THE WELL (2025) is a new Post-Apocalyptic Eco-Thriller enjoying its world premiere at Fantasia 2025. It features a story that just might hit a little too close to home, but that’s also what makes it work. Read our full The Well movie review here!

THE WELL (2025) is screening at Fantasia 2025 and getting its world premiere at the iconic genre film festival. It’s the perfect setting for this Post-Apocalyptic Eco-Thriller that features both a deadly virus and a struggle to find water clean enough to drink.

Everything about this movie feels like it could potentially happen. I mean, the virus element has already hit us, and many places all over the world are struggling with clean drinking water. In that sense, this movie is simply presenting a story that is worldwide. And it works!

Continue reading our The Well movie review below. Screening at Fantasia 2025.

Die of a virus or thirst

Water is, by default, dangerous and could be contaminated. And if you, like me, can’t talk about water being contaminated without thinking of Shyamalan’s Signs, then we have the same catalogue brain for genre movies.

For The Well, many are faced with the choice of drinking water that may kill them or dying of thirst. Needless to say, this will bring some people to take a chance. However, it appears that no water in natural or existing rivers is safe.

However, one family has a well where the water is not contaminated. It’s clean, clear, and keeps the family alive. In a world where water is the most important (and sparse) resource, this well must be protected.

A realistic thriller rather than horror-action

Unlike in many other post-apocalyptic movies, this isn’t about an army or some Negan [from The Walking Dead] type, running the show and using the water for leverage. Instead, it’s just a family of mom, dad, and a teenage daughter living off the land.

Of course, being able to grow food also requires water, so everything needs to be hidden, and alarms are set up on the property. In this post-apocalyptic world, everything is very old school.

No cellphones or electricity are available. You have what you can build, grow, or invent.

This makes for a world where things happen slowly, but also where people come together. Most importantly, you have to be able to trust the people you’re with. That’s why it’s key that a family has this well; There is a built-in trust with this family.

However, one day the water from this well looks different, and they need to fix a filter. What to do in a world where you can’t just call someone or order it online? You go out into the world to find the materials needed.

Unfortunately, this means running into strangers, who would obviously love to have a well for themselves. I don’t want to reveal what happens, but suffice it to say that there are still good people in the world. Finding them can be tricky, though.

The Well (2025) world premiere at Fantasia 2025

This new eco-thriller comes from the Oscar-nominated filmmaker Hubert Davis (Black Ice), who is getting narrative feature debut with The Well (2025). The screenwriters, Michael Capellupo and Kathleen Hepburn (Never Steady, Never Still), have built a very intriguing world.

I think it’s the perfect venue for The Well to have its world premiere at Fantasia 2025. With a cast full of amazing Canadian actors and with a Canadian filmmaker at the helm, this is the place for a genre movie to premiere.

In the cast, you’ll see quite a few familiar genre faces. The cast includes Shailyn Pierre-Dixon (The Book of Negroes), Arnold Pinnock (Altered Carbon), Joanne Boland (Fear Street: Prom Queen), Sheila McCarthy (Anything for Jackson), and Noah Lamanna (The Last of Us).

It’s a dark and brutal world, but the story itself is often life-affirming, so if you’re worried it will get too dark, know that it also features some hope.

The Well is enjoying its World Premiere at Fantasia 2025.

Details

Director: Hubert Davis
Writers: Michael Capellupo, Kathleen Hepburn
Cast: Joanne Boland, Noah Lamanna, Sheila McCarthy, Steven McCarthy, Shailyn Pierre-Dixon

Plot

In a world where environmental collapse has left survivors to fight over the precious remaining resources, a young woman’s loyalties are tested by the arrival of a wounded man who discovers her family has a secret supply of freshwater.

THE ETERNAUT on Netflix is a new Sci-Fi Series from Argentina (org. title: El Eternauta). The apocalyptic world is based on a graphic novel. In this first season, we’re getting six strong episodes that make us hope season 2 is coming soon. Read our full The Eternaut season 1 series review here!

THE ETERNAUT is a new Netflix Sci-Fi Series from Argentina (org. title: El Eternauta).  It’s a typical summer night in Buenos Aires, when suddenly all power goes out and snow starts falling.

If this wasn’t strange enough in itself, people also drop dead if caught out in the snowfall. This is just the beginning of what we’ll experience in the apocalyptic world of the Netflix series. It’s based on a graphic novel, and season 1 has 6 episodes.

Continue reading our The Eternaut Netflix series review below. Find it on Netflix from April 30, 2025.

Winter in the Argentine Summer

In the Argentine sci-fi series The Eternaut, we’re following survivors of a strange and devastating toxic snowfall. It’s the middle of summer when a rare snow begins falling in Buenos Aires. One second it’s a warm summer night, the next it feels like the dead of winter.

Of course, if you’re caught out in the snow, you don’t have to worry about being cold; You’ll be dead before you know what’s going on as the snow kills everything it touches in an instant.

