GET OFF MY LAWN on Tubi is a new thriller about a young couple moving into their dream home and getting a nightmare. It has a kitsch vibe that makes it seem like a horror-comedy at times. And I loved that. Read our full Get Off My Lawn movie review here!

GET OFF MY LAWN is a new Tubi Original that you do not want to miss out on. It’s a thriller, but the kind that has a kitsch vibe and dark comedy. Basically, my kind of thing. Also, it’s a fairly small cast, but the casting is stellar.

WATCH THIS IF YOU ENJOYED

Perfect for fans of Tubi Originals like Lowlifes >

The runtime is just around 90 minutes (excluding commercials), and it covers both thriller, horror-comedy, and even psychological horror, but with a kitschy twist. Basically, you’ll want to experience this crazy nightmare for yourself.

Continue reading our Get Off My Lawn movie review below. Find it on Tubi from July 11, 2025.

From dream home to complete nightmare

In Get Off My Lawn, we meet a sweet suburban couple who cannot believe their luck as they’ve won with a lowball offer on their dream home. A few conditions accepted by them made them come out on top.

However, what really made the sellers choose them was a letter in which they promised to make this a real family home. The grandson of the previous owner, who passed away recently, is there to greet them as they arrive.

His name is Alec, and he has an old-school look and charm.

However, he also has a darker edge to his behavior. One you might ignore because his girlfriend and his childhood friend come across as very normal teenagers, so you might assume he’s just a little weird, but okay.

This would be a big mistake. Huge.

The kid is clearly troubled and will make the new homeowners struggle to feel at home. And then they will start to feel terrified.

Brilliant casting

As the story in Get Off My Lawn moves from being weird pranks and strange behavior by a teenage boy to real danger, the casting becomes paramount: If the characters aren’t portrayed in a believable manner, then it will all fall flat.

Fortunately, the casting of this movie is on point.

From the sweet young homeowner portrayed by Camila Banus and Tahj Mowry to the weirdly charming and extremely dangerous Alec portrayed by Jonah Hwang.

To me, Jonah Hwang has the same quality as the two young men from Milk & Serial, which is a huge compliment. I highly recommend that movie (find our review here)

The vibe of this movie is obvious from the opening scene, where we see the real estate agent (Melissa Jo Bailey) introduce the house to us. We’re seeing her from the point of view of the potential buyer, and she is an experience in her own right. Wow!

Even their new next-door neighbor, a classic Karen (though her name is Catherine in the movie), is portrayed wonderfully by Christine Dunford.

Watch Get Off My Lawn on Tubi now

Amara Cash is the director of Get Off My Lawn. From this movie alone, I can tell she is clearly my kind of filmmaker. In other words, I need to check out her previous work while waiting for whatever comes next.

Not unlike Jem Garrard, Tubi could be a place where people discover her work. And, not to throw shade at Tubi, but hopefully, both will be able to move on to bigger budgets and venues.

The screenplay for Get Off My Lawn comes from Arland Digirolamo and Alana Wexler, who (according to IMDb, anyway) are relative or complete newcomers. If the vibe of the story comes from the writers and the director, then I look forward to more from them.

For me, Get Off My Lawn is perfect for a Friday night. A kitsch genre movie that gets quite bloody along the way. Complete with a sinister character, who comes across as very charming, but in a deeply disturbing way.

Get Off My Lawn is on Tubi from July 11, 2025.

Details

Director: Amara Cash
Writers: Arland Digirolamo, Alana Wexler
Stars: Camila Banus, Tahj Mowry, Jonah Hwang, Kayla Maisonet, Tyler Lofton

Plot

A sweet suburban couple is terrorized by a deranged teenager and his friends after they purchase his grandfather’s sacred home.

THE CALLING (2025) is a new indie thriller with a home invasion plot that goes much deeper, and is far darker, than I expected. A very strong story with a character-driven plot and great casting all around. Read our full The Calling movie review here!

THE CALLING (2025) is a new thriller from filmmaker Mark Wilson. We loved his 2019 movie Wade in the Water, so our expectations were high. Perhaps even dangerously so. However, he delivered a very strong movie yet again.

This time, we’re getting a home invasion plot that centers on a story about a witch. That’s the very brief description, but the actual story surprises as it goes much deeper than that. It’s also a lot darker than I ever expected, which makes it hit hard. In all the right ways!

Continue reading our The Calling movie review below. The movie will make its World Premiere at the Dances with Films Festival on June 21, 2025.

A Home Invasion plot always gets to me

The Calling is about the young woman, Virginia (Danika Golombek), who has just earned her master’s degree and is ready to embark on life. However, her father needs her to stick around a little longer to look after her young brother Edward (Grayson Eddey).

