CategoryForeign
International horror: J-horror, European extremity, Latin American shocks and the films Hollywood keeps remaking.
913 stories
ForeignMoviesReviews
Directed by Henrik Galeen With Conrad Veidt Deaf Crocodile, Horror, 1926, 133 mins German Official synopsis Loosely based on “William Wilson,” a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, Conrad Veidt (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Casablanca) stars as a hellraising student who sells his soul to the Devil, but Veidt hasn’t bargained on meeting his own evil doppelgänger who steps out of a mirror, Cocteau-like, and starts to take over his life. Score by Stephen Horne. Review Director Henrik Galeen’s The Student of Prague (Der Student von Prague; Germany, 1926) is a masterpiece of German Expressionist cinema, and quite a creepy one, at that. Combining the tale of Faust with Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “William Wilson,” the feature boasts plenty of silent fear-fare credentials. Galeen is renowned for writing and directing the 1915 version of The Golem starring Paul Wegener, for writing the screenplays of Nosferatu (1922) and Waxworks (1924), and for directing and cowriting with Hanns Heinz Ewers
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Film FestivalsForeignIndieMoviesReviews
Official synopsis In a world devastated by a zombie virus, Carter lives a solitary existence, spending his nights hunting down the living dead for sport with the help of a tremendous power. However, he finds new purpose after saving the lives of two siblings, Megan and Billy, who are seeking a rumoured safe zone. Reluctantly agreeing to protect them on their journey, the trio must outrun the next evolution of their undead enemy, and even their fellow survivors, who all pose unimaginable danger. Review Dead Howling (Australia, 2026) serves up a werewolf vs. zombies scenario — what’s not to like? Because I’m a hard sell on zombie movies, as fear-fare cinema has been flooded with them for decades now, I’m happy to see a good deal of the walking dead knocked off by one of my all-time favorite monsters in director John V. Soto’s feature. Muscular, hard-drinking biochemist Carter (Joel Jackson) can turn himself into a werewolf anytime he pleases
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Film FestivalsForeignIndieMoviesReviews
Official synopsis A remorseful ex-con tries to make a fresh start in an isolated cabin but his past isn’t finished with him. Review Writer/director J.P. Davidson’s The Cull (U.K., 2026) blends British folk horror with gritty rural drama, and boasts a strong sense of dread throughout. Niall (Craig Russell) is released from prison after 16 years for a crime he did not commit: the murder of his mother. A recovering substance abuser who has become a man of faith, he returns to the remote rural cabin that his mother owned. The locals are unhappy about this, particularly drug abusing, gun toting siblings Jim (Rory Wilton), Joseph (Richard Hainsworth), and Maia (Sally Geake), who claim squatter’s rights to the cabin and the surrounding property. Drug dealer Donny (Ollie Mcfarlane) is somewhat more tolerant of Niall, and has a big surprise announcement in store for him. Niall’s plans to start afresh and hopefully solve the mystery of his mother’s death go south
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Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Official synopsis Eighteen-year-old Trina plans to escape her toxic mother, but the arrival of mysterious relatives from Kashubia disrupts her plans. The unexpected guests bring long-buried family secrets to light and force Trina to confront her dark legacy, introducing her to unsettling rituals rooted in old Kashubian folklore. Review Director Marta Giec crafts not just one of the best folk horror films of the year, but one of the best fright-fare offerings overall with Òpi (Poland, 2026). This supernatural shocker blends a coming-of-age story with strong family drama and occult wildness galore. Krystyna (Wiktoria Kruszczynska in an amazing performance) is living a put-upon life courtesy of her domineering Catholic mother Urszula (Gabriela Muskala), who treats the young woman poorly, including forcing her to destroy her art, which is very much on the darker side of things. Just as Krstyna — who also goes by Trina, which her mother despises — is set to run away from her home in Poland
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ForeignMoviesReviews
Joey (Ricky Cheng Tien-chi) and Gary (Chris Lee Kin-Sang) are two dudes adept at martial arts thanks to tutelage of their fathers, fathers who admittedly think they kick a lil’ too much ass in their village streets. All changes however when an in-house betrayal leaves Joey injured, Gary captured, and their respective pappy’s tits up. Joey tears ass into the countryside where he has a chance encounter with The Black Prince of Hell and his other dimensional hell-home, Black Paradise (a misnomer indeed as it appears to be a well-lit cave filled with flashing rainbow-hued lights and wacky electronic noises). Anyway, Black Prince decides he’ll help Joey out and enlists his nine demons (which consist of eight giggling acrobat kids and a lady) to the cause by turning them into blood-drinking human skulls that fly around and give Joey a helping hand… or jawbone… Joey gets balls deep into that Satanic shit too, as he dons a flamboyant costume, complete
