As 2015 comes to a close, the Best Of lists are making the rounds in full force. This year has been a good one for horror, with movies like IT FOLLOWS and KRAMPUS providing box office victories for the genre by becoming successful on their own terms. Furthermore, gems like WE ARE STILL HERE, SPRING, DEATHGASM, THE FINAL GIRLS, HE NEVER DIED, BONE TOMAHAWK and GOODNIGHT MOMMY have garnered critical acclaim and will undoubtedly go on to become cult classics. However, there were a lot of other great movies that came out this year that deserve some recognition, and while they might not be the crème de la crème of the years top entries (although a couple are up there with the very best), they still deserve some attention. With this list we’ll focus on some of this years indie gems you might not have seen. It’s been a successful year for indie horror flicks, but despite the success of some of some of the aforementioned titles, there are others that have slipped under the radar you might not have seen – and might even enjoy.

What are some of your favourite overlooked indie horror movies of 2015?

10. GIRL HOUSE

Trevor Matthews (Jack Brooks Monster Slayer) isn’t the household name he should be within horror at the moment. Up until now he’s only acted, produced and wrote, but his directorial debut is an impressive throwback slasher which would suggest he has a bright future behind the camera. GIRL HOUSE doesn’t rewrite the rules of the slasher genre, but it achieves the basics and ticks all the boxes; the killer is imposing, with a strong back story and a ruthless mean streak; the girls are hot and often naked; the kills are fun and occasionally brutal; the final girl is likeable and strong, and – most importantly – my colleagues at Bloodbath and Beyond agree with me, as you can see in their review.

It’s a simple, well executed slasher and Trevor Matthews is a director worth keeping an eye on.

9. AMERICAN GUINEA PIG: BOUQUET OF GUTS & GORE

The Japanese GUINEA PIG series of the 80’s is a landmark of cinema at its most sadistic and deranged. The films became notorious after the one of the series’ entries – FLOWERS OF FLESH AND BLOOD – was shown to Charlie Sheen and he called the FBI because he mistook it for a real snuff film. Now, Unearthed Films founder Stephen Biro has resurrected the series under the AMERICAN GUINEA PIG (review) banner to create atrocities that would make the originals proud.

This movie is definitely not for the faint of heart. Essentially, it’s a faux-snuff film where two women are kidnapped, drugged and dismembered. However, fans of extreme cinema, gore and practical F/X are sure to get a kick out of it. Those with weak stomachs best not go near it, whereas others might just find it boring due to the lack of conventional plot and characters. Regardless, it is impressive for what it is and recommended solely because it’s this year’s most no-holds barred release.

8. CLOWN

After initially surfacing as a fake trailer with Eli Roth’s name attached to direct, Roth signed on to produce and make Jon Watts’ movie a reality. It was a ballsy move from the director to receive recognition, and one that paid off dividends. CLOWN is about a father who inherits a demonic clown suit he can’t take off, and his transformation from loving parent to child hungry monster begins. It’s a fun movie – one that could have been much better – but it’s entertaining and interesting enough to warrant a place on the list, and in your collection.

Watts’ publicity stunt made CLOWN happen, and now his career is about to sky rocket. Not only did he get to make a fun horror film on the back of Eli Roth’s good will, but he followed it up with the impressive thriller COP CAR starring Kevin Bacon, which was also released this year. On top of that, he’s also directing the new SPIDER-MAN reboot. Let’s just hope he doesn’t forget his roots in cannibalistic clown capers and returns to the genre that made him in the future with a sequel.

7. HORSEHEAD

HORSEHEAD (review) is a French arthouse film about lucid dreams and the symbolism and imagery found in nightmares. It’s not an easy movie to follow, but it’s so visually arresting and chock-full of surrealism that it’s mesmerising. There is a strong Dario Argento vibe throughout, and watching it INFERNO came to mind a few times. However, HORSEHEAD is anything but a pastiche of influences; this is one of the more intriguing avant-garde films in recent years and arthouse aficionados will enjoy analysing it.

Although it’s slightly disjointed and confusing, there is fun to be had picking it apart and reading up on dream lore afterwards. If you can appreciate an experience over a coherency, then this is an enjoyable one to have. It warrants more than one viewing to appreciate it fully, but it’s certainly worth revisiting after you’ve watched it once.