She agrees to put her life on hold (once again!) as their dad needs to work away from home for a longer period of time. While Virginia loves her kind and smart brother, Edward, she’s ready to leave home. Still, their bond is strong, and she won’t let him down, so she stays.

Then things go from a little unfortunate to downright terrifying, and strange things keep happening around the house. Doors are left open, and things are moved around. Someone is in and around their house, which both angers and scares the two siblings.

Could it be The Calling Witch?

And then they see a mysterious woman, who is clearly the one tormenting them in their own home. The woman appears to be the embodiment of their late author-mother’s infamous character: The Calling Witch.

Though obviously a fictional creation, The Calling Witch is very much flesh and blood for the siblings. How do you fight something like that? Well, the woman seems to be inadvertently leaving clues, so they follow those… to a truly shocking conclusion.

As the siblings fight to survive, they also uncover shocking truths about the real nature of the threat they’re facing that force them to question everything.

While on the surface, The Calling is a home-invasion thriller, it delivers so much more than that. Still, if you’re a fan of the iconic home invasion stories from The Strangers, The Accused, or even Crumb Catcher, then this one is perfect for you.

Watch The Calling film festival world premiere

Director Mark Wilson continues to impress with his latest thriller (that has elements that feel straight out of a horror movie), and I cannot wait to see what comes next. If you haven’t watched his previous feature film, Wade in the Water, then do yourself a favor and watch it!

The screenwriter for this previous movie, Chris Retts, also wrote The Calling. Clearly, these two make an excellent genre filmmaking duo. The kind that shares a vision of how to create efficient scares and intensity within a character-driven story.

One that offers a lot more than first meets the eye.

The Wade in the Water alumni continue to shine on The Calling with Cinematographer Thomas Rose and Composer Jacob Boyd. For me, the concept and execution work wonderfully on their own, but the cast truly brings the storytelling to its conclusion.

Danika Golombek and Grayson Eddey are completely natural as the siblings, while Nathalie Söderqvist (The Look-See) is both terrifying and oddly relatable as the woman tormenting the siblings. Also in the cast is Hilary Barraford (Kevin Can F**k Himself), who also executive produces.

You should watch The Calling whenever you get the chance, and do avoid spoilers before you watch it. It’s only now starting its film festival run, so keep your eye out for the 2025 indie thriller The Calling.

The Calling World Premiere is at the Dances with Films Festival, June 21, 2025.

Details

Director: Mark Wilson
Writer: Chris Retts
Cast: Danika Golombek, Grayson Eddey, Nathalie Söderqvist, Marcus DeAnda, Zachary Cowan, Greg Lutz , Hilary Barraford

Images: @grave.daisy & The Calling

Plot

A brother and sister are terrorized by what seems to be their late-author mother’s most sinister literary creation – The Calling Witch.

BORDERLINE is a new psychological comedy-thriller with some gorgeous slasher moments in the mix as well. There were so many surprising moments along the way, and I cannot wait to watch it again. Read our full Borderline (2025) movie review here!

BORDERLINE is a new psychological comedy-thriller out in theaters, and you do not want to miss out on it. Samara Weaving from The Babysitter (and many other movies, but we’ll get to that) stars, and if you enjoyed that movie, then this one will be a real treat.

WATCH THIS IF YOU ENJOYED…

The stories have nothing in common, but Companion is an obvious comparison >

We’re in the early 1990s, which isn’t a huge part of the plot, but it does mean no cellphones and a banger of a soundtrack. In fact, music plays a big part – a song even plays a key “role” in the movie at one point. The runtime is 94 minutes, and I did not want it to end!

Continue reading our Borderline (2025) movie review below. Find it in Theaters and On Digital from March 14, 2025.

A stalker goes off the rails

We’re in the 1990s, and a very persistent – and obviously deranged and dangerous – stalker (Smile 2’s Ray Nicholson) manages to get inside the home of a pop superstar (The Babysitter’s Samara Weaving).

This isn’t actually where the movie begins, but it is where most of the plot plays out.

You see, this very delusional stalker is convinced that the pop star, Sofia (just the one name, like Madonna), is his girlfriend. He has elaborate plans to marry her. In fact, he has it all lined up and is convinced that she is looking forward to this wedding.

Sofia must now depend on her loyal bodyguard (Grey’s Anatomy‘s Eric Dane) to intervene and save her. However, Sofia is quite good at fighting back as well. Plus, she has other people in her corner. Unfortunately, so does her stalker, and his companions are all psychopaths, so there’s that.

The bottom line (and the tagline of the movie) is that “He just wants to be loved; she just wants to survive.” Sounds awfully familiar in a scary fairytale kind of way, but this one has a few surprise twists and a wild ending.

