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.

/ February 10, 2021

Relic

A nuanced study of dementia and its alienating effects; an exceptional screenplay creates thematic cues throughout that can be felt in every microfibre.

/ January 18, 2021
Peninsula

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.

/ November 4, 2020

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.

/ July 28, 2020

The Unnatural History Museum

This window into Viktor Wynd's unknown world is an invitation to be disarmed and seduced by the strange, the forbidden, and the inexplicable.

/ May 26, 2020

The Inner Friend

Much like the work of Don DeLillo or David Lynch, the narrative summons more questions and mysteries than conclusions or answers.

/ May 18, 2020

Sea Fever

A terse, tight-fisted thriller possessing an inadvertent power that allows the audience to connect with the characters and their dire circumstances.

/ April 16, 2020

The Wind

A highly enjoyable, atmospheric thriller that unfortunately tails off into a mere breeze instead of building into the raging, frenzied tempest it could have been.

/ April 12, 2020

Why Don’t You Just Die!

Peppered with moments of pastiche, Kirill Sokolov's debut has a zany, kinetic energy that will appeal to admirers of off-kilter, graphic and darkly comic cult cinema.

/ April 7, 2020

Do You Trust Me?

Roger Spottiswoode’s Terror Train is an effective comment on social order, teaching that trust in our hierarchy is a dangerous assumption.

/ March 31, 2020

VFW

With its gritty cinematography, amplified violence and John Carpenter-esque soundtrack, VFW is a gruesomely entertaining bloodbath that oozes with nostalgia.

/ March 10, 2020

Cromwell Stone

A spellbinding tale of forbidden knowledge, ancient otherworldly entities, strange cults, and alien worlds that lurk unseen on the periphery of our own.

/ November 25, 2019

Itsy Bitsy

Occasionally eerie but doesn’t surprise us with any unique quirks that make it more than a one-dimensional creature feature.

/ October 14, 2019

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.

/ August 21, 2019

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.

/ May 7, 2019

Videoman

Brilliantly tragic and darkly comical performances successfully communicate the nihilistic sentiments at Videoman's core.

/ February 18, 2019

Castle Rock

A compelling plot explores Stephen King’s core themes while creating something truly unique with his mammoth bibliography.

/ December 13, 2018

American Guinea Pig: Sacrifice

In a stern test for even the most hardened splatter film fanatics, Roberto Scorza offers a powerful solo performance.

/ October 3, 2018

The Strangers: Prey At Night

Offering the same taut suspense as its predecessor, there is much to enjoy in this terrific exercise in nerve-wrecking tension.

/ August 27, 2018

Habit

With nihilism and transgressional fiction at its core, Habit provides a putrid snapshot into a sordid, untold underworld.

/ June 25, 2018

Demon

Darkly absurd humour, with a deeply unsettling score and cinematography that bolster the portentous atmosphere of dread.

/ May 28, 2018

Consumerism and Addiction

British filmmaker Simon Rumley's latest, Fashionista, is a strange and visually brilliant examination of deep obsession.

/ March 26, 2018

Zombiology

Endlessly packed with memorable quirks and some exquisite anime sequences, this eccentric effort is essential viewing.

/ February 23, 2018

Caniba

Caniba provides a confidential, intoxicatingly claustrophobic portrait of Issei Sagawa that never fails to subtly unsettle and horrify.

/ December 16, 2017

Ghost Stories of an Antiquary Vol. II

While the tales are condensed, key dialogue and memorably nerve-jangling passages are retained. All are hauntingly effective.

/ October 12, 2017

Rift

Ambiguous and beautifully insidious as result, Rift is an impressive sophomore effort from Icelandic filmmaker Erlingur Thoroddsen.

/ October 5, 2017

A Dark Song

An astonishing and brave feature debut that marks director-writer Liam Gavin as one to watch. Highly recommended.

/ August 15, 2017

Nope, Nothing Wrong Here

In conversation with author and film historian Lee Gambin on his monograph on the adaptation of Stephen King's Cujo.

/ July 26, 2017

Kuso

With the potential to become an instant cult classic, Kuso is a 90-minute assault on the senses which begs repeated viewing.

/ July 21, 2017

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage

Arrow present a limited 4K restoration of Dario Argento's startlingly assured directorial debut.

/ June 19, 2017

Demon Hunter

Possessing a strong comic book aesthetic, Demon Hunter echoes the likes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Blade.

/ June 11, 2017

Lake Bodom

Masterfully blends suspense with breakneck violence to produce what is perhaps one of the best teen slashers of the 21st century.

/ May 18, 2017

Halfworlds Season One

Halfworlds brings a strong aesthetic via excellent concept but is ultimately let down by poor pacing and a bad cast.

/ April 6, 2017

Penny Dreadful: The Awakening #1

A huge deviation in tone from the derelict moodiness captured by director J. A. Bayona, despite some wonderful artwork.

/ April 5, 2017

We Go On

A fascinating central premise strongly evokes The Twilight Zone, the focused script ensuring an insular, intimate atmosphere.

/ February 21, 2017

Rare Breeds

A dark, terse and keenly paced little chiller that brims with unsettling ideas and nightmarish detail, subverting expectations.

/ February 15, 2017

Blind Sun

Explores uncomfortable humanitarian and environmental issues, but these themes fail to harmonise with supernatural elements.

/ February 9, 2017

Santa Clarita Diet

Drew Barrymore shines in a stylised affair that revels in a refreshing juxtaposition of viscera with middle-class suburbia.

/ February 3, 2017

Under the Shadow

A triumphant debut effort which offers unique tension and poignancy and isn’t afraid to confront uncomfortable cultural realities.

/ January 23, 2017

Blair Witch

Dream team Adam Wingard and Simon Barrett bring an unusually hit-and-miss affair that nevertheless delivers in a frenetic final act.

/ January 23, 2017

Train to Busan

Sardonic elements balance with emphatic characters and sharp camerawork to ensure the film's anxious torsion maintains its focus.

/ October 24, 2016

Ghost Stories of an Antiquary

Cuts to the core of the horror without ever diluting or compromising M. R. James’ carefully woven plots. Recommended for die-hard enthusiasts.

/ October 21, 2016

Lucifer (TV Series)

Featuring the Devil in his most vanilla of forms, horror fans will be left wanting; Lucifer is disappointingly sparse on strong imagery.

/ October 17, 2016

Wolf Creek (TV Series)

Australian outback killer Mick Taylor returns in Wolf Creek the series, an addictively unsettling watch that comes highly recommended.

/ October 10, 2016

Holidays

As is generally the case for an anthology, Holidays is a mixed bag, touching all bases between effectively chillsome and irritating.

/ October 10, 2016

Observance

Presented as more a thought piece than coherent story, Observance is a truly psychological film and effectively unsettling.

/ October 7, 2016

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.

/ September 21, 2016

Cell

Stephen King cultists will find the humour and originality of the author firmly intact, but perhaps only in fragments and flashes.

/ August 24, 2016

Prime Cuts: Vol. 2

A sardonic and entertaining chapter in an ambitious and bizarre adaptation, but disappointingly lacks allegorical meat.

/ July 20, 2016

Bachelor Games

Ultimately, Bachelor Games falls flat due to lacking commitment to its ideas, but the comedy stitches it together, albeit loosely.

/ July 7, 2016