CategoryReviews
Honest horror reviews of films, series, games and books — no hype, no spoilers, just whether it is worth your time and your nerves.
3,463 stories
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
I’ll admit, when I first learned that a prequel was in the works for the unforgettable and utterly unnerving movie Orphan, I was skeptical on many levels. Now that it’s out today, I can give you my two cents. I was wondering how director William Brent Bell would pull off transforming a now 13 year older Isabelle Fuhrman into an even younger Esther than in the 2009 horror. The answer, a de-aging program, makeup and lighting. Unfortunately, all the special effects just didn’t do the job. The character looks much older in First Kill than she did in the first movie. Which isn’t good seeing that First Kill is meant to be set years prior to the original. Warning mild spoilers! In First Kill we are introduced to the family previous to the one in Orphan. After escaping an asylum, Fuhrman’s character picks a child on a missing persons website and sets out to steal her identity and her family.
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GamingIndieParanormalProductReviews
I don’t know how else to start after playing for hours repeatedly doing the same things over and over again and hoping it would be different with new tactics and upgrading my skills… Those who know that this is pretty much what it’s like to play a soulslike game! Overborder Studio and Team 17‘s new dark fantasy is set in a plague-ridden kingdom where our hero must recover memories in order to save it, this is Thymesia. I want to give OverBorder Studio and Team 17 a thank you for the reviewing opportunity! Thymesia takes place in the kingdom of Hermes that’s being ravaged by a mysterious plague. Players take on the role of Corvus whose lost memories hold the key to saving the kingdom and himself. Now onto the game itself! Thymesia‘s controls will take some getting used to at first and after a while, I began to get used to them. The controls respond well so whatever you
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsMoviesReviewsSci-Fi
Next Exit Writer/director Mali Elfman’s Next Exit is a science-fiction drama with supernatural elements that raises big questions, such as the ever-discussed “Is there life after death and if we discovered there was, how would we handle it?” but eschews attempting to answer such mysteries by instead focusing on the strained relationship between two strangers sharing a car together to willingly end their lives as part of a scientific experiment after it is confirmed that there is, indeed, an afterlife. Rose (Katie Parker of The Haunting of Hill House and Absentia) is haunted by what she has done wrong in the past as well as by a ghost, and she is bitter, angry, and ready to die. Teddy (Rahul Kohli of The Haunting of Bly Manor and iZombie) has issues from being abandoned by his father as a child and sees this opportunity as his chance to finally do something big. The pair are at odds from the beginning but
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsPeacockReviewsStreaming TVTrailers
Like many of you, I’ve been eagerly awaiting to see director Scott Derrickson’s new installment in terror, The Black Phone, which is now out On Demand, VOD, and streaming on Peacock. The Black Phone centers on “Finney Shaw, a shy but clever, bullied, 13-year-old boy abducted by a sadistic killer and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of little use. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, Finney discovers that he can hear the voices of the killer’s previous victims. And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn’t happen to Finney. Young actor Mason Thames, who stars as Finney, gives performs far beyond his years. He’s incredible at emoting his character’s fear, sadness, and desperation as he faces “The Grabber” and the reality of his situation. He starts as a meek, somewhat pathetic character who evolves into a man of the action thanks to the guidance of the spirits
Continue reading →
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MoviesNetflixNewsReviewsStreaming TVTrailers
Netflix’s latest horror film Day Shift premiered on the streaming service this weekend and already has fans talking. The movie stars Jamie Foxx as, Bud, a vampire hunter who works under the guise of a pool guy. Recently separated, Bud lives for his young daughter and the hope of getting back with his wife (Meagan Good). When his wife gives him an ultimatum to either come up with some cash or she and their daughter are moving to Florida, Bud goes into overdrive, killing as many vampires as he can to raise the money. Unfortunately, he kills the wrong vampire, leading to a series of events that puts his family in danger. Jamie Foxx is perfect for his role and while Bud is no Django, he’s still a great character. Foxx plays Bud like he’s part Bruce Willis in Die Hard and part Mr. Mom, but it works. People forget how funny Foxx is, but the way he delivered his
Continue reading →
HuluMoviesNewsReviewsStreaming TVTrailers
