The 10 Best Books of 2023 (So Far)

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By Andrew Buckner

*Please note that the inclusion of the books on this list is based on the criteria of an original publication date in 2023.

10. The Cabinet of Dr. Leng

by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

9. The House at the End of the World

by Dean Koontz

8. Feast

by Ina Carino

7. Mothered

by Zoje Stage

6. The Donut Legion: A Novel

by Joe R. Lansdale

5. How to Sell a Haunted House

by Grady Hendrix

4. Still Life at Eighty: The Next Interesting Thing

by Abigail Thomas

3. The Creative Act: A Way of Being

by Rick Rubin

2. Poverty, by America

by Matthew Desmond

1. The Curse of the Marquis de Sade: A Notorious Scoundrel, A Mythical Manuscript, and the Biggest Scandal of Literary History

by Joel Warner

Runner-up:

Don’t Fear the Reaper

by Stephen Graham Jones

The 55 Best Feature Films of 2023 (So Far)

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By Andrew Buckner

*Please note that the inclusion of the films on this list is based on the criteria of an official 2023 release date. This excludes premieres at film festivals.

55. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Director: James Gunn

54. Project Wolf Hunting

Director: Hongsun Kim

53. Polite Society

Director: Nida Manzoor

52. Phenomena

Director: Carlos Theron

51. Candy Land

Director: John Swab

50. Missing

Directors: Nicholas D. Johnson, Will Merrick

49. M3GAN

Director: Gerard Johnstone

48. Knock at the Cabin

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

47. Scream VI

Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett

46. Boston Strangler

Director: Matt Ruskin

45. Cocaine Bear

Director: Elizabeth Banks

44. Unwelcome

Director: Jon Wright

43. His Only Son

Director: David Helling

42. A Good Person

Director: Zach Braff

41. The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Directors: Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Pierre Leduc

40. John Wick: Chapter 4

Director: Chad Stahelski

39. Jesus Revolution

Directors: Jon Erwin, Brent McCorkle

38. Unicorn Wars

Director: Alberto Vazquez

37. Of an Age

Director: Goran Stolevski

36. Paint

Director: Brit McAdams

35. Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant

Director: Guy Ritchie

34. Huesera: The Bone Woman

Director: Michelle Garza Cervera

33. Riceboy Sleeps

Director: Anthony Shim

32. Air

Director: Ben Affleck

31. Chevalier

Director: Stephen Williams

30. Sakra

Directors: Ka-Wai Kam, Donnie Yen

29. Inside

Director: Vaslis Katsoupis

28. Living

Director: Oliver Hermanus

27. A Man Called Otto

Director: Marc Forster

26. Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game

Directors: Austin Bragg, Meredith Bragg

25. Infinity Pool

Director: Brandon Cronenberg

24. Shin Ultraman

Director: Shinji Higuchi 

23. Horror in the High Desert 2: Minerva

Director: Dutch Marich

22. Back to the Drive-In

Director: April Wright

21. How to Blow Up a Pipeline

Director: Daniel Goldhaber

20. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

Director: Kelly Fremon Craig

19. The Raker House

Director: John Covert

18. The Quiet Girl

Director: Colm Bairead

17. Suzume

Director: Makoto Shinkai

16. Evil Dead Rise 

Director: Lee Cronin

15. EO

Director: Jerzy Skolimowski

14. Malum

Director: Anthony DiBlasi

13. The Outwaters 

Director: Robbie Banfitch

12. A Thousand and One

Director: A.V. Rockwell

11. Sisu

Director: Jalmari Helander

10. Living with Chucky

Director: Kyra Elise Gardner

9. Gods of Mexico

Director: Helmut Dosantos

8. Filmmakers for the Prosecution

Director: Jean-Christophe Klotz

7. Enys Men

Director: Mark Jenkin

6. A House Made of Splinters

Director: Simon Lereng Wilmont

5. Beau is Afraid

Director: Ari Aster

4. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

Director: Laura Poitras

3. Skinamarink

Director: Kyle Edward Ball

2. Holy Spider

Director: Ali Abbasi

1. Toga

Director: Shaun Rose

Runners-Up:

All that Breathes

Director: Shaunak Sen

Blood & Gold

Director: Peter Thorwarth

Tetris

Director: Jon S. Baird

We Have a Ghost

Director: Christopher Landon

The Wrath of Becky

Directors: Matt Angel, Suzanne Coote

The 10 Best Rap Albums of 2023 (So Far)

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By Andrew Buckner

*The inclusion of the albums on this list is based on the criteria of an original release date of 2023.

