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Movie Review: ‘The Kindred’ Is A Haunting Horror Film You Need To See

What’s worse than having your father commit suicide right in front of you? Not knowing why. Moments after waking from a coma Helen (April Pearson) is hit with the news that she has been out for over a year, her father is dead, and that she delivered a baby all while in a coma. The moment she arrives home, she sets out to learn the truth behind her father’s death, not knowing that ghosts from his past would return to haunt her. I had no expectations when I began watching The Kindred, but what I discovered is a damn fine film. From the beginning to the end it is intense, and the story is fresh. As the film plays out, we get so many surprising twists and turns that left me on the edge of my seat. April is absolutely incredible, and it’s easy to tell that she put her whole heart into her role. What we get is a

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jan 11, 2022
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: ‘The Old Ways’ Is One Of The Best Horror Films Of The Year

Director Christopher Alender and writer Marcos Gabriel (Muppets Now, Memorial Day) take us to a dark and ancient place in the supernatural horror film The Old Ways. The film centers on Cristina, a journalist who has returned to her native lands to write an article about disappearing cultures. After traveling to a forbidden place Cristina wakes up in chains in a strange old home in the jungle where an old man and a bruja (witch) refuse to set her free because a demon lies within her. The film takes the horrors of possession, fear, depression, inner turmoil, and demons and spins them into a tale that has the best of both the old world and the new. Yes, this is a horror movie, but it is also about so much more. It’s about a woman coming home to literally face her demons, it’s about learning understanding, and respect, it is about family, and finding your place in the world. There

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Sep 15, 2021
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

Back in 2013, we were introduced to Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as the real-life paranormal experts and demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. At the time we had no idea at the universe that would be born. Now, the third installment of The Conjuring franchise, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is coming to 4K, Blu-ray and DVD. Ahead of the release, I watched the Blu-ray as well as the many special features. Here’s my review. Spoilers Ahead In the movie, we witness the chilling story based on the real case of possession and murder that begins with David, a possessed child. When the curse is transferred to Arne Johnson he takes a life. Arne’s case is the first in US history to be pled as possession. As he awaits his trial things escalate and the Warrens learn that someone is behind the curse that has unleashed the demon, that’s when we are introduced to the latest Conjuring

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 21, 2021
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: 2021’s Alien Invasion Fillm ‘Risen’ Is Left Lacking

Writer-director Eddie Arya’s sci-fi thriller Risen will land On Demand later this August. We got the chance to check it out and here’s what we thought. Starring Nicole Schalmo, Jack Campbell, and Dominic Stone, Risen begins with a family sitting down to dinner before suddenly the house begins to shake as something crashes into the nearby field. This is the first contact with something otherworldly. The film then skips ahead to find the girl, as an adult and a doctor who the military assigns to a case similar to the one from her childhood. An entire town is dead, or are they? The trouble really begins when the dead begin to rise as the aliens take over their bodies. Risen starts off with a good pace but two scenes in, it slows down like it’s stuck in quicksand. And it stays that way with long lulls between the action throughout the entire movie. Save for a handful of scenes, the

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 16, 2021
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: Great White (2021)

It never fails, if I see the words “based on a true story” and “shark” in the same sentence, I am automatically excited, so when I heard about director Martin Wilson’s Great White I had to see it. In the film, “seaplane operators and couple, Kaz Fellows (Katrina Bowden) and Charlie Brody (Aaron Jakubenko), along with their three passengers, Joji Minase (Tim Kano), his wife Michelle (Kimie Tsukakoshi), and hand Benny (Te Kohe Tuhaka) set out on a flight to the picturesque Hell’s Reef. Soon their idyllic trip turns into a fight for survival when they become stranded miles from shore and in grave danger from what lurks just below the surface. Their only chance of survival is to get to the beach, but with two Great White sharks hunting them, the odds are not in their favor. What ensues is a battle for survival of epic proportions against nature’s perfect predator.” This movie doesn’t dick around. It’s action and

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jul 16, 2021
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: Werewolves Within (2021)

