HERMAN is a new psychological horror-thriller set mostly in one location but with far-reaching consequences. It’s a very powerful story with a final act that starts well, but drags on for too long. Unfortunately, as this had potential for more. Read our full Herman movie review here!

HERMAN is a psychological horror-thriller about an older man trying to live with the choices he made in life. Or rather, he is often trying to run from them, and on this fateful night, there is interference. The kind that forces him to acknowledge past misdeeds.

I was completely invested in this for the longest time, but that final act was a bit of a let-down. Not that it’s a bad story, but the pacing drags out, and the tempo is almost at a standstill for a few minutes too long. Still, this is definitely worth checking out, so I’m just irritated that it didn’t stay as good until the very end.

Continue reading our review of the Herman movie below. Find it on VOD from December 2, 2025.

Haunted or hunted?

In Herman, the title character is ready to end his life when someone comes knocking on his door. Having led a life of solitude, he tends to reflect on what he had and what he lost. On this particular night, he will be forced to come to terms with his past actions.

His misdeeds, to be exact.

Having Herman come out in December is perfect, as it has a touch of The Christmas Carol to its plot. Not in detail, but being confronted by people who insist that he look back on his life and acknowledge what has led him to this point.

Herman (Colin Ward) will find himself haunted (and almost hunted) by several dark forces. Many of which originate from himself in a roundabout way.

Will he be able to come to terms with his past, or will the late-night visitors seeking shelter at his cabin be forced to go to extremes?! Well, Herman is an older white man, so I’m sure you can imagine. No matter his objections, he will be forced to fully confront his inner demons.

Watch Herman on VOD now

Herman comes from writer-director Andrew Vogel, who has created a very engaging and fascinating story. I have seen it done better in movies such as You’ll Never Find Me and Pandemonium. However, this one does come very close at several points throughout the runtime.

Also, the cast led by Colin Ward (Mank, Perry Mason) as Herman was very strong. I especially liked Suzann Toni Petrongolo (Dead Giveaway, The Dirty South) as Sister Mary. Also in a key role is Lawson Greyson (V/H/S Halloween) as Alice, while writer-director Andrew Vogel himself also plays a very important role in front of the camera.

Personally, I loved how it was shot mostly in one location, which became increasingly claustrophobic as Herman is confronted with his past. Also, for the longest time, I didn’t look at how much time had passed. This ended somewhere during the final act, which is why the rating isn’t higher, but it is still a big recommendation to watch this horror-thriller.

Herman is out on VOD on December 2, 2025, via Scatena & Rosner Films.

Details

Director: Andrew Vogel
Script: Andrew Vogel
Cast: Colin Ward, Suzann Toni Petrongolo, Lawson Greyson, Andrew Vogel, Alex James, Soni Theresa Montgomery

Plot

Haunted by a dark force, a grizzled recluse is faced with late-night visitors seeking shelter at his cabin. As jealousy and demonic influence ignite, he is pulled into another dimension to confront his inner demons.

THE FORBIDDEN LANDS is an Italian folk horror movie (org. title: Le Terre Incolte). I was surprised that it was more fantasy-laced than I expected, so that threw me off a little. However, I absolutely respected the choices and the use of practical effects. Read our The Forbidden Lands movie review here!

THE FORBIDDEN LANDS is a folk horror movie from Italy (org. title: Le Terre Incolte), which threw me for quite a loop. There were elements of it that worked really well, and then other parts that did not work for me at all.

As a result, I’m probably at around a 2½ out of 5, but I am ending on a 2 because I just wasn’t happy with the plot. Specifically, the storytelling needed a stronger sense of direction for me to be satisfied. That’s a personal preference, I recognize that, but here we are.

Continue reading our The Forbidden Lands movie review below.

Superstition in a village

The Forbidden Lands plays out in a small Italian town. When exactly is very difficult to say. The people in the village look like they could be living in two different centuries, if you go by their clothes or the tools they use for their work. Honestly, I never did feel certain whether this was an intentional choice or just the props that were available and/or looked good.

