Tag: Horror

PRIMATE (2026)

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Directed By: Johannes Roberts 

Written By: Johannes Roberts and Ernest Riera 

Cinematography: Stephen Murphy 

Editor: Peter Gvozdas

Cast: Tony Kotsur, Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander, Victoria Wyant, Gia Hunter, Benjamin Cheng, Charlie Mann, Tienne Simon 

Looking forward to a relaxing vacation with friends, Lucy returns to her cliffside home in Hawaii after her first year of college. After all, with her father away on business, they have the house all to themselves. However, their reunion takes a dark turn when Ben, the family’s beloved chimpanzee, begins to show strange aggression. As Ben becomes an unpredictable threat to humans, Lucy must find a way to escape the raging primate and survive the night. But what good is fighting back when pinned down by a brutal force of nature?

Out of all the monkey movies that I have seen, this might be a favor only because it is truly a guilty pleasure.

The film tries to put everything together like it makes sense but when you try to describe the plot to someone and what happens in the story, it just sounds so ridiculous even if it is rather simple.

This film is basically if they made a sequel to Stephen King’s CUJO only with a monkey, because it’s pretty much kind of the same story only more victims and ways in which to bring more victims, a kind of standoff of trying to survive, and then a final confrontation where winner takes all.

This is good if you really just wanna watch a horror movie that’s just brutal. As that is one of the most impressive aspects of the film are the special effects. Especially the Gore effects and it’s graphic violence. This is also a film that has plenty of jump scares, which actually helps this is one of those more classic horror film formulas. Which is meant to scare an unnerve, and it works for the most part.

It’s just not that smart, but luckily it gets to the point rather fast. This isn’t a film where we spend the first half getting to know the character is getting to know the monkey and then realize something must be wrong and then the second half is more of a thriller. Which realizes what it is and tries to get to the point. It’s pretty much a B-movie in glossy clothing. In other words, a low browse satisfactory popcorn movie thank you. Will most likely forget soon after.

The film doesn’t have any real stars, but it does put Academy Award-winning Tony Kotsur in a pivotal role for the film as he is probably the biggest name in the cast. Next to a rather odd uncredited actor here for a cameo mysteriously.

This is The first johannes Roberts film I have enjoyed since THE STRANGERS: PREY AT NIGHT and he has made a bunch of film since then.

Though with most of the victims at first seeming to be female, but then they try to even it up by adding males, which they set up early in the script. It does end up becoming equal as at first it would seem rather sexist that all the females would be in peril and be getting killed off and increasingly brutal ways.

The film even has its first scene which is a death scene that takes place actually later in time in the film, but yet is the opening scene meant to grab your attention. Why not just have him murder another random person for that opening scene and then keep the other attendants peril for when it naturally happens in the story it’s just a weird edit

If you are a horror fan, I would say check this film out, but definitely don’t pay for it. Watch it for free streaming. Where you can and you can pretty much put it on for the background. Though it wouldn’t hurt to pay attention. Even if you know where it is going. As it doesn’t break any new ground you’re just surprised at how violent it actually gets as it seemed more shocked, like a PG-13 extravaganza and ends up a hard one, but for violence mostly.

It stays entertaining throughout and is never boring

Grade: C 

BAXTER (1989)

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Directed By: Jerome Boivin

Written By: Jerome Boivin and Jacques Audiard 

Based On The Book “HELL HOUND” By: Ken Greenhall

Cinematography: Yves Angelo

Editor: Marie-Jose Chauvel

Cast: Lisa Delaware, Jean Mercure, Jacques Spiesser, Catherine Ferran, Jean-Paul Roussillon, Sabrina Leurgoin, Daniel Rialet, Evelyn Dipi

Told from a dogs perspective – the titular Baxter is moved from one owner to another, seemingly never being a good fit for anyone.

Have you ever watched a movie that is so good you have no desire to really ever watch it again yet you would still recommend it. Well, this is one of those movies for me. Kept me watching with fear and anticipation until the end. Leave it to the French.

