Ten years of movie reviews. How do you pick the best? Our theory from the very first day of publishing borg has been reviewing only those things we like, things we think are fun, imaginative, or just plain cool—because if we think they’re cool, maybe you will, too. What makes a great movie? #1 for us is great writing—great storytelling. #2 is re-watchability. Lots of movies are good, but if every time you watch it you enjoy it all over again and maybe find something you didn’t see before, then you likely got far more value from the movie than the price of a movie ticket. #3 is innovation—there’s nothing to top off a good story like new technology surprising us. Finally, the experience must be fun—why else would you devote two hours or more of your valuable time?
So in Casey Kasem style, here are the Top 40 movies we recommend, spanning 2011 to 2021. These are our favorites. How should you use lists like this? If you like what we talk about at borg, you’re probably going to like these movies. If you’ve missed any, odds are you have some new movies to take a look at. Let’s start at #40 and move our way to #1. As with everything borg, we’re stressing genre movies, so don’t expect to see strict dramas or a lot of Best Picture Oscar winners here. Title links are to our original borg review.
Is there a great movie to take your spouse for your anniversary? Ready or Notmay be the one. An atmospheric Gothic story that doubles as dark comedy and horror-lite cautionary tale, it’s a fun flick that will get you in the mood for the holiday–Halloween, that is. It’s about a wedding, about marriage, and marrying into a new family. And in-laws. It’s also about the dark side of families, the skeletons in the closet. Australian actress Samara Weaving plays Grace, and we meet her on her wedding day, marrying Alex (Mark O’Brien), a young man who has tried to extricate himself from his eccentric family. But now he’s back. He warns his new bride that his family has a “first night” tradition, requiring her to participate in a game. First she must draw a card and all she must do is play the game. To her surprise, statistics of chance kick in and she draws the single dreaded card, for “Hide and Seek.” The house rule for this game is the new member of the family is the target, and it’s a game played to the death. Is the family crazy, or is there some real dark force behind their madness?
As you might guess from the trailers, it’s like Quentin Tarantino bought the rights to direct a Clue remake and merged it with another Kill Bill sequel and Richard Connell’s The Most Dangerous Game. Credit the setting with much of Ready or Not′s atmosphere, filming at mansions Casa Loma and Parkwoods Estate in Ontario. Behind the action of characters running through the house is expert production design by Andrew M. Stearn(Chicago, The Handmaid’s Tale, Killjoys) and costumes (including a noteworthy wedding dress that devolved over the course of the film) by Avery Plewes (The Umbrella Academy, Star Trek Discovery). Fans of the classic creep-fest Wicker Man take note: This is another film about being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Samara Weaving shows she’s ready to take on the big roles going today to the likes of Margot Robbie and Emma Stone. A big high point of the film is the mix of quietly haunting and jumpy, rousing music, thanks to composer Brian Tyler (Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Aliens v. Predator: Requiem, The Final Destination, The Expendables, Thor: The Dark World).
Most of the fun comes from a supporting cast of familiar faces. Genre TV watchers should recognize Orphan Black’s Donnie (Kristian Bruun) and Wynonna Earp herself, Melanie Scrofano, playing a hysterical sister and brother-in-law. Other familiar faces include Andie MacDowell(Groundhog Day) as the bride’s mother-in-law (MacDowell seems to conjure Daryl Hannah in Kill Bill here), her husband is Clear and Present Danger’sHenry Czerny, with Elyse Levesque(Stargate Universe, Orphan Black),Hanneke Talbot (iZombie, Star Trek Discovery), and John Ralston(Haven, Reign) rounding out the key players. The most interesting is the bride’s new brother-in-law, played by Shazam!’s Adam Brody.
It’s like Quentin Tarantino bought the rights to direct a Clue remake and merged it with another Kill Bill sequel and Richard Connell’s The Most Dangerous Game. Whichever way it ends up, the creators of the late summer release Ready or Not know how to make a great movie trailer. Disney’s new production arm Fox Searchlight, known for independent, horror, and comedy films, looks to have produced a clever idea: a horror film with quirky dark Tim Burton-esque black comedy in a traditional mystery setting. Make that two trailers, both a good greenband trailer and a good redband trailer. Check out both trailers below.
Australian actress Samara Weaving(Ash vs Evil Dead, Picnic at Hanging Rock) plays bride Grace, whose new husband, played by Mark O’Brien(Arrival, Warehouse 13), belongs to a family with an eccentric tradition. The bride must draw a card and survive the game on the card to pass the test and join the family. She chooses “Hide and Seek” and the family grabs their weapon of choice and proceed to try to kill her. In the backdrop is this great mansion, backed with production design by Andrew M. Stearn(Chicago, The Handmaid’s Tale, Killjoys), and costumes by Avery Plewes(The Umbrella Academy, Star Trek Discovery). There’s not much not to like here, except the splattery blood and gore and language that won’t be for every audience. For everyone else this looks like plenty of goofy fun.