But where does the snow come from, and how can we battle it? Especially when everything electric and electronic we’ve come to rely on has also stopped working. Again, the power just went out from one second to the next.

The power outage wasn’t a huge shock to the people of Buenos Aires. Blackouts were already an issue for the people of the big city, which we see people complaining about and even rioting over.

Could this sudden toxic winter be the result of a nuclear war, or is something even stranger going on?! One thing is certain: If you want to survive, you need to suit up in gas masks and layers of clothes to stave off both the toxic snow and freezing cold.

Also, as always, you have the other survivors to worry about.

Who might you know from the cast of The Eternaut on Netflix?

Emerging as a leader of the resistance against the threat, which is very much out of this world, is a man named Juan Salvo. As the character Juan Salvo, we see the popular Argentine actor Ricardo Darín (The Secret in Their Eyes).

Other core characters are portrayed by Carla Peterson (Blondi), César Troncoso (Yosi, the Regretful Spy), Andrea Pietra (An Unexpected Love), Ariel Staltari (Pipa), Marcelo Subiotto (The Crimes that Bind), Claudio Martínez Bel (Rojo), and Mora Fisz (Tierra Incógnita).

Whether you know these actors beforehand or not probably depends on how many Argentine productions you’ve watched prior to The Eternaut. And in any case, you should enjoy their performances in this wild sci-fi story on Netflix.

A Gorgeous Netflix Sci-Fi Series set in Argentina

With this Netflix series, we’re getting the first screen adaptation of an iconic Argentine sci-fi graphic novel. “The Eternaut” (or El Eternauta in its original Spanish) was written by Héctor G. Oesterheld and gorgeously illustrated by Francisco Solano Lopez.

Once again, we’re dealing with a story that feels fresh and current despite being decades old. The Eternaut graphic novel was first published in 1957, so we’re talking about a core plot that first saw the light of day more than 50 years ago. In fact, it’s closer to 60 years.

Of course, this Netflix screen adaptation is a huge undertaking that has been in the works for quite some time. We’re talking 2 years of development and scriptwriting, followed by 4½ months of pre-production, and then came 148 days of filming in Buenos Aires.

The actual filming included 2,900 actors (including extras, obviously), over 50 locations, and 30 virtual stages, plus more than 500 masks for the series’ characters.

Finally, as with any sci-fi production, that’s only the beginning, as the pre-production and filming were followed by more than 18 months of post-production.

Watch season 1 of The Eternaut on Netflix now!

This new Netflix series was directed and created by Bruno Stagnaro, who wrote the script along with actor Ariel Staltari. Clearly, Bruno Stagnaro has much love for the original story and has ensured that this adaptation is in the spirit of the original graphic novel.

As mentioned already, this Netflix series is based on the 1957 graphic novel from Argentina. This was written by Héctor G. Oesterheld and illustrated by Francisco Solano Lopez. This Netflix screen adaptation is Bruno Stagnaro’s, made with the vision of its creators in mind.

The first season consists of 6 episodes, and you’ll want to note that this is from the official press material. The “first season” part, I mean. Hopefully, this means we’ll get The Eternaut season 2 soon, now that all the groundwork has already been done for season 1.

ALSO READ

Our The Eternaut Ending Explained article >

If you want to know more, the award–winning graphic novel “The Eternaut” (org. title: El Eternauta) was published in installments from 1957 to 1959. In 2015, it was published as one volume, so you can read up on the story now if you don’t mind possible spoilers.

The Eternaut Season 1 is on Netflix with all 6 episodes from April 30, 2025.

Details

Creator & Director: Bruno Stagnaro
Writers: Bruno Stagnaro, Ariel Staltari
Cast: Ricardo Darín, Carla Peterson, César Troncoso, Andrea Pietra, Ariel Staltari, Marcelo Subiotto, Claudio Martínez Bel, Orianna Cárdenas, Mora Fisz

Plot

After a devastating toxic snowfall kills millions, Juan Salvo and a group of survivors in Buenos Aires must resist an invisible threat from another world.

YEAR 10 is a new post-apocalyptic survival thriller. There is no dialogue in this movie and it works brilliantly. The core concept is strong and the potential for this movie is much bigger than the result. Read our full Year 10 movie review here!

YEAR 10 is a survival horror thriller set in a post-apocalyptic world. As revealed in the opening of the movie, it began when the dead started eating the living. Now, 10 years down the line, the living are eating the living.

As the movie begins, you quickly notice that nobody is talking. Before long, you don’t even notice no one is talking as the world is so dangerous that staying quiet is for the best. Of course, with the success of A Quiet Place, this feels familiar. However, humans are the true monsters in this movie.

Continue reading our Year 10 movie review below. Find it in theaters and on VOD from December 6, 2024.

A filthy world with no words

The world we’re presented with in Year 10 is filthy and clammy. Water is hard to come by and staying clean is virtually impossible. If you get sick or hurt, your odds of making it are immediately lowered drastically.

Also, you can only trust those closest to you. Everyone else is an enemy. That’s just the default now!