10. To What End

by Oddisee

9. College Park

by Logic

8. So Many Realities Exist Simultaneously

by Atmosphere

7. In the Beginning (Vol. 3)

by Madlib, Declaime 

6. To See a Sunset

by Kotah the Friend, Statik Selektah 

5. The Mind of a Saint

by Skyzoo

4. Maps

by Billy Woods, Kenny Segal 

3. Goon Mode

by Snowgoons, Lingo, Ayok

2. Liberation 2

by Talib Kweli, Madlib

1. Glorious Game

by Black Thought, El Michels Affair

Runner-up:

18159 Stout

by Bizarre

The 10 Best Short Films of 2023 (So Far)

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By Andrew Buckner

*Please note that the inclusion of the short films on this list is based on the criteria of an official release date of 2023 in the United States. This excludes premiere showings in film festivals.

10. “Mantid”

Director: Krista Michaels

9. “Rise”

Director: Nisha Ganatra

8. “Ivalu”

Directors: Anders Walter, Pipaluk K. Jorgensen

7. “Weathering” 

Director: Megalyn Echikunwoke

6. “Disregard”

Director: Mike Messier

5. “Captcha”

Director: Andy Compton 

4. “Sisyphus Unbound”

Director: Ryan Fleming

3. “The Devil on Derby Street”

Director: Luke St. Germaine

2. “Mrs. Halloway”

Director: Connor Morley

1. “The Ground Beyond”

Director: Jeremy Arruda

Runner-up:

“Rewriting Mallory”

