CategoryReviews
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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GamingParanormalProductReviews
Earlier this year, Slipgate Ironworks, 3D Realms, and Fulqrum Publishing released their first-person dark fantasy GRAVEN on PC where it received mixed reviews from players. Now GRAVEN is out on console, were the mixed reviews warranted? GRAVEN puts players in the shoes of a wrongfully condemned priest who was punished for saving his adopted daughter from being sacrificed by killing another priest. seeming to have been granted another opportunity at life, the priest now ventures into the dark world to face the evils and plague that’s ravishing it. Now, onto the game itself! The controls for GRAVEN are pretty easy to learn even though the hud might look overcomplicated, a tutorial at the start would have been nice. The soundtrack is awesome in my opinion as it sounds like it belongs in the dark world the game is set in but I wish there could have been a little more use of voice acting. At first, I was not sure
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MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
Academy Award Winner Russell Crowe stars in The Exorcism, directed by Joshua John Miller. Miller co-wrote the script with M.A. Fortin. Let’s talk about it. Warning: Mild Spoilers Ahead The Exorcism follows an actor (Crowe) struggling in his life and career. Still fighting addiction and the shame of the way he treated his daughter, he thinks a new role will get him back on track. But he couldn’t be more wrong. After getting the role of a priest in an exorcism movie, things quickly escalate as his daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), watches on in horror as her father begins to show worrying signs. The film marks Crowe’s second role as a priest in an exorcism movie this year, with the first being The Pope’s Exorcist. Between the two, his performance in The Exorcism is better. It feels more realistic and intense like he really put more heart into it. Crowe makes his fight with his demons, both personal and supernatural,
Continue reading →
DocumentariesFilm FestivalsMoviesReviewsShort Films
They’re Here (U.S., 2024) Codirectors Daniel Claridge and Pacho Velez offer an unusual, thoroughly captivating take on the UFO experiencer phenomenon in their documentary They’re Here. The filmmakers focus on a small group of New Yorkers who claim to have had close encounters with extraterrestrial crafts and sometimes their occupants. Interview subjects include Cookie, a woman who claims to have been abducted by aliens multiple times; Twon, a stand-up comedian who bombs telling jokes about extraterrestrials; Dave, who made the local news by allegedly filming a UFO on his cell phone while under the influence of mushrooms; and Steve, a man who feels that he had a UFO experience but has difficulty remembering any details about the encounter, and who agrees to hypnosis to try to recall what happened. Claridge and Velez approach their subjects with both skepticism and affection, allowing them to fully express themselves knowing that many people don’t believe their stories. They’re Here takes an unusual route
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsMoviesReviewsShort FilmsThriller
Beacon (U.S., 2024) Last year, Tribeca gave the world a top-notch tale of two strangers, a man and a woman, stuck in an isolated location with a suspenseful mystery about who might be dangerous to the other with You’ll Never Find Me. This year, the fest serves up another such pressure cooker with director Roxy Shih’s Beacon. Emily (Julia Goldani Telles), a young woman who comes from a family with a love for sailing, sets off to circumnavigate the globe, but fate in the way of a huge storm strands her at a remote lighthouse. Ismael (Demián Bichir), the lone lighthouse keeper, attempts to help the injured Emily, who is naturally suspicious of him. Questions surrounding Ismael’s ability to communicate with the outside world and his obsession with the mythological creature known as the siren complicate matters further. Shih, working from a screenplay by Julio Rojas, paces the drama and suspense wonderfully. The main drawing point of the film for
Continue reading →
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MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
Academy Award-nominated actor Dev Patel’s (Lion, Slumdog Millionaire) new white-knuckle revenge movie is out now. I’ve been waiting to see this one for a while. I was not disappointed. Let’s talk about it in this Monkey Man review. Patel proves he’s a triple threat with Monkey Man, directing, writing, and starring in the revenge-fueled balls-to-the-wall movie, which left me saying, “Hell yeah!”This is even more impressive because it is Patel’s directorial debut. However, Patel is not the only notable name involved; Jordan Peele (Get Out) is a producer. So, what’s it about? The film draws inspiration from the revered Hindu deity Hanuman, a symbol of immense strength and unwavering courage. This influence shapes Kid’s character, a young man hardened by a brutal reality. By night, he fights anonymously in a clandestine fight club, his face obscured by a gorilla mask. He endures relentless beatings, the scars a constant reminder of his struggles. But beneath the surface lies a simmering rage
