SELF-HELP is a new horror thriller that plays out in a small community. The kind that has a cult leader, lots of strange exercises, and is ultimately just a bunch of grifters. A movie with a few gorgeous and sinister twists to keep you guessing.  Read our full Self-Help movie review here!

SELF-HELP is a horror thriller coming to theaters just in time for Halloween 2025. Admittedly, this is closer to 3½ out of 5 for me, but we don’t do half ratings here at Heaven of Horror, and I wasn’t ready to give it a 4 out of 5.

You’ll just have to trust me when I say that this horror thriller has some sinister twists and gorgeously creepy surprises along the way. Also, it gets rather physical (with practical effects) for those in the self-help community. Ironically, as they try to heal themselves.

Continue reading our Self-Help movie review below. Find it in theaters from October 31, 2025.

Trauma, cults, and grifters galore

Admittedly, I do love a good cult movie. However, Self-Help managed to both give me this and a few added layers. It’s no secret that cults often get a hold of new members when they’ve experienced trauma and are vulnerable. Usually seeking help.

Well, in this movie, what appears to be a self-help community is clearly something much darker. For one, it’s run by an obvious grifter. Okay, maybe not at first, but it won’t take long for money to come up. Also, everything about this “community” just screams cult.

MORE ON CULT TITLES

Be sure to check out our CULT-tag here >

Hot tip: If you need to hand over virtually everything you own to take part in a workshop, then run away. Fast! No one is looking out for your best interest. They’re just looking to get rich fast. At your expense.

That’s the circle of cult-life. First, you experience trauma, then you get caught up in a cult, which will ultimately cost you everything. Often both financially and emotionally. Exactly as you’ll see in this horror thriller.

For the record, no, I haven’t been in a cult. I’ve just watched a lot of cult documentaries of the true crime variety.

A small cast makes for a strong story

With Self-Help, we follow a young woman, Olivia (Landry Bender), as she is about to reunite with her mother. They’ve had a rather strained relationship for a long time. You’ll understand why from the opening scene.

Anyway, it turns out the “retreat” where she’s meeting her mom is actually a dangerous self-actualization community. And her mom, Rebecca (Amy Hargreaves), has started a relationship with the enigmatic leader.

His name is Curtis Clark (Jake Weber), and he is essentially a cult leader. Think Toni Collette in Wayward. However, where she wanted power, this new cult leader is all about getting bags and bags of money.

Much simpler, really, but also a different kind of terrifying.

Olivia didn’t go see her mom on her own. She brought her new best friend from college. Sophie (Madison Lintz), so there is another familiar face for her there. Also attending this self-help workshop (which will get wild) are others in need of help.

These poor fools are portrayed by Carol Cadby, Blaque Fowler, and the director himself, Erik Bloomquist.

Watch Self-Help in theaters for Halloween

Erik Bloomquist is the director of Self-Help, which he also co-wrote with Carson Bloomquist. The two previously made Founders Day (2023) and She Came from the Woods (2022). If you pay attention, you may catch a few Easter Eggs in this new movie.

The Bloomquist brothers also wrote the 2018 mystery thriller Long Lost alongside one of its stars, Adam Weppler. He’s also in Self-Help, but in a smaller role. If you enjoy Self-Help (and I suspect you will), then be sure to check out Long Lost as well.

The theatrical premiere of Self-Help is perfectly timed with a Halloween release. As in on Halloween night itself, which falls on a Friday. Check it out in a theater near you over the weekend, if you’re in the mood for something deliciously creepy in surprising ways.

Self-Help is out in theaters on October 31, 2025.

Details

Director: Erik Bloomquist
Cast: Landry Bender, Jake Weber, Madison Lintz, Amy Hargreaves, Erik Bloomquist, Carol Cadby, Blaque Fowler

Plot

A young woman infiltrates a dangerous self-actualization community after her mother becomes entangled with its enigmatic leader.

WAYWARD on Netflix is a new mystery thriller series with 8 episodes. It stars creator Mae Martin, Sarah Gadon, and Toni Collette, along with a wonderful supporting cast. It’s about the troubled teens industry using cult-like methods. Read our full Wayward series review here!

WAYWARD is a new Netflix series with a plot that revolves around a school for “troubled teens”. If you’ve heard the horror stories that Paris Hilton has fought to expose, or watched some of the true crime documentaries, you’ll recognize this setting.

For this thriller mystery series, there’s the added element of it being run by a cult leader type (played by the glorious Toni Collette). Methods that come across like a brainwashing and hypnosis hybrid are used. Oh yes, it is damn scary!

We watched all eight episodes of this limited series for our review.

Continue reading our Wayward series review below. Find it on Netflix from September 25, 2025.

Welcome to Tall Pines

Wayward plays out in the small and simply picture-perfect town of Tall Pines. Here, there is room for everyone to exist and have value. Also, everyone believes in the important work done at the Tall Pine Academy – a place for troubled teens.

