6. Starry Eyes (2014)
Every one of us has a desire to be something bigger and better than what we are. We all want to dream big and do what it takes to make those dreams a reality. But what about sacrificing everything that you are as a person to make that happen? Because that’s exactly what Sarah (Alex Essoe) does and her consequences for doing so could be deadly.
Sarah is a waitress at “Big Taters” with the dream of becoming an actress. The only problem is that she seems to prioritize her acting auditions over her actual job. This frustrates her boss, but because he knows she does good work and feels like she won’t ever get anywhere as an actress, he refuses to fire her, almost out of pity. Sara’s about to give up on her dream until she auditions for a movie titled The Silver Scream
The audition doesn’t go very well, so she retreats to the bathroom where she begins to self harm by ripping her own hair out. One of the casting directors happens to see this and asks her to come back for a second audition. What follows is a disturbing and frightening look at just what a person is willing to do for fame and stardom, even if it means selling her soul.
7. Splinter (2008)
If finding a really good horror film in general nowadays is difficult, then you can imagine how hard it is to find a really good creature-feature horror film. This would be one of those examples though. A reason this is done so well is because it appears to be obvious where director Toby Wilkins got his inspiration from: 1982’s The Thing.
Few creature-feature horror films are done as well as The Thing. It’s got suspense, mystery, gore, scares, and one of the most important aspects of horror films: practical effect. Wilkins does an incredible job of bringing all of these together in Splinter. Seth Belzer (Paulo Constanzo) and Polly Watt (Jill Wagner) are on their way to to enjoy a romantic camping trip in the Oklahoma forests. Everything seems to be going well until they are car-jacked by an escaped convict (Shae Whigham).
The convict tells them to drive until they reach a gas station. There, they encounter a gas station attendant that we see at the beginning of the film who was attacked by some creature. But the man is all contorted and covered with what appears to be literal splinters.
It turns out that these “splinters” are actually an alien parasite that takes over the bodies (and body parts) of anyone who comes in contact with them. Our three main characters are then forced to work together in order to survive not only the creature, but also themselves.
8. The Innkeepers (2011)
Director Ti West made a name for himself in the horror community with his 2009 film House Of The Devil. It was praised for being a callback and having the feel of the slow-build horror films of the the 70’s and 80’s. In The Innkeepers, Ti West continues with with the slow-build structure he implemented in House Of The Devil, but this time, he speeds the build up just a little bit.
Claire (Sarah Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy) are employees at an old hotel called the “Yankee Pedlar Inn,” a once grand and popular hotel, that after many years, is about to close. Luke runs a website that chronicles the supposed hauntings that have occurred at the hotel, mainly focusing on Madeline O’Malley. Madeline O’Malley was a bride who hung herself in the 1800’s after her husband abandoned her on their honeymoon and her body was supposedly hidden in the basement by the hotel owners at the time.
Since the hotel is closing soon, Claire decides she wants to solve the mystery of Madeline O’Malley, so she borrows Luke’s ghost-hunting equipment to record various rooms and places throughout the hotel. This leads her to hearing mysterious voices and even witnessing a piano being played by itself.
They soon have a guest check in, an elderly man who asks for a specific room on the third floor to stay in. He is informed that the room has been stripped of most of the furniture but Clair offers to get him sheets anyways because the bed is still there. This wouldn’t seem that strange, but things start to go downhill fast when Claire decides to check up on the man.
9. The Taking Of Deborah Logan (2014)
Possession movies are a dime a dozen. It seems like every week a new one comes out that’s a rip-off of a rip-off of something original. But every once in a while you may come across one that will take you by surprise. The Taking Of Deborah Logan would be one of these surprises. It uses the original idea of a possible possession, or an old woman with Alzheimer’s.
Mia (Michelle Ang) and her documentary team set out to make a documentary about Deborah Logan (Jill Larson), an old woman with a severe case of Alzheimer’s disease. She doesn’t want to be filmed at first, but her daughter keeps reminding her that they need the money to keep the house from be repossessed.
Deborah begins to show very strange behavior, but when her doctor just attributes it to her Alzheimer’s. Soon though, the cameraman starts to notice that some of Deborah’s behavior seems to seems to defy any explanation, so he believes there is something more sinister taking place.
For a while, we as the audience are put into the mindset where we aren’t even sure Deborah’s actions are her own, or the work of a possession. This is mainly due to the incredible acting ability of Jill Larson. She is able to make us want to reach through the screen and do whatever we can to be able to help her, but then at the drop of a hat, make us want to run for our lives in the opposite direction.
10. Inside (À l’intérieur) (2007)
Picture this: a pregnant woman who is just months away from her due date and her husband are in a car wreck. The woman’s husband dies and it appears the baby has died or is injured as well. Now, cut to months later, on Christmas Eve, where that same woman is either still pregnant or has become pregnant again. And that car wreck that happened? Well that wasn’t the worst thing that will happen to her.
This woman’s name is Sarah (Alysson Paradis), and on Christmas Eve she is visited by a strange woman who claims to need help, so she asks if she could use Sarah’s phone. Sarah lies and tells her that her (now deceased) husband is sleeping and doesn’t want to be bothered. But somehow, the woman knows that Sarah’s husband is dead and tries to come in anyway. Sarah, being a professional photographer, tries to take the woman’s photo through the door and then calls the police.
When the police arrive, they can’t find any trace of the woman, but they have a car patrol the area throughout the night anyways. Sarah then goes to have the pictures developed, but strangely enough, the woman appears to be in an earlier photo that she had taken as well, revealing that the woman had been stalking her. What follows is what can only be described as a pregnant woman’s worst nightmare.
Author Bio: Adam Ripley has a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Communications, and he loves all things horror and all things music.