May

Best horror movies ever was nicely surprised when we saw May for the first time. It was one of those stumbled on movies with no expectations, and I was immediately drawn to an repelled by Angella Bettis‘ portrayal of this very disturbed and very sad young woman. Basically the girl is real fucked up, but yet I kept feeling sorry for her. That is what makes me put May on our list for best horror movies ever.

When a director and actor can take a character that more often than not would be turned into a caricature in most hands, May is someone you feel bad for and quietly root for but then cringe at all at the same time. It reminded me of how Sissy Spacek handled the role of Carrie. I think the poster was a bad choice for the marketing of this film since it doesn’t give you a good idea at all of how good this film is. Wherein the poster makes it look like some goth grunge horror slasher flick, May is something very much different and turns into our best horror movies ever.

Rich with neuroses and psychoses, this strange and ornery work of horror is likely the most gripping geek-girl-gets-even narrative since Carrie (and its star, Angela Bettis, also headlined the TV remake of Carrie). May Canady (Bettis) has been dominated since girlhood by two things: a lazy eye, which crosses unless she wears corrective glasses or lenses, and a creepy doll made by her mom as a girl and then passed down to May. For a long time, the doll is May’s only friend, until she meets veterinary coworker Polly (Anna Faris), an avidly sexual lesbian who hits on May at every opportunity, and studly mechanic Adam (Jeremy Sisto), with whom May falls haplessly, and unrequitedly, in love.

We at best horror movies ever try not to give away too much and many times when we go into a film not knowing that much about, it can lead to some very nice surprises. May was one of those horror movies that makes you cringe feeling bad for the self hating young woman and then cringe at her actions when she goes too far on a journey we know we can’t take with her.