To me, this breaks the illusion very early on, and that is never to the advantage of the movie or story.

Very quickly, it becomes a story of superstition in the Italian village, and I can relate to that. Fear spreads like wildfire after several mysterious deaths in the nearby forest. The villagers are quick to label a young woman as a witch and blame her. Then two strange men arrive, claiming to be messengers of the Lord, and the townspeople see them as saviors.

Classic, right? Blame the strange woman, believe the unknown men.

Fantasy Folk Horror from Italy

Of course, not everyone trusts the men, and women will end up being the saviors in many ways. It begins with one woman, who joins forces with a free-spirited girl and an outcast accused of witchcraft (yep, the “witch”), and together they focus on finding answers instead of making strange offerings to strangers claiming to be sent by God.

Admittedly, The Forbidden Lands was challenged by the previous Italian genre movie I watched. It was called The Holy Boy, and I absolutely loved it. While I recognize this one is very different, I was hoping it would surprise me in positive ways too, and it could not live up to that great expectation.

Mostly, the fantasy elements, which included numerous gorgeous practical effects (always points for that), were not my favorite.

The core plot was very intriguing, but the storytelling itself did not work for me. From the acting to the pacing of it all, I was not a happy camper, so I struggled with that from the end of the first act.

The Forbidden Lands is screening at Film Festivals

Mattia De Pascali is the writer and director of The Forbidden Lands (org. title: Le Terre Incolte), and as an Italian independent filmmaker, he is working with a limited budget. I feel he gets a lot out of what he has to work with. For me, the quality of the production is impressive. The story itself, however, is not so much.

Having said that, I truly believe there’s a type of genre film fan that will adore its vibe. I mean, this could be a little cult picture for some genre fans, while others will end up like me: Strangely confused by the plot and not entirely sold on the acting or the choices in directing.

This genre hybrid of a movie recently premiered in the U.S. during the Los Angeles Fantasia Fest (on November 20, 2025). It was also nominated as one of the ten nominees for Best Horror / Thriller Feature Film. Also, it received an Honorable Mention from the Washington Underground Film Festival, so it’s just getting started.

The Forbidden Lands is screening at film festivals now, but it will be out on VOD (and physical media) later.

Details

Director: Mattia De Pascali
Writer: Mattia De Pascali
Stars: Andrea Cananiello, Denise Cimino, Fabrizio La Monica, Paola Medici, Ivan Raganato, Donatella Reverchon, Alessandro Stajano, Giorgio Recchia, Gianni Rizzo

Plot

In a remote Southern Italian village, fear spreads after a series of mysterious disappearances in the nearby woods. When two strangers arrive claiming to be messengers of the Lord, the desperate townspeople see them as saviors — except for one woman, who, with the help of a free-spirited girl and an outcast accused of witchcraft, uncovers a darker truth that lies beyond the edge of the known world.

HELL HOUSE LLC: LINEAGE on Shudder is the latest in the HELL HOUSE LLC franchise and the first one that isn’t found footage. I don’t mind that fact, if the story or vibe was good, but it just isn’t. Read our full Hell House LLC: Lineage movie review here!

HELL HOUSE LLC: LINEAGE is a new Shudder horror movie. If the title seems familiar, it’s because there are a lot of movies that begin with Hell House LLC due to it being a franchise. I would say that it’s a found footage horror movie franchise, because it has been so far.

YOU MIGHT LIKE…

Our review of the previous Hell House LLC installation on Shudder >

However, that stops with this one, which is shot like a straight-up horror movie, but in the same universe and even with repeat characters. Just like I don’t mind remakes by default, I can’t blame a filmmaker for wanting to try something new within the franchise they’ve created. It just doesn’t do much good here.

Continue reading our Hell House LLC: Lineage movie review below. Find it on Shudder from October 30, 2025.