Director: Emerson Adams

The 51 Best Albums/EPs of 2022

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By Andrew Buckner

51. It’s Almost Dry

By Pusha T

50. Sad Girl Blues (EP)

By Lauren Brabson

49. Marvelous

By Yung Gravy

48. Back in Black

By Cypress Hill

47. Dawn FM

By The Weeknd

46. Laurel Hell

By Mitski

45. Lucifer on the Sofa

By Spoon

44. Spirit Exit

By Caterina Barbieri

43. Theory of Becoming

By Evgueni Galperine

42. Ramona Park Broke My Heart

By Vince Staples

41. Driplomatic Immunity

By 183rd, Nym Lo, Smoke DZA

40. Get Well Soon

By King ISO

39. The Brave

By Tom MacDonald, Adam Calhoun

38. The Gospel According to Nikki Giovanni (feat. Nikki Giovanni)

By Javon Jackson

37. Mood Swings (EP)

By Real Bad Man, Smoke DZA

36. The Three Fantastic Supermen Epics (EP)

By Killah Priest

35. SICK!

By Earl Sweatshirt

34. Cocodrillo Turbo

By Action Bronson

33. Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers

By Kendrick Lamar

32. The Elephant Man’s Bones

By Roc Marciano, The Alchemist

31. Drillmatic – Heart vs. Mind

By The Game

30. First of da Month

By The Snowgoons

29. What Has Been Blessed Cannot Be Cursed

By Big Ghost Ltd., Conway the Machine

28. Onyx Versus Everybody

By Onyx

27. Peter

By Bizarre

26. Firestarter (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

By John Carpenter, Daniel Davies, Cody Carpenter

25. Unanimous Goldmine (The Original Soundtrack of “Neptune Frost”)

By Saul Williams

24. Super Beast

By Madchild

23. Skylar Grey

By Skylar Grey

22. Continuance

By Curren$y, The Alchemist

21. He Got a Gun

By Bizarre

20. Sometimes Y

By Yelawolf, Shooter Jennings

19. Tana Talk 4

By Benny the Butcher

18. God Don’t Make Mistakes 

By Conway the Machine

17. Saturday Afternoon Kung-Fu Theater (EP)

By RZA,  DJ Scratch

16. No Fear of Time

By Black Star

15. Medicine at Midnight

By Foo Fighters

14. Forever

By Phife Dawg

13. 1993 

By Onyx

12. Sentimental Ballad

By Teagan Johnston

11. Renaissance Kings 

By The Snowgoons

10. Detroit Life 2

By Swifty McVay

9. Zhigeist

By Elzhi, Georgia Anne Muldrow

8. Czarmageddon!

By Czarface

7. Aethiopes

By Billy Woods

6. Harbor City Season One

By Crooked I, Joell Ortiz, 

5. Cost of Living

By Apollo Brown, Philmore Greene 

4. Last of a Dying Breed

By Kool G Rap

3. Cheat Codes

By Black Thought, Danger Mouse 

2. Horrah Scope 

By Killah Priest

1. King’s Disease III

By Nas

The 105 Best Feature Films of 2022

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By Andrew Buckner

*Please note: The inclusion of the films on this list is based on the criteria of an official 2022 release date in the U.S.

105. Is That Black Enough for You?!?

Director: Elvis Mitchell

104. Utama

Director: Alejandro Loayza Grisi

103. Women Talking

Director: Sarah Polley

102. Causeway

Director: Lila Neugebauer

101. Fire of Love

Director: Sara Dosa

100. Argentina, 1985

Director: Santiago Mitre

99. White Noise

Director: Noah Bambauch

98. The Fallout

Director: Megan Park

97. Empire of Light

Director: Sam Mendes

96. Jurassic Punk

Director: Scott Leberecht

95. The VHS Strangler – The Giallo Tapes

Directors: Rob Ceus, Jim Stramel, Inge Vanleene, David Strojan, Tony Newton, Joe Cash, Fabrizio Spurio, Gore Filth, Wilhelm Muller, Derek Braasch, Glen Cook, Bo Sels, Kaylan Jordan-Sen, John Migliori

