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These horror movies knocked it out of the park! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most unique horror films of the decade in terms of plot, execution, and theme.
Transcript
00:00 Welcome to Hawthorne. I'm Julian Slowick and tonight it'll be our pleasure to feed you.
00:06 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most unique horror films of the decade in terms of plot, execution, and theme.
00:14 Brain death in the horse confirmed, and our link is cleanly severed. We're done.
00:20 Number 10. Late Night with the Devil.
00:22 I see a wedding ring. An unmarried man with a wedding ring. The spirit needs to talk to you. Who are you?
00:34 A lot of art takes what comes before and turns it into an original piece. Such is the case with Late Night with the Devil, a brilliant found footage film that takes great inspiration from the 1970s.
00:45 It particularly focuses on the decade's obsession with possession films, stemming from the earth-shattering success of The Exorcist.
00:51 David Dastmalchian plays Jack Delroy, the host of a late-night talk show who invites a supposedly possessed woman onto the stage.
00:58 I really don't think it's a good idea, Jack. It's becoming more unpredictable.
01:02 You can imagine the chaos that follows. The production and costume design pay delightful homage to the 70s, and the talk show spin proves that there is still some original juice left in the possession genre.
01:13 And just when we thought we had seen it all.
01:15 Good evening, night owls, and thank you for allowing me into your living rooms once again.
01:22 Number 9. Barbarian.
01:24 This is unbelievable.
01:26 What are we supposed to do?
01:32 I don't know. I don't know.
01:34 It's amazing how much Barbarian manages to do in its swift 102 minutes. It's basically got three stories in one film.
01:41 There's the first act, a modern-day parable of urban decay and gender issues, all wrapped around a delightfully creepy story about two people stuck in the same Airbnb.
01:50 Listen, I don't know what the protocol is for this.
01:54 Me neither.
01:56 Then there's the monster tale involving AJ and Jess, who are trapped in a house with a violent creature.
02:01 And then there's the third narrative, which briefly touches on the creature's twisted origin.
02:06 The idea of a monster hiding in a hidden section of a house is unexpectedly thrilling.
02:11 And the movie's structure allows the reveal of it to develop in a satisfying manner.
02:15 Theme, story, execution, everything comes together perfectly to help Barbarian stand out from the pack.
02:21 I don't know.
02:22 I gotta get out of here.
02:24 This is very, very important. You need to stay calm.
02:28 Number 8. Talk to Me.
02:30 As soon as she lets it in, it cannot go for more than 90 seconds. Am I clear?
02:34 What happens after 90 seconds?
02:37 They'll want to stay.
02:39 One of the most original horror films of the decade comes via YouTubers RakaRaka.
02:43 Composed of brothers Danny and Michael Filippo, RakaRaka made special effects-heavy videos, including the famous Harry Potter vs. Star Wars.
02:51 Their background in filmmaking is evident, as Talk to Me is a wickedly constructed film about a magic hand that allows people to interact with the dead.
03:00 Talk to me.
03:02 Talk to me proves there is still plenty to do with the possession genre, with the Filippos finding inventive ways to spin the classic tropes.
03:11 The story is fresh and original, and the themes around peer pressure, chasing social media clout, and dangerous trends could not be more relevant.
03:19 This is horror for a new generation.
03:21 Talk to me.
03:28 Number 7. Prey.
03:31 Who invited you?
03:33 We won't be gone long enough to need a cook.
03:35 Serving as a prequel to the Predator franchise, Prey does a number of unique things not only for the series, but for the horror genre in general.
03:43 For one thing, it takes place in the early 18th century, a setting not often seen in horror.
03:49 But more importantly, it utilizes Native American culture in the telling of its story.
03:54 I've been practicing. It's time. I'm ready for my catamaran.
03:58 You really think you're ready?
04:00 Naru is a Comanche woman living on the Great Plains of North America, and the cast is filled with real Native American actors, including breakout star Amber Midthunder.
04:09 Both the authentic period setting and cultural representation add a nice layer of depth to Prey and its bloody action set pieces.
04:16 Number 6. Host.
04:27 I'm nervous.
04:28 What's there to be nervous about? It's gonna be fine.
04:31 In March of 2020, the world shut down for the COVID pandemic.
04:35 Just four months later, we got the first major COVID movie with Host.
04:39 The indie horror flick directly integrates the pandemic into its storyline, with a number of friends hosting a seance over Zoom during lockdown.
04:47 Has anything ever happened?
04:49 Uh, yeah. Yeah, I mean, every time I've done it, it's been like something has gone on.
04:55 Sounds spooky.
04:57 This seance summons a deadly demon, and all hell breaks loose. No pun intended.
05:02 The movie was filmed entirely remotely, with Rob Savage directing his cast members over Zoom.
05:07 These cast members were in charge of everything on their end, including makeup, sound, and even the visual effects.
05:13 The premise took full advantage of a world-changing event, and it will stand forever as a startling glimpse into the confined and anxious year of 2020.
05:22 I mean, basically, if by inventing a person that doesn't exist, we've basically summoned a false spirit.
05:29 Number five, The Menu.
05:31 You, my dear guests, are not the common man, and so tonight, you get no bread.
05:38 Some of the best horror movies take place in a confined setting, and we can confidently add The Menu to that list.
05:44 Set almost entirely in an exclusive restaurant, The Menu sees an esteemed chef putting on a dinner for some notable guests.
