Heather’s Favorites of 2015

I’m not sure if it’s because I had the opportunity to see and watch more this year, but to me, 2015 seems like it was such an exceptional year for genre films across the board. Once again, indie horror gave us a bevy of incredible films from a variety of subgenres, and even studio films seemed to step things up this year as well (a trend I do hope continues). Here’s a look at some of my favorite genre offerings from this year:

Turbo Kid: One of two movies in 2015 that left me with a huge, goofy-ass grin on my face from start to finish was Turbo Kid, the wickedly fun post-apocalyptic story of a young hero, an evil warlord, a quirky sidekick and her gnome stick. From its synth score to its unforgettable characters to its over-the-top gore to its ginormous, genre-loving heart, Turbo Kid is truly one of the most enjoyable films I’ve seen this year. You couldn’t ask for a better love letter to the cinema of the ’80s and ’90s than this, and I must tip my hat to the filmmakers for giving the legendary Michael Ironside one helluva part in the movie to boot.

Goodnight Mommy: It’s hard to discuss what truly makes Goodnight Mommy such a haunting and unsettling cinematic experience without revealing some of its ingenious twists; suffice to say, very rarely does a film come along that leaves my proverbial jaw on the floor and directors Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz have masterfully crafted a gut-punch mystery that’s visceral and wrought with a palpable sense of unforgiving ferocity. The word "powerhouse" was created with Goodnight Mommy in mind and it’s a movie that I’ve spent a lot of time this year recommending to others, as it left me an emotional shell of a human being upon its bleakly disturbing conclusion. Holy hell.

Mad Max: Fury Road: Probably a film that’s going to pop up on a lot of other folks’ lists of favorites from 2015 (and for good reason), George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road blasted into theaters in May like a fresh breath of diesel-fueled air, reinvigorating the Mad Max franchise and redefining action movies some 36 years after the original first set the bar with Mel Gibson at the wheel. A grandiose spectacle that never sacrifices character in the name of giving viewers mind-blowingly cool visuals, Mad Max: Fury Road is truly the utterly fearless storytelling jolt in the arm modern blockbusters so desperately needed. It’s also the film I saw the most in theaters this year (four times) and each time, it just got even better.

Sarah Snook in Predestination: Predestination came out relatively early on in 2015, which is precisely why I saved a slot on this year's list for one of the film’s co-stars, Sarah Snook. The up-and-coming actress (who was also in Jessabelle) gives an unbelievably bold performance as a transgender writer whose fate intertwines with Ethan Hawke’s character in a variety of ways throughout the futuristic time travel thriller from the Spierig Brothers (who also worked with Hawke in the underrated Daybreakers back in 2009).

If this weren’t a "genre" film, I have no doubt more mainstream folks would have taken notice of Snook’s incredibly raw and powerful work in the film and for those of you who may have missed Predestination upon its release, here’s your reminder to right that wrong immediately. Snook’s work alone makes it a not-to-be-missed affair (Hawke’s pretty damned great, too).

The Voices: If you’ve ever wanted to watch Ryan Reynolds talk to a dog named Bosco and an evil cat by the name of Mr. Whiskers, then The Voices is the movie for you. That statement actually grossly undersells how great Marjane Satrapi’s darkly satirical rom-com really is, though, and Satrapi should be commended with how adeptly she manages the difficult material, which confidently walks a fine line between heartfelt sincerity and gruesome hilarity.

The Voices follows Reynolds as an unassuming nice guy by the name of Jerry who accidentally falls into a murder spree after a misunderstanding with his fellow co-worker triggers a blood-soaked comedy of errors. Reynolds has never been better than he is in The Voices (and I’m a big Reynolds fan, so that says a lot) and his trio of leading ladies—Gemma Arterton, Anna Kendrick and Jacki Weaver—are all equally great as well. I wish The Voices would have garnered more attention upon its release because it certainly is worthy of a bigger fanfare than it received.

Krampus: A modern fable set during what’s supposed to be the “most wonderful time of the year,” Michael Dougherty’s Krampus is a wondrously twisted take on the Christmas season that confidently blended scares and good-hearted cheer, making for a new holiday classic that I can’t wait to add to my holiday movies collection next year. Beyond the film’s big baddie itself, Dougherty fills Krampus with all sorts of fantastically evil creatures that were all horrifyingly iconic in their own right (not sure which I loved more—the crazy gingerbread men or the weird elven cult).

Very few directors have been able to successfully tackle a singular holiday with pure confidence as a storyteller, but somehow Dougherty has done it twice, first with Trick ’r Treat and now with Krampus, which is a pretty monumental achievement on so many levels. And kudos to Legendary, too, for giving Dougherty the freedom to make a holiday horror movie that doesn’t play it safe either; we need more studios like that and we need more films like Krampus to get a shot at enjoying a decent theatrical run.

