The 31 Days of Horror #3: I Saw the Devil (2011)

Title: I Saw the Devil
Year: 2011.
Sub-Genre: Serial Killer, Thriller.

It's about time that S.Korea made an appearance on this countdown, because the filmmakers there have been making top-notch Thrillers better than anyone else has for years, and they more than deserve some love.

Ever since Oldboy took the film world by storm back in 2003, S.Korea has turned out a steady stream of bleak, intense, stylish, and emotionally-charged Thrillers (whether they be Horror or Crime), and as great as movies like Breathless, Memories of Murder, The Vengeance Trilogy, The Man From Nowhere, or The Chaser have been, none have moved us, or affected us, as much as I Saw The Devil has.

This is a cruel, overtly-violent movie that stands head and shoulders above most other Thrillers in regard to its direction, cinematography, mood,and of course, its shocking violence. Byung-hun Lee is fantastic as the troubled anti-hero who is seeking revenge against the Serial Killer who killed his fiance, but it's the brilliant Min-sik Choi who steals the show as that Serial Killer.

If you've seen Oldboy, then you already know what a great actor Min-sik Choi is. The cold, terrifying performance that he delivers in I Saw the Devil though, is hypnotizingly flawless, and he owns every single second that he's on-screen. He commands the scenery around him and he chews through it, spits it out, and then chews through it again.

He's the Korean Marlon Brando. End of story.

If you love Horror/Crime Thrillers, then you really should seek out the movies I've listed above, starting with I Saw the Devil. Once you've caught your breath, you can say a silent word of thanks, and I'll hear you. *In spirit, not literally.

See you tomorrow with #2!

The 31 Days of Horror #4: Martyrs (2008)

Title: Martyrs
Year: 2008.
Sub-Genre: Home Invasion, Torture Porn.

Perhaps the most brutal of any movie on our Millennium Countdown, Martyrs is both a punishing, and a transcendent experience. 

The French have a special way of making movies (especially Horror movies) mean something more than they should. Sometimes it comes across as a being bit self-indulgent, and sometimes that's exactly what it is, but adding a level of mental/spiritual depth to something as brutal and painstaking as Martyrs is a stroke of genius. Pascal Laugier did something bold and daring with this movie, and he pulled it off extremely well; so as not to ruing things, I'll just say that what he did was make us question our beliefs to the point where we were left in existential crisis, and he did so while making us endure some of the most intensely brutal instances of abuse and torture that we've ever seen in a film. 

If you can stand this movie, then you can probably take just about anything that the Horror Genre has to offer.

Martyrs is nothing short of brilliant, in both execution and in concept. The thing about it is though, this movie may not be for you. Hell, this movie may not be for most people, but it makes you think, it makes you cringe, and it really makes you wonder... wonder where French Horror filmmakers get their sick and twisted ideas from.

See you tomorrow with #3!

The 31 Days of Horror #5: American Psycho (2000)

Title: American Psycho
Year: 2000.
Sub-Genre: Serial Killer, Black Comedy.

As much of a dark satire as it is a Horror movie, American Psycho is equal parts amusing and disturbing. 

Christian Bale is one of the best actors on the planet, and roles like this are the reason why. His animated performance as the disturbed Patrick Bateman was so over-the-top, that most other actors couldn't have pulled it off as effectively. On the surface, he's an attractive, successful modern man who is living the American Dream; underneath that polished veneer though lies the boiling rage of a true Sociopath who only finds true joy in killing.

This movie makes a profound statement on 80's era narcissism, materialism, classism, excess and greed, all under the guise of the murderous exploits of an unbalanced Serial Killer. It's superb social commentary, and it gets its point across succinctly.

With American Psycho, director Mary Harron gave us one of the best American-made Horror movies on the New Millennium, and for that, we'll always admire her.

See you tomorrow with #4!

The 31 Days of Horror #6: Inside (2008)

Title: Inside
Year: 2008.
Sub-Genre: Home Invasion, Survival.

From the stomach-churning opening credits, to its disturbing finale, Inside is one of the most shacking, brutal, and horrific movies that we've ever seen. 

Very, very few movies have ever disturbed us as much as Inside (À l'intérieur) does. The idea of an insane woman chasing a pregnant woman around a dark house, with the twisted intention of cutting the baby out of her stomach so that she can have it for herself, is just about as terrifying as a movie plot can get. What makes it worse is how directors Bustillo & Maury use an exploitation-level of brutality and gore to help that story unfold in the most shocking of ways.

The way that Beatrice Dalle's La Femme stalks through the shadows of the house like a ghost is spooky as hell, and the way that she swiftly doles out violent punishment to any who stand in the way of her goal is shockingly horrific. She's one of the best movie villains of the New Millennium.

As excellent as it was, we felt tainted after watching Inside. If you have yet to see this modern-day classic, then you owe it to yourself to seek it out and give it a watch.

See you tomorrow with #5!

The 31 Days of Horror #7: [REC] 2 (2009)

Title: [REC] 2
Year: 2009.
Sub-Genre: Found Footage, Virus/Infected.

Yes, we're putting [Rec] 2 on our list instead of [REC]... because it was better than the first one! I know that it's a controversial take, but it's true; [REC 2] is better than the excellent [REC], and that really is saying something.

This sequel picks up right where the first one left off, and takes us even deeper into the viral zombie madness that made it such a great, intense watch. I had always believed that the "infection" in [REC] was a form of Demonic Possession, and what do you know, I was right! *It's a small victory, but I'll take it.

The possession angle made the already effective Infected storyline of the first one even better, and it added another level of creepiness to the whole thing. Tristana Medeiros is one terrifying movie monster, Angela is an even better heroine, and watching the two duke it out Found Footage style made for one overall terrifying experience. We really loved the twist at the end of this one too.

This is the last [REC] movie that we truly enjoyed (as the final two sequels in the series went in different ways, and never really lived up to the high standard set by the first two movies), but that's fine with us. I can't really see how they could have ever topped this one anyhow.

[REC] 2 is just about as good as a Horror sequel gets, and if you've never seen it (or the first one), then you should seek them out immediately.

See you tomorrow with #6!

The 31 Days of Horror #8: Let the Right One In (2008)

Title: Let the Right One In
Year: 2008.
Sub-Genre: Vampire, Coming of Age.

There aren't a lot of coming of age movies out there that involve vampire children, so I suppose that means that Let the Right One In is in a class all of its own.

This Swedish gem is essentially a love story between a young boy and a "much older than she looks" vampire girl, and as rough as first love can be for the average person, I have to imagine the whole "insatiable thirst for blood" thing makes it a whole lot more complicated. And bloody. A lot more bloody.

All light-hearted commentary aside, this is one gorgeous movie that does an excellent job of blending Horror and sweet sentiment together, resulting in the kind of vampire movie that we need to see a lot more of. You know, the kind with a good story; likable, believable characters; and that don't involve sparkling or overly-dramatic teenage angst. 

This is definitely a better love story than Twilight.

See you tomorrow with #7!