My top 5 Horror Movies (Part 2)

The last post I wrote about my favorite horror movies was in 2015. Its been almost 5 years since then and my list of favorites has now a number of new additions. Without further ado here are my favorite horror movies (in no particular order) since that last post. 

1. The VVitch

The VVitch (that's how its spelled in old english) is the debut feature of Robert Eggers who is considered one of the 'hottest' horror directors working today (along with Ari Aster). One of my top 3 horror movies of recent times, VVitch tells the story of a couple in 1630 who's youngest son disappears. Suspicions turn towards their eldest daughter who is suspected of Witchcraft. Bordering on the style of fairytales of the Grimm's brothers (not the fairytale of the Disney kind) The VVitch stays true to the period it is set in with old English dialogues and the details of the living conditions. Full of atmospheric horror and unsettling scenes, it is a Slowburn horror. The tension builds slowly and it never fully eases till the ending. It has some of the best witch depictions I have seen so far. The best scene comes quite early in the movie, the eldest daughter is playing a game of peekaboo with her youngest brother. She covers her eyes three times and uncovers it making the baby laugh, the fourth time when she opens her eyes, there's no baby. 

Why I liked it: Slowburn horror, extreme tension in the air, unsettling scenes and unexpected twists. 

2. The Wailing

The Wailing is a Korean horror movie about strange happenings in a town: people killing their family members and looking like zombies the next day. A police inspector is tasked with investigating these murders. The rural setting immediately brings to mind the classic Korean movie 'Memories of Murder' but here what looks like elements of supernatural soon turn into full scale evil. There are so many things happening in this movie its hard to keep up with it. As the story progresses it feels less like a linear narrative and more like branches of a tree with many different things all happening. Half way through the movie the police inspector calls for help in the form of a famous shaman. His entry adds more spice to the proceedings. The Wailing contains the finest exorcism scene I have seen so far in horror movies. So many unexpected things happen in this movie that somewhere along the way you know that anything can happen and even then nothing prepares you for the final twist. Thoroughly entertaining and absolute fun!  For full effect I watched this movie at 12 am in the night and it ended somewhere between 2am and 3am. Not to mention that I used to live alone at that time. Sometime after completing this movie as I was just falling asleep someone rang my doorbell. Needless to say I was sacred shitless. But I did go and after calling out 'whos there' and opening the door I saw no one at the door. I slept with my lights on for the rest of the night. The next day I found out that the guy next door had drunkenly rang my doorbell instead of the light switch which was the adjacent switch. I couldn't help but think that it had to happen on that night of all nights.   

Why I liked it: Creepy scenes, brilliant cinematography, amazing actors and a thoroughly unsettling ending. 

3. It Follows

'It follows' has a simple plot. There is a curse going on that jumps from one person to another through sex. Who ever has it, that person is followed by a strange entity which is never fully explained. This entity takes the form of other people. During the initial part of the movie the protagonist gets it from her boyfriend.  The rest of the movie is about how she tries to figure out a way to escape from it. The acting is top class but the highlight is the downright creepy soundtrack by Disasterpeace. What sets apart this movie is that unlike other entries on this list the movie is set in a town and all of it happens in everyday situations and places. 

What I liked about it: Creepy throughout with some top quality jump scares. In fact some of the best  jump scares I have seen so far. 

4. Suspiria (1977)

Suspiria is the most recent addition to this list and I was blown away in the first 10 mins itself. The first 10 mins of the movie has everything that makes me a horror fan. I have watched that scene multiple times now. The movie begins with a girl making her way out of the airport to a ballet school she has come to join in the city. As she begins to walk out, we hear the spine chilling theme music begin to play and we immediately get the sensation that something is wrong. She takes a taxi to the ballet school in the pouring rain. Here we the emotions on her face as she is coming to grips with the roughness of her situation. A single woman in a new city at night time in pouring rain. Shades of pink from the surrounding lights fall on her face as she tries to strike a conversation with the taxi driver. The red and pink color palette contribute in a huge way to make Suspiria what it is. As she begins to spend more time at the school she notices strange happenings and soon comes to a conclusion that something is wrong with her instructors. What it is I leave it for you to find out. Originally from Italy, the land of the Giallo, Suspiria is Dario Argento's masterpiece. 

