Welcome to the Woods, Now Die Screaming Jenn Wexler’s The Ranger (2018) is the kind of film that looks like it crawled out of a mosh pit, stole a switchblade, and decided to go camping. It’s a neon-soaked, blood-spattered love letter to 1980s punk and slasher cinema — the kind of movie that asks, “What … Read More ““The Ranger” — A Slasher with Punk Attitude and Forest-Fresh Murder” »
Welcome to the Playhouse of the Damned There’s a special place in cinematic hell reserved for movies that make you laugh, cringe, and cheer for homicidal puppets — and Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich throws open the door with a Nazi salute and a wink. Directed by Sonny Laguna and Tommy Wiklund, and written by … Read More ““Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich” — A Bloody, Bonkers Puppet Show That’s Worth Every String” »
Welcome to the Apocalypse: Please Mind the Plot Holes If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if World War Z and 28 Days Later had a baby raised on expired Red Bull and broken promises, Patient Zero is your answer. Directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky — who once won an Oscar, presumably in a past life … Read More ““Patient Zero” — The Cure for Insomnia Masquerading as a Zombie Movie” »
A Bloody Good Time Behind Enemy Lines Some movies whisper their genius. Overlord kicks in the door, throws a grenade, and yells, “Let’s make D-Day weird!” Directed by Julius Avery and produced by J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot, this 2018 action-horror mashup asks the question: What if Saving Private Ryan did a keg stand of zombie … Read More ““Overlord” — Where Nazis, Zombies, and Explosions Go to Church” »
Now Showing: Nothing Happens, Then Everyone Dies There are horror movies that thrill you. There are horror movies that haunt you. And then there’s The Open House, a movie that just sort of… exists. Released on Netflix in 2018, this American “horror” film is written and directed by Matt Angel and Suzanne Coote, who apparently … Read More ““The Open House” — A Haunted Airbnb Listing You’ll Wish You’d Canceled” »
A Howl of Disappointment Some films are so bad they’re good. Others are so bad they’re instructional warnings against filmmaking. Onaaigal Jakkiradhai — which translates to Beware of Wolves — belongs squarely in the latter category. Written, directed, and produced by JPR (a triple threat if the threat is to cinema itself), this 2018 Tamil … Read More ““Onaaigal Jakkiradhai” — Beware of Wolves, or Worse, Boring Ghosts” »
Welcome to the Multiplex of Madness Horror anthologies are like buffets — messy, uneven, and always featuring at least one dish you regret trying. Nightmare Cinema (2018), however, is that rare all-you-can-scream experience where everything’s deliciously disturbing. It’s a five-course meal of fear served with a wink, curated by a team of horror legends who … Read More ““Nightmare Cinema” — Popcorn, Panic, and Five Ways to Die Laughing” »
Welcome to the Haunted Multiplex If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if a soap opera, a social-issue PSA, and a ghost movie had a drunken love child, Nagesh Thiraiyarangam is your answer — and it’s not a pretty sight. Directed by Mohamad Issack, this 2018 Tamil horror film promises chills, thrills, and moral lessons … Read More ““Nagesh Thiraiyarangam” — The Theatre Where Logic Went to Die” »
Dinner Is Served (and So Is Dismemberment) Sometimes a film comes along that feels like someone took a blender to Clue, The Purge, and American Psycho — and then accidentally hit “purée” with the lid off. Monster Party is that glorious mess. Chris von Hoffmann’s 2018 horror-thriller is a violent, absurd, blood-soaked satire of privilege … Read More ““Monster Party” — Murder, Mayhem, and Malibu Manners” »
Welcome to the Swamp of Eternal Regret Every horror fan knows the golden rule: if a movie opens with a group of young scientists in the middle of nowhere, it’s only a matter of time before someone screams, “Did you hear that?” and promptly dies. The Marshes — a 2018 Australian supernatural horror film directed … Read More ““The Marshes” — Nature Calls, and You Should Let It Go to Voicemail” »