I was hoping that the recently released film GOOD BOY, would be on the level of this film while I found that film disappointing this was better than I could’ve ever expected as it kind of feels like it’s own version of the film MAN BITES DOG, though not as disturbing, but disturbing in its own way. Though this film could be watched with films such as WHITE DOG and WHITE GOD. Why all these films have White in the title? You’ll have to watch them and see.

This movie is a very depressing indefinitely disturbing though it never shows any violence throughout more leaving it suggested until the third act. 

Throughout the film, you know where it is going but not how it will get there or what it will do when it does and you kind of hope that it might steer itself somewhere else as we get to know the next inheritors of the dog and can instantly spot their weaknesses and vulnerability. especially as he seems to more go after the innocent, lonely, weak and trusting. All those that used to be sacred in films of the past or even of the films time period in which it was made.

Fell through throughout was thankful it didn’t go some places that were expected. As one feels sorry for most of the characters 

they keep in mind as one get older films like this bother me. They aren’t exactly for me anymore, but they’re watching it. It definitely inspired a reaction and kept me watching which can be rare when it comes to certain films

The film disturbed me yet want to read. It’s original source material. A 1970s American horror. Novel. Not shocked that one of the Screenwriter was future award-winning filmmaker Jacques Audiard (DHEEPAN)

I thought the film would be more an ensemble episodic anthology movie, Sort of like the movie WEINER DOG with less quirky comedy. Which then again makes me wonder if Todd Solondz  was inspired by this movie even as this stays more in a certain community in the neighborhood.

The ending is disturbing and sad as it shows a kind of legacy that will continue in its own one. 

Writer-Director John Waters put this on his list of favorite films that will corrupt you when he had an all two brief movie review show of his own

Which ends up being true as by the end, you are scared and feel a bit guilty as a film is going to make you feel something with barely having a Music score to guide you. It’s not flashy stylistically it’s definitely challenging and seek to instigate as you are a fly on the wall throughout and is going to take you with it willingly or even if it has to drag you unwillingly 

Grade: A

WILD ZERO (1999)

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Directed By: Tetsuro Takeuchi

Written by: Tetsuro Takeuchi and Satoshi Takagi

Cinematography: Motoki Kobayashi

Editor: Tomoe Kubota 

Cast: Guitar Wolf, Drum Wolf, Bass Wolf, Masashi Endo, Kwancharu Shitichai, Makoto Inamiya, Haruka Nakajo, Shiro Namiki, Yoshiyuki Morishita 

After a meteor strike aliens attack the earth and begin turning people into zombies. Rockers Guitar Wolf, Bass Wolf and Drum Wolf aswell as their rock and roll blood brother ace and his true love Tobio are caught in the middle of this madness

WILD ZERO starts weird, gets weirder, and somehow still has room to surprise you.

The film quickly introduces its colorful cast before throwing all of their storylines together. At its heart, it’s an ensemble movie, even if the legendary Guitar Wolf stand proudly at the center like the coolest people to ever ignore the apocalypse.

This thing is loud, unfiltered, ridiculous, and incredibly charming. The third act is absolutely bonkers, piling on zombies, aliens, explosions, romance, and pure punk-rock energy. It shouldn’t make sense, yet somehow it feels completely natural. Every time you think the movie has run out of ideas, it casually throws another one at you.

Having Guitar Wolf play themselves is inspired . Imagine the Ramones in ROCK N ROLL HIGH SCHOOL filtered through a Japanese zombie movie with a garage punk soundtrack. They don’t perform every five minutes, but every scene they’re in reminds you why they’re the coolest band in the room. While everyone else panics, they just keep moving forward like the end of the world is an inconvenience. 

One of the film’s biggest surprises is its love story. At the center is a romance between a cisgender man and a trans woman that feels remarkably thoughtful for a film released in 1999. It acknowledges fear and prejudice but ultimately lands on acceptance without ever feeling preachy. It simply lets the characters exist, and Guitar Wolf delivers one of the film’s most memorable speeches about love that perfectly sums up its philosophy.

