ANNIVERSARY is a new Psychological Thriller that plays out like a scary cautionary tale with a brilliant ensemble cast. It reminded me of the amazing HBO & BBC limited series Years and Years, which I cannot recommend enough. Read our full Anniversary (2025) movie review here!

ANNIVERSARY is a Psychological Thriller out in theaters. At first, it may seem like just another family drama. However, trust me, before it’s all over, we’re in a dystopian future that even features a few sci-fi elements. Well, close to our present world, but even worse.

As I was watching this, it felt strangely familiar. It’s because it feels like a condensed version of the Russell T. Davies limited series Years & Years, which was a BBC and HBO co-production. That one featured a stellar UK cast; this movie has an equally amazing US cast.

Continue reading our Anniversary (2025) movie review below. Find it in theaters from October 29, 2025, and on digital from November 21.

A country torn apart by politics

Before I say anything else, I have to highlight the fact that Anniversary definitely hits a little close to home. Okay, way too close. It’s essentially about a family torn apart by political affiliations, but taken to sinister extremes. The kind of extremes we know from 1930s Germany.

In Anniversary, we meet a loving and close-knit family caught in the turmoil of a controversial rising movement. This movement is political in concept, but plays out almost like a cult. It’s known as “The Change” and will soon sweep the nation.

Before we get that far, we’re at the 25th wedding anniversary of Ellen and Paul Taylor (Diane Lane and Kyle Chandler). This is also the night when the beginning of the end of the world, as they know it, essentially happens.

Religion, business, or just a cult?!

The source of this downfall is Ellen’s former student, Liz (Phoebe Dynevor), who reappears in her life after a rather dramatic exit years earlier. Ellen was nervous about the ideology Liz was promoting in her thesis. Well, now Liz is back and dating their son (Dylan O’Brien).

Also, she has released a book titled “The Change”, which is the thesis Ellen was so terrified of. As Liz becomes a part of the Taylor family, it may seem like a family drama, but I assure you, the psychological thriller element is more than “just” personal issues.

Liz’s role in the political wave known as “The Change” is key to how events unfold. Strangely, this whole movement is being run by a corporation. Soon, it will bring simmering conflicts to the boiling point. Not just for the Taylor family, but for the entire nation.

We see these conflicts and changes evolve with an eerily rapid pace as the family comes together for other anniversaries. Hence, the title of Anniversary.

The brilliant casting of Anniversary

Despite the story playing out over just five years, we will see the characters evolve (some grow, others fall apart) in extreme ways. In order for this to come across as unrealistic or dramatic in a forced way, you need a cast that can carry this.

With Anniversary, we’re getting a brilliant cast led by Diane Lane (Y: The Last Man) and Kyle Chandler (Back in Action) as the heads of the Taylor family. And, of course, we have Dylan O’Brien (Caddo Lake) and Phoebe Dynevor (Fair Play) as those in charge of the future.

Also in the family, as daughters in the Taylor household, are Anna, Cynthia, and Birdie. Portrayed by Madeline Brewer (Cam), Zoey Deutch (Juror #2), and Mckenna Grace (Ghostbusters), respectively.

They are three very different daughters, who each have a sense of direction and obvious talents. Something the lone son in the family (portrayed by Dylan O’Brien) never had. Maybe that’s why he finally has a sense of purpose as part of The Change, which is led by his wife.

If you’ve ever read The Wave or watched any of the film adaptations of it, you will recognize this mechanism. It’s how so many young people are radicalized: The need to belong!

Ultimately, Anniversary is very much about Ellen and Liz, and Diane Lane and Phoebe Dynevor deliver breathtaking performances. Also, at times, downright terrifying!

Watch the 2025 Anniversary movie in theaters – later on digital!

Jan Komasa is the director of Anniversary. We’ve reviewed one of Jan Komasa’s previous movies with the Polish 2020 psychological thriller The Hater. One I highly recommend checking out as well, and his style is apparent in both Anniversary and The Hater.

Another of his previous movies, Corpus Christi, was nominated for an Academy Award® for best international feature film, so he has already proven his talent. Apparently, inspiration for this movie came from looking at Christmas pictures of his own large family, and noticing changes in people over the years.

DO NOT MISS OUT ON…

Again, if you liked the Years and Years series (we gave it a top rating), then you cannot miss out on Anniversary. And vice versa. I cannot recommend either enough.

This new 2025 psychological thriller has also been called a “social apocalypse seen from the perspective of one family” by writer-director Jan Komasa. A description that makes perfect sense to me, having watched it.

Credit is certainly also due for the screenwriter: Lori Rosene-Gambino. She has scripts on the film industry’s coveted Black List, which are movies that should be made (because they are so good), but have yet to be produced.

Well, maybe someone will finally jump at the chance. If Anniversary is indicative of her talent (and according to director Jan Komasa, it is), then I cannot wait to see what Lori Rosene-Gambino does next!

ANNIVERSARY will be released in theaters on October 29, 2025. It will be out on digital on November 21.

Details

Director: Jan Komasa
Screenplay: Lori Rosene-Gambino
Story: Jan Komasa and Lori Rosene-Gambino
Cast: Diane Lane, Kyle Chandler, Madeline Brewer, Zoey Deutch, Phoebe Dynevor, Mckenna Grace, Daryl McCormack, Dylan O’Brien

FRANKENSTEIN (2025) on Netflix is Guillermo del Toro’s breathtaking take on the iconic sci-fi horror novel by Mary Shelley. A masterpiece well worth the runtime of nearly 150 minutes. Read our full review of the 2025 Frankenstein and check it out on Netflix now!

