Horror and genre cinema reviews and articles
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An excellent ensemble voice cast uplifts an occasionally wonky live action script. Synopsis: Every night a shepherd reads aloud a murder mystery, pretending his sheep can understand. When he is found dead, the sheep realize at once that it was a murder and think they know everything about how to go about solving it. At … Continue reading "The Sheep Detectives"
A gentle, meandering triptych with a great cast. Synopsis: Estranged siblings reunite after years apart, forced to confront unresolved tensions and reevaluate their strained relationships with their emotionally distant parents Split into three segments, (“Father”, “Mother” and “Sister Brother”), Jarmusch’s film explores three distinct families as they reckon with relationships with their parents.…
Damian McCarthy’s brand of weird jump scares and supernatural presences makes a leap in budget and star power while retaining the uncanny nature that has won him so many admirers. Synopsis: A horror writer visits an Irish inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, unaware the property is said to be haunted by a witch. There … Continue reading "Hokum"
An uncomfortable, yet timely tech thriller. Synopsis: Sam Cornell, a young crisis manager at a tech startup, is tasked with containing the damage from a sexual assault scandal. While trying to control the narrative and support a reluctant victim, Sam becomes a pawn in a deadly game orchestrated by a powerful and shadowy organization. If … Continue reading "Fantaspoa 2026: Compliance"
Possibly Julia Ducournau’s most stunning work so far, Alpha is a potent reminder of societal trauma and damaging cycles. Synopsis: Alpha, a troubled 13-year-old lives with her single mom. Their world collapses the day she returns from school with a tattoo on her arm. Julia Ducournau is not the director people think she is and … Continue reading "Alpha"
This article contains spoilers for Julia Ducournau’s work, including Junior (2011), Raw (2016) and Titane (2021). During the magnetic, roaming camera sequence set to Doing It To Death by The Kills early in Titane, a man is removed from the show after touching one of the girls. As he is removed he is told, ‘touch … Continue reading "“Touch With Your Eyes” – Julia Ducournau’s Cinema of Sensation"
A pitch-perfect gothic exploration of colonialism and reclaimed identity. Synopsis: A Māori Gothic Revenge Horror set in Victorian England, 1859. Mārama begins with an important disclaimer that the film contains scenes of the violation and desecration of Māori culture. It sets the scene for everything the film wants to discuss and foregrounds that culture and … Continue reading "Mārama"
Joshua Erkman’s methodical thriller rewards audience investment with an accomplished assault on the senses. Synopsis: A past-his-prime photographer heads out on a road trip across the American Southwest to recapture the magic and success of his previous work. Instead, he finds himself thrust into the dark and chaotic underbelly of America and unwittingly drags his … Continue reading "A Desert"
Competent video game adaptation balancing a few too many moving parts. Synopsis: Follows Rebecca Owens, a mortuary science graduate who takes a night job at River Fields Mortuary. What begins as a routine job soon turns sinister as she faces terrifying supernatural forces. Rebecca (Willa Holland) is a newly trained mortician under the supervision of … Continue reading "The Mortuary Assistant"
An assured entry into the serial killer genre with a different take on your usual anti-hero. Synopsis: An aspiring LA singer-songwriter confronts childhood trauma, internalized misogyny, and industry fat-shaming until she violently breaks. The serial killer subgenre is home to several narrative viewpoints. As an audience we can put ourselves in the shoes of victims, … Continue reading "Frankie,…
