. The music and the overall directing with this movie is rock solid, and I really admired the level of paranoia Garland was going for, but that about wraps up the positives for me. From a story standpoint, it’s pretty weak. It’s a very generic story, but a lot of is saved from Alex Garland’s direction. Without getting into spoiler moments, the ending of Men has never really sat well with me. Now I might be in the minority of that, but it’s me just speaking my honest opinions. When it’s all set in stone, Alex Garland makes movies that subvert our expectations and really challenge us more often. Regardless how I feel about the ending, I still implore more directors for taking risks even if it doesn’t work.
#17 CRIMES OF THE FUTURE
There’s not a bigger fan of David Cronenberg than me, especially when it comes to Cronenberg directing a body horror movie. His remake of The Fly is still my personal favorite of his work, but films like A History of Violence, Eastern Promises or Crash would also be great picks. Crimes of the Future is David Cronenberg going back to his body horror roots by doing much deeper on philosophical, mental and physical level on the examination of the human body. The performances are chilling, James Horner’ music is incredible and it’s great to see Cronenberg back at what he excels with the most.
My biggest complaint with Crimes of the Future is that while the movie delivers on the body horror, its emotional weight felt like an empty corpse. It was a nonexistent aspect in the movie that could have added a stronger emotional complexity to the relationships between the characters and especially to its narrative. At the end of the day, if you’re a fan of Cronenberg and a fan unique body horror movies, Crimes of the Future truly embarks on that very well.
#16 TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (2022)
It’s no denying that the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise has been a beaten down franchise for the last twenty years or so. Obviously, the first one is not only the best but it’s a horror classic for so many reasons. The sequels that followed, however, never matched the quality of that first film. Then in the early to mid 2000s, they tried rebooting/remaking the franchise by attempting to give the franchise new light. In the 2010s, they then went back to the franchise again to make a direct follow up to the first film and even another prequel to the first movie. In 2022, we got another Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie that serves as yet another follow up from the original film, while also being a reboot simultaneously.
This new Texas Chainsaw Massacre doesn’t have anything to say, nor is it down and dirty as the 1974 horror classic. It does feel more in the vein of a generic horror flick than a true Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie. It does suffer from a lot of horror cliches and contrives. At the same time, I was surprised by how much fun I had with this. It’s monumentally brutal with Leatherface slashing through people like a hot knife through butter. The characters (not all of them) are fairly decent but the music from composer from Colin Stenson is incredible.
It’s a carbon copy of every generic slasher flick you’ve seen a thousand times before and while it never really feels like a true Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie, it’s enjoyable to a degree.
#15 TERRIFIER 2
The first Terrifier, in terms of quality, is by no means an excellent movie. The writing is down right atrocious and the characters are foolish. However, it does come with some merits. Its approach is more along the lines of a rustier and grimmer slasher flick, like a Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Art the Clown is a ferocious and ruthless horror character that gives someone like Jigsaw a run for his money. And it’s super violent, even if it is a bit over the top. It’s important to keep in mind that the first Terrifier is an independently made production, so it’s going to come across as inferior to a lot of other bigger horror productions. It’s not pretty to look at, in terms of its cinematography, but that’s part of its intention. The fact that we got a sequel to an independent slasher movie is pretty surprising.
Terrifier 2 is much better than the first one in terms of story. It’s attempting at telling something that feels more thought out and more compelling. It’s also much longer than the first film, sitting around over two hours whereas the first film was barely 90 minutes. However, just like the first movie, the writing is all over the place. It’s independently funded, but it desperately comes across as amateurish. I’m sort of in disbelief on how something like this can get a pass. I’m not necessarily talking about the violence in this movie, but damn is this movie relentlessly violent. I’m in shock of how someone can look at the writing in this movie and deem it as passable. Despite the qualms I have with this, its a super fun and enjoyable horror movie for Halloween.
#14 HELLRAISER
The Hellraiser movies have never been my favorite horror movies. I’ve certainly seen them and have enjoyment with a few of them, particularly the first one from 1987 directed Clive Barker being the best one in my eyes. The character of Pinhead is a certainty a fascinating and interesting serial killer and being played by Doug Bradley from 1987 all the way to 2005 was terrific. However, like some of the Halloween movies and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, some of the follow ups never lived up to that first installment. They’ve been trying to revitalize the Hellraiser franchise for many years now and thanks to the reboot of Stephen King’s IT in 2017, we slowly saw a resurgence of studios tackling older horror movies and brining in new life for the modern era.