FRANKENSTEIN (2025) is the new Netflix movie from Guillermo del Toro. It’s a story many genre fans know well, but that doesn’t make it any less important or relevant in this 2025 version by the iconic genre filmmaker.

This is a genre adventure driven by the wildly innovative sci-fi plot from the mind of Mary Shelley. One that, in our age of AI, is perhaps even more relevant than ever before. Also, Victor is portrayed as the true monster, as he always should be.

Continue reading our full Frankenstein (2025) movie review below. Find it on Netflix from November 7, 2025.

Only Monsters Play God

In this 2025 version of Mary Shelley’s sci-fi horror novel, Guillermo del Toro is unapologetically focusing on the fact that Victor Frankenstein is the monster. The creature is merely trying to exist in a life he never asked for.

It’s even right there in the tagline for Frankenstein: “Only Monsters Play God.” The runtime of 2 hours and 29 minutes might sound very long, but this is also quite an elaborate story.

Not least as we hear it from Victor’s side first, before the Creature comes with his own tale of life after Victor abandoned him. Often in movies based on Mary Shelley’s story, we get one or the other.

With Guillermo del Toro at the helm, we get both.

An eerily relevant cautionary tale

In its essence, Frankenstein has often been about the conundrum many scientists (and even artists) face: Just because you can do something, it doesn’t mean you should.

Right now, we’re seeing AI take over in many areas of our lives. And sadly, often in the areas that require creativity and innovation. Now, I’m not against AI per default, but I do wish it were used for the many other things that would spare us instead of replacing us in endeavors we enjoy.

With Frankenstein, Victor is so engrossed with the idea that he can create life that he never stops to wonder what will come next. Not unlike many pro-lifers, ironically. And the concept of nurture is clearly very far from the mind of this Creator.

The cast of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein

Oscar Isaac does a wonderful job of portraying Victor Frankenstein in all his glory and contempt. Of course, I always like Oscar Isaac, so I expected as much.

What’s much more important to me is seeing Jacob Elordi as the creature. One that looks a lot like the Prometheus being in Alien: Prometheus. Of course, the full title of  Mary Shelley’s novel is also “Frankenstein; or: The Modern Prometheus”.

Jacob Elordi has an impressive physical presence, but what’s more is the gentle way he is able to present The Creature. Sure, he can do just about anything physically – including revive again and again – but the heart and soul of the Creature are at the forefront here.

Mia Goth also makes a huge impact. First as Victor’s mother (with a few changes to her appearance) and then as the woman engaged to Victor’s brother, William, but wanted by Victor himself. However, she is more intrigued by the Creature – and vice versa.

In other key roles, we see Christian Convery (The Monkey), Christoph Waltz (The Consultant), Charles Dance (The First Omen), David Bradley (Pinocchio), and Felix Kammerer (All Quiet on the Western Front).

Additionally, the story is told while Victor is on a Danish ship, allowing us to see Danish actors Lars Mikkelsen and Nikolaj Lie Kaas throughout the movie.

Watch Frankenstein (2025) on Netflix now

Frankenstein in this 2025 version has been long-awaited. Not least after it was revealed that Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro (Cabinet of Curiosities, The Shape of Water) would be adapting Mary Shelley’s classic sci-fi story.

Guillermo del Toro directed and wrote the screenplay for this new masterpiece. And yes, I do feel it is a masterpiece. Especially due to the focus on Victor’s egotistical wish and narcissistic tendencies. This has always been key to the horror of the plot.

The novel by Mary Shelley is from 1818, written when she was just 19 years old, but the story is still relevant today. And I will admit that I also appreciate that Guillermo del Toro kept the story in this age. I wouldn’t expect anything less from him.

In case it isn’t obvious, I am a huge fan of the Mexican genre filmmaker. However, I also knew ahead of watching Frankenstein that this could result in mismatched expectations.

Honestly, I’m not sure what I expected, but I am very happy with what I received.

Frankenstein (2025) is on Netflix globally from November 7, 2025.

Details

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Script: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jacob Elordi, Mia Goth, Felix Kammerer, Lars Mikkelsen, David Bradley, Charles Dance, Christoph Waltz, Christian Convery

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER is the latest movie from filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson. This one is a true genre hybrid, utilizing everything from crime, thriller, action, and mystery to dark comedy. It’s as brilliant as the casting is stellar. Read our full One Battle After Another movie review here!

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER is a new crime thriller that isn’t afraid to try its hand at dark comedy and action as the story evolves. This movie shines a spotlight on everything wrong with not only the U.S. but the world as a whole.

The runtime is 2 hours and 41 minutes, which works perfectly for this story. Think the best South Korean genre movies, where characters are nuanced and both the “good” and “bad” guys will have (at least somewhat) relatable moments.

Continue reading our One Battle After Another movie review below. Find it in theaters from September 26, 2025.

So many battles to be fought

With One Battle After Another, the main story is about the washed-up revolutionary Bob (Leonardo DiCaprio), but when the movie opens, he is a very active revolutionary.

The kind that operates with a group, speaks in codes, and does not shy away from using explosives or violence to fight their battles. All this changes when he becomes a father.

Of course, those who have been chasing him do not see it that way.

