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It was a fantastic year for horror this previous year. Nearly every month, something notable dropped. Sure, we had some ugly ones (I’m looking at you, Texas Chainsaw Massacre), but we also had some great ones. 2022 is going to be a year that we talk about when we look back on film history, and horror is a standout genre in that discussion. My top three picks will remain in people’s mouths for sure. Due to awards season always looking bleak for this genre, I am taking it into my own hands to give these films the praise they deserve.

Already looking forward to the new year? I also talked about my top five most anticipated horror films for 2023, which you can check out here. If you would rather a starter guide to horror and have no idea what I’m on about, I made a series just for you, which you can check out here. Nevertheless, let’s move on and discuss my top ten picks for this previous year.

10. The Black Phone

The Black Phone' review: Ethan Hawke embodies fears of Stranger Danger generation | Mashable

While I consider this one more of a thriller, The Black Phone stands out this year for the outstanding performances it provided. Not only did Ethan Hawke kill it as the diabolical Grabber, but its two lead protagonists are sure to be rising stars. Sure, this film did have its plot holes, but it is easily corrected by imaginative autofill or reading the source material, which is a quick read. A slow burn in an entertaining way–I was a fan. You can read my review for this film here, but there is definitely enough here to make my top ten.

9. Studio 666

Foo Fighters Made a Horror Film. Because Why Not? - The New York Times

Speaking of endearment behind films, Studio 666 is a beautiful, hilarious ode to the Foo Fighters and what they were and still are. Taylor Hawkins was a tragic loss this year, and it happened so quickly after the release of this celebratory film. However, it is honestly a heartwarming and heartbreaking tribute to the glorious friendships in that band. It’s still a fun watch however, with goofy scenes followed by grisly kills. I definitely don’t recommend it to the merely acquainted fans, but if you’re in on the jokes already with the Foo, then you’re in for a grand ol’ time.

8. Watcher

Watcher was a fantastic watch. This is Chloe Okuno’s debut feature film after co-directing V/H/S ’94, a fun anthology from the previous year. Her and Maika Monroe are a match made in heaven as a shocking, disturbing tale takes form over a fast hour and a half. The paranoia you will feel during this film is exemplary and will have you checking out your windows for suspicious activity–or make you too scared to even do so. This was a terrifying watch when I lived in my downtown apartment.

7. Sissy

I just recently reviewed this film right here on TVOC, so be sure to check it out if you want some more details. Sissy is the unsung hero of 2022. A smaller, indie film that was released as a Shudder exclusive made me laugh and gasp the whole way through. It’s the first horror film that accurately spoofs the influencer generation in the best way without making fun of the concept. It also is an introspective look on trauma and how severe things can get if its triggered. While that might be in a satirical way, there is still some endearment behind it all.

6. The Menu

Alright, this one definitely leans more towards the thriller-comedy, but the concept alone is horrifyingly brilliant that I had to include it on this list. No, this film isn’t about cannibalism like the trailer made it seem like it was, but rather about the horrors of the service industry–something that a lot of us can relate to. There are brilliant performances all around in this movie, the story is exciting, and it is full of twists and turns. This film is available for streaming on HBO Max as of January, so watch it as soon as you can. It is just as good on the rewatch as well. This one isn’t in my top five only because it is barely horror.

5. Bodies, Bodies, Bodies

Bodies Bodies Bodies: The Void's Top Ten

This one looked like it might have been a stinker this year, but it ended up being one of my favorites. Bodies, Bodies, Bodies is a brilliant horror comedy that has one of the best twists I’ve ever seen in a horror movie. While the first twenty minutes of this movie take a while to get going, you’ll be hooked once it kicks off. If you’re skeptical throughout, I beg you to wait for the ending. It clicks everything into place and steps it up from a fun time to a great, hilarious time. This one has stuck with me and made it pretty high on my top ten list.

4. Fresh

Who knew dating could be just as horrifying as cannibalism? This one IS about cannibalism, even though the first twenty minutes play out like a traditional romcom. Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar Jones deliver a performance that leaves you on the edge of your seat throughout its runtime. I feel like this one deserves a revisit as it was huge and then disappeared as the year went on. It is gross, but if you can get past it, there is a worthwhile film in there with a final act that makes it all worth it in the end, two times over.

3. Pearl / x (TIE)

This one is a tie, because one would not exist without the other. Ti West has returned in triumphant fashion with his films X and Pearl. This is the quickest trilogy ever to exist once Maxxxine drops this year. Not only is it the quickest, but it’s also dripping with quality. X and Pearl are both effective horror films that tell the most outlandish stories that provide metaphors on aging, inhibitions, sex and more. It is female rage incarnate with Mia Goth playing the starring role, and I am eating it up, not leaving a crumb.

