The Nun feels like too much of a blockbuster with a lack of plot and focus on jump scares to be an effective entry in this horror franchise. The Conjuring series has turned into an unlikely cinematic universe following the model that has made Marvel so successful. However, with The Nun, the fifth entry in the franchise, we're…
The House with a Clock in Its Walls is too deeply weird to not at least admire the effort. Director Eli Roth is best known for his violent and gory action and horror movies like Cabin Fever, Death Wish, and the Hostel series. So it was surprising to see him tackle the a family-friendly PG movie based on the…
Hereditary may be slow-burn, but it burns bright and intense. With some of the most unsettling horror images and setpieces, it is one of the best horror movies in recent memory. When horror is done right, terrifying, heart-stopping horror, it grabs every one of your senses and makes you hyper-aware of all of them. It…
Train to Busan is a heart-pounding, armrest-gripping, teeth clenching zombie flick that breathes new life into the genre. Just when the zombie genre seemed on its way out, then along rolls in Train to Busan. This South Korean production breathes a new life into the genre without straying too far out of its confines. The rules set in…
The Blackcoat's Daughter, Oz Perkins' debut film, is a tense and twisting psychological thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end. Director Oz Perkins, son of actor Anthony Perkins (yes, Norman Bates), seems to have really been inspired by his father’s most famous role. What makes Psycho such an enduring horror classic is the pervasive slow…
mother! is a cinematic experience like no other and features Jennifer Lawrence's best role to date and a story that's as crazy as they can get. There's a point about halfway through Darren Aronofsky's mother! where you're still in the dark on what the film is about, a bit confused, and ultimately weirded out by the film. But…
Mom and Dad is a ridiculous, campy horror-comedy starring Nicolas Cage and Selma Blair with a premise that it stretches to the absolute max. Mom and Dad comes on the heels of a line of highly successful horror movies about the anxiety of parenthood—mainly The Babadook, A Quiet Place, and Hereditary. While each of those examples is elevated…
Annihilation is equal parts beautiful, terrifying, and intellectual while also including an emotional truth about what it means to be human. High-minded sci-fi has defined the late 2010s with entries like Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 defining the period. Another film that could be included in that group is Alex Garland's Ex Machina. Garland explored extremely human topics by framing…
Split is an incredibly tense and well-made thriller that features fantastic performances by James McAvoy and Anya Taylor Joy. M. Night Shyamalan is back, for better or worst. The last Shyamalan movie I watched was 2008's The Happening, so you could understand my hesitance going into this movie. Although I heard mostly good things about his last…
Tense, grizzly, and incredibly well-made, Green Room is a unique and incredibly strong entry in the thriller genre. What can I say about Jeremy Saulnier's dark and twisted Green Room that hasn't already been said? It's a movie that has never truly existed until now. Maybe the general premise has, but the way Saulnier tackles it is unique in almost…
