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Author

Joseph Perry

652 stories

Spoiler-Free Review: Recluse (Tribeca Festival 2026)

Official Synopsis After being summoned back to her childhood home to care for her bedridden father, Joan must confront the unearthed demons of her family’s past and contend with the home’s dark, malevolent energy that is both unseen and, much to her horror, seen. Review Horror films involving protagonists working closely with sound are practically becoming a subgenre in the fright-fare field recently — Rabbit Trap and Undertone, for example. The latest entry is writer/director/composer Henry Chaisson’s Recluse, a gothic chiller drenched in dread. When will horror film protagonists learn not to return to their childhood homes when estranged parents suffer health issues or die? Hopefully never, if the resulting tales are as intriguing as Recluse. Joan (Sasha Frolova), a sound recordist in the film industry does just that when her father, acclaimed but highly troubled painter Lawrence (Xander Berkeley) —who evidently was no stranger to the dark arts — is badly burned in a fire. Housekeeper to the expansive

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jun 8, 2026

Spoiler-Free Reviews: Grind and Friday the 69th (Portland Horror Film Festival)

Grind Official synopsis This horror anthology tackles the modern work landscape through four timely perspectives – a woman caught in a pyramid scheme, a delivery driver, a content moderator and a crew trying to unionize at a very familiar coffee shop. Review Brea Grant, Ed Dougherty, and Chelsea Stardust team up to codirect the workplace horror comedy anthology Grind (U.S., 2026). A mysterious packing warehouse, an online sales plan for leggings that comes with deadly consequences for not meeting sales quotas, a time loop that finds a food delivery gig worker in a huge mess, a content moderation job that features twisted images, and a corporate plot to overthrow unionizing baristas all feature in this scathing satire on the modern American economy and its effects on lower-level employees. Genre-film legend Barbara Crampton and comic actor Rob Huebel provide quality veteran performances as the head honchos behind evil empire DRGN. Many people will find the work situations uncomfortably highly relatable and

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jun 8, 2026

Spoiler-Free Review: Turn It Up! (Tribeca Festival 2026)

Official Synopsis An indie rock band struggling to make its mark finds a possible meal ticket in an infectious new guitar riff. Unfortunately, it’s also a cursed melody that just so happens to open a portal to another, much scarier dimension. Review Writer/director Sam Scott mashes up horror elements, weird science, and razor-sharp comedy in the Canadian feature Turn It Up!. The result is a fun, frenetic film that boasts some cool rock numbers to accompany its frenzied goings-on. Alternative rock group members AC (Justine Nelson), Berg (Jonathan Craig), Court (Gwenlyn Cumyn), and Russ (Xavier Lopez) are doing the unsigned band grind when a song that may or may not be called “The Odyssey” — depending on which member you talk to — catches the attention of famous manager Miss Vee (Liv Collins). She promises them their way to a big break, but this being a genre film, naturally she has ulterior motives. Scott delivers a nice twist on the

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jun 8, 2026

Author J.W. Ocker’s New Book “Don’t Go There” Might Make you Change Your Travel Plans

Horror Fuel readers fascinated with weird places and strange sites will want to get their hands on a copy of author J.W. Ocker’s upcoming terror-ific travel tome Don’t Go There. Some readers may want to book passage to some of the writer’s odd and unusual destinations, while others will want to get no closer than the comfort of their favorite reading chair. Following is the official press announcement. In Don’t Go There (Quirk Books; On sale: July 14, 2026; $19.99; Hardcover), award-winning travel writer and dark history expert J.W. Ocker journeys into some of the world’s most infamous and unsettling locations, uncovering the legends, disasters, and strange histories that make them impossible to resist. Embark on a guided tour of 30 of the most dangerous and mysterious locations that we simply cannot stay away from. Have you ever visited a forest or an abandoned building and gotten a bad vibe? There are places that are rife with rumors of hauntings,

