Lovecraft Country

 The first two episodes of Lovecraft Country felt like a film, and at the end i felt as if there was no way to continue the season, however each episode just got better and better. This has all of JJ Abram's WTF touches, and it has the poignant and social commentary of Jordan Peele. It is Us meets Lost with pulp elements mixed in. This is a series that holds a mirror to today's society? Have we come far in the past 70 years? In some regards yes but in many ways it has not. These episodes are powerful. As for the horror, it is full of monsters, witches and two of the freakiest twins to ever appear on celluloid. The real scary shit however comes from the prejudice and injustice we see in every episode and the fact that it is still going on today is real horror. It is not just a horror series, it is an important series of lives. 

Trial of the Chicago 7

 Aaron Sorkin did it again, in fact he crafted his best work yet. As a teen i was a huge mark for Abbie Hoffman, so The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a film i have been waiting 13 years for and it exceeded my expectations. The entire cast is phenomenal especially Sasha Baron Cohen, Mark Rylance, and Eddie Redmayne. This is one of the most important films of the year, held in 1969 but with a mirror held to today's society. Police brutality, political injustice, racism, sexism, not much has changed in the past 51 years. Only Sorkin can take essentially a court room drama into a heartfelt and gripping piece of social commentary, Is this his masterpiece or is that yet to come? 

The Mortuary Collection

 The Mortuary Collection is probably my favorite horror anthology since Chillerama. This is the most Tales From the Crypt/Creepshow esque EC Comics inspired horror flick in a long time. The wrap around sets the tone and has Clancy Brown doing his best Tall Man. In the tales we get Lovecraftian imagery, spot of feminist/toxic masculinity social commentary, macabre humor, and a great twist on the final girl. 

Haunting of Bly Manor

 Haunting of Bly Manor is yet again another great addition to Mike Flanagan's television/filmography. Not quite as powerful as Haunting on Hill House but it is indeed a worthy follow up. There have been many adaptations of Turn of the Screw, including this year's awful The Turning, but this here while a loose adaptation is one of the best. It's a slow burn but it is atmospheric, both of Flanagan's Haunting shows feel like more focuses, less campy versions of AHS. I'm all for a third chapter in this anthology. 

Room 104

 Room 104 is a show that is so far under the radar that i only know 2 other people that watch this gem. Four seasons of magical, surreal, twisted, bleak, whimsical, intelligent, and dark what the fuckness. From murderous twins, to musical numbers, from barbarians to eating dicks, from interpretive dance to foam that melts people, from 90s sitcom aesthetic to ghosts in the walls, from horror hosts to pro wrestling, from Satan to cartoons, this show had it all. No two episodes were the same, all had different casts and plots aswell as genres. Mark and Jay Duplass crafted their masterpiece!

The Doorman

 If it were not for Ryuhei Kitamura directing the Doorman, i would have passed. It looked like a bland John Wick rip off, but it wound up feeling more like an Liam Neeson rip off. Ruby Rose is decent in small parts like John Wick 2 or Orange is the New Black but is a wooden lead. The villains were one dimensional stock characters and the plot made no sense at all. Worst film of the year? Yes, yes this is. 

The Cleansing Hour

 The Cleansing Hour is a welcome change of pace to possession films. An internet fame obsessed hoax of a host dealing with a real demon. It might not sound groundbreaking, and it isn't, but with as cookie cutter and dull that most possession films this is a breath of fresh air.  With it's takedown on organized religion it plays both sides of skeptic and faith.  It also has an interesting twist on possession towards the end that leads to a open ending that is a bit dark.