Discover the origin of Hell House LLC

The tagline of Hell House LLC: Lineage is “A blood bond rooted in evil, ” which (along with the full title) gives us an idea of how some familial bond will come into play in this story. Before we get to this, we follow Vanessa Shepherd (Elizabeth Vermilyea), who is struggling after a near-death experience years earlier.

Vanessa is haunted by visions and tormented by recurring nightmares, but still finds herself living in the town of Abaddon, which has a strange hold on her.

KEEP UP WITH HELL HOUSE LLC

The second movie in this franchise was titled Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel. The character of Vanessa was in the third movie titled Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire.

In any case, we’re following Vanessa’s struggles, which are about to get a whole lot worse. Soon, people around her begin to die. As she tries to discover how it’s all connected to her, she must confront the terrifying truth.

Especially her own connection to the Abaddon Hotel, the Carmichael Manor, and the decade-long mysterious murders. Sure, this all sounds intriguing enough, and the story isn’t bad as such. The execution, on the other hand, leaves a lot to be desired, and it gets in the way of the story.

If there’s one thing you can get away with in a found footage movie, it’s lingering shots. After all, the concept of found footage is that something has been recorded, and that’s what we get to see. Slow and strange as it may be.

Once you lose the found footage element, you ought to also tighten up on those lingering shots.

Does Hell House LLC work without found footage?

With Hell House LLC: Lineage shaking it up and making the shift from found footage to classic horror movie, it begs the question: Does the found footage horror movie franchise still work without the found footage element?

Well, first, I have to say that I have absolutely no problem with this change in style. As a rule, I mean. Just like I’m okay with remakes, sequels, and requels. My only demand is that it should only be done if the story can handle it.

So, is Hell House LLC: Lineage as good as the previous movies in the franchise?!

Well, that’s a loaded question, as they have differed quite a bit in quality already. And as someone who liked the first one from 2016 for what it managed on a minimal budget, I don’t think this latest Lineage installation lives up to that.

Watch Hell House LLC: Lineage on Shudder

Stephen Cognetti is the writer and director of Hell House LLC: Lineage, just as he has been the director of the previous four movies in the franchise. Just before this latest, and non-found footage installation, he also directed the Shudder horror movie 825 Forest Road (2025), which you’ll want to check out as well.

For me, this is the weakest of the franchise, but mostly because I felt it had lost some of the nerve it otherwise excelled at. Sure, those creepy clowns are still creepy, but seeing them in this different light didn’t do much good for me.

Also, the ending of Hell House LLC: Lineage felt like a let-down. I won’t go into the how and why of it (to avoid spoilers), but it just didn’t reach the creepiness of previous movies. Much of it also felt strangely choppy, and it suffered from the earlier-mentioned “lingering shots syndrome“.

Hell House LLC: Lineage is on Shudder from October 30, 2025.

Details

Director/Writer: Stephen Cognetti
Cast: Elizabeth Vermilyea, Searra Sawka, Mike Sutton, Joe Bandelli, Cayla Berejikian, Victoria Andrunik, Gideon Berger

Plot

After a near-death experience, Vanessa Shepherd faces nightmares in Abaddon. As mysterious deaths occur around her, she discovers her connection to the Abaddon Hotel, Carmichael Manor, and decades of unexplained murders.

213 BONES is a new Whodunnit Horror Movie with a mean Slasher streak. Also, it’s strangely charming thanks to both its characters and overall vibe. Screening at FrightFest, where I imagine the audience will have a blast with it. Read our full 213 Bones movie review here!

213 BONES is a new Horror Movie with a slasher vibe and a whodunnit plot. It takes place in the 1990s and features lots of pop culture references for that decade. And with the current retro love of the decade, it feels eerily fresh.

Admittedly, I guessed the killer from the first time this character was introduced. However, the how and why of everything remained to be seen, so I still had fun with the whole discovery. The runtime is just 85 minutes.

Continue reading our 213 Bones movie review below. The movie will have its World Premiere at FrightFest 2025 on August 24, 2025.