When I first heard that Hulu’s new movie Prey, a new installment of the Predator franchise, would be set in the past I had questions about how that would work and if it would even be worth watching, I mean. Let’s face it, most of the recent Predator movies suck. I got comfy, snuggled up with my dogs (Freyja and Rosie), and settled in. And I hit play on what I was expecting to be hot garbage. But that’s not what I got. Instead, I got a great movie. Prey follows Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior, who has been raised in the shadow of some of the most legendary hunters who roam the Great Plains, so when danger threatens her tribe, she sets out to protect her people, stalking and ultimately fighting what turns out to be an alien predator. First, I want to express how grateful I am that the Native American characters are actually played by
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsThrillerTrailers
Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fans of disaster thrillers just can’t get enough of the action and the destruction. The truth is, we just don’t get enough high-quality movies with good stories. But once in a while, we actually get one worth watching. My interest peaked a couple of weeks ago when I reported on the Chinese-made disaster movie Shattered Earth. I In the film, a peaceful town turns into a living hell when a devastating earthquake is triggered, causing buildings to tumble and sinkholes to open. A retired railway soldier and his son, an explosives engineer, travel deep into a cave to rescue trapped survivors. However, a second terrifying quake is just hours away, threatening to bury the whole town in a massive landslide. We’ve got films that include every natural disaster, but we’ve never gotten a film of this magnitude about an earthquake that caused a landslide, which is the major threat. It’s nice to see something new. The film
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
Beginning with that ol’ razzle-dazzle of full-frontal nudity, Matt Jaissle’s The Necro Files (hahaha, clever!) begins moistly with a woman being harassed during shower time by a masked assailant (Issac Cooper)… and his mask bears a swastika, just to let us know he’s evil… which is good because the murder/sexual assault and graphic dismemberment left me wondering. It’s double penetration like you seldom see these days, and it’s a mess, so showering was a moot point… Anyway, after being killed while already apprehended by the police, some masked Satanists resurrect that sex-crazed psycho from the grave by murdering a baby (doll) that is the result of one of his past sex crimes… a move they soon regret as the resulting dick removing rampage really puts a crimp in some of that kooky cult’s style! Having escaped the zombie rampage, two of the cult members are scared straight and decide to use a counter spell to put that zesty zombie, now
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Cult Hero Canadian horror comedy Cult Hero finds disgraced cult deprogrammer, reality television star, and self-described “cult buster” Dale Domazar (Ry Barrett of The Chamber of Terror) living off the grid a few years after an episode of his series featured him leading to the suicide of several cult members. It’s hard to tell whether his mannerisms are an affectation based on his favorite action heroes of yore or if he really lives his schtick. When high-strung, ill-mannered real estate agent Kallie (Liv Collins of Creep Nation) begins to suspect that the male retreat at which she dropped off her beta-male husband Brad (Justin Bott) may actually be a suicide cult, she contacts Domazar, who sees the paid gig as his potential comeback for a second series of his Cult Buster program. Director Jesse Thomas Cook, whose previous works include Monster Ball, The Hexecutioners, and The Hoard, delivers a fun, goofy feature that delivers plenty of laughs along with some
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
One fine morning back in 1940, the citizens of Friar, New Hampshire walked into the wilderness, en masse, and got their asses slaughtered (minus one “lucky” fellow) by who the piss knows what on a trail named Yellow-brick Road. Flash forward to the amazing future year of 2008 and enter Teddy Barnes (Michael Laurino) who just so happens to be the leader of a group of adventurous sorts who trek off to that rural town in search of answers to the distant tragedy. They bring a rad-ass lil’ land rover/dune buggy thing with them too if you are keeping score at home… which you lot never are… Once there they encounter un-cooperative townies (minus one loquacious lass who actually provides some info) before trekking off on the same path as the citizens of yore. Speaking of those folks, as the (seemingly endless) “road” goes on and ever fuckin’ on, they find themselves more removed from civilization (no matter how un-civil
Continue reading →
More from Reviews
MoviesNewsReviewsTrailers
I’ll admit, when I first learned that a prequel was in the works for the unforgettable and utterly unnerving movie Orphan, I was skeptical on many levels. Now that it’s out today, I can give you my two cents. I was wondering how director William Brent Bell would pull off transforming a now 13 year older Isabelle Fuhrman into an even younger Esther than in the 2009 horror. The answer, a de-aging program, makeup and lighting. Unfortunately, all the special effects just didn’t do the job. The character looks much older in First Kill than she did in the first movie. Which isn’t good seeing that First Kill is meant to be set years prior to the original. Warning mild spoilers! In First Kill we are introduced to the family previous to the one in Orphan. After escaping an asylum, Fuhrman’s character picks a child on a missing persons website and sets out to steal her identity and her family.
