Best of Horror · Annual Edition
2021
Ten films that defined the year at 10th Circle, and the best-kept secret almost nobody saw.
2021 was the year horror stepped out of lockdown and started experimenting. Reactivated franchises, debuts with knives in hand, and a legitimate new incarnation of urban terror nobody saw coming. This is the official 10th Circle ranking.
The Superdeep (2020)
Arseny Syukhin
Russian body horror with practical effects that evoke 'The Thing' and 'The Void'. An infernal, apocalyptic sensibility that compensates for the pacing missteps.
Spiral: From the Book of Saw (2021)
Darren Lynn Bousman
A soft reboot that revitalizes the franchise without denying its legacy, leaving the exhausted Jigsaw behind. Traps, gore, and twists that stand alongside the saga's best entries.
Bloody Hell (2020)
Alister Grierson
An effective combination of gore and comedy sustained by Ben O'Toole's charisma. Doesn't reach the absurd heights of 'Evil Dead II' but is a worthy homage with plenty of both elements.
The Power (2021)
Corinna Faith
Horror cinema that fuses social critique with genuine scares. Great cinematography and strong performances, though the message occasionally lands less subtle than it needed to be.
Fear Street: 1666 (2021)
Leigh Janiak
The ideal closing to a trilogy that learned with each entry. An unexpected twist retroactively elevates all three films: one of the best young-adult horror series in recent times.
Fear of Rain (2021)
Castille Landon
Psychological suspense with phenomenal performances that force you to question what's real. Castille Landon captures the terrifying reality of living with schizophrenia, though she tries to cover too much ground.
Jakob's Wife (2021)
Travis Stevens
More than a vampire movie: an examination of a marriage in which the wife has been sidelined. The bite triggers both the physical transformation and the awakening toward autonomy, with impressive practical effects.
The Advent Calendar (2021)
Patrick Ridremont
The best Christmas-themed horror film of 2021. Patrick Ridremont directs with exceptional narrative craft, and Eugénie Derouand delivers arguably the best female performance of the year in the genre.
Vicious Fun (2020)
Cody Calahan
One of the most entertaining horror-comedies in years. Perfect balance between gore, tension, and humor, with a cast that elevates the material and a film-critic protagonist it's impossible not to identify with.
Best of the Year
Candyman (2021)
Nia DaCosta
Sublime in script and direction. The spiritual sequel that respects the 1992 original and deepens its social commentary through a new perspective. Not gratuitous horror but social horror: the kind that exposes injustice against marginalized communities. Nia DaCosta delivers what promises to be a modern classic of the genre.
Outside the Top 10 · But deserved more eyes
Making Monsters (2019)
Justin Harding · Rob Brunner
A directorial debut that surprises with solid performances, a well-built script, and spectacular practical effects. A third act that's 'crazy but great' and subverts expectations, leaving you wanting to see what Justin Harding and Rob Brunner do next.
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