Horror Fuel’s Top 10 Films And Series Of 2019

December 31, 2019

Written by Kelli Marchman McNeely

Kelli Marchman McNeely is the owner of HorrorFuel.com. She is an Executive Producer of "13 Slays Till Christmas" which is out on Digital and DVD and now streaming on Tubi. She has several other films in the works. Kelli is an animal lover and a true horror addict since the age of 9 when she saw Friday the 13th. Email: horrorfuelinfo@gmail.com

2019 saw many horror films and series released, some good, some bad. We’re here to talk about the best of the best, the top 10 must-see films and series of the year! 

 

Top 10 Films

 

10.The Head Hunter (review)

In a cold, medieval forest, a warrior (Christopher Rygh) stalks the land eternally hunting for one more monster head to add to his collection… but this decapitation would offer our hero sweet revenge! While at it’s heart an absolute exercise in minimalism, this film is everything I crave from genre cinema; unique, inventive, and packed with sweet, sweet creatures! Grim, grizzly, nihilistic, and often breathtaking; The Head Hunter is easily one of the best horror pics that has come down the putrid pike in a damn sight! -Dan XIII

 

 

 

9. The Lighthouse (review)

Robert Eggers (The Witch) is back with his new venture into the dramatic, psychological horror with The Lighthouse starring Willem Dafoe. Set on an isolated island in New England in the 1890s, the film follows two men into the depths of madness. Eggers never fails to prove his brilliance as a filmmaker. The Lighthouse is an artistic, black and white nightmare. Just don’t go into it expecting your average horror film, because it’s far from it. -Kelli Marchman McNeely

 

 

 

8. Come To Daddy (review)

So you say you are tired of remakes and sequels and are craving new, unpredictable storylines and approaches to horror and genre films? Then look no further: New Zealand director Ant Timpson’s Come to Daddy delivers originality and surprises galore along with squirm-inducing family drama, gory set-pieces, pitch-black humor, and even some heartbreakingly poignant scenes. Elijah Wood portrays Norval, a young man traveling to a remote beach house to meet his father who abandoned him 30 years earlier. His verbally abusive, highly aggressive, judgmental father (Stephen McHattie of Pontypool [2008] and this year’s Dreamland) taunts, mocks, and derides Norval no end, and the two performers put on absolutely bravado performances that makeup nothing short of an acting clinic — and that is merely the first part of Come to Daddy! The film then goes on a mind-blowing roller coaster ride. It plays fast and loose with horror, dark comedy, thriller, and other elements. Go in as fresh as possible to this uncomfortably fun offering, and you should feel hugely rewarded. -Joseph Perry

 

 

7. Crawl (review)

Alexandre Aja’s nonstop action flick Crawl is the best creature feature to come out of 2019. With fantastic acting by Kaya Scodelario and Barry Pepper Crawl is not to be missed. The story follows Haley (Scodelario) as she searches for her father (Pepper) during a hurricane. When she finds him in the crawl space under their old house the two are left to fight to survive against alligators and rising waters.

 

 

 

6.Bliss (review)

Artist Dezzy (Dora Madison) becomes addicted to a mega-cocaine called Bliss, which sends her into a spiral of lasciviousness that eventually puts her in the company of old scene friends that are of the fang bang way. This soon leads her into a sex-filled, blood-soaked pseudo-vampiric living nightmare… but hey, her painting skills improve, so win/win? Writer/director Joe Begos (The Mind’s Eye) goes balls deep into psychotronic insanity with Bliss, and provides a blazingly original take on the tried n’ true vampire bag; no easy feat for sure; but Begos and company are more than up to the task!

-Dan XIII

 

 

 

5.US (review)

US follows a family whose beach vacation turns into a nightmare when their doppelgangers appear and begin to terrorize them. Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Drake, Elisabeth Moss and Tim Heidecker star in this disturbing flick from the mind of Jordan Peele. -Kelli Marchman McNeely

 

 

 

4.Satanic Panic (review)

Satanic Panic is one of the most entertaining horror comedies of the year. A gore-filled fun ride, the movie is non-stop action with enough gore to make any horror fan happy. Hayley Griffith (interview) as a pizza girl on a mission to get enough tips for a tank of gas, but when she delivers a pizza to a house in the rich part of town she gets more than she’s bargained for when a cult sets their sights on her…as a sacrifice. Griffith stars alongside Rebecca Romijn, Arden Myrin, Ruby Modine and Jerry O’Connel is this wickedly funny film from director Chelsea Stardust. -Kelli Marchman McNeely

 

 

 

3.Brightburn (review)

Directed by David Yarovesky and produced by James Gunn, Brightburn is the supervillain movie we’ve always needed. With a fantastic story that centers on a young boy adopted by a couple (Elizabeth Banks and David Denman) who raised him as their own, only he’s not from this world. When the boy (Jackson Dunn) discovers his powers he begins a reign of horror-filled terror that is as terrifying as it is entertaining. -Kelli Marchman McNeely

 

 

 

2.Midsommar (review)