Samara Weaving nails it yet again

Samara Weaving is as brilliant as ever. I can’t say I’m surprised because I have loved her in everything she’s ever done. Even when I don’t love a movie, she never disappoints. In particular, she nails these women who can be quite complex and do unexpected things.

In Borderline, she’s the femme fatale type who does what she wants using her feminine charms unabashedly, and I love it. Much like in The Babysitter, but at the same time, this becomes a survival story for her character. Not unlike in Ready or Not.

The brutal elements of violence and downright slasher-like moments are also quite familiar to Samara Weaving. After all, she was in Azrael, Guns Akimbo, and Mayhem as well. With Borderline, she’s delivering on everything I love her for… and then some!

While I expected to enjoy Samara Weaving in this, I was surprised that I loved everyone else in this movie just as much.

Ray Nicholson (who looks more like his father, Jack Nicholson, every day) is just mesmerizing in a way that is terrifying yet extremely funny at times as well. Sure, you’re laughing from shock or disgust often, but it’s still an honest laugh that you cannot hold back.

Alba Baptista made a lasting impression

Eric Dane is practically the “straight man” in the comedy moments. The one who takes a step back and tries to do the smart and reasonable thing while clearly knowing this is a WTF!-situation.

The same could be said for Jimmie Fails and his character – a treat I won’t spoil here, but I loved him in this. Particularly in the third act, where he plays a key part.

The big surprise for me – though it really shouldn’t be – was Alba Baptista from Warrior Nun. She plays Penny, an escaped mental patient having the time of her life, and she is even more terrifying than Ray Nicholsen’s stalker.

While I loved everyone in Borderline, Alba Baptista was the surprise treat for me. In fact, there’s an obvious spin-off possibility in exploring her origin story. I’d want to watch that immediately!

Watch Borderline in Theaters and on Digital

Jimmy Warden is the writer and director of Borderline. He is also married to star Samara Weaving, and before you “worry” about this, you should know that he also wrote The Babysitter: Killer Queen and Cocaine Bear. This is his debut as a director and it’s a success.

Also, Borderline is produced by Margot Robbie’s LuckyChap Entertainment, and Margot Robbie does not produce bad movies.

The entire storyline and vibe of Borderline is exactly what I love about genre-mix movies. And whenever you’re dealing with a movie that features dark comedy, violence, and even psychological thriller elements, the cast must work.

Also, these hybrid genre movies require very specific (often quite different) things from each actor. All of them deliver in Borderline. Enjoy this delicious genre treat – and know that you’ll never be able to listen to Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” the same way again.

If you can, go watch this in a theater with an audience to share in this madness. You can always watch it again on Digital later, and trust me, you will want to.

Borderline is Out in Theaters and On Digital from March 14, 2025.

Details

Director: Jimmy Warden
Writer: Jimmy Warden
Cast: Samara Weaving, Eric Dane, Ray Nicholson, Jimmie Fails, Alba Baptista

Plot

A helplessly romantic sociopath escapes from a mental institution and invades the home of a ’90s pop superstar. He just wants to be loved; she just wants to survive.

EVERYONE IS GOING TO DIE is a new home invasion thriller. It gets very dark but also feels – to me, at least – very unrealistic in certain ways. Still, I was on board for quite some time before it lost me. Read our full Everyone Is Going to Die movie review here!

EVERYONE IS GOING TO DIE is a new thriller with a home invasion mystery plot. The cast is tiny and the story plays out in one place (or one house) which is something that – in my experience – requires a lot of both the screenplay and cast.

It can be an amazing and intense experience to be forced to focus on this one location and few characters – think The Platform, Brooklyn 45 or You’ll Never Find Me. However, it doesn’t take much for the story to lose momentum or feel forced. Both happen with this one!

Continue reading our Everyone Is Going To Die movie review below. Find it in select theaters or VOD from February 21, 2025.

Home Invasion meets Revenge

I don’t want to give away spoilers for Everyone Is Going to Die, but I do want to explain the core plot. This is a home invasion thriller, but the home is not chosen at random.

In other words, this isn’t a “Because you were home”-situation like in the brilliant horror thriller The Strangers (2008) or its sequels. They do wear masks which made me think of the horror franchise which has another two movies coming out in the current trilogy.

In Everyone Is Going to Die, the home has clearly been chosen due to some previous event. In other words, this is a revenge story wrapped up in a home invasion plot.

We meet a father as he attempts (rather clumsily) to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter. Managing to get rid of last night’s lover just before she arrives, is clearly something he feels he should be commended for. Obviously, it just sets the tone for what kind of person he is.

He has invited his daughter to his luxurious home for a birthday dinner, but she’s clearly there against her better judgment and would much rather be elsewhere. Seeing how he behaves around other people, you can’t blame her. He’s trying but she isn’t ready to let him in.