Some high points not to overlook are the Canada actors TV watchers should be familiar with, especially Orphan Black’s standout funnyman Donnie (Kristian Bruun) and Wynonna Earp herself, Melanie Scrofano. Other familiar faces include Andie MacDowell(Groundhog Day),Henry Czerny(Clear and Present Danger),Adam Brody(Shazam!),Elyse Levesque(Stargate Universe, Orphan Black),Hanneke Talbot(iZombie, Star Trek Discovery), and John Ralston(Haven, Reign).Ready or Not is directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, with a screenplay by Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy.
Here are both the PG-13 and the R versions of the trailers for Ready or Not:
An unusual new mash-up of historical drama and supernatural horror is coming your way this month. Set in medieval Korea, Netflix’s Kingdom will be the second Korean series for the streaming service. Netflix released two excellent trailers so far for the series’ first season, with the second trailer just arriving this week. Actor Ju Ji-hoon (Mask, Confession) plays the Crown Prince, a man set on a mission to discover the cause of a deadly plague spreading across the country. And an evocative classic Eastern costume drama becomes the next zombie series. It looks similar to the world of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, taken from a different part of the world.
The elaborate production quality of the trailers was created at a price tag of nearly $2 million per episode, resulting in some compelling preview footage with an Akira Kurosawa-inspired, creepy and cool “Seven Samurai vs zombies” vibe. Eight episodes have been filmed for season one, and season two begins filming this month in South Korea. The series blends the vision of film director Seong-hun Kim (Tunnel) and television writer Eun-hee Kim (Signal). The series is based on Eun-Lee’s Land of the Gods, a 2014 webtoons/webcomic from Seoul’s YLAB Comics, which was drawn by Kyung-il Yang.
The series also stars Doona Bae(Jupiter Ascending, Cloud Atlas, Sense8), and Seung-Ryong Ryu (Psychokinesis, Masquerade).
Check out the teaser preview and two trailers for the Netflix original series, Kingdom:
What better way to celebrate the strong, determined leader Leia Organa made famous by actress Carrie Fisher than to celebrate her legacy in the genre heroines of today? What do most of the characters on this year’s list of Best Kick-Ass Genre Heroines have in common? Most have roles that could easily be swapped with a male. Sure, you can have heroine characters who are written to largely rely on traditional female qualities, but women characters bending gender roles are breaking new grounds. We met characters this year who were held back in their place in time by their status as women, and it is often that role that prompts them to gain the fire and passion necessary to become the heroine of their stories. So we have both a dress-wearing, well-read 19th century Jane Austen character on our list, but also a space-faring criminal in combat boots, a sea captain, an alien survivor, an alien visitor, a warrior, a sorcerer, a group of clones, a gunslinger, two cops, a zombie, and a supernatural assassin.
In past years we were able to select our Best Kick-Ass Genre Movie Heroine and Best Kick-Ass Genre TV Heroine, but this year the studios gave us more to cheer about than ever, and instead of ranking them we’re highlighting the very best from an unprecedented slate of heroines, with characteristics to learn from and emulate. Determined, decisive, loyal, brave, smart, fierce, strong. You’ll find no one here timid or weepy, but all rely on their individual skills to beat the odds and overcome any obstacle that comes their way. Some may be frazzled, put-upon, war-weary, very human, resulting from trying circumstances, personal losses, and even death of friends and family. But they all mustered up the strength to rise above it all. These are the Best Kick-Ass Genre Heroines of 2016:
Sara (The Huntsman: Winter’s War). Heroines can be medieval or fairy tale warriors, a trained Huntsman quick with a bow and arrow or two-handed swordplay. Jessica Chastain’s Sara was never seen in Snow White and the Huntsman, but we quickly learned why Chris Hemsworth’s Eric was filled with despair when learning of her supposed death. A loyal warrior to her queen, she must decide whether to join her excommunicated secret husband against the forces of evil or stand with Queen Freya and her manipulative sister. A powerhouse trio of actresses, Chastain’s Sara rises above them all opposite Emily Blunt and Charlize Theron in this great fantasy film.