The world itself is delightfully off-kilter. A club manager is so obsessed with revenge that he’ll chase the band to the ends of the Earth, usually while wearing hilariously tiny shorts. Another character looks like a punk-rock mercenary whose wardrobe somehow becomes more dangerous every time she appears. Nobody dresses normally, nobody acts normally, and that’s exactly the point.

Think of it as SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD nearly a decade early, only traded indie rock for Japanese punk, replaced the exes with a bunch of slow moving classic zombies, and decided aliens might as well show up too.

It’s a movie overflowing with imagination, creativity, and infectious energy. I owned the DVD for years but somehow never got around to watching it until now on streaming. Strangely, I’m glad I waited. I probably would’ve enjoyed it back then, but I appreciate its sheer originality much more today.

I wouldn’t call it a personal favorite, but I absolutely understand why it’s become a cult classic. If you’re looking for something unpredictable, inventive, funny, and unlike almost anything else, WILD ZERO  is an easy recommendation.

Honestly, it feels like the CRANK movies were chasing this same “anything goes” energy years later. Few films embrace insanity with this much confidence and have this much fun doing it.

Grade: B+

FACES OF DEATH (2026)

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Directed By: Daniel Goldhaber

Written By: Daniel Goldhaber and Isa Mazzei 

Cinematography: Issac Bauman 

Editor: Taylor Levy 

Cast: Barbie Ferreira, Dacre Montgomery, Jermaine Fowler, Josie Totah, Aaron Holliday. Charli Xcx, Kurt Yue, Ash Maeda 

Margot Romero, a content moderator haunted by a viral tragedy, must track down a sadistic filmmaker who recreates legendary snuff cinema to silence the internet’s obsession with her own past trauma.

This was a film that I expected to be a bit more racy, confrontational and controversial, considering the source material. I thought it would be a bit more disgusting though really other than some notorious clips from the Internet that are ported to have been real the rest of the place pretty basic or what you might expect even actually a bit more disappointing.

As they have to include a story to make a narrative here but even that while it has something to say about social media, it feels a little late even though this film was supposed to come out in 2024 and was finally released in 2026 it still feels like it’s trying to say something that maybe most of the audience already knows about being addicted to the thrill and being desensitized by violence that we want more extreme more gore as a kind of rush.

Though at times certain seems like an unnecessarily quick sex scene in a hallway just seem to be there either as a bad tasteless joke, or an early warning sign of trying to show how badly this film wants to be rebellious and naughty, unfortunately, throughout the rest of the film that just isn’t there

The stunt casting of Charli XCX in this film amounts to nothing she does well in the small role that she’s given, but really doesn’t have that much to do. There aren’t as many killings in this film as one might expect and it just seems that at certain points, all logic is thrown out the window, especially in the leader scenes when Barbie for our manages to escape.

As everything after that pretty much makes no sense though the lead character at times makes no sense. Either her actions that feel really there only because the script says after telling her we’re training her coworkers oh, don’t get involved in any cases off-line. She immediately breaks that code very easily, and it doesn’t seem like it was really hard to convince her to do this, even though any opening of the film it tried to set her up as stern and orderly, but with a secret in our past.

Barbie Ferrara is OK in a lead role. I don’t think she’s the problem with the film. I think it’s the script and the material she’s given because seeing her and other films it’s obvious she is a good actress, but it would’ve been hard for anyone to make this character and script work fully and be believable and root for the character.