Maybe ask a woman or ten…

What begins as an interesting if not very engaging movie turns into something extremely dark and, unfortunately, also quite cringeworthy. While most of the cast is female, the writer and director is not.

And it shows!

This is a perfect example of watching a movie and thinking “There is no way a woman was involved in making this” and being shocked if you were wrong. The way this story evolves and escalates in its “revenge” plot is absolutely terrible.

Look, I get the idea behind it. However, it makes zero sense to me and I cannot imagine anyone surviving trauma and/or assault would watch this and feel understood. Quite the opposite. In fact, I felt angry and not in the way I was supposed to.

Watch Everyone Is Going to Die on VOD

The writer and director of Everyone Is Going to Die is Craig Tuohy, and this is his first feature film as a director. He has worked as a producer on everything from documentaries to short films in the past, so he’s hardly a newcomer.

Also, I want to state that I feel his intentions are good even if the outcome feels very misguided to me. His sense of revenge feels warped from my point of view. But hey, I fully recognize that other women might see it differently. I just seriously doubt that I’m not the vast majority.

The main cast consists of Jamie Winstone (accomplished actor and daughter of Ray Winstone), Brad Moore, Chiara D’Anna (Strickland‘s The Duke of Burgundy and Berberian Sound Studio), and Gledisa Arthur.

The ending is uncomfortable for many reasons but no scenes feel gratuitous which is extremely good – and important with this sort of story. I was on board with the movie and storyline for quite some time before it lost me. The runtime is 84 minutes, so it doesn’t run for (much) too long.

Everyone Is Going to Die is in Select Theaters, on Digital and On Demand on February 21, 2025.

Details

Director: Craig Tuohy
Writer: Craig Tuohy
Stars: Jamie Winstone, Brad Moore, Chiara D’Anna, Gledisa Arthur

Plot

A father attempts to reconcile with his estranged daughter by inviting her to his luxury house for a birthday dinner. But when the home is invaded by two masked individuals armed with shotguns, a lethal game of cat and mouse ensues, culminating in a life-altering revelation.

INVADER is a new Home Invasion Horror Movie featuring a very memorable villain – solely due to his actions. We’re not meant to know him, just what he does. A strong concept that loses on execution. Read our full Invader (2024) movie review here!

INVADER (2024) is a horror movie with a home invasion plot. This particular criminal is both extremely violent and disgusting. He’s all about mayhem and chaos. His actions speak louder than any words, which is why it makes sense that he never really speaks.

The villain is portrayed by Joe Swanberg and the opening scene lets us know what he’s capable of. Or rather, what seems to be the sole purpose of his existence; To ruin everything he comes into contact with. The runtime is just 1 hour and 8 minutes, which is a bonus as it evolves.

Continue reading our Invader (2024) movie review below. Find it in select theaters from February 21, 2025.

A simple yet efficient premise

With Invader, we meet the title character (Joe Swanberg) first, before moving on to the actual main protagonist. Before we ever meet Ana (newcomer Vero Maynez), we have a feeling that things will not turn out well for her.

This is both due to her being Hispanic – which isn’t fun in the US right now – and because we’ve already seen Joe Swanberg in action as the bad guy.

Ana is a long way from home, but also clearly came from the airport with her baggage tags still on her suitcase, so this isn’t a political story in that sense. She’s simply in a Chicago suburb to visit her cousin Camila.

Once she arrives on her delayed bus to this suburb, it’s the middle of the night, and Ana cannot get a hold of Camila or any other local family members. Nighttime in this area is terrifying and despite Ana being a tough (and smart) young woman, she’s clearly desperate to get safe.

By chance, she meets Carlo (Colin Huerta), who is a co-worker of Camila. He’s also surprised that Camila didn’t come to work and go with Ana to Camila’s house. If things were bad before, it’s nothing compared to what they’re about to encounter.

A strong beginning but loses momentum

I absolutely adored the core concept of Invader as a horror movie. Also, the villain was perfect exactly as this nearly faceless character that we get to know purely through his actions. As the saying goes “Actions speak louder than words” and the invader is loud.

Unfortunately, the final act of Invader left a lot to be desired.

It’s the classic Sidney Prescott horror movie commentary from Scream about going up the stairs when you should be going out the front door.

I’m oversimplifying, but the poor choices of one character in particular (which is obviously due to how they’re written) ruined a lot of the overall experience for me.

Borderline motion sickness-inducing

Being from Denmark, the Dogma-style of filmmaking with a focus on natural light and a handheld camera should be my jam. And it is, actually, but only to a point. One of my pet peeves is when a handheld camera is all over the place.

I recognize that a handheld camera can help to underline the chaos and confusion. However, and this is key, it can also result in near-motion sickness when taken too far.