94. Infinite Storm

Directors: Malgorzata Szumowska, Michael Englert

93. Men

Director: Alex Garland

92. See How They Run

Director: Tom George

91. Emily the Criminal

Director: John Patton Ford

90. Triangle of Sadness

Director: Ruben Ostlund

89. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Director: Rian Johnson

88. Operation Mincemeat

Director: John Madden

87. The Last Thing Mary Saw

Director: Edoardo Vitaletti

86. The Whale

Director: Darren Aronofsky

85. Deep Water

Director: Adrian Lyne

84. You Are Not My Mother

Director: Kate Dolan

83. The Sadness

Director: Rob Jabbaz

82. Straight to VHS

Director: Emilio Silva Torres

81. Studio 666

Director: BJ McDonnell

80. Scream

Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillet

79. Hellbender

Directors: John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser

78. Flux Gourmet

Director: Peter Strickland

77. Nezura 1964

Director: Hiroto Yokokawa

76. Belle

Director: Mamoru Hosoda

75. RRR (Rise Roar Revolt)

Director: S.S. Rajamouli

74. We’re All Going to the World’s Fair

Director: Jane Shoenburn

73. You Won’t Be Alone

Director: Goran Stovelski

72.  VHS Love: Cult Cinema Obsession

Director: Tony Newton

71. The Found Footage Phenomenon

Directors: Sarah Appleton, Phillip Escott

70. Fall

Director: Scott Mann

69. Bones and All

Director: Luca Guadagnino

68. Armageddon Time

Director: James Gray

67. Pearl

Director: Ti West

66. Shakespeare’s Sh*tstorm

Director: Lloyd Kaufman

65. Clerks III

Director: Kevin Smith

64. Beavis and Butt-head Do the Universe

Director: Mike Judge

63. Nope

Director: Jordan Peele

62. Speak No Evil

Director: Christian Tafdrup

61. The Black Phone

Director: Scott Derrickson 

60. Terrifier 2

Director: Damien Leone

59. Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood

Director: Richard Linklater

58. Elvis

Director: Baz Luhrman

57. Strawberry Mansion

Directors: Albery Birney, Kentucker Audley

56. X

Director: Ti West

55. Cow

Director: Andrea Arnold

54. All Quiet on the Western Front

Director: Edward Berger

53. Devotion

Director: J.D. Dillard

52. Vesper

Directors: Kristina Buozyte, Bruno Samper

51. The Menu

Director: Mark Mylod

50. A Wounded Fawn

Director: Travis Stevens

49. Barbarian

Director: Zach Cregger

48. Fiddler’s Journey to the Big Screen

Director: Daniel Raim 

47. Aftersun

Director: Charlotte Wells

46. Prey

Director: Dan Trachtenberg 

45. Piggy

Director: Carlotta Martinez-Pereda

44. Resurrection

Director: Andrew Semans

43. Lady Chatterley’s Lover

Director: Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre

42. Pennywise: The Story of It

Director: Chris Griffiths 

41. Nocturna: Side A – The Great Old Man’s Night

Director: Gonzalo Calzada

40. Luci and Desi

Director: Amy Poehler

39. Downfall: The Case Against Boeing

Director: Rory Kennedy

38. A Hero

Director: Asghar Farhadi

37. Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom 

Director: Pawo Choyning Dorji

36. Cyrano

Director: Joe Wright

35. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

Director: Eric Appel

34. Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon

Director: Ana Lily Amirpour

33. Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths

Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

32. Something in the Dirt

Directors: Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead 

31. Sr.

Director: Chris Smith

30. Decision to Leave

Director: Park Chan-wook

29. Crimes of the Future

Director: David Cronenberg

28. Petite Maman

Director: Celine Sciamma

27. The Woman King

Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood

26. Uncle Sleazo’s Toxic & Terrifying T.V. Hour

Director: Lucky Cerruti

25. The Man in Room 6

Directors: Trevor Juenger, Carrie Juenger

24. The Northman

Director: Robert Eggers

23. The House

Directors: Paloma Baeza, Emma De Swaef, Niki Londroth von Bahr, Marc James Roels

22. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On

Director: Dean Fleischer-Camp

21. Disorienting Dick

Director: Richard Griffin

20. The Outfit

Director: Graham Moore

19. Soft & Quiet

Director: Beth de Araujo

18. Nitram

Director: Justin Kurzel

17. Nocturna: Side B – Where the Elephants Go to Die

Director: Gonzalo Calzada

16. The Worst Person in the World

Director: Erik Vogt

15. Higher Methods

Director: Nathan Suher

14. Jurassic World: Dominion

Director: Colin Trevorrow 

13. Babylon 

Director: Damien Chazelle

12. Tar

Director: Todd Field

11. The Banshees of Inisherin

Director: Martin McDonagh

10. Till

Director: Chinonye Chukwu

9. She Said

Director: Maria Schrader

8. The Innocents 

Director: Eskil Vogt

7. Happening

Director: Audrey Diwana

6. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

Director: Guillermo del Toro

5. Mad God

Director: Phil Tippett

4. The Fablemans

Director: Steven Spielberg

3. Neptune Frost

Directors: Saul Williams, Anisia Uzeyman

2. Moonage Daydream

Director: Brett MOrgen

1. Vortex

Director: Gaspar Noe

Runners-Up:

All Jacked Up and Full of Worms

Director: Alex Phillips

Ash and Bone

Director: Harley Wallen

Blonde

Director: Andrew Dominik

Bodies Bodies Bodies

Director: Halinah Reijn

Brian and Charles

Director: Jim Archer

Emancipation

Director: Antoine Fuqua

The Eternal Daughter

Director: Joanna Hogg

Everything Everywhere All At Once

Directors: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert

Hatching

Director: Hanna Bergholm

Jackass Forever

Director: Jeff Tremaine

The Leech

Director: Eric Pennycoff

Scare Package 2: Rad Chad’s Revenge

Directors: Aaron B. Koontz, Anthony Cousins, Rachele Wiggins, Alexandra Barreto, Jed Shepherd

