Review: Mike P. Nelson’s ‘Silent Night, Deadly Night’
“Nelson’s ‘Silent Night, Deadly Night’ redux is a masterclass in how to successfully reboot a franchise while paving a bloody path forward that is uniquely its own.”
Joey Keogh
Review: Kurtis David Harder’s ‘Influencers’
“‘Influencers’ does what all great horror sequels do: it ups the ante considerably, it increases the body count, the kills become much more elaborate and the writer-director organically deepens the already-established mythology.”
Twists, Turns, Frights and Some Personal Growth: ‘Goosebumps’ Still Rules at 10
“‘Goosebumps’ stands as further proof that there’s real demand for scary movies for kids…”
Review: Tina Romero’s ‘Queens of the Dead’
“‘Queens of the Dead’ is queer excellence in all its messy glory.”
Review: David Moreau’s ‘Other’
“‘Other’ may not be the sharpest or most original take on childhood abuse, but there’s more than enough to keep viewers invested until the devastating denouement — especially if you’re a parent.”
Review: Joe Begos’ ‘Jimmy and Stiggs’
“‘Jimmy and Stiggs’ is frenetic, metal AF and feels dangerous, which is something that’s sadly missing from a lot of modern horror movies.”
VV Double Review (1/2): Macon Blair’s ‘The Toxic Avenger’
“Blair’s ‘The Toxic Avenger’ does what a great reboot should do — the film carves its own path, in every sense of the word, while paying homage to what came before and taking some big swings along the way.”
Review: Zach Cregger’s ‘Weapons’
“Cregger is less interested in the ways in which his characters rise to the occasion in ‘Weapons’ and more concerned with how they fall short at the worst possible moment.”
Review: Paul Etheredge’s ‘The Other’
“‘The Other’ is a massive technical achievement with some real heart, and Etheredge fortunately avoids bland metaphors about racism.”
Review: Morihito Inoue’s ‘Hotspring Sharkattack’
“There’s a madcap charm to ‘Hotspring Sharkattack,’ a real sense of DIY ingenuity and, crucially, fun, which makes the film impossible to resist.”
Review: Christopher Smith’s ‘Consecration’
“‘Consecration’ is a disjointed affair with sparks of interest scattered throughout that nonetheless ends up as a middling entry into the newly popular religious horror sub-genre.”
Review: Sean Byrne’s ‘Dangerous Animals’
“Byrne paces ‘Dangerous Animals’ perfectly, hitting all the scariest beats with the requisite care and attention to detail…”
Review: Maurice O’Carroll’s ‘Swing Bout’
“‘Swing Bout’ doesn’t establish enough of a backstory for any of the key players for them to register beyond the individual performances…”
Review: Alexis Langlois’ ‘Queens of Drama’
“Unapologetically queer, sexy, messy and celebratory all at once, by refusing to conform to mainstream norms and instead leaning into the chaos, ‘Queens of Drama’ is utterly transcendent.”
Too Terrified to Log Off: 10 Years Later, ‘Unfriended’ Is Still Ruthlessly Effective
“Taken purely as a cheap thrills style horror movie, ‘Unfriended’ is hugely effective. But as an unflinching denouncement of peer pressure and cyberbullying, it’s downright terrifying.”
Review: Drew Hancock’s ‘Companion’
“‘Companion’ is fiercely, unabashedly feminist.”
Review: Steffen Haars’ ‘Get Away’
“‘Get Away’ takes a significant amount of time to set up a payoff that isn’t given the requisite space to breathe once the big moment arrives.”
Review: Mary Dauterman’s ‘Booger’
“‘Booger’ is a surprisingly poignant and sensitive meditation on grief that utilizes a truly wild metaphor.”
Review: Zach Clark’s ‘The Becomers’
“With ‘The Becomers,’ Clark frequently barrels all the way to the edge of the line but rarely puts anything more than a toe across it.”
Review: Steven Kostanski’s ‘Frankie Freako’
“‘Frankie Freako’ is deliriously silly and wholesomely entertaining, and so genuine in its profound lack of depth or meaning — it’s a refreshing antidote to all the dreaded “elevated horror” offerings.”