I’ll admit that I didn’t keep up with many movies in 2021. With my preference for seeing new films in theaters and the fact that they were closed for much of the year, I fell back on some old favorites in my collection. This isn’t to say that I didn’t see any new movies, though. In fact, the one I most wanted to see was only available in theaters (after a much-delayed release date), and I actually got to see it. That film, Last Night in Soho, made the top of my list. Although I didn’t see many new horror movies this past year, I was content with the ones I got to see.
Last Night in Soho
Last Night in Soho is a visually pleasing movie that aims high, focusing on the time-jumping journey of Eloise, a young student enthralled with 1960s British pop culture but living in the present day. There is so much to explore, from the inevitable disappointment of idealizing the past to the brutal reality of survival in a city. The horror aspects of Last Night are subtler than the other movies on this list, at least until the end. It is a good ride, but whether it succeeds in its efforts is up for debate. You can read my full review of it here.
Willy’s Wonderland
Coming in second on my list is Willy’s Wonderland, a movie released through video-on-demand instead of the planned wide theatrical release. In stark contrast to Last Night in Soho, Willy’s Wonderland doesn’t attempt an arthouse effect. The idea of demonic animatronics is cheesy, and the movie delivers on the promise of fun-loving gore. Left alone overnight to clean an abandoned family fun location, Nicolas Cage’s character is hunted by the creepy animatronics, and soon enough, Cage does the hunting himself. There’s also a subplot with a group of teenagers who break into the location and inevitably split up, leading to an unnecessary sex scene but at least they provide multiple points of view as to where the possessed machines are. Turn on your device of choice, and you’ll enjoy a thoroughly entertaining hour and a half.
Possession (1981)
My final pick is not from 2021. Am I breaking the rules? Maybe a bit. But this movie was new to me, and I did see it in a movie theater, so I’ll allow it. Seeing Andrzej Zulawski’s Possession (1981) for the first time as a 4K rerelease was a truly memorable experience. I went in only knowing that the film was supposed to be disturbing. And boy, did it live up to the hype. The movie begins as a standard family drama but soon goes off the rails. Possession is a surreal, psychosexual horror that hits all the buttons: infidelity, the repercussions of divorce on children, miscarriage, supernatural creatures, and other controversial concepts all make appearances. While I’ll never watch it again, I was able to appreciate the cinematography, effects, and Isabelle Adjani’s enthralling performance. Seriously, I was in awe of her complexity and commitment.