Tag: Horror

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

Zombiology

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

/ February 23, 2018

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

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

Limbo

Ambitious and bizarre, Limbo is a hallucinogenic rollercoaster that takes giddy pride in disintegrating reality and reliability.

/ May 23, 2016

Some Kind of Hate

Beautifully filmed, with a bleak karmic mantra that makes for a frequently intense viewing experience.

/ May 6, 2016

Night of the Living Deb

A comic, upbeat tone throughout that features more one-liners than you can shake a severed arm at.

/ May 2, 2016

The Sand

There is nothing to recommend here; as a creature feature (mostly) missing its creature, The Sand is an arduous watch.

/ April 22, 2016

Estranged

Could have been so much more, but still an alluring watch which bursts with style and vengeful violence.

/ April 6, 2016

Curtain

Gleefully absurd, a gonzo sense of humour ensures that Curtain is a disarmingly compelling and bizarro genre gem.

/ March 5, 2016

Landmine Goes Click

An almost perfect exercise in queasy tension, but would benefit from a tighter script and better characterisation.

/ March 2, 2016

The X-Files FAQ

The X-Files FAQ is an enriching and accessible exploration of one of television’s most imaginative and popular shows.

/ February 29, 2016

Frankenstein (2015)

Bernard Rose’s Frankenstein is a compelling and thought-provoking yarn that retains an air of unpredictability.

/ February 22, 2016

Navy SEALS vs. Zombies

With its pallid execution and rudimentary story, Navy SEALS vs. Zombies is a highly unremarkable film indeed.

/ February 12, 2016

Backtrack

With a tenuously linked story that lacks supernatural finesse, Backtrack is confused, and a tiresome experience.

/ January 29, 2016

Prime Cuts: Vol. 1

Rawly sketched artwork complements the abstract plot line, which will please the exploitation and pulp fiction aficionado.

/ January 18, 2016

The Art of Stephen Jones’ Horror

Horror relies on image to promote terror and bring hideous ideas to life.

/ December 17, 2015

Sound is Half the Picture

Talking the effectiveness of aural terror with award-winning sound designer and composer Alan Howarth.

/ October 29, 2015

The Messenger

A missed opportunity for exploration of the relationship between mental illness and the supernatural.

/ September 17, 2015

Bait

Burrows beneath your skin from the off, with a sly edit that ekes out the tension to unbearable levels.

/ September 7, 2015

Cub

For a first-time feature, Cub is a multi-faceted approach that proves too ambitious, let down by incomplete narrative.

/ August 1, 2015