New Year's Eve can be a scary time. The sheer volume of crowds, the expectation of staying up past midnight – and on some occasions, serial killers and various hauntings. Horror films with recurring themes make them seasonal staples that are frequently revisited, and starting the New Year with a horror film can be a tradition. Some may use a new decade, century or even millennium to draw attention to the many fears that the unknown can bring.
A new beginning can be a positive and exciting thing, so juxtaposing that sense of excitement with blood and terror is a great setting for a horror film. The white snow that usually accompanies these festivities also tends to be the perfect canvas for blood. Not to mention, parties are a great place for bad things to happen, as it's easier to hide in the crowd.
10
New Year's Evil (1980)
Directed by Emmett Alston
The killer New Year's Evil sees Diane (Roz Kelly) terrorized by a masked killer known as “Evil.” As he warns her that he is planning to kill a "naughty girl"When the clock strikes midnight in every American time zone, tension rises as the clock approaches the dreaded hour. Set to punk rock at a countdown party, it's a race against time to try and save the murderer's own life.
When the audience discovers that the killer is actually Diane's husband (Kip Niven), the fear factor is even greater. His misogynistic nature is revealed and this makes him even scarier as the danger hits closer to home. The upcoming twist of his son taking on the mantle is even scarier since the main character's fate is up in the air at the end. The film uses the themed setting very well, with the party atmosphere creating a great backdrop for the horror to come.
9
Phantom Guardian (1981)
Directed by Jim Makichuk
A group of friends go on a New Year's snowmobile excursion into the mountains and find themselves fighting for their lives against a sinister force. Jenny (Riva Spier), Marty (Murray Ord) and Chrissy (Sheri McFadden) must take shelter in an abandoned inn, run by a mysterious older woman, who is clearly hiding a secret. When the group of friends realize they are being targeted by an ancient North American legend of the Windigo, they are taken away one by one.
The New Year's setting isn't as important to the plot itself as the legend, but it certainly creates a wintry atmosphere. The scenery of the Rocky Mountains is beautiful compared to the horror experienced by the group. Tension and fear gradually build throughout the film as the mystery is slowly unraveled, resulting in an intriguing cult classic, despite Phantom GuardianA shocking Rotten Tomatoes score of 19%.
8
Antisocial (2013)
Directed by Cody Calahan
In Antisociala group of five friends get together to celebrate the New Year, a deadly virus affects everyone outside. The film finds Sam (Michelle Mylett) trying to get over a breakup by participating in a fun New Year's celebration, but what happens is far from joyful. The film puts technology at the center, as it turns out that this pandemic of violence was started by social media. It's a very strong allegory for young people's addiction to their phones and apps and shows the exaggerated effects of their negative influence.
As the core group barricades themselves in their home, hoping to avoid the carnage outside, little do they know that danger is already looming. The gore is abundant and the film doesn't shy away from graphic violence and scares. It mixes a good dose of satire and social commentary with post-apocalyptic horror tropes.
7
Strange Days (1995)
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow
Set during the 1999 Millennium New Year, Strange Days is a sci-fi thriller that has some horror elements up its sleeve. Although the setting may only be four years after the filming of the film, the futuristic elements are greatly amped up, with many dangers coming from the cyber world and a dystopian feeling abounding throughout. The cast is also impressive, with Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett and Juliette Lewis among the protagonists.
James Cameron co-wrote the screenplay, which focuses on themes of race, power and voyeurism. Although the film isn't set on New Year's Eve, it employs the sense of dread brought on by the millennial scare that abounded in the 1990s. That level of uncertainty prevailed in the latter part of the decade, and this clever horror thriller manages to quell that feeling and pop the cork at midnight.
6
The Signal (2007)
Directed by David Bruckner, Dan Bush and Jacob Gentry
Composed of three parts, The signal uses a non-linear way to tell its story, with a mysterious thread connecting them all. Each director took on their role, which focuses on a sinister broadcast that encourages people to act in horrible ways. As the signal affects different devices, people are overcome by violence, and the film's intelligent construction allows viewers to experience certain events from different perspectives.
