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Please Don’t Scream, You’re So Beautiful: The 14 Best Horror Movies Of 2013

Wow, what a truly inspiring year. Why, you ask? Simple - 2013 was the best year for horror I've seen since starting my love for the genre back in college. Each year has its highs and lows, don't get me wrong, and even though there were some insultingly bad horror movies forced upon us this year (which I already discussed in my 13 Worst Horror Movies Of 2013 article), the good mightily outweighed these forgettable blemishes. Count Dracula turning into a Praying Mantis? Last, last exorcisms? Sympathetic Leatherface? Forget all that malarky because 2013 was full of top-notch remakes, energized reboots, worthy sequels, ambitious independent winners, and horror comedies that had us laughing just as much as we were screaming. As a horror fan, this has been a year for the ages - and also a year that gave me a pretty empty wallet.

10) Insidious: Chapter 2

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Insidious 2 trailer (Screengrab)

Everyone else is talking about how bad Insidious: Chapter 2 is, and here I am putting it in my top 10 horror movies of the year. For the life of me, I can’t figure out where the disconnect with this movie stems from. The original film received some pretty serious acclaim, really brought James Wan into a new light, and showed that paranormal horror could still be original and scary. For my money, James Wan and Leigh Whannell followed their first film perfectly, expanded upon mythology, answered lingering questions, and introduced even more questions to keep the story going. Apparently I’m one of the only people who thinks so, though.

Insidious: Chapter 2 is a perfect follow up that features an upped ante from everyone involved. While I admit some of Specs and Tucker’s comedy felt a little forced, all the actors brought another level to their characters. Looking specifically at Patrick Wilson, he’s given so much more freedom to flex his horror muscles while playing a character with two sides – the dark and the light. Watching Wilson descend into madness creates some seriously fun cinema for viewers, but this isn’t in the place of scares, either. Everything that made Insidious so eerily creepy comes back to scare us mercilessly again, making this sequel one of the better watches of 2013.

Haters are always going to hate, whether it’s a grudge against Wan or sequels, but James proves he’s the master of atmospheric tension once again, and scores a much deserved spot on this list. Maybe we’ll see him again as we continue counting down?

For more on Insidious: Chapter 2, check out our exclusive video interview with the cast below.