10 MORE Horror Movies That Broke All The Rules

2. Final Girl Boot Camp - Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon

Severely underrated in its genre-gnashing commentary, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon details a man who intends to become the next big serial killer, intent on reaching the horror legend hall of fame where names like Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger reside in-universe. From this description alone, it's already breaking plenty of rules from folding fiction and reality into each other in one big mixing pot of weirdness, but it's Leslie's approach to his own narrative that makes it that much more innovative.

Leslie Vernon recognises the genre he's working inside and freely manipulates it to his will, specifically working with the concept of a 'Final Girl' to manufacture his own as would happen in an actual horror movie narrative. What starts as found footage mockumentary that details all of Leslie's plans turns into an actual slasher set up, with Leslie hunting his final girl in full glorified film goodness by the end of the movie.

He dissects tropes and gives his own explanations for them, whilst simultaneously humanising slasher villains and giving them a purpose in contemporary society. It's an interesting self-aware movie as any, with the added benefit of both conforming to rules and explaining them in great detail before smashing them apart with subversion.