As the end of the year draws rapidly closer, we thought it would be the perfect time to catch a moment of reflection and look back at the very best horror movies that this year has unearthed. This mix will include both movies and TV series and serve to highlight what’s been hot and what’s not from 2021 with our Top Horror Picks of 2021.
Willy’s Wonderland
With a premise built around the popular game franchise, Five Nights at Freddy’s, Willy’s Wonderland was always doomed to be a cheap B-movie, despite the starring of a mute Nick Cage. Fans of the games, however, welcomed this cheap but entertaining movie with open arms.
Willy’s Wonderland is awash with an abundance of cheap effects and tomato ketchup blood. Regardless, it still holds a unique charm throughout its short 88-minute runtime. Any longer, however, and I would have welcomed a long, slow, and painful death at the hands of the namesake, Willy the Weasel.
As silly as this movie gets, we still firmly believe it deserves a spot in our Top Horror Picks of 2021 list.
Wrong Turn (2021)
The latest movie in the long-running franchise is a beautiful collision of horror movie tropes and great writing. Wrong Turn (2021) follows a group of friends as they hike the Appalachian Trail. Of course, the movie takes on a dark turn as the inevitable happens and our hapless heroes stray from the beaten path, much to the group’s impending peril.
The cast of Wrong Turn (2021) is what really made this movie stand out. Furthermore, the interestingly sinister mountain folk and their stealthy ways keep you on your toes as the growing feeling that danger could be lurking around the corner stays with you until the credits roll.
Meander
Meander is France’s answer to the widely popular movie, The Cube. However, instead of (or rather than) featuring numerous victims, Meander follows one woman’s nightmare as she finds herself in a series of tunnels, not unlike a hamster cage. Unlike your hamster’s cage – I hope -, the tunnels of Meander each contain a unique trap or dangerous puzzle that our human rodent needs to survive to live.
While Meander is a far cry from some of the movies on this list, its ability to keep the viewer in a constant state of speculation as to what lays beyond each dividing door. The result of this is a movie that stays fresh from the beginning to the twisty end and a thoroughly-deserved spot on our Top 5 Horror Picks of 2021 list.
Spiral: From the Book of Saw
Spiral: From the Book of Saw is a long shot from the original Saw movies. Still set in the same universe as the Jigsaw Killings took place, Spiral: From the Book of Saw follows two police officers as they track down a Jigsaw copycat killer that has their own kind in his (or her) sights.
The fact that the killer is now taking out police officers somehow gives the movie an extra edge. Furthermore, with talents such as Chris Rock and the great Samuel L Jackson leading the cast, there’s a new lease of life added to an already superb franchise.
Chucky (TV Series)
After Chucky’s image was brutally murdered (Chucky-style) in the 2019 remake of the eighties classic, the team behind the TV series really had some making up to do and with the Chucky TV series, they smashed it right of the park.
Set some years in the future, Andy Barclay (the original protagonist) is now a grown man and Chucky is once again on the loose and stabbing and slashing himself through Hackensack.
What makes Chucky (the TV series) the true gem of horror that is, of course, the return of Brad Dourif voicing the iconic doll. Furthermore, Chucky is back to his original, evil doll image, as opposed to the unrecognizable efforts of the 2019 remake.
Once again, the murderous doll that we all know and love is back – and so is his unique branch of dark humor. Thank you, Gods of Horror!
Summary
So, there they are, our top 5 horror picks of 2021. Of course, just how good horror movies and TV shows are is subjective. If you feel like this list is missing something, or even features something that you feel shouldn’t be there, drop a comment below to let us know your thoughts.
Heatman
Chucky horror movies gave me a memorable childhood experience. I would never forget how I even got so afraid of my own toys simply because of Chucky. The Chucky TV Series never disappointed at all. It’s definitely in my top 10 best list.