6. Knowing. As Knowing unfolded before me, I was drawn deeper into the tale. This is a movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat. It has a delicious, slow-burn quality permeating each frame. You are only given what you need to know, and even then it is barely enough. Knowing forces you to engage, to become involved, but it does so in such a way that you may not even be aware of it at first. On the surface, the story appears to be one that you have seen many times before, and that is part of the brilliance. It is an original story that comes in the guise of the familiar. That is how you get hooked. It is an insidious plot to get in your head and win you over. Don't let Nicolas Cage get between you and this movie, it is fascinating watching him try to figure out the meaning of the numbers.
7. Drag Me to Hell. This movie is a downright blast. It will give you chills, make you jump, make you laugh, and just deliver a good time. You will bear witness to a knock-down, drag out fight taking place entirely in a car, as well as another appearance of Sam Raimi's famous 1973 Buick. This is an energetic jolt to the horror genre and one of the most entertaining films of the year. The story has overtones of Stephen King's Thinner, but it has been put through the Sam Raimi old-school horror wringer and turned into something completely different. Highly recommended.
8. Last House on the Left. Successful in execution, this film works a strong answer to what constitutes much of mainstream horror over the last few years. It brings genuine disturbance to the screen rather than gratuitous blood and guts. It is a film that will bring disgust to the pit of your stomach and produces protagonists you truly want to cheer for as they exact their revenge. Yes, it has a limited audience, and is not what you would call an Oscar film, but that is not gong to stop me from giving it the credit it deserves. This is a successful remake of the Wes Craven exploitation film and was brought to the big screen in an uncompromising way.
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