“Have a nice day”

 Tis the season… the spooky movie season

After succeeding last year I once again quested to watch at least one horror film a day for the month of October and once again I did succeed. I’m once again blogging my thoughts for those who do likewise or who might be considering which horror films they could even stomach. No hot takes like year as they are all in last year’s post, just a run down of what I watched and then some faves at the end. I will say this year is brought to you by films from the last decade, Stephen King, and vampires (yes that does include the 2024 version of Salem’s Lot which is all of these things).

Film 1- Final Destination Bloodlines (2025)

What is scary- Death

General or non horror people content warning- very ridiculous but also very gruesome deaths, trauma 

Plot- Stefani, a college student, starts having visions of a couple going to the opening of a fancy skyscraper in the 1960s only for them and all others at the opening to die in over the top ways as the whole skyscraper collapses. She then discovered that her grandmother was the female half of the couple and that unlike the vision, everyone survived as her grandmother had a vision and warned everyone. As her grandmother escaped death, Death has hunted down all of the survivors and their families and is now turning its eye on Stefanie’s family as only her grandmother and one other survivor remain.

Short review- this is my first Final Destination film because why not start with number six. I have never had much interest in them as I thought they looked dull but then this had good reviews. This was actually a lot of fun as it was one death based Rube Goldberg machine after another. The deaths are so over the top to be ridiculous and the film knows what it is doing as nothing is presented as serious. Definitely worth a watch if you like horror and want a laugh, and don’t worry you definitely don’t have to have seen the first five films.

New to me or not- first time watch

Where did I watch it- HBO Max (or whatever we are calling that now)

Film 2- Blade  (1998)

What is scary- vampires

General or non horror people content warning- blood and wild 90s CGI

Plot- Blade (Wesley Snipes) was born shortly after his mother was bitten by a vampire and therefore he was born a “day walker”, a person with some vampiric traits who can be around during the day. Blade has devoted his life to hunting vampires. A ‘young’ (for want of a better term) vampire, Deacon (Stephen Dorff) is changing the vampire hierarchy and hopes to summon a vampire god and have vampires rule the earth.

Short review- Starting with a blood soaked night club and ending with one of the greatest lines in cinema history, you know I love me some Blade. It has the perfect mix of being peak 90s, being based on a comic book, being about vampires, and having some peak cheese in its script to be everything I want in a film. The 90s CGI at the end is retroactively hilarious but I will always forgive it. Much as I’m super keen for the new version that the MCU keeps promising but not delivering, there will be a spot in my heart for Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff, and most especially the line “Some motherf*ckers are always tryna ice skate uphill” (best improvised line by an actor ever). 

New to me or not- I think this is obvious from the above but definitely a rewatch.

Where did I watch it- HBO Max

Film 3- Heretic (2024)

What is scary- creepy dude with strong opinions

General or non horror people content warning- abuse, kidnapping, a few jump scares, power trips, and a man talking your ear off with his opinions

Plot- Two young Mormon missionaries, Sister Barnes (Sophie Thatcher) and Sister Paxton (Chloe East), are on mission in a small North American town. One day they are visiting people who have expressed an interest in the church and they go to the house of Mr Reed (Hugh Grant). It very quickly becomes clear that Mr Reed has no interest in conversion but in fact has trapped the young women in his house and wants to force them to reconsider their beliefs by force.

Short review- Hugh Grant is amazing in this. He is in so few dramas and even fewer where he is a truly horrible person. He made the character of Mr Reed completely believable as an even worse version of every man who has tried to give you his opinion on say Star Wars or Radiohead (two things he does talk about) but will not let you have your own. This film will make you hate Monopoly, the Star Wars prequels, and Radiohead- at least briefly as I could never permanently hate Radiohead. The two female leads are also great especially Sophie Thatcher who to me is the big name to watch in horror films at the minute (if you haven’t seen this year’s Companion, you should but also try and learn nothing going in). I didn’t love the very end of the film so that pulled down my rating on Letterboxd to a 3.5 but this is generally a solid creep fest even if after Mr Reed starts testing the two women, it does become a tough watch and I would not say this would be a good film for those who don’t do horror.