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jun 7, 2026

Fantasia International Film Festival Unleashes Its Second Wave for 2026

Montréal’s Fantasia International Film Festival serves up an eye-popping amount of genre-film features with its second wave announcement for its 30th edition, scheduled for July 16 through August 2, 2026. Following is the official press announcement. The Fantasia International Film Festival will celebrate its upcoming 30th edition with an electrifying program of screenings, workshops, and launch events running from July 16 through August 2, 2026, returning to the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas, with additional screenings and events at Montréal’s Cinéma du Musée. The festival’s full lineup will be announced in early July but in the meantime, Fantasia is excited to reveal a select second wave of its 2026 titles. CAPE FEAR IS BACK WITH A VENGEANCE IN CHILLING APPLE TV ADAPTATION In this reimagining of CAPE FEAR, a storm is coming for happily married attorneys Anna (Amy Adams, ARRIVAL, NIGHTBITCH) and Tom Bowden (Patrick Wilson, THE CONJURING, INSIDIOUS) when Max Cady (Javier Bardem, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jun 5, 2026

Spoiler-Free Review: The Remedy (SXSW London)

Official Synopsis Jason is a devoted son caring for his ill mother, Maria. Exhausted, isolated, and sleep-deprived, he begins to suffer from vivid nightmares of a monstrous entity devouring his mother. As his grip on reality loosens, the horrors of his dreams begin to seep into his waking life. At the same time, his estranged sister Rachel, recently released from psychiatric care, becomes convinced that an unseen evil has taken root in their home. Turning to forbidden spiritual practices for protection, she finds herself at odds with Jason, who dismisses her warnings as delusion. When Jason resorts to an obscure, ancient remedy in a desperate attempt to heal Maria, the results are both miraculous and deeply unsettling. As her health begins to improve, disturbing occurrences escalate around them, hinting that something unnatural may have been unleashed. As paranoia, family tensions, and supernatural forces converge, Jason is drawn into a terrifying descent. With no one left to trust, he must face

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jun 5, 2026

Our Sinister Six: A Half Dozen Tribeca Genre Films We Can’t Wait to See

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Tribeca Festival, presented by OKX, takes place June 3–14, 2026 in New York City, and plenty of horror, thriller, and science fiction offerings are on tap. Here are five features and one short film that have our attention here at Horror Fuel. Film descriptions and information are from the Tribeca website and official press announcements. Keep watching for our Tribeca reviews once the fest gets rolling! Turn It Up! An indie rock band struggling to make its mark finds a possible meal ticket in an infectious new guitar riff. Unfortunately, it’s also a cursed melody that just so happens to open a portal to another, much scarier dimension. (Our featured image for this article is from Turn It Up!.) Director: Sam Scott Writers: Sam Scott and Gwenlyn Cumyn Cast: Gwenlyn Cumyn, Justine Nelson, Xavier Lopez, Julian Richings Genre: Comedy, Horror, LGBTQIA+, Science Fiction https://tribecafilm.com/films/turn-it-up-2026 Crooks After Faye and Johnny stick up a local gangster’s poker

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jun 1, 2026

Spoiler-Free Review: Nesting (2025)

Official synopsis A deeply unsettling portrait of grief and psychological unraveling, Nesting follows Pénélope (Rose-Marie Perreault), a new mother struggling with postpartum depression and the lingering trauma of her sister’s death. As sleep deprivation takes hold, the boundary between dream and reality begins to collapse, pulling her into a paranoid and increasingly dangerous spiral. Review With Nesting (Peau à Peau; Switzerland/Canada, 2025), writer/director Chloé Cinq-Mars crafts an absolutely harrowing character study of new mother Pénélope (Rose-Marie Perreault) and how being held at gunpoint during a store robbery worsens her postpartum depression into a downward spiral of full-fledged madness. Cinq-Mars deftly balances the dramatic elements that drive the first two acts documenting Pénélope’s worsening conditions and the horror elements that truly kick in for the third act. Perreault gives an incredible performance as Pénélope, which is no easy feat as the character goes through sudden emotional and psychological changes. The robbery incident triggers memories of her sister Charlotte’s (Marie Bélanger) death,