There is no dialogue in this movie at all and it works brilliantly. It makes for a very universal story where communication is body language and knowing what your role within your group is. Aside from fearing human beings, you should also be on the lookout for wild dogs.

We’re ten years into the post-apocalyptic world and nature has a new hierarchy.

The most infuriating main protagonist

I have to admit that while I love the concept and core plot of Year 10, there are some major issues with it. One is the main protagonist, who just cannot make the right choice or do the right thing.

To be fair, if we go by Maya Angelou’s infinite words of wisdom saying “When someone shows you who they are, believe them!” there’s a perfect fit with this character. In the first scene, we see his father having to save him.

And again, we are ten (10!) years into this world, so surely he should know better.

From this point on, he continuously makes the wrong decisions and goes up the proverbial stairs when he should be running out the front door. Oh yeah, Sidney Prescott’s words in Scream are words I live by!

Anyway, that’s one thing I wasn’t crazy about for Year 10 though it’s probably also realistic in some ways.

Strange (and misleading) marketing choices

Much worse is the fact that this movie is sold via a plot that isn’t entirely accurate and a poster that is grossly misleading. If we start with the latter point, the poster shows a wolf and a woman in what appears to be some sort of military get-up.

One, there is no female protagonist in Year 10 so that’s blatantly false advertising. Also, there are no wolves in the movie.

The wild dogs look a lot like Irish Wolfhounds and while “wolf” is part of their name, they look nothing like wolves. Their ears are not upright and pointy for one – which the wolf shown on the poster has. Also, they are huge, but with quite a slim build which is also unlike wolves.

And then there’s the official plot synopsis claiming “10 Years after the fall of civilization, cannibalism has become the only option for humanity’s dwindling survivors.”

However, we never see any of the people from the tribe, we follow, desire human flesh. In fact, we see them hunting other animals, so clearly there are still other options.

Watch Year 10 on VOD now!

The writer and director of Year 10 is Ben Goodger, and while certain aspects of this movie (clearly!) irritated me, I am also fascinated by his world-building. In other words, I am excited to see what he does next and hope he’ll be able to control some of the marketing aspects more.

As in make them accurate and true to what the actual movie is about!

The core actors in this intense dialogue-less post-apocalyptic thriller are Toby Goodger as the main protagonist with Hannah Khalique-Brown (Black Doves) as the woman he tries to save. Also, we have Duncan Lacroix as the father he wants to avenge and Luke Massy as the leader of their enemy.

I recognize that I sound pretty negative overall, but that’s not because this movie isn’t good. In fact, it’s because I feel that it could have been so much better. This survival thriller (with the genres sci-fi and horror on IMDb) is absolutely worth watching.

Just know that you’ll want to yell at the main protagonist for making some really bad and dumb decisions along the way!

YEAR 10 is out in theaters and on VOD from December 6, 2024.

Details

Writer & Director: Ben Goodger
Cast: Toby Goodger, Duncan Lacroix, Hannah Khalique-Brown, Luke Massy, Emma Cole, Alexander Anderson, King Gayle, Jessica Zerlina-Leafe, Tom Gaskin

Plot

 In a post-apocalyptic world, a man battles cannibals and wild dogs to save his love and avenge his father.

ELEVATION is a new sci-fi monster movie in the vein of A Quiet Place and from the same producer. This time, you don’t have to be quiet, but you must stay above 8,000 feet. Of course, you can’t stay there forever, which proves challenging. Read our full Elevation movie review here!

ELEVATION is a new Post-apocalyptic Sci-fi Monster Movie out on PVOD now. It’s a perfect choice for fans of the franchise A Quiet Place which also plays out in a post-apocalyptic world where monsters have made humans their prey. Well, so is the Terminator franchise for that matter.

My point is simply that these movies keep getting made because they’re popular and speak to us on a deep level. Also, they’re usually very entertaining and make you wonder about what you would do in the world presented. If it was more character-focused, it would’ve been better, but it’s still worth watching.

Continue reading our Elevation movie review below. Find it out on VOD in the US now.

Stay elevated to survive

In Elevation, we enter the story three years after creatures burrowed up out of the ground and started killing human beings. No one knows how or why it happened, but someone discovered that the only habitable place for humanity is up high in the mountains.

Specifically, you have to be above 8000 feet.

All over the world, if you’re below 8000 feet, you’re in the world of the creatures that killed 95% of all human beings. Sure, you can go below 8000 feet, but you’ll have to be quick as there’s no way to fight them.

No way that anyone in the remaining human population has discovered yet, anyway.

This extremely hard line of 8000 feet does come with an explanation in the movie, so don’t worry too much about that. Instead, worry about the fact that many countries have no surface area at this height.

Being from Denmark, I certainly worried about that as it’s a pretty flat country. Every Dane in their home country – including tourists, obviously – would be immediately doomed.

