EJ Moreno looks at a selection of forgotten horror films from 2000…
It’s a new year, and besides my joints aching, I’m reminded of my age when I look at which films have anniversaries. This year, the movies released in 2000 have their 25th anniversary, and it’s pretty stunning to think about, especially when you look at how stacked that year was.
American Psycho, Final Destination, and Scream 3 have all stood the test of time, and even an indie darling like Ginger Snaps has had its time to shine. But with memorable films from the genre and cinema overall, it’s easy to forget about a few little gems from 2000. Here we spotlight six horror films that take us back to 2000…
Hollow Man
As one of the more notable films included, Hollow Man still doesn’t get its flowers for bringing out Kevin Bacon’s single best horror performance. The actor got his start with the genre, but it wasn’t until this sci-fi terror that he found his groove. It’s a sinister Invisible Man retelling anchored by him.
Bacon stalks and slays through everyone involved in the twisted experiment that’s changed his life, and it’s a surprisingly chilling film. You wouldn’t expect much from its concept and the year it came out, but Hollow Man finds a way to tell a story of domestic violence and stalking years before a similar film did the same thing.
I’ll admit that I am biased toward Paul Verhoeven’s work, but his voyeuristic take on the iconic story works so well. Hollow Man is a solid throwback to the awkward middle years of sci-fi horror in the 00s, and it’s easy to appreciate it for that. It has aged better than you’d think.
Killjoy
2000 was still what many would consider the ‘good’ video store era, where filmmaker could release their indie works and viewers like me could stumble upon them randomly. Killjoy benefited from that mindset with its striking cover art and our inherent fear of clowns.
It’s an ultra-low-budget indie with the charm and sleaze you’d expect from a straight-to-video film of this era. There’s nostalgia attached to my enjoyment of this, but that doesn’t mean I can’t see its flaws. Killjoy is an unnecessary, confusing movie with some truly WTF moments, but that also adds to what I find so charming about it.
As someone who has always wanted to see Black horror, this is a rare opportunity to see one that doesn’t rely on a white character to guide the experience. Killjoy belongs in the same category as Tales of the Hood, which is the underrated Black horror film we need.
Versus
Japanese horror had a moment in the early 2000s. Ju-On: The Curse came out this same year, as did MPD Psycho. This is also in the middle of the peak of Takashi Miike’s domination. It was an excellent time for J-Horror, and Versus is included in that iconic moment.
If you love Evil Dead and Highlander, this film lives between those vastly different worlds. That’s what makes this unique and special, as there’s nothing like seeing this experience. It also feels a bit like an 80s John Carpenter in its mix of action and horror. Just describing it now for this entry makes me want to throw it on for another viewing.
Japanese cinema is often ahead of the curve, and Versus reminds us of that. It’s widely fresh, even for a film that came out 25 years ago, which is hard to do. Honestly, it still blows my mind that no one attempted to remake this, but trying to capture the magic again would be hard.
Pitch Black
For a film with a franchise attached to it, calling Pitch Black ‘forgotten’ seems a bit misplaced. But given the later films’ action movie turn, you’d be surprised to see many people don’t know the origins of the Riddick movies being rooted in sci-fi monster madness.
At first, the film plays like a slasher as you think Richard B. Riddick (yes, that is his name) is attempting to off the crew of a ship transporting him. We soon discover the planet they’ve crashed on has bigger monsters than criminals; they’re dealing with giant bug-like creatures hunting them in the dark. It’s a genius premise, and it’s played very well.
In what I consider a better sequel to Alien than anything that dropped in the 90s, Pitch Black may have kicked off a franchise, but it sadly never got the respect it deserved as a solid sci-fi romp. Vin Diesel would make us all proud to return this to its horror roots.
Psycho Beach Party
I only recently saw Psycho Beach Party, which was under my radar. After seeing it, I realized there’s much to enjoy. This movie is a wild genre mash-up: It combines a 1950s beach party with campy 1970s melodrama and many 80s slasher vibes.
Based on the off-Brodway play of the same name, the premise is a tough sell to anyone, but with great direction and actors totally down to clown, it all comes together. The criminally underrated Lauren Ambrose grounds this film with a hilariously camp role taken 100% seriously. Moments like that help sell this even to those opposed to camp.
What I love about this is the lasting legacy of Psycho Beach Party outside of the film. While it may be hard to find these days, you can still see the campy queer satire at local theaters around the country. It’s an often-forgotten delight we need to revisit.
Shadow of the Vampire
With Nosferatu having its moment in the sun again, it’s the perfect time to look back at a film that paid just as homage to the iconic 1922 film as much as Robert Eggers’ latest. Shadow of the Vampire brings us back to the making of the original through a fictionalized lens.
John Malkovich stars as Frederich Wilhelm Murnau, the director of Nosferatu, giving one of my favorite performances of his career. But we all know the real star of the show is Willem Dafoe, who plays Max Schreck, the actor known for Count Orlok. Dafoe plays Schreck as a real vampire and it’s just so inspired.
From start to finish, you are engrossed in this story that you know can’t be accurate, but the actors’ brilliant direction and committed performances sell it. If you need to do a rare triple feature, it would be great to see the original, Shadow of the Vampire, and the new Nosferatu.
What is your favorite 2000 horror films? Be sure to let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
EJ Moreno