2. Nope

Alright, some may argue this isn’t a horror film. It’s definitely a genre fusion, leaning more towards sci-fi and comedy, but has some standout horrifying moments that makes it jump up on this list for me. The Gordy situation as well as the entire Star Lasso experience are some of the more disturbing things I’ve seen in a film in a while. NOPE is a fantastic film and while Get Out is a masterpiece and one of my favorite horror films of all time, this is my favorite of Jordan Peele’s releases so far. I wrote an entire article on what the Gordy scene is even about, I loved it so much.

1. Barbarian

You had to see this coming. Barbarian is inventive and will go down as a legendary horror film. It’s hard to believe that this is Zach Cregger’s first horror film. He completely knocked it out of the park. This film has its immaculate twists and turns, making it a fun, disturbing and memorable watch. I simply laughed in disbelief the entire time due to how great this movie is. If you haven’t seen it, go watch it as soon as possible and go in completely blind. It’s truly a trip and an experience you won’t forget. I don’t even want to write about it because I don’t want to give it away, but it is possibly in my top ten of the decade.

What’s NExt

Thank you for hearing me out on these top ten films. What are your thoughts on these films? Let me know in the comments and I am happy to discuss. As for what’s next, TVOC is posting daily content on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. There will be buttons below to check out that and you can see my lovely face discussing various topics on the regular. Be sure to follow those if you’re into fun facts, history, and the occasional fan edit dedicated to the art that is horror. There usually isn’t many top ten lists, but there is top fives. New blog posts will be posted Monday, Wednesday and Friday as regularly as possible.

Anyways, thanks for spelunking this void with me. If you’re new to the Void of Celluloid, welcome. Feel free to spelunk some other voids while you’re here and follow me on other platforms by clicking the buttons below. We post regularly and stay up to date about what’s going on in horror today, reflect on what went on yesterday, and plan for a better, horror filled tomorrow. See ya next time.

It’s me, The Void. I’m stealing the Mother’s place this fine day to give you my ranking of the beautiful blending of my favorite genres: horror and musical. Yes, we’re talking horror musicals. This came to me when I heard of Stephen Sondheim’s passing, which shattered my heart into a million little pieces. May his memory be a blessing.

In this ranking, I am focusing on the stage and having movie adaptations weigh in as needed. A lot of these have no movie adaptations. I am excluding strictly movie musicals, therefore musicals like Repo! The Genetic Opera and The Devil’s Carnival are not on this list (though I respect and admire Terrance Zdunich’s writing quite a bit). I felt it wasn’t fair against these beasts of musicals, as most of these have made it to the Broadway caliber. Nonetheless, let’s slash our ways through this, shall we?

Number 9: Jekyll ANd Hyde

Before you ask, yes, that IS David Hasselhoff. Jekyll and Hyde is the stage musical adaptation of the novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and while it is blaring with the rock and has the iconic “Confrontation” which has the lead singing from two perspectives at once, the cheesiness level cuts the epic down to quite a low level. It’s easy to find the taped version of this musical if you’re in desperate need to see Hasselhoff deliver some epic bars, but overall, it’s not exactly my personal favorites

My favorite song is “Confrontation,” as it generated a hilarious TikTok meme and it is as epic as it sounds.

Number 8: Carrie the Musical

Poor, poor Carrie. This poor musical is cursed for failure for whatever reason, and it all lies in how its produced. The original debut was way too much and the revival was way too little, leading to it flopping on both occasions. However, the tunes are actually really well written and it is a faithful adaptation. There is a fairly impressive LA production that did do it right, but used a gymnasium instead of a traditional stage, so I believe if Carrie the Musical will never be successful on Broadway–and that is okay.

My favorite moment is “The Destruction,” as the song is a beautiful depiction of Carrie’s inner monologue and her seemingly instantaneous snap. My favorite interpretation is Keaton Whittaker’s version. Meanwhile, if you wanna see some killer stage effects, you can check out the LA version here.

Number 7: Evil Dead the Musical

Yes, there is an off-broadway adaptation of Evil Dead II. It is all kinds of cheesy and hilarious, which is the only thing you should expect given its source material. There is disco, there is showtunes and Ash takes the stage with grace. This is in the same league as the Starkid musicals and could be improv if we didn’t know any better. It’s a fun one that graces local theaters often, so definitely check this one out if you are in the mood for a good laugh.

The best song is probably “It’s Time” in which there is disco dancing and Ash sings about balls. Who could ask for anything more? Check out a rendition from 2017 here.

Number 6: Heathers

Yes, I do admit I’m stretching a bit with this one. JD is technically a serial killer and Westerberg High does seem like a living hell, so I let it pass. The 1989 film Heathers is one of my favorites, so it is natural that I fell in love with the musical adaptation. While there are some misses on the soundtrack, especially the West End version, there are some GEMS that make me laugh out loud and want to dance to a musical full of depravity. It’s a pretty loyal adaptation as well, with a few changes to character dynamics to tie it together for group numbers.