Anyway, in this movie, a father (Anthony Mackie) must go below “The Line” for his son. Tagging along is a scientist (Morena Baccarin) he despises, but she’s also the smartest one in their little elevated community. Joining them is a young woman (Maddie Hasson) who wants a life outside the mountains.

Morena Baccarin steals the show

Elevation only really has three main characters. Sure, there are more characters in the movie, but as they leave the safety of elevation, we follow these three characters on a mission.

We have Anthony Mackie as the single father, Will, who needs to find help for his sick son. As the more rebellious Katie, we have Maddie Hasson, while finally, we get the brilliant physicist Nina portrayed by Morena Baccarin.

Of the three characters, Nina is by far the most interesting, and Morena Baccarin (Deadpool & Wolverine) makes her even more intriguing. Not only does she play the character who kept saying what I was thinking, but she also comes across as a more well-rounded and complete character.

The other two are just too shallow for me. Nothing about what Anthony Mackie (Twisted Metal) or Maddie Hasson (Malignant) does is bad. It’s just that their characters aren’t that interesting. Nina, on the other hand, is the one trying to get the upper hand on the monsters so that human beings will have a future on the planet.

I will give Elevation credit for having the male character be a single parent, and the female character be the brilliant scientist. Usually, we get a woman playing the “emotional” character and a man as the “logical” one. In this sci-fi monster movie, it’s the opposite and it works extremely well.

Especially, I feel, thanks to Morena Baccarin!

Watch Elevation on PVOD now!

The director of Elevation is George Nolfi, who previously directed Spectral. His directorial debut was the 2011 movie The Adjustment Bureau which incidentally co-starred Emily Blunt, who went on to star in A Quiet Place.

The screenwriters of this new sci-fi monster movie are John Glenn, Jacob Romen, and Kenny Ryan. All three previously worked on the TV series SEAL Team.

The producer of the movie is Brad Fuller, who also produces the genre franchises A Quiet Place and The Purge. What people may not be aware of is that Brad Fuller also produced a lot of horror movies with very familiar titles.

He produced the 2003 horror reboot of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Amityville Horror 2005 remake, the 2009 Friday the 13th, and the 2010 A Nightmare on Elm Street. All of these came before the 2013 movie The Purge which started a whole new franchise before A Quiet Place.

MORE HORROR FROM PRODUCER BRAD FULLER

He also produced the Ouija movies and the 2024 horror movie Apartment 7A.

All of this is just to show that his name tends to show up quite often when a new horror movie comes out. Elevation is more of a monster sci-fi action movie whereas A Quiet Place focused on the characters and horror more than action.

I would’ve preferred more focus on the characters in Elevation as well, but with a runtime of just 91 minutes, that’s a pretty tall order. Do make sure you stick around for the mid-end-credit scene that clearly teases a potential sequel.

Elevation premiered in theaters on November 8 and on PVOD on November 26, 2024.

Details

Director: George Nolfi
Writers: John Glenn, Jacob Romen, Kenny Ryan
Cast: Anthony Mackie, Morena Baccarin, Maddie Hasson, Shauna Earp, Danny Boyd Jr.

Plot

Set in the post-apocalyptic Rocky Mountains, a single father and two women venture from the safety of their homes to face monstrous creatures to save the life of a young boy.

LAZARETH is a new Post-apocalyptic Thriller that follows three women in a remote cabin with a deadly pandemic luring around them. A lot of potential but a story that focuses on the wrong things. Read our full Lazareth (2024) movie review here!

LAZARETH is a new movie starring Ashley Judd. From the opening scene, I was intrigued, and while I had an idea of what twists would come, that part still worked. It’s a post-apocalyptic thriller and as someone who has watched many post-apocalyptic movies and series, it felt familiar. In a good way, mind you.

What wasn’t good for the storytelling – for me, anyway – was that the focus ended up being exactly the opposite of what I wanted. Rather than focusing on the world of three women, who had spent the past decade cut off from the rest of the world due to a deadly pandemic, it became a teen drama that did not work for me.

Continue reading our Lazareth (2024) movie review below. Out in select theaters and On Demand from May 10, 2024.

Three women in a cabin after the apocalypse

As is so often the case – especially since 2020 – the end of the world begins with a virus. A pandemic makes way for this story to play out in a post-apocalyptic world. We follow three women living in the woods in a remote cabin while a deadly pandemic continues to haunt what’s left of the world.

Or actually, Lazareth begins ten years earlier when the virus has just gotten out of control. Here we meet Lee (Ashley Judd), who is willing to do whatever it takes to protect her two orphaned nieces, Imogen and Maeve.

Following this opening scene, where we do get to see what she will do to keep them all safe, there’s a time jump. Imogen and Maeve are on the brink of being adults, but the three have made a life for themselves over the past decade.

Aunt Lee continues to do all she can to protect her two nieces from a self-destructing world. This means raising them in isolation in the middle of the woods. Of course, all you need for such an isolation to be broken is for an outsider to arrive. A young man at that.