New to me or not- I was very sad to miss this at the cinema last year and was happy to easily find it for viewing this Halloween season. It was new to me

Where did I watch it- Amazon Prime (honestly the best place for horror of the streamers)

Film 4- The Monkey (2025)

What is scary- a cursed monkey toy

General or non horror people content warning- many violent deaths

Plot- when twins Hal and Bill (both played by Theo James as adults) are young, they discover a monkey toy in the possessions of their recently deceased father. They play with the toy and then that night their babysitter dies. Later, in a fit of rage, Hal plays with the toy in hops it will kill Bill, who is sadist bully, but it kills their mother instead. Eventually the boys throw the monkey down a well. 25 years later, Hal, who has tried to avoid human contact (poorly- he has a son) to stop the monkey killing anyone, hears his aunt has died and when he arrives in the town where she raised him and his brother after their parents’ deaths, he notices people are dying in odd ways. Then his brother calls.

Short review- this marks the first Osgood Perkins film of October (I watched three and nope none of them was Longlegs which I have already seen) and the first Stephen King (I watch a lot of King this October so all hail the giant space turtle, I guess). This film had a lot of similar vibes to Final Destination Bloodlines, Though the deaths were mostly slightly less elaborate, it is a lot of random death and like FDB, none of it is serious- I would say this tried to lean heavier into comedy but I think FDB was funnier. Perfectly enjoyable film but not one that I would jump to watch again. That said points for featuring two actors who I think need more attention as the brothers’ parents- Tatiana Maslany and Adam Scott I wish you were in all the things.

New to me or not- Another new one

Where did I watch it- Amazon Prime

Film 5- Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

What is scary- alien plants that taken over your body and duplicate you

General or non horror people content warning- wee bit of body horror, wee bit of gore, some jump scares

Plot- Elizabeth, a lab scientist at the San Francisco Health Department, finds an interesting plant which she brings home, The next day she finds her partner is acting oddly and watches him dispose of the plant. She speaks to her colleague, Matthew (young Donald Sutherland), about her partner’s behaviour, and he suggests she meet his friend who is a psychiatrist, Kibner (Leonard Nimoy). On the way they see a man pursued by a mob. At Kibner’s book event they linked up with Matthew’s friend, Jack (Jeff Goldblum). Kibner dismisses their concerns but then later that night at the bath house Jack and his wife run, there appear to be duplicates of people’s bodies.

Short review- The casting agent for this should get all the money because it is a pure feat of genius that they got Donald Sutherland, Leonard Nimoy, Jeff Goldblum, and Veronica Cartwright (who plays Jack’s wife) in this film. It is a great film which is still suspenseful even though it is the second of three times it has been adapted for the screen. It will teach you never to be the kind of person who brings random cuttings of plants home to grow.

New to me or not- First time for a classic 

Where did I watch it- Amazon Prime

Film 6- Chopping Mall (1986)

What is scary- evil killer security robots

General or non horror people content warning- it is an 80s slasher so it is bloody if also silly, also the weird teen party ever, and in a scene I could barely watch there are spiders

Plot- Alison is convinced by her friend to be set up with said friend’s boyfriend’s coworker at a party. The party is to be at the furniture store in the mall where most of the characters work. The party kicks off and the teens are drinking and hooking up on the furniture in the store. Unbeknownst to them lightening has struck the mall and made the security robots the mall has just bought become murderous.

Short review- The robots are like buffed up versions of number 5 from Short Circuit and they gave me the title of this post as they say “have a nice day” after they kill people. It is a tight less than 90 minutes and it is the kind of dumb 80s horror that you should watched at least one of every Halloween season. Do you care about the characters? No. Is the script smart? No. Does the robot work consistently the same way? Hells no. Is it a brilliant dumb fun time? Absolutely. It doesn’t succeed in being a great commentary on 80s consumer culture which it is attempting and failing at being but I didn’t care. Also points for the oddly racist couple in the opening scene who wonder if the robots look “ethic”.

New to me or not- New to me but I will definitely be rewatching

Where did I watch it- Amazon Prime

Film 7- Jaws (1975)

What is scary- giant shark

General or non horror people content warning- blood and shark attacks

Plot- As Fourth of July weekend looms in a New England beach town, a big shark attacks, and the local sheriff, a marine biologist, and a shark hunter hunt it down in a too small boot

Short review- I hate to say not a big fan. I wanted much more shark and less three men drinking and chatting on a boat as that is very much not my vibe. It is an exceptionally well made film (it is Spielberg after all), with a brilliant score (all points to any John Williams score), great acting, and solid creature effects for the 70s, but it just wasn’t my vibe. In the future, maybe I should stick with sillier shark based films.