Police officer Alex Dempsey (Mae Martin) and his pregnant wife, Laura (Sarah Gadon), are getting ready to start their family. As Laura is very pregnant when they move into their new home.

On Alex’s very first day on the job, a teen boy runs out in front of their car. He has escaped a place and begs for help, but runs off before Alex can do much to help.

The place this young man has escaped turns out to be Tall Pines Academy, and Alex will soon connect with two students, Abbie (Sydney Topliffe) and Leila (Alyvia Alyn Lind). These two also want to escape and beg Alex for help.

While trying to figure out the role of this school and how everyone in town is somehow connected to the place, Alex comes across many strange coincidences. At the center of everything is Evelyn (Toni Collette), the school’s mysterious leader.

Who stars in Wayward?

An absolutely amazing cast, that’s who! Seriously, everyone who stars in Wayward on Netflix delivers wonderful performances. The teens are exactly as lovable and annoying as they should be, while the adults are also very diverse.

Some adults believe in tough love, but most are definitely of the opinion that these teens need help. They want to help them be the best versions of themselves. How they go about that, however, is (often) problematic.

With Toni Collette as the strangely enigmatic leader of the Tall Pines Academy, we’re in very good hands. In Wayward, we see the love and understanding, as well as the angry and almost vengeful sides of this brilliant actor.

Think Toni Collette showing everything you’ve seen her deliver from The Sixth Sense to Hereditary. The former is heartbreaking, while the latter is downright scary. And both are about a parental figure hurting for their child!

Mae Martin is intriguing and nuanced as the caring police officer, Alex, while Sarah Gadon (The 9th Life of Louis Drax, True Detective season 3) delivers a portrayal of Laura that evolves throughout the series.

Alex and Laura very clearly love each other and are focusing on their family, while also being forced to deal with the past. How they each deal with challenges both sets them apart and keeps them together as a team.

Watch the Wayward series on Netflix

Mae Martin (Feel Good) both stars in and created the limited Netflix series Wayward. As a co-showrunner on the show, alongside one of the co-writers, Ryan Scott, this is very much Mae Martin’s show.

And it also comes across as very personal in many ways. I love how the plot focuses on the troubled teen industry in several ways. From the point of view of adults wanting to help, kids living it, and adults who survived the experience.

This leaves enough nuance to indicate that teens can be helped (and need help) while also highlighting that many “troubled teens” are just very normal teens. No more troubled than the adults parenting them.

Also, there’s a focus on friendship, love, and loyalty. Both the power of these relationships and the possible dangers, when they lead you astray.

Mae Martin has created a genre-bending series that can be watched as a straight-up (pun intended, as this is deliciously not) horror series, a sci-fi thriller mystery, or even a take on true crime.

Again, if you’ve watched some of the documentaries about the horrors of the so-called “troubled teen industry”, nothing you see in Wayward will seem exaggerated.

Wayward is available on Netflix, with all 8 episodes, starting from September 25, 2025.

Details

Creator: Mae Martin
Directors: Euros Lyn (101, 102, 107, 108), Renuka Jeyapalan (103, 104), John Fawcett (105, 106)
Cast: Mae Martin, Sarah Gadon, Sydney Topliffe, Alyvia Alyn Lind, Brandon Jay McLaren, Toni Collette, Tattiawna Jones, Isolde Ardies, Joshua Close, Patrick J. Adams, Patrick Gallagher, Gage Munroe, Byron Mann, Mark McKinney

Plot

Nothing is what it seems in Tall Pines. After an escape attempt from an academy for “troubled teens”, two students join forces with a newly local police officer, unearthing the town’s dark and deeply rooted secrets.

A MOTHER’S EMBRACE on Screambox is a Brazilian horror movie (org. title: Abraço de Mãe). It’s a movie that deals with grief and trauma, which can be understood and watched in several ways. Read our full A Mother’s Embrace horror movie review here!

A MOTHER’S EMBRACE is a new horror movie on Screambox. This is a movie from Brazil (org. title: Abraço de Mãe) that plays out across several decades. Or rather, we meet our main character as a child and then follow her as an adult.

In this horror movie, grief and trauma play out alongside a mystery that involves senior citizens, a violent rainstorm, and even a sinister religious cult of some kind. The runtime is 90 minutes, so it’s a fairly quick watch.

Continue reading our A Mother’s Embrace movie review below. Find it on Screambox on September 16, 2025.

Cosmic horror from Brazil

A Mother’s Embrace plays out primarily in 1996, where we follow a young firefighter, Ana (Marjorie Estiano). Almost as soon as we meet her in 1990s Rio de Janeiro, we recognize that she was the girl from the story in the opening of the movie.

In that story, we’re back in the 1970s, where a girl and her mother are seemingly enjoying a nice night at a fun fair together. However, it will soon end on a very dark note that I won’t reveal here.

Just know that this event will end up haunting our main character.

