Another year of horror movies come and gone. As we get ready to ring in 2023, lets looks back at the best horror movies 2022 had to offer. We were spoiled fiends this year; with terrifying clowns, action-packed deadite vampires and cloud-covered UFOS, we had not one but TWO frights from indie horror darling Ti West, the return of Rob Zombie to his monster-loving roots, and some real found footage delights.
Which 10 horror films made my best horror movies of 2022 list? Let’s see…
10. Pearl + X
Trapped on her family’s isolated farm, Pearl must tend to her ailing father under the bitter and overbearing watch of her devout mother. Lusting for a glamorous life like she’s seen in the movies, Pearl’s ambitions, temptations, and repressions all collide, in the stunning, technicolor-inspired origin story of X’s iconic villain.
3 Good Things About X+Pearl
- They ooze retro style
- Clean cinematography that only Ti West can deliver
- Two outstandingly twisted performances from Mia Goth
More good things in Nightmare on Film Street’s full review of X HERE and Pearl HERE
9. Prey
On the Great Plains in 1719, Naru, a fierce and highly skilled Comanche warrior, sets out to protect her people when an unknown danger threatens them. But the prey she’s stalking turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator with a technically advanced arsenal.
3 Good Things About Prey
- The Predator fights a bear
- Gorgeously shot, for such a gory action-horror hybrid
- Lead by a compelling heroine and her adorable dog
8. Nope
Residents in a lonely gulch of inland California bear witness to an uncanny, chilling discovery.
3 Good Things About Nope
- Best epic cinema experience for genre fans this year
- Genre-bending in the best ways, combing sci-fi, action, horror, and drama
- Creep Corey Hart (I weeaarr my suunnglassesss at niiiiiighttt)
More good things about Nope in our full review HERE, and in our podcast review HERE
7. The Munsters
Lily is a typical 150-year-old lovelorn vampire who’s looking for the man of her nightmares – until she lays her eyes on Herman, a 7-foot-tall green experiment with a heart of gold. It’s love at first shock as these two ghouls fall fangs over feet for each other in a Transylvanian romance. Unfortunately, it’s not all smooth sailing in the cemetery as Lily’s father has other plans for his beloved daughter’s future, and they don’t involve her new bumbling beau.
3 Good Things About The Munsters
- Cute, quirky, kitschy fun
- Killer performance by Richard Brake as both a mad scientist and a love-lorn Nosferatu
- Colour Gels!
6. Fresh
Frustrated by scrolling dating apps only to end up on lame, tedious dates, Noa takes a chance by giving her number to the awkwardly charming Steve after a produce-section meet-cute at the grocery store.
3 Good Things About Fresh
- Interior decorating to die for
- Slick, charismatic killer in Sebastian Stan
- Cannibalism!
More good things in our full review of Fresh HERE, and in our interview with writer & director Mimi Cave & Lauryn Kahn HERE
5. Out There: Halloween Mega Tape (a.k.a. WNUF 2)
Gorge yourself on candy corn and hunker down for a haunted house party filled with aliens, vamps, and phantom tramps via this hard-to-find flick from an infamous East Coast ’90’s bootleg video operation. Straight from the archives of Trader Tony’s Tape Dungeon, the “Out There Halloween Mega Tape” was assembled from the highest quality source materials available and presented just as it was sold via Trader Tony’s mail order catalog in the 1990’s.
3 Good Things About Out There: Halloween Mega Tape
- Multimedia found footage assault!
- Nonstop 90s commercial goodness
- Meta daytime talkshow
More good things in our full interview with Out There: Halloween Mega Tape filmmakers Chris & Melissa LaMartina HERE
4. Run Sweetheart Run
A woman runs for her life though the streets of Los Angeles after her blind date suddenly turns violent.
3 Good Things About Run Sweetheart Run
- Killer soundtrack
- Cool John Wick style world building
- surprise supernatural twinge
3. Day Shift
An LA vampire hunter has a week to come up with the cash to pay for his kid’s tuition and braces. Trying to make a living these days just might kill him.
3 Good Things About Day Shift
- Fast-paced might sequences
- Kickass Evil Dead-inspired vampire monsters
- Cheesy good fun
2. Deadstream
A disgraced internet personality attempts to win back his followers by livestreaming one night alone in a haunted house. But when he accidentally pisses off a vengeful spirit, his big comeback event becomes a real-time fight for his life.
3 Good Things About Deadstream
- Novel livestream-style found footage
- Hilarious ghost-hunting hijinks
- Practical special effects galore!
More good things in our full review of Deadstream HERE, and in our interview with writers/directors Joseph & Vanessa Winter HERE
1. Barbarian
Georgina Campbell as Tess in 20th Century Studios’ BARBARIAN, Photo courtesy of 20th Century StudiosIn town for a job interview, a young woman arrives at her Airbnb late at night only to find that it has been mistakenly double-booked and a strange man is already staying there. Against her better judgement, she decides to stay the night anyway, but soon discovers that there is much more to be afraid of in the house than the other house guest.
3 Good Things About Barbarian
- Unpredictable twists and turns aplenty
- Scream queen Justin Long
- Untrustworthy Skarsgård
More good things about Barbarian in our full review HERE, and in our podcast review HERE
And that’s a wrap on my favorite horror movies of 2022! Check out my co-captain Jonathan’s Letterboxd for 50+ honorable mentions and pleasepleaseplease share your favorites of the year with us over on Twitter, Reddit, Facebook, and in the official Nightmare on Film Street Discord. You can also hear us chat about all the movies above plus JonOnASrtring’s Top 10 of 2022 on the Nightmare on Film Street Podcast HERE.
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