In the present, he has managed to fry his brain with the use of various drugs and alcohol, and has forgotten most of what used to keep him alive. This will soon become a problem as his past returns with a vengeance.

His tough and smart daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti), goes missing, and his hiding spot of more than a decade has been compromised. His evil nemesis, Lockjaw (Sean Penn), is hot on his trail after 16 years of a “normal” life.

Such brilliant casting makes it all work

Despite having grown up with Leonardo DiCaprio as the heartthrob of Titanic and Romeo + Juliet, I love seeing him in roles where he is a complete mess. It just suits him somehow.

In One Battle After Another, he is a huge mess. A classic “good guy” who has lost his way, so while his heart is in the right place, he’s a little confused. Or rather, he’s stoned out of his mind, but trying to get clear again.

Chase Infiniti is brilliant as his daughter, Charlene, and clearly channels the wild nature of her mom, Perfidia, who in turn is portrayed with fierce fire by Teyana Taylor.

Sean Penn as the sadistic soldier, Lockjaw, is perfectly cast. He goes all-in on this portrayal (as he always does), and it makes this very flawed man come across so eerily familiar. He becomes an iconic kind of character. A true villain!

In other key roles, we get the pleasure of watching Benicio Del Toro and Regina Hall. There are many other amazing actors in this cast, but I want to highlight these two.

Both have a fairly short screentime (though all is relative in a movie this long), but leave their clear marks.

Benicio Del Toro is almost underplayed in his portrayal. And Regina Hall, whom I adore in comedy, yet again proves to be a highly gifted dramatic actor as well.

You’ll want to watch this in a movie theater

Seriously, One Battle After Another is the kind of movie you will want to watch on the big screen. Not only due to the amazing use of sound and imagery, but also due to the intense and stress-inducing evolution of this story.

I mean, there’s a car chase scene in this movie that both threatened to give me motion sickness and felt like the most amazing rollercoaster ride. No wonder Steven Spielberg has supposedly already watched the movie three times.

Also, there’s this vibe of a story full of “call to arms” moments that just feels like it should be experienced with other people. For the record, this plays out over nearly two decades and shows how we keep fighting the same battles.

Will the next generation be part of the revolution? And if yes, what kind of revolution are we talking about?! In this movie, we see multiple points of view. We also see people going against their beliefs when it serves an egotistical purpose.

Watch One Battle After Another in theaters!

Paul Thomas Anderson is the writer and director of One Battle After Another, which is his second movie inspired by a novel by Thomas Pynchon. The first was Inherent Vice (2014). This movie was inspired by the novel “Vineland”.

I can’t wait to watch it again either, and trust me, watching One Battle After Another feels like a workout of both your heart and mind. And I do mean “heart” in both the emotional and cardiovascular sense. It’s one wild ride!

Even the jazz score in the background adds to its relentless pressure on the characters as well as us, the audience.

I don’t know that I can claim I had any idea what to expect from this Paul Thomas Anderson movie. However, I can definitely say that it overdelivered, and various scenes have been haunting me ever since.

One Battle After Another will be in theaters on VistaVision, 70mm film, and IMAX®. I watched it in the latter format, which definitely did make me feel that I was “part of” the movie at times. Particularly those car chase scenes.

One Battle After Another is out in theaters on September 26, 2025.

Details

Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Script: Paul Thomas Anderson
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti.

Images © 2025 WBEI

BRING HER BACK is a new horror movie from the TALK TO ME filmmakers. It’s a resurrection horror movie that stays with you. It has several extremely visceral moments that reach through the screen and can be felt. Read our Bring Her Back movie review here and find it on digital now!

BRING HER BACK is now available to watch at home, and if you liked Talk to Me, then you cannot miss out on this one. It comes from the same filmmakers, and you can absolutely tell. It’s also Heaven of Horror’s first top rating of 2025.

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Our review of Talk to Me, which we also gave a top rating >>>

I loved Talk to Me in the sense that it stayed with me and terrified me. The same goes for this movie, and possibly (okay, definitely) in even more visceral ways. This is a resurrection movie with a plot not unlike Pet Sematary. Yet entirely its own creature!

Continue reading our Bring Her Back movie review below. Find it out on Digital from July 1, 2025.

From the deepest grief to the most extreme actions

With Bring Her Back, we’re in classic horror movie territory of the very emotional kind. A woman has lost her daughter and wants her back. It would seem she was otherwise a normal and kind woman (a counsellor for foster kids), but she has changed.

A lot!

Unfortunately, no one has noticed this, so it’s up to a brother, Andy (Billy Barratt), and sister, Piper (Sora Wong), duo to discover this. He is almost 18 years old and plans to become a guardian for his sister, if he is allowed, so it’s just meant to be a short stay with the foster mom (Sally Hawkins).

However short, it won’t take long for them to uncover that something strange is going on. Particularly with the foster mother’s nephew, Ollie (Jonah Wren Phillips), who is a selective mute. If only being mute were his main issue.

Instead, he’s being used in a ritual meant to bring her back. Her being the daughter of the foster mom. It’s the heartbreaking Pet Sematary notion that you can somehow bring someone back from the dead.

Not unlike the movie The Surrender on Shudder, which I also highly recommend, but this is much more terrifying!

I’m grossly oversimplifying the story of Bring Her Back, but that’s because it’s for you to experience and not me to tell you.