It’s a fact, horror-comedies are hit and miss, most often, they’re a miss. But every once in a while, one nails it, think Tucker And Dale Vs. Evil and Shaun of the Dead. I am happy to report that I have come across a movie that should be added to that list, Werewolves Within. I can definitely see it becoming a quick classic. From director Josh Ruben and writer Mishna Wolff (LOL Wolff, how appropriate.) comes a twisted tale of a small, secluded town that is about to find itself at the mercy of a beast. Finn, the new forest ranger arrives in town and soon he and the new postal worker, Cecily, find themselves locked in a house filled with insane neighbors who are all trying to survive a brutal killer, a werewolf. While the movie is bloody, gory, and filled with death, it’s a blast to watch as the clues begin to pile up leading them to the

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jun 22, 2021
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

The third installment of The Conjuring Franchise, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, has now opened in theaters and landed on HBO Max. Here’s what I think. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson return to their roles as the famous real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, which explores the real store of Arne Johnson, which marked the first time in U.S. history that used a demonic possession as a defense in a real murder trial. Consider this your warning, there are mild spoilers ahead. While we’ve known about the film’s plot for a while now, there were surprises in store for fans with many aspects of the story (both real and created) kept under wraps, such as the curse. For that we thank them. I hate watching a film that’s already been spoiled to death in trailers and by advertising campaigns. I’m guessing you’re wondering if it’s scary. The

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jun 6, 2021
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: Son (2021)

How far would you go to save your child? That’s the question posed in writer-director Ivan Kavanagh’s horror-thriller Son. In the film, a young boy contracts a mysterious illness, experiencing horrific pain and seizures. His mother, Laura (Andi Matichak) must decide how far she will go to protect him from terrifying forces in her past. I can’t imagine how terrified Laura was throughout the film, but I do know how well Andi Matichak played the role. She really put her heart into making Laura feel authentic and the emotional chaos Laura experiences feels real. Laura is a strong character with an interesting and horrific backstory. She’s a character you can both find sympathetic and see her strength. And her character development was nicely done. As for detective Paul, Emile Hirsch had me fleeced up to the last moments of the film. I did not see that twist coming, and I should have and it was a great idea. Hirsch did

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
May 15, 2021
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: Random Acts Of Violence (2021)

The Shudder Original Random Acts of Violence, from director Jay Baruchel, has just been unleashed on Blu-ray and DVD by RLJE. Jessie Willams stars as Todd, a comic book creator whose ‘Slasherman’ comics center on a serial killer, who is actually real in the movie, known as the “1-90 Killer.” As Todd continues his road trip with his girlfriend (Jordana Brewster), business partner (Jay Baruchel), and their assistant (Niamh Wilson), murders begin popping up that mimic scenes from his comic. This comic book movie about a comic based on real events that is actually based on a real comic book of the same name by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti. Random Acts of Violence combines the violence and gore horror fans love with an interesting story about trauma, relationships, and a unique way of looking at life. As for the cast, Jessie Williams played his complex character well, but that’s no surprise, The Cabin in the Woods and “Grey’s Anatomy”

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Feb 16, 2021
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: Willy’s Wonderland Is A Fun Filled Bad@ss Flick

I’ve been eagerly waiting to get my hands on a copy of the animatronic horror Willy’s Wonderland from writer G.O. Parsons (interview) and director Kevin Lewis. Tonight, I finally did, and let me say, I was not disappointed. In the movie, Nicolas Cage stars as a quiet drifter tricked into a janitorial job at the now condemned Willy’s Wonderland, a twisted version of Chucky Cheese. The mundane tasks suddenly become an all-out fight for survival against wave after wave of demonic animatronics. Right off to bat, we meet Cage’s character after he flattens the tires of his badass car on a spike strip. Wild-eyed, pissed of, and silent, Cage makes an agreement to clean Willy’s Wonderland in exchange for getting his car fixed. But it doesn’t take long for the action to kick-off and for Cage to turn into a complete badass as he faces off against the animatronics one by one. You see, the reality is, “he’s not locked

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Feb 13, 2021

More from Movie Review

Movie Review: ‘The Kindred’ Is A Haunting Horror Film You Need To See

What’s worse than having your father commit suicide right in front of you? Not knowing why. Moments after waking from a coma Helen (April Pearson) is hit with the news that she has been out for over a year, her father is dead, and that she delivered a baby all while in a coma. The moment she arrives home, she sets out to learn the truth behind her father’s death, not knowing that ghosts from his past would return to haunt her. I had no expectations when I began watching The Kindred, but what I discovered is a damn fine film. From the beginning to the end it is intense, and the story is fresh. As the film plays out, we get so many surprising twists and turns that left me on the edge of my seat. April is absolutely incredible, and it’s easy to tell that she put her whole heart into her role. What we get is a

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jan 11, 2022
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: ‘The Old Ways’ Is One Of The Best Horror Films Of The Year

Director Christopher Alender and writer Marcos Gabriel (Muppets Now, Memorial Day) take us to a dark and ancient place in the supernatural horror film The Old Ways. The film centers on Cristina, a journalist who has returned to her native lands to write an article about disappearing cultures. After traveling to a forbidden place Cristina wakes up in chains in a strange old home in the jungle where an old man and a bruja (witch) refuse to set her free because a demon lies within her. The film takes the horrors of possession, fear, depression, inner turmoil, and demons and spins them into a tale that has the best of both the old world and the new. Yes, this is a horror movie, but it is also about so much more. It’s about a woman coming home to literally face her demons, it’s about learning understanding, and respect, it is about family, and finding your place in the world. There

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Sep 15, 2021
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

Back in 2013, we were introduced to Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as the real-life paranormal experts and demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. At the time we had no idea at the universe that would be born. Now, the third installment of The Conjuring franchise, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is coming to 4K, Blu-ray and DVD. Ahead of the release, I watched the Blu-ray as well as the many special features. Here’s my review. Spoilers Ahead In the movie, we witness the chilling story based on the real case of possession and murder that begins with David, a possessed child. When the curse is transferred to Arne Johnson he takes a life. Arne’s case is the first in US history to be pled as possession. As he awaits his trial things escalate and the Warrens learn that someone is behind the curse that has unleashed the demon, that’s when we are introduced to the latest Conjuring

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 21, 2021
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: 2021’s Alien Invasion Fillm ‘Risen’ Is Left Lacking

Writer-director Eddie Arya’s sci-fi thriller Risen will land On Demand later this August. We got the chance to check it out and here’s what we thought. Starring Nicole Schalmo, Jack Campbell, and Dominic Stone, Risen begins with a family sitting down to dinner before suddenly the house begins to shake as something crashes into the nearby field. This is the first contact with something otherworldly. The film then skips ahead to find the girl, as an adult and a doctor who the military assigns to a case similar to the one from her childhood. An entire town is dead, or are they? The trouble really begins when the dead begin to rise as the aliens take over their bodies. Risen starts off with a good pace but two scenes in, it slows down like it’s stuck in quicksand. And it stays that way with long lulls between the action throughout the entire movie. Save for a handful of scenes, the

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Aug 16, 2021
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: Great White (2021)

It never fails, if I see the words “based on a true story” and “shark” in the same sentence, I am automatically excited, so when I heard about director Martin Wilson’s Great White I had to see it. In the film, “seaplane operators and couple, Kaz Fellows (Katrina Bowden) and Charlie Brody (Aaron Jakubenko), along with their three passengers, Joji Minase (Tim Kano), his wife Michelle (Kimie Tsukakoshi), and hand Benny (Te Kohe Tuhaka) set out on a flight to the picturesque Hell’s Reef. Soon their idyllic trip turns into a fight for survival when they become stranded miles from shore and in grave danger from what lurks just below the surface. Their only chance of survival is to get to the beach, but with two Great White sharks hunting them, the odds are not in their favor. What ensues is a battle for survival of epic proportions against nature’s perfect predator.” This movie doesn’t dick around. It’s action and

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jul 16, 2021
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: Werewolves Within (2021)

It’s a fact, horror-comedies are hit and miss, most often, they’re a miss. But every once in a while, one nails it, think Tucker And Dale Vs. Evil and Shaun of the Dead. I am happy to report that I have come across a movie that should be added to that list, Werewolves Within. I can definitely see it becoming a quick classic. From director Josh Ruben and writer Mishna Wolff (LOL Wolff, how appropriate.) comes a twisted tale of a small, secluded town that is about to find itself at the mercy of a beast. Finn, the new forest ranger arrives in town and soon he and the new postal worker, Cecily, find themselves locked in a house filled with insane neighbors who are all trying to survive a brutal killer, a werewolf. While the movie is bloody, gory, and filled with death, it’s a blast to watch as the clues begin to pile up leading them to the

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jun 22, 2021
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

The third installment of The Conjuring Franchise, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, has now opened in theaters and landed on HBO Max. Here’s what I think. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson return to their roles as the famous real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, which explores the real store of Arne Johnson, which marked the first time in U.S. history that used a demonic possession as a defense in a real murder trial. Consider this your warning, there are mild spoilers ahead. While we’ve known about the film’s plot for a while now, there were surprises in store for fans with many aspects of the story (both real and created) kept under wraps, such as the curse. For that we thank them. I hate watching a film that’s already been spoiled to death in trailers and by advertising campaigns. I’m guessing you’re wondering if it’s scary. The

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jun 6, 2021
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: Son (2021)

How far would you go to save your child? That’s the question posed in writer-director Ivan Kavanagh’s horror-thriller Son. In the film, a young boy contracts a mysterious illness, experiencing horrific pain and seizures. His mother, Laura (Andi Matichak) must decide how far she will go to protect him from terrifying forces in her past. I can’t imagine how terrified Laura was throughout the film, but I do know how well Andi Matichak played the role. She really put her heart into making Laura feel authentic and the emotional chaos Laura experiences feels real. Laura is a strong character with an interesting and horrific backstory. She’s a character you can both find sympathetic and see her strength. And her character development was nicely done. As for detective Paul, Emile Hirsch had me fleeced up to the last moments of the film. I did not see that twist coming, and I should have and it was a great idea. Hirsch did

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
May 15, 2021
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: Random Acts Of Violence (2021)

The Shudder Original Random Acts of Violence, from director Jay Baruchel, has just been unleashed on Blu-ray and DVD by RLJE. Jessie Willams stars as Todd, a comic book creator whose ‘Slasherman’ comics center on a serial killer, who is actually real in the movie, known as the “1-90 Killer.” As Todd continues his road trip with his girlfriend (Jordana Brewster), business partner (Jay Baruchel), and their assistant (Niamh Wilson), murders begin popping up that mimic scenes from his comic. This comic book movie about a comic based on real events that is actually based on a real comic book of the same name by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti. Random Acts of Violence combines the violence and gore horror fans love with an interesting story about trauma, relationships, and a unique way of looking at life. As for the cast, Jessie Williams played his complex character well, but that’s no surprise, The Cabin in the Woods and “Grey’s Anatomy”

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Feb 16, 2021
Horror Fuel

Movie Review: Willy’s Wonderland Is A Fun Filled Bad@ss Flick

I’ve been eagerly waiting to get my hands on a copy of the animatronic horror Willy’s Wonderland from writer G.O. Parsons (interview) and director Kevin Lewis. Tonight, I finally did, and let me say, I was not disappointed. In the movie, Nicolas Cage stars as a quiet drifter tricked into a janitorial job at the now condemned Willy’s Wonderland, a twisted version of Chucky Cheese. The mundane tasks suddenly become an all-out fight for survival against wave after wave of demonic animatronics. Right off to bat, we meet Cage’s character after he flattens the tires of his badass car on a spike strip. Wild-eyed, pissed of, and silent, Cage makes an agreement to clean Willy’s Wonderland in exchange for getting his car fixed. But it doesn’t take long for the action to kick-off and for Cage to turn into a complete badass as he faces off against the animatronics one by one. You see, the reality is, “he’s not locked

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Feb 13, 2021
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