Best horror movies of the last 20 years?

[Fud 9552]

Not sure if there's a thread for this, but a Guillermo Del Toro produced horror anthology came out on netflix this week, "Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities". While he directed maybe my favorite movie of all time, his stuff has mostly sucked for years now, so hopefully its good

The director breakdown goes as follows

1) Del Toro's cinematographer who's started directing some TV. Meh. 

2) From the director of Cube. Yes. 

3) From the director of Empty Man. Yes.

4) From the director of A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. Yes.

5) Don't know any of this guy's movies. No. 

6) Director of Thirteen, Lords of Dogtown, Twilight, Red Riding Hood, etc. No. 

7) Director of Beyond the Black Rainbow and Mandy. Yes. 

'8) Director of Babadook and Nightengale. Yes. 

[Augustus 3061]

Re:  Barbarian

Spoiler

All I can figure is the basement and lower levels represent AJ's subconscious.

Just below the surface there's a setup for depravity with the camera, and more deeply below that there's a sadistic abuser of women.  From the outside, however, things look normal.  His descent represent his acceptance that he's a rapist, he confronts the truth about himself.  Little bit of a twist in that he's not completely repentant, eg he tosses Tess overboard to save himself.  

That's all I got.  Seemed clumsy to me.  I'd like to have that time back

 

Edited October 29, 2022 by Augustus

[ztejas 43524]

13 hours ago, Fud said:

Not sure if there's a thread for this, but a Guillermo Del Toro produced horror anthology came out on netflix this week, "Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities". While he directed maybe my favorite movie of all time, his stuff has mostly sucked for years now, so hopefully its good

The director breakdown goes as follows

1) Del Toro's cinematographer who's started directing some TV. Meh. 

2) From the director of Cube. Yes. 

3) From the director of Empty Man. Yes.

4) From the director of A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. Yes.

5) Don't know any of this guy's movies. No. 

6) Director of Thirteen, Lords of Dogtown, Twilight, Red Riding Hood, etc. No. 

7) Director of Beyond the Black Rainbow and Mandy. Yes. 

'8) Director of Babadook and Nightengale. Yes. 

I think Eric Andre was in episode 7? Big fan of his may check that one out. 

[TexLonghorn 5671]

4 hours ago, Augustus said:

Re:  Barbarian

  Hide contents

All I can figure is the basement and lower levels represent AJ's subconscious.

Just below the surface there's a setup for depravity with the camera, and more deeply below that there's a sadistic abuser of women.  From the outside, however, things look normal.  His descent represent his acceptance that he's a rapist, he confronts the truth about himself.  Little bit of a twist in that he's not completely repentant, eg he tosses Tess overboard to save himself.  

That's all I got.  Seemed clumsy to me.  I'd like to have that time back

I don't usually take the time to read too much into horror movies because I think normally the moral turns out to be a very basic principle, but here goes for Barbarian:

Spoiler

The writer of the movie was inspired by a book telling women to pay attention to red flags (largely from men, like Keith) and follow their instincts to get away from them, so that would be the basic principle.  Tess ignores red flags all over the place - doesn't trust a stranger in the AirB&B, enters and stays anyway; knows not to drink alcohol there, drinks anyway; knows not to enter the basement doorway, goes in anyway.  She was even expressly told not to stay in the unsafe area the AirB&B was in, but she still goes back.  So at a basic level, what happens to her is all a result of her going against her instincts and ignoring the dangerous situations. 

AJ we don't even meet until almost halfway through the movie.  I do like your thinking of the house representing AJ's subconscious, but I don't see it as it plays out.  We meet his subconscious before we meet him in that case.  And he already gets punished for the allegations against him - fired from the movie, dropped by the financial manager - so we don't need him to learn anything in the house.  And like you pointed out with tossing Tess overboard - does he learn anything?

I think the Barbarian from the title would be Frank, the original house owner?  We meet him even after AJ, but chronologically, he's the first character.  I think along your lines of thought, then, as FRANK'S actions got more depraved, he dug deeper in the basement - the bed/camera first, then cages, then the pits.  Then I think AJ betrays his own level of depravity by how far along that line he stays comfortable.  Not at all concerned during the tape measure part (fine with bed/camera), a little thrown at the cages but not much, then more and more uncomfortable until he's way past his level and aggressively repulsed at the video tapes.

The neighbor reappears, then, representing the expressed instinct for self preservation again, which gets ignored again, leading to more harm (shot, pushed overboard) that could have been avoided. Then the theme plays out where actions taken to save yourself give you advantages, while those that delay lead to harm. 

Oh, and men are predators while women are caregivers.

I know, TLDR.  

 

Edited October 29, 2022 by TexLonghorn

[TwiceHorn 31514]

Can't believe no one mentioned Dawn of the Dead.

It's not obscure and it's totally in your face.  It's also pretty terrific and spawned the resurgence of zombie film, for better or worse.

[Augustus 3061]

10 hours ago, TexLonghorn said:

I don't usually take the time to read too much into horror movies because I think normally the moral turns out to be a very basic principle, but here goes for Barbarian:

  Hide contents

The writer of the movie was inspired by a book telling women to pay attention to red flags (largely from men, like Keith) and follow their instincts to get away from them, so that would be the basic principle.  Tess ignores red flags all over the place - doesn't trust a stranger in the AirB&B, enters and stays anyway; knows not to drink alcohol there, drinks anyway; knows not to enter the basement doorway, goes in anyway.  She was even expressly told not to stay in the unsafe area the AirB&B was in, but she still goes back.  So at a basic level, what happens to her is all a result of her going against her instincts and ignoring the dangerous situations. 

AJ we don't even meet until almost halfway through the movie.  I do like your thinking of the house representing AJ's subconscious, but I don't see it as it plays out.  We meet his subconscious before we meet him in that case.  And he already gets punished for the allegations against him - fired from the movie, dropped by the financial manager - so we don't need him to learn anything in the house.  And like you pointed out with tossing Tess overboard - does he learn anything?

I think the Barbarian from the title would be Frank, the original house owner?  We meet him even after AJ, but chronologically, he's the first character.  I think along your lines of thought, then, as FRANK'S actions got more depraved, he dug deeper in the basement - the bed/camera first, then cages, then the pits.  Then I think AJ betrays his own level of depravity by how far along that line he stays comfortable.  Not at all concerned during the tape measure part (fine with bed/camera), a little thrown at the cages but not much, then more and more uncomfortable until he's way past his level and aggressively repulsed at the video tapes.

The neighbor reappears, then, representing the expressed instinct for self preservation again, which gets ignored again, leading to more harm (shot, pushed overboard) that could have been avoided. Then the theme plays out where actions taken to save yourself give you advantages, while those that delay lead to harm. 

Oh, and men are predators while women are caregivers.

I know, TLDR.  

 

 

Very interesting.  

[Fud 9552]

Deadstream (on Shudder) is fucking great

[kingkoopa6 8377]

Barbarian wild. All those tapes and various labels. 
 

bruh. Tape measure dude gave no fucks at first room. I was like ayo. Wtf.