The Best Horror Movies of 2010

Alright, so we (I, in particular) have taken some crap over our not hating some movies that people really seem to have hated this year... fair enough. The best of list which you're about to read will make up for it. Trust me. If you haven't seen these movies, or even heard of some of them, get a hold of them ASAP and love them as they deserve to be loved. Many of the Honorable Mentions following the Top 10 could easily be top of the heap in their own right, so don't ever let the order fool you. They are all quite worthy, each in their own way.

[REC 2]- (Check the review here) And the winner is... the best Horror sequel we have seen in recent memory. Improving on the original in every way (and the original was a great movie), [REC 2] went the full Demon route that we'd hoped it would, and kicked our asses thoroughly in doing so. Creepy, bloody, and above all, smart, this movie swings for the fences and goes yard. Beyond yard even. You owe it to yourself to find both of these movies and watch them back to back... and then wait for patiently for the next two installments, which have been announced as being on their way.
 Buried- (Check the review here) Claustrophobic, engaging and truly terrifying, Ryan Reynolds and his one man show took an interesting premise and made it work despite its restrictions. If this movie doesn't have you squirming and fidgeting nervously like a fat girl writing her first love letter, then you indeed have nerves of steel.
 Piranha 3D- (Check the review here) Why is such a tongue-in-cheek, cheesy, 80's throwback of a movie so high up in the top 10? Why, because it's made of pure awesomeness, and has no shame in its excess, and might be the most fun we've had at the movies in a long time. Alexandre Aja know his Horror flicks, and aside from the lackluster Mirrors, has managed to make 3 fantastic Horror flicks in his (thus far) short career. Two of those were remakes. Think about that for a minute. If you like buckets of blood, tons of hot chicks, 80's style Horror cheesiness and fun, this is the movie for you.
 Paranormal Activity 2- (Check the review here) Another sequel that lived up to its predecessor (and in our opinions, surpassed it), PA2 delivered the scares in droves. I can't tell you why, but this movie had me so creeped out at one point, that I needed a breather. I'm not being dramatic, and I'm not a super pussy ( all the time, anyway), it was just that effective. PA 3 is on the fast track for November 2011, and this time, I will not be skeptical.

A Serbian Film- We can't say that we'd urge people to see this movie, because its contents are so profoundly disturbing and would most likely be offensive and unwatchable to most, but Goddamn this movie messed us up. The crazy thing about it is, that as nasty as it is, it's equally as gorgeous to look at. It's a really well-made movie, and who in the hell would have ever thought that Serbia had it in them to pull off a feat like this? Go ahead, name another good Serbian movies. Forget good, just name another Serbian movie, period. You can't. Be warned: this movie goes to places that most human minds, including some of the sicker minds out there, do not go. You may need a shower when all is said and done. Still, it's one hell of an achievement.

Black Swan- (Check the review here) Yeah, yeah, yeah... "It's not a real Horror movie, why is it on this list?!?" Well listen here, it is a horror movie, just the high brow kind. There's an evil swan in it, and murder, and scary stuff happens, and bloody things happen, and Natalie Portman gets it on with Mila Kunis... of course it's Horror! All sarcasm aside, this is a great mind-fuck of a movie, and you'd be missing out not to add this to your must-see lists.
 Red Hill- (Check the review here) Now here's another one that may not be true Horror, but needs to be seen by genre fans all the same. Of all the movies on our list, this one may be the most obscure, so we truly need to sing its praises. Bloody, brutal, tense, and just an all around well-made revenge western (for lack of a better descriptor), Ryan Kwanten sheds his goofy True Blood image and shows that he can tackle some good dramatic material. Excellent movie, and you need to seek it out and watch it now. I'm not kidding. Go. Now.

Frozen- (Check the review here) The 2nd of 3 movies in our top 10 with hard to sell set pieces, Frozen strands 3 people on a ski lift for 90 minutes and makes it watchable, fun, and above all, pretty damned creepy. Like it or not, this movie at least deserves credit for having the balls to try something completely out of the box, and making it work. Along with Buried and Burning Bright, I was amazed at how well the filmmakers pulled this one off. Speaking of...

Burning Bright- (Check the review here) "A thriller centered on a young woman and her autistic little brother who are trapped in a house with a ravenous tiger during a hurricane." Try not to laugh too loud after reading that synopsis, because with what must be hands down the most ridiculous plot synopsis ever that wasn't meant to be a wacky comedy, this movie kicked some major ass. This is my personal favorite of the year, not because it was the best movie that I saw in 2010, but because it was just so good and left me smiling in satisfaction when all was said and done. DO NOT BALK at seeing this movie. If you do, it's really your loss.
 The Walking Dead- Yes, it's a TV show... but you know what? Shut up. We as Horror fans should all be humbled at the will and skill of Frank Darabont and the balls of AMC to give us such an awesome, weekly show about Zombie Apocalypse. A weekly Zombie TV Show. That's so huge in so many different ways, that it's impossible to go into them all here. Add to that the fact that it's not some cheesy, shoddy mess that it might have been had Darabont and AMC not been involved, and it makes it all even more special. It was the highest rated cable TV Show ever at one point during its initial 6 episode run, and the 13 episode 2nd season is on its way. This is must see TV, and a pretty big moment for the Horror Genre in general.

As for the runner's up, they are all deserving of your time and effort, so seek them out and give them a spin in the ole' DVD player. We've reviewed most of them, so for a more detailed word on each film, click the pics for the full reviews.