And it all unravels…

Within moments almost, their peaceful existence is threatened and hormones are running wild. Which was around the time when I started losing interest. I felt like I had seen it all before. And better!

This is probably why I’m not happy with Lazareth as a post-apocalyptic thriller. I feel robbed of the good movie that this could have been. Instead, I feel like I was watching a movie where I kept waiting for the emotional hormonal stupidity to take a backseat. It just never happened and then it was over.

Also, there’s the twist. Not only did I call it from the beginning, but I was actually sort of fearing that this would be the twist because I’ve already seen it in other post-apocalyptic thrillers. Many, in fact!

For the record, I was happy with the performances of the two young adult women. Sarah Pidgeon (The Wilds) plays the older sister, Maeve, while Katie Douglas (Level 16) portrays the younger Imogen. Also, Asher Angel (Shazam!) does a good job as Owen, the young man who breaks up the otherwise idyllic life in the cabin.

Watch Lazareth on Demand or in Select Theaters – later on Hulu!

The writer and director of this post-apocalyptic thriller is Alec Tibaldi. While I appreciate the world-building and core story, I was not a fan of how the runtime was spent. The pacing was slow and important key plot elements were rushed to make room for the parts that I did not care for.

The runtime of Lazareth is just 86 minutes, but to me, it felt much longer. The core story was only for a short film, so there were plenty of drawn-out moments and repetitive elements that could’ve been left out. Maybe I’m just disappointed that the beginning of the movie (and the good twist) wasn’t the core focus.

Watch it if you’re a fan of thrillers and one of the cast members. Otherwise, I’d wait until it’s on a streaming platform. For your average fan of post-apocalyptic thrillers, there’s nothing new here. Unfortunately!

Lazareth is out in Select Theaters and On Demand from May 10, 2024. It will be available on Hulu from November 1, 2024.

Details

Director: Alec Tibaldi
Writer: Alec Tibaldi
Cast: Ashley Judd, Sarah Pidgeon, Katie Douglas, Edward Balaban, Asher Angel

Plot

Lazareth follows Lee (Ashley Judd), an aunt whose life mission is to protect her orphaned nieces, Imogen and Maeve, from a self-destructing world, raising them in isolation until an outsider threatens their peaceful existence.

APOCALYPSE Z: THE BEGINNING OF THE END on Prime Video is a new Spanish zombie horror movie (org. title: Apocalipsis Z: El principio del fin) based on a book trilogy. Read our full Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End movie review here!

APOCALYPSE Z: THE BEGINNING OF THE END is a new Spanish Zombie Movie on Prime Video (org. title: Apocalipsis Z: El principio del fin). It presents an interesting (albeit scary) world as we see the apocalypse unfold.

The movie is based on a book that has two sequels. And yes, the ending of this movie does also leave us with a very open ending. The kind that makes you hope for a sequel – maybe even two.

Continue reading our Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End movie review below. Find it on Prime Video now.

Watch as the apocalypse unfolds

Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End is about life in the middle of the zombie apocalypse unfolding. When it begins, we’re just meeting characters and seeing them live with “normal” danger and trauma.

Then a strange rabies-like disease begins to spread. And it’s spreading worldwide which leads people to think back on the recent pandemic. Supermarkets are ravaged and quarantines are put into effect.

Unfortunately, it all seems to be too late. The infected humans turn into extremely aggressive creatures in a matter of minutes.

Our main protagonist, Javier (Francisco Ortiz), has been living in his own apocalyptic hell for the past year. Even since losing his wife in an accident, he’s been depressed and isolated himself from his family.

His only companion is Lúculo, his cat, and yes, this cat will stay with him throughout the movie. Much like the cat from A Quiet Place: Day One. And that’s all you need to know about the new Prime Video Spanish zombie horror movie in advance.

Zombies are bad, humans are worse

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from zombie movies and TV series, it’s that zombies may be bad, but humans are always worse. You know that a zombie wants to kill you, but with other humans, you can never be sure of their intentions.

For Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End, this becomes a key element. Sure, some people are good. But which people can you trust and who should you shy away from?

Along with this key element, I also loved that the zombies are fast and extremely vicious. They’re in the vein of World War Z, Train to Busan, or even 28 Days Later. To me, this always presents an added horror.

Watch Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End on Prime Video now!

Carles Torrens (Pet, Feria: The Darkest Light) is the director of this new zombie horror movie. The screenplay comes from Ángel Agudo and is adapted from a book.

The adaptation is based on the successful novel by Manel Loureiro. If it’s a hit, then we have another two adaptations to look forward to as Manel Loureiro wrote an Apocalypse Z trilogy.

The two next books are “Dark Days” and “The Wrath of the Just”.

Yes, this one was too long (runtime 1 hour and 52 minutes), but not so much that I lost interest. So, I am not done with the world presented in this first movie, and I’m keeping my fingers crossed for more movies.

Apocalypse Z: The Beginning of the End premiered on Prime Video on October 31, 2024.