Perfect horror movie for Talk to Me fans

I loved Talk to Me in the sense that it stayed with me and terrified me.

The same goes for Bring Her Back which offers an even more heartbreaking story. If you’ve watched Talk to Me, you’ll know this says a lot. However, while you can see and feel that this comes from the same filmmakers, it’s very much its own thing.

Also, it works the other way around, so if you did not like Talk to Me, then we have wildly different horror movie tastes. And, if it isn’t already obvious, you shouldn’t expect to like this one. Simple as that!

If you’re not into character-driven slow-burn horror stories, then the odds of this horror movie being your jam are slim to none. The same goes if you just cannot stomach the visually terrifying horror moments with true visceral impact, especially of the dental variety.

I can’t write anything about this movie without running my tongue over my teeth in a somewhat obsessive way. Oh yeah, Bring Her Back stays with you… And your teeth!

Watch Bring Her Back on Digital now!

As already mentioned, this is the new horror movie from filmmakers behind Talk to Me. The directors are twins Michael Philippou and Danny Philippou, while the screenplay comes from Bill Hinzman and Danny Philippou.

It’s exactly the same filmmaker (directors and writers) constellation as for Talk to Me and the upcoming and highly anticipated sequel Talk 2 Me.

I don’t know that I can say much more about this horror movie except WATCH IT. And if this isn’t your kind of horror movie, then fair enough, but please don’t hate on it or claim that it isn’t good or isn’t horror.

This is textbook horror (fact) and one of the strongest, most heartbreaking horror movies I’ve watched in a long time (opinion). Bring Her Back is the kind of movie that lingers in your mind (and mouth, I’d say) for quite some time. And I applaud that!

BRING HER BACK is out on Digital from July 1, 2025. It’s also coming to Blu-ray & 4K in August 2025.

Details

Directors: Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou
Writers: Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman
Cast: Billy Barratt, Sora Wong, Jonah Wren Phillips, Sally-Anne Upton, Stephen Phillips, Mischa Heywood, and Sally Hawkins

📺 Watch trailer

NOSFERATU by Robert Eggers is a 2024 take on the classic gothic tale about a vampire who demands that one living woman give herself to him. The movie is terrifying and downright disturbing. It’s a masterpiece. Read our full Nosferatu movie review here!

NOSFERATU in this 2024 version by Robert Eggers is based on the 1922 original along with a touch of Bram Stoker’s iconic novel Dracula as well. If you’ve watched the 1922 version, then you will surely be able to recognize that the two are deeply connected.

The runtime of more than two hours may seem daunting, but I assure you, it is not long at all. You will not be checking your watch (unless you want to mentally timestamp any particular moments) nor will you want it to end. Do watch this in a movie theater if at all possible.

Continue reading our Nosferatu movie review below. Find it in US theaters from December 25, 2024.

Brilliant use of color – and lack thereof

The 2024 Nosferatu is a dark fairytale presented as a waking nightmare. You probably know the basics of the story from previous movies about a vampire who sets his sights on a living woman, but let me just do a quick rundown of the plot anyway.

We meet estate agent Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) as he prepares to travel to Transylvania. He needs to go there to close a deal with Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård), a vampire who wants to buy property in the town of Wisburg, where Thomas lives and works with his new bride Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp).

MORE VAMPIRE MOVIES STARRING NICHOLAS HOULT

Check out the horror-comedy Renfield with Nicholas Hoult in the title role >

While Thomas is away, Ellen is left under the care of their friends Friedrich and Anna Harding (Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Emma Corrin) as she has a very bad feeling about Thomas leaving.

Once on her own, Ellen is (as she was in her younger years) plagued by visions and dread each night. We [the audience] know it’s Count Orlok, who wants only to go to Wisburg to finally have Ellen in his grasp.

Ellen also has a feeling that something is coming, but no one believes her. Least of all Doctor Sievers (Ralph Ineson), at first, anyway. Still, he does feel something is off and asks an old professor for help. Enter Albin Eberhart von Franz (Willem Dafoe), who is key in helping Ellen.

Or, well, they ultimately help each other. He knows the lore and myths, she’s living it.

Is Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu a black-and-white movie?

In Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu, we first meet Ellen (Lily-Roes Depp) in an intense and bold opening scene. This is when Count Orlok’s hold on Ellen begins and when she is only a girl, not yet a woman.

The opening scene is in black-and-white, but this movie is not a black-and-white movie. This is revealed in the following scene, which takes place years later. When Ellen meets Thomas, Count Orlok’s hold diminishes but never disappears completely.

Throughout this movie, we see scenes in black-and-white, but overall, this movie is in color.

Scenes are sometimes drained of color, symboling how Count Orlok as a vampire drains the world of life (via blood, as it where) leaving the world grey and colorless. The use of color (and lack thereof) along with shadows makes for a brutally terrifying viewing experience.

Also, the black-and-white scenes suitably highlight the era of the story, which just feels black and white because it takes place almost 200 years ago.

A tale of desire and grooming

In short, most of us probably know the story Nosferatu is that of the vampire who craves a woman, he can sense across time and space. It’s at the heart of both the classic 1922 movie and Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

However, it’s also clear that this 2024 version – made more than 100 years after the first Nosferatu movie – has shifted its focus away from Count Orlok or the man who goes to visit him. Don’t get me wrong, these two characters are still key, but they are not at the center.