Elizabeth Bennet(Pride and Prejudice and Zombies). You already know Elizabeth Bennet as the eldest sister in the classic Jane Austen novel Pride and Prejudice. An obnoxious mother harassing her, unlikely prospects for marriage, and an oppressive society with little opportunity to make her own choices. Readers finally get to witness how the classic character might react when given opportunity–opportunity to learn Eastern mysticism and Japanese martial arts, and a role where she and her sisters and friends can fully defend their family and home from a zombie onslaught. Lily James couples lacy dresses, Regency manners, and in-your-face, Quentin Tarantino-inspired kicks, with classic swordplay–and bloody beheadings. If a war is coming, you want the likes of Elizabeth Bennet on your side of the battle lines.
What a year! The world’s a changing place and no less so than with the welcome onslaught of new movies, television shows, books, comics, and everything else that entertained us in 2016. All year long we tried to keep up with the best of what Hollywood had to offer and honed in on the genre content we thought was worth examining. We went back and looked at it all and pulled together our picks for our annual Best of the Best list. We watched all of nearly two dozen TV series, and enough of others to know we’d seen enough. We watched dozens of new movies, reviewed more than three dozen books (and read even more), and kept up with dozens of comic book titles. We witnessed the 75th anniversary of Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, Archie, and Captain America, the 50th anniversary of Star Trek and Charles Schulz’s Great Pumpkin, Rocky turned 40, and it was the 30th anniversary of Aliens and Labyrinth. And the Cubs finally won the World Series.
Today we reveal the best genre content of 2016–with our top categories from movies and television Best Sci-Fi Fix, Best Fantasy Fix, Best Superhero Fix, Best Animated Fix, and Best Borg, followed by our Best in Movies picks. The big winner was Rogue One, taking 13 spots, followed by Doctor Strange with three. Come back later this week for our TV and print media picks, our special look at Kick-ass Heroines of 2016, followed by our annual borg.comHall of Fame inductees.
Best Sci-Fi Fix – Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Lucasfilm). Although the franchise is more space fantasy than science fiction, all the elements of the best sci-fi were crammed into Rogue One. Epic space battles, aliens, and loads of sci-fi technology. A compelling story. We’re wagering this film will be a classic we go back to for years to come, upsetting Star Wars: The Force Awakens as the third best of the eight films in the series. It’s everything a sci-fi fan could want.
Best Fantasy Fix – The Huntsman: Winter’s War (Universal Pictures). Like Rogue One it was a prequel that was also a sequel. Better than the original Snow White and the Huntsman, this early 2016 release provided a high-fantasy story rooted in the classic fairy tale, rewarding viewers midway with a surprise change-up. Three tough female leads, four brave (and funny) dwarves, two epic quests, a fairy tale romance, and elaborate costumes and sets made for a perfect fantasy film.
Best Superhero Fix – The Magnificent Seven(MGM/Columbia Pictures). When we first reviewed The Magnificent Seven we were surprised it had adapted the Yul Brynner version and Akira Kurosawa’s earlier Seven Samurai so well.We were even more surprised at how well the cast, and cast of characters, worked together to create a true ensemble piece. It rivaled every attempt by the studios to make a great superhero team-up, and, but for the Western garb and setting, it rates as the year’s best of the superhero genre. Runner-up, a close contender for the win was the second appearance of Evan Peters as Quicksilver doing his speedster business slow-motion style again in X-Men: Apocalypse.
Best Retro Fix – Stranger Things (Netflix). It’s a TV series that would have made a solid movie hit in 1982. So many series appear unexpectedly these days with a full season ready to stream immediately. Most demonstrate why they couldn’t cut it with the networks or a major cable channel. Not so with some of Netflix’s series, especially the surprise hit Stranger Things. With a nicely eerie soundtrack, title font, a Twin Peaks-meets Steven Spielberg coming of age film cul-de-sac for the setting, and John Carpenter meets Stephen King vibe, it’s no wonder Stranger Things was the #1 talked about series this year. Our favorite part, besides the young heroine of the show, was the attention to throwback clothes, toys, posters, and 1980s pop culture references. It’s a series we’ll revisit in the future, and look forward to in its second season.
Best Borg/Best Movie Villain – Darth Vader (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story). Darth Vader returned in his best scene of the franchise outside of The Empire Strikes Back in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. It wasn’t James Earl Jones’s return to voice one of the best villains in the history of cinema that grabbed us, but the full-on rampage Vader takes to pursue the stolen Rebel plans in the film’s finale. Director (and lifelong Star Wars fan) Gareth Edwards gave fans exactly what they wanted, utilizing an impressive UK creature actor Spencer Wilding to do his bidding as the imposing Lord of the Sith. We also got a peek at what little of the man remained years after his battle with Obi-Wan Kenobi. We saw inside his cybernetic suit of armor via a scene featuring him floating in a bacta tank. Darth Vader remains one of the greatest borgs of all time.
