The Retaliators
Objectively superficial and messy, but that doesn’t mean it fails to entertain; The Retaliators is arguably brainless genius.
She Will
Haunting cinematography and subtle, constant terror are a perfect reflection of the patriarchy’s oppression of women.
The Righteous
A reluctance to spiral into the supernatural or grotesque prevents The Righteous from landing its message with conviction.
Father of Flies
Unreliable characters in an ethereal setting drive this powerful parable on disintegrating families and stolen childhood.
Amulet
With an allegory that seethes on its underbelly, Amulet is a disturbing and enigmatic picture that reflects a strikingly bleak view.
Prisoners of the Ghostland
The world Sono builds is engrossing and overwhelming, but the narrative never appears to shift out of first gear.
Jakob’s Wife
Hallmarks of the vampire genre coupled with a small-town America backdrop challenge patriarchal institutions.
My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To
Incredible performances drive an emotional weight that oozes a transcendent power guaranteed to haunt you.
Initiation
Despite some shortcomings, Initiation, particularly in the wake of #MeToo, should be applauded for tackling these issues with gravity.
Willy’s Wonderland
An unapologetically ridiculous, trippy ride that will satisfy ardent fans of carefree horrors and, of course, Nicolas Cage himself.
Little Nightmares II
With a strangeness equalled by its unambiguity, Little Nightmares II has a fearless simplicity that allows the eerie, ethereal beauty of its visuals, music and sound effects to shine.
Train To Busan Presents: Peninsula
Scratches the surface of what the genre is capable of enunciating, but still provides the pales of gore and absurdity that make it so perpetually fascinating.
Maid of Sker
For gamers who can forgive certain flaws, Maid of Sker has a disturbing atmosphere and some wonderful eccentricities that are worth exploring.
The Inner Friend
Much like the work of Don DeLillo or David Lynch, the narrative summons more questions and mysteries than conclusions or answers.
Sea Fever
A terse, tight-fisted thriller possessing an inadvertent power that allows the audience to connect with the characters and their dire circumstances.
VFW
With its gritty cinematography, amplified violence and John Carpenter-esque soundtrack, VFW is a gruesomely entertaining bloodbath that oozes with nostalgia.
Itsy Bitsy
Occasionally eerie but doesn’t surprise us with any unique quirks that make it more than a one-dimensional creature feature.
Hail Satan?
Lane's documentary delivers a unique perspective: an inverted, transposed battle of good vs. evil that’s farcical and horrifying in equal measures.
Shed of the Dead
While this feature has a couple of notably gory moments, it seems to ignore the crucial cues that define and distinguish the genre.
Videoman
Brilliantly tragic and darkly comical performances successfully communicate the nihilistic sentiments at Videoman's core.
Castle Rock
A compelling plot explores Stephen King’s core themes while creating something truly unique with his mammoth bibliography.
American Guinea Pig: Sacrifice
In a stern test for even the most hardened splatter film fanatics, Roberto Scorza offers a powerful solo performance.
Habit
With nihilism and transgressional fiction at its core, Habit provides a putrid snapshot into a sordid, untold underworld.
Zombiology
Endlessly packed with memorable quirks and some exquisite anime sequences, this eccentric effort is essential viewing.
Caniba
Caniba provides a confidential, intoxicatingly claustrophobic portrait of Issei Sagawa that never fails to subtly unsettle and horrify.
Kuso
With the potential to become an instant cult classic, Kuso is a 90-minute assault on the senses which begs repeated viewing.
Lake Bodom
Masterfully blends suspense with breakneck violence to produce what is perhaps one of the best teen slashers of the 21st century.
Penny Dreadful: The Awakening #1
A huge deviation in tone from the derelict moodiness captured by director J. A. Bayona, despite some wonderful artwork.
Blind Sun
Explores uncomfortable humanitarian and environmental issues, but these themes fail to harmonise with supernatural elements.
Under the Shadow
A triumphant debut effort which offers unique tension and poignancy and isn’t afraid to confront uncomfortable cultural realities.
Train to Busan
Sardonic elements balance with emphatic characters and sharp camerawork to ensure the film's anxious torsion maintains its focus.
The Girl with All the Gifts
Uses all the hallmarks of Britain’s distinctive post-apocalyptic zombie cannon to make for powerfully relatable, bleak scenes.
Cell
Stephen King cultists will find the humour and originality of the author firmly intact, but perhaps only in fragments and flashes.
Prime Cuts: Vol. 2
A sardonic and entertaining chapter in an ambitious and bizarre adaptation, but disappointingly lacks allegorical meat.
Limbo
Ambitious and bizarre, Limbo is a hallucinogenic rollercoaster that takes giddy pride in disintegrating reality and reliability.
Estranged
Could have been so much more, but still an alluring watch which bursts with style and vengeful violence.
Prime Cuts: Vol. 1
Rawly sketched artwork complements the abstract plot line, which will please the exploitation and pulp fiction aficionado.
Wake Up, Maggie
An audacious effort that should be given praise for its unrepentant Maggie, portrayed with fearless honesty and confidence.
Dead Funny
Dead Funny as a collective emphasises the quality, depth and audacity of British comedy, with an enormous amount of surprises.
The Motherless Oven
A cleverly-layered effort packed with satirical humour, with a universe so outlandishly odd it is frighteningly similar to our own.
FrightFest: All Cheerleaders Die
Not a bad parody of 90s high-school horror, but its deliberate clichés fall short.
Blackout
An incredible amount of humour, and the weird-for-the-sake-of-weird mentality is not just ballsy, but also highly entertaining.
All Roads Lead to Hell
Buchan excels at short and twisted love stories, but it’s Simmonds’ graphic artwork that makes the author's prose shine.
Sharknado
Fearless in its idea, but disappointingly lacks the direction and acting needed to pull off its own wacky intellections.
Insidious: Chapter 2
Although the plot loses some of its intrigue, Wan superbly distracts us with his talent to make the audience feel constantly unsettled.
FrightFest: Hansel and Gretel – The 420 Witch
Incredibly fun with some fantastic gore, but falls just short of its own expectations.
La Belle Dame sans Merci
A read with huge amounts of intrigue; there are enough unanswered questions to leave the reader looking forward to part two.
London Falling
An interesting slab of urban fantasy, but while Cornell is incredibly talented at setting the scene, he isn’t as gifted in capturing dialect.
Deadbeats
An incredible amount of humour, some memorable characters, and contextualisation that adds extra depth.