2018 – Sarah’s Eulogy
It’s been a great year for Gorepress! 2018 saw us take the podcast to new heights, and plumb new depths, all while keeping to our most consistent upload schedule to date. It’s also been a fantastic year for horror in general, with original gems and worthy additions to existing franchises a-plenty. Also, The Nun. Ahem…
There has been a wealth to choose from but here’s Sarah’s top 5 of the year, in no particular order.
- Hereditary
With a peerless performance from the always incredible Toni Collette and a slew of incredibly shocking and memorable set pieces, Hereditary marked Ari Aster as one to watch. A grim slow-burn that chronicles the descent into misery and darkness of a family that endures one tragedy after another, Hereditary is undoubtedly going to reach the status of future classic, and will continue to divide audiences and unite critics. A truly unforgettable and intensely affecting experience.
- Overlord
Marketed as simply a Nazi zombie flick, Overlord manages to rise above its premise and seamlessly meld genres. It’s a truly harrowing war film, an effective shocker and a gnarly body horror all in one neat package. With a tremendously capable cast, Overlord is one of the years most enjoyable horror movies, and squeezes in some humour and a surprising amount of heart to boot. A real all-rounder.
- Halloween
There seems to be very little middle ground in the criticism of Halloween; audiences either loved it or hated it. Knowing the comedy calibre behind the movie and their decision to ignore everything beyond the 1978 classic, I was initially unsure, but the obvious love for the franchise oozes from every frame. Some elements work better than others, but seeing Jamie Lee Curtis reprise her star making turn in a film about three female generations of the Strode family and the damage that second-hand trauma can inflict, Halloween remains interesting while providing some affectionate and cheeky nods to the original. John Carpenter‘s reworked score is a particular highlight!
- Upgrade
Starring Tom Hardy-alike Logan Marshall Green in a demanding role as a recently crippled grieving husband, Upgrade is a cyber-action flick from genre alum Leigh Whannell. It exists in a near future and creates a really well rounded heightened reality for its inventive story to take place in. Featuring a wonderful Hal 9000-inspired disembodied voice, some incredible action pieces and a snappy running time, Upgrade is incredibly deserving of a place amongst this years top films. As an added bonus horror fans can take extra pleasure from spotting the handful of Easter eggs littered throughout.
- Summer Of 84
Unfairly written off as a Stranger Things rip-off or as “too slow” by some audiences, Summer Of 84 is much, much more. From the team behind the enjoyable but over-hyped Turbo Kid comes a suspenseful mystery with an unexpectedly simple premise; what if your neighbour was a serial killer? Boasting a fun and believable camaraderie from its young cast, Summer Of 84 is both a fun shot of nostalgia and something much darker, going to places you might not expect.
- Turd-Scooping Wooden Spoon Award – The Open House
An astonishingly mediocre jumbled mess of a film that wastes it’s cast, gives us zero payoff and asks more questions than it answers. With a damp squib of an ending, The Open House manages to be boring, nonsensical and willfully anti-climactic.