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
May 29, 2026

Spoiler-Free Review: The Devil You Become

Synopsis Amidst a super virus that ravages most of the world’s population, a tenacious microbiology student (Brian K. Millard) leads a small team through a rogue planned exposure. But the human trials end tragically, taking his friends’ lives one by one and leaving potential treatments untested. As he becomes more and more isolated, the line between what’s real and what’s not begins to blur. Review I’m a hard sell on genre films inspired by — and often made during — COVID-19 lockdown, mainly because of burnout on the subgenre at this point, so when a new film about a deadly virus comes along that offers something exciting and unusual with original ideas, it gets my attention. The most recent feature film to do so is director Anthony Bushman’s Psychopomp (U.S., 2024), a horror-adjacent science fiction thriller made by Bushman and his cowriter and costar Brian K. Millard during the lockdown. Millard delivers an absolutely riveting lead performance as Theo, who

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
May 26, 2026

Portland Horror Film Festival Reveals Fear-Filled Lineup for Its 2026 Edition

Portland Horror Film Festival holds its 11th annual edition from June 3-7, 2026, at Portland, Oregon’s Hollywood Theatre and Clinton Street Theater. The fest also offers a virtual version for those who wish to watch from the comfort of their homes. Either way, you’ll be treated to a top-notch selection of scare fare from around the world. Following is the official press announcement. The 11th annual Portland Horror Film Festival returns June 3-7, 2026, bringing five days of independent and international horror cinema to Portland’s historic Hollywood Theatre and Clinton Street Theater. This year’s festival will feature a special 45th Anniversary screening of My Bloody Valentine with director George Mihalka and Rue Morgue Executive Editor and “Faculty of Horror” co-host Andrea Subissati, and a live performance by Aurelio Voltaire, alongside a massive lineup of feature films, short films, premieres, and special events celebrating the best in contemporary horror filmmaking. Known as Portland’s premier festival dedicated to all genres of independent

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
May 22, 2026

More from Joseph Perry

Spoiler-Free Review: Recluse (Tribeca Festival 2026)

Official Synopsis After being summoned back to her childhood home to care for her bedridden father, Joan must confront the unearthed demons of her family’s past and contend with the home’s dark, malevolent energy that is both unseen and, much to her horror, seen. Review Horror films involving protagonists working closely with sound are practically becoming a subgenre in the fright-fare field recently — Rabbit Trap and Undertone, for example. The latest entry is writer/director/composer Henry Chaisson’s Recluse, a gothic chiller drenched in dread. When will horror film protagonists learn not to return to their childhood homes when estranged parents suffer health issues or die? Hopefully never, if the resulting tales are as intriguing as Recluse. Joan (Sasha Frolova), a sound recordist in the film industry does just that when her father, acclaimed but highly troubled painter Lawrence (Xander Berkeley) —who evidently was no stranger to the dark arts — is badly burned in a fire. Housekeeper to the expansive

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jun 8, 2026

Spoiler-Free Reviews: Grind and Friday the 69th (Portland Horror Film Festival)

Grind Official synopsis This horror anthology tackles the modern work landscape through four timely perspectives – a woman caught in a pyramid scheme, a delivery driver, a content moderator and a crew trying to unionize at a very familiar coffee shop. Review Brea Grant, Ed Dougherty, and Chelsea Stardust team up to codirect the workplace horror comedy anthology Grind (U.S., 2026). A mysterious packing warehouse, an online sales plan for leggings that comes with deadly consequences for not meeting sales quotas, a time loop that finds a food delivery gig worker in a huge mess, a content moderation job that features twisted images, and a corporate plot to overthrow unionizing baristas all feature in this scathing satire on the modern American economy and its effects on lower-level employees. Genre-film legend Barbara Crampton and comic actor Rob Huebel provide quality veteran performances as the head honchos behind evil empire DRGN. Many people will find the work situations uncomfortably highly relatable and