Also, the special effects for this film are a little lame there seems to be this big lead up that kind of hype the scenes up, but then nothing comes from the recreations of scenes from FACES OF DEATH, Here in the film look super fake and especially when they show victims bodies after the killings, you can tell that they are either mannequins or dummies so that it just looks so unrealistic that it kind of takes you out of the film especially for a film that seems well funded

One isn’t expecting a classic, but I thought it would be a little more stronger and inspired rather than what we get which feels basic and a little uninspired. I really wanted this phone to be decent and good especially from somebody who still is a bit uncomfortable trying to watch faces of death from 1983 the controversial video cassette or any of it sequel as any violence that is a bit too realistic makes me not want to watch the rest of the film. If it looks too real or too-plausible, it’s sickens me, and I don’t find that as entertainment

It’s really disappointing that the director Daniel Goldhaber who made the memorable drama HOW TO BLOW UP A PIPELINE is the director behind this and how unrealistic this film feels compared, especially to a previous film. When would think who made something much more stronger and original. as this feels like maybe the title was thought of first and they figured they’d fill in the rest later and this is the best that they could come up with as even when it tries to be Meta it doesn’t exactly work. Unfortunately, this is also a film. One would never call clever.

Grade: C-

THIS IS NOT A TEST (2026)

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Written, Directed & Produced By: Adam MacDonald

Based on the book By: Courtney Summers

Cinematography: Christian Bielz

Editor: Pamela Bayne

Cast: Olivia Holt, Froy Gutierrez, Corteon Moore, Carson McCormac, Chloe Avakian, Luke Macfarlane, Joelle Farrow, Krista Bridges, Jeff Roop

Follows Sloane and four other students who take shelter in their high school during a zombie outbreak.

Based on the young adult novel, THIS IS NOT A TEST feels like the kind of adaptation that probably trims away much of what made the book worth reading. I haven’t read the novel, but I’d wager there’s more room there for the characters to breathe than this film ever gives them.

Instead, it settles into familiar zombie movie territory. Imagine THE WALKING DEAD aimed at a younger audience, only with the occasional surprising moment, yes, including one scene I genuinely didn’t expect. Unfortunately, surprises are in short supply everywhere else. You’ll likely figure out who’s making it to the end long before the characters do.

The frustrating part is that the movie constantly hints at becoming something better. It sets up interesting situations, builds a little tension, then repeatedly backs away just as things are about to get exciting. There are plenty of opportunities to push the horror, the suspense, or even the emotional drama further, but it almost always chooses the safest route.

To its credit, the film isn’t bad. It’s competently made, moves at a brisk pace, and wisely doesn’t overstay its welcome. The cast is believable, likable, and does the best they can with material that rarely challenges them. The movie’s heart is clearly in the relationships and emotional survival rather than nonstop zombie mayhem, and some viewers will appreciate that approach.

If you’re newer to zombie films or horror in general, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this more than I did. There’s enough action and tension to stay engaged, and it never completely loses its footing. For longtime fans of the genre, though, there’s very little here that feels fresh or memorable.

In the end, THIS IS NOT A TEST  isn’t a disaster. it just never becomes the movie it keeps teasing. It’s respectable, watchable, and occasionally effective, but it ultimately feels less like a finished statement and more like an early draft that needed one more rewrite.

Grade: C 

EVIL DEAD BURN (2026)

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Directed By: Sebastien Vanicek

Written By: Sebastian Vanicek and Florent Bernard 

Cinematography: Philip Lozano 

Editor: Maxine Caro

Cast: Souhelia Yocoub, Hunter Doohan, Lucinae Buchanan, Erroll Shand, Tandi Wright, Maude Davey, George Pullar, Greta Van Den Brink 

After the loss of her husband, a woman seeks solace with her in-laws. As one by one they transform into deadites, she comes to discover that the vows she took in life – survive even in death.

I watched this in 4DX, and what a ride. It definitely added to the experience. You don’t just watch the movie. you feel like you’re trapped inside it. The seats throw you around so much that by the end you feel as beaten up as one of the Deadites. If there was ever a movie made for 4DX, this is probably it.

As an addition to the EVIL DEAD franchise, it’s a solid one.

What’s always been interesting about EVIL DEAD is that every era has its own personality. Sam Raimi’s films were horror, but they were also goofy, funny, and wildly inventive. The newer films have taken a very different path. They’re less interested in laughs and much more focused on brutal endurance. The gore is nastier, the violence is crueler, and the scares rarely let up. It still feels like EVIL DEAD, but it’s evolved into something much darker for a new generation.