New to me or not- Another new one

Where did I watch it- Disney+

Film 8- It (2017)

What is scary- demon type creature that takes the form of a clown

General or non horror people content warning- blood, jump scares, child abuse (physical, sexual, and psychological), bullying, clowns, child death, racism, and many other creepy things

Plot- On a rainy day, Bill makes a paper boat for his younger brother, Georgie, to play with. Georgie takes it outside and ends up going down a drain where a face appears, the face of Pennywise the clown and soon enough the clown’s face contorts and looks like the grin of a shark and he bites off Georgie’s arm. About eight months later, Georgie is treated as missing. Bill and his friends, Richie, Stanley, and Eddie, are bullied at school, and soon link up with Bev and Ben who are also bullied. Aside from bullying and the disappearance of Georgie, the group is plagued by other trauma- Richie for reasons revealed in the second film, Eddie due to his psychologically abusive mother, and Bev due to her physically and sexually abusive father. They later met Mike who is not at school with them but is a similar age and is subject not just to bullying but also to the racism of the very white town of Derry. More teens are disappearing and Ben, who is the most bookish of the group, has discovered the town has a history of disappearances, murders, and tragedies that occur on a regular cycle. The group starts having visions of Pennywise or that relate to their own traumas or fears.

Short review- Stephen King’s It was a story that scared me as a child mainly as my parents used to pick me up from sleepovers at my friend’s place when I was in year 6 right before they thought we would put horror films on (her parents let her watch much more adult fare than my parents let me see at the age of 11 or 12). Sadly they timed this poorly and poor sheltered 11 year old me at two of these sleepovers ended up seeing the first 10-15 minutes or so of horror content- Candyman and the 1990 miniseries of It. They picked me up the night I saw the beginning of It right as Georgie gets chomped by Pennywise and therefore I was convinced that the whole story must be terrifying. Honestly 11 year old me was not wrong, It is a terrifying story and this film is a very good adaptation of the childhood part of the book- moved from the 50s to the 80s. It is tense and scary, and not just because of Pennywise, but also because of the trauma in these children’s lives. In quite the feat for a film about children, none of the child actors are annoying and their performances are all very good. This said the film belongs to Bill Skarsgard as Pennywise as he did the impossible and filled the shoes of Tim Curry, and brought a new kind of malevolence to the character. I would have some qualms about the ending but it is better than the child gang rape/orgy that King has happen in the book (both this adaptation and the miniseries smartly left that on the page and didn’t bring it to screen).

 New to me or not- I saw this at the cinema and again before the second film came out and I’m a big fan of this first of the two recent It films. The rewatch of this (and spoiler the next film which is the sequel) were inspired by the new Welcome to Derry series.

Where did I watch it- HBO Max (though I see it is also on Stan)

Film 9- It: Chapter Two (2019)

What is scary- see above

General or non horror people content warning- again see above and add to it, homophobia and suicide

Plot- A gay couple is attending the Derry Fair when they are attacked by a group of locals, and one of them is thrown off a bridge to his death. Adult Mike sees it happen and senses from it that Pennywise has returned. Mike, as the one kid from the first film who lives in Derry as an adult, works at the town library and he summons the others to return. The others barely remember Derry or each other and have moved on with their lives to a degree- Bill is a successful horror writer (yes he is the classic King stand in character), Ben an architect who has lost his childhood weight, Eddie a risk analyst, Richie a standup comic, Stan a accountant, and Bev a fashion designer. Though they have moved on from Derry, many of them have not moved on from trauma- Eddie has married a woman who is overbearing (though not to the level of abuse he received from his mother- smart choice the same actress plays both Eddie’s mother and his wife), Richie is still closeted (his sexuality is revealed in the second film), Bev’s husband is abusive, and Stan is still so haunted by the events he barely remembers in Derry that he commits suicide on getting Mike’s summons. Aside from Stan, they return to Derry, and It (as they term the entity) starts to appear to them as Pennywise and other things.

