14) Curse Of Chucky
No matter how many times he’s melted down, torn apart by industrial fans, shot, or burned to a crisp, Chucky just never seems to die. Hell, even he comments on his own revivals in Bride Of Chucky when he taunts, “I’ll be back! I ALWAYS come back! But dying is such a bitch.”
Well, there we were in 2013, and Chucky came back with a brand new look – sort of.
Curse Of Chucky gets back to the true Gothic horror of the early franchise entries, abandoning the slapstick comedy later adapted by writer/creator/director Don Mancini. We don’t open with a fully animated Chucky doll, complete with wife and children, instead we revert back to Chuckster being mailed to his latest victim – only to become fully animated later on in the film. Mancini transitions back to building tension, utilizing Chucky’s size for stealthier kills while staying in this haunting realm where a killer toy runs free.
Curse Of Chucky isn’t brilliant just because we once again have a slasher villain worth fearing, but because Mancini also ties in every single franchise film plot-wise, not as to abandon any of his previous outings. Chucky’s mythos have been built film by film, and Mancini shows his confidence in the material by never abandoning a single film – not even Seed Of Chucky. Mancini stands by his creation, and makes a better film for it, appeasing old and new fans with one memorable outing.
Six films into the Chucky franchise and I’m still excited for more (a seventh was recently announced!). You can’t help but marvel at this ginger Devil’s longevity – and I’m sure Tiffany isn’t complaining either.
13) Mama
This one even I’m surprised by, but Mama scared the daylights out of me. I went into this screening thinking of nothing but some weak paranormal story featuring a punk rock Jessica Chastain, but boy was I wrong. Mama had me tensing up in my seat, squirming in eerie discomfort, and seriously wishing I invited someone to ease my nerves. Andrés Muschietti adapted his short to some serious feature success, and having Guillermo Del Toro’s influence as a producer certainly didn’t hurt, either.
Amidst all the screams and horrors, there’s a sweetness to Mama. I mean, it’s literally a terrifying story about a ghostly mother’s undying love, and the two human children who get tangled up in her desires. This is messing with the mama bear to the nth degree – except this mama bear can shuffle through the floors like a blood-thirsty shark through water. While the entire story is a hair-raising experience, the ending is equatable to the darkest Disney moment imaginable, but again, there’s this loving aura to it all, leaving us with a strangely heartwarming experience.
Mama is not the film I expected, but that makes it all the better – especially for a January horror release. Aren’t they supposed to be the worst? Kudos to Mama, the chilling maternal story that defied the odds.