Horror Movies Reviews
 | The substance2024Body horror, a genre where the horror comes from the repugnant alteration of bodies, how can we not mention cults like "The Fly" by David Cronenberg or "Society - The Horror" directed by Brian Yuzna. I really liked the first part where we have fun with a truly surprising Demi Moore until the clone enters the scene, then the film descends into the most vulgar and useless vulgarity with long and repetitive scenes of erotic gymnastics. Even if the general idea of the film is certainly not original, the photography and the scenography are fascinating but in the second part... Read More |
 | The well2024The twilight settings and the acting performances even of the minor roles are very appreciable, some scenes in the finale give a touch perhaps unintentionally funny that I personally appreciate a lot in horror films. A simple but well-crafted story, with realistic dialogues, the long gore scenes in the film could disturb those like me who do not appreciate them but prefer dark atmospheres and mystery, which are not lacking anyway. A low-budget production that does not disappoint but rather transports us to the past of an Italian genre cinema that is now almost defunct. |
 | Late Night with the Devil2023Late Night with the Devil by directors Cameron and Colin Cairnes uses a retro TV show setting to create an unnerving atmosphere that draws viewers into a slowly intensifying horror. The film’s attention to detail, from the 70s grainy footage style to shifting between black-and-white and color, sets the tone perfectly. The clever cinematography immerses audiences as if they’re watching a live broadcast unraveling in real time, a technique that intensifies the suspense, especially during the eerie "commercial breaks." David Dastmalchian’s portrayal of Jack Delroy is a... Read More |
 | La Reliquia2020Disturbing Rosemary's Baby in southern sauce, "La reliquia" (seen online at the Fantafestival in Rome) is a successful insight into the practices and rituals of southern Italy. The theme is the atmosphere is very interesting and original, but the narrative suffers from the short duration. The cast of actors is exceptional, mostly comedians, but perfectly in part in histrionic (Paolantoni) or slimy (Rizzo) roles. The beautiful and evocative photography creates a dark atmosphere. Effective direction. Note of merit: the use of the lunar music by Egisto Macchi, author of... Read More |
 | Gretel & Hansel2020Anyone familiar with the original versions of classic fairy tales like “Hansel and Gretel” already knows that they have lots of horror movie potential. As a rule though, most attempts to capture these tales on film tend to miss the mark. It’s clear from the conspicuous reversal of the titular names that Gretel & Hansel hopes to distinguish itself from the rest of the pack right from the get-go, but does it actually do the job, or are you better off spending 90 minutes of your time on some other film? Gretel & Hansel is the brainchild of writer/director Oz... Read More |
 | Ritual2013A married couple with a complicated relationship, a corpse, and a room at a less than reputable motel. It’s a classic formula for a horror movie that’s no doubt familiar for many genre fans. It’s also the set-up for Mickey Keating’s 2013 film, Ritual. Ritual is the 14th original film distributed by After Dark Originals. It stars Dean Cates (Pod) and Lisa Summerscales as married couple, Tom and Lovely. Additional costars include Derek Phillips (Serum), Brian Lally, and Katherine Skelton. Ritual opens with a warning title card, promising plenty of violence to come. It... Read More |
 | Dead Awake2016Whether you’ve personally experienced it or simply heard your share of other people’s horror stories over the years, it doesn’t get much scarier than sleep paralysis. Director Phillip Guzman (Sleep No More) makes this all too relatable real life phenomenon the center of his 2016 indie horror film Dead Awake. The film stars indie horror favorite Jocelin Donahue (House of the Devil, All the Creatures Were Stirring) in the lead, as well as Jesse Bradford (Cherry Falls), Brea Grant (Dead Night), Lori Petty (Bates Motel), and others in supporting roles. The... Read More |
 | The Noonday Witch2016When you think of the most chilling horror tales of all time, there are a lot of staples that come immediately to mind when it comes to possible settings – like dank asylums, haunted houses, isolated forests, or just about anywhere that feels a little creepier and more sinister under cover of darkness. You don’t probably think of sun-drenched corn fields or bright summer days in the countryside, but The Noonday Witch may just change your mind about that. The Noonday Witch is a 2016 Czech language film brought to the screen by promising Czech director, Jiri Sadek. (In... Read More |
 | Kairo (Pulse)2001It’s safe to say that we’ve created our share of iconic horror characters here in America. Horror icons like Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Michael Myers (Halloween), or Jason Vorhees (Friday the 13th) are so highly recognizable, that they’re pretty much synonymous with the mere concept of a horror movie. Even so, no country handles horror quite like Japan does. Japanese horror films have a much-deserved reputation for being exceptionally horrifying and thought-provoking at the same time. You won’t find as many homicidal maniacs gracing genre screens in... Read More |
 | The Black Room2016When it comes to classic horror tropes – like haunted houses and the dark secrets they hide – there’s definitely more than one way to approach material that is very familiar to the average genre fan by now. More and more modern filmmakers are adopting a cerebral approach and turning their haunted house movies into social commentaries with something larger to say. Others are focused on simply telling a good scary story with plenty of jump scares and special effects. Still more go for an exploitive approach that is almost intentionally trashy. The Black Room could probably... Read More |