On the fateful night of 1996, when A Mother’s Embrace plays out, it’s the night of a storm that threatens to be the worst storm ever to hit Rio de Janeiro. The firefighters are called to an old people’s home because the building may collapse.

What happens next is a night of cosmic horror that hits harder the further into the night we get.

What is going on with these people?

While the firefighters do their best to help the elderly living in the old and very worn building, the owner of the building and the people working with the elderly are very strange.

To put it mildly.

It’s difficult to figure out why these people aren’t more interested in accepting help from the firefighters. Also, what is that creature lurking and slithering around the old people’s home?

Soon, we will all realize that something sinister is going on. Also, the residents may not be quite as innocent as they first appeared to be. Can our main protagonist, Ana, confront her own traumatic past to escape this weird place?

Watch A Mother’s Embrace on Screambox

The new Brazilian horror movie with the original title of Abraço de Mãe comes from director Cristian Ponce (History of the Occult). He also co-wrote the screenplay with André Pereira and Gabriela Capello.

A Mother’s Embrace has already been screened at film festivals worldwide. From Beyond Fest to the iconic genre film festival Sitges, and (of course) Festival do Rio. Now you can finally watch it as it releases on Screambox.

I’m not sure whether I would have preferred a more specific ending to this story, but I did enjoy this horror movie in all its cosmic strangeness.

A Mother’s Embrace is on Screambox from September 16, 2025.

Details

Director: Cristian Ponce
Writers: Gabriela Capello, André Pereira, Cristian Ponce
Cast: Marjorie Estiano, Chandelly Braz, Javier Drolas, Reynaldo Machado, Val Perré, Ângela Rabello, Helena Varvaki, Rafael Canedo, Thelmo Fernandes

Plot

A team of firefighters must evacuate a collapsing nursing home during a massive storm in 1996 Brazil, only to discover that the mysterious residents have other sinister plans.

DIRTY BOY is a new thriller with a cult mystery plot that also features elements of science fiction. It has a slow-burn vibe for a long time, as the mystery unravels, but also manages to end on a very high note. Read our full Dirty Boy movie review here!

DIRTY BOY is a cult mystery thriller that has plot elements of both horror and thriller as well. In other words, a genre-mix that hits all the right spots. I wasn’t too crazy about the slow-burning mystery, which was slower than necessary.

However, I still feel that the strong ending and final cult-related reveals more than made up for this. Simply put: I absolutely recommend that you watch this mindf**k of a thriller and try to have more patience than I did initially.

Continue reading our Dirty Boy movie review below. Find it in UK cinemas from September 10, 2025, and in select US theaters from September 19, 2025.

Trad cult goes sci-fi

With Dirty Boy, our title character is a young man raised in a very oppressive cult. The scenery is like something straight out of The Sound of Music but the behavior and outfits are from decades earlier than the iconic musical movie.

Think more along the lines of the Amish. Except they do have some gadgets that are straight out of a sci-fi movie. Everything from the Internet to Social Media clearly exists, but not for the people living in this lush mountain village home.

Regardless of the gorgeous surroundings, the people living in this cult are subjected to a life that can only be described as very traditional. We’re not “just” talking the whole “Tradwife” trend of current social media.

It’s way more cult-related than that.

What makes a young man dirty?

Getting back to the title character, this young man, Isaac (Stan Steinbichler), is not only trapped in a cult, but he also has to deal with schizophrenia. As a schizophrenic, he is in a battle with himself.

You can almost compare him to James McAvoy in Shyamalan‘s Split and Glass.

And yes, I do realize that the Shyamalan character did not have schizophrenia, so I’m talking more in terms of how he changes when his illness takes over. One part of Isaac is a pure and innocent young man; the other makes him the title character.

A female Pastor leads the Cult

To be fair, Isaac is just a young person trapped in someone else’s idea of what he should be and how he ought to behave. And if you think it’s tough being a young man in this religion, you would not want to be a young woman.

For the female members of this cult, it’s all about growing the cult, so they need to get pregnant. However, when the young men are to be good and pure, you can probably guess who will be the “baby daddy” of this cult.

Oh yes, the Patriarch, Walter (Graham McTavish), of the cult household. And this is despite the fact that the Matriarch, Verity (Susie Porter), is the Pastor of the cult.

Also, there is the element of people (usually young women) being murdered by the cult. Why? Well, you’ll have to watch Dirty Boy to find out, but you can be sure it’s all part of the cult teachings and rituals.

Watch Dirty Boy in UK and US theaters

Dirty Boy is the feature-length directorial debut of writer and producer Doug Rao. It’s a very impressive way for Doug Rao to start his career as a genre director. One that will undoubtedly leave an impact on all who watch it.

The cult horror thriller is hitting theaters now after a very successful film festival run. From the 2024 Cannes Film Market to the Girona Film Festival in Spain, and the Raindance Film Festival in the UK, where it was nominated for four awards.

