Summary
Blumhouse has been haunting our screens for 23 years, producing some of the greatest films in horror and making a name for itself in the genre. Founded in 2000 by CEO Jason Blum, the production company is regarded as the driving force in horror.
Blumhouse’s newest release will be the highly anticipatedFive Nights At Freddy’sfilm, coming to theaters and streaming on Peacock on October 27th. The film is based on the wildly popular game of the same name, and fans are itching to see it brought to life. With the release ofFive Nights at Freddy’sright around the corner, it’s time to break down Blumhouse’s top ten best films.
10There’s Something Wrong With The Children
Directed by Roxanne Benjamin,There’s Something Wrong with the Childrenis a thrilling film that keeps audiences guessing. It follows a couple who takes a weekend trip with two lifelong friends and their kids. A much-needed getaway soon spirals terribly out of control, and things take an unsettling turn when the children act strangely after a night spent in the woods.
As tensions rise, the adults grapple with the horrors that have latched onto the children, in a desperate effort to survive. With surprising twists and a killer sibling duo, the film will leave audiences giving their kids a wary glance.
9Paranormal Activity
The film that first made Blumhouse a household name,Paranormal Activityis one of themost memorable found footage films. Katie and Micah, a young couple who have just moved into a new starter house, begin to experience a series of strange occurrences.
They are disturbed nightly by a supernatural entity, capturing these interactions on their video recorder. Katie starts behaving differently with seemingly no explanation. Things begin to escalate, and they suspect the evil presence in their house may be a demon with nefarious intentions.
8The Visit
Nothing is more pleasant than a weekend with the grandparents, right? In thisterrifying twist on familial bonding, M. Night. Shyamalan brings the audience a family reunion they won’t soon forget. After being contacted by her estranged parents of 15 years, Loretta sends her kids Becca and Tyler to visit them.
A happy reunion at first, the children are delighted to meet their grandparents. They just have to follow two simple rules: never go into the basement, and don’t leave the bedroom after bedtime at 9:30. In a bizarre series of events, Becca and Tyler soon realize that their grandparents are not as they seem, especially after dark.
7Ouija: Origin Of Evil
From the mind of Mike Flanagan comes a prequel to the original filmOuija,which explores the origins of the evil that those in the previous film encountered.Ouija: Origin of Eviltakes audiences back in time to 1967 Los Angeles, where a widowed mother runs a séance scam after the loss of her husband. With the help of her two young daughters, she tries to give people closure, and make a living.
Looking to add more flair to her charade, she buys an Ouija board. Unknowingly, she invites an evil entity into her home, and it latches onto her daughter Doris. Doris wrongfully believes it is the ghost of her deceased father, and the spirit wreaks havoc upon the family using her as its living vessel. The film has unexpected twists and frightening yet impressive visuals, making it the perfect watch.
6M3GAN
Friendship has evolved in James Wan’s popular filmM3GAN.Gemma, a robotics engineer at a toy company, has designed a child’s best friend and ultimate companion, a highly complex android. After a tragic accident, Gemma’s orphaned niece Cady falls under her care. While she excels in technology, Gemma is unprepared to be a parent and has difficulties adapting. Her solution? She brings the android Megan home as a product test, and a way to help Cady cope after the loss of her parents. This decision has dire consequences, as Megan’s capabilities progress far beyond what Gemma could have imagined, and Megan develops a mind of her own.
Megan is beloved by audiences, her chilling pre-murder dance going viral on multiple platforms. With fun moments, powerfulcommentary on AIand technology raising children, and a bridge between science fiction and horror,M3GANis a scary good time.
5Split
In the most impressive performance of his career, James McAvoy tackles the role of a man with 23 different identities in the filmSplit.Three girls are kidnapped and held by Kevin, a man with multiple personalities. Unsure of why, and determined to escape, the girls attempt to navigate through their encounters with the various identities. Anya Taylor-Joy’s Casey Cooke uses her wits to try and outsmart Kevin before the 24th identity emerges.
McAvoy’s portrayal of Kevin’s various personalities is nothing short of brilliant, each personality being distinct and nuanced. Worth watching for McAvoy’s performance alone,Splitis a suspenseful addition to M. Night. Shyamalan’s filmography.
4Sinister
Sinistertakes asick twist on the idea of home moviesin this gripping thriller starring Ethan Hawke. Hawke is Ellison Oswalt, a true crime writer with a controversial past who moves his family into the house of a horrific crime scene, in hopes of doing research for his next book.
After finding a mysterious box in his attic, Ellison delves into the collection of home movies it contains. Horrified to find they are gruesome recorded murders with a strange link between them, he struggles to unravel the mystery of how this all happened. Soon, Ellison realizes that he is in over his head and that the evil tied to these tapes is much stronger than he thought.
3The Black Phone
Stories begin to circulate as kids go missing in a usually quiet town in Denver. A mysterious figure nicknamed “The Grabber” is at large, abducting young children in broad daylight. When Finney Blake becomes the grabber’s newest victim, he finds himself locked in a soundproof basement with seemingly no way out.
A peculiar black phone is the only thing to ornament the barren walls that surround him. Finney’s days are numbered, but he soon discovers that this disconnected phone allows him to speak with the ghosts of the previous victims. They provide Finney with different pieces of advice and knowledge, hoping that he won’t meet the same gruesome fate that they did. While Finney fights for his life, his sister Gwen begins to have visions that give her clues about what happened to her brother. The film’s main cast had fantastic performances, with Ethan Hawke playing the terrifying Grabber, Mason Thames as the brave Finney, and Madeleine McGraw as the clairvoyant young Gwen.
2The Invisible Man
The Invisible Manis amasterclass in suspense. The story follows a woman named Cecilia Kass, whose abusive ex seemingly commits suicide after she escapes his control. Reeling from the horror he put her through, Cecilia tries to acclimate to her new life of freedom. This temporary happiness is interrupted when a series of strange occurrences makes Cecilia convinced that something she can’t see is hunting her.
Elisabeth Moss’s performance as Cecilia is raw and compelling, and she portrays the realities of abuse and trauma with a vulnerability that is almost tangible. The film revels in uncomfortable tension, allowing audiences to feel every moment alongside Cecilia, resulting in a powerful movie that leaves audiences wondering if they’re really alone as they watch.
1Get Out
Jordan Peele makes his directorial debut in the filmGet Out,earning an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.Get Outtells the story of a young black man named Chris Washington, who is going to visit the white parents of his girlfriend Rose. Rose’s parents don’t know that Chris is black, and she claims they are not racist, but Chris remains skeptical.
Upon meeting her family, he begins to feel uneasy. A series of strange and disturbing occurrences begin to lift the veil of amicable intentions, and horrifying truths come to light. Something isn’t right, and he has to figure it out before it is too late. The film packs a powerful punch, and an expertly woven story that is laced withsocial and racial commentary, as well as classic horror aspects.