Short review- Never move to Derry as it seems a horrid place rooted in prejudice before you even get to evil creatures in the sewers. This sequel though well made does stretch its welcome a tad as it is very long and feels it- this is mainly King’s fault as even when you split the novel in two, it is a behemoth. It is very good but due mainly to its length doesn’t stand up to part one. All the points to the casting director on this though as the adults all look like they could be the children of the first film (who appear in flashback in this one). Supposedly they asked the younger actors who they would like to play them as adults and two of them got their request (Finn Wolfhard said Bill Hader, and Sophia Lillis said Jessica Chastain), and in my opinion those young actors should get a bonus too as Hader and Chastain give the best performances of the adult characters. Also again Bill Skarsgard is terrifying as Pennywise and steals the film.

New to me or not- as is obvious from what I said about the first film, this is a rewatch

Where did I watch it- HBO Max (again I believe it is also on Stan)

Film 10- Children of the Corn (1984)

What is scary- creepy child cult 

General or non horror people content warning- creepy children, blood, child death, animal death, jump scares, child “acting”

Plot- On Sunday in the town of Gatlin Nebraska (a corn farming community), the children of the town lead by Isaac attack and kill the adults of the town in the belief they are serving a god called “he who walks behind the rows”. Three years later, Burt and his partner Vicky are taking short cuts on back roads as they travel to Seattle where Burt is due to start a job as a doctor. A child who is fleeing Gatlin is killed by Malachi, a member of the child cult, and placed in the road where Burt and Vicky will hit the body. Burt notices that the child was dead before they hit him as the child’s throat is cut. When Burt and Vicky stop for gas, they meet a mechanic who warns them to avoid Gatlin. However as they leave the garage they find themselves driving in circles and appearing to get closer to Gatlin. As Gatlin is the faster route, Burt decides to ignore the mechanic and go to Gatlin. They arrive to an empty town but soon they meet Sarah and Job, the two children not in the cult, who warn them about the murderous other children.

Short review- from high class well made 2010s King to cheesy 1980s King. This film is a window into some child acting “choices”. The actor playing Isaac (who was a young adult) goes full ham theatre kid and delivers some OTT madness, whereas the others are less good especially Sarah and Job are at times deeply annoying. Also I hated the character of Burt who listens zero to anyone including Vicky (it is wild that Vicky who is pigeon holed as a doormat for a lot of the film is played by Linda Hamilton). The film as a whole has the seeds of something good that is never realised even if there are some effective moments of suspense at times, and you can see its influence on later films particularly noted in the mechanic as a harbinger. Ultimately high/low light of the film, when you finally see “he who walks behind the rows” as it is next level 80s effects. 

New to me or not- new to me

Where did I watch it- Amazon Prime

Film 11- Diabolique (1955)

What is scary- haunting (or is it)

General or non horror people content warning- gaslighting, domestic abuse (including one scene that to me read like rape), one jump scare

Plot- Christina Delassalle owns and runs a school in Paris with her husband, Michel. Michel is overbearing, abusive, and not faithful. It is known to everyone at the school, including Christina, that Michel is sleeping with (and also beating) the science teacher, Nicole. Following a day where Nicole shows up to school with a black eye and then after dinner, Michel beats (and it could be implied rapes) Christina, the two women team up to get their revenge by killing him. It is a long weekend and they leave early to go to Nicole’s apartment which is a long way from the school. From the apartment, they call Michel and Christina suggests that she wants a divorce. Michel follows them to talk Christina out of it and the two women kill him. The women take the body back to the school and throw it in the pool, but it never surfaces and when the pool is drained it isn’t there.

Short review- this is the oldest film I watched this year and the first of five not in English, and damn it is good. It really holds up to the test of time- I’m not at all shocked that there is an American remake with Sharon Stone as Nicole. The performance especially by Vera Clouzot and Simone Signoret as the two women are excellent, and the film perfectly balances out the ever increasing tension with comic relief from the other school staff. Though most of the film is a thriller more than horror, the last 10 minutes are a horror cinema masterclass in suspense and terror. It is no surprise that many directors and writers cite this as influential including the author of the novel on which Psycho is based. Though it changed a few times during October, for about six days this was my favourite of the films I watched.