Want to know who we picked for best in effects, soundtrack, and best sci-fi, fantasy, comedy, and horror movies of the year? Take a look after the cut…
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a classic story in possession of fans must be in want of retelling. Likewise, that if that story is a novel, it should also thence be made into a film. And if you can find a way to put zombies in, wins all around.
Thus, writer/director Burr Steers’ new Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, based on the eponymous 2005 novel “co-written” by Seth Grahame-Smith (Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter) and Jane Austen. Cleverly packaged to release in time for Valentine’s Day, the film is a sure winner for date night: costumes; romance; actors in various states of fetching undress; violence; girls with swords; shambling, oozing undead in fetching period costumes; and powerful women with estates and eyepatches. And Matt Smith. Need I say more, really?
As a version of Pride and Prejudice, PPZ is probably below average, and relies on the viewer’s familiarity with the story, since much of the film’s 108-minute runtime must be given over to worldbuilding and action sequences (although fans of the 1995 A&E adaptation will be rewarded with plenty of homages, especially with respect to Mr. Darcy). Prideful Elizabeth Bennet (Lily James, Cinderella) and disdainful Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley) have even less onscreen chemistry than Austen’s off-again, off-again lovers normally display–but they more than make up for it with their zombie-fighting prowess. Lizzie’s intolerable-yet-lovable family is neither interesting enough nor loathsome enough to inspire much response from the viewer; thank goodness for the zombies to give us something to care about.
As a zombie film, it’s probably also less than what the average zombie flick fan is looking for. There are the requisite scenes of shambling hordes, rotting flesh, and brain-eating, but it’s somewhat tame thanks to the PG-13 rating, and in comparison to so many other recent zombie properties. In fact, it’s actually a credit to the filmmakers that they didn’t try to outdo the competition with their zombie horde, and instead showed a certain 19th century refinement and restraint in the presentation.
Our annual “All the Movies You’ll Want to See…” series has been one of the most viewed of all of our entries at borg.com each year. So this year we again scoured Hollywood and its publicity machine for as many genre films coming out in 2016 as have been disclosed. Usually we select the 24 that look like the biggest hits, but we’re going all out for 2016. The result is a whopping 48 movies, many you’ll probably want to see in the theater or catch on video. We bet you’ll find a bunch below you’ve never heard of. Bookmark this now for your 2016 calendar!
Most coming out in the second half of 2016 don’t even have posters released yet, but many do. We’ve included descriptions and key cast so you can start planning accordingly.
What do we think will be the biggest hits of the year? How about Star Wars: Rogue One? Or Star Trek Beyond? You’ve heard endlessly about Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, but 2016 will also see Doctor Strange, Captain America: Civil War, and X-Men: Apocalypse. There’s even a handful of Westerns, with The Hateful 8, Jane Got a Gun, and another remake of The Magnificent Seven heading our way.
The Hateful Eight – January 1
Tarentino’s Western! Ennio Morricone score! Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Channing Tatum!
The 5th Wave – January 8
Chloe Grace Moretz and Liev Schreiber in an alien invasion.
400 Days – January 12
The CW’s Brandon Routh, Caity Lotz, and Tom Cavanaugh in a movie about astronauts that seems to be a play on Ender’s Game.
If you’re like us and you loved last year’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot (reviewed here) then you’ve gotta love that the Turtles are back again. Again co-starring Megan Fox, and new addition Stephen Amell as Casey Jones, a bunch of crazy classic characters like Bebop and Rocksteady, and a new version of Run DMC’s awesome tune “Tricky” to back it up? Count us in.
Second up today is the great Travis Fimmel, star of History’s Vikings series who we interviewed previously here at borg.com. Fimmel is starring in a tie-in to the video game Warcraft. He looks pretty good, as does the race of Orcs in this preview. Video game-based movies have surpassed their source material before (Tron!) so we have high hopes for this epic fantasy production, albeit clearly Lord of the Rings “light”.
Finally, we’ve already seen one trailer here at borg.com for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, but this latest trailer isn’t as intriguing as the first. We loved Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Slayer (reviewed here), the first from the writer of these monster mash classics that made it to the screen, and can’t wait for what’s up next. We hope this is as good, but this second trailer looks like it will be not much more than a non-stop slash’em up flick.
Check out the first trailer for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Out of the Shadows:
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.
Thus begins Jane Austen’s 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice. But wait.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains.
That’s the beginning of Seth Grahame-Smith’s 2009 horror adaptation “parody” Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.
One is an awesome classic about early 19th century class and society. The other… sounds like fun, and if the movie adapted from Grahame-Smith’s other well-known novel, 2010’s Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, is any indication, this next flick is going to be a heckuva lot of fun. And forget about the horror and zombies, the first trailer out of the gates makes this flick look like Jane Austen meets Hit Girl from Kick-Ass.