The Hellraiser franchise has never been one that I’ve anxious to come back to with a new movie in this universe, but color me shocked by how much I enjoyed this movie. It’s a visually appealing and brutal horror movie that does serve as a continuation of Barker’s work but also as a reintroduction for a newer generation. I loved the gore, the violence, the effects and the sense of terror with Pinhead and the Cenobites. The writing sucks and the performances are paper thin but it’s fun and I think horror fans will enjoy it.
#13 THE INVITATION
Count this one as maybe the most underrated horror movie of 2022. When this movie came out, it was typically viewed at as a time when a lot of movies get dumped when not a lot of people are going to the movies, which the week before labor day weekend. It’s never been a popular weekend at the theaters and no matter what movie gets released around that time, its destined to not get a lot of butts in seats. There’s never any competition as well and there could be a variety of factors why that’s the case. The Invitation is by no means a horror classic and at times there’s some jarring editing and lame supporting characters. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have fun with this movie because I did.
The best way to describe this movie is it’s Get Out meets Ready or Not, but with vampires. The concept of this movie is very familiar, but what saved this movie is its terrific production design and the performance from Nathalie Emmanuel. It’s up for debate if vampires have been played out like zombies and other movie monsters have experienced, but the the vampire demonstration was really well done and well executed. If you’re a fan of vampire lore and especially the films Get Out meets Ready or Not, then you oughta give it a try.
#12 WENDELL & WILD
One of the best Halloween movies of all time is The Nightmare Before Christmas, and no it’s not a Christmas movie. Anywho, that movie is cultural landmark for horror and especially for animation and despite what some might say, Tim Burton was not the director of that film. That has to be credited towards Henry Selick, who hasn’t directed a feature film since 2009 with another stop motion dark fantasy in Coraline. He makes his long awaited return in the directors chair with another stop motion horror film with Wendell & Wild and it really made us miss his type of storytelling with movies such as this.
Wendell & Wild is an imaginative, dark and spooky tale that’s perfect for the Halloween movie season. It’s not afraid to show a little punk and heavy material for a kids movie. The voice work is superb and the music is deeply reminiscent of Danny Elfman’s work. If Henry Selick wants to make another chunk of time to crank out another gem of animated movie, then we should patiently wait because he’s yet to miss with the movies he’s made.
#11 BEAST
The first real creature-feature on this list, Beast is exactly what it was supposed to be. It’s visceral, lean and completely ferocious. It’s the type of horror movie that never over stays its welcome because it tells its entire story at a crisp 90 minute runtime. Beast is a throw back to the older monster serials from the older days of Hollywood and it delivers on that in the best way possible. When you get a talent like Idris Elba, you know its going to be something even more special. Despite his character not giving any thing rich, Elba does the best he can at conveying emotion and grit to his character and to the narrative as well. Even the two young girls who play his daughters were also quite well.
The real star of this movie is the Lion. The Lion in this movie is one of the best looking and memorable movie monsters in a creature feature in ages. Much like the shark from Jaws or the Predator, the Lion in Beast is a work of sheer spectacle. Each sequence that involves the Lion is a pulse pounding and heart wrenching moment that will leave you in a great state of dread and anxiety.
The biggest criticism that movies like Beast will have its characters say ludicrous things and act very foolishly to the point where it might be hard for one to suspend their disbelief. Nevertheless, Beast is a straight up monster movie and a B movie at the same time. I mean you get to see Idris Elba punch a Lion. Need I say more?
#10 HATCHING
As far a body horror movies go, Hatching is by far away the best body horror movie of the entire year. In essence, the is an amalgamation of terror and suspense of an Alfred Hitchcock movie and the gore and terrific effects of a David Cronenberg movie. The reason why I prefer to other type of body horror movies like Crimes of the Future and even Men to a certain point, is that it deconstructs the genre to the bone marrow. It’s also a much mire effective piece of horror by having the focus of the movie on children.