To Leslie

Director: Michael Morris

Troll

Director: Roar Uthaug

The Wonder

Director: Sebastian Lelio

The 25 Best Books of 2022

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By Andrew Buckner

25. Comedy Comedy Comedy Drama: A Memoir

By Bob Odenkirk

24. Quicksilver

By Dean Koontz

23. Diablo Mesa

By Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child

22. Road of Bones

By Christopher Golden

21. Stella Maris

By Cormac McCarthy 

20. Monstervision: The Films of John and Mark Polonia

By Douglas Alan Waltz

19. Fight or Play Basketball: every shot counts

By Mike Messier

18. The House Across the Lake

By Riley Sager

17. The Girl Who Outgrew the World

By Zoje Stage

16. Sundial

By Catriona Ward

15. Gwendy’s Final Task

By Stephen King, Richard Chizmar

14. Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head: Poems

By Warsan Shire

13. Sparring Partners

By John Grisham

12. All the Flowers Kneeling

By Paul Tran

11. The Passenger

By Cormac McCarthy

10. Devil House

By John Darnielle

9. Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance

By John Waters 

8. The Kaiju Preservation Society

By John Scalzi 

7. Feel Your Way Through: A Book of Poetry

By Kelsea Ballerini

6. The Pallbearers Club

By Paul Tremblay

5. Hell Spring

By Isaac Thorne

4. Fairy Tale

By Stephen King

3. The Boys from Biloxi

By John Grisham

2. The Rise and Reign of the Mammals: A New History, From the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us

By Steve Brusatte

1. Cinema Speculation

By Quentin Tarantino

Runners-Up:

The Babysitter Lives

By Stephen Graham Jones

Celest

By Sandy Robson

Child Zero: A Novel

By Chris Holm

City on Fire

By Don Winslow

Stinetinglers: All New Stories by the Master of Scary Tales

By R.L. Stine

The 25 Best Short Films of 2022

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By Andrew Buckner

25. “Two Wrongs”

Director: Damien Nembhard

24. “New Years”

Director: Kris Salvi

23. “Heart Shot”

Director: Marielle Woods

22. “Life’s Good”

Director: Jackson Tsi

21. “Erax” 

Director: Hebru Brantley

20. “When the Daemon Takes Hold”

Director: Jackson Batchelor

19. “The Time Travelers”

Director: Killarney Traynor

18. “Not Waving but Drowning”

Director: Thara Popoola

17. “Briefcase Paranoia 2”

Director: Nicholas Hatch

16. “Wanna Play a Game”

Director: Brad Case

15. “Nightcap”

Director: Sam Mason-Bell

14. “A Christmas Card From a Hit Woman in Leominister”

Director: Kris Salvi

13. “Forgive Us Our Sins”

Director: Ashley Eakin

12. “He Comes to Kill”

Director: August Anthony Aguilar

11. “Lux Aeterna”

Director: Gaspar Noe

10. “Scribbles After Midnight”

Director: Jeremy Arruda

9. “Private”

Director: Steve Blackwood

8. “Step Right Up”

Director: Kris Salvi

7. ”Night Owls”

Director: Gabrielle Rosson

6. “Sighs from the Depths”

Director: Richard Griffin

5. “113 N Indigo Dr (Chapters 1-3)”

Director: Adam Michael

4. “The End is Nigh” 

Director: Jamie Lyn Bagley

3. “Amityville: The People of New York vs Ronald J DeFeo Jr.”

Director: Rob Levinson

2. “The Blood of the Dinosaurs”

Director: Joe Badon

1. “Theater 4”

Director: Adam Michael 

The 80 Best Feature Films of 2022 (So Far)

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By Andrew Buckner

*All feature films included herein are based on the criteria of an official 2022 release date in the U.S.*

80. Father Stu

Director: Rosalind Ross

79. Incantation

Director: Ke Mengrong

78. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

Director: Tom Gormican

77. Brian and Charles

Director: Jim Archer

76. The Batman

Director: Matt Reeves

75. Watcher

Director: Chloe Okuno

74. Dashcam

Director: Rob Savage

73. Monstrous

Director: Chris Sivertson

72. Cyst

Director: Tyler Russell

71. Death Count

Director: Michael Su

70. Dead by Midnight (Y2Kill)

Directors: Davi Crimmins, Eric Davis, Hannah Fierman, Greg Garrison, Melissa Haas, Torey Haas, Jay Holloway, Jenna Kanell, Anissa Matlock, Tony Reames

