THE BEST HORROR FILMS OF 2009

This is my list of the best horror films that had their premiere in 2009. or (if made a year or two earlier) films which became available with English subtitles in 2009.

The list contains:

-TITLE

-DIRECTOR

-COUNTRY/YEAR OF ORIGIN

-MY RATING (1-5; 5 being reserved for timeless masterpieces)

THE BEST! AND OTHERS:

1. VINYAN

FABRICE DU WELZ

UK-FRA-THAI, 08

**** 4

2. ANTICHRIST

LARS VON TRIER

DAN, 09

**** 4

3. MARTYRS

PASCAL LAUGIER

FRA, 08

**** 4

4. ZOMBIELAND

RUBEN FLEISCHER

USA, 09

***(*) 4-

5. OTTO, or Up With the Dead People

BRUCE LA BRUCE

GER/CAN, 08

***(*) 4-

6. DREAD

ANTHONY DIBLASI

USA, 09

*** 3+

7. THE HOUSE OF THE DEVIL

TI WEST

USA, 09

*** 3+

8. PARASOMNIA

WILLIAM MALONE

USA, 09

*** 3

9. INJU

BARBET SCHROEDER

FRA/JAP, 08

*** 3

10. TANTEI MONOGATARI

aka DETECTIVE STORY

TAKASHI MIIKE

JAP, 07

*** 3

11. EL REY DE LA MONTANA

aka KING OF THE HILL

GONZALO LOPEZ-GALLEGO

SPA, 07

*** 3

12. TORMENTED

JON WRIGHT

UK, 09

*** 3

13. NINE MILES DOWN

ANTHONY WALLER

USA, 09

*** 3

14. LEFT BANK

PIETER VAN HEES

BEL, 09

*** 3

15. THE DISAPPEARED

JOHNNY KEVORKIAN

UK, 08

*** 3

16. POSSESSED

JE-YONG LEE

KOR, 09

*** 3

17. SEXYKILLER; MORIRÁS POR ELLA

MIGUEL MARTÍ

SPA, 09

*** 3-

18. NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE 2

SHINYA TSUKAMOTO

JAP, 08

*** 3-

19. DRAG ME TO HELL

SAM RAIMI

USA, 09

*** 3-

20. X-CROSS

KENTA FUKASAKU

JAP, 09

*** 3-

21. GROTESQUE

KÔJI SHIRAISHI

JAP, 09

**(*) 3-

22. DOROTHY MILLS

AGNÈS MERLET

IRE/FRA, 08

**(*) 3-

23. IL NASCONDIGLIO (aka THE HIDEOUT)

PUPI AVATI

ITA/USA, 07

**(*) 3-

24. DORIAN GRAY

OLIVER PARKER

UK, 09

**(*) 3-

25. COMING SOON

SOPON SUKDAPISIT

THAI, 08

**(*) 3-

26. ORPHAN

J. COLLET SERRA

USA, 09

**(*) 3-

27. IMAGO MORTIS

STEFANO BESSONI

ITA, 09

**(*) 3-

28. JENNIFER'S BODY

KARYN KUSAMA

USA,09

**(*) 3-

29. PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

OREN PELI

USA, 07/09

**(*) 3-

30. A PERFECT GETAWAY

DAVID TWOHY

USA, 09

**(*) 3-

+

NOT SO DISHONORABLE MENTIONS

aka: the average flicks, or barely above average, but with a certain charm or occasional qualities which make them solid viewings for horror fans:

APARECIDOS (The Appeared)

PACO CABEZAS

ARG, 08

**(*) 3-

CTHULHU

DANIEL GILDARK

USA, 07

** 2+

FRITT VILT 2

MATS STENBERG

NOR, 09

**(*) 3-

THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT

DENNIS ILIADIS

USA, 09

**(*) 3-

BOOK OF BLOOD

JOHN HARRISON

USA, 09

**(*) 3-

DEADGIRL

MARCEL SARMIENTO, GADI HAREL

USA, 09

**(*) 3-

GRACE

PAUL SOLET

USA, 09

**(*) 3-

THE HILLS RUN RED

DAVE PARKER

USA, 09

**(*) 2+

TRICK 'R TREAT

MICHAEL DOUGHERTY

USA, 09

**(*) 3-

STAG NIGHT

PETER A. DOWLING

USA, 09

**(*) 3-

OFFSPRING

ANDREW VAN DEN HOUTEN

USA, 09

**(*) 3-

NECROMENTIA

PEARRY REGINALD TEO

USA, 09

**(*) 2+

PIGHUNT

JIM ISAACS

USA, 09

**(*) 3-

MUTANTS

DAVID MORLET

FRA, 09

**(*) 3-

VERTIGE

ABEL FERRY

FRA, 09

**(*) 3-

HALLOWEEN II

ROB ZOMBIE

USA, 09

**(*) 3-

THE GREATEST DISAPPOINTMENTS

(These are not the worst films of the year, but those which horribly failed to deliver what they promised)

1. GIALLO

DARIO ARGENTO

ITA, 09

*(*) 2-

2. BAD BIOLOGY

FRANK HENENLOTTER

USA, 08

*(*) 2-

3. FRIDAY THE 13TH

MARCUS NISPEL

USA, 09

**(*) 2+

4. ZONA MRTVIH (ZONE OF THE DEAD)

MILAN KONJEVIĆ, MILAN TODOROVIĆ

SER, 09

*(*) 2-

5. THE HORSEMEN

JONAS ACKERLUND

USA, 08

**(*) 2+

6. THE CHILDREN

TOM SHANKLAND

UK, 09

*(*) 2-

7. IT'S ALIVE

JOSEF RUSNAK

USA, 09

*(*) 2-

8. PONTYPOOL

BRUCE MCDONALD

CAN, 09

** 2

9. PANDORUM

CHRISTIAN ALVART

GER, 09

** 2

10. TRIANGLE

CHRISTOPHER SMITH

UK, 09

** 2

11. TELL-TALE

MICHAEL CUESTA

USA, 09

**(*) 2+