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Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviewsSci-FiThriller
Serena (U.S., 2026) Official synopsis An unemployed father-to-be is offered a job beta testing a revolutionary new AI chatbot, but as the trial progresses, he realizes that the technology may not be as benevolent as it appears. Review Director Rob Alicea and screenplay writers P.T. Hylton and Jonathan Benecke deliver a riveting, screenlife-driven psychological science fiction tech-noir thriller with Serena. Andi Matichak (Blumhouse’s Halloween trilogy) does an excellent job of portraying the titular chatbot, which father-to-be Chris Sadowski (Steven Strait, The Expanse) — a musician who has gone from being in a popular band to having to record birthday greetings for paying customers — reluctantly agrees to help test to help offset some of the large amount of debt that he has accrued with pregnant girlfriend Vicki Martinez (Maria Gabriela Gonzalez). Serena takes over Chris’s computer, and eventually much of his life as she/it grows increasingly dangerous, all behind a smiling facade of concern. Matichak invests the chatbot with a
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ForeignMoviesNewsTrailers
A new film needs to be on your radar: Ramayana: Rise of a Legend. The ambitious cinematic project is officially preparing for a massive global theatrical debut. Director Nitesh Tiwari is helming the two-part Hindi-language mythological feature. Studio executives recently unveiled an official poster confirming the film’s official title, tagline, and premium distribution formats. International moviegoers can experience mankind’s greatest story on the big screen during Diwali weekend. The Story The narrative follows Lord Ram’s heroic journey as a noble prince who faces unjust exile from his kingdom. Accompanied by his devoted wife Sita and loyal brother Lakshman, Ram adapts to a humble life inside the dangerous wilderness. However, peace shatters when the formidable ten-headed demon king Raavan abducts Sita and carries her away to his island fortress of Lanka. Determined to rescue his wife, Ram forms a crucial alliance with the monkey king Sugriva and the mighty warrior Hanuman. Together, they mobilize a massive army to construct a floating
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ForeignMoviesReviewsStreaming TV
Here are reviews of two gorgeous looking, recently restored films from Deaf Crocodile, now playing on OVID. Alraune Directed by Henrik Galeen Deaf Crocodile, Horror, 1927, 121 mins Germany Official synopsis A deranged Weimar-era erotic sci-fi/horror starring Brigitte Helm (Metropolis) as the unholy offspring of a genetics experiment conducted by her scientist “father” (Paul Wegener), who implants the semen of a hanged man in the womb of a prostitute. As an adult, the lithe, sinuous Helm drives men to suicide and madness – including her own pseudo-father Wegener. Review Brigitte Helm is a force of nature in her portrayal of Alraune ten Brinken in the silent film Alraune (AKA A Daughter of Destiny). Alraune is a young woman who is the product of a mad scientific experiment in which Professor Jakon ten Brinken (Paul Wegener, who played the titular supernatural entity in Der Golem, 1914) implanted the semen of a hanged criminal in the womb of a prostitute. Listen, if
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Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviewsShort Films
The Curse of Tahu’a (La Malédiction des Tahu’a; France, 2026) Official synopsis On a small Pacific island, as a storm approaches, an air traffic controller is contacted by a plane — that no radar can show. Review Director Benjamin Busnel crafts a lean, mean supernatural fear-fare feature with The Curse of Tahu’a. Busnel, who cowrote the screenplay with Myriam Dupuis, strips things down to largely one performer on screen most of the time, with much of the action taking place through radio and phone contact. The aural approach is reminiscent of horror radio plays, of which I am a huge fan, so this style really worked for me. Sometimes leaving things to our imagination can be just as strong, if not more so, then experiencing graphic violence onscreen. Moea (Marie Kauffmann) is a troubled air traffic controller who drinks on the job after losing her pilot husband in an accident. When a massive storm hits her area, a pilot in
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Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviewsShort Films
Dogs Reign (France, 2026) Official synopsis Léa, a young deaf woman, is approached by Raph and Julien, two insistent men whose ‘friendly’ invitation feels slightly off — yet she accepts it. As the night unfolds, their intentions grow increasingly unclear, and the tension rises. Review Axel Zeltser won Dark Nights Film Fest’s Best Short Film Director Award for Dogs Reign, and for good reason. The short uses horror to shine a light on predatory behavior. Léa (Chiara Corbetta) is approached by two young men (Julien Crampon and Julien Le Lons) with bad behavior on their minds. She takes them up on their offer and invites them to her home. Giving away anything further would be a disservice to future viewers, but suffice it to say that Zeltser, who also wrote the screenplay, has plenty of shocking surprises in store. Corbetta gives an excellent lead performance and Crampon and Le Lons add solid support. The pacing is perfect and the payoff