Finally, I have to say that I immediately looked up where Dirty Boy was filmed. Despite the sinister and scary story told, this location was so gorgeous that I had to know where it was. Dirty Boy was filmed around Lake Grundlsee in Styria, Austria.

And yes, this is a place I’m hoping to see in real life. Though even more so, I desperately hope I won’t meet any cult-affiliated people there.

Dirty Boy will be coming to UK cinemas from September 10, followed by Digital platforms on October 15. In the US, it will have a limited theater release on September 19, 2025.

Details

Director: Doug Rao
Writer: Doug Rao
Cast: Stan Steinbichler, Susie Porter, Graham McTavish, Honor Gillies, Olivia Chenery

Plot

Raised in an oppressive cult, a reclusive schizophrenic discovers that he’s being framed by cult leaders for a series of ritualistic murders and must prove his innocence by saving their next victim and destroying the evil sect.

HOUSE ON EDEN is a new found footage horror movie. It’s also an indie production, and manages to be one of the fairly few in that niche that absolutely works. This is clearly a passion project. Read our full House of Eden movie review here!

HOUSE ON EDEN is an indie found footage horror movie. And yes, we have watched quite a lot of those over the years. However, this one is made by people who create online content for a living, which means it comes across remarkably realistic.

Sure, there is the classic shaky-cam during many scenes, but that’s the curse of “found footage”. You get everything and not just the best shots. However, once the main horror story begins, the cameras have been set up, and the threat of motion sickness subsides.

Continue reading our House on Eden movie review below. Find it in U.S. theaters from July 25, 2025 (it will be on Shudder later).

A never-explored house in the woods

For Paranormal investigators Kris, Celina, and their videographer Jay, something new is needed. They’re on the road to make fresh content for their YouTube channel, but Kris has a surprise plan.

Without including the rest of the crew, she’s made sure they’re headed for a place that none of them has ever heard of. Well, Kris has obviously just heard of this haunted house, but no one else has.

So, now they’re going to a supposedly haunted and abandoned house deep in the woods. The house is known as “House on Eden”. From the moment they arrive, things are eerie. To put it mildly.

Despite being supposedly long abandoned, there is not a speck of dust in the place, and the flowers and garden outside look very well kept. Before long, they will encounter horror unlike anything they’ve witnessed before. Yes, really.

Could this eerie house truly have an ancient, malevolent presence? Or is there a cult, which is another possible rumor? They don’t know much about this place, which may result in good content but could also cost them their lives.

Content Creators making Horror Feature Films

House on Eden feels like a true passion project, and the chemistry between the very few people in the cast is amazing. Before we even get to the horror (and it will come), I was completely on board with this crew of people making YouTube videos about haunted places.

Having content creators move on to feature films is still a fairly new concept, but we have experienced some amazing movies from them. Being successful on social media or YouTube is very different from traditional filmmaking, but these creators are filmmakers.

Milk & Serial is another great example of content creators moving on to making a feature film. Also, the twins behind Talk to Me and Bring Her Back began as content creators.

Now, don’t confuse these with the classic Kardashian-type influencers. They are also experts, but in the field of advertising and marketing, not in making great content without being paid.

Content creators are effectively people making short films (often comedy or horror), which means the step is more about going from short films to feature films than anything else. Talent is talent, and the House on Eden crew clearly has talent!

Watch House on Eden in theaters now

House on Eden is a feature film debut from content creators Kris Collins (@KallMeKris) and Celina Myers (@CelinaSpookyBoo). The two collectively have a dedicated audience of over 75 million TikTok followers. Not a bad way to help sell tickets, and this deserves to sell tickets!

Both star in the movie, which was written and directed by Kris Collins. Finally, Jason-Christopher Mayer (Nobody Gets Out Alive) is the third member of this core cast.

This feels like a true passion project, and the chemistry between the very few people in the cast is amazing. A very good starting point and not a given.

The runtime is 78 minutes, so just shy of 1 hour and 20 minutes, which works extremely well for the plot and storytelling. I didn’t expect too much from this horror movie, so I was pleasantly surprised. Horror fans should want to check this one out!

House on Eden is out in U.S. theaters from July 25, 2025. It will also be on Shudder at a later date!

Details

Director: Kris Collins
Starring: Kris Collins (‪@kallmekris‬), Celina Myers (‪@CelinaSpookyBoo‬), Jason-Christopher Mayer

Plot

When Kris, Celina, and their videographer Jay set out to film a paranormal investigation, they expect the usual chills and shadows. But when their plans are mysteriously rerouted to a pristine, abandoned house deep in the woods, what unfolds is far beyond anything they’ve encountered before. As the night continues, strange behavior, a missing crew, and a chilling atmosphere suggest that something far more ancient is at play.

TRANSCENDING DIMENSIONS is a Sci-Fi Fantasy Thriller from Japan. A true genre-mix infused with jazz and sorcery. It’s weird, wacky, wonderful, and will keep you guessing. Screened at Fantasia 2025. Read our full Transcending Dimension movie review here!

