Best of Horror · Annual Edition
2019
Ten films that defined the year at 10th Circle. From Jordan Peele's social horror to Ari Aster's Swedish ritual.
2019 was the year social horror consolidated, a flooded attic with alligators became one of the season's best surprises, and a newlywed bride had to survive her new in-laws' deadly game-night ritual. This is the official 10th Circle ranking.
Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)
Ruben Fleischer
Ten years after the original, Ruben Fleischer delivers a sequel that respects the formula without taking risks. Comedy and graphic violence intact, but the wait promised more than what lands on screen.
Escape Room (2019)
Adam Robitel
The funnest surprise of the year. Each room brings a new creative idea and the tension holds without a break. The only misstep is the ending, which abandons the plot to plant a sequel.
Annabelle Comes Home (2019)
Gary Dauberman
Gary Dauberman debuts as director in the Conjuring universe with what plays like a guided tour through the Warrens' vault. The story is thin, but the jump scares and some secondary monsters keep the film upright.
47 Meters Down: Uncaged (2019)
Johannes Roberts
Johannes Roberts extends the claustrophobic premise of the original into a flooded cave system. Constant tension and effective twists keep the CGI sharks from breaking the effect. Best watched with lights off, volume up.
It: Chapter Two (2019)
Andy Muschietti
Well below the first entry, with too much CGI and a bloated runtime. Muschietti still builds memorable sequences with Pennywise at the center and lands an emotional reading of the Losers Club reunion.
Doctor Sleep (2019)
Mike Flanagan
Mike Flanagan inherits Kubrick's Shining and King's least-loved sequel novel, and somehow delivers something much better than expected. Homage without genuflection, with its own style and a personal reading of the legacy.
Ready or Not (2019)
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin
The concept of a bride hunted through a family game night could have played absurd, but it becomes the year's most enjoyable ride. Samara Weaving carries the whole thing. Watch without the trailer, which spoils too much.
Us (2019)
Jordan Peele
Jordan Peele goes further into pure horror than in 'Get Out' and confirms his debut wasn't an accident. An original idea loaded with classic-horror references, and a Lupita Nyong'o pulling double duty.
Crawl (2019)
Alexandre Aja
Alexandre Aja returns to creature work with a claustrophobic thriller trapping a father and daughter with alligators in a flooded attic during a hurricane. The surprise of the year: even with heavy CGI, the tension never lifts.
Best of the Year · 9/10
Midsommar (2019)
Ari Aster
Ari Aster proves after 'Hereditary' that he can do horror in broad daylight too. Saturated colors and ritual choreography clash with the year's most original madness. Not just the best horror film of 2019: it's a modern classic from opening day, with a final image that stays with you long after the credits.
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