 | The Shrine2010The Shrine is the type of film that comes complete with lots of familiar horror tropes an avid genre lover will recognize. You’ve got the mysterious disappearance of a traveler under mysterious circumstances, as well as a team of people seeking answers as to the details of those circumstances. You’ve got a remote village in a foreign land populated by strange people who raise an eyebrow or two thanks to their mysterious beliefs and practices. Scares, jumps, and mysteries abound as the protagonists attempt to make sense of it all. Given those facts, the plotline of The... Read More |
 | Vampires1998Jack Crow is much more than a vampire hunter. He is a war machine that considers vampires as the embodiment of Evil and teammates as soldiers to be strictly trained so that they never fail. The Vatican monitors him from afar, assists him through specially trained priests, and supports him economically. This unlikely but functional partnership between this sort of crepuscular cow boy and one of the most important religious institutions in the world undergoes a stop when the ancient and powerful Valek breaks into the room where a vampire hunting party is celebrating, making... Read More |
 | The Curse of La Llorona2019If you’re a fan of the ever-expanding universe of The Conjuring, then it makes sense that The Curse of La Llorona would definitely be on your radar. It is the sixth addition to the franchise, joining other recent hits like The Nun and Annabelle in fleshing out the world first introduced by the original Conjuring back in 2013. It’s also the directorial debut of Michael Chaves (who will also be directing the upcoming Conjuring 3) and is, of course, produced by James Wan. Linda Cardellini (Strangeland), Raymond Cruz (From Dusk Till Dawn 2), Sean Patrick Thomas (Kemper, The... Read More |
 | Pet Sematary2019Whether you’re the type of person who loves remakes or simply the type who loves to hate them, it’s highly likely that 2019’s Pet Sematary is on your radar for one reason or another if you’re into horror. It’s directed by Kevin Kölsch and Dennis Widmyer (who also directed Starry Eyes) and is, of course, a reboot of the classic Stephen King film Pet Sematary from 1983. Pet Sematary stars Jason Clarke (Winchester, Trust), Amy Seimatz (The Sacrament, You’re Next, Bitter Feast), and the always legendary John Lithgow (Raising Cane, Twilight Zone: The Movie). Those who aren’t... Read More |
 | Candyman1992In this unfairly forgotten film, Bernard Rose proposes a terrible genius loci: in fact a popular area (Cabrini-Green) seems to be manned by Candyman, a bloodthirsty spirit that guts with a hook anyone who summons him in front of the mirror. Helen finds him out by chance, collecting interviews for her thesis on contemporary folklore. After discovering that some years earlier, precisely in the Cabrini-Green, some violent homicides remained unpunished, Helen hypothesizes to have mistakenly collected only narratives, concerning real events that have been modified, year by... Read More |
 | Hereditary - Evil runs in the family2018“Hereditary” is a literally "homemade" horror. The physical home, as a place of family life and as creative microcosm of Annie, and the metaphysical home, as a dreamlike symbol of the stability or instability of the Ego, are inextricably intertwined in a game of Chinese boxes : a husband , a son, a daughter, and a miniaturist job she loves. But also a bulky mother: Ellen. Annie has always been trying to fix her "home": and soon we realize that something, in addition to the ambivalent relationship between her and the now defunct Ellen, does not work. Starting from... Read More |
 | Carnage Park2016Like his peer Quentin Tarantino, writer/director Michael Keating is famous for making films that are all about borrowing from the greats to create something truly unique. Carnage Park is definitely a good example of his fast-paced filmmaking style in action, but how does it stack up to his other work, and is it actually worth a spot on your running list of must-see films? Carnage Park can probably best be described as a horror film crossed with a crime thriller. In addition to being written and directed by Michael Keating (who also directed Psychopaths, Ritual and the... Read More |
 | A Quiet Place2018There are movies that take their time building a mood and movies that pull you right into their carefully crafted worlds pretty much right away. John Krakinski’s A Quiet Place is definitely the latter. The first thing the viewer sees is a barefoot family scavenging for supplies in the middle of an abandoned supermarket. However, they’re doing so completely silently – not exactly average for a family that includes three children. We’re promptly informed via a title card that we’re on “Day 89” of whatever’s going on and with that, our journey into this very quiet world... Read More |
 | Winchester2018What horror fan doesn’t love a good haunted house story – especially one based on real people, places, and events? That’s Winchester in a nutshell. If you’ve ever been to San Jose’s Winchester Mystery House (or heard of it), then you’re already somewhat familiar with the backstory to Winchester. Also known as “the house that ghosts built”, the Winchester Mystery House was built by Sarah Winchester, widow of William Winchester, inventor of the famous rifle. After her husband and daughter both pass away, the grieving Sarah becomes convinced that she’s haunted by the many... Read More |
 | It Follows2014Horror films at their very best successfully tap into the primal fears and apprehensions of its audience. They not only remind us of the things we’re afraid of but challenge us to ask why they make us so afraid. They also inspire us to contemplate whether or not falling victim to our worst fears is something that can be avoided, and if so, at what cost. If that’s the kind of horror film you absolutely love, then It Follows was definitely made with you in mind. It Follows made its debut at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and was later distributed by Radius-TWC to the tune... Read More |