TRANSCENDING DIMENSIONS is a classic and perfect film festival movie. It’s a genre-hybrid that mixes Sci-Fi, Comedy, Thriller, and everything from folklore to sorcery and space adventure.

It’s a Japanese movie, and if you’ve watched genre movies from Japan made in any of the past many decades, you’ll recognize the vibe. This isn’t a movie that utilizes martial arts in any classic sense. However, battles are part of the story. Just not in ways you’re familiar with.

Continue reading our Transcending Dimension movie review below. Screened at Fantasia 2025.

The dangers of spiritual enlightenment

With Transcending Dimensions, we’re getting the kind of movie where you never know what’s coming next. I mean, even the title and opening credits don’t come until around 38 minutes into its runtime.

We’re at a retreat in the mountains where a cult leader seems to be a little too power-happy. He certainly doesn’t shy away from practices that can only be described as sadistic. While his followers are seeking spiritual enlightenment, cult leader Master Hanzo (Chihara Jr.) is leading them down a strange path.

One of the people at this particular setting is the hitman Shinno (Ryuhei Matsuda), who is only there to please his client Nonoka. She wants to avenge her boyfriend, Rosuke, who disappeared after following the suggestions of Master Hanzo.

The universe within yourself

If this were an Australian movie, we would say Rosuke had been sent on a walkabout in the bush. Yes, I watched Crocodile Dundee a lot during my formative years. In Transcending Dimensions, the followers of this cult are sent out to find the edges of the universe… but within themselves.

After Rosuke was sent on this journey, he has been missing, so now Nonoka wants the hitman to kill Master Hanzo as revenge. Having given this order, she appears to take her own life. As if this was the final mission of her life.

The hitman Shinno decides to still honor their agreement, but killing a cult leader is no small feat. Especially as he appears to also be a sorcerer, who can throw air at you and knock you out with just a quick flick of one finger.

Master Hanzo appears to have fun with being the target of this hitman, while we also get to see what happened to Rosuke. Did he find the edges of the universe or whatever happened to him?!

If this all sounds strange, then it’s because Transcending Dimensions is rather strange. Fortunately, it’s mostly in a very entertaining way where punk-jazz music underscores the wild and unexpected twists.

Transcending Dimensions is screening at Fantasia 2025

Japanese director Toshiaki Toyoda is not for everyone. He previously directed movies that have gone on to earn the moniker “cult films”. These include Pornostar (1998), Blue Spring (2001), and 9 Souls (2003).

With everything from legal problems to his very direct criticism of Japan’s conservative viewpoints, his movies dive into stories that are certainly not conservative in their approach to plot or storytelling.

Transcending Dimensions has been described as a “potent blend of film noir, sci-fi, supernatural combat, deadpan comedy, and existential weirdness”, which seems surprisingly accurate. If this sounds like something you’d like to experience, then this is for you.

Transcending Dimensions is reviewed as part of our Fantasia 2025 coverage.

Details

Director: Toshiaki Toyoda
Writer: Toshiaki Toyoda
Cast: Haruka Imou, Chihara Jr., Yosuke Kubozuka, Ryuhei Matsuda, Kiyohiko Shibukawa

Plot

Rosuke, a monk, has gone missing. His lover, Nonoka, takes the assassin Shinno to a religious facility in search of Rosuke. There, they meet a sorcerer called Ajari. Meanwhile, Rosuke is on a spaceship heading to the unknown planet named Kelman. There, he meets a strange old man. And then… A battle of sorcery between Rosuke, Shinno, and Ajari begins.

THE BANISHED is a new Folk Horror movie from Australia. I adored parts of it while also thinking it was too slow and long. It’s one of those strange rollercoaster experiences where it ultimately falls short, but I am so glad I watched it. Read our full The Banished movie review here!

THE BANISHED is a m Aussie Folk Horror movie with a story that offers quite a mindf**k. It has gorgeous shots and utilizes two forward-moving stories that connect before the final act. From the beginning, we know they’re connected as the same person is the protagonist in both.

While I expected it to reach a wild climactic ending, it did fall short for me. The ending is wild, in a sense, but the overall experience of that final third act was just too slow. And I can’t claim it hit home with me.

Continue reading our The Banished movie review below. Find it In Theaters & On Demand from July 18, 2025.

A family torn apart

In The Banished, we follow Grace (portrayed perfectly by Meg Clarke) as she goes searching for her brother. Their family has quite a tragic past, where the patriarch was clearly awful (to put it mildly). You’ll hear more in the movie, so I’ll let you “experience” this for yourself.

When the story begins – one of them, anyway – their dad has passed away, which is why Grace is back home.

Her brother, on the other hand, hasn’t been seen for quite some time. She hasn’t spoken to him either after having had regular contact with him; it seems he disappeared a few months ago. Obviously, she wants to find him now that the man who made their life hell is gone.

It seems their childhood was one long struggle to stay alive, and now a new survival story is about to begin for Grace.

