In preparation for theterror that awaits this year, with high anticipation for Scream and Nope amongst others, moviegoers and critics, alike, have been releasing their selections for the scariest of 2021. Rotten Tomatoes' aggregate has compiled a catalog of horror films that received the highest amount of praise (and hair-raise) upon release.
Related:10 Best Movies Of 2021, According To Rotten Tomatoes
The following certified-fresh films premiered exclusively in 2021. While A Quiet Place Part II and Psycho Goreman are absent due to them technically being released in 2020, there are still many productionsof that caliber that may have slipped beneath the radar. According to the Tomatometer, these are the most critically approved horror movies of 2021.
Gaia (84%)
Gaiais an ambitious testament to the visual splendor that can be produced on an economical budget. Filmed in theprimordialGarden Route region of South Africa, director Jaco Bouwer and cinematographer Jorrie van der Walt make stunning use of the densely forestedlocation to createa trippy, foreboding atmosphere.
Monique Rockman illuminates the screen as a park ranger who becomesentangled in a cultish plot toappeasemysterious elemental forces. The fungal creatures, reminiscent of the Clickers fromThe Last of Us, were cultivated with an impressive blend of practical makeup effects and minimal CGI. Even the grotesque imagery manages to be aesthetically pleasing in this hallucinatoryeco-freakout.
Jakob's Wife (86%)
Stakes are raised when a vampire comes between abumptious minister and his wife, Anne, who craves an adventurous life outside the dullness of suburbia in thishumorousthrowback to oldfangled horrorcinema. The relationshipparable is given a feminist edge due in part toiconic, cult-classic actressBarbara Crampton (Re-Animator, Chopping Mall).
Crampton and co-star Larry Fessenden (Habit, Wendigo) demonstrate bloody fine chemistry as the couple sorts through their marital issues. Its modern sentimentalism is contrasted with a more traditional vibe in terms of its horror-adjacent aspects. For instance, the ratlike master vampire bears an unmistakable resemblance to Count Orlock from F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu.
Werewolves Within (86%)
An ensemble of comedic actors, led by Sam Richardson and Milana Vayntraub, are pit against a local lycanthrope in thisentertaining send-up of the whodunnit formula.Based on the VR game by Ubisoft,Werewolves Withinis, as of now, the highest-scoring film based on a videogame according to the critical Tomatometer.
Equal parts creature feature,murder mystery, and dark comedy, this beast certainly has some bite, especially as the residents of the small-town of Beaverfield are consumed with paranoia. However, the overall upbeat tonerenders the gorier bits to bemostly played for laughs. Fans of werewolflore will not only admire director Josh Ruben's clash ofgenresbut also his classical "Wolfman-Esque" take on the monster's design.
Lamb (86%)
Valdimar Jóhannsson’s Icelandic folk-horror fantasybefittinglyreceived theCannes Un Certain Regard Prize Of Originality. The dark fable tells the tale of a lonely married couple conflicted between the structure their newfound parenthood brings them and the chaotic order of nature incarnate.
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Exceptional performances, not only from its central leads but from a cast of live animals, help establish a lingering sense of dread.Jóhannsson effectively conveys the trepidation ofbeing isolated in thewilderness through a cat, a dog, and a herd of sheep. Like the being at the center of its story,Lambis a bizarre hybrid that elicits a spectrum of emotions.
The Djinn (87%)
David Charbonier and Justin Powell, the writing/directingduo behind the acclaimed 2020 thriller The Boy Behind the Door, were able to pull off an admirable accomplishment during quarantine.Their dark fairytale, The Djinn,tells the story of a grief-stricken boy with a speech disability who summons an evil djinn that will grant him a voice in exchange for his soul.
Even if the ancient supernatural beings of Arabic and Muslim mythology have been tackled in horror before, the execution of its single location setup and an excellent performance from Ezra Dewey makes for an emotionallystirring fantasy horror drama. Suspenseful, and, admittedly, silly at times, this demonic home invasion thriller is a fun amalgamation of Wishmaster and Home Alone.