Continue reading →
DocumentariesFilm FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
The Weekend (Nigeria, 2024) Good foreign fright-fare gives viewers culturally different spins on subgenres. Daniel Oriahi’s The Weekend certainly delivers the local-flavor goods and the chills with its Nigerian take on in-laws-from-hell eeriness. Engaged couple Nikya (Uzoamaka Aniunoh), orphaned as a young girl and dreaming of having a close knit family, and Luc (Bucci Franklin), who has fallen out with his parents but still talks with his sister, travel — Luc reluctantly so — from their home in the city to his rural hometown with a local holiday approaching. Local criminals who threaten the couple turn out to be the least fearful of dangers that await. Aniunoh and Franklin head up an excellent cast, and Oriahi delivers the shudder-inducing goods as the mystery behind Luc’s family and the reasons for their high ranking in their village are revealed — and the aforementioned holiday serves up its nightmarish tension, too. Sumptuously shot by cinematographer Idhebor Kagho, The Weekend delivers a gruesome
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviewsThriller
The Devil’s Bath (Des Teufels Bad; Austria/Germany, 2024) Cowriters/codirectors Veronica Franz and Severin Fiala are well known for crafting two of the grimmest horror features of the past 10 years, Goodnight Mommy (Ich seh, Ich seh, 2014) and The Lodge (2019). With their new outing The Devil’s Bath, they show within the first few minutes that they don’t plan on softening up their approach, as viewers witness an event from which many fear-fare filmmakers might shy away. In a dread-filled portrayal of mental illness in a small, rural religious community in 18th century Austria, the duo blends folk horror, religious horror, and psychological horror elements. Agnes (Anja Plaschg) and Wolf (David Scheid) have a festive wedding day, but Wolf has no interest in consummating their marriage, while Agnes seems quite interested in having a baby. Wolf’s mother Gänglin (Maria Hofstätter) doesn’t make life easier on Agnes, either. Depression sets in with Agnes, sending her on a journey toward the unthinkable.
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviewsThriller
Writer/director Jed Hart’s debut feature Restless (U.K., 2024) is a welcome, solid entry in the neighbors-from-Hell genre-film category, this one being a thriller with darkly comic elements. Although its main antagonist belongs to the uniquely British group known as chavs, the tension and stress brought on by that character’s constant partying and threatening demeanor will ring true for international viewers. Middle-aged empty nester Nicky (Lyndsey Marshal) is an overworked caregiver who lives a rather quite, simple life — until new neighbor Deano (Aston McAuley) moves in next door, throwing raging parties and blasting music all night. His lack of empathy toward Nicky and their other neighbors and his bullying behavior make it obvious that he will do nothing to change and make life more comfortable for Nicky, so she must find a solution to her miserable situation herself. Restless is driven by a superb performance from Marshal, who captures the frustrations of her character and the lengths that they drive
Continue reading →
ProductReviewsSci-Fi
Growing up, I’ve sometimes wondered what it would be like to have a Xenomorph as a pet. Don’t look at me like that. The only issue is how to house a 7+ft tall creature out of Giger’s nightmares, the answer can be found at Agora Models. Specializing in intricate models you won’t find in any hobby store, especially due to the size of these models, the Alien model is nothing to sneeze at, this bug is 4 feet tall (when finished) and will have lights in the head-dome, a head that swivels after sensing movement, and a motorized retractable second jaw! There’s a lot of assembly required to put this Xeno together with over 600 parts. No worries if you’re missing parts, I had that happen, Agora’s customer service helped get the missing parts sent over to me after I realized I was missing some. At the time of writing this, I’ll have to be honest, I’m only halfway done
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
Netflix has just released the shark movie Under Paris, so let’s dive into it. Bérénice Bejo (The Artist) steps forward as Sophia, a shark expert trying to track a mako shark—or at least she thinks that’s what it is. After facing a tragedy, she is called upon once more to hunt the killer when it shows up in France’s waterways as a significant event approaches. The first thing you’ll notice is the dubbing. It’s not great. I wish they would release the original and provide a closed caption because the dubbing is pretty distracting. The story is exciting and unique, earning it bonus points in my book. It’s not the same shark movie we’ve seen repeatedly. It takes a few twists along the way that will surprise you. I wish the secondary characters were a little more fleshed out, but they are primarily snacks for the predator. There was one death I didn’t expect and I am so thankful the
