Scream Team: 2021 Releases
This year has been another hectic year to say the least. One thing that has not disappointed is horror releases across the board: television, movies, books, and video games. Continue reading to find out what the top releases of the year were from The Scream Team.
Marina
Dancing with Tombstones by Michael Aronovitz (Published October 2021 by Cemetery Dance Publications)
I have a soft spot for short-story collections and this one was the best I’ve read in years. There wasn’t a single tale I disliked. All were well written, featured intriguing and complex characters, and the plots were interesting. There’s something for everybody in Aronovitz collection: serial killers, ghosts, eerie technology, campfire stories, vengeful spirits, and many more. If you want to know more about this title, just check out my review here on Hear Us Scream!
Special mention: Your Guide to not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village by Maureen Johnson and Jay Cooper.
Andres
Favourite release:
It goes to no surprise, but it’s Midnight Mass. The year has a few more movie releases hidden up their sleeves, but I can’t expect anything to reach or even surpass the heights that Flanagan reached with his latest project. There is so much to unravel and sit with found in this show that my head still races thinking about it. Between the different POVs found in each character with their relationship to faith and religion, to the power and sadness found with giving up or continuing to fight when you know you might not even win. It has become both a comfort show and something that pains me down to my bones. It frightens me, not in the typical vampiric sense, but deeper than that. Losing faith - whatever that may be in - could make you feel lost and alone in the ocean, with no one to save you as well. It’s a feeling I’m too familiar with and while I identify with Riley the most, it’s hopeful enough to lead me back to shore and feel safe once more. It’s the best thing that I’ve seen this year.
Favourite horror release:
Anthony Scott Burns’ Come True. This feels a bit of a cop-out answer for me, but it’s 100% true. I first saw the film in 2020 at Fantasia and a few more times during its festival run. It was on my best of list I released last year even though it wasn’t released until this year. It once again is on my list this year. I was a huge fan of Burns’ first film, Our House. I had the opportunity to talk to Anthony for Come True, and it was an incredible conversation. I learned about his relationship with his previous film and on rewatch; I understand where he’s coming from. He laid all the groundwork to let it work, regardless. This is partially why Come True feels like another beast all on its own. It is creepy. The sound design crawls into your skin and you are left constantly feeling as if you’re being watched. If you’re watching in the dark (and you should be), be wary of shadows because it will make you pay attention to all of them.
Carly
Malignant
I’m someone who is terrible at keeping up with current films, but when I saw what friends were posting about Malignant, I knew I had to watch it right away. I’ve always enjoyed James Wan at his most camp (but now isn’t the time to talk about how Saw is camp). Malignant gave me everything I wanted: quotable dialogue (“You guys consult psychics for missing person cases, right?”), giallo influences, gore, and physical comedy.
Special mention: I found Censor to be very interesting (specifically the production design) and I’m surprised more horror films haven’t delved into Britain's “Video Nasties”.
Meg
Black as Night
Black As Night gets creative with traditional vampire lore in New Orleans. I love a good revenge flick, and the cast is fantastic!
Amber
My favorite release of the year has been the new Chucky TV series. It had a good balance of callbacks from movies past while adding new characters and progressing the franchise. I didn’t just laugh- I snorted. The kills and twists weren’t just throwaways- they made my jaw drop.
A close second was Josh Ruben’s Werewolves Within because who doesn’t love a fun werewolf movie? It’s a great winter pairing with his 2020 film, Scare Me.
Lor
My 2021 fave is James Wan’s Malignant—This movie is absolutely bonkers. There were two other people in the theatre besides us and I apologize for me and my SOs constant hootin’ and hollerin’ during half the film. It’s exactly what I needed after a fairly horrible year of personal health issues and the general state of the world. It feels like junk food for the soul.
My 2nd favourite horror release in 2021 was Censor. Not only great cinematography but working the history of horror itself to the plot was a treat. Plus, it features Michael Smiley, a minor role, who I’ve been a fan of since his raver/cyclist character in Spaced.
Dylyn
I feel that 2021 had some incredible horror releases, so it’s hard to pick a favorite. Though if pressed, I’d highlight David Lowery’s The Green Knight as being the most resonant. Of course, I’m a sucker for anything A24, but seeing this dreamy Arthurian legend on the screen made me wish all films featured Patel and talking foxes! PLUS, that score? Just perfect. However, a very close runner-up would be M. Night Shyamalan’s Old. I want to say I understand why people wouldn’t like it, but I do not understand why people wouldn’t like it. Happy holidays!
Alex
As a longtime fan of the Child’s Play franchise, this latest tv series instalment was an absolute treat. It had all the humour and campy horror I have come to expect from the series, as well as familiar faces from across the franchise, the iconic Jennifer Tilly and a plethora of exciting new elements and characters to enjoy. I also loved that it had a gay lead, in addition to a myriad of other queer moments and characters. Overall, it was a tremendous joy to experience and managed to stand out in a year filled with horror gems.
Runner up: Malignant (I’d also include Midnight Mass and the Fear Street Trilogy if multiple runners up are allowed. So hard to pick just one).