Scream Factory: Demon Knight, Howling II, and Shocker

Dear Scream Factory,

You continue to make my horror-loving dreams come true and I cannot thank you enough for your releases of Howling II, Demon Knight, and Shocker this year—three films I’ve waited patiently for years to finally own in HD. Continue being awesome, guys. You are all truly doing the Dark Lord’s work and us genre fans appreciate it.

Forever yours,

Heather Wixson

Ex Machina: Oscar Isaac is having an incredible year; of course, most folks are talking about his scene-stealing role in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and that’s all well and good, but his best role this year was undoubtedly in Alex Garland’s stunning directorial debut, Ex Machina, which features Mr. Isaac as a reclusive CEO named Nathan that has created a female robot (portrayed by the equally incredible Alicia Vikander) who must pass a series of tests in order to prove her abilities are far greater than what we would expect from an artificial intelligence creation.

In a film about the horrors of emerging technologies, Ex Machina’s most terrifying moments are birthed from the very human conditions created by Nathan and how easily Garland incredibly tackles the intricacies of the themes within his story. At a time when the sci-fi subgenre seems to be overstuffed with big-budget effects and action, it’s nice whenever a film like Ex Machina comes along to remind us all that some of the best movies ever are more about ideas than they are about creating a spectacle or even huge set pieces (although I do appreciate those, too).

Deathgasm: It’s time to raise your devil horns to Deathgasm, one of the most original and unusual stories of a high schooler/aspiring rock star who unleashes a demonic plague on his small New Zealand community after dabbling in the Black Arts. Deathgasm is a tribute to the splat-tastic films from the likes of Peter Jackson and Sam Raimi (before both went on to big-budget moviemaking), and I don’t know if I had more fun in a theater this year than I did watching Deathgasm at midnight during the 2015 SXSW Film Festival.

Deathgasm may garner a lot of attention for its more over-the-top approach to gore, nudity, and its clever use of sex toys during demonic combat, but what really makes Deathgasm so special is that the story itself is full of heart and features breakout performances from both Milo Cawthorne and Kimberley Crossman, who bring tons of infectious energy to the project. Writer/director Jason Lei Howden recently announced that a Deathgasm sequel is already in the works, so if you missed this cult classic in the making upon its release earlier this year, the movie bows on Blu-ray and DVD in early January.

Chad Radwell and Chanel #3 from Scream Queens: I’m still wrapping my head around season one of Scream Queens (part of me absolutely loved it, part of me hated its disjointedness and absurdly weird logic), but I can say that while both Emma Roberts and Jamie Lee Curtis were equally divine throughout Scream Queens, the two biggest surprises from the series for me were the characters of Chad Radwell (Glen Powell) and Chanel #3 (Billie Lourd). The duo continued to peel away unexpected layers of complexity in their respective roles as the episodes continued and for a show that clumsily dealt with stereotypes over and over and playing things very much "on the nose," it was great to see a few supporting players get their moments to shine in very subtle ways.

Something else I really dug was how JLC’s character also has this small but lovely moment of humanity in the finale that really redeemed Dean Munsch, and it made me wish that showrunner Ryan Murphy had given us more of that throughout Scream Queens. Here’s hoping season two can find more of a balance.

Spring: Would you give up immortality for a chance at true love? That’s the question Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead tackle straight-on in their Lovecraftian romance tale, Spring, which melted my heart in every conceivable way. A beautiful and thoughtful exploration of the human existence as well as a clever deconstruction of the state of modern romance, Spring is the kind of genre film I would imagine someone like John Hughes or Cameron Crowe would have made, had they ever dipped their toes in the murky and monster-filled waters.

If you’re looking for a story to restore your faith in humanity (or perhaps, in romance), I can’t recommend Spring enough; what Benson and Moorhead managed to create with only a moderate budget at their disposal proves that you don’t need a ton of money to create a timeless and equally unforgettable story.

What We Do in the Shadows: I’m pretty late to the What We Do in the Shadows party, but since first sitting down with it in November, I’ve now probably watched it at least ten different times and it’s just as hysterical now as it was the very first viewing. I’m a big fan of zany comedies like The Mighty Boosh and Flight of the Conchords, so it wasn’t a huge surprise that I fell in love with WWDITS; what was surprising to me was how deeply engrained all the various vampire/monster tropes from cinema are in the pitch-perfect script from Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi, as well as how the duo manages to poke fun at—but never once disrespect—what we all love about the horror genre.

Now that I’m head over heels for Viago, Deacon and Vladislav (and of course the ever-surprising Stu) and all their supernatural shenanigans, I’m not sure which announcement from this year makes me the happiest: that Waititi was tapped to helm the latest Thor, that he’s also working on a Flight of the Conchords feature film or that we can expect a sequel to What We Do in the Shadows as well. Regardless, we all win in any case because anything that keeps Waititi (and Clement) busy behind, and in front of, the camera is good news for everybody.

Honorable Mentions: He Never Died, the Zombie Kitties from Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, The Boy, Ash vs Evil Dead, Bone Tomahawk, The Editor, Wyrmwood, and The Invitation (which will undoubtedly make my 2016 list once it's officially released).