The Doctor Will See You (and Probably Stitch You) Now Larry Fessenden’s Depraved (2019) is the rare Frankenstein retelling that feels both ancient and terrifyingly modern — like Mary Shelley got reincarnated as a Brooklyn filmmaker with a caffeine addiction and a serious case of survivor’s guilt. It’s Frankenstein for the age of antidepressants, LED … Read More ““Depraved” — Frankenstein Goes to Brooklyn and Finds Existential Dread” »
The Gospel According to “What the Hell Is This?” Pollyanna McIntosh’s Darlin’ (2019) is that rare horror sequel that manages to be both self-important and spectacularly confused. It’s the cinematic equivalent of a sermon delivered by someone who’s clearly possessed — earnest, sweaty, and screaming about feminism while juggling decapitations. Billed as a “social issue … Read More ““Darlin’” — The Holy Mother of Messes” »
The Plot That Tripped Over Its Own Feet Sabu’s Dancing Mary (2019) sounds like it should’ve been a fun, weird little ghost story. A haunted dance hall? A forlorn spirit named Mary who can’t stop busting spectral moves? A meek civil servant forced into a supernatural adventure with a high school psychic? That setup screams … Read More ““Dancing Mary” — The Ghost Who Should’ve Stayed Dead” »
Sink or Swim, Literally Alexandre Aja’s Crawl (2019) is the kind of movie that takes a simple premise — “girl versus gator during a hurricane” — and treats it like Citizen Kane with scales. Produced by Sam Raimi (which already tells you to expect pain, chaos, and at least one cheer-worthy moment of human suffering), … Read More ““Crawl” — When the Floor Becomes Lava, but the Lava Has Teeth” »
Murder, She Tweeted If you’ve ever fantasized about tracking down that Twitter troll who called your work “trash” and politely removing his typing fingers with garden shears, The Columnist (2019) is the movie for you — equal parts social satire, bloodbath, and stress therapy for anyone who’s ever read an online comment section. Directed by … Read More ““The Columnist” — When Going Viral Means Going Vengeful” »
Blessed Be the Influencers If you’ve ever scrolled past a livestream and thought, “Wow, this feels cursed,” Damien LeVeck’s The Cleansing Hour(2019) turns that thought into a literal hellscape. It’s a horror film about exorcisms, but not your grandmother’s kind — there are no dusty Bibles or whispering priests here. Instead, we get ring lights, … Read More ““The Cleansing Hour” — Holy Water, Hot Lights, and a Hell of a Livestream” »
A Bite of Refinement Emily Harris’s Carmilla (2019) is not your average vampire film — it’s what happens when gothic horror graduates from blood and bats to emotional constipation and candlelit tension. It’s lush, slow, and charged with a sensuality that’s more whispered than screamed. Based on Sheridan Le Fanu’s 1871 novella — the mother … Read More ““Carmilla” — Victorian Vampires, Repressed Desires, and the Perils of a Long Winter Indoors” »
Halloween’s Back, and It’s Pissed If Halloween night had a hangover, it would look like Candy Corn (2019). Directed and written by Josh Hasty, this low-budget indie slasher is a blood-soaked love letter to every small-town horror flick that ever made you fear both carnivals and people named “Jacob.” It’s part ghost story, part revenge … Read More ““Candy Corn” — A Sweet Treat for Horror Fans Who Like Their Revenge Served Cold (and Sticky)” »
Welcome to Nature, Population: Panic Let’s face it — most of us have had terrible days at work. Maybe your boss yelled at you, maybe your coffee machine broke, maybe you accidentally stumbled upon a corpse in the woods and had to guard it overnight while hallucinating from exhaustion. If that last one sounds oddly … Read More ““Body at Brighton Rock” — One Woman, One Corpse, and One Seriously Bad Day at Work” »
Welcome Aboard the S.S. Bad Idea If you’ve ever thought, “You know what would make a great vacation? A drifting Nazi ship filled with coffins,” then Blood Vessel (2019) is the cinematic nightmare you didn’t know you needed. Directed by Justin Dix, this Australian horror film takes the phrase “war is hell” and adds fangs, … Read More ““Blood Vessel” — Nazis, Vampires, and the Worst Cruise Ever Booked” »