At several points during its short runtime of just 68 minutes, Invader takes it way too far. So while my main issue with the movie has to do with the evolution of the story, I also really found myself irritated by the choices in cinematography.

Still, the production quality and acting worked perfectly (especially from Vero Maynez and Joe Swanberg), which is why it is still a movie I recommend checking out. My overall rating of just 2 out of 5 does not indicate this, so I wanted to point out that it does have a lot of good.

That final act just ruined quite a lot for me – as did the shaky handheld camera, but that alone wouldn’t have been (that much!) of an issue.

Watch Invader in Select Theaters now!

Invader comes from writer and director Mickey Keating (Offseason) with genre movie filmmaker and producer Joe Swanberg as both a star and producer. Invader is described as a “lean, mean jolt of unsettling home invasion horror” and I can certainly get behind that description.

Well, for the most part.

It has a very unfortunate tendency to suddenly lean into every horror movie trope regarding victims making all the wrong choices. Based on what we’ve seen from the characters up until the final act, it’s a shame.

Instead, it could’ve continued a strong arc of delivering on hyper-realistic violent behavior from its bad guy, while the “average” people react as you’d expect. Also, there’s something about the impact of an injury that seems to go from clearly fatal to a simple flesh wound.

It insults viewers and really irritated me much more than I expected. Especially as I had enjoyed Invader much more than I expected. It was a rollercoaster ride of a nightmare that ended with a whimper rather than a bang.

Do stick around for the end credits though.

Invader opens in Select Theaters starting February 21, 2025. A digital release is coming just over a month later on March 25, 2025.

Details

Director: Mickey Keating
Writer: Mickey Keating
Cast: Joe Swanberg, Vero Maynez, Colin Huerta, Ruby Vallejo

Plot

A young woman arrives in the Chicago suburbs and begins to suspect that something terrible has happened to her missing cousin in this lean, mean home-invasion horror from director Mickey Keating and producer Joe Swanberg.

GHOST GAME is a new horror movie where people performing vicious pranks are confronted with a possible real haunting. The concept is interesting but the full story did not work for me. Read our full Ghost Game movie review here!

GHOST GAME is a horror movie with a very intriguing concept as it combines some creepy AF elements. Imagine people wanting to do a prank for their YouTube channel on someone who just moved into the house from The Amityville Horror.

That sounds like a pretty solid plot for a horror movie, right?! Well, I admit I had my hopes up for this one, which may be why I was disappointed that the story did not work for me. The runtime is just 1 hour and 26 minutes, but it felt longer, which is never a good thing.

Continue reading our Ghost Game movie review below. Find it in select theaters on October 18, and on VOD from October 22, 2024.

Creepy people do creepy things

In Ghost Wars, we become familiar with an internet challenge called “Ghost Game”. The purpose is to film a cruel prank; You have to live undetected in a stranger’s home and perform little (mostly innocent) tasks to make the inhabitants think they’re haunted.

Sounds like a cruel prank to me, but then I’ve never been a fan of having a laugh at someone else’s expense. I just don’t like anything happening to someone that I know I would hate to have happen to me. If that makes me boring, then good. I’d rather be a bore than a creep!

Anyway, in this movie, the people taking part in Ghost Wars have their comeuppance as they target an infamous haunted house. While they are supposed to be terrifying others, they also become part of something else; Witnessing a family descending into madness.

Well, that’s most of the official plot, anyway. Whether I feel this is actually the plot of the movie is another thing. Hint: I don’t really as there are twists and turns that lead to a strange focus I can’t really be impressed with.

An awesome subgenre mash-up

First, we meet people who are doing “phrogging” as a game, where they hide in people’s houses and make them think they’re haunted. Next, they do it in a house known for actually being haunted.

As such, Ghost Wars manages to essentially be a mash-up of two iconic horror sub-genres. First, we have a home invasion thriller (via the whole phrogging) and a classic haunted house setup.

To me, this sounds like a terrifying mash-up as it tackles two of my personal favorites. Anything that happens in the supposed (even assumed) safety of your own home, just tends to hit all my horror weak spots.

Well, in theory, anyway.

Watch Ghost Game in select theaters or on VOD

Ghost Game is the second feature film from director Jill Gevargizian. Her feature film debut was the 2020 movie The Stylist which was based on her own 2016 short film. Jill Gevargizian also co-wrote that movie, but she did not write this one.

The screenplay comes from Adam Cesare, who previously wrote the horror-comedy Last Night at Terrace Lanes (2024), which I haven’t watched yet. Of course, the IMDb rating (not that you should ever trust that blindly) is sitting at a rather low 4.3, which isn’t a great indicator.

Ghost Game premiered at Panic Fest 2024 and Jill Gevargizian won the audience award for Best Director. I can’t say I understand this completely except to say that I’m happy for her. And also acknowledge that the story was my big problem with the movie.