Anthropology students on the case

With 213 Bones, we’re meeting a group of anthropology students just as they’re about to embark on a group assignment. Their teacher is surprisingly kind and wants to truly engage his students, so he has set up something extraordinary.

Well, okay, it does go beyond what he intended, but his intentions are good.

For their assignment, the students (fewer than 10 of them) are sent to look at some bones in another lab on campus. They need to take pictures, write down anything of note, and recognize what happened to the apparent victim.

WAIT, HOW MANY BONES ARE IN THE HUMAN BODY?

The answer is usually 206 bones, but in this movie the answer given is “up to 213 bones” which explains the title. Want to know more? Head over here >

Also, there will be bones from other creatures, and they get extra points for recognizing those. If I seem a little excited about this assignment, it’s because I think it’s absolutely brilliant.

Sign me up!

This is a forensic anthropology class, so the assignment is perfect.

Of course, more actual human bones start showing up, and then the students start dying one by one, so things take a wild turn early on. In fact, they are clearly targeted and die violent, bloody deaths, making the class much less appealing.

Once they started dying, I no longer wanted to do the assignment, but up until that point, I was like: Sign me up!

We also see the masked maniac (The Grunge Monster) targeting the forensic anthropology students, so we know that a serial killer is on the loose. Actually, we see the serial killer attack for the first time two years earlier.

To survive this group assignment, they need to figure out who the killer is. Not of those plastic bones in the lab on campus, but the identity of the killer targeting them.

Helping them are Sheriff Bracco, Laurie, who is the County Coroner, and their teacher, Kelly. Will they figure it out before their entire group has been slain?!

Welcome to the 1990s West Coast

213 Bones has a story that plays out in and around a college in the state of Washington in the 1990s. This means lots of 1990s outfits of the grunge variety, so pretty much what the kids are wearing today, as the 1990s fashion is trendy again.

Also, this horror slasher has lots of amazing music from the 1990s, so I was having a blast with this movie for that reason alone.

From Seattle icons Soundgarden & Mudhoney to iconic tracks from Duran Duran, Bananarama, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Meat Puppets, and more.

The cast of 213 Bones features actors I may recognize, but most haven’t had starring roles yet.

The movie stars Luna Fujimoto, Hunter Nance, Colin Egglesfield, Sarah Brooks (Girl on the Third Floor), Toni Weiss, Allegra Sweeney, Dean Cameron (Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project) & Liam Woodrum (Based on a True Story).

For the record, Liam Woodrum looks so much like a child of Demi Moore and Bruce Willis. He looks like a male version of their daughters… and has great hair to boot. I can’t wait to see him in more genre films. He was charming and funny.

World Premiere of 213 Bones is at FrightFest 2025

213 Bones was directed and co-written by Jeffrey Primm, who also has a cameo in the movie. Sadly, the movie is also dedicated to him, as he passed away before this movie (his debut) could enjoy its world premiere in London.

That’s a real sad note to end on, and for me, it came just as I was trying to work out why I enjoyed it so much. It isn’t all that innovative or has the best production quality overall, but it is very well-made and strangely charming.

Yes, 213 Bones is a horror movie, a whodunnit, even a slasher, but also a very charming movie – both thanks to its characters and the overall vibe. Somehow, it feels very Canadian.

And yes, that’s a compliment to both the movie and Canada. And to the late Jeff Primm, who made this movie along with co-writer Dominic Arcelin. For the record, this is a U.S. production, shot in part at Eastern Washington University.

We’re reviewing this as part of our FrightFest coverage, but from a distance, as we couldn’t be there in person. I can imagine the audience loved this one.

World Premiere of 213 Bones is at FrightFest 2025 on August 24, 2025.

Details

Director: Jeffrey Primm
Writers: Dominic Arcelin, Jeffrey Primm
Stars: Luna Fujimoto, Hunter Nance, Colin Egglesfield, Dean Cameron, Liam Woodrum

Plot

College students are brutally murdered by a gruesomely masked attacker. It is left to Sherriff Bracco, Laurie the County Coroner and their teacher, Kelly, to find out who the real bone crunching murderer is.