The franchise has also shifted from following a lone hero to centering on survivors and final girls, with each story built around family trauma, buried emotions, and painful secrets.

This time, the horror comes wrapped inside a family gathering where the in-laws may be carrying more baggage than anyone expected. What starts as awkward family dynamics slowly turns into something much worse, as old tensions, resentments, and dark secrets erupt in the bloodiest way imaginable. It’s a fun twist on the usual family drama, your relatives might actually be cursed.

I have to admit, I preferred the previous film a little more. It established this new direction and felt fresher and more personal. EVIL DEAD BURN has stylish direction, especially during a couple of standout sequences that are visually unforgettable, but overall it feels more like a continuation than a reinvention. It’s bigger, bloodier, and slicker, but it doesn’t hit quite as hard emotionally.

At times, it almost feels like a French Extremity horror film that just happens to exist in the EVIL DEAD universe. For some viewers, that relentless brutality will be thrilling. For others, it may start to feel more like an endurance test that brushes up against torture-porn territory.

The good news is that this entry brings back a little more humor than Evil Dead Rise. It’s still incredibly dark, but those twisted moments of comedy help balance out the nonstop carnage.

For all of its memorable kills, shocking set pieces, and energetic direction, I also walked away feeling like it was a little disposable. I had a good time. I liked it. I just didn’t love it the way I was hoping to.

Grade: B-

LEE CRONIN’S THE MUMMY (2026)

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Written & Directed By: Lee Cronin

Cinematography: Dave Garbett 

Editor: Bryan Shaw 

Cast: Jack Reynor, Laia Costa, May Calamawy, Natalie Grace, Shylo Molina, Billie Roy, Veronica Falcon, Havet Kamille, May Eighety 

Eight years after her sudden disappearance in Egypt, a severely traumatized teenager is returned to her shattered family in New Mexico, triggering a visceral nightmare as they realize she is hosting an ancient, demonic parasite.

A mummy movie by way of the Evil Dead 

No matter what I have to say about this film, I can appreciate that Lee Cronin didn’t simply remake the Brendan Fraser version. Instead of another action-adventure, he tries to bring The Mummy back into the horror genre. That’s an idea I genuinely admire.

The problem is that it often feels less like The Mummy and more like another Lee Cronin horror film. If you’ve seen Evil Dead Rise, you’ll probably recognize the DNA almost immediately.

Horror first, it seems like the mummy cems second. Rather than focusing on ancient curses and classic monster horror, the film mixes together possession, exorcisms, ancient spirits, cursed objects, and over-the-top gore. By the time the third act arrives, it feels more like an Evil Dead movie wearing a mummy costume.

The similarities are obvious, and sometimes it feels as though the “mummy” element was added to a story that already wanted to be something else.

The film is Way too long. The biggest issue is the running time.

The first two acts spend so much time introducing characters, building mysteries, and lining up future victims that the film starts to drag. I understand why Cronin wants to establish the world, but everything feels over-explained.

Instead of creating tension, the movie keeps building… and building… and building.

It isn’t boring, but it definitely tests your patience.

When it works, Once the film finally reaches its third act, it becomes the wild, bloody horror movie it has been promising.

Cronin doesn’t hold back. The violence is brutal, the gore is excessive, and the film is surprisingly mean-spirited. Nobody feels safe, whether they’re children, adults, or elderly characters. That cruelty gives the movie an edge that many modern studio horror films avoid.

The creepy atmosphere also works more often than it doesn’t, even if the pacing occasionally gets in its own way.

I understand Why audiences were divided. I can understand why this version didn’t connect with everyone.

Some viewers were probably hoping for another swashbuckling adventure like the Brendan Fraser films. Others may have wanted something closer to the classic Universal horror movies from the 1930s and 1940s.

Instead, they got what is essentially an Evil Dead-style horror film built around mummy mythology.

That’s not necessarily a bad idea. it just isn’t what many people expected.

This is one of those movies that’s difficult to judge.