Combining incredible cinematography, a gripping story, and brilliant acting, Midsommer will leave your head spinning as you follow a group of friends who attend a distant celebration that only happens every ninety-years. As the film’s events unfold you be left in shock, in the best possible way. -Kelli Marchman McNeely

 

 

 

1.Ready or Not (review)

Directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett’s Ready or Not takes home the title of Horror Fuel’s Best Horror Movie of 2019. Samara Weaving stars as a bride on her wedding day. She only has to do one more thing to be accepted by her new in-laws, play a game of Hide of Seek. But she has no clue that she’ll soon be in a fight for survival as she’s hunted by her new family. This action-packed film is beyond entertaining and has enough gore to satisfy any gorehound. It’s a fantastic flick that needs to be seen. -Kelli Marchman McNeely

 

 

 

 

Top 10 Series

 

 

10.Mindhunter (Netflix)

Based on a true story, Mindunter follows two agents as they travel the country interviewing serial killers in an effort to develop classifications and a database to profile the behaviors of killers. This season we see the two men deal with the chaos of their personal lives while trying to use the information they’ve gathered to help solve killings. One of the biggest parts of the season is Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Holt (Bill Tench) trying to aid in the investigation during the hunt for the Atlanta Child Killer.

 

 

 

9.The Prodigal Son (FOX/Hulu)

This thrilling series follows profiler Malcolm Bright (Tom Payne) as he works to help the local police while simultaneously dealing with trauma that comes from his father being one of the world’s most infamous serial killers. Michael Sheen, Lou Dimond Philips, Halston Sage, and Bellamy Young also star in the series that’s part psychological thriller and part crime drama. And it’s fantastic.

 

 

 

8.American Gods (Starz/Amazon Prime)

The series set in the world created by Neill Gaiman which introduces us to both the gods of the old and the new as they prepare to battle. At the heart of the series is ex-convict Shadow Moon (Ricky Whittle) who is struggling to discover his place in the world while traveling with Mr. Wednesday (Ian McShane). The series is brilliantly written and features important cultural and social commentary.

 

 

 

7.Into the Dark (Hulu)

Hulu’s monthly holiday horror-themed anthology has something for everyone. Each episode is different. The holiday-inspired episodes are nearly feature-length and cover socially relevant subjects like immigration, sexuality, love and more while keeping to its horror roots.

 

 

 

6.Castle Rock (Hulu)

Castle Rock is a dark and brooding series set in the world created by Stephen King. It features bits of King’s most famous tales with a new twist. This season King fans will recognize pieces of stories such as Misery, Jerusalem’s Lot, and The Shawshank Redemption. The series is well written and the cast fantastic. It’s a must-see for Stephen King fans.

 

 

 

 

5.Marianne (Netflix)

The French (English dubbed) series was created by Samuel Bodin and centers on horror novelist Emma, played by Call Me By Your Name‘s Victoire Du Bois). Emma writes spooky tales about a sinister entity that plagued her childhood dreams. The entity’s name? Marianne. According to Emma, Marianne is a witch who “enters your soul.” Emma writes her books as of way of coping with the trauma from Marianne. But what happens when your nightmares come to life? Marianne may be one of the darkest horror series to ever call itself a Netflix original.

 

 

 

4.The Witcher (Netflix)

The Witcher premiered late this December but has already earned a big following and has even been renewed by Netflix for its second season. In The Witcher, we follow Geralt of Rivia aka The Witcher. The character begins as a monster hunter but quickly evolves to a man on a mission to find a young girl, Princess Ciri (Freya Allan). Along the way he meets Yennefer, a power-hungry sorceress who he forms an attachment to while he travels searching for Ciri, saving strangers and battling both supernatural creatures and men. The series adaptation of the novels and games introduces us to beautiful landscapes, bloody battles, and a world filled with magic. Well written and beautifully executed, The Witcher is a must-see!

 

 

 

3.Game of Thrones

Fans were left upset and heartbroken when the Game of Thrones came to its end. While the series has always been groundbreaking, filled with drama that would leave you running a gambit of emotions, and sometimes horrific, the series never left fans angry, until its finale which almost ruins the entire series. Don’t worry, you’ll find no real spoilers here, but we will say brace yourself if you haven’t seen it yet.

 

 

 

2. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (Netflix)

Half-human, half-witch, Sabrina Spellman (Kiernan Shipka) comes into her own this season as she discovers who she is and how powerful she really is. The teenager’s life is thrown into chaos when she is chosen to sit at the Devil’s side, but she’s not giving up the fight to choose her own path. Deliciously dark and magical the series takes its place as the number one on our list of the Top Series due to its fantastic writing, cinematography, special effects, and talented cast. Season three is already on its way.

 

 

1. Stranger Things (Netflix)

Who doesn’t love Stranger Things? The series has so much to offer. As we follow our favorite group of kids this season we see them face incredible obstacles and monsters while they learn more about who they are.

 

 

 

Honorable Mentions: Creepshow (Shudder), You (Netflix), The Walking Dead (AMC)

 

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