Change Your Image
taylermac
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againNOTE: while the slashers of the 70’s-80’s were obviously iconic and incredibly influential, I have pretty much left them off this list. I respect and appreciate how they contributed to the horror genre, but they’re not my jam (and this is my list so yeah). Also excluding some of the super obvious (looking at you The Exorcist)
I don’t scare easy, but, the ones that did might surprise you.
Reviews
Mad God (2021)
Incredible, Grotesque Nightmare Fuel
I'm tempted to rate higher based solely on the awe inspiring animation and detail of this film. It's as if the works of Francis Bacon or Hieronymus Bosch were brought to life - hell in animated form.
I would say to enjoy this film you have to approach it with the mindset of viewing abstract art, because what little plot there is, is hard to grasp. We follow a hero along only to have the rug ripped out from under us and lose all sense of coherence.
It's apparent how much care and effort went into this film, but I think it would be easier to parse if the runtime was shorter. I'm rating it "high" due to its inherent artistic value, but if it were to rate it as a "good movie to watch" it'd probably be like a 2/10.
Rot (2019)
Oof
Drab, unimaginative with forgetful characters...this movie could have at least earned 4/10 if it had a somewhat halfway decent ending.
Very little happens throughout and when something does occur, it's neither entertaining nor dread inducing.
However, this whole debacle really sealed its fate when the severed penis became animate and tried to kill the protagonist....
It's earned at least a 2/10 rating because for some reason I decided to finish it?
But to be frank, the entire movie barely managed to hold my attention in the first place - I was holding out for an ending that could possibly redeem the whole thing...
Alas, yet another lackluster venture to have crossed off my watch list.
A Classic Horror Story (2021)
Satirical but....
To be honest, I feel a bit silly not realizing until after the fact that the whole thing is satirical. As I watched I definitely picked up on parts of that, but it wasn't until I read the reviews that I fully "got it."
Visually it was beautiful! But taking it at face value: I didn't find it to be an entertaining movie. I know, I know.... I can't deny it's a smart movie (and well made!)
But I think if you go into this unsuspectingly, you won't have that good of a time. It very likely deserves a stronger rating that what I'm giving it, but considering the pointless element of the mafia's involvement and becoming bored halfway through, I can't help but rate it middle of the road here.
Tethered (2022)
Good Potential
This movie had some good potential. The set up was intriguing and the slow starting pace did a fair job of drawing the viewer.
The acting was alright, but given it's more of an indie film you could overlook it and I still felt endeared to the characters. However, some of the music felt inconsistent and actually took me out of the immersion. Similarly, some of the visual shots seemed to be a good set up for a close up or some sort of follow up scene/dialogue but ended up leaving you hanging. (i.e. Hank reading the journal to Solomon felt cut off and I wanted more from the scene)
The final reveal was predictable and left me wanting something more. Ultimately the world building and story were on the right track, but the final product just felt a bit lacking.
Barbarian (2022)
A Must Watch
This movie was a wild ride from start to finish. With engaging characters, and a creative plot - this movie had me hooked the entire time. Regarding other reviews, I definitely understand why some people were thrown off by the change of pacing and vibe.
The first arc has such a fantastic, atmospheric feel to it that was truly horrifying, and to switch gears the way it was quite jarring. But that's precisely what I loved about it.
I appreciated all the variety of elements it had from the beginning creepy tension, to campy comedy, to creature thriller. I also thought it did a good job conveying its message (regarding Justin Long's character), it did so with a tongue-in-cheek approach which made it so it wasn't overly preachy.
With so many cookie-cutter horror flicks this one brought something fun and attention grabbing to the table. I'm definitely going to rope my non-horror friends into watching this one.
The Empty Man (2020)
Ring Wraith MFer
When the movie started out it had a hint of promise (despite the fact that it started in a typical fashion of originating in another culture which sets up a xenophobic type vibe)
There were moments of intrigue but it seemed to lack cohesion. It tries really hard to be deep and poetic, which would have been more successful if the movie wasn't interspersed with the cheesy bottle blowing and dementor-ripoff entity.
Ultimately the "what the f did I just watch" doesn't leave you wanting to find the answers, it just makes you want to turn the movie off.
Shookum Hills (2021)
Just.....Awful.....
Nothing about this movie stood out. It felt someone pitched a 5min story to a production company and they were like "say no more, let's just do it."
None of the characters had any sort of personality, there was nothing to connect to. And the acting wasn't anything to write home about.
The creatures were horrible cgi, which I could maybe forgive if the rest of the movie hadn't been such garbage. What made it even worse was when the climactic moment of the movie finally arrived, they added a weird blurring camera effect around the creatures as if that would distract you from noticing how terrible the production quality was.
I'm just glad I got to watch it on Netflix rather than pay to watch it on Amazon....
Love, Guaranteed (2020)
Sighhh
Ok, I didn't go into this expecting something spectacular, but I at least thought it would be cute!
