10 Recent Horror Movies That Were WAY Better Than Expected

10. Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare

Expectations were resolutely through the floor for Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare - the latest entry into the so-called "Poohniverse," as was kickstarted by Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey.

On the surface, it appears that every film in this franchise is made less for artistic expression than to cynically cash in on classic IP that's entered the public domain, and this slasher-spiced take on Peter Pan was set to be just the latest.

Even accepting that Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 was a surprising improvement upon its predecessor, that seemed more likely to be a fluke than the sign of an encouraging trend. But to the credit of filmmaker Scott Chambers here, he's clearly tried to make something that isn't a craven cash-grab. There's a relatively inspired remix of Peter Pan lore going on, aided by a genuinely skin-crawling performance from Martin Portlock as the murderous Peter and unexpectedly solid production values.

Would most people call Peter Pan's Neverland Nightmare a great movie? No, but it at least suggests that the people behind these films aren't merely trying to peddle soulless pap.