69. Munich – The Edge of War

Director: Christian Schwochow

68. My Best Friend Anne Frank

Director: Ben Sombogaart

67. Fresh

Director: Mimi Cave

66. White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch

Director: Alison Klayman

65. Infinite Storm

Director: Malgorzata Szumowska

64. Hatching

Director: Hanna Bergholm

63. Men

Director: Alex Garland

62. Painted in Blood

Director: Aaron Mirtes

61. On the 3rd Day

Director: Daniel de la Vega

60. A Banquet

Director: Ruth Paxton

59. The Seed

Director: Sam Walker

58. The Wasteland

Director: David Casademunt

57. The Cursed

Director: Sean Ellis

56. Livid

Directors: Alexandre Bustillo, Julien Maury

55. No Exit

Director: Damien Power

54. Everything Everywhere All at Once

Directors: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Schienert

53. They Live in the Grey

Directors: Abel Vang, Burlee Vang

52. Deep Water

Director: Adrian Lyne

51. The Sadness

Director: Rob Jabbaz

50. You Are Not My Mother

Director: Kate Dolan

49. Godforsaken

Directors: Ali Akbar, Akbar Kamal

48. Ultrasound

Director: Rob Schroeder

47. Operation Mincemeat

Director: John Madden

46. The Last Thing Mary Saw

Director: Edoardo Vitaletti

45. Jackass Forever

Director: Jeff Tremaine

44. Straight to VHS

Director: Emilio Silva Torres

43. Studio 666

Director: BJ McDonnell

42. Scream

Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillet

41. Hellbender

Directors: John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser

40. Flux Gourmet

Director: Peter Strickland

39. The Hurt We Share

Director: Vega Montanez

38. Nezura 1964

Director: Hiroto Yokokawa

37. Belle

Director: Mamoru Hosoda

36. RRR (Rise Roar Revolt)

Director: S.S. Rajamouli

35. We’re All Going to the World’s Fair

Director: Jane Shoenburn

34. You Won’t Be Alone

Director: Goran Stolevski

33. VHS Love: Cult Cinema Obsession

Director: Tony Newton

32. The Found Footage Phenomenon

Directors: Sarah Appleton, Phillip Escott

31. #Shakespeare’s Sh*tstorm

Director: Lloyd Kaufman

30. Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe

Director: Mike Judge

29. The Black Phone

Director: Scott Derrickson

28. Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood

Director: Richard Linklater

27. Elvis

Director: Baz Luhrman

26. Strawberry Mansion

Directors: Kentucker Audley, Albert Birney

25. X

Director: Ti West

24. Cow

Director: Andrea Arnold

23. The Innocents

Director: Eskil Vogt

22. Crimes of the Future

Director: David Cronenberg

21. Lux Aeterna

Director: Gaspar Noe

20. Petite Maman

Director: Celine Sciamma

19. Uncle Sleazo’s Toxic & Terrifying TV Hour

Director: Lucky Cerruti

18. Nitram

Director: Justin Kurzel

17. The Outfit

Director: Graham Moore

16. Nocturna: Side A- The Great Old Man’s Night

Director: Gonzalo Calzada

15. Luci and Desi

Director: Amy Poehler

14. The Northman

Director: Robert Eggers

13. Downfall: The Case Against Boeing

Director: Rory Kennedy

12. Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom

Director: Pawo Choyning Dorji

11. A Hero

Director: Asghar Farhadi

10. The Worst Person in the World

Director: Joachim Trier

9. Disorienting Dick

Director: Richard Griffin

8. The House

Directors: Paloma Baeza, Emma De Swaef, Niki Lindroth von Bahr, Marc James Roels

7. Cyrano

Director: Joe Wright

6. Nocturna: Side B- Where the Elephants Go To Die

Director: Gonzalo Calzada

5. Happening

Director: Audrey Diwana

4. Mad God

Director: Phil Tippett

3. Neptune Frost

Directors: Saul Williams, Anisia Uzeyman

2. Jurassic World: Dominion

Director: Colin Trevorrow

1. Vortex

Director: Gaspar Noe

DEATH COUNT (2022) – Movie Review

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By Andrew Buckner

Rating: **** out of *****.