Details

Director: Carles Torrens
Script: Ángel Agudo
Cast: Francisco Ortiz, Jose María Yazpik, Berta Vázquez, María Salgueiro, Amalia Gómez, Marta Poveda, Iria del Río, Yuri Mikhaylychenko, Oriol Ruiz

Plot

A strange disease has spread across the planet, turning people into violent creatures. Manel, who lives in isolation after the death of his wife, will have to manage to survive in this apocalyptic scenario with his cat.

UGLIES on Netflix is a sci-fi thriller from McG. Teens and young adults are the protagonists at the heart of the story. Think Hunger Games meets Divergent. More movies are bound to follow. Read our full Uglies movie review here!

UGLIES is a new Netflix sci-fi thriller set in a dystopian future where only being pretty matters. I realize this might sound like a very shallow premise, but it’s much deeper and darker than you might expect.

This is clearly meant to be an origin story that sets the stage for future movies. Even the ending of this movie tells you that much. Also, it’s based on a book series, so there are more books to adapt.

Continue reading our Uglies movie review below. Find it on Netflix on September 13, 2024.

“Don’t you want to be pretty?”

In this movie, we essentially see a world where social media has become real life. Those filters people use on social media are now implemented via a surgery that everyone gets when they turn 16 years old.

It’s all about being pretty and even the tiniest imperfection or asymmetrical part of a face is seen as a flaw. While growing up at a boarding school, the kids look at themselves in a mirror and ask the AI to “make me pretty”.

The result is a world where everyone has flawless skin, perfectly symmetrical faces, and changes their hair and eye color to whatever they prefer.

Also, the “procedure” they undergo on their 16th birthday impacts their mind as well. It makes them rather vapid and focused on appearances and perfection rather than whatever they were previously interested in.

Tally – the main protagonist

In Uglies, the main protagonist is named Tally Youngblood (Joey King). However, she’s known as  “Squint” at the boarding school where everyone is named after their imperfection. Her best friend is “Nose” despite his name being Peris.

In this dystopian futuristic world, human nature has managed to ravage the planet before supposedly discovering that if everyone is pretty, there will be no war or crime.

Obviously, there’s more to the world than just that, but people are brainwashed into believing this. If you want to be part of the world as you know it, then you have to believe it.

However, before getting the procedure that will make her pretty, one of Tally’s new friends, Shay (Brianne Tju) runs away to an alternative way of life. Believing she can save her friend – and everyone else – Tally goes after her.

Once she sees an alternative way of life, Tally questions everything. Can she believe what she has been told all her life? Or is there more to life than simply being “pretty”?!

The cast of Uglies

While Joey King (The Lie) stars in Uglies, she is far from the only familiar face in the series. Also, Joey King is a producer on the series as she has been a huge fan of the books this movie (and those sequels that are bound to come) was based on.

The cast of Uglies also includes actors such as Keith Powers (#REALITYHIGH), Chase Stokes (Stranger Things), Brianne Tju (47 Meters Down: Uncaged), Jan Luis Castellanos, and Charmin Lee (The 5th Wave).

Plus, we get to see Laverne Cox (Orange Is the New Black, Doubt) as the leader of this world of pretty people. She has a fierce presence that works perfectly for that particular character.

Watch Uglies on Netflix 

Uglies is directed by McG who is a director famous for making gorgeous-looking movies. From the 2000 Charlie’s Angels movie to The Babysitter, his movies may have edgy stories, but the visuals are always sharp and beautiful.

Scott Westerfeld’s 2005 novel of the same name is the first of four. I expect we’ll hear about the next movie being greenlit soon. Also, Scott Westerfeld wrote Leviathan, which is being turned into a Netflix anime series.

While the book Uglies is almost 20 years old now, the story is more relevant than ever. What is also relevant, is seeing that the so-called “Uglies” are leading full and wonderful lives.

It’s just that they’ve been led to believe that the thing to want is to be pretty. Again, very much like social media where everything is filtered, censored, edited, and tweaked to suit the exact image anyone wants to show the world.

Despite the craving to be beautiful and live in the world of the “pretties”, their lives as “uglies” are so much fuller. While set in a dystopia, they play pranks, ride hoverboards, and have the best time with friends, talking about their desires.

Now, that is the kind of message I can get behind. To see people recognize that they are enough. And that being a good friend is more important than looking good on social media.

UGLIES is out on Netflix on Friday the 13th of September 2024.

Details

Director: McG
Script: Jacob Forman, Vanessa Taylor, Whit Anderson
Cast: Joey King, Chase Stokes, Brianne Tju, Keith Powers, Laverne Cox, Charmin Lee, Jan Luis Castellanos

Plot

In a futuristic dystopia with enforced beauty standards, a teen awaiting mandatory cosmetic surgery embarks on a journey to find her missing friend.

PÁRVULOS (2024) is a new Mexican Horror Fantasy set in a dystopian world where three brothers are barely surviving together. World Premiere at Fantasia 2024. Read our full Párvulos movie review here!