Continue reading →
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ForeignMoviesReviews
Directed by Henrik Galeen With Conrad Veidt Deaf Crocodile, Horror, 1926, 133 mins German Official synopsis Loosely based on “William Wilson,” a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, Conrad Veidt (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Casablanca) stars as a hellraising student who sells his soul to the Devil, but Veidt hasn’t bargained on meeting his own evil doppelgänger who steps out of a mirror, Cocteau-like, and starts to take over his life. Score by Stephen Horne. Review Director Henrik Galeen’s The Student of Prague (Der Student von Prague; Germany, 1926) is a masterpiece of German Expressionist cinema, and quite a creepy one, at that. Combining the tale of Faust with Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “William Wilson,” the feature boasts plenty of silent fear-fare credentials. Galeen is renowned for writing and directing the 1915 version of The Golem starring Paul Wegener, for writing the screenplays of Nosferatu (1922) and Waxworks (1924), and for directing and cowriting with Hanns Heinz Ewers
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignIndieMoviesReviews
Official synopsis In a world devastated by a zombie virus, Carter lives a solitary existence, spending his nights hunting down the living dead for sport with the help of a tremendous power. However, he finds new purpose after saving the lives of two siblings, Megan and Billy, who are seeking a rumoured safe zone. Reluctantly agreeing to protect them on their journey, the trio must outrun the next evolution of their undead enemy, and even their fellow survivors, who all pose unimaginable danger. Review Dead Howling (Australia, 2026) serves up a werewolf vs. zombies scenario — what’s not to like? Because I’m a hard sell on zombie movies, as fear-fare cinema has been flooded with them for decades now, I’m happy to see a good deal of the walking dead knocked off by one of my all-time favorite monsters in director John V. Soto’s feature. Muscular, hard-drinking biochemist Carter (Joel Jackson) can turn himself into a werewolf anytime he pleases
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignIndieMoviesReviews
Official synopsis A remorseful ex-con tries to make a fresh start in an isolated cabin but his past isn’t finished with him. Review Writer/director J.P. Davidson’s The Cull (U.K., 2026) blends British folk horror with gritty rural drama, and boasts a strong sense of dread throughout. Niall (Craig Russell) is released from prison after 16 years for a crime he did not commit: the murder of his mother. A recovering substance abuser who has become a man of faith, he returns to the remote rural cabin that his mother owned. The locals are unhappy about this, particularly drug abusing, gun toting siblings Jim (Rory Wilton), Joseph (Richard Hainsworth), and Maia (Sally Geake), who claim squatter’s rights to the cabin and the surrounding property. Drug dealer Donny (Ollie Mcfarlane) is somewhat more tolerant of Niall, and has a big surprise announcement in store for him. Niall’s plans to start afresh and hopefully solve the mystery of his mother’s death go south
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Official synopsis Eighteen-year-old Trina plans to escape her toxic mother, but the arrival of mysterious relatives from Kashubia disrupts her plans. The unexpected guests bring long-buried family secrets to light and force Trina to confront her dark legacy, introducing her to unsettling rituals rooted in old Kashubian folklore. Review Director Marta Giec crafts not just one of the best folk horror films of the year, but one of the best fright-fare offerings overall with Òpi (Poland, 2026). This supernatural shocker blends a coming-of-age story with strong family drama and occult wildness galore. Krystyna (Wiktoria Kruszczynska in an amazing performance) is living a put-upon life courtesy of her domineering Catholic mother Urszula (Gabriela Muskala), who treats the young woman poorly, including forcing her to destroy her art, which is very much on the darker side of things. Just as Krstyna — who also goes by Trina, which her mother despises — is set to run away from her home in Poland
Continue reading →
ForeignMoviesReviews
Joey (Ricky Cheng Tien-chi) and Gary (Chris Lee Kin-Sang) are two dudes adept at martial arts thanks to tutelage of their fathers, fathers who admittedly think they kick a lil’ too much ass in their village streets. All changes however when an in-house betrayal leaves Joey injured, Gary captured, and their respective pappy’s tits up. Joey tears ass into the countryside where he has a chance encounter with The Black Prince of Hell and his other dimensional hell-home, Black Paradise (a misnomer indeed as it appears to be a well-lit cave filled with flashing rainbow-hued lights and wacky electronic noises). Anyway, Black Prince decides he’ll help Joey out and enlists his nine demons (which consist of eight giggling acrobat kids and a lady) to the cause by turning them into blood-drinking human skulls that fly around and give Joey a helping hand… or jawbone… Joey gets balls deep into that Satanic shit too, as he dons a flamboyant costume, complete