Instead, the focus is on the human woman, Ellen, who is desired by Count Orlok. It’s a different angle that works perfectly in terms of storytelling and makes it even more terrifying. In many ways, it becomes a very obvious story about grooming.

The first time Count Orlok sets his sights on the woman, she is merely a girl. He haunts her in her nightmares and has a hold on her that follows her into her waking hours as well. It’s intense and scary in all the ways that stalking and grooming is.

It’s also why Lily-Rose Depp (deservedly so) gets top-billing in the credits. After all, we don’t see her with Count Orlok much at all, but we see the effect he has on her.

Watch Nosferatu in theaters!

As mentioned many times already, this 2024 version of Nosferatu comes from Robert Eggers, who both wrote and directed it. He also produced it along with Jeff Robinov, John Graham, Chris Columbus, and Eleanor Columbus.

Robert Eggers has many impressive and already iconic movies on his resume. From his feature film debut The VVitch (2015) to The Lighthouse (2019), and The Northman (2022). He always delivers character-driven stories set in an astounding time and place.

To me, his take on the classic gothic tale about a vampire demanding a woman give herself to him is his best so far. Not least thanks to the many bold choices made. From making Count Orlok essentially a rotting corpse to Ellen portrayed perfectly by Lily-Rose Depp.

It’s a masterpiece and a movie you should ideally watch in a movie theater. At least on your first watch because you should expect that you’ll want to watch this more than once.

Nosferatu (2024) is out in US theaters from Christmas Day, December 25, 2024.

Details

Writer & Director: Robert Eggers
Cast: Bill Skarsgård, Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney, Willem Dafoe

Plot

Robert Eggers’ NOSFERATU is a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.

THE SUBSTANCE is a body horror movie with a dark comedy edge and lots of psychological horror. An absolute masterpiece starring the scary good Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley. Read our full The Substance movie review here!

THE SUBSTANCE is a horror movie that has been on everybody’s lips (and minds) since its very first screening. I have tried my damndest to avoid spoilers and managed fairly well.

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I recommend you do the same, and I certainly won’t be giving away spoilers here. All I want to highlight is that this movie is absolutely wild and crazy in the best ways. Even its runtime of 2 hours and 21 minutes works for it!

Continue reading our The Substance movie review below. Stream it on Mubi or On Digital now.

When women “age out”

In The Substance, we meet Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) as she is fired from her fitness TV show. A show she has done for decades after an amazing career as an A-list actor.

She is fired by the gross and off-putting studio head aptly named Harvey (Dennis Quaid), who wants fresh meat. Elisabeth Sparkle has aged out and he wants someone younger, fresher, bouncier, and tighter.

Never mind that the show is targeted at women, and only men partake in producing, judging, and casting the new star. White and older men at that.

This is when Elisabeth is presented with an opportunity. A mysterious new drug called “THE SUBSTANCE”. After just one injection, she will be reborn as the gorgeous, twentysomething Sue (Margaret Qualley).

Well, sort of, there are rules to using the substance, but this is all you need to know before going in. The rest is for you to experience first-hand.

The Substance is all about women’s bodies and how others judge women’s bodies. How the worth of a woman is based on her body and beauty. Often attached directly to her age.

You will see bodies in their entirety as it is necessary for this movie to work. It’s part of what people find extreme about this movie but really, the human body is the most natural thing.

The way we view and judge it, often is not. Will this drug be the cure or the poison? The road to freedom and liberation or simply a way to understand the world better?! Watch The Substance to find out.

And really, do watch The Substance. You’ll never forget it!

Demi Moore is scary good

The Substance is a horror movie that covers many subgenres of horror. At times, it’s a psychological horror movie, then it’s more of a dark comedy, and finally, it is a brilliant example of what body horror can be.

Whatever you expect, The Substance will deliver on. And then some. Plus an added crazy element. Along with something even wilder and more insane. Along for the ride from start to finish is Demi Moore who is later joined by Margaret Qualley.

While Margaret Qualley is always good (most recently in a smaller role in Poor Things), this really is Demi Moore’s movie. I mean, both actors are equally important, but the truly grotesque and wild moments come from Demi Moore.

Good Lord, there are moments in The Substance that I will never forget having watched. Demi Moore is scary good and she better get lots of nominations and awards for this role!

We don’t need another snub along the lines of Toni Collette for Hereditary simply because the brilliant performance happens to be in a horror movie.

Watch The Substance on Mubi or Digital now

The Substance is directed and written by Coralie Fargeat, who previously gave us the amazing revenge movie appropriately titled Revenge (2017). I loved that one as well, but this one probably surpasses it in many ways.

If you’ve watched Revenge, pay attention to the little details that were featured in that one as well. Most noticeable are the star-shaped earrings that characters wear in both movies.

A nice detail from Coralie Fargeat, who deserves all the awards for this movie!

DO CHECK OUT

Our review of Revenge as well – we gave it a top rating >

Mubi was able to snatch up the distribution rights for The Substance when others became nervous about how wild it was. I’m oversimplifying, but this was surely the case.

That’s why you can now watch The Substance on the Mubi streaming platform, which you can try for free for seven days.

Also, you can find it on whatever Digital platform you prefer – ie. Apple, Prime Video, Fandango at Home, etc. In many countries worldwide, it’s also still playing in movie theaters, so watch it however you can.

I know not everyone loves the final part of this movie and it is wild, but it works. As well as being fascinated, you should expect to be disgusted in a very visceral way. Absolutely brilliant!