New to me or not- New to me

Where did I watch it- as.a person who prefers subtitled films and hates watching things on YouTube for free, I hate to say I watched it a dubbed version that someone who put on YouTube. It is rentable on Apple though so I suggest you do that.

Film 12- The Lost Boys (1987)

What is scary- vampires

General or non horror people content warning- thinking you might be eating maggots? Generally this is super tame in terms of content

Plot- The Emerson family (Lucy and her sons Michael and Sam) move in with Lucy’s mother in St Clara California. As they settle into the sleepy coastal town, Lucy gets a job at the video store (mainly as the manager is creepily into her), Sam meets local kids his age (the frog brothers who are into vampires and vampire hunting), and Michael is drawn to a young woman, Star, who he sees at a beach party even though she seems to be connected with the leader of a young gang. As Michael gets closer to Star, he meets the gang she is associated with and it turns out they are vampires. Michael is partly turned into a vampire and with Sam, the Frog brothers, and Star, they team up to identify and kill the lead vampire so that Michael and Star will revert to being humans.

Short review- this is a lot of fun and it is well camp. The cast is bonkers with Kiefer Sutherland as David (the leader of the vampire gang), both Coreys (Haim as Sam and Feldman as one of the Frog brothers), Dianne Wiest as Lucy, and most importantly to me the Bill and Ted and Gilmore Girls stan, Alex Winter as another vampire (yay Bill) and Edward Hermann as the owner of the video store (hello young Richard Gilmore). It is not a good film by any stretch of the imagination but it is also an amazing film. Oddly one of two vampire films I watched with the trope of kill the head vampire and all vampires they sired revert to humans.

New to me or not- I’ve been meaning to watch this for decades and this is finally me watching it for the first time.

Where did I watch it- SBS on Demand

Film 13- Sinners (2025)

What is scary- vampires

General or non horror people content warning- racism, violence, blood, animal death

Plot- In the Joe Crow south, Smoke and Stack (both Michael B Jordan) have returned to their home town to open a bar. They link up with their young cousin, Sammie, the son of a minister and a talented musician. They go around the town meeting up with people who will help set up or perform at their bar. That night, they set up the bar and many of the people of colour in the town gather to drink, dance, and listen to music. Sammie plays in a way where his music breaks through time and place as he links into a magical power of music which brings out both the good and the evil in people. Drawn in by Sammie’s music is Remmick, an Irish vampire, and two locals he has turned.

Short review- I will not say much here as there is a near 100% chance that Sinners will be one of my top 5 films of the year this year. I love vampires, I love Michael B Jordan, and I love Ryan Coogler films. I particular will shout out as someone with some Irish ancestry, I want to applaud Coogler’s complex villains as just like the villains in the Black Panther films, Remmick is much deeper than just a villain in that this touches on the fact that the Ireland was colonised by the English. The actual villain of the film I would argue isn’t Remmick but that is for when I get to this in length at the end of the year.

New to me or not- I saw it the day it came out at the cinema and loved it. This is the second time I’ve seen it

Where did I watch it- HBO Max

Film 14- Wake in Fright (1971)

What is scary- MEN especially Australian ones, and isolation

General or non horror people content warning- toxic masculinity, alcoholism, and GIANT warning, actual animal death (that is right, animals were definitely harmed in the making of this film)

Plot- John Grant is an English man who is teaching in a tiny outback town- one of those a school and pub only towns. As school ends for the year, he heads to Sydney to see his girlfriend for Christmas. He has to travel to the Yabba, a slightly larger town, to catch a plane. The Yabba is a toxic town full of hard drinking men. John goes to the pub for a drink on his one night in town, and winds up drinking a lot and then losing all his money in a game of two up. The next day he finds he has missed his plane, he cannot afford accommodation, and he cannot get any short term work for the day to get funds. He returns to the pub and links up with more of the men in the town who take him deeper into the realm of drinking and being “men”.

