Ten 2010’s to Stream Right Now

Hola, hi (and happy Halloween). Hope you are doing well and keeping busy. Me? Well, it’s been a good month full of horror and whatnot, and, actually, I cannot remember the last time I binge-watched so many new horror movies (new to me, that is) from the sixties, seventies, and beyond.

Over the years, as a self-proclaimed horror aficionado, I have accumulated a sizable horror dvd collection of movies I love and enjoy rewatching, and also of movies I knew were must-haves even if I had never watched them myself. So, not sure what possessed me to do it in such a short period of time, but I somehow managed to finally watch all the never-before-seen rare pieces in my collection, that is, with the exception of the items belonging to the Asian Horror section because I have a life and those pending films (20+ and counting) will have to wait until I am done giving my brain a break. So much horror, so much.

Right, but did I only watch my dvd’s? No, I did not, I also had the audacity of watching a few other movies from my queues, plural. (Sidenote: This viewing exercise revealed to me that I do not really use Netflix, Hulu, or HBOMax for horror movies and that I should strongly contemplate cancelling my monthly subscription with each one of them.) Shudder and Prime proved their value and offered great horror choices but, come on, the winner of them all was Tubi which happens to be FREE!! I will proudly say it again, Tubi defeated all my paid streaming services and gave me all the odd and obscure horror films I never knew I wanted. Hurray!

While tallying up the hours invested last month in this horror hobby of mine, I realized I gave preference to movies from the 2010’s when it came strictly to streaming, so, I said to myself, heck, just for fun, why don’t I put together the top-ten list of movies I recently watched and that can be streamed—most of them for free—by other horror enthusiast who also appreciate weird and gory movies from the previous decade? And so I did, and so here we are.

Without further ado, here’s my top-ten list—in alphabetical order, each with my personal opinion, and with a direct link to the corresponding streaming service—of movies I watched over the past weeks, all highly recommended, all 2010’s, and all streamable at the time of this blog post.

American Guinea Pig: Sacrifice (2017), Tubi

Guinea Pig was an 1980’s Japanese horror film series focused on depictions of torture, mutilation, murder, etc. and was considered controversial for its time due to its violent nature. Fast forward to the 2010’s when the American version of the series got produced. Did I think 'Sacrifice' was controversial? No, not really, but it was gory as hell and had several what-am-I-watching moments, all well worth the 1h3m running time. Short and sweet? Yes, please.

Atroz aka Atrocious (2015), Tubi

Hands down one of the most extreme movies I’ve ever watched. Forget France’s Martyrs, forget Germany’s Nekromantik, forget Serbia’s A Serbian Film, forget Italy’s Cannibal Holocaust, here comes Mexico with Atroz and all its graphic violence, hate crimes, and paraphilias. Beware of the found-footage style scenes, you might need to remind yourself they are not real, just the product of a very skilled, very detail-oriented production team. (It’s not real. It’s not real. It’s not real…)

Be My Cat: A Film for Anne (2015), Tubi

I had heard great things about this Romanian movie, so, even though the storyline did not sound completely interesting to me, I decided to give it a go due to it being shot in found-footage style (one of my favorite horror subgenres), and also due to its unique filmmaking methods which warranted a handful of film festival nominations and wins for Writer/Director/Star Adrian Tofei. If you are looking for a strange horror movie to watch tonight, this no-budget film is for you.

Belzebuth (2017), Shudder

I loved (loved!) this Mexican movie and believe it is a must-watch for those of us who enjoy a good exorcism story. The film follows a hardened detective who joins forces with an American priest/Paranormal Forensic Specialist in finding the culprit behind the unexplained and sudden infant and child mass murders in the area. This is a serious horror film with a couple of lighthearted moments which allow us to unclench our jaw and relax our body, after all, it is a Mexican movie and we have to have Mexicanisms, que no?

Chain Letter (2010), Tubi

This one felt like cheating because, even though the movie came out in 2010, it fully gave that unmistakable mid-2000’s vibe which was distracting at times. Old technology, music, and fashion aside, this slasher had some really gruesome kills that made me squirm on my seat which says a lot about the film.

Gokseong aka The Wailing (2016), Prime

A coworker recommended this one to me and he was right, this movie was incredible, okay, maybe a little too long for my liking, but other than that I had zero complains for this bleak, tragic, ghost story from South Korea.

Homewrecker (2019), TUBI

Probably the tamest movie from this list, but definitely the one with the biggest payoff. The story follows two women, one married, one single, both attached to the same man; one younger, one older, both equally lost and lonely; one meek and agreeable, one loud and with a plan, both in mortal danger. I hate how real this movie felt, there was nothing fun about its familiarity. After everything was said and done, I was left unsettled but secretly wanting more.