The Substance is out on VOD in the US now (on Mubi from October 31, 2024).

Details

Director: Coralie Fargeat
Script: Coralie Fargeat
Cast: Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley, Dennis Quaid

Plot

Elisabeth Sparkle, a former A-lister past her prime is suddenly fired from her fitness TV show by repellent studio head Harvey. She is then drawn to the opportunity presented by a mysterious new drug: THE SUBSTANCE. All it takes is one injection and she is reborn – temporarily – as the gorgeous, twentysomething Sue. The only rule? Time needs to be split: exactly one week in one body, then one week in the other. No exceptions. A perfect balance. What could go wrong?

WOMAN OF THE HOUR on Netflix is a thriller based on the true story of how the active serial killer, Rodney Alcala, was on a dating show. As a true-crime serial killer thriller, it’s among the very best. Read our full Woman of the Hour movie review here!

WOMAN OF THE HOUR is a new Netflix thriller about the real serial killer Rodney Alcala. Before he was caught, he managed to appear on The Dating Game as one of the bachelors who could win a date.

This is Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut and a very impressive one! Hopefully, this movie is only the very beginning of a long career behind the camera as well as in front. As a movie, this is amazing, and as true crime serial killer thriller, it’s among the very best.

Continue reading our Woman of the Hour movie review below. Find it on Netflix in the US (and other select countries) from October 18, 2024.

The Dating Game Killer

While this movie is titled after the crazy fact that Rodney Alcala managed to be on a dating show while being an active serial killer, this movie isn’t about the dating show. If anything, this movie is like a serial killer victim anthology and the dating show is the wrap-around story.

We keep seeing what happened during The Dating Game, but it’s mixed with flashbacks (and even flashforwards) to the victims of Rodney Alcala. Also, there’s an important focus on how women recognize other women in need, while few men catch on to how dangerous Rodney is until he makes it very clear.

Women tend to feel it in their gut earlier, but since Rodney Alcala manages to make the women feel safe first, he gets them secluded and alone. Only once they’re away from prying eyes and possible witnesses does he turn off the charm and show his true colors.

Daniel Zovatto (It Follows, Don’t Breathe, The Pope’s Exorcist) is breathtaking and terrifying as Rodney Alcala. He is so very charming right up until the point when he isn’t. Once he switches off the charm, the women (and even a few men who cross him) feel it instinctively.

Maybe watch this with a woman

Anna Kendrick, who both stars and directs the movie, has noted on an element of the story that I think most women will recognize more than men. In that sense, it may help men to watch it with a woman.

If nothing else, just to ask them if they recognize the feelings or experiences shown.

Like how a woman will shrink herself and go above and beyond to be pleasing. If a woman laughs at a man, she can be quick to smooth things over and even belittle herself to make him feel better again.

It’s the old “Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them” by Margaret Atwood. However, part of Woman of the Hour is also showing how women can get that power back.

Sometimes to no avail but at other times, enough to save themselves.

Believe women!

The movie has been called a “stranger than fiction”-story. And while it is, you don’t have to watch many true crime documentaries to acknowledge that, sadly, it’s not all that uncommon. Far too many serial killers and/or rapists manage to continue because women weren’t listened to or believed.

If anything, the tagline for Woman of the Hour could easily be “Believe women!” and also “Stop touching women when they clearly don’t want you to!”.

As Woman of the Hour is based on the true story of serial killer and rapist Rodney Alcala, the movie also ends with telling us what happens to him. Including how long law enforcement failed to act on the many accusations against him.

Also, we get an update on Anna Kendrick’s character Sheryl, whose real name is Cheryl Bradshaw, and the final victim of Rodney Alcala. She escaped death but not rape and violence, so she could help finally get him arrested. Not that this ended his murder spree.

Oh no, you’ll see, so make sure you read all the information just before the end credits.

Watch Woman of the Hour on Netflix now!

As already mentioned earlier, Anna Kendrick is the director of Woman of the Hour and this is her debut as a director. An amazing debut at that. I always like seeing Anna Kendrick on my screen, but in the future, I really hope to see her direct more as well.

Preferably genre productions based on what she managed to do here. And maybe even with the same screenwriter. The screenplay comes from Ian McDonald, who previously wrote and directed the 2016 movie Some Freaks but has no other writing credits apart from that.

While Netflix acquired distribution rights for the movie in the US and many other countries, it’s not a global release. Other countries will have it come out in theatrical release first, so if you’re not in the US, check out Netflix to see if it’s out now.

Woman of the Hour is on Netflix US (and other select countries worldwide) from October 18, 2024.

Details

Director: Anna Kendrick
Writer: Ian McDonald
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Tony Hale, Kelley Jakle, Jedidiah Goodacre, Daniel Zovatto, Max Lloyd-Jones, Geoff Gustafson, Matty Finochio, Dylan Schmid, Matthew Kevin Anderson, Matt Visser,
Nicolette Robinson

Plot

The stranger-than-fiction story of an aspiring actress in 1970s Los Angeles and a serial killer in the midst of a yearslong murder spree, whose lives intersect when they’re cast on an episode of The Dating Game.

MADS on Shudder is a French One-Take Horror Movie. It turns into an apocalyptic nightmare of a zombie variety. Relentless and insanely brilliant, it’s a tour de force in horror filmmaking. Read our full MadS horror movie review here!

