My 13 favorite horror films

While I also really love the German expressionistic classic that is the 1922 Silent film, I actually prefer the Werner Herzog remake a tad bit more. Filmed in mostly cool colors, the movie has an oppressive atmosphere about it and it's especially effective. There is an attempt to bring a bit of sadness to the vampire, which I don't usually like, but it actually makes him even more creepy and unsettling thanks to a quiet and chilling performance by Klaus Kinski. Jörg Schmidt-Reitwein's cinematography is simply gorgeous and is complimented with a beautiful score by Popol Vuh. Nosferatu the vampyre is a slow burn, but it's that pacing that makes you better appreciate Herzog's direction and the atmosphere that him and his crew achieve. This is a stunning film and not one to be missed.

There's really no question that Guillermo Del Toro is the most imaginative, passionate, and thoughtful filmmaker working today and The Devil's Backbone is truly a testament to that. This is a film that bends the genre and manages to escape from convention, being a blending of gothic horror and war film. Del Toro's direction recalls the best of John Ford, perfectly utilizing it's color pallet and wide open spaces, which gives the horror scenes, which are shot with cooler colors, a more claustrophobic and intimate feeling. There is a sadness that permeates the film and it's brought out by Del Toro's poetic dialogue and a score by Javier Navarette that reaches directly to you soul and further adds to it's poignancy . The Devil's Backbone is a film that is deep, emotional, unforgettable, and will resonate with you forever.