2016 was a good year for horror films. There was a great deal of variety across the board and we saw the independent market for horror continue to grow and thrive as a legitimate way for films to gain exposure and reach audiences that are hungry for new quality material. I also loved how much love was shown between creators this year too. Everyone seemed to show eachother support and that was great to see. With the year winding down, the time has come to name our the films we considered the best of 2016. This list is by no means intended to be definitive or better than anyone else's, it's simply just what we enjoyed and why. Also keep in mind, that while some of these films may have been extremely limited releases in 2015, we are including them because they either went wide this year or have not yet done so and we saw them this year in festival premieres. So lets get right down to business.

James Wan has carved out quite a legacy for himself as a horror filmmaker. Throughout the 2000's he and his good friend/filmmaking partner Leigh Whannell ushered in mega franchises Saw and Insidious (along with it's two sequels). In between that the duo then delivered the spooky ventriloquist horror Dead Silence. In 2013 not only did he direct Insidious Chapter 2, but he also set out on his own and introduced audiences to what I consider one of the best horror films in recent years, The Conjuring.