MADS on Shudder is a new French Horror movie. It’s shot in One-Take which is simply insane but also makes for one of the most intense horror movies I have ever witnessed. Usually, we get a break every now and then, but with this one, it just keeps going.

With a runtime of 1 hour and 26 minutes, it isn’t even that they’re cutting any corners to make it easier on themselves. What a wild ride of a horror movie. Witness the apocalyptic events unfold as humans turn into creatures who turn on each other.

Continue reading our MadS horror movie review below. Find it on Shudder from October 18, 2024.

A different kind of zombie movie

In MadS, we begin on a seemingly normal and calm summer evening in France. The 18-year-old Romain has recently graduated and makes a quick stop at his dealer’s place to try a new drug. What is it? Not even the dealer knows but it’s a reddish powder that will change the world.

Romain (Milton Riche) is heading to a party when he sees an injured woman. Or really, she jumps up on his car and forces her way into his convertible – which obviously isn’t difficult. He decides to help her but she can’t tell him anything about herself and seems extremely distraught.

She does have a recording device and tries to play something from it for him. Hot tip; Pay attention to what is said on this recording!

Then the woman, who is wrapped up in bandages, starts smashing her head against the dashboard injuring herself so badly that she dies. Is this truly happening or is Romain in the throws of an extremely bad trip?!

Unfortunately for Romain, it is actually happening and he’s about to find more strange things occurring. Including a newfound interest in looking into the light. Streetlights, lamps, any kind of light.

And getting quite bitey, but not in any classic zombie-style.

MadS is entirely its own creature, but definitely a creature. As the night continues in real-time during this one-take, we also meet an additional two main characters that we follow on-off. These two are portrayed by Laurie Pavy and Lucille Guillaume. And, finally, Lewkowski Yovel.

MadS is an immersive waking nightmare

The director has shared a statement that talks about MadS as an “exploration of a waking nightmare, an immersive plunge into a universe where the boundary between dream and reality blurs” and how this leaves both the characters in the movie and us, the audience, in a state of confusion and constant tension.

Well, I could not have described this movie any better, so I simply had to borrow his words. I also say “Mission Accomplished” because this is exactly the experience I had when watching MadS.

Please, please, do not let the fact that this isn’t in English stop you from watching it. I don’t know if Shudder will offer a dubbed version, but even if that’s the case, you do not need it. There isn’t much dialogue and the overall experience is what works so well with this movie!

Watch MadS on Shudder – and remember to hydrate!

David Moreau is the writer and director of MadS and also clearly a genius that has managed to employ like-minded to create this masterpiece. The choreography required to pull off this one-take zombie horror action movie is breathtaking.

In fact, I felt like I needed to drink a lot of water while just watching it, so do remember to hydrate!

MORE FROM DAVID MOREAU

He also co-wrote and co-directed the amazing French horror-thriller Ils (or Them)

MadS is labeled as “Shudder’s One-Take Descent Into Madness” and it’s easy to see why. Hot damn, this movie just does not let up. If we leave one character, it’s to follow a new one and the pace only rarely slows down. Usually because someone needs to hide or just think for a second.

It has the intensity of 28 Days Later and [REC]. If this isn’t enough to make you watch MadS immediately, then we clearly do not have the same taste in zombie movies. I like mine to be character-driven, relentless, and soul-crushingly terrifying!

MadS is out on Shudder from October 18, 2024.

Details

Director: David Moreau
Writer: David Moreau
Cast: Milton Riche, Laurie Pavy, Lucille Guillaume

Plot

Eighteen year old Romain has just graduated and makes a stop at his dealer’s place to try a new pill. As he heads off to a party, he sees an injured woman on the side of the road and decides to help her, but when she gets in his car, she suddenly smashes her own head against the dashboard, bleeding out until she dies. Is this a bad trip? Or is it something else? One thing is for sure, it’s only the beginning of the night.

STRANGE DARLING is a serial killer survival story. This horror-thriller is all kinds of brutal and brilliant. Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner star with a killer supporting cast. Read our full Strange Darling movie review here!

STRANGE DARLING is a serial killer survival story out on VOD now. I wasn’t sure what to expect and this was an advantage as this movie assaults your senses and expectations. In all the best ways.

Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner are amazing as the two main characters. You do not want to miss out on this wild ride of a movie. It’s a real treat for genre fans!

Continue reading our Strange Darling movie review below. Find it On Digital from October 1, 2024.

Follow the serial killer and the victims

In Strange Darling, you will quickly come to realize that nothing is quite as it presents itself. We begin with chapter three (out of six), so we land right smack dab in the middle of a very messy situation.

A woman in a red vintage car is being hunted down by a man with a newer black truck with a riffle. That’s all we know when it begins, but as we get the rest of the chapters, we will learn so much more.

We do know this is a serial killer story. This much is revealed by the text on screen meant as an introduction. Immediately after this, we’re thrown into this crazy world.

Also, we know that this serial killer’s vicious murder spree started with a twisted one-night stand. Then it spiraled into something very different!

Willa Fitzgerald and Kyle Gallner

Willa Fitzgerald (Dare Me) and Kyle Gallner (Smile) work perfectly across from one another, and I cannot imagine either character portrayed by anyone else. Supposedly, Miramax wanted to replace Willa Fitzgerald.

Fortunately, that never happened!

Both Willa Fitzgerald and (right now, especially) Kyle Gallner are quickly becoming big names in genre productions. Kyle Gallner makes all the right choices about which movies to work on. This and Mother, May I? for example!

