Best of 2014: Mark's Take

(Editor's note: Over the rest of this week and next we'll be rolling out our staff picks for the best in horror from 2014, leading up to the official BGH Best of 2014 list and the Year in Review podcast. Enjoy!)

The Best

1. Snowpiercer - Year after year, it becomes harder to use the word “unforgettable” to describe a genre film, but Snowpiercer wins by default for being just that. In a year that is notable for its mediocrity, this film earns major points through it’s dedication to world building, outstanding cast, and overall superior  quality.

2. Godzilla - What Godzilla lacked in whimsy and self-awareness, it made up for with scale and spectacle. I was worried that I would have to go a year without a monster movie in my top 5, and thankfully Godzilla grabbed me right by my lizard brain and didn’t let go.

3. Oculus - Of all of the supernatural flicks this year, Oculus is the the only one that “went there” on a visceral level. I haven’t looked at an apple the same way since I saw this film, and that alone makes it top 5 material.

4. The Sacrament - The Sacrament is neither the first Jonestown-influenced film, nor is it the first found footage film, but it certainly represents the best of both worlds. I pains me deeply to say this, but you win this time, Ti West.

5. Horns - Without question, Horns wins the award for the most descriptive movie title of the year, but also the award for being the most normie-perplexing film of the year. The fact that it remains funny and impactful without overstaying its welcome is what makes it one of the best of 2014..

6. The Babadook

7. Only Lovers Left Alive

8. Honeymoon

9. Tusk

10. As Above, So Below

The Blurst

1. Jessabelle - Terrible acting and an asinine premise would be enough to put Jesabelle on the naughty list, but the tone deaf racial overtones shoot it straight to the top of the year’s worst.

2. The Quiet Ones - If you think that your supernatural films have too many scares and not enough melodrama, you might find just what you’re looking for with The Quiet Ones.

3. Devil's Due - Found footage possession films typically aren’t known for their character development, but I’d be shocked if the script for Devil’s Due said anything other than “moderately spooky things happen to pregnant lady” over and over again.

4. Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones - Similarly, I’d be surprised if the script for Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones said anything other than “Paranornal Activity, but in the barrio” over and over again.

5. I, Frankenstein - “Me, Struggling to Figure Out Who Thought it Was a Good Idea to Spend 65 Million Dollars on a Worse Van Helsing”

6. Dracula Untold

7. Ouija

8. Annabelle

9. Life After Beth

10. Willow Creek