Continue reading →
More from Reviews
GamingParanormalProductReviews
Earlier this year, Slipgate Ironworks, 3D Realms, and Fulqrum Publishing released their first-person dark fantasy GRAVEN on PC where it received mixed reviews from players. Now GRAVEN is out on console, were the mixed reviews warranted? GRAVEN puts players in the shoes of a wrongfully condemned priest who was punished for saving his adopted daughter from being sacrificed by killing another priest. seeming to have been granted another opportunity at life, the priest now ventures into the dark world to face the evils and plague that’s ravishing it. Now, onto the game itself! The controls for GRAVEN are pretty easy to learn even though the hud might look overcomplicated, a tutorial at the start would have been nice. The soundtrack is awesome in my opinion as it sounds like it belongs in the dark world the game is set in but I wish there could have been a little more use of voice acting. At first, I was not sure
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
Academy Award Winner Russell Crowe stars in The Exorcism, directed by Joshua John Miller. Miller co-wrote the script with M.A. Fortin. Let’s talk about it. Warning: Mild Spoilers Ahead The Exorcism follows an actor (Crowe) struggling in his life and career. Still fighting addiction and the shame of the way he treated his daughter, he thinks a new role will get him back on track. But he couldn’t be more wrong. After getting the role of a priest in an exorcism movie, things quickly escalate as his daughter, Lee (Ryan Simpkins), watches on in horror as her father begins to show worrying signs. The film marks Crowe’s second role as a priest in an exorcism movie this year, with the first being The Pope’s Exorcist. Between the two, his performance in The Exorcism is better. It feels more realistic and intense like he really put more heart into it. Crowe makes his fight with his demons, both personal and supernatural,
Continue reading →
DocumentariesFilm FestivalsMoviesReviewsShort Films
They’re Here (U.S., 2024) Codirectors Daniel Claridge and Pacho Velez offer an unusual, thoroughly captivating take on the UFO experiencer phenomenon in their documentary They’re Here. The filmmakers focus on a small group of New Yorkers who claim to have had close encounters with extraterrestrial crafts and sometimes their occupants. Interview subjects include Cookie, a woman who claims to have been abducted by aliens multiple times; Twon, a stand-up comedian who bombs telling jokes about extraterrestrials; Dave, who made the local news by allegedly filming a UFO on his cell phone while under the influence of mushrooms; and Steve, a man who feels that he had a UFO experience but has difficulty remembering any details about the encounter, and who agrees to hypnosis to try to recall what happened. Claridge and Velez approach their subjects with both skepticism and affection, allowing them to fully express themselves knowing that many people don’t believe their stories. They’re Here takes an unusual route
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsMoviesReviewsShort FilmsThriller
Beacon (U.S., 2024) Last year, Tribeca gave the world a top-notch tale of two strangers, a man and a woman, stuck in an isolated location with a suspenseful mystery about who might be dangerous to the other with You’ll Never Find Me. This year, the fest serves up another such pressure cooker with director Roxy Shih’s Beacon. Emily (Julia Goldani Telles), a young woman who comes from a family with a love for sailing, sets off to circumnavigate the globe, but fate in the way of a huge storm strands her at a remote lighthouse. Ismael (Demián Bichir), the lone lighthouse keeper, attempts to help the injured Emily, who is naturally suspicious of him. Questions surrounding Ismael’s ability to communicate with the outside world and his obsession with the mythological creature known as the siren complicate matters further. Shih, working from a screenplay by Julio Rojas, paces the drama and suspense wonderfully. The main drawing point of the film for
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
Academy Award-nominated actor Dev Patel’s (Lion, Slumdog Millionaire) new white-knuckle revenge movie is out now. I’ve been waiting to see this one for a while. I was not disappointed. Let’s talk about it in this Monkey Man review. Patel proves he’s a triple threat with Monkey Man, directing, writing, and starring in the revenge-fueled balls-to-the-wall movie, which left me saying, “Hell yeah!”This is even more impressive because it is Patel’s directorial debut. However, Patel is not the only notable name involved; Jordan Peele (Get Out) is a producer. So, what’s it about? The film draws inspiration from the revered Hindu deity Hanuman, a symbol of immense strength and unwavering courage. This influence shapes Kid’s character, a young man hardened by a brutal reality. By night, he fights anonymously in a clandestine fight club, his face obscured by a gorilla mask. He endures relentless beatings, the scars a constant reminder of his struggles. But beneath the surface lies a simmering rage
