Horror films have been seamlessly utilized within the anthology format for decades now, treating fans to the occasionally bizarre, often funny, but mostly terrifying stories that get under your skin and stay there, like a recurring nightmare.
Anthology films have been on a staggering rise of popularity lately, perpetually capturing our love for the short story. While the anthology format has been almost exclusively used within the horror genre, there have been other films that have utilized it. While it is difficult to judge one as a whole, merit can be given to each and every story, individually. Below are 10 of the most underrated anthology films.
All Hallows' Eve (2013) - 31%
This low budget gem isn't for everyone due to the horrific violence throughout the film. The central story focuses on two children and their babysitter who discover a strange, unmarked videotape containing three stories. All are centered around a downright creepy, homicidal harlequin named Art the Clown.
This film received unfavorable reviews upon release but has since become a somewhat low key cult hit amongst its small number of fans. This, in turn, spawned the standalone spin-off called Terrifier that focuses solely on Art and is a much more violent rendering of the story than its predecessor. Art the Clown is the best thing about this film. The character is convincingly portrayed by underrated actor Mike Giannelli, so watch it just for him.
Holidays (2016) - 52%
Holidays is a film that yields one of the most unique concepts in the genre. The eight segments presented in this film are all directly influenced and inspired by holiday celebrations. Each segment is dedicated to eight of our most beloved holidays: Valentine's Day, St Patrick's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Halloween (of course), Christmas, and New Year's Eve.
Upon release, this film received mixed reviews from critics and generally, the consensus was leaning toward the film being a flop. However, its unique blend of dark comedy and terrifying horror was what it was praised for and, as a whole, it does warrant at least one viewing, just to appreciate its myriad of thematic concepts.
VHS 2 (2013) - 70%
VHS 2 is the second installment within the VHS franchise which continued to utilize the found footage sub-genre. Upon release, this film received a much higher critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes than the first film. However, it still had a considerable amount of shade thrown at it. This made very little sense since it is clearly a far superior film in comparison to its predecessor.
It can be said with enough conviction that VHS 2 is one of the best horror anthologies to grace our screens since the days of Creepshow and The Twilight Zone. While VHS is an outstanding piece of filmmaking as a whole, restoring our lost faith in the found footage sub-genre following an endless wave of subpar releases, VHS 2 cannot and should not be overlooked.
A Christmas Horror Story (2015) - 82%
William Shatner leads the framing narrative of this anthology made up of four tales combining Christmas and horror, all leading to a fateful twist. Boasting a twist is something that all anthologies strive to do, and while some fail, others do manage to get it right.
Despite its high tomato meter score, A Christmas Horror Story garnered generally negative reviews upon release for the uneven tone of the film. However, its blend of dark humor and stupidly over-the-top gore earns it a spot on this list. It's a fun, thrilling and alternative film to watch during the jolly season and should be added to everyone's Christmas viewing list.
Minutes Past Midnight (2016) - 35%
Minutes Past Midnight transports its viewers to a world of unique storytelling, utilizing a wave of stylistic elements that are seldom seen in other films. As with any anthology, you do have to take the good with the bad so there are some segments that are weaker than others, but most give us precisely what a horror anthology should.
The seamless way this film pays homage to some timeless and essential cinematic techniques of modern-day cinema is one of the more important reasons why it should not be missed.
XX (2017) - 70%
The imagination and voices of women steer this anthology comprised of four dark tales. Upon release, XX received mostly critical acclaim for its uniqueness. However, there was some negativity, as expected with any anthology and in this case, it was the film's incoherence.
These flaws, however, really shouldn't hinder what the creators of this collection achieved, which was to show the powerful and truly scary stories that women can bring to the screen.
Fear(s) of the Dark (2007) - 73%
Fear is the main theme explored throughout this French black and white animated anthology film of five tales curated by noteworthy comic book creators and graphic designers.
One of the main reasons this film warrants a view is because the creativity of the animation is extraordinary. The stories rendered in this film unearth humanity's complicated relationship with fear and it does succeed to execute its effective, albeit minimal scares. Movies like Fear(s) of the Dark unearth that fear of the unknown, so it must not be missed.
The ABCs of Death (2012) - 37%
The ABCs of Death arguably boasts one of the most unique concepts in horror anthology history. It showcases 26 talented horror writers and directors, all of whom bring something very terrifying to the screen. For a film with such a distinctive concept, it's difficult to conceive why it received such poor reviews upon release.
However, despite the talent oozing from this omnibus of terror, it can be argued that 26 is too many segments to have in one motion picture. As with any anthology, and maybe more so with this one, it feels like the film loses its shine somewhere down the line and struggles to get it back. Even so, it still warrants a view.
Tale of Tales (2015) - 83%
Directly inspired by the collection of macabre tales from Italian poet Giambattista Basile, Tale of Tales is a modern twist on those fairy tales, portraying them in a haunting light. This film boasts an impressive cast, beautiful cinematography, and powerful themes throughout.
Stories like these have been around for centuries, rendered through fiction and now cinema, retold and remolded but always, they carry similar underlying themes about the malevolence of human nature. This film of three interwoven tales about desire, obsession and ultimately, loss deserves a spot on this list.
Tube Tales (1999) - 66%
This film is the only entry that doesn't directly correlate to the horror genre. However, it is arguably by far the best one on this list. Released in 1999, Tube Tales offers a collaboration of some of Britain's greatest talents. An anthology collection of nine short films, based on the true to life experiences of the London Underground.
Overall, the film succeeded in portraying real-life situations and seamlessly injecting magic into our otherwise mundane lives. It is essential viewing and doesn't get talked about, nor appreciated, as much as it should.