6. APPLECART

APPLECART is a black and white portmanteau silent film from workaholic underground director Dustin Mills. According to Mills, the movie is based on his fear of “normal people’’, and each segment depicts what seemingly normal everyday people could be like behind closed doors, albeit in the most disturbing scenarios, yet all of you have to do is read news reports to see that none of said scenarios are far-fetched at all. In the film, every character wears a creepy mask, which I interpreted as a metaphor for secrecy. However, the beauty of APPLECART is that you’ll leave it with your own thoughts.

APPLECART is a disturbing art film which won’t be to everyone’s taste, but fans of the avant-garde and surreal are bound to find it fascinating and leave it with a lot to think about. That being said, it’s also worth checking out for the sheer fact it is unlike anything else released in quite some time.

5. HANS CRIPPLETON: TALK TO THE HANS

The directorial full-length feature from Jimmy Lee Combs is one of this year’s silliest and most politically incorrect features. It stars Kevon Ward (who also wrote it) as the titular Hans, an inbred hillbilly dwarf and reality television star whose family is plagued by a zombie curse. Fans of Troma, early Peter Jackson and John Waters will have a blast with Hans and his disgusting family, and it’s perfect viewing for any Saturday night beer and pizza party.

HANS CRIPPLETON: TALK TO THE HANS is wild, wacky and zany outrageousness, but it’s also a helluva lot smarter than people will give it credit for and it boasts so much heart it’s impossible not to fall in love with it.

4. INVALID

This is the second feature from Dustin Mills on the list, and deservedly so. It is yet another outstanding movie from a director who doesn’t have an off-switch. Described as a “psychosexual thriller’’, INVALID is about a woman named Agnes (Joni Durian) who has to take care of her incapacitated brother Andrew (Brandon Salkil). When she starts to hear her brothers voice in her head demanding blood, she must go to extreme lengths to feed his appetite.

INVALID is a twisted, creepy and darkly comedic gem from underground horrors most exciting director. The lush visuals are reminiscent of Argento and Bava, whereas the strange story is a terrific ode to the Australian classic PATRICK.

3. MARSHLAND

Alberto Rodriguez’s murder mystery MARSHLAND is one of 2015’s best thrillers. Set in 1980 in the south of Spain, it follows two detectives on the trail of a serial killer, who has been murdering women in the community for years. The cinematography in this movie is flawless, and the backdrop of Spain’s deep South is both haunting and stunning. Spanish cinema has produced some outstanding genre films in recent years, and MARSHLAND is yet another winner. It’s an engaging, disturbing and philosophical masterpiece, with so much tension it’s almost palpable.

Fans of season one of TRUE DETECTIVE and David Fincher’s SE7EN may want to check this one out. It might not be the most conventional horror film on the list, but it’s a compatible bedfellow nonetheless.

2. SUBURBAN GOTHIC

SUBURBAN GOTHIC is the type of horror comedy we haven’t seen a lot of since the 80’s, which to me is a shame. Inspired by movies like THE MONSTER SQUAD and GREMLINS, it’s a coming-of-age comedy about the depressed, unemployed college graduate, Raymond (Matthew Gray Gubler), who must move back home with his parents – much to the dismay of his resentful father, played by the always outstanding Ray Wise. However, when Raymond discovers that he can communicate with the paranormal, he teams up with the sarcastic barmaid, Becca (Kat Dennings), to help banish a vengeful spook.

Not only is SUBURBAN GOTHIC witty and hilarious, but it’s one of the most feel good movies of 2015 and perfect viewing if you have those rainy day blues – or if you just want some laughs and a classic family friendly supernatural adventure, with the occasional dick joke thrown in for good measure. This will introduce young fans to the genre, and serve to remind us jaded folks how fun it can be when it’s innocent.

1. LAST SHIFT

Anthony DiBlasi (Dread) is a filmmaker who knows how to scare people, and LAST SHIFT is the most unsettling horror movie of 2015. Along with WE ARE STILL HERE, it proves that there is still life left in supernatural horror, following the mediocre glut of them we’ve had in recent years. The story revolves around a rookie cop, who must guard a haunted police station on its final night before closure. A fitting way to describe it would be John Carpenter’s ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 if it came from the mind of Clive Barker.

What makes LAST SHIFT so good is that it doesn’t rely on jump scares or other typical go to tropes found in a lot of modern movies about spirits; instead it drags the viewer through an unrelenting hellish nightmare from the outset and doesn’t let us go until the end credits roll – but if you watch it before you go to sleep it’s going to stay with you into your nightmares. This is horror at its purest and a must see movie of the year.