PÁRVULOS (2024) is getting its world premiere at Fantasia 2024 and it’s a fascinating tale. This is a new Mexican Horror Fantasy where we meet three young brothers trying their best to survive in a dystopian world.

They appear to have survived an apocalyptic event (one that began with a pandemic) and now they struggle to keep moving forward. All while something is lurking in their basement. And they have to feed it. A lot!

Continue reading our Párvulos movie review below.

A dark tale with many surprises

In Párvulos, you’ll come to realize that no one is safe. And nothing is sacred. It’s all about survival for the three brothers we follow. I can only recommend that you avoid spoilers to the widest possible extent to get the full impact.

This is a dystopian coming-of-age horror story, which is something I tend to enjoy a lot. Párvulos is no exception!

The story unfolds in the near future and we meet the three young brothers (none of them adults yet) after a viral calamity has taken the lives of most humans. However, there are survivors.

Not that you necessarily want to come across them.

A monster in the basement

Also, there’s that basement that hides a terrifying secret. One they keep fed and seem to have adapted to. They refer to it as the monster and the youngest brother is still not allowed to go down there.

It’s simply too dangerous and scary.

The three brothers do all they can to protect each other, but how can they survive in a world that seems completely broken?! I loved seeing this from the young characters’ point of view. They still have hope while recognizing the danger.

For me, Párvulos reminded me of Marrowbone and Glasshouse. It’s very much its own story, but if you enjoyed either of those mentioned, you should check this out as well.

World Premiere at Fantasia 2024 for Párvulos

Párvulos was written and directed by Isaac Ezban, and the Award-winning Mexican filmmaker has crafted a truly fascinating and dark story with this feature film.

This is the fifth and most personal movie of Isaac Ezban. One he spent seven years making so that you can travel along on this dystopian tale of family and the hope of the youngest.

The cast may be largely young, but they deliver brilliant performances. Also, I should mention that this Mexican horror movie comes from the producers of Huesera: The Bone Woman. Another movie you’ll want to watch!

Párvulos is enjoying its World Premiere at Fantasia 2024.

Details

Director: Isaac Ezban
Writers: Ricardo Aguado-Fentanes, Isaac Ezban
Stars: Carla Adell, Leonardo Cervantes, Felix Farid Escalante, Norma Flores, Noe Hernandez, Horacio Lazo, Mateo Ortega

Plot

Three young brothers living in a cabin in the middle of the woods hide a dark, disturbing secret in their basement.

SWEET TOOTH Season 3 is on Netflix and we know this will be the last season which means you’ll finally get definitive answers along the way. Read our Sweet Tooth final season review here!

SWEET TOOTH Season 3 on Netflix continues the post-apocalyptic fairy tale. It takes place in a world where humans are getting infected by “the sick” and the next generation is often born as hybrids – all kinds of human and animal combinations.

I’ve loved this world and its characters since season 1. Okay, fine, I don’t exactly love the villains but they’re still entertaining. As much as the main characters are kids, this is not a series for kids. It’s a very brutal world and little mercy is shown.

Continue reading our Sweet Tooth final season review below. Find the last eight episodes on Netflix from June 6, 2024.

Who will survive season 3?

The big question in this final season of Sweet Tooth on Netflix is: Who will survive?

Apart from that, we also have a lot of questions from the previous season that we’re dying (pun definitely not intended) to get answers to. So are the characters as they head out on their great adventure to find Sweet Tooth’s mom, Birdie, in Alaska.

With Sweet Tooth season 2, our group of hybrid children (and the human adults who help them) defeated General Abbot. He was the main villain and met his end at Pubba’s Cabin.

He was a cool villain, but don’t worry, the world has plenty of villains left. Some are very active while others are minor villains in the sense that they just refuse to help those in need. Not really villains, but certainly not one of the “good guys” either.

In this post-apocalyptic world, so many have already lost their lives. However, the core topic of this final season continues to deal with survival as a main focus.

Among the new characters, we’re seeing some familiar actors cast. From Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) to Cara Gee (The Expanse) and Ayazhan Dalabayeva (Night Swim).

Going to Alaska – and winter is coming!

In season 3, we see Gus (Christian Convery) aka Sweet Tooth, Jepperd (Nonso Anozie) aka Big Man, and sisters Becky (Stefania LaVie Owen) and Wendy (Naledi Murray) – one a hybrid and the other her older sister – as they embark on a journey to Alaska.

They are heading to Alaska to search for Gus’s mother, Birdie. She has been working tirelessly to uncover the mysterious origins of the deadly Sick. It appears she has a connection to Gus, and he feels that she needs her.

There is a minor (or major, really) problem in heading to Alaska; Winter is coming. Also, the group is taking off in a car with a finite amount of fuel, so they know they will have to continue on foot.

Before the end of episode 1, the four are heading towards the Rocky Mountains. On foot!

It’s an uphill battle in both the actual and symbolic sense!

Part of the symbolism comes in the form of a dark force we will come to know as Helen Zhang (Rosalind Chao). She’s bound to be a new fan favorite as many villains are.

