18. A Death March Horror Film (a group of people go on a trip and slowly get killed one by one, but keep moving).

I had no idea what to expect out of this movie. The poster gave me The Town That Dreaded Sundown vibes and that’s never a bad thing. Yet for some reason, I just never watched this. Director and writer Christopher Smith really shoots for a high bar on this one and I was astounded that it came together so well. I barely want to discuss what happens — I mean, I have to, that’s what this site is all about — because as quickly as you figure out what’s going to happen next, the movie’s smart script pulls the rug out.

Jess (Melissa George) is a single mother who is invited to take an ocean cruise with her friend Greg (Michael Dorman) and his closest comrades Sally (Rachael Carpaini), Downey (Henry Nixon), Heather (Emma Lung) and Victor (Liam Hemsworth). A sudden storm flips their boat and Heather is lost at sea and the survivors make their way onto an abandoned ocean liner that somehow still has fresh food — Death Ship? — called the Aeolus, which is the name of three mythical characters that have been confused even by experts. That — and the nature of the number three — will be very important for what happens in this movie. Yes, it’s a triangle.

I’m really astounded by how well this came together and how dark it gets. I really thought it was just going to be a slasher on a cruise ship and I can’t even tell you how happy I am that I gave this adventurous movie a chance.