Hatching is a movie that I will remember for a long time. Not just for its visuals and practical aspects, but for its powerful messages about the human body, the allegories and the performance from Siiri Solalinna, who blew me away with her fully toned and multi dimensional characterization. What I find even more unique about this movie are its colors. It’s quite a colorful and vibrant looking movie, which draws you more into the horror. The Finnish know how to make a horror picture.
#9 BARBARIAN
Barbarian is maybe the most unpredictable original horror film I’ve seen in years. Having only seen the trailer for the movie one time, I had zero expectations for it and when the reviews started to pour out before it was released, my excitement started to increase. If you never saw the trailer for it, make sure you stay as far away from it as possible. It never gives away any crucial moments or anything of that nature, but this is kind of movie you want to walk in with a fresh and clean slate. It’s got great twists that feel clever and very refreshing
It got its terrific level of creepiness, amazing scares, superb tension and claustrophobia that horror has to offer this year. For director Zach Cregger to essentially come out of nowhere with this very small horror movie that’s ultimately led by actors that the general movie goers aren’t family with is an incredible achievement. He knocked it out of the park with this movie and I believe over time the appreciation of this movie will grow.
#8 BODIES BODIES BODIES
Some might not like this, but I’m glad we have a movie that depicts generation Z the right way. By acting more than your average horror movie, Bodies Bodies Bodies both satirizes itself, gives us a compelling murder mystery and can also act as a solid slasher adventure. It’s also very funny, insanely wacky and strangely sexy. The entire case seems like they’re having an absolute ball with this, especially Lee Pace, who might have given the best performance of the whole movie.
This is the kind of movie that only A24 could pull off because it plays to their strengths. It markets itself with conventionality but underneath that is something that plays a lot more differently than one is to expect. Dark comedies, when done right, can be really special because they can both act as comedies and as horror movies. Murder, toxic and comedy all blend together seamlessly in this movie.
#7 WATCHER
This will be the first horror movie on this list that some might classify as true horror. If anything, Watcher is a slow psychological thriller, that very much utilizes tactics that Stanley Kubrick or Alfred Hitchcock would pull off. I like it when a horror movies focuses more on dread and tension, rather than unnecessary jump scares. That’s not to say that jump scares can’t be scary or leave an impression on you because they certainly can. But that’s not what Watcher is going for. Watcher focuses more on tension and atmosphere as horror instead of meaningless and empty jump scares.
It’s also well composed with its music and extremely well lit. Maika Monroe, on the other hand, doesn’t get nearly enough credit for her work. From It Follows, The Guest and now Watcher, Maika Monroe displays the perfect sensibilities in almost any given horror movies she’s featured in. Her performance in this gripping and truly exceptional. Watcher almost feels like David Fincher himself directed this, which is maybe the movies biggest complement.
#6 X
X is the kind of horror movie that we need more often. For newer fans of horror, it’s important for them to have a sense of what came before and what great horror movies today hinge off of. X is one of those special horror movies where it cribs off of 70s horror movies, but has its own style and code of conduct. This is a highly unique, oddly hilarious, gruesome and fresh spin on the slasher genre, while still having a familiar formula. Thanks to Ti West as the films director, he gives is an anthemic and rich feel by taking us all the way back to an old school style of filmmaking with a terrific production design and a stunning color palette, to one of the most brutal and gut wrenching horror finales of all time.
The beauty of X is that even knowing this was made to day, this movie feels like a product of the 1970s. By capturing the grimness and almost the vile nature of this location, X could almost be looked at as a spiritual successor to a film like Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The performances in this movie are top notch, especially from Mia Goth. James Wan might be the best at making the better mainstream horror movies but A24 might the best studio that makes horror movies.
#5 PEARL
A24 has had an incredible year with X, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, Bodies Bodies Bodies and so much more that’s yet to come. When it comes to horror films under A24, that’s when they really shine. Where X is a exploitation of the slasher genre with a film that felt that it was pulled out of a time capsule from the 1970s, Pearl is a gorgeous and tragic character of piece about maybe one of the greatest and layered characters in the horror genre. X is more of a horror movie than Pearl is, but at the same time, Pearl is a stronger effort at being an origin story and a character study. It builds up to a heart pounding finale that will you leave you speechless, but the majority of the movie is a slow and methodical focus on the character of Pearl played marvelously by Mia Goth.