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviewsSci-FiThriller
Serena (U.S., 2026) Official synopsis An unemployed father-to-be is offered a job beta testing a revolutionary new AI chatbot, but as the trial progresses, he realizes that the technology may not be as benevolent as it appears. Review Director Rob Alicea and screenplay writers P.T. Hylton and Jonathan Benecke deliver a riveting, screenlife-driven psychological science fiction tech-noir thriller with Serena. Andi Matichak (Blumhouse’s Halloween trilogy) does an excellent job of portraying the titular chatbot, which father-to-be Chris Sadowski (Steven Strait, The Expanse) — a musician who has gone from being in a popular band to having to record birthday greetings for paying customers — reluctantly agrees to help test to help offset some of the large amount of debt that he has accrued with pregnant girlfriend Vicki Martinez (Maria Gabriela Gonzalez). Serena takes over Chris’s computer, and eventually much of his life as she/it grows increasingly dangerous, all behind a smiling facade of concern. Matichak invests the chatbot with a
Continue reading →
ForeignMoviesNewsTrailers
A new film needs to be on your radar: Ramayana: Rise of a Legend. The ambitious cinematic project is officially preparing for a massive global theatrical debut. Director Nitesh Tiwari is helming the two-part Hindi-language mythological feature. Studio executives recently unveiled an official poster confirming the film’s official title, tagline, and premium distribution formats. International moviegoers can experience mankind’s greatest story on the big screen during Diwali weekend. The Story The narrative follows Lord Ram’s heroic journey as a noble prince who faces unjust exile from his kingdom. Accompanied by his devoted wife Sita and loyal brother Lakshman, Ram adapts to a humble life inside the dangerous wilderness. However, peace shatters when the formidable ten-headed demon king Raavan abducts Sita and carries her away to his island fortress of Lanka. Determined to rescue his wife, Ram forms a crucial alliance with the monkey king Sugriva and the mighty warrior Hanuman. Together, they mobilize a massive army to construct a floating
Continue reading →
ForeignMoviesReviewsStreaming TV
Here are reviews of two gorgeous looking, recently restored films from Deaf Crocodile, now playing on OVID. Alraune Directed by Henrik Galeen Deaf Crocodile, Horror, 1927, 121 mins Germany Official synopsis A deranged Weimar-era erotic sci-fi/horror starring Brigitte Helm (Metropolis) as the unholy offspring of a genetics experiment conducted by her scientist “father” (Paul Wegener), who implants the semen of a hanged man in the womb of a prostitute. As an adult, the lithe, sinuous Helm drives men to suicide and madness – including her own pseudo-father Wegener. Review Brigitte Helm is a force of nature in her portrayal of Alraune ten Brinken in the silent film Alraune (AKA A Daughter of Destiny). Alraune is a young woman who is the product of a mad scientific experiment in which Professor Jakon ten Brinken (Paul Wegener, who played the titular supernatural entity in Der Golem, 1914) implanted the semen of a hanged criminal in the womb of a prostitute. Listen, if
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviewsShort Films
The Curse of Tahu’a (La Malédiction des Tahu’a; France, 2026) Official synopsis On a small Pacific island, as a storm approaches, an air traffic controller is contacted by a plane — that no radar can show. Review Director Benjamin Busnel crafts a lean, mean supernatural fear-fare feature with The Curse of Tahu’a. Busnel, who cowrote the screenplay with Myriam Dupuis, strips things down to largely one performer on screen most of the time, with much of the action taking place through radio and phone contact. The aural approach is reminiscent of horror radio plays, of which I am a huge fan, so this style really worked for me. Sometimes leaving things to our imagination can be just as strong, if not more so, then experiencing graphic violence onscreen. Moea (Marie Kauffmann) is a troubled air traffic controller who drinks on the job after losing her pilot husband in an accident. When a massive storm hits her area, a pilot in
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviewsShort Films
Dogs Reign (France, 2026) Official synopsis Léa, a young deaf woman, is approached by Raph and Julien, two insistent men whose ‘friendly’ invitation feels slightly off — yet she accepts it. As the night unfolds, their intentions grow increasingly unclear, and the tension rises. Review Axel Zeltser won Dark Nights Film Fest’s Best Short Film Director Award for Dogs Reign, and for good reason. The short uses horror to shine a light on predatory behavior. Léa (Chiara Corbetta) is approached by two young men (Julien Crampon and Julien Le Lons) with bad behavior on their minds. She takes them up on their offer and invites them to her home. Giving away anything further would be a disservice to future viewers, but suffice it to say that Zeltser, who also wrote the screenplay, has plenty of shocking surprises in store. Corbetta gives an excellent lead performance and Crampon and Le Lons add solid support. The pacing is perfect and the payoff
Continue reading →
