The Horror Chamber's Top 10 Films of 2016 #6 - #10

2016 has come and gone. It was a great year for horror. Over the next two days, I'll be highlighting the ten best horror films of 2016. Today, I'll start with 6 - 10.

6. Nina Forever

“Nina Forever” was one of those very odd horror comedies. It was also one of the best films that I’ve seen all year. One of the things that I liked about this film was the performances. I thought Cian Barry, Abigail Hardingham and Fiona O’Shaughnessy were great together as the three made their characters entertaining especially with the scenes that they are in with each other. It made this film fun. I also liked the way writer/directors Ben & Chris Blaine do a very good job moving the action and making sure the dark humor is timed very well while focusing on the film’s main character. It made it very twisted and entertaining. Check this film out on VOD and Shudder.

7. The Invitation

The Invitation was one of those films that takes a while to get in to, but the end result made it one of the best thrillers of 2016. One of the things that made this very good was Karyn Kusama’s direction. He’s able to keep you interested through the way that he directs the performances and action. It kept my interest and made me wonder if the main character is breaking down or is there’s something sinister at work. The screenplay from Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi was very good. I liked how they build up the suspense by focusing on his main character and the dinner party. By doing that, it allows everything to be built up to the very intense last act. It makes it worth through sitting through the dialogue scenes which was also very good. It also helped that the film has great performances from Logan Marshall Green and Tammy Blanchard as they help drive this film as the troubled ex couple. This worth checking out if you like intense thrillers.

8. Harvest Lake

If “The Neon Demon” wasn’t released this year, I would be considering this as the oddest film of the year. It was the follow up from “Found“ director Scott Schirmer. One of the things why I liked it a lot was the screenplay. It does a very good job with the way that it handles the dark elements especially with the sex scenes as they had a bizarre tone and added level of dread. The other thing that I liked was that it had a very good cast that included Elle Church, Tristen Risk, Kevin Roach and Dan Nye as the performances kept me interested as the story developed.

9. 10 Cloverfield Lane

Going into “10 Cloverfield Lane”, I was expecting it to be more like “Cloverfield” with the found footage format and everything. Instead, this was way different and way better than “Cloverfield” as it mostly felt like an Alfred Hitchcock film than a straight up monster film. Most of that had to do with the screenplay. I like how the screenwriters go something completely different by going the thriller route for most of it. It made some the scenes intense and made the story feel different from other sci-fi films. The film also has great performances from John Goodman and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. This could’ve easily been made by Alfred Hitchcock.

10. 31

Rob Zombie was back in 2016 with one of his goriest and one of his best films to date with“31”. This film was intense and shocking. It had a 70’s horror vibe to it which made shocking elements work so well. It also had villains that were terrifying to watch. This also has very good supporting performances from Richard Brake as the twisted Doom-Head. The performance alone literally brought the film to another level as it gives the gloom and doom that this film is going for.

Honorable Mentions: Bed of the Dead, Model Hunger, Flesh for the Inferno, The ID, Vampyres

Review: "Harvest Lake"

“Harvest Lake” is the latest film from director Scott Schirmer, who directed the excellent film “Found” back in 2014 and produced the ultra-gory film “Headless” which was released last year. This film boasts an excellent cast that includes Elle Church (Headless), Tristan Risk (American Mary, The Editor) and Kevin Roach (The Confession of Fred Krueger).

The film is about five friends who go vacationing in the woods. They are hoping to have fun and have a good time. But something is lurking in the woods, as they feel like they’re under the spell of someone or something. Soon their behavior starts to become erratic and having strange feelings towards each other as they try to find out what is happening to them. Can they find out what’s the cause of their strange behavior before they become lost in woods forever? This was the first film that I didn’t know what to think about the sex scenes as they felt very horrifying and different in tone. It was something where you couldn’t take your eyes off because of the horrific nature and the level of despair that it represents. That’s what makes “Harvest Lake” a very interesting and entertaining sci-fi horror film.

One of the things that makes this very good was the way director/writer Scott Schirmer directs the action. Everything had a dark and uncomfortable feel to it. Whether it was the film’s beginning and end to some of the dialogue scenes, everything had a dark and creepy presence. Those scenes were created and directed well enough to have a sense of dread to them as it’s the first film where the sexual encounter felt like it had a gloomy and eerie feel to them. It also helped that the cinematography was very good as it added to what Schirmer achieves. The other thing that he does very well is to make sure the performances work. I liked how he handles each of the film’s performance. They fit the film’s tone very well that it keeps you interested in what’s happening. It’s important for a film like this to have it, as it’s more focused on tone than action.

Speaking of the performance, they were good here. The cast that includes Elle Church, Tristen Risk, Kevin Roach and Dan Nye did a very good job with the way that they each approached their characters. It helped especially with all the dialogue scenes in the middle of the film. The performances kept me interested with the material especially when it sets up the third act.

The screenplay written by Schirmer does a very good job with making the film’s tone very dark and gloomy. He approaches each of the film’s scenes with importance as everything including the sex scenes felt very dark as this has a very different feel compared to other alien films where there’s a lot of action and intense scenes. Instead, none of that is present as it focuses more on the story’s darker elements. The other thing that I liked about Schirmer’s screenplay was the fact it focuses on the characters and story at hand. He spends a good time developing the film’s story and characters making sure that those elements are the focus of film. If that didn’t happen, this would’ve been boring. Thankfully, it wasn’t the case as this was a very good alien film.

Check this film out when it comes when it hits a film festival or DVD and Blu-Ray, as this is a great alien film. With it great direction and chilling screenplay, “Harvest Lake” is terrifying alien film that make you think about having sex again.

Review Rating: Five Stars.

For more information on this film, you can visit the film's official Facebook at:  https://www.facebook.com/harvestlakemovie