Titane (87%)
There are a lotof moving partsunderneath the hood of Julia Ducournau'sTitane, but what fuels its engine simply cannot be defined. Transcending genre, Ducournau's work led to her becoming the second woman to be awarded thePalme d'Or at Cannes 2021 for her uniquely disturbing vision.
Much like its dangerous protagonist, this relentlessly strangedrama (and one of the most terrifying realistic French horror films ever) explores layers of identity, eventually coming into its own. Juxtaposing the outbursts of shocking violence and body horror is an undercurrent of tenderness thanks in partto themagneticlead performances of both Agatha Rouselle and Vincent London. Withmomentsof Cronenberg-inspired uncomfortableness, it isn't the first film todepictauto-eroticism, but rest assured this custom-made rideshifts gearsunlike any other.
Fear Street Part Two: 1978 (88%)
In the second installment of the Fear Street trilogy, based on a series of books by R.L. Stine, director Leigh Janiak continues touncoverthe mystery of Shadyside by rewinding the narrative to the late '70s. Drawing inspiration fromFriday the 13th, Halloween, and Sleepaway Camp, Janiak pays tribute tothe grainygrittinessof trending slasher flicks from that period.
Despite being part of a time-spanning saga, thisgrisly horror sequelworks independently enough to be considered astand-alone feature.The change-up in characters and setting keeps thestory fresh and engaging without losing sight of the bigger picture. For a moviespawned froma YA novel, Fear Street Part Tw0: 1978 is surprisingly mean-spirited that is unafraid to take a few bold swings...at children, nonetheless.
Censor (89%)
From debut director Prano Bailey-Bond,Censoris a cleverly sinister cut of slow-building psycho-horror. Shot in 35mm, Super 8, and VHS, this expertly crafted period piece pastiches the mid-80s during which exploitative movies, labeled "video nasties," caused a public outcry in the UK.
Related:10 Highest Ranking Video Nasties (According To IMDb)
Niamh Algar, known for her award-winning performance inThe Virtues, portrays a film censor who, despite her dedication to eradicating violent imagery, is suddenly having trouble suppressing her own. As the insidious chiller gradually reaches its boiling point, Bailey-Bond and editor Mark Towns (Saint Maud) incorporate techniques like distorting theaspect ratio, not only paying homage to the films that inspired it but placing the viewer squarely in the mind of the protagonist.Post-production methods were also used to produce spine-tingling scares as the perspective glitches in and out of reality.
Fear Street Part Three: 1666 (90%)
Leigh Janiak conjures up a cauldron of surprises in the final and best chapter of the Fear Street trilogy.Exploring the origins of Sarah Frier, viewers are taken even further back in time to learn of the curse bestowed upon the ill-fated town of Shadyside.
The first half portrays the religious persecution of the women deemed to be witches in the 17th century, including a deeply unsettling scene set in a church. Shifting gears, and eras, theclosing entry builds to a wild climactic battle between a bevy of undead serial killers.Although this threequel truly feels like a fusion of two separate movies, the intertwining narratives wrap up quite satisfyingly.
Coming Home in the Dark (92%)
Coming Home in the Dark is adisquietingtrip that only getsgrimmer as it makes its sharp left turns.When it premieredat the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, critics and audiences both agreed that the nerve-shatteringKiwi-thriller from James Ashcroft wasuncompromisinglybrutal.
While met with positive reception,thisjoylessexcursionwill undoubtedly be a divisive experience. The pitch-black subject matter is difficult to shake as well as its rawtakeawayon complicity: silence is violence, and violence begets violence. What makes this nightmarish vacation worth enduringare its superb cinematography and performances, most notably from Daniel Gillies as a menacing drifter with a haunting revelation.
Next:The Best Horror Movies Of 2021
