the last decade in "I Like"

Since the rest of the world posted their End O' the Decade Specials, you know, weeks ago, I figured this would be the perfect time for me to do the same. Always on the cutting edge, c'est moi! So, what exactly is it that I've assembled here? Well, it's simply a list of horror movies I've really enjoyed from the last decade. That's it. I'm not saying they're "the best", and they're not the only horror movies I've liked- in fact, I'm not quite sure what criteria I used in choosing titles beyond "Would I watch it again? Why, yes I would!" Therefore, this list is rather Final Girl-specific...in other words, there's probably lauded films you'll be surprised to find missing, and some real pieces of crap you'll be surprised to find included, but that's just how we do here at the ol' FG. That said, there are plenty of good movies I've yet to see- at least, I hope there are- so feel free to shout 'em out loud in the comments.

I meant to include ten films from each year to make a nice-n-weighty (that's my style) master list, but damn...some years just stunk and I had a tough time finding even a couple of titles to feature (2005, I'm looking at you!). On the other hand, 2007 and 2008 saw some fucking terrific movies. Oh, and release dates/years might be wonky, as they sometimes are, but again- that's just how we do. Links to reviews are provided, if I done reviewed 'em. Oh, and they're not in any particular order, but I'm going to put an asterisk next to my favorite selection from that specific year. A couple years, phew, it was a tough choice. Anyway, without further ado...

Fuck yeah! Later, decade!

2000

• Cherry Falls
• Final Destination
• American Psycho

• Nightmare
• Pitch Black
• The Convent*

2001

• Dagon
• Cookers
• Anal Paprika
• Just Seeing If You Were
• Paying Attention
• But That Really Is A Movie
• Session 9*

2002

• 28 Days Later
• Dog Soldiers
• Shark Attack 3: Megalodon

• The Ring*
• Ju-on
• Resident Evil

2003

• High Tension

• Dead End
• Final Destination 2
• Wrong Turn*

2004

• Dawn of the Dead
• Shaun of the Dead*
• Dead Birds

2005

• The Descent*
• Voice

2006

• Bug*
• Cold Prey
• All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (ha ha ha, "2006"!)

• Silent Hill
• Wilderness

2007

• Inside
• 28 Weeks Later
• The Mist
• The Orphanage
• [REC]*

• Black House
• Joshua
• Planet Terror

2008

• Let the Right One In
• Martyrs*

• Pontypool
• Resident Evil: Degeneration
• Splinter

2009

• Drag Me to Hell*
• Paranormal Activity
• My Bloody Valentine 3D
• Orphan

And there you go. Don't you feel more fulfilled now? I know I do.

So wait, those asterisks...does that mean that I liked The Convent more than I liked American fucking Psycho? Yes, it's true. Of the two, is The Convent the better film? Most certainly not. But "quality" doesn't always relate to "entertainment value", and I had more fun with the day-glo nuns. That's just the way it goes sometimes, homies. There's no accounting for taste.

2008 and 2009 were perhaps the most difficult for me to choose a "favorite". Did I actually enjoy Martyrs? That's really really not the right word, but it's a film I'm still thinking about months after seeing it...it's a film I'm still trying to wrap my head around enough to even write up something on it, something that the movie deserves. So yeah, I guess it was my favorite of that year. For 2009, it really came down to Drag Me to Hell and Orphan, for I so loved them both and had a grand time with each. Esther faltered a bit in the final lap, however, so the prize goes to the yuck-toothed gypsy. Hooray!

Looking back at the decade, it's remarkable how far the genre evolved between 2000- coming off the age of Scream and "WB horror"- and 2009. First of all, the WB doesn't exist anymore. Second, it seems that filmmakers are responding to the desires of the audiences (whether consciously or not) for smarter, more thought-provoking, effing scarier films. Sure there's always going to be stuff for us to complain about, from remakes to sucky sequels to general lameness, but if there's one thing I've learned from this post, it's that it's a great time to be a horror fan.