Drew’s Top 5 Horror Movies of 2011

2011 was a slow year in horror for me, hence the top 5 instead of 10. While there weren’t a great number of horror movies that I really liked, they’re definitely were some gems that were fantastic. Here they are.

#5. Hobo With A Shotgun

Hobo With A Shotgun is the story of a fed up homeless man who takes matters into his own hands and tries to clean up the city with his trusty shotgun. Jason Eisner’s follow up to his 2008 short film, Treevenge, seemed to either be loved or hated by people. I thought it was a lot of bloody fun.

#4. Stake Land

Directed by Jim Mickle (Mulberry St.) and starring Nick Damici (Mulberry St.) and horror favorite Daniel Harris (Halloween, Hatchet II); Stake Land is a post-apocalyptic vampire story revolving around a man and a teenage boy trying to find a safe haven in Canada. I personally loved Mulberry St. and was really excited about Stake Land. I don’t think it quite lived up to all they hype it received. But it was nice to see the post-apocalyptic style generally associated with zombies in a vampire tale. Not as much characterization as Mulberry St. but still a pretty good film worth checking out.

#3. TrollHunter

A group of college documentary filmmakers investigate a series of bear killings, but soon learn that something much more dangerous is afoot. The group begins following a mysterious man whom is apparently hunting trolls. The students soon find themselves on a journey throughout Europe searching for various kinds of trolls.

I will admit (with a few exceptions) that I’m getting a little tired of the found footage style of horror film-making, however Trollhunter blew me away and took me by surprise. I had pretty low expectations going into this one, but found myself very engaged in a movie with good storytelling, believable characters, and pretty decent special effects for a lower budget movie. Definitely my biggest surprise of 2011.

#2. Red State

A group of 3 teens find a woman online who is willing to have sex with all three of them for money, but the joke is on them as the woman is part of fanatical religious group planning on killing them all.

Mostly known for his raunchy comedy and overly complex dialogue, this was Kevin Smith’s (Mallrats, Clerks, Dogma) first delve into the horror genre. A pretty controversial movie that, like Hobo With A Shotgun, people seemed to either love or hate Red State. I definitely think it was Smith’s best directorial effort, and while the dialogue may still go on lengthy tangents at times, Red State is a film not to be missed.

#1. I Saw The Devil

When a secret agents pregnant fiancée becomes the latest victim to a serial killer, the secret agents hunts down and toys with the killer, blurring the lines of good and evil. Apparently, Horrormovies.ca loves I Saw The Devil, as I am not the only one who ranked it #1. A beautifully shot film by director Jee-woon Kim (3 Extremes II, A Tale of Two Sisters), I Saw the Devil is very reminiscent of Seven, though more bloody and violent. Jee-woon Kim is currently filming his American film debut, The Last Stand, and we should all keep our eyes open for that one.

Top 10 Horror Series ( 46 Articles ) : Top 10 Horror is our ongoing series where we look at the Top films within the genre. For example, 10 Best Horror Films of 2011, 10 Best Movies Featuring Zombies, 10 Greatest Kills, etc. This on going series is written by the entire writing team at HorrorMovies.ca