Honeymoon (2014), TUBI

It is hard to say anything about his movie without spoiling it, so, let’s do the following: I will stay here while you click on that Prime link and if you love the first 10 minutes, well, you’ll love the last 10 a hundred times more.

The Legend of Wasco (2015), Tubi

Killer clowns are not only from outer space, they are from the lake in the woods, too. This low-budget slasher felt at times like a horror comedy thanks to the goofy husband, Tyler, whom I immediately felt annoyed by, although, goshdarnit, by the end of the saga became my favorite character of them all. Huge props to the terrifying clown trio for actually being, well, terrifying.

Yummy (2019), Shudder

This movie from Belgium was the biggest surprise out of the entire list since, with the exception of the title and the poster, I had no real knowledge about it. Was it about zombies? Sure. Was it about the struggle between a woman and her body image, of how she cannot exist in peace with her naturally large breast without men gawking at her, harassing her wherever she went, thus deciding to get a breast reduction at a sketchy facility, possibly jeopardizing her life in exchange for the promise of a new one, all while in the middle of a zombie outbreak? Uhh… what the what!?

That is it for me, my dear horror friend, hope you found this list worthy of your time and that you bookmarked a few link recommendations for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy your evening, talk to you soon.

In Love and Fear,

—Marath

© 2016-2023

When Competitive Sports Are Useful — THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (2009)

“I swim. I love to swim. I can do it one more…” These were the simple, yet powerful words Mari told out loud to herself to snap back into reality. Dissociation no longer served her. The present was now and it was time to escape from her kidnappers and rapists, fast.

The Last House on the Left (2009) was the elevated remake of the controversial 1970’s movie and, contrary to initial expectations, the 2000’s version had way more violence, gore, and sex; all that and an unquestionably better story, too.

Mari and her parents were on vacation at their summer home by the lake. Their plans were easy: relax, cook, enjoy family time. Dad was a doctor, mom was in academia, and Mari was a regular teenager with a strong passion for competitive swimming. They loved each other and knew their time together was precious, but Mari being a teen and all asked for permission to go into town to visit an old friend, her mom said no but her dad said yes so away she went, taking their car with her. (She should have listened to her mother.)

Mari and her friend, Paige, weren’t looking for trouble, just a good time, after all, nothing much happened at their small, sleepy town. Here’s when they came across Justin, a handsome and rather shy boy who offered to exchange weed for a favor, you see, he was under twenty-one and could not legally buy the pack of cigarettes he wanted so the friend, conveniently working as the general store cashier, took the offer.

Mari drove Paige and Justin to the place where he was staying, the local motel. Things were going well, the three of them smoking, getting high, being silly, having a good time, until Justin’s dad arrived with his posse. Mayhem. Total chaos. Game over. The end.

Justin’s dad, Krug, did not play around and decided they needed to take the girls into the woods to kill and dispose of them, you see, they did not want to create a mess at the motel since Krug had just escaped from police custody and authorities were looking for him. They needed to stay under the radar. So to the woods they went.

Here’s when everyone’s true colors came to the surface. Krug was a vile criminal, a kidnapper, a rapist, a murderer, someone who did not care for anything or anyone, not even his own son; his two crime partners were sadistic followers, mere sheep, expendable; Justin was not a threat, quite the opposite, he tried to stop his dad from hurting the girls and was humiliated for it, you see, Justin was more than shy, it seemed that he was emotionally stunted, traumatized, even. Then the girls, Paige was a fighter but did not play her cards well and ended up getting killed quickly; Mari was a fighter also, but she had the foresight to let things play out so when the time came, when it was just right, she could make a run for it, and so she did.

Unfortunately, Mari got shot as she was triumphantly getting away, swimming as fast as she could. Fortunately, she was left for dead at the lake, underestimated for being the girl who’d just been kicked, punched, raped, and shot at, not taking into consideration her extraordinary physical ability for endurance and survival — she was an athlete, damn it!

The bullet in her back only injured her. Although she was bleeding because of it, Mari was still able to swim to shore and crawl into a backyard, her backyard. Thankfully, her doctor dad stabilized her until they could take her to the hospital, well, not before they took vengeance on the people who did this to her… oh, wait, didn’t I mention this already? As luck would have it, Krug and company were now posing as a family in distress and were taken in by her generous parents… it was a lot to process, to be honest.

It was so satisfying watching both parents working as a team, fighting against Krug and his two goons, making them pay for attacking Mari; while also protecting Justin for having helped her and for having given the gang away.

The Last House on the Left remake was a story of bad and good luck, of affluent people not being shielded from pain and suffering, of affluent people not being afraid of causing pain and suffering, of justice being served, of athletes proving they are physically superior, of swimmers being cool as hell. 

