Watching movies in theatres safely and comfortably turned into a pipedream for most of 2020, leaving filmmakers and producers to utilize streaming services and VOD in order to distribute their new titles. Scary films still managed to do well, despite these setbacks and changes.
According to critics, the best horror movies of 2020 were indie flicks that subvert expectations by telling stories about marginalized communities, by diving into quirky ghost tales, or by taking found-footage quarantine films to the next level. On the flip side, the worst horror films of the year relied on old tropes and characterizations that ultimately fall short of generating any genuine fright in viewers.
10 Best: La Llorona - 97%
The legend of La Llorona has been adapted for film a few times, but none capture the tale of the Weeping Woman quite like the Guatemalan film that bears the same name as the legend. In La Llorona, the story of the ghost who mourns the death of her children transforms into the story of a ghost seeking vengeance against a brutal dictator responsible for the massacre of native Mayans.
After being spared prison time for his war crimes, the aging Enrique Monteverde plans to live out his final days comfortably in his massive estate. When a new worker named Alma arrives to work at Monteverde's home, it soon becomes obvious she's far from who she claims to be.
9 Worst: The Grudge - 20%
The fourth installment in The Grudge series left many critics and horror fans asking themselves, "Why?" This reboot takes place before and after the events of the 2004 American remake of the 2002 Japanese film; it also includes plotlines derived from the two sequels.
Despite its cast, which includes Andrea Riseborough and John Cho, and its talented genre director Nicolas Pesce, The Grudge suffers from being derivative and drab. Even producer Sam Raimi couldn't save this film from being totally forgettable.
8 Best: Saint Maud - 97%
Newcomer Rose Glass blends psychological thrills, body horror, and religious fervor in her debut feature Saint Maud. It stars Morfydd Clark as the titular character, a newly devout hospice nurse obsessed with saving her latest patient's soul.
Maud's dark past comes back to haunt her as visions and compulsions lead to a shocking conclusion. Saint Maud manages to eschew expectations, logic, and genre constraints to breathe new life into ecclesiastical horror.
7 Worst: The Turning - 12%
The Turning is yet another cinematic take on Henry James's iconic gothic horror novella The Turn of the Screw. In the film, Mackenzie Davis plays a school teacher who quits her job to care for two orphans whose parents died under mysterious circumstances.
The all-too-familiar story lacks any edge, freshness, or emotional cogency - even with performances from Finn Wolfhard and Brooklynn Prince as the children. Instead, The Turning's muddled plot never recovers from its messy characterizations, oddly-placed jump scares, and superficial examination of mental health issues.
6 Best: Extra Ordinary - 98%
Extra Ordinary is a charming Irish horror-comedy that features a well-known American comedian: Will Forte. Forte plays a one-hit-wonder musician who sacrifices virgins to Satan in order to help his career; he runs into problems when a local ghosthunter with psychic abilities intervenes in his attempt to lure another young girl into his lair.
This quirky film, released in 2019 overseas but now available across the pond in 2020, is full of ectoplasm, ghost jokes, and the kind of humor guaranteed to make it a cult classic. Extra Ordinary takes the situational comedy of Ghostbusters and adds some distinctly Irish character.
5 Worst: The Boy II - 9%
Considered a lazy sequel to 2016's The Boy, Brahms: The Boy II is a stand-alone film connected to its predecessor via its titular possessed doll named Brahms. Katie Holmes and Christopher Convery star as Liz and her son Jude, who move to the first film's afflicted manor after surviving a home invasion.
In their new home, they find Brahms; it's easy to imagine what happens from there. The plot is so predictable, in fact, The Boy II is among the most boring horror films of all time.
4 Best: Host - 100%
A group of quarantined friends meets up digitally for a Zoom séance in Host, a found-footage horror film that captures the mood of 2020 perfectly. When one of the friends makes a joke of contacting the spirit world, a vengeful entity starts making its presence known as their respective residences.
Fueled by believable performances and the genius application of video conferencing effects, Host steers clear of any genre tropes. Coming in at just one hour, like scheduled Zoom meetings, it's currently streaming on Shudder.
3 Worst: Fantasy Island - 7%
Blumhouse Productions is currently all the rage when it comes to indie horror. Considering how many gems it has released, it gets a pass with Fantasy Island, a prequel to the ABC series of the same name from 1977.
As its title suggests, Fantasy Island follows a group of "lucky" contestant winners who are shipped off to the titular tropical resort where all of their dreams will come true. The wish-fulfillment becomes a nightmare, more so for critics than moviegoers- the latter of whom ate the film up in theatres.
2 Best: His House - 100%
The real-life horror of living as a refugee takes on supernatural proportions in Netflix's His House, the top horror film of the year according to Rotten Tomatoes. It stars Lovecraft Country's Wunmi Mosaku and Sope Dirisu as South Sudanese refugees who flee under dangerous circumstances to the outskirts of London, where they hope to start over.
When they aren't dealing with racism and xenophobia from their neighbors, the couple must contend with an evil force thriving in their new home. The scares in His House are as genuine as the refugee crises displacing millions of people around the world.
1 Worst: Behind You - 6%
What makes Behind You the worst horror movie of 2020? It lacks any surprises as its narrative about haunted mirrors and demonic entities unfolds; it also lacks any real thrills.
The follow centers around two girls who get curious after they find all the mirrors in their estranged aunt's house hidden or covered. After they unleash an evil spirit, every well-known horror trope is applied to the story without any imagination or creativity - leaving audiences happy to put Behind You behind them.
December 29, 2020 at 08:00AM
https://screenrant.com/horror-movies-2020-best-worst-rotten-tomatoes/
The 5 Best (& 5 Worst) 2020 Horror Movies, Ranked According To Rotten Tomatoes - Screen Rant
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