How did I compile this list? There’s no real method to my special brand of madness. I simply looked through films released between October 1st 2017 and September 30, 2018 and worked and reworked the list until I had 31. This countdown is not for the elitists or festival goers, so if the film hasn’t been released to the masses, it won’t be on the list. Also anything released in October will most likely be on next year’s list—so sorry, no films like HALLOWEEN or SUSPIRIA just yet. I hope you’ll join me daily and don’t forget to like and share my picks with your pals across the web. I’ll also provide a second film suggestion in a separate post that is worth noting this year or missed being on the list by a skosh for those who can’t get enough horror.
So let’s get to it! Chime in after the review and let me know what you think of the film, how on the nose or mind-numbingly wrong I am, and most importantly, come up with your own darn list…let’s go!
#5 INCIDENT IN A GHOST LAND
Why is INCIDENT IN A GHOST LAND #5? You might not have heard of this film, but you’ve heard of MARTYRS. While these two films by Pascal Laugier are similar in theme, what impressed me most about INCIDENT IN A GHOSTLAND is the surprises this film contains and how elegant, horrifying, and shocking they are. The less said the better with this one, but it’s a horror film you should not miss. You can find INCIDENT IN A GHOSTLAND here on iTunes and Amazon!
INCIDENT IN A GHOSTLAND (2018)
aka GHOSTLAND
Directed by Pascal Laugier
Written by Pascal Laugier
Starring Crystal Reed, Mylène Farmer, Anastasia Phillips, Emilia Jones, Taylor Hickson, Kevin Power, Rob Archer, Mariam Bernstein, Alicia Johnston, Ernesto Griffith, Adam Hurtig, Denis Cozzi, Sharon Bajer, & Paul Titley as H.P. Lovecraft!
Find out more about this film here!
INCIDENT IN A GHOSTLAND aka GHOSTLAND is a film you’re not going to forget after viewing. Like MARTYRS before it, Pascal Laugier’s cinematic vision is again a twisty, turny, squishy, and squirmy masterpiece that pulls no punches and aims them right at your gut.
Pauline (Mylène Farmer) and her two teenage daughters Beth (Emilia Jones) and Vera (Taylor Hickson) move to an antique filled house in the country. On the first night in the home, they are invaded by a trio of monsters in human form driving a candy truck. This shocking attack leaves the entire family scarred, but Beth (now an adult played by Crystal Reed) manages to leave the home and become the famous writer she has always dreamed of becoming. Meanwhile, Vera (played by Anastasia Phillips as an adult) is left a reclusive basket case after the incident. When Beth is called home, she finds that the horrors of that night have yet to end.
MARTYRS was a film that seared itself into my mind. I found the film to be absolutely riveting from beginning to end, specifically from a storytelling standpoint, as it begins as one kind of film and evolves or devolves into something completely different. The way that film pulls you in with one kind of reality and then deftly upends everything is a cinematic treat I love to share with those bold enough to endure its nightmares and horrors. With INCIDENT IN A GHOSTLAND, Laugier has done the same type of story, but one completely different. I’m keeping things purposefully vague, but go in with as little knowledge as possible here and you’re bound to be as devilishly surprised as I was. This film simply never lets up in its intensity all the way until the end, as Laugier refuses to hold back on the terror these three women experience and can never forget.
The five lead characters who play the mother and the two sisters (both as children and adults) are simply amazing. This isn’t a film for the faint of heart and if you’re the type who get offended easily, steer clear from this film. But the way all of these actresses play different personalities at different points in their life intertwine so well. It is because Emilia Jones, Taylor Hickson, Mylene Farmer, Crystal Reed, and Anastasia Phillips are all so brilliant in their roles that we as the viewer are pulled in and able to follow this rollercoaster of a film.
I am sorry this review is so vague, but as with MARTYRS, the less you know about this film the better. It’s bloody. It’s violent. It’s surprising. It’s sometimes so engaging. It’s also so harrowing and unforgettable. INCIDENT IN A GHOSTLAND is a skosh lesser of a film than the soul-searing MARTYRS, but it is proof that Laugier is a master at his craft and a force in horror that turns the genre on edge. This one had my undivided attention from beginning to end and if you’re a fan of horror, I think it’ll have the same effect on you. Highly, highly recommended.
THE COUNTDOWN SO FAR…
#31 – Sam Patton’s DESOLATION
#30 – CULT OF CHUCKY
#29 – 1922
#28 – PSYCHOPATHS
#27 – GHOST STORIES
#26 – PYEWACKET
#25 – DOWNRANGE
#24 – MAYHEM
#23 – COLD SKIN
#22 – THELMA
#21 – THE BABYSITTER
#20 – TONIGHT SHE COMES
#19 – THE NIGHT EATS THE WORLD
#18 – THE RITUAL
#17 – FAKE BLOOD
#16 – BETTER WATCH OUT
#15 – MARROWBONE
#14 – MOM AND DAD
#13 – THE ENDLESS
#12 – BLACK HOLLOW CAGE
#11 – FOUND FOOTAGE 3D
#10 – LET HER OUT
#9 – MON MON MON MONSTERS
#8 – ANNIHILATION
#7 – HEREDITARY
#6 – CREEP 2
#5 – INCIDENT IN A GHOSTLAND
Best of lists from previous years;
2016-17 #1 – RAW
2015-16 #1 – THE VVITCH
2014-15 #1 – THE CANAL
2013-14 #1 – PROXY
2012-13 #1 – MANIAC
2012 #1 – THE WOMAN
2011 #1 – THE LAST CIRCUS
Happy Halloween!
M. L. Miller is an original AICN @$$Hole formerly known as Ambush Bug/wordslinger/writer of wrongs/reviewer/interviewer/editor of MLMILLERWRITES.COM. Follow Mark on the Twitters @Mark_L_Miller.
I’ve also set up a Patreon Page to help keep this website rolling. It’s going to be crucial to get some kind of funding to keep the lights on at MLMILLERWRITES, so if you have extra dough, please support me! Also, if there are any people in need of advertising on MLMILLERWRITES, feel free to contact me here and we can talk turkey!
Don’t forget to share and like and finally, Happy Horror Holiday Month to Everyone!
MLMILLERWRITES / MLMillerFrights 
Wow, this one was just epic from beginning to end…definitely my favorite from the list so far. Agreed that you should go into this one with as little info ahead of time as possible. This has to be among the strongest top to bottom lists you’ve put together, right?
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How did I sleep on this one? Martyrs was the most disturbing film ever, it lingered with me for weeks. I’ll give anything Laugier does a watch!
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My second favorite of the list. Hereditary was a hair better overall, but wow this movie was intense and not for the squeamish.
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Actually, this one didn’t do it for me. While it had some good bits, as much as it pains me, it was a forgetfull movie that I totally forgot, untill I saw it on your list. The includance of Lovecraft was really pointless and funny, actor that played him had to actually wear a prosthethic mask, lol. Maybe I had big expectations before watching it, but to me, this was a dissapointment. Great review Mark, as always btw.
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