Continue reading →
DocumentariesFilm FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
The Weekend (Nigeria, 2024) Good foreign fright-fare gives viewers culturally different spins on subgenres. Daniel Oriahi’s The Weekend certainly delivers the local-flavor goods and the chills with its Nigerian take on in-laws-from-hell eeriness. Engaged couple Nikya (Uzoamaka Aniunoh), orphaned as a young girl and dreaming of having a close knit family, and Luc (Bucci Franklin), who has fallen out with his parents but still talks with his sister, travel — Luc reluctantly so — from their home in the city to his rural hometown with a local holiday approaching. Local criminals who threaten the couple turn out to be the least fearful of dangers that await. Aniunoh and Franklin head up an excellent cast, and Oriahi delivers the shudder-inducing goods as the mystery behind Luc’s family and the reasons for their high ranking in their village are revealed — and the aforementioned holiday serves up its nightmarish tension, too. Sumptuously shot by cinematographer Idhebor Kagho, The Weekend delivers a gruesome
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviewsThriller
The Devil’s Bath (Des Teufels Bad; Austria/Germany, 2024) Cowriters/codirectors Veronica Franz and Severin Fiala are well known for crafting two of the grimmest horror features of the past 10 years, Goodnight Mommy (Ich seh, Ich seh, 2014) and The Lodge (2019). With their new outing The Devil’s Bath, they show within the first few minutes that they don’t plan on softening up their approach, as viewers witness an event from which many fear-fare filmmakers might shy away. In a dread-filled portrayal of mental illness in a small, rural religious community in 18th century Austria, the duo blends folk horror, religious horror, and psychological horror elements. Agnes (Anja Plaschg) and Wolf (David Scheid) have a festive wedding day, but Wolf has no interest in consummating their marriage, while Agnes seems quite interested in having a baby. Wolf’s mother Gänglin (Maria Hofstätter) doesn’t make life easier on Agnes, either. Depression sets in with Agnes, sending her on a journey toward the unthinkable.
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviewsThriller
Writer/director Jed Hart’s debut feature Restless (U.K., 2024) is a welcome, solid entry in the neighbors-from-Hell genre-film category, this one being a thriller with darkly comic elements. Although its main antagonist belongs to the uniquely British group known as chavs, the tension and stress brought on by that character’s constant partying and threatening demeanor will ring true for international viewers. Middle-aged empty nester Nicky (Lyndsey Marshal) is an overworked caregiver who lives a rather quite, simple life — until new neighbor Deano (Aston McAuley) moves in next door, throwing raging parties and blasting music all night. His lack of empathy toward Nicky and their other neighbors and his bullying behavior make it obvious that he will do nothing to change and make life more comfortable for Nicky, so she must find a solution to her miserable situation herself. Restless is driven by a superb performance from Marshal, who captures the frustrations of her character and the lengths that they drive
Continue reading →
ProductReviewsSci-Fi
Growing up, I’ve sometimes wondered what it would be like to have a Xenomorph as a pet. Don’t look at me like that. The only issue is how to house a 7+ft tall creature out of Giger’s nightmares, the answer can be found at Agora Models. Specializing in intricate models you won’t find in any hobby store, especially due to the size of these models, the Alien model is nothing to sneeze at, this bug is 4 feet tall (when finished) and will have lights in the head-dome, a head that swivels after sensing movement, and a motorized retractable second jaw! There’s a lot of assembly required to put this Xeno together with over 600 parts. No worries if you’re missing parts, I had that happen, Agora’s customer service helped get the missing parts sent over to me after I realized I was missing some. At the time of writing this, I’ll have to be honest, I’m only halfway done
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
Netflix has just released the shark movie Under Paris, so let’s dive into it. Bérénice Bejo (The Artist) steps forward as Sophia, a shark expert trying to track a mako shark—or at least she thinks that’s what it is. After facing a tragedy, she is called upon once more to hunt the killer when it shows up in France’s waterways as a significant event approaches. The first thing you’ll notice is the dubbing. It’s not great. I wish they would release the original and provide a closed caption because the dubbing is pretty distracting. The story is exciting and unique, earning it bonus points in my book. It’s not the same shark movie we’ve seen repeatedly. It takes a few twists along the way that will surprise you. I wish the secondary characters were a little more fleshed out, but they are primarily snacks for the predator. There was one death I didn’t expect and I am so thankful the
Continue reading →
