Category: Film
Mom
When horror breaks rank and explores the raw realities of postnatal depression, we’re witnesses to something even more terrifying.
Birdeater
Brooding cinematography, jarring audio and an oddball cast build a sense of tension and paranoia that looms like a black cloud.
Last Straw
The viewer gutting it out to the bitter end will be treated to some unexpected flourishes that are arguably worth the wait.
Inherit the Witch
For a few rare moments it all comes together for something approaching chilling, but the finished results are lacking.
The Vourdalak
A beguiling film that rewards patience, The Vourdalak looks like nothing else that’s graced our screens for years.
The Beast Within
Stunning cinematography, strong performances and a palpable sense of isolation make for powerful viewing.
Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person
Faith in its characters and directorial vision, rather than gore and gimmicks, elevate this picture into a fable about morality.
The Coffee Table
The simplicity of its narrative arc is its biggest strength, allowing the script’s jet-black humour to work its absurd wizardry.
Lovely, Dark, and Deep
Consummately juxtaposes the staggering beauty of its locations with their immense (and somehow suffocating) vastness.
Lord of Misrule
William Brent Bell's irreverent world throws the viewer into what feels like something between a fever dream and a nightmare.
Herd
Herd implores us to ask the most important question at the heart of every great zombie fable: who are the real monsters?
Hunt Club
Hunt Club is an erratic, nebulous mess, but in many ways it perfectly mirrors and satirises the absurdity of toxic masculine ideals.
Swallowed
A more delicate expression of the body horror subgenre that is closer to reality and, arguably, more tragic and disturbing.
V/H/S/99
A gritty, bitty car crash into memory lane that impressively stitches its eclecticism together like a grotesque mixtape.
Bitch Ass
Some memorable performances, but ultimately fails to make us squeal or laugh. Go in with low expectations to enjoy the ride.
Most Horrible Things
Fails to find the level of wit necessary, yet in spite of so much, Most Horrible Things is compelling, exciting and surprising.
The Deep House
A suffocating rollercoaster that breathes new life into an enervated subgenre, trapping us into a nightmare that refuses to let go.
Hounded
Throwing subtlety aside, Hounded is a straight-up lampoon of the kind of snooty toffs that believe the world is their birthright.
The Retaliators
Objectively superficial and messy, but that doesn’t mean it fails to entertain; The Retaliators is arguably brainless genius.
The Witch
Commitment to authenticity creates a genuinely foreboding, oppressive climate that engulfs The Witch and its characters.
She Will
Haunting cinematography and subtle, constant terror are a perfect reflection of the patriarchy’s oppression of women.
Friend of the World
Packed with big ideas that outshine its minimal budget, this Troma is daring, interesting and resolutely not for everyone.
The Righteous
A reluctance to spiral into the supernatural or grotesque prevents The Righteous from landing its message with conviction.
The Prey: Legend of Karnoctus
For fans of action with a twist of gore and a knowing wink, the laugh-out-loud Prey has a genuine sense of fun at its heart.
Night Caller
Both authentic and reverent of the genre’s greatest hits, Night Caller is as gleefully distasteful as the films that inspired it.
We’re All Going to the World’s Fair
A delirious trip into the culture of the terminally online, with a sense of unease that's repellent and deeply relatable.
The Sacred Spirit
Interesting and intense directorial choices find the sweet spot where absurdity, anxiety and satisfaction coexist in harmony.
Father of Flies
Unreliable characters in an ethereal setting drive this powerful parable on disintegrating families and stolen childhood.
Agnes
Peppered with deadpan comedy, Agnes is a film of two halves that examines faith, loss, and what it truly means to be possessed.
The Exorcism of God
Creepy set pieces compound sequences that build to crescendo and do not relent, while quiet moments offer little solace.
The Beta Test
A cautionary tale for the post-Weinstein generation that lampoons the futility of Hollywood’s facile approach to money-grubbing in all of its glory.
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.
Threshold
An impressive slow burner that develops beautifully through to a spine-chilling climax, with unexpected, shocking results.
I Blame Society
This at times excruciating feminist satire is propelled forward by Gillian Wallace Horvat’s delightfully deadpan delivery.
Willy’s Wonderland
An unapologetically ridiculous, trippy ride that will satisfy ardent fans of carefree horrors and, of course, Nicolas Cage himself.
Relic
A nuanced study of dementia and its alienating effects; an exceptional screenplay creates thematic cues throughout that can be felt in every microfibre.
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.
Sea Fever
A terse, tight-fisted thriller possessing an inadvertent power that allows the audience to connect with the characters and their dire circumstances.
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.
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.
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.