It accomplishes many of the things it sets out to do, but it also overdoes them. It explains too much, stretches scenes longer than necessary, and could easily have lost 20 or 30 minutes.

Still, I had a good enough time. It’s entertaining, the cast is solid, and I appreciate that Cronin tried something different instead of copying what came before.

It may not be the mummy movie everyone wanted, but it’s a decent horror popcorn film, even if it sometimes feels like an unofficial EVIL DEAD sequel wrapped in ancient bandages.

Grade: C

DUDE BRO PARTY MASSACRE III (2015)

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Directed By: Tomm Jacobsen, Jon Salmon & Michael Rousselet 

Written By: Tomm Jacobsen, Jon Salmon, Michael Rousselet, Alec Owen, Ben Gigli, Brian Firenzi, Joey Scoma, Michael E. Peter, Mike James and Tim Cianco 

Cinematography: Jon Salmon

Editor: Brain Firenzi 

Cast: Alec Owen, Ben Gigli, Olivia Taylor Dudley, Erik Sandoval, Chelsea St. John, Skyler Rousselet,  Larry King, Greg Sestero, Andrew WK

In the wake of two back-to-back mass murders on Chico’s frat row, loner Brent Chirino must infiltrate the ranks of a popular fraternity to investigate his twin brother’s murder at the hands of the serial killer known as “Motherface.”

This film is definitely for those who are looking for something a bit different and might be movie purists.

This film is based on a fake trailer that was posted on the website 5secondfilms.com and the feature film was produced by them as well. 

The history of this supposed cult movie is obviously made up as there has been no previous films of this franchise. This instead is an homage and original that pretends to be a sequel. Giving all the characters a supposed history together. 

The collaboration behind the scenes and in front of the camera. Just finding out the story of how it got made is as crazy as the film 

At heart it shows a passion for the films it is clearly inspired by and is a B-Movie satire and spoof of those VHS straight to home video movies of the 1980’s as well as those particularly made and filmed on VHS horror movies of that time period. Made on the cheap, usually ridiculous but have a lot of where as dream amateur productions come to life. As much as they could afford 

These are the type of films that would at on USA UP ALL NIGHT. All the time and somewhat censored. Though they have a sense of humor about themselves. They were earnest in what they were hoping to achieve.

The film is juvenile with a lot of off color humor, with ridiculous characters and plot lie s that I respect with being an exploitive slasher film. TBH tough has quite a few surprising cameos throughout. 

At least it stays inventive throughout with practical special effects taking center stage. 

The film feels like a comedy group making a spoof movie. Like KIDS IN THE HALL, BROKEN LIZARD, ASTRON-6. That is how the casts chemistry works so well. It’s silly yet fun especially if you are a fan of horror movies.

Though in the end the film is entertaining, fun, low brow humor, passionate and funny. While also being all over the place and full of cliches 

GRADE: B

HAG (2025)

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Written & Directed By: Sam Wineman 

Cinematography: Trevor A. Brown 

Editor: David Trevail 

Cast: Ryan De Villiers, Jane De Wet, Matthew Vey, Anja Taljaard, Adore Delano, Darron Meyer, Frances Sholto-Douglas, Magna Ngaiza 

After a decade apart, Rowan rents his spare room to Mag – a self-proclaimed “hag”- whose obsession with him grows into a life-or-death showdown.

Now with the title like this, it could’ve easily been a tale of a witch which in her own way, the main character is, but it’s also an out of date politically incorrect term for usually a friend, a female friend or a female, who is obsessed with gay men which this film ends up being about as a kind of updated version of SINGLE WHITE FEMALE, only with a cisgender Caucasian female obsessed with a gay white man and Moore trying to be their ultimate partner, not necessarily their identity

Which is strange as it seems like her character tends to take over identities and those are her victims but here it’s a bit different as she generally seems to want to be a part of this man’s life, but wants no one else in there. So you start to wonder what is the ultimate plan that she has at least in this instance especially as it’s modern and everyone seems to have a cell phone it would be so easy to expose her even if she chooses to keep changing her identity I know I know too much thinking going on watching this film, but that show shows you how less of a distraction this film was.