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.

THE SERPENT’S SKIN is a new genre hybrid movie from Alice Maio Mackay. It’s screening at Fantasia 2025, just like her previous movie, Carnage for Christmas.

Please note: This is a micro review (AKA a capsule review) of The Serpent’s Skin.

While I loved the kitsch and camp slasher style of Carnage for Christmas, The Serpent’s Skin is an entirely different creature. It’s more serious with supernatural elements. Early on, I recognized that I much preferred the previous style.

The story was intriguing, but I wasn’t crazy about the casting because the chemistry between various characters felt off to me. 

Bottom line, I liked the story, but not so much the execution. Having enjoyed the previous movie from the filmmaker, I expected something different, and I recognize my expectations got the better of me. 

Details

Director: Alice Maio Mackay
Writer: Alice Maio Mackay, Ben Dahl Robinson
Cast: Charlotte Chimes, Jordan Dulieu, Avalon Fast, Scott Major, Alexandra McVicker

Plot

Anna escapes from her small, transphobic town, and starts a romantic relationship with another young woman, a goth tattoo artist named Gen. After unwittingly unleashing a demon that begins feeding on their friends, the pair need to face their insecurities in order to defeat evil. 

BURY ME WHEN I’M DEAD is a new thriller with a heavy psychological horror twist. It’s a slow-burn movie but with a heavy plot that deals with grief, guilt, and (in a roundabout way) money. Read our full Bury Me When I’m Dead movie review here!

BURY ME WHEN I’M DEAD is a new genre movie that blends a solid thriller with a heavy psychological horror element that ends up taking precedence. Especially for our main character, who believes he’s being haunted by his late wife.

The runtime is just 90 minutes, which I want to mention up front to make it clear that while it is slow-burning, it isn’t a long movie. Also, it never feels too long or in any way boring. Will I watch it again? I very much doubt that. But I was pleased with the one time.

Continue reading our Bury Me When I’m Dead movie review below. Find it on Digital and VOD from July 18, 2025.

Grief, guilt, and money

In Bury Me When I’m Dead, we meet Henry just as he is getting ready to move across the country with his wife, Catherine. Before they get that far, Catherine has a seizure and is diagnosed with brain cancer.

There is no hope of recovery, and the doctor is very honest and direct with what to expect: It will only get worse before she dies. Soon. Yeah, it’s very dark, to say the least.

Henry and Catherine travel to her childhood home, where she wants to spend her final days. It’s out in a remote forest where Catherine feels most at peace, so she makes Henry promise her that he will bury her there in the forest.

Admittedly, there are a few other very specific and acorn-involving details to her burial that I’ll let you discover for yourself.

In any case, Catherine has a very wealthy and powerful father, who threatens to cut off Henry from everything he currently has if he does not allow them to bury Catherine in the family plot.

And he agrees to this.

Keep your promise or deal with the consequences

Of course, there’s also the added element of Henry having had an affair. And it’s with a woman working in the flower shop he runs with his wife. Now the woman is pregnant, so he will need money in the future.

Yeah, he’s not a great guy.

Still, not granting his wife her dying wish is next-level douchebag. And for money from her family, where the father never accepted him. What could possibly go wrong?!

Well, for Henry, it seems just about everything.

Including the feeling that Catherine is now haunting him, looking for vengeance. Something he damn well deserves… but that’s just my opinion.

I am oversimplifying the story told in Bury Me When I’m Dead, as it also has some dark comedy (in a sense) via a supporting character that comes into the picture several times. This actually helped ensure that the movie didn’t get too dark and offered some nuance.

Watch Bury Me When I’m Dead on VOD

This impressive genre-mix covering drama, psychological horror, thriller, and supernatural plot elements is written and directed by Seabold Krebs. He previously made a lot of short films as Patrick Clement, so maybe you know him by this name.