(Shoot, this movie made me want to go to the gym more often & join a team or something.)

In Love and Fear,

—Marath

P.S. The end credits song, “Dirge” by Death in Vegas, hit just right:

© 2016-2023

Family Values - FOUND (2012)

Some horror fans plainly describe Found (2012) as a coming-of-age movie where a 12-year-old boy finds that his older brother is a serial killer, however, I will forever object to that oversimplification. Let’s begin.

“My brother keeps a human head in his closet. Every few days it’s a new head. Usually, they are black women, but one time he had a white man’s head in there.” -Marty

Marty’s introduction to us was presented in voice-over form, in an eerily intimate tone, yet, in a calm and matter-of-fact manner. Yes, he might have been young but he seemed levelheaded for his age and, also yes, he might have known for a while about his brother’s crimes but he was clearly more concerned with not getting caught for going through his stuff without his permission, than by the fact that he was not reporting to the authorities the horrors of the murders. Marty might have been a perceptive and complicated boy, but he was still a curious one, mystified by his older brother, by his dark secrets, by his perverse power.

The older brother, Steve, flunked out of school but was allowed to stay home if he got a job and paid rent. Although the deal appeared straight-forward, things were not easy at home and arguments were the norm; from Steve’s isolating behavior being perceived as threatening, to his dad’s disapproving of his so called “menial” job at the factory. One way or the other, Steve seemed not to be fully welcomed there, even when he did what he was told and followed his parents house rules.

Both siblings had in common their love for horror movies and it was thanks to this shared passion they were able to maintain a somewhat normal relationship, even if it was a morbid one. The thing they did not have in common? Their attitude toward violence, you see, Marty was bullied at school and did not stand up for himself so, when he told Steve about it, he was instructed to fight back and not allow to be a victim, to what Marty confessed he was afraid of hitting back as the other kid was unfairly bigger than him and had no way of winning. Steve, somewhat frustrated, but clearly resigned about his little brother’s conundrum, reassured him not to worry about it anymore, as in, ever…

… and Marty’s suspicion—not fear, not panic, not regret for potentially having used his homicidal brother as a weapon against his bully, but indeed a suspicion—was soon proven to be correct. The evidence? His bully’s severed head inside Steve’s bowling ball bag. The unspoken agreement was done. Problem solved.

But was Marty really done with trouble? Was his quiet and shy disposition the perfect target for those unsavory characters surrounding him in his day-to-day life? From school, to church, to home? Was Marty ready to accept the fact that he had to, or rather, that he must stand up for himself just as Steve told him to repeatedly? There was only one way to find out, but in the meantime, he slowly tested his limits by sharing a glimpse of his macabre reality with his best friend, David.

And, suddenly, it happened. Marty fought back when provoked, spoke up when disrespected, shouted at when infuriated. But still being the kid that he was, his parents made sure to demand he behaved like the usual good little old Marty they trusted and loved. Marty did not appreciate that, and neither did Steve.

Steve, now kicked out by his parents for defending Marty’s recent violent misbehavior, had one more grievance to deal with them before leaving for good.

When Steve returned home in the middle of the night for the last time to square things off, he asked Marty for a favor: to stay out of his bedroom, Marty’s bedroom, that is, as he needed his bed for being the sturdier of the two. Marty at the beginning could not follow Steve’s request and was defiant, until he realized with shock and horror what Steve was planning to do so he threatened him with calling the police if he did not leave immediately. But Steve did not leave. And the parents were woken up by the commotion. And with that, their fate was prematurely sealed.

What happened next was the most vile, most disgusting turn of events for the parents. (Sidenote: Never had I ever felt so violated as a horror movie viewer. I had zero idea my sensitivities as a woman would be put to test with this film.) A mother being raped by her son, begging him to stop while he shouts in ecstasy that he loves it. A father being tied up on the other room, yelling that if he as much as lays a finger on his mother he would kill him. A son enjoying the very moment he allows his father to see with his own eyes what he did to his wife.

CUT TO:

The aftermath. The following day. Dawn. A still naked Steve, all covered in blood, barefoot, walking out of the home, unaware and unbothered, gone.

The home. The upstairs bedroom. Marty tied up on the bed, his dead parents’ blood splattered on his face and body, talking to himself in silence, calm and unbothered, gone.

“I look at mom and I look at dad, and they scream at me with their empty eyes. My mind wants to scream and kick and freak out, but I keep myself under control. If I lose it now, I might not come back for a long, long time. Stuff like this can really warp a person.” -Marty

10/10 do recommend for those of us with thick skin.

Now streaming on Tubi.

In Love and Fear,

—Marath

© 2016-2023