Review: Natalie Erika James’ ‘Relic’
“James’ arresting, emotional and attention-grabbing film understands that what’s most frightening is barely glimpsed and feels disarmingly normal.”
Joey Keogh
Review: Jeffrey A. Brown’s ‘The Beach House’
“‘The Beach House’ signals an exciting new star in horror.”
Why Criticism: Dismantling the Boys’ Club in Horror
“The main reason I write about horror movies, aside from having a deep and abiding love for them, is that I have a perspective unique to me. But, for certain men, that’s not enough.”
Review: Lorcan Finnegan’s ‘Vivarium’
“Taken purely at its basest form, ‘Vivarium’ is a terrifying isolation horror movie that goes for the jugular.”
Review: Jeff Barnaby’s ‘Blood Quantum’
“Politically motivated but never preachy — and loaded with enough blood, guts, and intestines to satisfy even the thirstiest gore-hounds — ‘Blood Quantum’ is a zombie movie for the ages that honors the grandest traditions of the genre while remaining true to its own unique essence.”
Review: Neasa Hardiman’s ‘Sea Fever’
“In these increasingly confusing times, taking solace anywhere we can is more important than ever, and it’s impressively weird, intelligent movies like ‘Sea Fever’ that offer such comfort.”
Review: Malgorzata Szumowska’s ‘The Other Lamb’
“The female gaze is strong here, lovingly capturing Cassidy’s delicate, open features particularly when they begin twisting into something resembling anger…”
Review: ‘Dark Whispers Volume 1’
“The problem with ‘Dark Whispers Volume 1’ is the same as with any horror anthology — the stories are only as good as what’s come before.”
Review: Joe Begos’ ‘VFW’
“A thrilling, gloriously gory and gleefully simple exercise in cyberpunk nastiness, led by a crew of done-with-this-shit action movie icons, ‘VFW’ is a relentlessly entertaining riot.”
Review: Richard Stanley’s ‘Color Out of Space’
“‘Color Out of Space’ is proof, if any were needed, that Stanley knows what he’s doing and that he should be given opportunities more often.”
Review: Alexandra McGuinness’ ‘She’s Missing’
“More mood piece than cohesive story, it’s impressive chiefly in how McGuinness mirrors the desolate bleakness of the protagonists’ lives with the parched cinematography of their surrounding landscape.”
Review: Nicholas Brennan’s ‘Los Últimos Frikis’
“Nicholas Brennan’s film makes a hugely convincing argument for following your dreams at all costs.”
Locarno Film Festival Review: Tyler Taormina’s ‘Ham on Rye’
“‘Ham on Rye’ has an inescapably student film-y vibe, a bit like a wannabe Richard Linklater joint but without any of the ambition, grit or intelligence.”
VOD Review: Jason B. Kohl’s ‘New Money’
“The questions ‘New Money’ poses are numerous and mostly left unanswered. The film is scattershot at times and tonally inconsistent throughout, flirting with elements of a crime thriller and a goofy comedy.”
Review: Nahnatchka Khan’s ‘Always Be My Maybe’
“The rom-com isn’t dead. It was simply evolving into something more interesting, more modern and more accepting.”
It’s Cool to Be Kind: ‘Mean Girls’ at 15
“‘Mean Girls’ might be a teenager itself now, but the movie’s popularity continues to grow as a whole new generation falls in love with its cast of crazy characters, messages of inclusion and impressively high joke rate.”
Everything But the Beak and Feet: ’10 Things I Hate About You’ at 20
“‘10 Things I Hate About You’ has that slap-you-in-the-face energy. Wake up, it shouts, teen movies can be smart, empowering, entertaining and funny all at once. And they really don’t get much better than this.”
Review: A.T. White’s ‘Starfish’
“This is a moody, thoughtful and impressively weird debut feature from White.”
IFFR 2019 Bright Future Review: Miko Revereza’s ‘No Data Plan’
“‘No Data Plan’ is a story for our times. More importantly, it’s a snapshot of a way of life that’s already become commonplace for untold numbers of people in the U.S. and worldwide.”
Review: Jonas Åkerlund’s ‘Lords of Chaos’
“‘Lords of Chaos’ is a nasty little treat: compelling, involving, fascinating and often shocking.”