In the film definitely has its audience as it has a cis gendered straight white woman as a villain. 

Have to say that it leaves the audience  disappointed by this movie. as it’s not as Campy or much fun as expected. It’s a little out there, but it also feels like it plays it safe kind of like a risqué lifetime thriller that is desperately trying to be hip and isn’t working. There is nonteal exploitation to try and make it titilating.

As the directing lacks the flair of what could’ve been especially when you have a willing cast and a script that goes but so far but seems to stop short, quite a few times when it could keep going in an building

The film is ultimately OK as long as you don’t take it too seriously

This is also another to be original that is filmed in South Africa in Maine to look like Los Angeles. It does a possible enough job, except for when you see the actor’s real names it kind of gives it away as an overseas production.

This is the first disappointing, modern Tubi channel original thriller/horror film. can say it’s uninspired, but was looking for it to be a little more wild and exciting.

Grade: C-

WHISTLE (2026)

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Directed By: Corin Hardy

Written By: Owen Egerton 

Cinematography: Bjorn Charpentier

Editor: Nick Emerson

Cast: Dafne Keen, Sophie Nelisse, Sky Yang, Jhaleil Swaby, Ali Skovbye, Percy Hynes White, Nick Frost, Mika Amonsen, Michelle Fairley 

A misfit group of unwitting high school students stumble upon a cursed object, an ancient Aztec Death Whistle. They discover that blowing the whistle and the terrifying sound it emits will summon their future deaths to hunt them down.

unfortunately, this film is pretty basic. There’s nothing revolutionary, except for some pretty good special effects and the first lead starring role for Dafne Keen. As it helps to feed off her Internet buzz and and X-MEN, LOGAN and DEADPOOL following.

The film does offer some LGBTQ representation, especially in the leading roles. Though the film feels very 1990s teen horror movie craze. Only more supernatural instead of having a slasher.

It’s strange that the film is lacking, a memorable soundtrack, even though the lead character is obsessed with music.

The film feels like it tries too hard to create or be something original, but then in doing so it makes it all the more laughable as it tries too hard. 

The drug dealing faster is stupid, but wish the film leaned more into him and his character as he seemed the only thing that was fresh in this phone and while he gets more screen time in the third act, it feels way too planned and expected, especially as third act freak out

At least with the film, the events and actions start very fast so there’s no moping around in lore and mystery. Which then leads to the problem that we barely know the characters before they start getting eliminated and because of that we generally don’t feel sorry for them as we have no personal connection or sorry to see them go as we would seeing any random person get killed. Especially as the film tends to feel cruel when it doesn’t have to be.

At least the black guy doesn’t die first, but he is the only non-believer and gets paid back by having the most violent death in the film. It’ made worse as it happens in frintnof his parents, but makes for a standout scene. 

The film comes across as a desperate FINAL DESTINATION rip off with mystical sacrifices thrown in. Even the one character played by Sky Yang, who is obsessed with a superhero. The superhero is a knock off

The film also never presents any real joy. It’s pretty bleak throughout. so much so that only two scenes in the whole film feel genuine. 

One of which is the typical teenage crush admission and the crushes answer that is the closest the film ever comes to being heartfelt. The Lesbian romance reveals are sweet also. When she is creaking out about what to text and show interest but not too much interest 

The film at certain points gets silly and so bad that it becomes entertaining to a point, which is what keeps the audience watching other than the gory deaths not so much inventive. But miraculous special effects.

There’s also barely rarely any adults shown in major roles, other than an initial kill, and the one to inform them about the whistle and the curse.

If I have paid to see this, I would not be so nice when it comes to this film. I’d actually would’ve been best but watching it for free it’s OK. It’s a popcorn movie a time waster but one I don’t ever really need to watch ever again.

if anything come for the films gory special effects you might find some other things you might like about it, but I’m betting not too much. Though I really wanted to like it. It just didn’t have enough to truly admire.

Grade: C