Horror films that base their supernatural apparitions on real-world phenomena tread a fine line between realism and creativity. To be successful, they must be able to add a paranormal element… Continue reading "Scared Stiff: ‘Mara’ Captures The Real Life Horrors of Sleep Paralysis"
Single-location films are notoriously difficult to pull off. When a film is primarily set in one place, it is the filmmaker’s job to keep the audience entertained and focused with… Continue reading "In at The Shallow End: ‘The Pool’ is an Inconsistent Single-Location Thriller"
Adapted from Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti‘s one-shot graphic novel of the same name, Random Acts of Violence is a lurid story of violence both real and fictional. Throughout, the film hints at a conversation… Continue reading "Murder Most Foul: ‘Random Acts of Violence’ is Sure to Divide Audiences"
A great director can hook you from their movie’s opening scene. In Joko Anwar‘s latest Shudder-exclusive offering, we open on two friends, Maya (Tara Basro) and Dini (Marissa Anita), chatting via… Continue reading "Bloody Roots: Indonesian Folk Horror ‘Impetigore’ Will Get Under Your Skin"
The thought of being isolated from the rest of civilisation as your surroundings seem to turn against you is an all too familiar feeling in 2020. It is no surprise… Continue reading "Take The Plunge: Norwegian Horror ‘Lake of Death’ Offers Terrors From The Deep"
If you’re at all familiar with the kind of films you find for free on Amazon Prime, you won’t be surprised to learn that 2000’s Bless The Child has recently… Continue reading "Suffer The Little Children To Sit Through This Nonsense: ‘Bless The Child’ Falls Flat"
After a brief stint in prison for setting her boyfriend on fire, Mary (Vanessa Grasse) manages to land a sweet gig operating the till at a 24-hour petrol station. Her… Continue reading "Hammer Time: Trauma and Terror in Gas Station Horror ‘Open 24 Hours’"
Of all the words that we reviewers misuse, perhaps ‘surreal’ is the worst offender. Too often it’s the first word we reach for whenever a film presents us with something… Continue reading "‘Peripheral’ is a Faustian Pact For The Internet Age"
If you imagine someone set I Know What You Did Last Summer in a nightclub and blasted the whole thing with a glitter cannon, you’ll have a fair idea of… Continue reading "Style Over Substance: ‘Killer Unicorn’ Gives the Standard Slasher a Glittery Makeover"
Considering we’re living through a period of history where none of are allowed to leave the house and the world around us seems to be falling apart, it’s easy to… Continue reading "An Isolated Vacation Spot With Views of the Apocalypse: ‘The Beach House’ Hits Close to Home in 2020"
From the moment that Thomas Cocquerel‘s eyelids flutter open in the dank hospital that provides the grimy backdrop for Alive, we know he’s in trouble. Severely injured, he is reduced… Continue reading "Mediscares For All: ‘Alive’ Takes Medical Malpractice to a Whole New Height"
Leaking faucets and flickering lights aren’t a couples only issue with their new apartment in Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss, the wilfully absurd horror comedy from Vivieno Caldinelli. Eternally… Continue reading "Take The Plunge: ‘Seven Stages to Achieve Eternal Bliss’ Invites You to Find Inner Peace in a Bloody Bathtub"
We all crave security, community and a sense of belonging. In an increasingly alienating and atomised world, those who can offer these comforts to the unwary have an irresistible lure.… Continue reading "Cult Thriller ‘1BR’ Asks: What Would You Sacrifice for Community?"
2020 is an interesting time to be any age. The generational divides seem more like yawning chasms every day. Boomers hate millennials, millennials hate boomers. Gen Xers are too ironic… Continue reading "The Blank Generation: Boomer Vs. Millennial Slasher Flick ‘Killer Instinct’ Falls Flat"
The year is 1992. Madonna’s A League of Their Own and Brendan Fraser’s Encino Man dominate movie theatres across America. Hardcore is the reigning sub-cultural soundtrack. There are cinemas run… Continue reading "Below The Bible Belt: Does Horror Sex-Comedy ‘Porno’ Rise to The Occasion?"