HICKEY'S TOP 20 HORROR FILMS OF 2015

I'm sure you've seen plenty of these lists already.
In fact, just this last week I was asked to contribute a top 10 to the wonderful UK Horror Scene.
But what I realised as I compiled my list was what a great year 2015 has been for our beloved genre.
Honestly, I could have easily compiled a top 20, with indie efforts in particular raising the bar for horror films.
So, that's exactly what I'm doing here, expanding that Top 10 into a Top 20!


You're welcome, you lucky, lucky people...

TOP 20 HORROR FILMS OF 2015 — PART 1

20: GOODNIGHT MOMMY





Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala's German-language psychological horror film was one of the most hyped and atmospheric films of the year.
It was incredibly creepy and boasted some genuinely shocking moments but missed out on a higher spot on the list due to its overly telegraphed plot twist.
Expect a full review soon...


19: NIGHT OF THE SLASHER




I've said it before and I'll say it again — there is a HUGE amount of talent currently producing horror short films. In fact, some are significantly better than feature-length efforts.
In recognition of this fact, I'm going to place my favourite short of the past 12 months on this list, Shant Hamassian's self-aware and wonderfully clever, Night of the Slasher. It's amazing.
Read my review here.


18: CLOWN




Coulrophobes need not apply! Jon Watts' tale of the devilish Cloyne (brought to us by horror hotshot Eli Roth) was a shocking and sometimes darkly humorous body-horror flick. With a super cast and some surprisingly grim splatter, Clown is well worth your time.
Read my review here.

17: COOTIES




Produced by star Elijah Wood's SpectreVision, Cary Murnion and Jonathan Milott's zom-com with a top cast of comedy talent was an excellent and darkly funny effort.
Never have zombified children proved as entertaining!
Read my review here.

16: HEADLESS




Arthur Cullipher took the fictional video nasty from Scott Schirmer's phenomenal Found and created a top-drawer visceral genre throwback.
Bloody and relentless, this feels just like a Seventies Grindhouse flick. Headless is a movie for the gorehounds.
Read my review here.

15: THE HALLOW




Corin Hardy's folk-horror opus is a wonderfully creepy dark fairytale and boasts some of the finest creature design work I've seen this year. It's a visual feast for genre fans and comes highly recommended.
Read my review here.

14: KRAMPUS




A recent release, but one that is entirely deserving of its place on this list. Trick 'r Treat's Michael Dougherty turns his attention to another holiday — with stupendous results. An unabashed creature feature with plenty of visual flair and lots of laughs, this is destined to become an annual festive tradition. Do check it out.
Read my review here.

13: HOWL




Along with Dog Soldiers, Paul Hyett's 'late-night commuter train' horror shows that Brit filmmakers are finally doing werewolves justice. This is a decidedly English film — it's quirky, creepy and built around some very realistic characters in a fantastical situation. Plus it has some great make-up work. Great stuff.
Expect a review very soon...

12: LAST SHIFT




Anthony DiBlasi's sterling John Carpenter-influenced haunted police station flick was one of my surprise finds of the year. Playing out like Silent Hill meets Assault on Precinct 13, and built around a commanding performance from Juliana Harkavy, I really hope this one finds the audience that it's quality deserves.
Read my review here.

11: BONE TOMAHAWK




The only reason that S. Craig Zahler's frankly gorgeous movie isn't higher on this list is that I'm not entirely sure it's a horror film. More a fantastic Western with a horrific climax (and one of the most disturbing sequences I've seen this year), this feels a lot like The Searchers — if it turned into The Hills Have Eyes for the climax. An amazing cast (including House fave Kurt Russell) and a superb script give us a Wild West Jaws — this is a film that will blow you away.

Expect a review very soon...

So, that's the first part of this epic study of the best horror films of 2015, expect the concluding part VERY soon.


Anything you disagree with? Anything you think should be higher? What do you want to see in my top 10?
Let me know below!

If you haven’t already, do please check out and like the Hickey’s House of Horrors Facebook page, which you can find here. It gives you a nice quick link to any new posts on this blog, plus regular news updates from around the web. I check the Internet so you don’t have to! Alternatively, follow me on twitter: The House@HickeysHorrors

Until next time, I hope you enjoyed your stay.