I felt NO chemistry between the protagonists. And they had absolutely zero personality!
The first half I was telling myself it wasn't bad...but then the second half.... I couldn't deny how bad it was.
The plot itself was fine, but I just couldn't get over the lack of interesting characters and their lack of romance.
Wrong Turn (2021)
Go into it with No Expectations
Ok, I understand the bulk of the negative reviews are from people who love the original and were very disappointed by this "remake." A very valid disappointment because by no means does this feel like a remake. To be honest (had they changed a few aspects) I could see this being worked as a prequel (they definitely didn't try for that angle though).
I all but hated the original and thought that this was quite well done! As a stand alone movie, it has reasonable pacing, likeable characters, and a decent story.
Yet, even though I didn't like the original, I also had hoped to see how they would've revamped it. I was looking forward to how cool they could've reworked it all.
Was this movie groundbreaking? No.
Did it feel like part of the Wrong Turn franchise? No.
Was it worth watching and a pretty decent movie? Yes.
6-6.5/10 (for my own horror movie tastes, but I boosted its score to 7 because it's a lot better than people are giving it credit for)
Wrong Turn (2003)
First Watched as of 2021
I decided to watch this because I was curious about the remake. I knew this was sort of a cult classic, but honestly I'm not really sure why?
Nothing is particularly innovative, nor are any of the kills "crazy over the top." (Ok yeah it's from 2003, but there are definitely some good horror flicks from that time!)
The design of the mutants was lackluster, although the makeup was well done.
I gave it an extra point because although the tree scene dragged a bit, it was something different and I could see how that could be reworked into a cool moment. (Also the tongue in cheek moment where he rips the map off)
The Arbors (2020)
Agreed, Movie WITH a Creature In It
Like other reviews have noted, if you expect this to be a creature feature, you're likely to be disappointed.
However, even though that's what I expected going into it, I wasn't severely disappointed. The creature makes for a good metaphor.
And again I agree with others, it's definitely a slow movie, but I didn't find it boring. I was curious how the protagonist would proceed and react.
I really don't believe it deserves as low of a score as it's received. I appreciated the all symbolism and I thought overall it was a well executed film.
Harbinger Down (2015)
Want to Watch This Movie?
No you don't, you want to watch The Thing (1982).
Trust me, go watch that.
Ma (2019)
Blah Pretty Much the Whole Way Through
The plot is "fun" enough I suppose, and when it started I thought the pacing was quite good.
But then...that pacing never picked up any momentum.
The Genie portion of the story felt more like an after thought and it didn't really feel like it served much of a purpose.
And even when the "horror" began, none of it felt remotely shocking for all the drawn out build up.
I will say I thought the acting was good, and of course Octavia Spencer is incredibly talented. But...that's not enough to make up for such a lackluster story.
If you like generic, made-for-theaters horror and don't want to be scared, then it's a decent watch.
The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020)
Interesting, but a Bit Scattered
I'm not really sure how I feel about this one? On Prime it's listed as: comedy, suspense, horror. But the dark comedy aspect felt inconsistent. The characters were engaging but at the same time felt really distant? And it there were a number of scenes that felt disjointed and unclear. But I enjoyed the overall plot. I think it's worth watching to make your own conclusion. I rate it a 6.5/10 (I know this review is pretty vague, but I guess this deserves a rewatch for me to figure out what I think past first impressions).
The Vanished (2020)
Surprised it's on Netflix Top 10...
When I first started this movie I was like, this is just weird....either terrible acting or terrible writing or maybe both. But I noticed another review on here that mentioned how, when you look back on it, the over acting in the beginning actually makes sense given the context of their mental states revealed at the end. But even with that in consideration, all the characters fell flat and I felt nothing for any of them. As I watched, the "twist" ending was actually fairly predictable in my opinion. Sure, I hadn't exactly guessed that she had died earlier, but my other hunches really weren't far off (like she never existed, or that she was a kidnapped child, or she died inside the camper). So as someone who loves a good twist ending, this just didn't have a strong impact.
Better Watch Out (2016)
Don't Watch the Trailer
Definitely worth checking this movie out! But don't read about it and especially don't watch the trailer. That's all I'll divulge!
