Homecoming & The 25 Best Horror Movies Since The Shining

The internet is nothing if not list-crazy but New York Magazine critics David Edelstein and Bilge Ebiri have put together an insightful “best of” list that’s genuinely provocative and worthy of discussion. With The 25 Best Horror Movies Since The Shining they use Kubrick’s controversial classic as a demarcation point for modern horror films and, in doing so, have cast a cold but revealing light on the state of our union (or disunion) circa 1980 to 2013.

The inclusion of Joe Dante and Sam Hamm’s tragi-comic undead revenge tale set during the Iraq war, Homecoming tells you exactly where Edelstein and Ebiri are coming from. Homecoming, made for Showtime’s Masters of Horror series, pushes its brutal satire to near Strangeloveian heights including a devastating appearance by Dante regular Robert Picardo in a particularly vicious Heart of Darkness turn as “Kurt Rand”, a gleefully transparent portrait of Bush consigliere, Karl Rove.

The entire list is worth reading at least twice… savvy inclusions like Audition, The Host and Mullholland Dr. make for some great arguments, even with yourself.

Here’s a look at Edelstein’s original thoughts on Homecoming and The Best Films of 2005.