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Honest horror reviews of films, series, games and books — no hype, no spoilers, just whether it is worth your time and your nerves.
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Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Official Synopsis Mia, a courageous 10-year-old girl who is locked in a shed, must survive inconceivable odds whilst trying to discover what happened to her family. Review Writer/director/editor Steven J. Mihaljevich’s Shed (Australia, 2025) is a taut horror thriller boasting a fantastic performance from young Mani Shanks as Mia, a little girl who is locked in the family shed by her little brother during a game. Unbeknownst to her, something awful befalls her family, and after a few days surviving by herself, a maniacal stranger (Jason Robert Lester) discovers her presence. The film starts off as a survival horror in the confinement of the shed before turning into a cat-and-mouse chiller in a wider area. I don’t want to give away too much more than that, as Shed is rich with surprises. Mia is a resourceful youngster who doesn’t give up easily, and her clever ideas for staying alive are more realistic than precocious “superkid”-style elements. Shanks captured Screamfest’s Best
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
The Dollmaker Official synopsis In a quiet village, a charming young man named Tomás leads a simple life: caring for his mother, working at the video store and town clinic, and collecting dolls. As women start disappearing, newly arrived Inspector Porter investigates. Review Director José María Cicala’s The Dollmaker (Encantador; Argentina, 2025) is an unnerving combination of the weird and the macabre. It’s also a candidate for feel-bad horror film of the year, and a terror tale you are not likely to easily forget. Tomás (Rodrigo Noya) is both socially active and socially awkward, working at a video rental store and helping out with a support group. When a series of disappearances occur in his small Argentinian town, the video store comes under investigation by a new-in-town officer despite the police chief’s lack of concern. The screenplay by Cicala and Griselda Sanchez is full of twists, red herrings, and surprises, keeping even seasoned fright-fare fanatics questioning events and characters until
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Once again, our coverage of Bucheon International Film Festival (BIFAN) reviews is cowritten by Film Festival Editor Joseph Perry and Guest Contributing Writer Chris Weatherspoon. A man of the world, guest reviewer Chris Weatherspoon has lived in South Korea for “quite a bit.” A huge fan of all cinema, Chris also works locally in the entertainment industry, and knows what he is talking about . . . alright!? Descendent (U.S., 2025); review by Joseph Perry Official BIFAN synopsis from program notes written by Kim Kani: Sean, a school security guard in a small town on the outskirts of Los Angeles, is struggling with the looming reality of fatherhood. Haunted by childhood trauma and weighed down by the pressures of his job, he feels utterly unprepared to become a parent. One night during a routine shift, he witnesses a mysterious, glowing object in the sky. After that encounter, Sean begins to suffer from disturbing visions — strange images, apparitions of alien
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Once again, our coverage of Bucheon International Film Festival (BIFAN) reviews is cowritten by Film Festival Editor Joseph Perry and Guest Contributing Writer Chris Weatherspoon. A man of the world, guest reviewer Chris Weatherspoon has lived in South Korea for “quite a bit.” A huge fan of all cinema, Chris also works locally in the entertainment industry, and knows what he is talking about . . . alright!? I Kill U (South Korea, 2025); review by Chris Weatherspoon Official BIFAN synopsis from program notes written by Kim Kani: Kang Sunwoo, a former promising taekwondo athlete, now lives a life of poverty and exhaustion. One day, while carrying the weight of her painful past, she is suddenly thrust into the spotlight when people notice her uncanny resemblance to a woman named Han Jiyeon. The problem is, Han Jiyeon is the main perpetrator of a ‘drunk driving hit-and-run death case’ and also the heiress of a major conglomerate. As public anger and
Continue reading →
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Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Once again, our coverage of Bucheon International Film Festival (BIFAN) reviews is cowritten by Film Festival Editor Joseph Perry and Guest Contributing Writer Chris Weatherspoon. A man of the world, guest reviewer Chris Weatherspoon has lived in South Korea for “quite a bit.” A huge fan of all cinema, Chris also works locally in the entertainment industry, and knows what he is talking about . . . alright!? 100 Liters of Gold (Finland/Italy, 2025); review by Chris Weatherspoon Official BIFAN synopsis from program notes written by Kim Byeonggyu: 100 Liters of Gold is a comedy of drunkenness and a farce of hangovers. Middle-aged sisters Taina and Pirkko, who live in a small village in southern Finland, are brewers of sahti, a traditional Finnish beer. Tasked with preparing 100 litres of sahti for the wedding of their younger sister Paivi, who has returned to their hometown, they accidentally end up drinking all the beer themselves. With only 48 hours left until
