Here's my top ten movies. What are yours?

The Wicker Man (1973) — I've long been accused of liking bleak movies so I suppose this is a fitting one to begin with. The fun thing about folk horror though is that the bleakness is often hidden underneath a bright or at times cheery veneer. They're the horror films that take place in broad daylight. This one is arguably a musical. The story is simple enough: a police sergeant travels to the isolated Scottish island of Summerisle to investigate the disappearance of a missing girl. There, his staunch Christian values come into conflict with an older, more pagan community. It's a horror movie that asks the question what truly makes a horror movie? There are no jump scares, no blood and gore, no haunted house; yet there is a horror lurking in each scene—one that builds as the story progresses to its infamous climax.

The Thing (1982) — The best part of 80s horror is by far the practical effects. There's something so enjoyable in sitting there while watching and thinking about the fact that it was someone's job to figure out how to make all the gore and monsters out of real, physical stuff. Yes, The Thing is an incredible movie; but the creature design and effects steal the show.

Scream (1996) — This is the most nostalgic movie on my list. It came out just around the time I was entering adolescence and I remember everyone was obsessed with it—though we were still too young to go see it in a theatre. The only way to watch it was to rent it. Of course, my parents would never so I had to wait. In grade 7, I was invited to my first ‘mixed’ party (meaning girls and boys were both there) and I managed to convince my parents to let me go. It was there I first saw Scream (sorry mom). Rewatching this movie today is like visiting another time, in the best way possible. The clothes, the soundtrack, the cast, the references, it really is the quintessential 90s horror movie. With maybe the best opening scene of any movie ever?

Boogie Nights (1997) — In the Evangelical world that I grew up in, there were certain movie titles that fell into a somewhat arbitrary must-not-watch category. A non-exhaustive breakdown includes (1) movies that centred the devil or demons, (2) movies that made a mockery of Jesus, and (3) movies that seemed to revel in sex. The thing about this weird filing system is that it rarely took a movie on its own terms, more often it was driven by rumour, boycott, and superficial hype. There wasn't a lot of room for nuance or satire. All of this defines my relationship with Boogie Nights; but that’s not why it's on this list. This is a movie with a near perfect cast of characters—horrible, loveable, and absurd all at once. Hard to pick a favourite, but Little Bill is up there.

Lost in Translation (2003) — “Does it get easier?” I’m struggling to accept that this movie is now 20+ years old. I was 18 at the time it came out—about the same age as Scarlett Johansson was when she shot the movie (she’s a year older than me). These days, I’m closer to Bill Murray’s age (he was 53 at the time) and I’m feeling that more and more. Watching the movie now hits differently than it did back when I was younger. Anyone can feel lost—or alone—at any stage of their life; but I think the older you get, the more you resign yourself to it. Life increasingly takes on the feeling as though you’re seeing it in the rearview mirror. Part of the profound sadness of this movie is in grappling with this brief moment of a chance human connection from these two different perspectives of age.

Hot Fuzz (2007) — The writer Adam Scovell argues that all folk horror stories follow a particular pattern, or chain as he calls it. It begins with the land and environment, a setting that offers isolation from modern life, this leads to those living in that space having skewed morals or beliefs, which finally result in a manifestation of some sort of horror or violence as a result. Hot Fuzz is folk horror and I will die on this hill. Yes, it’s an homage to buddy cop action movies; but it’s just as much an homage to British folk horror movies (like the Wicker Man). It’s also hilarious. It takes the formula that Wright and Pegg started with Shawn of the Dead, and—in my opinion—perfects it.

The Guest (2014) — You’ve seen this movie before. Maybe not this exact movie, but you’ve seen movies like it. The Guest is a love letter to those movies. It deliberately follows in their footsteps, not trying to do anything new, but revelling in taking you along for the ride. The fun of The Guest is not in delivering unexpected twists and turns, it’s the opposite. From the moment Dan Stevens’ titular character shows up on the doorstep in the first minute of the movie, you know where this is going. And it doesn’t disappoint.

Mad Max Fury Road (2015) — My barber told me he watched Fury Road on his phone and wasn’t a fan. Don’t do this. This movie is a spectacle. It deserves the biggest, loudest, most intense viewing experience you can give it. It's a perfect movie. 10/10. No notes.

Train to Busan (2016) — In my opinion, what makes an effective zombie movie is three main things: a relentless horde of the undead, well defined human characters that you feel emotionally invested in, and a setting that acts as both refuge and trap for the humans. Train to Busan absolutely delivers on all three, making it the best zombie movie in a long time (possibly even ever). It also makes me cry everytime I watch it.

The Northman (2022) — First of all, Robert Eggers is probably my favourite working director right now. I love everything he's done and could almost put any of them on this list. I really appreciate his commitment to historical immersion. Unlike other historic epics, Egger's movies feel as though you're truly stepping into another time and culture. In the Northman, this feels almost like a fever dream as it drops you deep into Norse myth. This makes it probably the most challenging movie on this list. It can feel jarring or even disorienting at times, but I think its the sort of film you have to set aside expectations for and experience on its own terms. It's also Eggers' biggest stretch and I respect that.

Hon. mentions: Fargo, Cure, Blue Velvet, Seven Samurai, & Godzilla.