9) Hounds Of Love
I’ve stated over and over again that Ben Young’s Hounds Of Love is one of the most savage, dagger-sharp debut thrillers in the last decade. A serial killer story that pulls the curtain back in a way that makes you beg for the shield to be reset. Scene by scene, we question how two individuals could be so cruel – which Young always has an answer for. Never one we want to hear, but that’s how the film digs its dirt-stained claws deeper and deeper.
Hats off to actors Emma Booth and Stephen Curry, two Australian darlings who throw themselves into a pit of misery to play murderous lovers. Booth along for the ride because she’s blinded by Curry’s charming promises – an accomplice to murder in hopes of a happy life. This is one of the greatest exemplifications of manipulation and chemistry 2017 has to offer, no matter how dark and undignified their actions become. True crime whittled bone-white – you’ll need a shower after this one.
8) Mayhem
As an office worker by day myself, I find Joe Lynch’s Mayhem to be a much-needed spell of catharsis. It’s not only about rebelling against “The Man,” but also reassessing our priorities outside cubicle walls. Sure, you’re tuning in here for Lynch’s bloody-faced royal rumble during a workplace quarantine – but there’s more to it than rage and gore. Come for the worksploitatin goodness, stay for a much smarter watch than some are giving it credit for.
Performances here are key to success, as Steven Yeun and Samara Weaving lead by aggression. They run through the halls of this office labrynth, dispatching of coworkers while Lynch burns the world down around them. If you work the grind day by day, this is the type of genre satire you’re going to dig on too many levels – no moment better than that pre-smackdown Faith No More needle drop. Mayhem is begging to be watched with a large group and rowdy reactions, don’t deny yourself the opportunity.
7) The Lure
What happens when Eurovision, cannibalism and modern-day Brothers Grimm storytelling collide? The Lure. A flesh-hungry musical from Poland about mermaids who sing a siren’s song as pop superstars and eat humans. Costumes, stage props, vocal hypnosis – imagine a glitzy spectacle of disco balls and bloody body parts, then slap a Eurotrash glimmer atop it all. I cannot praise the stylish accomplishments of this uncompromising technical vision enough, from peculiarity to choreography to actual musicianship. And all from a first-time filmmaker in Agnieszka Smoczynska?
Not only do you have a debut creator proving her worth twenty times over, but The Lure is another necessary score for female-backed projects. The camera’s gaze cares less about objectifying two feminine performances, better suited to focus on their growth as young mermaids exploring the world. Song by song, the girls pursue individual arcs that eventually explode in a chaotic disaster of myth, genre mirth and neon-lit fantasizing. This year never saw a starburst of cinematic exuberance equal to The Lure – hence why we’re discussing it now.
6) Super Dark Times
I cannot properly explain how good it felt to be absolutely blindsided by Kevin Phillips’ Super Dark Times. I knew the plot, understood the implications, but still felt like an 18-wheeler ran and backed over my soul until only a pancaked disc remained. This is due to so many factors, but none better than a very real 90s childhood nostalgia – and this is coming from someone who grew up in that general era. All the death and criminal undertones aside, of course.
Charlie Tahan’s portrayal of a troubled future serial killer is next-level in terms of 2017’s genre roles. Backstory builds rich foundations for character assumptions far past the end of Super Dark Times, but this isn’t to ignore what we do in fact see. Every young actor here smashes together coming-of-age mentalities with an accidental murder, soundtrack choices are throwback perfection, interactions are fueled by immaturity – writers Ben Collins and Luke Piotrowski nail the gravity of their character’s situation, and Phillips brings that very crushing reality to life.