1) Afflicted
Afflicted is the perfect “case and point” example in found footage horror this year, proving my feelings tenfold. If you look back on my Worst Of 2014 horror list, you’ll see that about half the listical is populated by found footage mockeries that do plenty more harm than good. Now, if you reflect back on the list you’re reading, you’ll notice that the only other found footage filmmaking comes from certain segments of The ABCs Of Death 2, with Derek Lee and Clif Prowse’s Afflicted being the ONLY pure found footage film worthy of “Top 13” honors – plus it clocks in at #1 on the year. When found footage is bad, damn it’s bad, but when it’s good, the benefits are unfathomable.
This is a movie with brass balls, reinventing the vampire genre in a way that can only be described as an intense genre film influenced by Chronicle. Lee and Prowse wear every hat on this production, and do so extremely well – their acting is lovable, Lee’s transformation is harrowing, the handling of vampire norms favors fangs over fluffiness, and the scares are legitimate. Afflicted is a blast from the buddy-comedy start to a bloody, vile finish, taking audiences on the most unique genre ride of 2014.