From vampires and werewolves to Bigfoot and the Babadook, horror in 2014 was genre-bending and eclectic.
19. The Sacrament
Magnolia Pictures
Directed by: Ti West
Written by: Ti West
It's easy to feel weary of found footage horror: The success of the Paranormal Activity series ushered in a surplus of copycat films, most of which were — much like the majority of Paranormal Activity sequels — disappointing. But there are still a few worthwhile found footage tricks emerging, as evidenced by several entries on this list, starting with Ti West's Jonestown Massacre-inspired The Sacrament. Vice reporter Sam (AJ Bowen) and his cameraman Jake (Joe Swanberg) follow Patrick (Kentucker Audley) to utopian community Eden Parish, where Patrick's sister Caroline (Amy Seimetz) has fallen under the sway of a Jim Jones-esque religious leader who simply goes by Father (Gene Jones). The story largely proceeds how you'd expect it to, but the found footage format gives The Sacrament an urgency that makes the devolution into violence almost unbearably stressful to watch.
18. The Town That Dreaded Sundown
Orion Pictures
Directed by: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon
Written by: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
The original 1976 film The Town That Dreaded Sundown was based on actual murders that occurred in Texarkana, a town on the border of Texas and Arkansas. The 2014 version, produced by American Horror Story's Ryan Murphy — and written and directed by his frequent collaborators — is equal parts sequel and remake. It's a more meta take on the slasher film: Final Girl (Addison Timlin) is first attacked by the Phantom at Texarkana's annual Halloween screening of The Town That Dreaded Sundown. The success of Gomez-Rejon's pseudo-reboot is its ability to not get bogged down by its own cleverness. Central conceit aside, it's a low-budget, no-frills slasher that is more effective for its restraint — much like the Phantom's simple but terrifying disguise.