05:51 However, the chef has ulterior motives and uses the dinner as revenge against his wrongdoers.
05:57 Ladies and gentlemen, I want to apologize to you all. What you just saw was not originally part of tonight's menu.
06:03 The movie is full of great acting and prolonged tension, but what really sells it is the original story and killer themes.
06:09 The Menu comments on a number of subjects, including pretentious foodie culture, forgotten passions, classism, and artistic exploitation,
06:17 themes not often explored in the horror genre.
06:20 Suffice it to say, The Menu has a great mouthfeel. Well, the movie equivalent.
06:25 - Please don't say mouthfeel. - Too late. Mouthfeel.
06:27 Number four, The Invisible Man.
06:29 He was in complete control of everything, you know. Including me.
06:37 Lee Winnow proved his brilliance by reforging the old into the new.
06:42 The story of The Invisible Man is well over a century old, with H.G. Wells' novel being published back in 1897.
06:49 Even the iconic 30s film was almost 100 years old when The Invisible Man came out in 2020.
06:54 I need that strength in my life right now. And I need you to believe what I'm about to tell you.
07:03 But Winnow updated the story for the new century, complete with a futuristic suit that turns its wearer invisible and a modern feminist spin with Elizabeth Moss at the helm.
07:12 He also incorporated many topical subjects into his script, including trauma and abusive relationships.
07:18 It's The Invisible Man post-Me Too, an allegory that uses an age-old tale to comment on modern social issues.
07:26 The night I left him, I drugged him. With that, I lost the bottle that night. And somehow, it found its way back to me.
07:36 Number three, Titan.
07:38 Pardon, je voulais te dire, je crois que je suis tombé à mon temps en fait.
07:43 Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, Titan is a horror movie with ambitions. Not only did the film premiere at Cannes, but it won the Palme d'Or, the festival's highest prize and one of the most prestigious awards in the movie industry.
07:55 So yeah, it's pretty darn good. Titan is eccentric in all the best ways, and many people don't know what to make of it.
08:07 Agathe Roussel plays Alexia, a serial killer with a titanium plate in her skull and has, um, close relations with vehicles.
08:15 To say more would spoil the film, and we definitely do not want to do that.
08:19 This is a bizarre and deeply provocative movie, featuring images and stories we've never quite seen before. How many horror movies can say that?
08:27 Number two, Possessor.
08:35 "You're not safe for them anymore, are you? You told me yourself you'd become a danger."
08:41 Any fan of David Cronenberg should check out his son Brandon's work, as he too is working within the body horror genre.
08:48 And between Possessor and Infinity Pool, he is shaping up to be one of the defining voices in modern horror.
08:53 Possessor contains a remarkably original story, taking place in an alternate 2008 in which hitmen physically invade other people's bodies to carry out their assassinations.
09:03 "Sure, Miss Force. I'll keep you in nice and deep. You just make sure you pull the trigger on the way out."
09:09 The premise is compelling and novel, and what Cronenberg does with it is nothing short of masterful.
09:15 Furthermore, he follows in his father's footsteps by giving us grotesque visuals we've never seen and couldn't possibly imagine.
09:22 "What's with you today?"
09:24 "Whatever."
09:27 Before we unveil our top pick, here are some honorable mentions.
09:31 Crimes of the Future, a futuristic horror film with fantastic world-building and body modifications.
09:37 "What do you see?"
09:39 "I can feel you pulling things around in there."
09:42 "It seems to be some small sort of endocrine gland."
09:46 Censor, a reality-warping story that comments on film censorship and the video nasty craze.
09:52 "This depiction is dangerous."
09:54 "Come on, Enid. No one's going to pick this up and think it's a documentary. It's so fake."
09:58 "To you, it might be sausages for intestines, but what if it gets into the hands of children?"
10:02 "Exactly."
10:03 "Kids could be rewinding and watching those scenes over and over again."
10:07 Men, a woman is accosted by a series of identical men in the English countryside.
10:12 "Happened from the garden?"
10:13 "Yeah, it was delicious."
10:15 "Scrumping, eh? No, no, no, no. Mustn't do that. Forbidden fruit."
10:21 "Oh, God, sorry, I, I, I…"
10:24 "I'm joking."
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10:41 Number 1. Bo is afraid
10:45 "This is a room in our house, but it's your home for as long as you need."
10:50 We don't even know where to start with Bo is Afraid.
10:52 A24 took a huge swing with this film, giving writer-director Ari Aster $35 million to craft a surreal,
10:59 impenetrable, and perplexing movie that is sure to baffle most of its viewers.
11:03 The experiment didn't really work, financially speaking,
11:06 but Bo is Afraid became the focus of intense discourse as people desperately tried to figure it out and parse its countless puzzles.
11:13 "I don't understand."
11:15 "That's okay. No, it's not. What do you understand?"
11:18 Even if viewers don't really understand it, we can still commend Aster and his brilliant team of filmmakers
11:23 for crafting what is undoubtedly the most original horror film of the 2020s so far,
11:28 and maybe even the most original film, period.
11:31 "I was in an accident. I don't know where I am. I'm sorry, but can you please help me?"
11:40 Can you think of any more original horror movies that have come out this decade? Let us know in the comments below.
11:45 "It's actually f***ing laughably good."
11:48 Do you agree with our picks? Check out this other recent clip from WatchMojo.
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11:56 [music]