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsMoviesReviews
Romford Horror Festival is renowned for curating a terrific lineup of fear fare each year that ranges from mind-blowing new independent films to well-respected classics. This year’s edition runs February 27–March 2 at Lumiere Cinema in Romford, U.K. Following are three offerings from the fest for which I have had an early viewing and consider well worth a watch. Descriptions from Romford Horror Festival’s website are in italics, followed by my thoughts on the films. Psychopomp 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. I’m a hard sell on genre films inspired by — and often made during — COVID-19 lockdown, mainly because of
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Witte Wieven (Heresy) (Netherlands, 2024) Director Didier Konings tackles patriarchal oppression of women, religious hypocrisy, and the search for self-identity in his beautiful looking folk horror Witte Wieven (Heresy). The story is set in a small rural Dutch village in the Middle Ages, where religion makes the rules that favor men and also where women unable to bear children have little to no use. Devout couple Frieda (Anneke Sluiter) and Hikko (Len Leo Vincent) have been unsuccessful in trying to have a baby, and even religious leader Father Bartolomeus (Reinout Bussemaker) has been unable to help. Village butcher Gelo (Leon Van Waas), who has recently been punished for what the film hints at as sexual assault on one of the village women, is released. His advances toward being able to make Frieda pregnant turn into a rape attempt in the nearby woods, during which Frieda is saved by a supernatural entity. When villagers accuse her of being in league with
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
After years of rumors, hopes, and dreams, the sequel to Beetlejuice has finally materialized. In fact, it is now available on digital and VOD! At first, I was hesitant to watch it. Let’s be honest: few sequels rarely live up to the original film. With movies that are such epic classics, like Beetlejuice, the chances are slim to none. I finally couldn’t stand it anymore, so I broke down and watched Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. This is my review. In Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Lydia Deetz is reluctantly reunited with the demonic trickster Beetlejuice in this highly anticipated sequel. Lydia’s daughter, Astrid, is kidnapped by unknown otherworldly forces. The Deetz family, grappling with an unexpected tragedy, returns to their ancestral home in Winter River. A place where a mysterious model of the town holds the key to a portal between the living and the dead. With trouble brewing in both worlds, it’s up to Beetlejuice to save the day – or at least cause
Continue reading →
GamingParanormalProductReviews
Yes, this is the 200th game review I have done for Horror Fuel! I’m planning on doing something special to commemorate this occasion, fingers are crossed it will work out, but untill then folks, here we go with the 200th game review of Amanda the Adventurer! Amanda the Adventurer puts players in the shoes of Riley, who inherited their Aunt Kate’s home after her death. They go to the attic and start watching VHS tapes of the children’s adventure show Amanda the Adventurer, but the show’s main character Amanda becomes more and more sinister the more tapes Riley watches. Now, onto the game itself! The controls for this game are pretty basic, with only having to use controls to move and interact with objects and puzzles in the attic along with videos of Amanda’s show. The voice acting for the game is good along with the sound design and music, making childish moments whimsical, and darker moments foreboding. Gameplay-wise, depending
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Official synopsis: A twisted new tale from Joseph Sims-Dennett (BFI London Film Festival Selected Observance). Grace returns to the small town she grew up in to find the brother, David, is missing. Deciding that she must reunite her family, she follows a lead which takes her deep into the wilderness. Lost, injured and alone, soon her only hope is another hiker who is communicating with her via her radio. Grace makes her way closer to this mysterious hiker — however, suspicions start to grow about their true identity. As the darkness becomes ever more menacing and a threatening presence begins to consume Grace, who can she really trust? Writer/director Joseph Sims-Dennett builds an engrossing air of mystery in his new Australian feature Baal, which finds Grace (Meg Clarke in an outstanding lead performance) returning after a very long absence to her childhood home to sort out matters after her father dies. She also begins a search for her brother David