The cast of Bury Me When I’m Dead worked remarkably well with Devon Terrell (It’s What’s Inside) in the all-important lead role as Henry. As Catherine, we have Charlotte Hope (The Nun), and her parents are portrayed by Roxanne Hart and Richard Bekins.

In two other key roles, we see Makenzie Leigh (Salem’s Lot) and Mike Houston (Orange Is the New Black, Deliver Us from Evil), who help breathe more life (and less dark grief) into the movie. Overall, this is a very complete story and a well-made movie worth watching.

Bury Me When I’m Dead is out on Digital & VOD from July 18, 2025.

Details

Written & Directed by: Seabold Krebs
Starring: Devon Terrell, Charlotte Hope, & Makenzie Leigh

Plot

After failing to keep his wife’s dying wish, a series of tragic events leads Henry to believe she’s returned to get revenge.

MIA is a new psychological thriller with an 80-minute runtime and a plot that packs a punch. This is a stellar indie production that keeps you guessing. It’s slow-burn but constantly moving forward. Read our full Mia movie review here!

MIA is the kind of psychological thriller that keeps you engaged from start to finish. Many movies attempt to have their audience in a state of uncertainty, but few are as successful as this indie movie.

Even the runtime of just around 80 minutes works perfectly for the story told. Very few characters are part of the story, and only two of them are on the screen for most of the movie. And yet, this movie has me on the edge of my seat.

Continue reading our Mia movie review below. Find it on Digital from July 8, 2025.

What is real?

With Mia, the struggle of the audience is trying to figure out what’s real. We meet Aaron (Shah Motia) as he apparently lives out of his car and appears to be stalking teenage girls. It gives major creep vibes, and people understandably react badly to this.

Next, we see him grab a young girl, whom we have previously seen traveling with her mom. Her name is Emma (Emiliana Jasper), and Aaron is convinced that she is his missing daughter, Mia.

His daughter has been missing for more than a decade, and now he’s trying to jog Emma’s memory to make her realize who she really is. Emma, however, denies ever having met him and is terrified of the man.

As the story progresses, it becomes increasingly difficult to figure out what’s real. Could Aaron be right? And what would that mean for Emma and her mom?!

Deeply unsettling

What makes Mia work so well is the character-driven plot. We feel for the characters as we see Aaron treat the girl with nothing but love. And Emma, whom he calls Mia, also goes from being afraid of him to feeling for him.

As everyone meeting Aaron will no doubt realize, he believes with all his heart that he has finally found his long-lost daughter. Of course, it also becomes apparent that Aaron’s grip on reality isn’t quite to be trusted.

WATCH THIS IF YOU LIKED

Though a horror movie, You’ll Never Find Me, is a good companion movie >

But can both things be true? Can Aaron be a man not quite in touch with reality, and could Emma be his missing daughter, Mia? That’s what you need to figure out, and the movie will keep you guessing.

In fact, the final twists around the ending of this story were both intense, heartbreaking, and full of compassion.

Comparisons to Prisoners and Gone Girl have been used for the press material, and it’s fair, but Mia has something even more unique that only small indie movies can achieve.

Watch Mia on Digital now

The writer and director of MIA is Luis Ferrer, and what an accomplishment this movie is. I don’t want to give away too much, as the 80-minute runtime needs to be experienced.

While I would’ve enjoyed watching a movie like this psychological thriller with a movie-loving film festival audience, it also works perfectly when watched at home. These characters get under your skin, and that is what makes you keep questioning everything.

Slow-burn intensity has an edge to it that makes a story hit much harder. For Mia, it’s the character-driven plot and a script that always anticipates the questions or possibly annoyances of its audience. Very impressive filmmaking.

I can’t wait to see what comes next from Luis Ferrer, but I really hope it will be a thriller or horror movie. Until the next movie, you can now enjoy watching this one at home.

MIA is out across digital and home platforms on July 8, 2025.