The greatness and horror of the wild

Grace is a strong young woman who got away from her hometown, and now she wants to help her brother get his life back on track. She finds out that he has left city life for the wilderness. Apparently, there’s some sort of commune where several people have “escaped” to.

This leads Grace to venture deep into the wilderness. A magnificent and glorious nature that will soon also reveal the horrors it contains.

Will she find her brother? Does he wish to be found? Also, what is going on in the wilderness that has led to a whole slew of missing people cases in their hometown?!

You’ll have to watch The Banished to find out. And I have to admit that several moments (mostly before the final 20 minutes or so) offered some intense and terrifying scares. If you’re going camping over the summer, maybe watch this once you’ve returned safe and sound.

Watch The Banished on VOD or in Theaters

The Banished was written & directed by Joseph Sims-Dennett. For the longest time, I was completely captivated and enthralled by the worldbuilding and the two stories that you feel getting closer to one another in time.

And then that last act just lost me… well, to a point.

I would give it a 2½ if we have half ratings, so it’s a recommendation… for some. The runtime of 96 minutes isn’t too long on paper, but it gets way too slow at certain points. I’m okay with slow-burn (I often love it), but there’s something about this ending that just didn’t work for me.

If you’re ready to just lean into this horror movie, which does offer some very real scares, then check it out. I don’t think fans of folk horror will be disappointed, but I feel it is a hit-or-miss experience. For me, it was ultimately a miss, but moments during it made me expect a hit.

The Banished releases in U.S. Theaters and digitally on July 18, 2025, and on digital platforms in the UK on July 28, 2025.

Details

Director: Joseph Sims-Dennett
Writer: Joseph Sims-Dennett
Cast: Meg Clarke, Leighton Cardno, Gautier Pavlovic-Hobba, Tony Hughes, Diane Smith

Plot

After her brother mysteriously goes missing, Grace ventures into the dangerous wilderness to find him. As she uncovers the horrific truth of his disappearance, she is faced with a darkness which threatens to claim her as well.

SO FADES THE LIGHT is a new cult thriller that has a slow-burn style but delivers on content. Think Nomadland with a sinister twist. It’s efficient storytelling from a small cast. Even the runtime is short. Read our full So Fades the Light movie review here!

SO FADES THE LIGHT is a thriller with a cult story. I have never watched a cult thriller where a plot played out like this before. Maybe that’s why it was so efficient. It’s extremely character-driven and evolves slowly, but never feels too slow.

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To check out our “Cults”-tag covering all things with cults >

It reminded me of Nomadland, but with a plot that you know is sinister from the opening scene. Also, it reminded me of a few true crime documentaries about various cults, which gave it a very realistic approach. The runtime is just around 80 minutes.

Continue reading our So Fades the Light movie review below. Find it on VOD from June 24, 2025.

Welcome to a Cult of Weapons

We meet Sun, who was worshipped as a “God Child” when she was a girl. She was in a cult called The Iron and Fire Ministry. Not that she had any choice in this, but she did become a key component in their teachings.

It was a cult of very violent religious Extremists. The logo for “The Iron and Fire Ministry”  features weapons, so it was very much about protecting their way of life. The happenings in the cult included exactly the same that we’ve seen in numerous cult documentaries.

When So Fades the Light begins, we very quickly get to a life-changing event: The police storm the compound of the cult. A lot of shots are fired by men, women, and children, so most die.

Not Sun, though. And not the cult leader.

The latter ends up in prison while we meet the former again 15 years later.

Impressive Cult PTSD Horror

While I’ve called So Fades the Light a “cult thriller”, it could also very easily be labeled a cult horror movie. More specifically, this is a cult PTSD horror story.

When we meet Sun again, fifteen years later, she’s living her life like a drifter. Constantly moving, living in her van, and with few people she can trust. Knowing she needs to confront her past to move on, she decides to go back to the compound of the cult.

It’s been abandoned since the police raided it, but before she gets that far, we get an idea of just how deeply the cult-life has traumatized and scarred her.

Unfortunately, it turns out that the leader of the cult was released from prison just when Sun had decided to return. He also returns to the compound, and the two are bound to end up in a confrontation. Can Sun handle this as an adult?

Kiley Lotz is amazing as Sun, which is what makes the entire story come together. Okay, to be fair, D. Duke Solomon as “The Reverend” also deserves a lot of credit. Between these two, the story comes together.

Watch So Fades the Light on Demand & VOD

So Fades the Light is a film by the director duo “Get Super Rad”. Behind this cool name, we have Rob Cousineau & Chris Rosik. The screenplay also comes from Rob Cousineau.

I wasn’t too familiar with Get Super Rad, and you probably aren’t either, so I’ve included a little on this creative collective of filmmakers.

“Get Super Rad is a creative collective whose goal is to tell brand and narrative stories without ever falling into the trap of having a locked and defined style.

