by Kayann Mitchell
1. Number one with a fucking bullet would have to be Robert Eggers’ haunting period horror piece The Witch. Moody and atmospheric the film is a study in tension that keeps wrenching up the stakes for all involved. Absolutely loved it.
2. Numero deux would have to be Richard Bates Jr’s coal black comedy Trash Fire. Be warned this piece is bleak and uproariously funny. Not for those lacking a sense of humour.
3. And the biggest surprise on my list would have to be Fede Alvarez’s Don’t Breathe. I didn’t see this little thrill fest coming down the pipeline and it led to plenty of held breath and peeking though fingers. A total gem.
4. Oz Perkins delightful little horror nugget The Blackcoat’s Daughter comes in 4th with it’s high school girls in peril film that he totally turns on its head. Its subtle and creepy and worth a cloudy afternoon watch.
5. With number 5 we see Babak Anvari’s Under The Shadow. A tale well told in a war torn Iran in the 80’s. Leaving viewers with a pit in their stomach as they watch a mother and young daughter battle the ravages of war and the supernatural.
6. Number six has to go to the taught and bloody Green Room. Jeremy Saulnier’s follow up smash to Blue Ruin. We watch helplessly as a group of young punks must free themselves for the grasp of vengeful neo nazis.
7. We slide into 7th spot with Ben and Chris Blaine’s Nina Forever. Probably the most fucked up love story put to film since Nekromantic. And i swear thats a compliment!
8. Creeping its way into my poor dark heart is James Wan’s The Conjuring 2. Which im not ashamed to say creeped me out like a wee child. Well shot and acted it was a welcome addition to the excellent Conjuring.
9. At number 9 Deathgasm is a teeny cheat as it came out in 2015 but since i only saw it in 2016 it counts. A hilarious black metal romp from New Zealand that brings to mind Peter Jackson’s Dead Alive, in the abject best ways possible.
10. Rounding out the list is Karyn Kusama’s The Invitation. A film you will be convinced you know where its going. But i promise you nothing can prepare you for the chilling denouement.
And that is as they say that for 2016.
Stick around the site for more adventures on the dark side with yours truly!
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Critical Focus 