Continue reading →
GamingIndieParanormalProductReviews
I don’t know how else to start after playing for hours repeatedly doing the same things over and over again and hoping it would be different with new tactics and upgrading my skills… Those who know that this is pretty much what it’s like to play a soulslike game! Overborder Studio and Team 17‘s new dark fantasy is set in a plague-ridden kingdom where our hero must recover memories in order to save it, this is Thymesia. I want to give OverBorder Studio and Team 17 a thank you for the reviewing opportunity! Thymesia takes place in the kingdom of Hermes that’s being ravaged by a mysterious plague. Players take on the role of Corvus whose lost memories hold the key to saving the kingdom and himself. Now onto the game itself! Thymesia‘s controls will take some getting used to at first and after a while, I began to get used to them. The controls respond well so whatever you
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsMoviesReviewsSci-Fi
Next Exit Writer/director Mali Elfman’s Next Exit is a science-fiction drama with supernatural elements that raises big questions, such as the ever-discussed “Is there life after death and if we discovered there was, how would we handle it?” but eschews attempting to answer such mysteries by instead focusing on the strained relationship between two strangers sharing a car together to willingly end their lives as part of a scientific experiment after it is confirmed that there is, indeed, an afterlife. Rose (Katie Parker of The Haunting of Hill House and Absentia) is haunted by what she has done wrong in the past as well as by a ghost, and she is bitter, angry, and ready to die. Teddy (Rahul Kohli of The Haunting of Bly Manor and iZombie) has issues from being abandoned by his father as a child and sees this opportunity as his chance to finally do something big. The pair are at odds from the beginning but
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsPeacockReviewsStreaming TVTrailers
Like many of you, I’ve been eagerly awaiting to see director Scott Derrickson’s new installment in terror, The Black Phone, which is now out On Demand, VOD, and streaming on Peacock. The Black Phone centers on “Finney Shaw, a shy but clever, bullied, 13-year-old boy abducted by a sadistic killer and trapped in a soundproof basement where screaming is of little use. When a disconnected phone on the wall begins to ring, Finney discovers that he can hear the voices of the killer’s previous victims. And they are dead set on making sure that what happened to them doesn’t happen to Finney. Young actor Mason Thames, who stars as Finney, gives performs far beyond his years. He’s incredible at emoting his character’s fear, sadness, and desperation as he faces “The Grabber” and the reality of his situation. He starts as a meek, somewhat pathetic character who evolves into a man of the action thanks to the guidance of the spirits
Continue reading →
MoviesNetflixNewsReviewsStreaming TVTrailers
Netflix’s latest horror film Day Shift premiered on the streaming service this weekend and already has fans talking. The movie stars Jamie Foxx as, Bud, a vampire hunter who works under the guise of a pool guy. Recently separated, Bud lives for his young daughter and the hope of getting back with his wife (Meagan Good). When his wife gives him an ultimatum to either come up with some cash or she and their daughter are moving to Florida, Bud goes into overdrive, killing as many vampires as he can to raise the money. Unfortunately, he kills the wrong vampire, leading to a series of events that puts his family in danger. Jamie Foxx is perfect for his role and while Bud is no Django, he’s still a great character. Foxx plays Bud like he’s part Bruce Willis in Die Hard and part Mr. Mom, but it works. People forget how funny Foxx is, but the way he delivered his
Continue reading →
HuluMoviesNewsReviewsStreaming TVTrailers
When I first heard that Hulu’s new movie Prey, a new installment of the Predator franchise, would be set in the past I had questions about how that would work and if it would even be worth watching, I mean. Let’s face it, most of the recent Predator movies suck. I got comfy, snuggled up with my dogs (Freyja and Rosie), and settled in. And I hit play on what I was expecting to be hot garbage. But that’s not what I got. Instead, I got a great movie. Prey follows Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior, who has been raised in the shadow of some of the most legendary hunters who roam the Great Plains, so when danger threatens her tribe, she sets out to protect her people, stalking and ultimately fighting what turns out to be an alien predator. First, I want to express how grateful I am that the Native American characters are actually played by
