EJ Moreno ranks 2019’s big horror releases…
On the surface, it would seem that A24 and Blumhouse dominated horror this year with significant releases. But on closer inspection, 2019 has a wide variety of horror movies coming from all over the place. The genre is in such a great spot in 2019 with a little of everything to offer up viewers. Every so often, there’s some article online about horror being in a weak place, but even the lowest ranking films on this list still offer up something to viewers. The beauty of the genre is how everything will find an audience, so if a movie comes in low here, there’s still something of merit to it.
Now let’s dive into all of the major horror releases of 2019. Let me know in the comments below if I happen to overlook a significant entry.
26 – The Prodigy
Do you even remember this film coming out? The Prodigy is more forgettable than anything, but that doesn’t stop it from being the year’s weakest horror entry. Thankfully the film has some decent acting cause the story is god-awful, and it screams, “been there, done that.” 2019 has so many original pieces that weak spots like this stand-out.
25 – The Curse of La Llorona
Another extremely forgettable movie from 2019, so much so that I forgot it on my first draft of the list. La Llorona is probably the weakest in The Conjuring universe, and that’s saying something with the first Annabelle movie. Thankfully the usual James Wan-produced polish helps the film not be a complete miss.
24 – 3 From Hell
Ranking a Rob Zombie movie this low breaks my heart. As a big fan of his work, 3 From Hell seems like a major misstep. Following up on his magnum opus, The Devil’s Rejects would be no easy task, and this movie proves that notion. A lackluster conclusion to a film saga is something no fan wants to see.
23 – 47 Meters Down Uncaged
Shark movies are well-worn territory by now, but there’s been a slight interest in them again. Sadly, the sequel to 2017’s 47 Meters Down is one of the films that helped kill this sub-genre in the first place. Cliched, un-scary, and filled with lousy VFX, even The Asylum would laugh at this. Also, how do you not name this film 48 Meters Down?!
22 – Pet Sematary
Remakes of horror properties in 2019 didn’t have the best luck as almost every one of them disappointed. Pet Sematary is the worst offender of the bunch as it does nothing with the material given. It also loses any charm from the original and replaced it with such a lackluster and dour piece. Just another unadaptable, Stephen King property.
21 – Child’s Play
While I am never a stickler for source material, the Child’s Play remake misses the mark of what made the original work. Changing the Chucky character from a sarcastic, crude killer to a tragic robot is a weirder franchise shift than the outrageous Seed of Chucky. At least that had the blessing of series creator Don Mancini.
20 – Hellboy
Every movie viewer sees something get a release and go “well, who asked for that?” Hellboy is one of those cases. Without del Toro and Perlman, it felt like a pointless endeavor from the start. Then you see the film, and it’s just as soulless as expected. Thankfully, there’s a cheesy 90’s tone to it that makes a viewing bearable.
19 – Escape Room
One of the horror surprises of the year is how enjoyable Escape Room turned out. With a “Saw meets Cube” plot, many didn’t expect much, but a decent box office and upcoming sequel say otherwise. Wild to think lead actress Taylor Russell went from this to an award-winning movie like Waves in one year.
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