What I liked about it: theme music, the setting, creepy atmosphere, opening scene, colour scheme

5. Tumbbad 

Tumbbad is a Hindi language movie which tells the story of a man searching for a hidden treasure in the village of Tummbad. Set in the Pre-independence days (before 1947) the sets and costumes are authentic, adding to the creepy nature of the movie. For me the number one criteria for a good horror movie is the atmosphere of dread it creates and Tummbad absolutely nails it in this area. There are folk elements present and more than one mystery to understand. Some characters are downright nightmarish  and many scary situations. In fact I was watching this movie with a group of friends and on at least occasions I could hear a audible of f**k go around the room. I am a huge horror fan both of stories in the written form and movies. Keeping in mind all of my horror fascination in mind and the work that I have read and watched I can safely say that Tumbbad is one of the best Hindi Horror movies ever. If I can take it a bit further it can be even be called the best Hindi horror movie ever.

What I liked about it: The authentic feel, the atmosphere of dread throughout, the crisp visuals, the multiple layers of mysterious characters.

Book Post 20: A Brief History of Creation by Bill Mesler and H. James Cleaves

Book Name : A Brief History of Creation

Author : Bill Mesler and H. James Cleaves

Genre : Non-Fiction/Science

 

What is it about? :   One of the most enduring mysteries of science has been the origin of life. How did it all began? What was the first organism to appear? What differentiates living from non living? Where is the boundary that separates the two? These are some of the questions mankind's best mind have been trying to answer for a long time. In this book the authors, Bill Mesler and James Cleaves trace the history of the ideas/concepts about the origin of life and the people behind them.  

How I came to read it : For the first time since years I was in a position where I had not read a book in 3 months. This was the longest gap in years for me. This was largely because of some change in jobs and some moving around. Eventually though I couldn't hold up any longer and I went to the nearest Indigo branch and headed straight for the sale section. This was one of the only two science paperbacks on sale and I got this immediately. 

   

Did I like it? : Loved it! This book made me question why I had not started reading science books much earlier in life. No fiction can match the thrill of the stories of the brilliant minds of science.  

Coming to the book itself, it starts off the history from the time of Anaximander and Aristotle. The spontaneous generation theory supported by Aristotle was something that was in vogue for the next few hundred years. Then came Van Leeuwenhoek whose mind blowing work with microscopes opened up a new understanding of the tiny creatures around us. This way, the book slowly moves on from on one major advancement to another, from one scientist to another all the while keeping in mind the big question of when and how life originated. Some of the amazing scientists include Voltaire, Andrew Crosse, Charles Darwin, Louis Pasteur,  JBS Haldane, Stanley Miller, Sidney Fox, Crick and Watson. 

One of the most exciting parts of the books is the anticipation of which scientist is going to turn up next. People you don't expect to turn up in a book about origin of life turn up at the most unexpected times. That was by far my best experience about this book. Also, being a energy professional myself the appearance of electricity piqued my interest. Mary Shelley, the creator of Frankenstein makes an appearance in this section. During the early days of electricity people tended to believe that electricity had life giving properties. Mary's inspiration for Frankenstein was no different. It was a result of the intense debate and discussion going around electricity at that time. She was largely inspired by experiments of Andrew Crosse and Luigi Galvani. Galvani's experiment where he accidentally observed the twitching of a frog leg by electricity became hugely famous. Fun fact: the English word 'Galvanize' meaning 'to stimulate' or 'to bring to life' originated from Galvani's famous experiment. 

Slowly, as the narrative progresses, it narrows down to biology and medicine focusing on Watson, Crick and Rosalind Franklin who discovered the shape of DNA, a landmark achievement in understanding the origin of life. The book spans from the time of the Greeks to the late 1990s. A tremendous tour of the inspiring journey of humankind's quest for an answer to the, some say, ultimate question of science, how did life originate? Thrilling and inspiring I enjoyed every bit of this book. Best 4 bucks ever!