“Lifeboat,” “Dead Girl Walking,” and “My Dead Gay Son” are the shining stars in this musical, but I honestly love all the songs and only skip “Big Fun” as it can be a bit annoying halfway through. However, my favorite moment in this musical is not a song but rather this iconic moment from the original off-broadway production.

Number 5: Beetlejuice

Now onto the Broadway baddies. Beetlejuice is a recent musical adaptation which trended on TikTok as well, specifically “Say My Name.” It’s a faithful adaptation that does not leave out the original movie’s musical moments. Ont top of it, the Original Broadway Cast Recording is amazing and not one to miss if you love soundtracks. It contains wildly good performances and was met with great critical reviews and is a fan favorite–so much so it was saved from getting booted and will stay on Broadway for an additional season.

My favorite song on this is actually a rather emotional one and that is “Dead Mom.” You can see the original Broadway Lydia perform that one here, but have some tissues.

Number 4: Phantom of the Opera

Remember when I said that we might be ignoring some movie adaptations? All respects to Emmy Rossum and Patrick Wilson, but maybe stick with a filmed Broadway version to spare your ears. Phantom of the Opera may not seem to some as a horror musical, however, its source material is strictly horror. This is a classic and some regard it the best of all time. My personal preferences disagree heavily, however I do respect this musical, hence it holding the number four spot. If you do decide to suffere through the movie adaptation, brace yourself for Gerald Butler, who should’ve never sang opera ever for the public.

While I don’t like the musical as a whole and do think the title track is a cheesy rock-opera mess, I have to give credit to “Think of Me” and most definitely to “All I Ask of You,” which is easily the most romantic song ever written. I will actually link the movie version of that one, because it is gorgeous.

Number 3: Little Shop of Horrors

I love, love, LOVE this musical. It has laughs, it’s dark and has BOPS for a soundtrack. The music is in fact written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, who wrote most of the music during the Disney Renaissance of the 1990s. “Somewhere That’s Green” is the same melody as “Part of Your World,” so there is proof it’s all good to plagiarize yourself. The movie adaptation is one of the best cult films out there, so you can do no wrong checking it out in any medium. I do recommend checking out the director’s cut as it is chock full of crazy good special effects and matches the play’s ending.

My favorite song from this is “Now (It’s Just the Gas),” which never made its film debut. You can, however, check out a version with Jake Gyllenhaal and Taran Killam here, which is simply brilliant.

Number 2: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of fleet street

Now this–this is my favorite Broadway musical. However, the movie adaptation doesn’t do it justice therefore it does not earn the coveted crown. Sweeney Todd is a masterpiece through and through with Sondheim behind the pen. Many consider this Sondheim’s greatest musical (myself included) and it will be known as one of the best musicals of all time. It plays out like an opera, with gorgeous, terrifying and hilarious moments flowing through. It’s a hoot, and I cannot recommend it more. I don’t hate the movie adaptation either, but some songs are missing/edited and it just doesn’t feel the same.

“Pretty Women,” “Epiphany” and “A Little Priest” is a phenomenal stretch of songs that closes out the first act and lives in my head rent free. However, Angela Lansbury is my favorite part so here is her “Worst Pies in London” in its full glory.

Honorable Mention

Cats. I mean this image says a thousand words.

Number 1: Rocky Horror Picture Show

Now here is the real number one, both tremendous in stage and screen: The Rocky Horror Picture Show. We are talking iconic images, characters, songs, dances, and species–this is the horror musical of all horror musicals. Richard O’Brien has a brilliant mind that brought this groundbreaking musicals to stages and eventually formed it into the cult film to end all cult films. On top of all of it, Tim Curry stands proud in his six inch heels, serving as an icon for many and sexy beast to all. It’s iconic, that’s all I have to say. The horror musical of all horror musicals.

“Hot Patootie” can be played on the radio while “Sweet Transvestite” has us shivering with antici…pation. However, for me, “Planet Schmanet Janet” tops my list. You can see Frank-N-Furter harass Janet here if you’re looking for something to get used to, if ya know what I mean.

The final act

So there is it is, the ranking of the horror musicals. Did you agree with some of these picks and have you heard of most of them? Who knew showtunes could be horrific? Anyways, the Mother will be back next week as well as I will be back this Saturday with Christmas horror movies out the wazoo. Thanks for spelunking with us, this is the Void detaching and signing off.

If you wanted to see a bit more on horror musicals, you can blast to the past with my September Spooky Season picks here.

horror musicals

Tag: ranking

The Void’s Top Ten Horror Films of 2022