Another year has come and gone. It’s hard to believe it. Seems like just yesterday I was podcasting with Caless Davis about the top 10 worst movies of the previous year. While some might argue that this has been one of the worst years in movies - I would beg to differ. This is perhaps one of the hardest top 10 lists I’ve ever compiled since the inception of Victims and Villains. We’ve seen movies tackle heavy topics like The Harvey Weinstein story with She Said or the impact of bullying in the Sundance darling, Piggy. Movies have made us laugh with Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and Clerks III. They have made me uncomfortable with entries like Barbarian and Eating Miss Campbell. This year of film has made me feel a multitude of emotions. As I reflect back on this year I’m reminded that this is the reason I love the medium of film. As difficult as it was, here are my top 10 films of this year.
As I previously had mentioned this was arguably one of the hardest lists I’ve ever compiled. I really had to consider what the film did to me emotionally, mentally, and how it made me think and feel upon my first viewing, not to mention subsequent viewings that followed once I gave in to the love of these films. Along the way I did come up with a few honorable mentions you can find below.
Adult Swim Yule Log
One of the most recent additions to this list comes Adult Swim’s version of a Christmas horror film. Had this not gone viral among the horror community I probably wouldn’t even have caught this movie. Adult Swim content and humor typically isn’t my jam, aside from Rick & Morty. However, I’m glad I watched this one. It is perhaps one of the strangest movies I’ve ever seen. Without a doubt one of the most original Christmas movies that I’ve ever come across. Everything about it is just straight up wild and surprisingly deep. It gets a little philosophical. Honestly, that helps the movie stand out even more. You can now stream it on HBO Max.
To bump this from my top 10 was really hard. It was high on my list around the halfway point of this year when it first surfaced on Shudder. The latter half just gave us incredible films. Revealer probably won’t make a lot of top 10 lists but it’s eerily beautiful, emotionally complex, and shockingly graphic at certain portions of the film. From the mind of Tim Seeley, the man behind Hack/Slash, comes this bizarre apocalyptic movie about a stripper and an evangelist who find themselves at the end of the world. I’ve watched this more than any other Shudder original this year and it remains my favorite release from the streaming service. Not to mention, it’s probably my favorite apocalypse movie moving forward. You can now stream it on Shudder.
Don’t Worry Darling
I try not to get wrapped up in behind the scenes drama or the personal lives of stars. I don’t want the illusion ruined. Ignorance is bliss, right? Ironically enough, that’s why I was so hesitant about Don’t Worry Darling - Olivia Wilde’s follow up to Booksmart. The dramatic stories of making this film gave me the clue that this movie might be a mess but oddly enough it’s the complete opposite. It’s a gripping tale that speaks volumes to the placement of women in society and how men have stunted the growth along the way. You can now stream it on HBO Max.
10. Piggy (Magnolia Pictures)
I was fortunate enough to do press for this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Among some of the titles I got to review was the feature film debut from writer-director Carlota Pereda in Piggy. The film feels like an inside look at how other cultures see beauty and how the impact of bullying can change your morality. Across the board the performances are gripping. The story is tight and the third act culminates in a well deserved blood bath. This movie makes you earn the blood. The slow burn storytelling aspect really works well for this film. It is now available to rent VOD.
9. Terrifier 2 (Screambox)
I will be honest this movie really had to grow on me. I’m surprised that it climbed as high as it did on this list after my first initial viewing. I never quite understood the hype surrounding Art the Clown. Though, now that I’ve viewed this movie and its predecessor multiple times I get it. If you’ve seen the first Terrifier you know that this film is a huge step up from the simplicity of the first film. Damien Leone’s ambitious sequel gave us not only some of the best kill sequences this year in horror but one of the best final girls of the year of the 21st Century. You can now stream it exclusively on Screambox.
8. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (Lionsgate)
Is it really a surprise to anyone that a Nicolas Cage movie made this list? Willy’s Wonderland and Pig made my top 10 last year and I am one half of the Nicolas Cage podcast here as well. As a fan of the actor this is a wonderful feel good comedy that celebrates the absurdity of the famous and now iconic actor. His chemistry with Pedro Pascal is easily one of the strongest legs this movie has to stand on. It’s funny, charming, oddly wholesome, and heartfelt. It is now available to rent VOD.