What Lies Below (2020)
Good, but Ending Lost It a Bit
Overall there was a lot that I enjoyed about this movie! The atmosphere, pacing, and acting were all enjoyable. The story unfolded in a suspenseful, tantalizingly creepy way. But as the story neared its ending, it just didn't have the payoff I would have hoped for. And reading various "ending explained" on google searches was less than helpful. John clearly was a creature that was searching for a way for his species to adapt and overcome their aversion to salt water (hence his species' attempts are cross breeding). Fine, that's all well and good. And I appreciated the glimpses of his alien arms and legs every so often. But then they show his alien tongue and I was like "...is that all they're gonna give us?" They didn't even give us the satisfaction of the crazy alien birth! Definitely a let down. But then it picks back up a little when he finally traps Liberty and forces her to swallow the blue light. However, the setting was quite confusing and I didn't understand why other "Johns" came in and started punching the walls to reveal other women? It didn't seem like a coherent manner in which to explain what was happening. Other folks online are asking "is Liberty dead or alive?" but I think the movie is obviously showing us that yes, she's alive but will go into a catatonic state like the other women. (And apparently the director discloses more information in an interview). Finally, I came across a site that explained the significance of the red hair, which actually was interesting, but.....had to dig to find that. There are some interesting parallels and inferences that can be made throughout this movie. But...something about it didn't quite hit its intended mark. I teeter on rating it a 6.5-7/10
The Retreat (2020)
Not as Bad as Other Reviews Say
Sure, this movie tries to have an artsy, plot-twisty feel. But the two realities that are presented in the movie are easy enough to understand and I thought it was interesting to see both sides of it. It certainly held my attention, and given most movies these days I give it a big plus for that reason alone! The creature designs were interesting enough (albeit low budget, but that isn't always terrible!) I think this movie would even be worth a rewatch, but I don't think it's my new favorite by any means. 5.5(teetering on 6)/10
Come Play (2020)
Not Too Shabby
Not a bad watch, although it was a little like "internet BAD, technology BAD" which made me eye roll a bit. Although that can be quite true in today's society, there was a moment in the movie where it blatantly spelled that out for us which made it a little preachy.. However, I really liked the creature design (and the details were quite good at times! Like the texture of his leg while Oliver and Sarah were under the bed). I also liked that both parents realized the truth somewhat early on, I felt that broke the convention of one (or neither) believing until the very end as most movies do. I appreciated how the loneliness also applied to Sarah, and her struggle in her marriage of feeling like she alone took responsibility for the tough times in raising Oliver. While there are a number of positives, I was surprised to find Gillian Jacobs' performance a bit lacking? There was something about this movie that just lacked a bit of heart. Was it worth watching? Yes! Is it worth a rewatch? Mmmm not so much.
The Monster Project (2017)
Just Plain Crap
While I did watch the whole movie, it lacked any and all substance. (I am a huge found footage fan). Nothing about it was even remotely scary. And whoever wrote for Jamal's character should be punched. I mean, I knew the premise of the movie...but then the way they tried to tie the different facets together was so weak. Really unimaginative and the ending felt very contrived. Poor acting (and why did they need to use such a fake wig for the vampire???) I will likely forget that I ever even watched this by like, next week. It's only redeeming factor was the creature design and cgi for the skin walker was decent. Not a very eloquent review, I know. But then again the movie doesn't deserve any better.
Butterfly Kisses (2018)
Fun and Different
I absolutely love found footage horror and try to watch each new one I come across. This one definitely took a different approach which made it fresh and engaging. I wish there would've been a bit more of a payoff, push the envelope to a final scare (or really make something dark). But overall I'd say if you enjoy found footage, this is worth a watch!
Girl on the Third Floor (2019)
Started Great, Ended as a Mess
This movie had such great potential, I loved the pacing and the atmosphere the whole first half, but then it crapped the bed. They should have kept it simple, and there were a number of directions they could've gone with, but instead they tried to do it all. Far too many different ideas jumbled together in the last half and while the general plot made sense, the details were so clumsy and incongruent. If it had been pared down, it would've been much more successful. Instead we got a hot MESS.
The Vast of Night (2019)
Decent, but Not Worth a Rewatch
I enjoyed the 50's setting and the chemistry of the two main protagonists but I didn't feel particularly attached to either of them at any point in the film. There are some long monologue scenes which could have been enjoyable but they just seemed quite ordinary. I didn't feel any sense of tension or disturbance as I listened to them. However, it was interesting during the radio broadcast scene to have the screen cut to black in parts, I liked imagining that I was listened to a radio directly.
It was nice, but it didn't really make me feel anything in particular while watching it. The ending felt satisfying with a faint sense of disquietude.
Man Vs. (2015)
Better Than Expected
Given the studio's animated logos at the beginning, I had VERY low expectations. But it ended up being quite fun! It had a couple of spooks (forest settings always seem to do that to me) and it held my attention the whole movie. I agree with the other reviews Predator sentiments and there just seemed to be a disconnect between what Doug was experiencing in the first portion of the movie to the dealings with the alien later on. (If the alien was so smart and technologically advanced, why did it merely spy on him and toy with him at first and then up the ante later?)
But by the end I was like "THIS NEEDS A SEQUEL."
Bigfoot Girl (2019)
Wwwwooooowwwwww
Literally couldn't get past 25min, I really tried! I understand low budget but come on, did they even have an editor for this?? WHO IS ASHLEY??? Why would they open the film with Kiana's microphone being half assed?? Why would they start off saying over the next few minutes they would be interviewing people and then not interview someone until like, 15min later?? Everything was so incredibly long, they clearly didn't edit down a single interview or landscape shot taken from a car. I could write a troll review but it's just so unbelievably bad that I can't.