In any case, Epic Pictures’ specialty horror label DREAD is releasing the movie and it feels like this is the right home for it. Especially as they also make sure it’s coming out in a limited theatrical run beginning October 18, 2024. Plus will be available on Blu-ray beginning December 10, 2024.

Ghost Game is out on VOD from October 22, 2024.

Details

Director: Jill Gevargizian
Writer: Adam Cesare
Cast: Kia Dorsey, Zaen Haidar, Michael C. Williams, Emily Bennett, Sam Lukowski, Vienna Maas

Plot

A daring couple’s internet challenge turns deadly as they trespass into a haunted house, facing sinister evils lurking within its walls.

DON’T MESS WITH GRANDMA (aka SUNSET SUPERMAN) is a home invasion action comedy thriller hybrid. It’s screening at Fantastic Fest 2024 and has been picked up by Tubi for streaming. Read our full Don’t Mess With Grandma movie review here!

DON’T MESS WITH GRANDMA is a Home Invasion Action-Comedy premiering at Fantastic Fest 2024. Later, you’ll be able to watch it on Tubi. In fact, Tubi even changed the original title from Sunset Superman to this grandma-focused title.

This is the kind of project where passion for genre movies is as obvious as having fun watching it was for me. You’re not meant to take anything too seriously with this one. However, you are supposed to be well-entertained. And you are!

Continue reading our Don’t Mess With Grandma movie review below.

Michael Jai White is Sunset Superman

I know the official title is now Don’t Mess with Grandma and while I can appreciate putting the older (but fierce) lady in the title, she’s more of a key supporting character.

Also, she’s only ever called “Granna” but that isn’t quite as catchy, I suppose.

The real star of this movie is Michal Jai White (Dragged Across Concrete) and he was playing the title character when it was still called Sunset Superman. Now, the title is different, but he is still the absolute star of the movie.

And an absolute beast of a grandma-protector.

This is necessary as a whole group of people are wanting to enter her home to find valuables. Not caring that she’s just a “little old lady”. Also, Granna is much tougher than she might appear. And her dog, and best friend, Rufus, is awesome!

A great cast

Trying to do harm to Granna (played with heart and tough love by Jackie Richardson), we have a wonderful cast. You’ll recognize the name Billy Zane, but with his quirky look, you’ll do a double-take to recognize his face.

For me, Ess Hödlmoser (Cindy in The Boys, Code 8) is the most kick-ass character in the movie. Yes, even more so than Michael Jai White’s JT. I mean, Ess Hödlmoser’s character Pam goes one-on-one with Michael Jai White’s JT.

Also, Pam is a whole lot smarter than many of the other people wanting to get into grandma’s home.

Watch Don’t Mess with Grandma on Tubi

The writer and director of Don’t Mess with Grandma is Jason Krawczyk. Of course, when he made the movie, it was titled Sunset Superman. This is still (as of writing this) the title it’s under on IMDb. Including an awesome poster.

I can’t help but enjoy the small comedy details like JT snatching the hearing aids right off of his Granna. Just to make sure she isn’t bothered by all the commotion. Keeping the danger and drama away from her is a priority for him.

Fortunately, fighting off the small-town crooks isn’t that hard for him. However, when they increase in numbers, it does get more tricky.

This is a comedy and action hybrid first, but with the violence comes blood (a lot of it!) that makes everything darker. Michael Jai White is perfect in the lead role as a charming protector, who doesn’t want to harm. But he can. And will, if need be.

Don’t Mess with Grandma is reviewed as part of our Fantastic Fest 2024 coverage.

Details

Writer / Director: Jason Krawczyk
Cast: Michael Jai White, Billy Zane, Jackie Richardson, Miles Faber, Brandon Knox, Ess Hödlmoser, Evan Stern, Emily Alatalo, Darryl Scheelar, Rebecca Auerbach, Rob O’Dwyer

Plot

JT (Michael Jai White) must fix his grandmother’s leaky sink while simultaneously keeping her oblivious to a deadly home invasion.

CRUMB CATCHER is a new home invasion thriller that will make you cringe – but in all the right ways. It’s unnerving and is bound to surprise over and over again. Read our full Crumb Catcher movie review here!

CRUMB CATCHER is a directorial debut that will blow your mind. And it will also make you cringe with its disturbing development. However, it’s clearly designed to make you feel uncomfortable so it’s very much mission accomplished.

This is a different kind of home invasion thriller, but one that will undoubtedly make an impact that stays with you. The runtime is exactly where it should be. I couldn’t have handled any more of this torture (on behalf of the character). Still, it doesn’t overstay its welcome. Quite a feat!

Continue reading our Crumb Catcher movie review below. Find it in select theaters from July 19, 2024.