Death Count (2022), from director Michael Su and screenwriter Michael Merino (with revisions by Rolfe Kanefsky), is a lean, efficient, captivating, and grisly take on Saw (2004) style horror pictures. After a visually bravura and claustrophobic commencing acknowledgements segment, Su’s offering even begins in a related manner to James Wan’s previously stated masterpiece. Continually, there is an explicit mention of Saw, as well as the narratively similar Hostel (2005) from director Eli Roth, in one sly late first act sequence. It involves a montage of news reports. Aside from being an opportunity to address the oft-utilized theme of the operation, the sadistic underbelly of The Internet, this short episode is also a refreshing nod to the photoplays from which it evokes motivation. The presence of Costas Mandylor, who deftly enacted Detective Lieutenant Mark Hoffman in Saw III (2006) through Saw: The Final Chapter (2010) and just as capably depicts the wonderfully ominous Warden in Su’s latest effort, greatly enhances this correlation.

Michael Madsen, who magnificently portrays Detective Casey, delightfully offers his gruff, commanding charm to the material. His bits of dark humor also pepper the proceedings. Yet, none of these items are employed so frequently that they take away from the superbly fashioned and anxiety-fueled tone of the enterprise. The beautifully orchestrated mood of the article skillfully permeates the appropriately brisk 81-minute attempt from the initial frame to the last.

The story concerns a group of eight strangers who find themselves in a foreign environment. They are isolated in holding cells and cannot recall how they got to be in such a situation. Their conditions become even more dire when the frightful Warden announces that they are being forced to play a deadly game. It is one which involves getting the most “likes” on social media. This is achieved by partaking in violent escapades, all of which have a ten-second time limit per unwilling contestant, that revolve around self-harm.

It’s exactly the type of plot one would expect from a tale of this ilk. The characters are also familiar archetypes. The exposition and general development they are handed is satisfactorily dispersed yet garden variety. Even the inevitable climactic reveal of why these individuals were gathered and how they are connected follows suit. The dialogue the central figures are handed is sharper and more successful. Nonetheless, it still falls under the banner of what spectators foresee from such an outing.

Notwithstanding, the film is relentless in terms of its taut pacing and same said tension. The project expertly erects its setup in the initial ten minutes of the venture. From herein, it imaginatively crafts increasingly macabre ordeals for our leads to endure. The account is just as creative in its plentiful and exceptionally well done gory bits. A courtesy of the confident guidance of the vehicle from Su, the solid script, and the all-around high-caliber performances in the construction, the suspense rarely wavers. It is smoothly concocted from the engaging and enigmatic opening to the grimly gratifying conclusion. The latter cleverly hints at a potential sequel.

What is just as impressive is the fascinating way in which the affair combines numerical, literary, and sonic clues which may aid in the contributors’ survival in the second half of the fiction. The quickness and unpredictability with which most of the cast gets slaughtered in the mesmerizing first act is just as noteworthy. Such measures create a welcome balance to the more routine beats of the composition. It also makes the endeavor far more palpable in the nerve-shredding anticipation it brilliantly builds.

From a technical perspective, the work is equally stalwart. The cinematography from Su and music from Scott Glasgow is atmospheric and immersive. I especially enjoyed the incorporation of the fitting track from Psycho Synner, the Jeremy Spencer and Shawn McGee penned “The Torture Never Stops” (2021), during the enthralling end credits. Moreover, the editing from Jeremy Wanek, costume design by Joe Lujan, sound, makeup, stunts, and effects are all outstanding.

Also identified as Numbers, Death Count is a scrappy, in-your-face midnight movie. It isn’t as groundbreaking as the features from which it derives inspiration. Regardless, it will assuredly please those of us who are always frantically searching for a stellar dose of grueling cinematic terror. A Mahal Empire, Mezek Films, and Blaen-Y-Maes Bootleg Films production, Su’s exercise is twisted fun. It’s also one of the best genre undertakings of the year.

Death Count will be released in North America on July 19th, 2022.