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jun 8, 2026

Spoiler-Free Review: Turn It Up! (Tribeca Festival 2026)

Official Synopsis An indie rock band struggling to make its mark finds a possible meal ticket in an infectious new guitar riff. Unfortunately, it’s also a cursed melody that just so happens to open a portal to another, much scarier dimension. Review Writer/director Sam Scott mashes up horror elements, weird science, and razor-sharp comedy in the Canadian feature Turn It Up!. The result is a fun, frenetic film that boasts some cool rock numbers to accompany its frenzied goings-on. Alternative rock group members AC (Justine Nelson), Berg (Jonathan Craig), Court (Gwenlyn Cumyn), and Russ (Xavier Lopez) are doing the unsigned band grind when a song that may or may not be called “The Odyssey” — depending on which member you talk to — catches the attention of famous manager Miss Vee (Liv Collins). She promises them their way to a big break, but this being a genre film, naturally she has ulterior motives. Scott delivers a nice twist on the

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jun 8, 2026

Author J.W. Ocker’s New Book “Don’t Go There” Might Make you Change Your Travel Plans

Horror Fuel readers fascinated with weird places and strange sites will want to get their hands on a copy of author J.W. Ocker’s upcoming terror-ific travel tome Don’t Go There. Some readers may want to book passage to some of the writer’s odd and unusual destinations, while others will want to get no closer than the comfort of their favorite reading chair. Following is the official press announcement. In Don’t Go There (Quirk Books; On sale: July 14, 2026; $19.99; Hardcover), award-winning travel writer and dark history expert J.W. Ocker journeys into some of the world’s most infamous and unsettling locations, uncovering the legends, disasters, and strange histories that make them impossible to resist. Embark on a guided tour of 30 of the most dangerous and mysterious locations that we simply cannot stay away from. Have you ever visited a forest or an abandoned building and gotten a bad vibe? There are places that are rife with rumors of hauntings,

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jun 7, 2026

Fantasia International Film Festival Unleashes Its Second Wave for 2026

Montréal’s Fantasia International Film Festival serves up an eye-popping amount of genre-film features with its second wave announcement for its 30th edition, scheduled for July 16 through August 2, 2026. Following is the official press announcement. The Fantasia International Film Festival will celebrate its upcoming 30th edition with an electrifying program of screenings, workshops, and launch events running from July 16 through August 2, 2026, returning to the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas, with additional screenings and events at Montréal’s Cinéma du Musée. The festival’s full lineup will be announced in early July but in the meantime, Fantasia is excited to reveal a select second wave of its 2026 titles. CAPE FEAR IS BACK WITH A VENGEANCE IN CHILLING APPLE TV ADAPTATION In this reimagining of CAPE FEAR, a storm is coming for happily married attorneys Anna (Amy Adams, ARRIVAL, NIGHTBITCH) and Tom Bowden (Patrick Wilson, THE CONJURING, INSIDIOUS) when Max Cady (Javier Bardem, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jun 5, 2026

Spoiler-Free Review: The Remedy (SXSW London)

Official Synopsis Jason is a devoted son caring for his ill mother, Maria. Exhausted, isolated, and sleep-deprived, he begins to suffer from vivid nightmares of a monstrous entity devouring his mother. As his grip on reality loosens, the horrors of his dreams begin to seep into his waking life. At the same time, his estranged sister Rachel, recently released from psychiatric care, becomes convinced that an unseen evil has taken root in their home. Turning to forbidden spiritual practices for protection, she finds herself at odds with Jason, who dismisses her warnings as delusion. When Jason resorts to an obscure, ancient remedy in a desperate attempt to heal Maria, the results are both miraculous and deeply unsettling. As her health begins to improve, disturbing occurrences escalate around them, hinting that something unnatural may have been unleashed. As paranoia, family tensions, and supernatural forces converge, Jason is drawn into a terrifying descent. With no one left to trust, he must face