Also in two key roles are Barbara Hershey (Black Swan, Insidious, The Manor) and Ed Begley Jr. (Ghostbusters). They portray an old married couple of hippies living in the mountains.

It’s clear that they have a thing for (as in, believe in) Bigfoot, but that’s just one element of them. You’ll see when the serial killer and selected victim come across their home.

It all happens as the two battle each other for dominance and survival!

Also in this movie with their voices alone are Jason Patric and Giovanni Ribisi. In fact, the latter is also the director of photography and does a damn fine job!

Watch Strange Darling on VOD now!

JT Mollner is the writer and director of Strange Darling, and I am crazy about his style with this movie. The chronology is all over the place, but as the viewer, you always know when and where in the story, you are.

Divided into chapters, but told in a seemingly random order, you will slowly but surely connect the dots. Yes, even long before the final reveal, but that’s only because JT Mollner allows you to.

If you’re looking for something new that might feel familiar due to its direct and brutal approach (think movies from the 1970s or 1980s), then this is for you. Perfectly released on VOD in time for Spooky Season.

STRANGE DARLING is out on digital (PVOD) from October 1, 2024.

Details

Director: JT Mollner
Writer: JT Mollner
Stars: Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Gallner, Barbara Hershey, Ed Begley Jr.

Plot

In Strange Darling, nothing is what it seems when a twisted one-night stand spirals into a serial killer’s vicious murder spree.

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE is absolutely META awesome. There are a ton of Marvel cameos, pop culture references, and an awful lot of blood. I’m already looking forward to watching it again. Read our full Deadpool & Wolverine movie review here!

DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE is coming out in theaters worldwide and if you’ve enjoyed Deadpool and Marvel productions in general, you should be very happy with this one. I’ve always loved Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool but became even more excited with this one.

From the first Deadpool movie (this is technically Deadpool 3), Hugh Jackman and Wolverine have played a part indirectly. Now they’re united and it is absolutely fantastic. We are still in the classic Deadpool world, where the fourth wall is broken, and actors and characters are blending into one another. I adore it!

Continue reading our Deadpool & Wolverine movie review below. Watch it in US theaters from July 26, 2024. And expect to want to watch it more than once!

Deadpool & Wolverine is META fantastic!

I want to avoid spoilers, as Deadpool & Wolverine is full of wonderful and surprising cameos and the wildest Marvel references. As well as various other pop culture references, I might add.

In the opening scene, Deadpool is dancing around to ‘N Sync while violently slaughtering people. In self-defense, but still.

Also, the final big fight scene has Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” at full power. It’s perfect! In so many ways, as also noted by Deadpool after that battle.

But what is the film about? In short, it’s the bromance Deadpool and Ryan Reynolds have been waiting for since the first movie. And Hugh Jackman too, it seems, since Wolverine was buried (literally) in Logan.

Don’t worry, that detail is also taken into account in this movie.

In addition to constantly talking about Hugh Jackman and the Wolverine character in the two previous Deadpool movies, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman have been having a bromance battle via social media. Now it led to Hugh Jackman jumping aboard when the opportunity came up.

Then, we are out in a multiverse story that has also been used in various Marvel Studios films and TV series. This means both a lot of exciting characters and a few surprising cameos. One in particular is most unexpected (and DC Comic related) and it’s META-awesome!

Watch Deadpool & Wolverine in theaters!

Deadpool & Wolverine (or Deadpool 3, if you will) is directed by Shawn Levy, who also directed the previous two Ryan Reynolds films: Free Guy and The Adam Project. Ryan Reynolds and Shawn Levy clearly work extremely well together, and here it’s epic.

In fact, Deadpool uses the term “Marvel Jesus” about himself, and it’s probably not completely wrong. This is some of the best from the MCU in years. Even if it’s a lot wilder and gorier than anything you could get away with in say an Avengers movie.

A SMALL TIP

Ideally, you should previously have watched everything Marvel, but the Loki series is especially relevant for Deadpool & Wolverine. After all, this is a multiverse story and the TVA from Loki plays a significant role.

The first Deadpool movie came from Tim Miller, and the second from David Leitch. The latter had to make The Fall Guy and was therefore unavailable for this one. However, all three Deadpool movies are primarily all about Ryan Reynolds, so it works. Especially in collaboration with Hugh Jackman.

The script also comes from Ryan Reynolds himself in collaboration with director Shawn Levy plus Rhett Reese, Zeb Wells, and Paul Wernick. It may sound like a few too many “cooks”, but it just works here. The film is two hours long, but it could have been even longer.

And yes, there are scenes during the end credits. Alongside the credits, we see “behind the scenes” clips from relevant previous Marvel films. All the way back to the very first X-Men from 2000. At the very end (after ten minutes of end credits) comes the actual end-credit scene. In other words: Stay seated!

Deadpool & Wolverine is out in US theaters from July 26, 2024.

Details

Director: Shawn Levy
Script: Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Zeb Wells, Shawn Levy
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Matthew Macfayden, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Karan Soni, Leslie Uggams, Jennifer Garner, Kelly Hu, Brianna Hildebrand, Ray Park, Shioli Kutsuna, Lewis Tran, Jason Flemyng, Aaron Stanford, Stefan Kapicic

Plot

Deadpool’s peaceful existence comes crashing down when the Time Variance Authority recruits him to help safeguard the multiverse.