The stuff nightmares are made of

In Crumb Catcher, we meet newlyweds Shane (Rigo Garay) and Leah (Ella Rae Peck) on their wedding day. Then we follow them on their honeymoon after a wedding night that seemed less than stellar. To put it mildly.

These “just married” people have a lot of drama. Even before getting married, apparently. And they’re about to have their marriage tested in ways IKEA could never match.

They arrive at their honeymoon location but are soon joined by two weirdos. Well, one weirdo in particular. And these two are the kind of unwanted and uninvited guests that you cannot get rid of.

You see, he is an entrepreneur with a great idea (the title of this movie is a huge hint), and they need funding for this great new product. Also, there’s a blackmail plot in there that makes it impossible for Shane to really fight them to leave.

The smart inventor and entrepreneur is John, and he is played brilliantly by John Speredakos. His partner (well, sort of) is Rose and she’s played with guts and intensity by Lorraine Farris. Still, I must admit that John Speredakos is the one who absolutely made this movie for me!

One small issue takes up space

If there’s one thing I never really managed to accept, it was why the two main characters ever got married. The few flashbacks just were not enough to make me get on board with them.

For the life of me, I cannot understand why they would get married, so that did ruin it a bit for me. It results in me getting distracted and wondering about that when I should be focused on what goes on in the story.

However, seeing as the story begins on their wedding night and revolves around their honeymoon (which I do not get the setting of either), it’s hard to just ignore it. I have no issue with the actors, but it does feel like a woman’s touch would’ve been good.

Why would she marry someone, who we never really see treat her right?!

Watch Crumb Catcher in theaters

This new alternative take on the home invasion thriller comes from writer and director Chris Skotchdopole. He previously worked as a cinematographer – including on movies such as Depraved by Larry Fessenden.

Crumb Catcher is also produced by Larry Fessenden, who helped craft the story behind the screenplay alongside writer-director Chris Skotchdopole and Rigo Garay, who stars as Shane in the movie.

As a whole, the thriller (which feels like horror, at times) element worked really well. Kudos to the new filmmaker for managing to make me cringe so hard in all the right ways.

Crumb Catcher is in select theaters from July 19, 2024.

Details

Writer & Director: Chris Skotchdopole
Story: Chris Skotchdopole, Larry Fessenden, Rigo Garay
Cast: Rigo Garay, Ella Rae Peck, Lorraine Farris, John Speredakos

Plot

Newlyweds Shane and Leah have their marriage tested when two weirdos with entrepreneurial zeal and a half-baked blackmail plot crash their honeymoon — they’re looking for investors for their latest invention and won’t take no for an answer.

THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1 is out on PVOD now. It’s the first movie in a new trilogy for the successful survival horror franchise. Very familiar yet with a few new details. Read our full The Strangers: Chapter 1 movie review here!

THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1 is exactly the kind of horror movie I cannot stand. Now, I don’t mean this in a bad way, but rather it’s the kind of story that gets under my skin. Instead of zombies or aliens, the horror comes from “normal” people. And that is scary!

From the very first movie in what would become an iconic horror franchise, the idea of strangers, who choose victims at random, just hit me hard. Well, me and many others. This latest addition is the first in a new trilogy from director Renny Harlin.

Continue reading our The Strangers: Chapter 1 movie review below. Find it out on PVOD from June 7, 2024.

Bryan Bertino’s nightmare continues

This latest trip into the nightmarish world from the horror franchise director Bryan Bertino feels very familiar. However, I do feel that there are a few new details here as well.

We meet a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) on a road trip celebrating their fifth anniversary as a couple. Their car breaks down in an eerie small town, which is another of my personal fears due to the many horror movies, I have watched.

In this particular small town, people are nice but several of them also feel a bit off. There’s also a religious element that seems to be looming in the background. Surely this will become a bigger plot element in the remaining two movies of the new trilogy.

Always asking for Tamara!

In any case, with the car needing repairs, the young couple is forced to spend the night in a remote Airbnb cabin. This is where someone shows up asking for “Tamara” and it all turns very creepy, very fast.

As we know from the original The Strangers, three masked strangers start terrorizing them. They show no mercy and seemingly have no motive. The young couple is simply chosen because they are there!

We don’t see the faces of the three masked strangers, so the people we do see faces of are Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez. Sure, there are more people in the small town. Including Richard Brake as the local sheriff. I’m sure we’ll get to those later.

Watch The Strangers: Chapter 1 on digital now!

This new trilogy is directed by Renny Harlin and all three movies were filmed back-to-back. Or rather, simultaneously, in 2022. The plan is to have all three movies come out in 2024, so you might as well jump on board now.

In fact, this movie ends with a “To Be Continued” message at the end.