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jun 5, 2026

Our Sinister Six: A Half Dozen Tribeca Genre Films We Can’t Wait to See

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Tribeca Festival, presented by OKX, takes place June 3–14, 2026 in New York City, and plenty of horror, thriller, and science fiction offerings are on tap. Here are five features and one short film that have our attention here at Horror Fuel. Film descriptions and information are from the Tribeca website and official press announcements. Keep watching for our Tribeca reviews once the fest gets rolling! Turn It Up! An indie rock band struggling to make its mark finds a possible meal ticket in an infectious new guitar riff. Unfortunately, it’s also a cursed melody that just so happens to open a portal to another, much scarier dimension. (Our featured image for this article is from Turn It Up!.) Director: Sam Scott Writers: Sam Scott and Gwenlyn Cumyn Cast: Gwenlyn Cumyn, Justine Nelson, Xavier Lopez, Julian Richings Genre: Comedy, Horror, LGBTQIA+, Science Fiction https://tribecafilm.com/films/turn-it-up-2026 Crooks After Faye and Johnny stick up a local gangster’s poker

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jun 1, 2026

Spoiler-Free Review: Nesting (2025)

Official synopsis A deeply unsettling portrait of grief and psychological unraveling, Nesting follows Pénélope (Rose-Marie Perreault), a new mother struggling with postpartum depression and the lingering trauma of her sister’s death. As sleep deprivation takes hold, the boundary between dream and reality begins to collapse, pulling her into a paranoid and increasingly dangerous spiral. Review With Nesting (Peau à Peau; Switzerland/Canada, 2025), writer/director Chloé Cinq-Mars crafts an absolutely harrowing character study of new mother Pénélope (Rose-Marie Perreault) and how being held at gunpoint during a store robbery worsens her postpartum depression into a downward spiral of full-fledged madness. Cinq-Mars deftly balances the dramatic elements that drive the first two acts documenting Pénélope’s worsening conditions and the horror elements that truly kick in for the third act. Perreault gives an incredible performance as Pénélope, which is no easy feat as the character goes through sudden emotional and psychological changes. The robbery incident triggers memories of her sister Charlotte’s (Marie Bélanger) death,

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
May 29, 2026

Spoiler-Free Review: The Devil You Become

Synopsis Amidst a super virus that ravages most of the world’s population, a tenacious microbiology student (Brian K. Millard) leads a small team through a rogue planned exposure. But the human trials end tragically, taking his friends’ lives one by one and leaving potential treatments untested. As he becomes more and more isolated, the line between what’s real and what’s not begins to blur. Review I’m a hard sell on genre films inspired by — and often made during — COVID-19 lockdown, mainly because of burnout on the subgenre at this point, so when a new film about a deadly virus comes along that offers something exciting and unusual with original ideas, it gets my attention. The most recent feature film to do so is director Anthony Bushman’s Psychopomp (U.S., 2024), a horror-adjacent science fiction thriller made by Bushman and his cowriter and costar Brian K. Millard during the lockdown. Millard delivers an absolutely riveting lead performance as Theo, who

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
May 26, 2026

Portland Horror Film Festival Reveals Fear-Filled Lineup for Its 2026 Edition

Portland Horror Film Festival holds its 11th annual edition from June 3-7, 2026, at Portland, Oregon’s Hollywood Theatre and Clinton Street Theater. The fest also offers a virtual version for those who wish to watch from the comfort of their homes. Either way, you’ll be treated to a top-notch selection of scare fare from around the world. Following is the official press announcement. The 11th annual Portland Horror Film Festival returns June 3-7, 2026, bringing five days of independent and international horror cinema to Portland’s historic Hollywood Theatre and Clinton Street Theater. This year’s festival will feature a special 45th Anniversary screening of My Bloody Valentine with director George Mihalka and Rue Morgue Executive Editor and “Faculty of Horror” co-host Andrea Subissati, and a live performance by Aurelio Voltaire, alongside a massive lineup of feature films, short films, premieres, and special events celebrating the best in contemporary horror filmmaking. Known as Portland’s premier festival dedicated to all genres of independent

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
May 22, 2026
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