Despite a few bright spots, this year's entries in the horror genre are a sorry lot: generally a variation of "Ten Little Indians," these films provided little to viewers beyond those wait with glee to see who gets killed off next. In 2006, we only have two movies that are Fresh. The rest are either Rotten or rotting. This year's fright fare includes the Grim Reaper channeling Rube Goldberg in his quest to kill a bunch of teens; a handy lesson in backpacking safety; eyes in them thar hills; oozy, crawly, slithery creatures wrecking havoc on small town USA; and a spelunking trek that goes from claustrophobic to super scary.

You know what's scary? Roller coasters are scary. At least they were in Final Destination 3, in which a high schooler's amusement park premonition triggers the curse of death, and the reaper starts catching up to his victims. While the overall reviews weren't stellar, at least this sequel ranked better than the original Final Destination. As John Monaghan of the Detroit Free Press notes, Final Destination 3 still falls squarely into the category of guilty pleasure, but it's fashioned with a fair amount of craft."

Who says horror films can't be educational? For example, Eli Roth's Hostel taught us to be respectful of other cultures when backpacking overseas, be wary of strangers, and to definitely, definitely, not follow hot European girls into strange places. Hostel showed the gory side of vacationing, prompting Supercala.com's Paul Salfen to admit, "Eli Roth has made the sickest movie to ever be called enjoyable."

Horror and humor combined in the out-of-this-world creature feature, Slither, about a small town crawling with body-snatching invaders. Director James Gunn scored with audiences for his dark humor and slimy gore; Filmcritic.com's Keith Breese calls it "Cloying smart, gleefully mischievous and resplendently, stupendously gross."

Also disturbing viewers in 2006 was the remake of Wes Craven's The Hills Have Eyes. Following a family who breaks down in the worst strip of desert imaginable, Alexandre Aja's direction ratcheted up the gore and earned the respect of many horror enthusiasts. Dave Alexander of Rue Morgue Magazine writes that Hills "hits like a hot blood baptism." And that's a good thing.

The best-reviewed horror movie of 2006 is ... The Descent.

The six attractive lead actresses are just part of the, ahem, attraction of The Descent. From its claustrophobic environs to the frightening creatures chasing these women, this is a riveting experience that'll grab you and won't let go until the last frame. Some laud The Descent as the smartest horror flick in years (RogerEbert.com's Jim Emerson describes it as "a savage and gripping piece of work that jangles your nerves without leaving your brain hanging."); others simply love the scares (like the Detroit News' Tom Long, who writes "The Descent is a sharp hammer to the head and a claw to the gut, a blood-drenched creep show that wants to eat you alive. Beware, and bon appetit." With an adjusted score of 76.11 and a Tomatometer of 84 percent, The Descent is the top horror movie for 2006.