A Hero, a Head, and a Whole Lot of Mood Let’s face it — grief is messy. Some people turn to therapy. Others try yoga. And then there’s the protagonist of The Head Hunter, who processes his trauma by murdering mythological creatures and keeping their decapitated heads as a home décor choice. Jordan Downey’s The … Read More ““The Head Hunter” (2018) — When Medieval Therapy Involves Decapitation and Existential Dread” »
The Desert Eats Dumb Decisions for Breakfast There’s a special place in horror heaven for movies like Head Count — small, stylish, smart, and just self-aware enough to wink at you while it ruins your sleep schedule. Directed by Elle Callahan in her debut (because apparently some people like to start their careers by summoning … Read More ““Head Count” — The Indie Horror That Proves You Should Never Read Cursed Creepypastas Out Loud” »
Welcome to Frat Hell Let’s get this out of the way: Haunting on Fraternity Row isn’t so much a horror movie as it is a cinematic hangover — loud, messy, and full of regrets. It’s the kind of film that makes you nostalgic for your own bad decisions because at least yours didn’t involve accidentally … Read More ““Haunting on Fraternity Row” — When the Only Thing Scarier Than the Demon Is the Script” »
The Night He Came Back… for a Decent Script Some movies are scary. Some are nostalgic. And then there are those rare few that make you want to high-five your sibling halfway through the slaughter — Halloween (2018) falls gloriously into that category. Maybe I have a soft spot for this one because it was … Read More ““Halloween” (2018) — The Boogeyman Comes Home (Again), and This Time, He’s Classy About It” »
Welcome to Wales, Where Hope Goes to Die Beautifully There are “feel-bad” movies, and then there’s Gwen — a film so bleak it makes The Witch look like a tourism commercial for New England. It’s a slow-burning, mud-drenched slice of gothic folk horror that’s equal parts Emily Brontë and A24 fever dream. And somehow, it’s … Read More ““Gwen” — Bleak, Beautiful, and Bloody Brilliant” »
The Jewish Frankenstein (and Then Some) In a cinematic world overflowing with haunted dolls, creepy nuns, and possessed smartphones, The Golem (2018) feels like a refreshing blast of Old Testament terror — an ancient story that manages to feel hauntingly modern. Directed by Doron and Yoav Paz (yes, the same brothers who gave us JeruZalem, … Read More ““The Golem” — Mud, Magic, and Motherhood Done Right” »
When the Dead Should’ve Stayed Dead There’s an old saying in horror: “If you’ve killed the protagonist twice and he keeps coming back, maybe you’re the villain.” Gogol: A Terrible Vengeance is the cinematic embodiment of that principle — a resurrection nobody asked for, dragging itself out of the coffin just long enough to bore … Read More ““Gogol: A Terrible Vengeance” — The Horseman Rides Again… and Immediately Falls Off the Script” »
The Devil Went Viral There was a time when horror movies terrified us with monsters lurking in the shadows. In Followed, the monster is a Wi-Fi-enabled narcissist with a ring light. And somehow—it works. Antoine Le’s debut feature turns influencer culture into both a punchline and a nightmare, a YouTube séance disguised as a found-footage … Read More ““Followed” — The Haunting of the Hashtag Generation” »
Lights, Camera, Existential Terror There’s something beautifully cruel about Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum. It’s a found-footage film about people livestreaming their own death—and the fact that it’s also a savage satire of social media addiction just makes it all the better. Directed by Jung Bum-shik, this 2018 Korean horror masterwork is like The Blair Witch Project … Read More “Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018): Found Footage, Found Fear, and Found Fame—At What Cost?” »
The Only Mystery Here Is How Anyone Stayed Awake Let’s start with the obvious: Gogol. Viy isn’t just bad—it’s the cinematic equivalent of trying to read Russian literature while being repeatedly slapped with a jar of borscht. Directed by Egor Baranov and masquerading as a supernatural thriller, this 2018 sequel to Gogol: The Beginning manages … Read More “Gogol. Viy (2018): Where Coherence Goes to Die (and Then Gets Resurrected by a Noseless Demon)” »