Halloween Movies: Top Horror Films Of 2017
By Elizabeth Parker
It's almost that time again - Halloween - and you may be thinking of watching a horror film to get in the mood. 2017 was a great year for horror films, and there's definitely no shortage of movies to choose from. Check out this list for some suggestions.
IT
"IT" is the second adaptation of Stephen King's beloved book—the first was a miniseries from the 1990s, with Tim Curry as Pennywise the Dancing Clown. In the newest adaptation, Bill Skarsgard plays a much scarier Pennywise, and the film will be split up into two parts; Chapter One, which is this movie, and premiered on September 8, and Chapter Two, which doesn't have a release date as of yet. In this installment, the kids of Derry, Maine must battle Pennywise; in Chapter Two, which takes place about 27 years later, the kids are grown up, and must return to Derry to again battle the deranged clown.
Get Out
"Get Out" doesn't feel like a horror movie, but slowly devolves into one. It hit theaters on February 24, and has since been one of the most talked about horror movies this year. It focuses on an interracial couple, played by Allison Williams (TV's "Girls") and Daniel Kaluuya ("Sicario"), and her boyfriend, who is finally going home with her to meet her parents. He soon finds out that not all is well in their family, though, and they have a secret which they're trying to hide; as well as a reason for inviting him to spend the weekend with them.
Annabelle: Creation
"Annabelle: Creation" was released on August 11. It's a prequel to "Annabelle," which was released in 2014, and is the fourth movie in "The Conjuring" series. Anthony LaPaglia, Stephanie Sigman, Talitha Bateman, and Miranda Otto star, and the film is about the origin of the Annabelle doll. A dollmaker and his wife host a nun and several orphans in their home, and the guests soon become the target of Annabelle, a possessed doll created by the dollmaker himself. The movie has done over $281 million in sales and received fairly positive reviews from critics.
Split
It might be a stretch to call "Split" a horror movie, but James McAvoy is brilliant in it, as a man who suffers from multiple personality disorder - 23 multiple personalities, to be exact. The movie was released on January 20, and currently has a positive 7.3 rating (out of 10) on IMDb. Three girls are kidnapped by McAvoy's character, and because of his multiple personalities, they don't know which of his incarnations will greet them every time they see him. The film is M. Night Shyamalan's newest movie, and one of his most well-received.
Mother!
At the time of this writing, this movie was only just released, and because it's a Darren Aronofsky movie (director of "Black Swan"), it definitely has some horror elements to it. Jennifer Lawrence and Javier Bardem star as a married couple who live in the country; however, their peacefulness is disrupted by the arrival of a strange couple. Michelle Pfeiffer and Ed Harris also have roles in the film. The movie has 74% on Rotten Tomatoes, and 76% from Top Critics.