The screenplay comes from Alan R. Cohen & Alan Freedland, while the story is still credited to creator Bryan Bertino, who continues to be a part of this horror franchise. If you’ve been a fan of this terrifying universe so far, then check it out now.

You can find it on digital via your preferred platform. From Prime Video to Apple TV+ or Fandango at Home/Vudu. Just don’t watch it while being in an Airbnb in a remote location.

THE STRANGERS ― CHAPTER 1 is out on digital on June 7, 2024.

Details

Director: Renny Harlin
Screenplay: Alan R. Cohen & Alan Freedland
Story: Bryan Bertino
Cast: Madelaine Petsch, Froy Gutierrez, Gabriel Basso, Rachel Shenton, Ema Horvath, Ella Bruccoleri, George Young, Ben Cartwright

Plot

After their car breaks down in an eerie small town, a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in THE STRANGERS ― CHAPTER 1, the chilling first entry of this new horror feature film series.

DEADBOLT on Tubi is a new horror-thriller full of mystery and mind games. Gorgeous production quality, solid acting, and great characters. It is, however, a bit too slow in its build-up. Read our full Deadbolt movie review here!

DEADBOLT is a new Tubi Original. It’s a horror thriller, but for the longest time, mystery is the driving force. As in, we have no idea exactly what’s going on or where the danger is. In that sense, we’re right next to the lead character, who even doubts her own sanity.

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The day before the release of this one, Invasive came out on Tubi >

Of course, this also means we can’t feel safe with what we’re seeing as it’s her experience of the world. Lots of mind games and intriguing characters make it work, even when the story is very slow-burn.

Continue reading our Deadbolt movie review below. Find it on Tubi from May 11, 2024.

Starting over in a strange house

The core concept of moving into a strange house with a roommate who is essentially also a stranger is perfect for a horror movie. We, the audience, get to know both the new house and roommate along with the main character, which is very intriguing.

Amelia (Rebecca Liddiard) is the main protagonist seeking a fresh start. Overcoming a bad relationship and battling with anxiety, she ends up living in a house that may be haunted or possibly a crime happened. The previous tenant has gone missing and no one is sure what happened.

Also, she loses track of where her medication is and we’re often reminded that she needs to take it or she will hallucinate. It’s an obvious ploy to keep us wondering if what she’s experiencing is real or not.

Lots of mind games

Amelia’s new roommate, Melinda (Camille Stopps) is a very free spirit. A bohemian type, who thinks hipsters and gentrification are a good thing. Also, Melinda is the type who is very touchy-feely and in the face of her new roommate. In a loving way, but one that also completely disregards Amelia’s need for personal space.

Melinda feels confident that the previous roommate just left of her own accord, which means the idea of the house being haunted is prevalent. However, the house also has a serious rat problem, which could explain many of the strange noises.

We also meet the strange neighbors where the husband, Bruno (Bill MacDonald) is always looking for his cat, and the wife, Karla (Kyra Harper), is constantly looking for Bruno. He has dementia and always wanders off.

Also, there’s Amelia’s ex-boyfriend, Colin (Joey Belfiore), Melinda’s on-off boyfriend, Mark (Thomas Duplessie), and the man, Amelia meets on the day she moves in, David (Jamie Spielchuk).

Lots of people you can suspect but also the constant reminder that maybe Amelia can’t trust her own eyes and ears. But yes, all will be explained in the end, so the Deadbolt ending is very satisfying in that sense. Even if you’ve guessed the ending up front (and you probably will have certain suspicions early on).

Watch Deadbolt on Tubi now!

Deadbolt is directed by Mars Horodyski, who also directed the Apple TV+ series Ghostwriter. The writer of Deadbolt is Michael Rinaldi, who also wrote the Tubi Original Meet the Killer Parents (2024).

It’s a MarVista production, and they often make the classic Lifetime or Hallmark movies. However, we’ve also seen quite a lot of thrillers on Netflix and now Tubi from MarVista. Some are not good, most are okay, while a few are actually good.

For Deadbolt, the production quality is definitely impressive as in the acting. However, you need to be patient with this Tubi horror thriller and maybe you’ll guess some of the plot twists. Still, it makes for a quite entertaining watch, so do check it out if you’re intrigued.

Deadbolt is the kind of movie that we’d give a solid 2½ out of 5, but as we don’t do half-ratings here, it’s getting a 2 out of 5. It’s the predictability of the story that keeps us from going higher, but it is worth watching!

Deadbolt is out on Tubi from May 11, 2024.

Details

Director: Mars Horodyski
Writer: Michael Rinaldi
Stars: Rebecca Liddiard, Camille Stopps, Jamie Spilchuk, Kyra Harper

Plot

Seeking a fresh start, a young woman finds her sanity on the brink due to unexplained disappearances and chilling nocturnal echoes in her new home.