The level of respect that Ti West for these kinds of horror movies feels faithful, but above all else, he makes them his own horror serials. This is a perfect follow up to X, even though the events take place before that film. Where X had a template of the 1970s, we get the technicolor and style of a movie made in the 1950s and it really works in this movie.
Mia Goth needs to be on every ones radar, especially after this movie. Without getting into details, there’s a certain monologue in this movie that is completely jaw dropping that it will be a moment that will be studied in future film classes. Ti West’s next film MaXXXine needs to come out soon.
#4 SMILE
If you went to the movies this summer, you’re probably well aware of the movie Smile. Ever since the release of Top Gun: Maverick, the trailer for Smile was played in front of almost every movie you a paid a ticket to see. Not to say they over marketed themselves, but it was becoming jarring annoying to see the trailer for it every week. What looked as a cheap knock off and almost a carbon copy of another cheap horror film Truth or Dare, Smile is so much better than it had any business being. Smile packs together some terrific atmosphere, effective visuals, superb tension but also a great balance of character work and a commentary on trauma and the mentally ill.
One of the films biggest surprises and maybe the best aspect of the whole movie is the performance from Sosie Bacon. Having not the biggest and well known track record prior to this movie, the daughter of Kevin Bacon delivers a phenomenal and breakthrough performance that should put her on everyone’s radar. Great sound, eerie music and great narrative through lines. Smile works as a great film overall.
#3 NOPE
When I came out my first showing for Nope, the film reminded me of something out of the brilliant minds of Spielberg, Hitchcock and Carpenter all wrapped in one movie. Where Jordan Peele’s first movies were very small in scale, his third film is definitely much larger and grander with a film that truly feels like a vintage summer blockbuster. Like he did in Us, Jordan Peele is tackling a lot of different subjects, but the execution of the material is what makes it special.
Jordan Peele also, once again, delivers in effective tension, terrific sound and moments of horror that felt old school fashion that a lot of other horror directors fail to capture. The moments that embark a classic Hitchcock movie, the Gordy sequence will haunt me for the rest of my life and the idea of spectacle being untamed is freaking brilliant. I can’t wait to see what horror movie Jordan Peele comes up with next.
#2 THE BLACK PHONE
Scott Derrickson is easily one the best horror directors in the business today. From my stance, The Black Phone is the best movie of Scott Derrickson’s career and maybe my favorite movie he’s ever made. It’s creepy, menacing, tension inducing and can provide some strong emotional weight by showcasing the great talent from the young actors. Some might say that this isn’t as deep or as scary as Sinister was, but the whole entertainment package and the level of raw tension in this movie proves that Scott Derrickson is one of the best horror directors of all time.
We all have Handsome Hawke, and he sure has had a big career with The Northman, Moon Knight and now The Black Phone. Ethan Hawke gives a chilling and captivating serial killer performance that’s sure to be an iconic character. But my favorite characters in this movie were Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw. The two of them are almost inseparable and the overall character work that’s developed between them is by far and away the best aspect of the movie and acts as a strong commentary about the relationship a sister and brother can have. It’s sad Derrickson never did the Doctor Strange sequel, but knowing he left that do this movie was a smart move.
#1 SCREAM (2022)
I’m not here to tell you that Scream is a scarier movie than the other horror movies on this list. I’m not here to suggest that Scream is better made or anything of that nature. What I am here to say is that you have to know how much the Scream franchise matters to me. I grew up with these movies and its solidified itself as my favorite horror franchise that will ever exist. A fifth Scream movie was in talks long before legendary director Wes Craven passed away that when they finally announced they were doing another one, I was excited by also very skeptical. But when it was announced that directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who previously directed Ready or Not, my skepticism was starting to diminish.
Scream is a gruesome, emotional, meta and poetic tribute to the legacy of Wes Craven’s work but still creates new characters that attributes to the movies before it. The constant balance of the legacy characters and the new faces on the franchise was handled so well. It’s a special movie because it traces back to the original roots of the first film, but still offers inventive and refreshing tactics to keep the slasher genre a float.
If the Scream franchise concluded after the third or fourth movie, I still would walk away with satisfaction. Knowing we’re getting another one maybe another one as well is incredibly exciting for me as a die hard fan of the franchise.
Zane's take at the Cinema's 