Details

Director: Luis Ferrer
Writer: Luis Ferrer
Cast: Shah Motia, Emiliana Jasper, Julie Lucido, Eden Ferrer, Tim Willis

Plot

When Emma, a sheltered 17-year-old girl, crosses paths with Aaron, a mentally troubled drifter, they embark on a harrowing journey of discovery.

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.

YOU MIGHT LIKE

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.

FOUND FOOTAGE: THE MAKING OF THE PATTERSON PROJECT is a new mockumentary horror-comedy that works extremely well. This would’ve been a runaway audience hit at any film festival. Read our full Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project movie here!

FOUND FOOTAGE: THE MAKING OF THE PATTERSON PROJECT is a new horror comedy made as a mockumentary. And yes, there are hints to the Blair Witch Project, as any good horror mockumentary would have. In fact, it’s even mentioned during the movie.

After all, this is about a documentary film crew following a feature film crew making a movie about an infamous Sasquatch (aka Bigfoot) sighting. Ultimately, it’s something else that results in this becoming a horror movie. The runtime of around an hour and a half is perfect.

Continue reading our Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project movie review below. Find it in theaters on June 20, 2025, and on Digital from June 24, 2025.

Don’t read too much about it beforehand

As with any mockumentary, you need to just let Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project unfold. It’s a very meta mockumentary horror film, where we follow a new filmmaker about to shoot his feature film debut.

From getting funding to casting the movie, it’s a very confusing experience. However, all of this is small potatoes compared to what’s about to happen. The film director, Chase (Brennan Keel Cook), may be making a movie about Bigfoot, but something else is coming.

And yes, you will laugh as well as jump in your seat. There are straight-up horror moments alongside dark comedy that make everything gel perfectly. Not unlike the mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows. Quirky and laugh-out-loud with lots of appeal for horror fans.

You’ll want to watch this in a movie theater

As mentioned initially, this is the kind of movie that would’ve been a huge hit with any genre film festival audience. It’s perfect for watching with like-minded people who enjoy the wild and wacky genre hybrids.

So, if you can, I would definitely recommend that you watch Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project in a movie theater. If not, then enjoy it at home a few days after the theatrical release.

MORE CLASSIC MOCKUMENTARY MATERIAL

There’s more information at ThePattersonProject.org which is a blog dedicated to uncovering the truth of what really happened on the set of Chase Bradner’s film (click around for all sorts of secrets and scares).

Whatever you do, just lean back and let it all unfold. Without any particular or further comparison, I’d say it has a lot of the same qualities that made One Cut of the Dead work so well.

Watch Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project in theaters or on digital

Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project comes from the visionary filmmaker Max Tzannes. This is very much an indie movie with quirky elements and a lot of meta moments. So, not at all unlike what we see in the actual mockumentary.

The movie was co-written by director Max Tzannes and David San Miguel. It comes from producer Tyler Friesen with Radio Silence. Yes, the very same as the team behind the two latest Scream franchise movies, Scream and Scream VI.

While the entire story, vibe, and production work perfectly for me, it never could’ve come together without the right cast. Fortunately, the casting is sublime for this one.

From Brennan Keel Cook (The Pale Blue Eye) as the director to his girlfriend/Assistant Director played by Erika Vetter (Somebody I Used to Know) to crew member Chen Tang (Mulan), and producer Dean Cameron (Paradise).

Do not miss out on this genre gem of a movie!

Found Footage: The Making of the Patterson Project is out in U.S. theaters June 20 & on Digital on June 24, 2025. It will be out in the UK on June 30.

Details

Director: Max Tzannes
Writers: Max Tzannes & David San Miguel
Cast: Brennan Keel Cook, Chen Tang, Erika Vetter, Dean Cameron, Del Alan Murphy, Suzanne Ford, Christian T. Chan, J.R. Gomez, Rachel Alig

Plot

A crew of documentarians chronicle an amateur filmmaker’s quest to make the world’s greatest found footage horror film.