Continue reading →
More from Reviews
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Official Synopsis Mia, a courageous 10-year-old girl who is locked in a shed, must survive inconceivable odds whilst trying to discover what happened to her family. Review Writer/director/editor Steven J. Mihaljevich’s Shed (Australia, 2025) is a taut horror thriller boasting a fantastic performance from young Mani Shanks as Mia, a little girl who is locked in the family shed by her little brother during a game. Unbeknownst to her, something awful befalls her family, and after a few days surviving by herself, a maniacal stranger (Jason Robert Lester) discovers her presence. The film starts off as a survival horror in the confinement of the shed before turning into a cat-and-mouse chiller in a wider area. I don’t want to give away too much more than that, as Shed is rich with surprises. Mia is a resourceful youngster who doesn’t give up easily, and her clever ideas for staying alive are more realistic than precocious “superkid”-style elements. Shanks captured Screamfest’s Best
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
The Dollmaker Official synopsis In a quiet village, a charming young man named Tomás leads a simple life: caring for his mother, working at the video store and town clinic, and collecting dolls. As women start disappearing, newly arrived Inspector Porter investigates. Review Director José María Cicala’s The Dollmaker (Encantador; Argentina, 2025) is an unnerving combination of the weird and the macabre. It’s also a candidate for feel-bad horror film of the year, and a terror tale you are not likely to easily forget. Tomás (Rodrigo Noya) is both socially active and socially awkward, working at a video rental store and helping out with a support group. When a series of disappearances occur in his small Argentinian town, the video store comes under investigation by a new-in-town officer despite the police chief’s lack of concern. The screenplay by Cicala and Griselda Sanchez is full of twists, red herrings, and surprises, keeping even seasoned fright-fare fanatics questioning events and characters until
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Once again, our coverage of Bucheon International Film Festival (BIFAN) reviews is cowritten by Film Festival Editor Joseph Perry and Guest Contributing Writer Chris Weatherspoon. A man of the world, guest reviewer Chris Weatherspoon has lived in South Korea for “quite a bit.” A huge fan of all cinema, Chris also works locally in the entertainment industry, and knows what he is talking about . . . alright!? Descendent (U.S., 2025); review by Joseph Perry Official BIFAN synopsis from program notes written by Kim Kani: Sean, a school security guard in a small town on the outskirts of Los Angeles, is struggling with the looming reality of fatherhood. Haunted by childhood trauma and weighed down by the pressures of his job, he feels utterly unprepared to become a parent. One night during a routine shift, he witnesses a mysterious, glowing object in the sky. After that encounter, Sean begins to suffer from disturbing visions — strange images, apparitions of alien
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Once again, our coverage of Bucheon International Film Festival (BIFAN) reviews is cowritten by Film Festival Editor Joseph Perry and Guest Contributing Writer Chris Weatherspoon. A man of the world, guest reviewer Chris Weatherspoon has lived in South Korea for “quite a bit.” A huge fan of all cinema, Chris also works locally in the entertainment industry, and knows what he is talking about . . . alright!? I Kill U (South Korea, 2025); review by Chris Weatherspoon Official BIFAN synopsis from program notes written by Kim Kani: Kang Sunwoo, a former promising taekwondo athlete, now lives a life of poverty and exhaustion. One day, while carrying the weight of her painful past, she is suddenly thrust into the spotlight when people notice her uncanny resemblance to a woman named Han Jiyeon. The problem is, Han Jiyeon is the main perpetrator of a ‘drunk driving hit-and-run death case’ and also the heiress of a major conglomerate. As public anger and
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Once again, our coverage of Bucheon International Film Festival (BIFAN) reviews is cowritten by Film Festival Editor Joseph Perry and Guest Contributing Writer Chris Weatherspoon. A man of the world, guest reviewer Chris Weatherspoon has lived in South Korea for “quite a bit.” A huge fan of all cinema, Chris also works locally in the entertainment industry, and knows what he is talking about . . . alright!? 100 Liters of Gold (Finland/Italy, 2025); review by Chris Weatherspoon Official BIFAN synopsis from program notes written by Kim Byeonggyu: 100 Liters of Gold is a comedy of drunkenness and a farce of hangovers. Middle-aged sisters Taina and Pirkko, who live in a small village in southern Finland, are brewers of sahti, a traditional Finnish beer. Tasked with preparing 100 litres of sahti for the wedding of their younger sister Paivi, who has returned to their hometown, they accidentally end up drinking all the beer themselves. With only 48 hours left until
