By: Heather Seebach
The Toronto International Film Festival recently released some of their genre film titles, and oh boy am I mad with envy! There are some flicks from my Must-See Genre Films of 2013 list on the line-up (Gravity; Horns), but also a few newer ones, too. Here are the ten films I am most looking forward to (in order of increasing personal excitement):
10. The Strange Color of Your Body's Tears
Amer's Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani helm this bloody giallo throwback about a man investigating his wife's disappearance. The directing duo have a gift for visually-entrancing cinema so at the very least we are in store for something beautiful.
9. Proxy
When a very pregnant woman is attacked by thugs, she turns to a support group for consolation and companionship, but soon finds that friendship and empathy can be very dangerous things when accepted by the wrong people. Zack Parker (Scalene) directs.
8. Under The Skin
In the latest from Jonathan Glazer (Sexy Beast), Scarlett Johansson is an alien (in human skin) traveling across Scotland picking up hitchhikers for consumption. This sci-fi with a touch of socio-political satire is based on Michel Faber's novel of the same name.
7. Why Don't You Play in Hell?
Cult Japanese filmmaker Sion Sono (Suicide Club; Cold Fish) brings us this blood-soaked black comedy about a film crew who becomes embroiled with feuding gangsters in the yakuza. Words cannot accurately describe this film, so just watch this short WTF teaser:
6. Cannibal
A bizarre Spanish romance about a tailor/cannibal who falls in love with his next prospective victim. From director Manuel Martín Cuenca. This cinematography alone looks gorgeous. Check out the teaser below (NSFW!):
5. The Station
In this Austrian creature feature, scientists working in the German Alps uncover a mysterious red liquid that is having a terrifying effect on the local wildlife. It will inevitably draw comparisons to The Thing, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Some of the CG looks weak, but this trailer also (briefly) shows off some sweet practical FX, take a look:
This is the next feature from indie horror favorite Ti West (House of the Devil) about documentary filmmakers who become mixed up with a dangerous cult. It stars indie darlings Joe Swanberg, AJ Bowen, and Amy Seimetz. I have been a bit disappointed with West's work lately, but I'm still looking forward to this one. And AJ Bowen is my favorite actor working in horror today, so I'll watch anything he is in.
3. Almost Human
I had never heard of this indie horror until yesterday but based on the trailer alone, I cannot wait to see it! It's about a Maine man who disappeared years ago but returns mysteriously amidst a streak of gruesome murders. His friend suspects he is not the man he once was, and may be connected to the crimes. The film looks like the lovechild of a slasher and The Thing, with a dash of Fire in the Sky. Check out this trailer for chainsaws, aliens, and lots of bloodshed!
2. The Green Inferno
Eli Roth's much-anticipated return to the director's chair (first time since 2007's Hostel: Part II) is an homage to Italian cannibal flicks of the 70s and 80s. It's about a group of college activists who travel to the Amazon jungle and get themselves kidnapped by the very native tribe they came to save. Naturally, this tribe is full of cannibals, and the kids are on the menu. I'm not a huge fan of stuff like Cannibal Holocaust (namely because of the Italians' practice of torturing real animals), but Roth has never let me down as a director, so I cannot wait to see what he does with this.
1. Blue Ruin
This is the sophomore effort of director Jeremy Saulnier, whose debut film Murder Party remains one of my absolute favorite horror-comedies (and a grievously under-appreciated film). Both films star the fantastic Macon Blair. The duo returns in this film which looks to be vastly different from their last collaboration. In this revenge thriller, Blair plays a man who sets out for vengeance but winds up in a battle to protect his estranged family. Check it out:
