Boy, I really wanted to like this one. There’s so much in its favor: a dark, nihilistic social landscape reminiscent of what you’d find in the books of Jim Thompson. Skilled actors, especially the young protagonist played by Jack Dylan Grazer, and the possible antagonist played by Rainn Wilson. A plot centered around an excruciating…

When I was eighteen, a friend of mine showed me a copy of the 1978 rape revenge thriller “I Spit on Your Grave.” It was a movie with a stained aura, famous for its scenes of brutal violence and sex. This was before Internet video, so pertaining access to such taboo products came with a…

I don’t talk much about television shows here, partly because there isn’t much horror on television. (I’ve found seasons of American Horror Story hit or miss—sometimes brilliant, sometimes unwatchable.) Because it aired on STARZ, otherwise known as the network nobody watches, I missed the horror comedy series Shining Vale that ran a few years ago.…

From the title, this sounds like an episode in a British mystery show, or maybe an old Hardy Boys adventure. In fact, it’s a rather weird thriller set on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. At the film’s beginning, Abby, a thirty-something woman, returns to her hometown to protest the sale of her recently deceased…

If you read my review of the film “Trapped”, you know my thoughts about M. Night Shyamalan. I thought “The Sixth Sense” was a terrific debut, but he, unfortunately, hasn’t made a strong film since. Hold that thought in your head while I discuss “Watchers,” a 2024 horror/fantasy work starring Dakota Fanning. I went into…

Ever wonder what the Nancy Drew stories would be like if she investigated the murders of a serial killer who, among other things, made his victims drink bleach? I have. At one point, I have the idea of writing a novel that took characters in the mold of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew and…

Yeah, y’all can go ahead and skip this one. It came recommended to me on Facebook as being really scary. And it had a shot, but ultimately fell apart on landing. The plot is intriguing. A rookie police woman capably played by Juliana Harkavy is tasked with taking the last shift—manning the phone, dealing with…

Occasionally movies pop up that I want to like. They may not be the greatest, but they seem like the passion projects of young filmmakers trying to get a foothold in the business. I imagine they maxed out their credit cards and took loans from rich uncles to get the project funded. As such, I’m…

When I was in my twenties, I discovered the British film “Peeping Tom” about a serial killer who uses a movie camera to film his murders of young women. I suspect that film, made in 1960, as well as Hitchcock’s “Psycho”, released the same year, were big influences on 1965’s “The Collector.” All three movies…

Action horror” can be considered its own subgenre, one with distinct scenarios and tropes. A recurring setup involves characters trapped in a confined area, forced to fight amongst themselves to escape. In movie form, this might be “Escape from New York” (and “L.A.”), “Battle Royale”, and “The Warriors.” “Black Friday” has a lot of fun…

It’s easy to forget that before “The Matrix” we had movies built on the idea that we might be living in a false reality. 1992’s sci-fi/horror film “Mindwarp” is one such film. If you’ll allow me a tangent, let’s explore this theme, which goes back to Plato and his shadows on cave walls, or similar…

I first saw David Cronenberg’s “The Fly” when it came out in 1986. Hot damn, did they know how to make horror movies back then. I’ve rewatched it a few times over the years, most recently with my mom about a week ago, and I’m pleased to report it still holds up as a masterpiece…

Just when you think you’ve seen every slasher ever made in the 80s, a new one pops up.  1980’s “Funeral Home” was a low rent, relatively bloodless horror flick. If you know what you’re getting into, it’s fun enough. Young Heather comes to work with her grandmother in some nameless small town for the summer.…

The film “Suitable Flesh” is based on H.P. Lovecraft’s short story “The Thing on the Doorstep”, but I’m pretty sure the famed horror author’s brain would melt out of his ears if he saw it. My understanding is H.P. was somewhat prudish, and “Suitable Flesh”, starring the vivacious Heather Grarham, is a breastiliscious sex-fest. It’s…

I’ve talked about the challenges that come with uniting horror and comedy, two disparate elements that might be the oil and water of the storytelling world. A while back, I critiqued the film “Night of the Living Deb” which I felt fell flat in its attempt. Good news: “Life After Beth” is the movie “Night…