The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and is a mix of gruesome gore with a hint of dark comedy. The setting of New Year's Eve shifts from a fun and happy occasion to a frightening one, creating a visceral atmosphere of fear and dread. There is a commentary on a changing society that is very interesting when presented in such a strange and creative way. The signal is certainly a cult classic in the making.
5
The Children (2008)
Directed by Tom Shankland
In The childrenA family travels to the mountains to spend New Year's Eve in this idyllic setting, and a mysterious illness affects the youngest members of the party. With symptoms slowly setting in and behaviors becoming more disturbing, it is children who terrorize adults. There's gore, an unsettling feeling that often tends to accompany movies with bad kids, and an ambiguous ending that leaves the audience unsure and unsure.
THE Children There are plenty of moments where viewers will scream at the screen at some of the characters' ineptitude - something that's probably part of all good horror films - but it's this complete imperfection in their behavior that makes the horror aspects seem much more plausible. . Seeing parents failing to control their children to such an extent sends shivers down one's spine.
4
Minutes After Midnight (2016)
Directed by Robert Boocheck, Lee Cronin and Francisco Sonic Kim
Another horror anthology, Minutes after midnight features nine stories, each equally terrifying and bloody. With the world being infiltrated by monsters, ghouls, cannibals and murderers, fear and violence abound. With just the right balance of cheese and seriousness, there are moments of absolute brilliance in some of the vignettes. One of the nine stories focuses on New Year's Eve, making it possible to watch each part separately, or even choose which ones to watch at different times, which is a very unique convenience.
On a tight budget, but with some talented and dedicated individuals involved, the visual effects require a bit of suspension of disbelief. However, some of the prosthetics provide a delight in creative solutions. With puppets, animation and classic horror of the genre, there is enough substance to please different tastes in the genre and cinema.
3
End of Days (1999)
Directed by Peter Hyams
As the new millennium approaches, Satan intends to bring about the apocalypse in modern New York, in End of days. Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as a retired detective tasked with preventing the end of the world. With themes focusing primarily on religious iconography and horror, and the supporting cast including Gabriel Byrne and Robin Tunney, this is an underrated New Year's Eve Special.
The film is full of action and some scares and the story is attractive enough to attract the audience. Tunney gives a great performance as the woman who will be the vessel chosen to transport the Antichrist, while Byrne plays many sides to her character as well. With plenty of sinister twists and a dark premise, this horror thriller takes a fresh look at the fear of the new millennium.
2
The Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933)
Directed by Michael Curtiz
Set on New Year's Day, The Wax Museum Mystery is a true classic of the horror genre starring one of the screen's original scream queens: Fay Wray. With a haunting mystery at the center of the story, Wax Museum Mystery depicts a man who was severely disfigured when he suffered multiple injuries during a fire at the wax museum he ran with his partner. After more than 10 years, he intends to replenish the collection that was destroyed.
The way he does it, however, is frightening. Murdering people and fixing their bodies in wax is how he chooses to fill space, while also stealing corpses that resemble some of the figures. This is the concept of a film made almost 100 years ago that still holds up years later. It's fascinating to see how the genre has developed in this era, with horror thriving since the beginning of cinema as a true privilege.
1
Terror Train (1980)
Directed by Roger Spottiswoode
Horror Traina cult classic by Jamie Lee Curtis, follows a group of young people terrorized by a masked killer aboard a party train. As the New Year's party progresses, more and more college students are taken along the way. The killer's motive is a cruel prank that traumatized the victim. When fraternity brothers trick a shy young man into taking him into a room with a dead body in the medical department, it causes him to have a serious mental breakdown.
When he boards the train three years later, his plan for revenge is put into action. Even with clear influences from Curtis' previous career, Halloween films, the premise is quite new. The killer skillfully evades being caught, with the party's theme being a masquerade ball, not everything is as it seems. This is an unmissable tour for anyone worth their salt horror movie fan, with a striking New Year's theme.