Helen Zhang was not a part of the Sweet Tooth comic book, so there’s something new for everyone. A core subject is that of motherhood. Obviously in terms of Gus and his mother, Birdie, but also with Helen Zhang, as her daughter is pregnant.

Watch Sweet Tooth season 3 on Netflix now!

Get ready to finally find out the answer to the ultimate existential question of Sweet Tooth with Season 3: Who will survive and inherit the Earth?

Will it be the humans or the hybrids?! Maybe even neither or both… or something third?

Watch the final season of Sweet Tooth for the gorgeous, uplifting, and heartbreaking culmination of this epic journey.

Sweet Tooth is on Netflix with the final eight episodes from June 6, 2024.

Plot

In Season 3, having defeated General Abbot in the battle at Pubba’s Cabin, Gus, Jepperd, Becky, and Wendy embark on a journey to Alaska in search of Gus’s mother, Birdie, who has been working to uncover the mysterious origins of the deadly Sick.

CIVIL WAR is the latest movie from filmmaker Alex Garland. It’s a brutal, in-your-face, and eerily realistic take on the world we could come to live in. A very important war movie. Read our full Civil War movie review here!

CIVIL WAR is Alex Garland’s newest dystopian take on the world. However, as with any of the movies by Alex Garland, it seems intended not just as a warning of what could be, but rather as a cautionary tale. I recognize that the two can seem like the same, but there are subtle differences.

The movie is set in the near future and with talks of a president at the end of his third term, it’s not difficult to draw conclusions as to who might attempt this. However, no names or party affiliations are ever mentioned. It simply isn’t necessary which in itself speaks volumes.

Continue reading our Civil War movie review below. Find it in theaters now or On Digital from May 24, 2024.

An extremely important war movie

In Civil War, we follow US journalists covering war and this time their assignment is in their own backyard. Having covered war (and war crimes) all over the world, they are now attempting to document that war will always corrupt and destroy.

All while still looking to get the ultimate scoop. After all, they are still journalists. Whether using the written word or the perfect image to convey what war does to people, they are doing their best to stay detached.

I doubt it’ll come as a spoiler of any kind to say that this becomes virtually impossible. When confronted with people, who don’t see you as equal – or even human – but rather a pest and opponent that needs to be removed, your press accreditations would do you much good.

Amazing performances all around

As with any movie, even the best screenplay and amazing director can’t make their vision come to life without the right cast. For Civil War, we’re seeing a lot of the faces we’ve seen in other movies or TV series from Alex Garland. And they all deliver amazing performances.

Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog) portrays a seasoned photojournalist who has spent her life documenting war and war crimes all over the world. She’s always been thinking that her work was warning people back home to never do the same.

Yet now she finds herself documenting the very same war crimes… and even in more personal danger than ever before. Also, it should be noted that while the journalists are shown as being heroes with ethics and rules to follow, we also see the darker side of their personas.

WANT MORE ALEX GARLAND?

Be sure to check out the brilliant series Devs as well >

Like Wagner Moura‘s character, who gets high on being in the middle of a shoot-out despite seeing people get killed. Then when it’s himself or people he knows that are the target of violence, he’s no longer the cool and laidback journalist focused on his story.

Then there’s the young photojournalist portrayed by Cailee Spaeny (The Craft: Legacy), who has her own trial by fire. As the story progresses – and the small crew makes their way from New York to Washington D.C., which is behind “enemy lines” – she becomes hardened while her hero (Kirsten Dunst’s character) struggles.

In the car going to D.C., we also have the senior journalist portrayed by Stephen McKinley Henderson (Devs, Dune). All four of them are dreaming of getting that one iconic image of, and immortalized quote from, the president before his side of the civil war loses.

Watch Civil War however you can!

Alex Garland is the writer and director of Civil War and he is one of my favorite filmmakers. He is unapologetic and always has a clear purpose with his movies. I love that as much as I know others will hate it. Probably because they don’t agree with his worldview or the points he wants to highlight.

As a screenwriter, he debuted with 28 Days Later (2002). However, he also wrote the novel The Beach which was adapted by the same director, Danny Boyle, in 2000. As a writer and director, he has gone even deeper and darker at times.

One obvious example is Men (2022) which is strangely related to Civil War. Also, the breathtaking FX/Hulu miniseries Devs which has a lot of the same cast members as this latest film from him. It dealt with AI and machine learning in world-defining ways.

But actually, he already put a spotlight on AI and robotics with Ex-Machina (2014), which seems more relevant than ever. I mean, a lot more people are familiar with AI now than they were a full decade ago when that movie came out.

Let’s hope his 2024 cautionary tale doesn’t come as close in its predictability!

CIVIL WAR is out in theaters and will be out on digital on May 24, 2024.

Details

Director: Alex Garland
Screenwriter: Alex Garland
Cast: Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Nick Offerman, Stephen McKinley Henderson

Plot

A journey across a dystopian future America, following a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House.