Their goal is to make content that feels unique and special to the project they create it for. Mostly, they want the work to look and represent the fun they had while generating it.

Get Super Rad was founded in 2013. It has since made two feature films (Future, The Russian Five) with a third film in post-production (Can’t See Sh*t). They have created content for television, broadcast, and web.“

Overall, So Fades the Light can also pride itself (pun intended, especially as this is released during Pride Month) on having been made by a majority LGBTQ cast and production crew.

If you’re intrigued by cult stories and enjoy a realistic and very human approach to storytelling, do not miss out on this one. No, it’s not an action flick about revenge, but rather a story of coming to terms with your own trauma.

In Sun’s case, while the trauma is also out there looking for you!

So Fades the Light is on VOD & On Demand on June 24, 2025.

Details

Directors: Rob Cousineau & Chris Rosik (Get Super Rad)
Writer: Rob Cousineau
Stars: Kiley Lotz, Ny’Ea Reynolds, D. Duke Solomon, William Swift, D. Lou, Anika Pyle

Plot

As a child, Sun was worshipped by an extremist gun cult. Fifteen years later, she travels back to the compound for closure. But little does she know, the cult’s former leader has been released from prison and is headed the same direction.

SIRENS on Netflix is a new mystery series with just five episodes. It’s a wildly intriguing trip down the rabbit hole with characters that keep you guessing and a stellar cast. Read our full Sirens limited series review here!

SIRENS is a new Netflix series that’s officially a drama and dark comedy. Not wrong, at all, but also selling it short. This is a wicked mystery where something supernatural may be happening. Why else would people be reacting the way we see?

Well, one answer could be money. Money equals power, which in turn becomes a “When they say jump, you ask how high” situation. Okay, not everyone (as the story in this limited series shows), but most. And especially anyone who relies on a good paycheck from the rich.

Continue reading our Sirens limited series review below. Find all five episodes on Netflix from May 22, 2025.

From Buffalo to insane wealth

The entire Sirens miniseries plays out over one Labor Day weekend. Sure, we do get some flashbacks and have an idea of what happened before (and what will happen in the immediate aftermath), but other than that, this all happens in a very short time span.

Sirens follows Devon (Meghann Fahy) as she tracks down her younger sister, Simone (Milly Alcock). This leads Devon to arrive on a lavish island. The kind where mansions and pastel colors are abound.

Devon knows Simone is working for a wealthy family, but not much else. The two sisters had a very rough (to put it mildly) childhood and adolescence. Something the Sirens series delves into, so I won’t give spoilers here.

Never has “Hey, hey” sounded creepier

What Devon soon discovers is that Simone is working for Michaela (Julianne Moore). She’s her assistant and gets to call Michaela “Kiki” which is apparently a huge thing. The world on this island is so wildly different from anything Devon knows that she sees it as a cult.

When Michaela says “Hey, hey”, everyone else repeats it. Like a mantra or a prayer, almost. And it does sound quite creepy and cult-adjacent, so it’s no wonder that Devon feels something is off. But what exactly is going on?

Well, you’ll have to watch Sirens on Netflix to find out. And you should.

A fierce character gallery

While Julianne Moore‘s Michaela (or “Kiki”) along with Milly Alcock’s Simone are at the forefront, the star of Sirens is Meghann Fahy as Devon. She’s the one we follow from start to finish. Also, she’s the one who calls out all the weirdness, and she is amazing.

Really, the magic and weirdness of this mystery comes from all three female leads. Each delivers something very unique to the story, and their backstories alone make for a much more interesting overall story.

Alongside these women, we have several wonderful and fascinating (good and bad) male characters. They are also portrayed by very well-known actors. From Kevin Bacon as Michaela’s husband to Bill Camp as the often useless father of Devon and Simone.

In other key characters who orbit the lead characters in some way, we’re getting so much quality. The casting of the supporting characters includes Glenn Howerton, Felix Solis, Britne Oldford, Josh Segarra, Trevor Salter, Jenn Lyon, and Lauren Weedman.

Watch Sirens on Netflix

The new Netflix mystery series has 5 one-hour episodes and, yes, it is very binge-worthy, so get ready to watch it in one or two sittings. Creator and showrunner is Molly Smith Metzler, who also executive produces the limited series.

The series is based on Molly Smith Metzler’s own play “Elemeno Pea”. She wrote this play during her time at the Juilliard School, so this is very much Metzler’s project in every sense. With her as producers are Dani Gorin, Tom Ackerley, and Margot Robbie for LuckyChap.

Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap also produced Metzler’s previous Netflix hit, Maid, starring Margaret Qualley. Why ruin a winning combination?! I’m already rooting for a third project by them.

As directors on the episodes of the limited series, we’re getting Nicole Kassell (Watchmen, The Baby), Quyen Tran (The Madness), and Lila Neugebauer (The Last Thing He Told Me).

With Sirens, we’re getting a different kind of genre-mix. One that is darkly funny, though doing a deep dive into the exploration of women, power, and class. Also, we’re getting mystery tied in with mythology, which may have a supernatural element to it. Check it out!