7. Stutz (Netflix)
The only documentary to make my list this year is a true hidden gem. When I talked about this movie with my cinephile friends, they had never heard about it. Netflix basically just dumped this movie onto the streaming platform and left it for people to discover. This is Jonah Hill’s directorial follow-up to Mid-90s. For ninety minutes, it’s literally just a conversation between him and his therapist, Phil Stutz. The film is captivating and stresses the importance of mental health. Hill is extraordinarily brave and vulnerable here. Hill bares himself almost as much as Stutz bares himself. It’s quirky and charming and somehow surprisingly funny. You can now stream it on Netflix.
6. The Whale (A24)
A late addition to this list would be what many are calling a comeback for Brendan Fraser. As I mentioned in my review, this isn’t necessarily a comeback for the actor but a new standard he has established for himself. Just give this man the Oscar already. Fraser delivers easily the most mesmerizing performance of any actor in any film on this list or any movie made in the last twelve months. Darren Aronofsky gives us a story about brokenness, religious trauma, and a different side of eating disorders that don’t get the attention they should. This movie is a true marvel in every sense of that word. It is now playing in limited release.
5. Nope (Universal/Monkeypaw)
Jordan Peele has really proven himself faithful as a writer and director. Get Out, Us, and Candyman are among some of the best horror movies made in the last twenty years. Nope is a bit of a different beast altogether. The film is a slight departure from his signature horror and a celebration of 1970s science fiction. Nope feels like a lost Spielberg movie. Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer are exceptional in this movie. Not to mention the character design for the aliens in this movie are some of the strangest and simplest designs I’ve ever seen in a movie. You can stream it on Peacock.
4. Everything Everywhere All At Once (A24)
Speaking of science fiction, why not talk about the multiverse movie that ends all other multiverse movies. No, I’m not talking about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness but rather the Swiss Army Man follow-up from The Daniels in Everything Everywhere All At Once. This movie encompasses so much emotion in its two hour run time I felt like I was going to break after my first viewing. This movie left me utterly speechless. When I talk about movies that made me feel a variety of emotion - this is the perfect example. It brought me to tears, made me laugh and drew me to the edge of my seat. The Daniels prove that they are masters of genre bending. It is available to rent VOD.
3. Hatching (IFC)
The other Sundance darling comes from Finland. It’s kind of strange to talk about, to be honest. Somehow it’s this intense drama about a socialite mother and her daughter who never seems like she can live up to the impossible high standards of her mother. On the other hand it is a creature feature in the vein of Gremlins. I was proud to have it among our line up of Horrific Hope’s first year. This movie is just straight up bananas with an impressive dramatic heartbeat. You can stream it on Hulu.
2. Vengeance (Focus Features)
I’m sure I’m not alone in seeing B.J. Novak as Ryan from The Office. If you want to see him in an entirely new light I strongly recommend giving this movie a shot since it seems to have flown under the radar of many. Novak is not only the star of the movie, with a breakout performance from Ashton Kutcher, but also the writer and the director. This is easily one of the most profound scripts I’ve come across this year. The themes that Novak explores are exceptional. The characters are quirky and strange - resulting in one of the most beautifully funny and tragic stories of the year. You can now stream it on Peacock.
1. Hellraiser (Hulu/Spyglass Media)
This was my most anticipated movie of the year for a variety of reasons and, needless to say, it didn’t disappoint. The sheer fact that this movie brought back Clive Barker, the series original creator, coming back on board and the director behind The Ritual and The Night House hooked me. Neither of them disappointed me. I know this movie is divisive among fans but it’s a spectacular movie in my opinion. I love how David Bruckner, the film’s director, builds the anticipation for the cenobites and their leader, Pinhead. Jamie Clayton was excellent and sinister in the iconic role - completely making it her own but managing to pay homage to what had gone before it as well. It is now streaming on Hulu.
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Victims and Villains is written (and produced) by Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey and others, and edited by Cam Smith. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. We do not own nor claim any rights.
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