Well, third time’s the charm. It’s no secret that I wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about The Strangers Chapter 1 or 2. Trading in the worst of jump scare tactics, while also being remarkably meek, ironic for a franchise defined by its chilling brutality, both films were exhausting exercises in patience as …
There are many subgenres of horror, but one of the most reliable is the “kids eff around and find out”. It’s a reliable setup that doesn’t require much work from filmmakers or the audience to make for a good time at the movies, even if the film we’re talking about …
Unlike the experience I had yesterday with Mercy, I walked into the theater to watch Send Help with considerably high expectations. Not just because of the positive reception circulating among most of my colleagues and the general public, but because the prospect of seeing a master like Sam Raimi (Spider-Man) …
2025 has been a strong year of Stephen King adaptations. These include It: Welcome to Derry, The Running Man, and The Life of Chuck. One of the darkest would have to go to the adaptation of his story The Long Walk directed by Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games franchise). Set …
Cinderella meets Monstro Elisasue in Norwegian filmmaker Emilie Blichfeldt’s directorial debut The Ugly Stepsister, which at once functions like a twisted paean to and a biting, though still-restrained, rebuke of the whole Cinderella fairy tale, all hinged on a sinisterly fascinating performance from Lea Myren, who plays the title character. …
I still feel the disconcerting echo of the ending of the previous film in this saga. I confess that my approach to this new chapter was cautiously nervous, the result of that highly dissonant conclusion of 28 Years Later that left me, at the time, not quite knowing what to …
Who would’ve thought that the first studio production of the year would be a genuine heater, especially given that the January slate doesn’t usually promise a good time at the movies? Who would’ve also thought that a major Hollywood studio would greenlight what is essentially an exploitation film, promising a …
A mishmash of moods held together by preposterous musical numbers is part of the appeal of most Indian cinema, but Telugu-language The RajaSaab holds together worse than most. There are three movies inside The RajaSaab struggling to get out: a haunted-house horror thriller, a paean to the grandmothers who raised …
Romanian writer-director Andrei Epure already tested the premise of his feature debut Don’t Let Me Die, which premiered in the Filmmakers of the Present section of the 2025 Locarno Film Festival, in his 2021 short film Intercom 15, an entry in Cannes’ Critics’ Week. In fact, exactly seven minutes into …
Looking for something to entertain you during the holidays but not consume all your time and energy during this busy season? Then I’ve got the book for you: Extremity by Nicholas Binge. It all starts with two murders that have the same victim. Everything from the face to the fingerprints …
Most people don’t feel terror when it comes to walking. Even if they don’t particularly like walking or reaching 10,000 steps a day seems like a lot, they still don’t have nightmares over it. But in The Long Walk, Stephen King tries to turn this everyday activity into the stuff …
Horror films have been one of the most interesting genres to watch in 2025. While not a self-proclaimed horror fan myself, it is hard to deny how enjoyable they have been to watch this year. One of the best films of the year, 28 Years Later (the third film in …
Content Note: The following contains spoilers for episode 2 of It: Welcome to Derry. The show also deals with child death/harm and mental institutions, so proceed with caution if those are sensitive subjects. The end of episode 1 of It: Welcome to Derry was a significant shocker, with several kids who seemed like …
For someone who watches a lot of horror movies, I can get easily scared. It probably sounds paradoxical to also admit that I don’t exactly enjoy the feeling of being scared; however, I digress. That being said, context is always important when it comes to what might freak me out, …
Continuing his prolific year, the Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude releases his second high-profile work of the year, his highly anticipated Dracula. Previously known as Dracula Park, its production name has had the growing hype since Jude’s last fiction work: Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World. …
Writer-director-cinematographer-editor-composer Mark Jenkin has an idiosyncratic vision for Rose of Nevada, not just in how many of the behind the camera jobs he does himself, but also in how his corner of England is portrayed onscreen. For Mr. Jenkin is not English but Cornish (and you better believe there’s a …
I have been a Stephen King fan since high school. And despite its numerous questionable aspects, It has remained my favorite of his novels. The screen adaptations have had varying levels of success, and Andy Muschietti, along with Bill Skarsgård, did a great job of updating Pennywise for a new …
How does one top a near-perfect piece of cinema such as 2021’s The Black Phone? This supernatural thriller from Scott Derrickson is easily one of the best horror films in recent years, with a story so creepy and haunting that you’ll need to sleep with the lights on. The right …
I’m not a sports guy, which I feel is important to state before I go any further in this review. Friends and family have tried many times before to teach me the rules of games like football and baseball, but to no avail. I can analyze a Broadway show or …
“Allegedly, The Strangers: Chapter 2 is scheduled to hit cinemas later this year. It cannot possibly be as awful as this one. I may have to rethink my life choices if it is.” I concluded my review of The Strangers: Chapter 1, one of 2024’s worst films, with these words. …