Sirens is on Netflix from May 22, 2025.

Details

Showrunner / Writer: Molly Smith Metzler
Directors: Nicole Kassell, Quyen Tran, Lila Neugebauer
Starring: Julianne Moore, Meghann Fahy, Milly Alcock, Kevin Bacon, Glenn Howerton, Bill Camp, Felix Solis

Plot

Devon thinks her sister Simone has a really creepy relationship with her new boss, the enigmatic socialite Michaela Kell. Michaela’s cult-ish life of luxury is like a drug to Simone, and Devon has decided it’s time for an intervention, but she has no idea what a formidable opponent Michaela will be. 

SHADOW OF GOD on Shudder is a new horror movie with an exorcism plot. However, this time, it’s different. Both the priest performing the ritual and the actual possession are unconventional. Read our full Shadow of God horror movie review here!

SHADOW OF GOD is a new Shudder horror movie starring Mark O’Brien. I wasn’t sure what to expect and, having watched the movie, I’m still uncertain about a few elements. I do, on the other hand, feel confident that I would’ve given this movie 2½ stars out of 5 if we did halves.

The movie has an average IMDb rating of under 4, as of writing this, which is wildly misrepresenting the quality of it. Instead, it probably has more to do with the content, which isn’t for everyone. And I’m still not sure it’s for me either, but it was a well-made movie.

Continue reading our Shadow of God horror movie review below. Find it on Shudder from April 11, 2025.

When exorcists start dying, something is up

In Shadow of God, we begin (as is often the case with exorcism movies) while our main protagonist is performing an exorcism. It does not end well, which turns out to be a theme for the Vatican in those exact moments.

In strange – to put it mildly – ways, several Vatican exorcists are being killed simultaneously. Or, at the very least, within minutes or hours of one another.

Father Mason Harper (Mark O’Brien) is a renegade type of Vatican exorcist who needs a breather after that opening scene. He returns to his childhood home, which floods his mind with memories and even visions. Or are they visions?!

He’s planning to spend some time with his childhood friend, Tanis Green (Jacqueline Byers), while waiting for new orders from the church. This is when we find out more about both their lives. They grew up in a cult and escaped together – mostly Tanis made sure they got out.

Life after a cult

After leaving the cult, she turned to the army, while he turned to the Church. Now she works as a psychiatrist with PTSD veterans, and he’s an exorcist for the Vatican. Quite a crazy life for both of them despite their young age.

I would watch an entire movie about their life in the cult. And also, how they escaped and the time after this. The origin story of these two characters, which admittedly is covered successfully in flashbacks, was extremely fascinating to me.

In any case, they’re now both back in the town, where the cult was run by Mason’s father, Angus. Mason believed his father was dead – especially because he saw him die – but now Angus reappears. Not to hurt Mason, but rather to warn him.

Possessed by something holy?

Angus is very different now and states that he was wrong about everything. With what Mason knows now, as an exorcist, he believes his father is possessed. However, not by a demon or the devil, but possibly something from the other end of the spectrum.

In other words, he suspects something holy and all-powerful is trying to come to Earth via his father’s body.

This might sound intriguing and like the “second coming”, but if that’s the case, then it’s nothing like what you’d expect. It’s quite terrifying, and everyone seems confused by this drastic and strange turn of events.

Watch Shadow of God on Shudder

Michael Peterson is the director of Shadow of God, and I really enjoyed his 2018 movie Knuckleball, so I’m always ready for more from him. Even as a producer, he has impressed me. Like with the 2019 movie Harpoon. He’s also a producer on this latest movie.

The screenplay comes from Tim Cairo, who also has a resume with something I loved. For him, it was the survival horror movie Dark Nature (2022), which has an average IMDb rating of just 4.4, and I have no idea why that is. I just know I disagree with it.

The runtime of Shadow of God is just shy of 90 minutes, which worked well for it. The special effects, however, I’m still unsure about. It’s obviously a very deliberately chosen style, which reminded me of something from the 1990s. Not my cup of tea, but it didn’t ruin it for me either.

Shadow of God begins streaming on Shudder on April 11, 2025.

Details

Director: Michael Peterson
Writer: Tim Cairo
Stars: Mark O’Brien, Jacqueline Byers, Shaun Johnston, Adrian Hough, Josh Cruddas

Plot

When several of his fellow Vatican exorcists are simultaneously killed, Father Mason Harper returns to his childhood home to spend time with childhood friend while he awaits orders from the Church. However, this small town holds dark secrets about Mason’s past and the religious organization once run by his father, Angus. Thought dead, Angus reappears, forcing a reunion between father and son. But Angus is different now, and before long, Mason suspects he’s possessed, not by the devil, but by something… holy. When Mason attempts to exorcise the presence from his father, he sets off a chain of events that may end in a cataclysm of biblical proportions testing everything he holds sacred.