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsMoviesReviews
Romford Horror Festival is renowned for curating a terrific lineup of fear fare each year that ranges from mind-blowing new independent films to well-respected classics. This year’s edition runs February 27–March 2 at Lumiere Cinema in Romford, U.K. Following are three offerings from the fest for which I have had an early viewing and consider well worth a watch. Descriptions from Romford Horror Festival’s website are in italics, followed by my thoughts on the films. Psychopomp 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. I’m a hard sell on genre films inspired by — and often made during — COVID-19 lockdown, mainly because of
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Witte Wieven (Heresy) (Netherlands, 2024) Director Didier Konings tackles patriarchal oppression of women, religious hypocrisy, and the search for self-identity in his beautiful looking folk horror Witte Wieven (Heresy). The story is set in a small rural Dutch village in the Middle Ages, where religion makes the rules that favor men and also where women unable to bear children have little to no use. Devout couple Frieda (Anneke Sluiter) and Hikko (Len Leo Vincent) have been unsuccessful in trying to have a baby, and even religious leader Father Bartolomeus (Reinout Bussemaker) has been unable to help. Village butcher Gelo (Leon Van Waas), who has recently been punished for what the film hints at as sexual assault on one of the village women, is released. His advances toward being able to make Frieda pregnant turn into a rape attempt in the nearby woods, during which Frieda is saved by a supernatural entity. When villagers accuse her of being in league with
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
After years of rumors, hopes, and dreams, the sequel to Beetlejuice has finally materialized. In fact, it is now available on digital and VOD! At first, I was hesitant to watch it. Let’s be honest: few sequels rarely live up to the original film. With movies that are such epic classics, like Beetlejuice, the chances are slim to none. I finally couldn’t stand it anymore, so I broke down and watched Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. This is my review. In Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Lydia Deetz is reluctantly reunited with the demonic trickster Beetlejuice in this highly anticipated sequel. Lydia’s daughter, Astrid, is kidnapped by unknown otherworldly forces. The Deetz family, grappling with an unexpected tragedy, returns to their ancestral home in Winter River. A place where a mysterious model of the town holds the key to a portal between the living and the dead. With trouble brewing in both worlds, it’s up to Beetlejuice to save the day – or at least cause
Continue reading →
GamingParanormalProductReviews
Yes, this is the 200th game review I have done for Horror Fuel! I’m planning on doing something special to commemorate this occasion, fingers are crossed it will work out, but untill then folks, here we go with the 200th game review of Amanda the Adventurer! Amanda the Adventurer puts players in the shoes of Riley, who inherited their Aunt Kate’s home after her death. They go to the attic and start watching VHS tapes of the children’s adventure show Amanda the Adventurer, but the show’s main character Amanda becomes more and more sinister the more tapes Riley watches. Now, onto the game itself! The controls for this game are pretty basic, with only having to use controls to move and interact with objects and puzzles in the attic along with videos of Amanda’s show. The voice acting for the game is good along with the sound design and music, making childish moments whimsical, and darker moments foreboding. Gameplay-wise, depending
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Official synopsis: A twisted new tale from Joseph Sims-Dennett (BFI London Film Festival Selected Observance). Grace returns to the small town she grew up in to find the brother, David, is missing. Deciding that she must reunite her family, she follows a lead which takes her deep into the wilderness. Lost, injured and alone, soon her only hope is another hiker who is communicating with her via her radio. Grace makes her way closer to this mysterious hiker — however, suspicions start to grow about their true identity. As the darkness becomes ever more menacing and a threatening presence begins to consume Grace, who can she really trust? Writer/director Joseph Sims-Dennett builds an engrossing air of mystery in his new Australian feature Baal, which finds Grace (Meg Clarke in an outstanding lead performance) returning after a very long absence to her childhood home to sort out matters after her father dies. She also begins a search for her brother David
Continue reading →