Continue reading →
MoviesNewsReviewsThrillerTrailers
Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fans of disaster thrillers just can’t get enough of the action and the destruction. The truth is, we just don’t get enough high-quality movies with good stories. But once in a while, we actually get one worth watching. My interest peaked a couple of weeks ago when I reported on the Chinese-made disaster movie Shattered Earth. I In the film, a peaceful town turns into a living hell when a devastating earthquake is triggered, causing buildings to tumble and sinkholes to open. A retired railway soldier and his son, an explosives engineer, travel deep into a cave to rescue trapped survivors. However, a second terrifying quake is just hours away, threatening to bury the whole town in a massive landslide. We’ve got films that include every natural disaster, but we’ve never gotten a film of this magnitude about an earthquake that caused a landslide, which is the major threat. It’s nice to see something new. The film
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
Beginning with that ol’ razzle-dazzle of full-frontal nudity, Matt Jaissle’s The Necro Files (hahaha, clever!) begins moistly with a woman being harassed during shower time by a masked assailant (Issac Cooper)… and his mask bears a swastika, just to let us know he’s evil… which is good because the murder/sexual assault and graphic dismemberment left me wondering. It’s double penetration like you seldom see these days, and it’s a mess, so showering was a moot point… Anyway, after being killed while already apprehended by the police, some masked Satanists resurrect that sex-crazed psycho from the grave by murdering a baby (doll) that is the result of one of his past sex crimes… a move they soon regret as the resulting dick removing rampage really puts a crimp in some of that kooky cult’s style! Having escaped the zombie rampage, two of the cult members are scared straight and decide to use a counter spell to put that zesty zombie, now
Continue reading →
Film FestivalsForeignMoviesReviews
Cult Hero Canadian horror comedy Cult Hero finds disgraced cult deprogrammer, reality television star, and self-described “cult buster” Dale Domazar (Ry Barrett of The Chamber of Terror) living off the grid a few years after an episode of his series featured him leading to the suicide of several cult members. It’s hard to tell whether his mannerisms are an affectation based on his favorite action heroes of yore or if he really lives his schtick. When high-strung, ill-mannered real estate agent Kallie (Liv Collins of Creep Nation) begins to suspect that the male retreat at which she dropped off her beta-male husband Brad (Justin Bott) may actually be a suicide cult, she contacts Domazar, who sees the paid gig as his potential comeback for a second series of his Cult Buster program. Director Jesse Thomas Cook, whose previous works include Monster Ball, The Hexecutioners, and The Hoard, delivers a fun, goofy feature that delivers plenty of laughs along with some
Continue reading →
IndieMoviesReviews
One fine morning back in 1940, the citizens of Friar, New Hampshire walked into the wilderness, en masse, and got their asses slaughtered (minus one “lucky” fellow) by who the piss knows what on a trail named Yellow-brick Road. Flash forward to the amazing future year of 2008 and enter Teddy Barnes (Michael Laurino) who just so happens to be the leader of a group of adventurous sorts who trek off to that rural town in search of answers to the distant tragedy. They bring a rad-ass lil’ land rover/dune buggy thing with them too if you are keeping score at home… which you lot never are… Once there they encounter un-cooperative townies (minus one loquacious lass who actually provides some info) before trekking off on the same path as the citizens of yore. Speaking of those folks, as the (seemingly endless) “road” goes on and ever fuckin’ on, they find themselves more removed from civilization (no matter how un-civil
Continue reading →