Short review- this is a very tense film and it would depend how much you are terrified by men to how much you consider this horror and not a thriller. It is my one actual Australian film this October season and it is one I have always been in two minds about watching as I know it is meant to be a great film but also it does feature actual animal death. Taking the animal death up front as it has caused the film to be banned at times. There is a scene where the men hunt kangaroos and it is an actual kangaroo hunt that is filmed. The kangaroo hunt scene is the most difficult part of the film to watch by quite a bit, and I would put a strong warning on the film due to it alone- the most of the film isn’t at all gory or bloody. I think this film is much more stressful experience if you are not a straight, white man, but even if you are, it would be a rough watch for anyone even though it is a very good film. If I was into reading critical works on this film, I would be very keen to look into readings about race (there is a brief appearance by an indigenous man on John’s train to the Yabba) and particularly of sexuality (its treatment of particularly homosexuality is very interesting).

New to me or not- as mentioned, I needed to psych myself up for this one due to the animal death, it is the first time.

Where did I watch it- ABC iview

Film 15- Stoker (2013)

What is scary- a mysterious new relative 

General or non horror people content warning- creepy creepy vibes, violence, attempted sexual assault, bullying, getting your incest on

Plot- India’s (Mia Wasikowska) father died on her 18th birthday, and she and her mother (Nicole Kidman) are struggling to cope. At the funeral, her father’s younger brother, Charlie (Matthew Goode), shows up. India and Evie (her mother) have never met Charlie before, but Charlie moves in and starts to flirt wth both women (yes even his niece). India, who is a social outcast with signs of neurodiversity, is both scared of and drawn to her new uncle. India’s great aunt shows up and seems to try warn India and Evie about Charlie.

Short review- A plot summary could have just been “I want to sleep with creepy hot uncle” as it is big with the incest overtones and also just sexual overtones generally- it is a very horny film. Incest aside, did I like this film? Boy howdy I did. It is directed by Chan- wook Park who is one of my favourite directors- this is his only English language film to date- and it is beautifully shoot. Then the actors. Firstly Australia represent, not just Wasikowska and Kidman but also Jacki Weaver as Aunt Gin, and then add to that, an English actor who I honestly believe is not just a very pretty man but also a hugely underrated actor in Matthew Goode (I had a big Matthew Goode month as I also started on A Discovery of Witches). The performances are exceptional. The script does let it down at points but the visuals and performance definitely make up for that. I’m actually a wee bit surprised at how under the radar this film is.

New to me or not- New to me 

Where did I watch it- Disney+

Film 16- We’re all going to the world’s fair (2021)

What is scary- the internet

General or non horror people content warning- disassociation, teen trauma, isolation, toxic internet behaviour

Plot- Casey, a young teen, decides to participate in an online horror game. Casey is being raised by a single father and spends most of her time online. She films most of her life and is on a quest for identity in the midst of isolation. She finds others online who are also participating in the “world’s fair” game that is and are experiencing odd things.

Short review- I continue to feel guilty that I didn’t like I Saw the TV glow more, which is the same director, (I continue to plan to rewatch and reconsider it) and therefore I felt I definitely should watch this one and redeem my thoughts. I definitely liked I Saw the TV Glow more after this as you can see the director’s growth as a film maker and it is the later film is much better. This is not a dreadful film, but it is more that I’m generally not a fan of found footage as a genre and this film is completely made up of YouTube like videos. I think the performance of the young actress playing Casey is great and there is definitely an interesting depiction of identity online, but it just isn’t my vibe.

New to me or not- first time

Where did I watch it- SBS on Demand

Film 17- What we do in the shadows? (2014)

What is scary- vampires

General or non horror people content warning- there is a wee bit of blood but generally this is more comedy horror than horror comedy so it isn’t too scary

Plot- A documentary film crew is filming and interviewing a household of vampires living in Wellington, New Zealand. 

Short reviews- I’m a big fan of this film. It is so funny. Watch it if you haven’t but it is very NZ humour. I went more with actual horror this October so this is one of only two comedy films that are horror adjacent this October. 

New to me or not- I’ve seen it several times

Where did I watch it- SBS on Demand (it is also on Stan and Netflix)

Film 18- Salem’s Lot (2024)

What is scary- vampires

General or non horror people content warning- blood, gore, jump scares, child death

Plot- An author returns to his hometown of Jerusalem’s Lot to write his new book. A creepy new wealthy man has moved to town but no-one has met him, and children start disappearing. A young boy, Mark, has started to suspect there might be vampires.

Short reviews- as I said up top, with me watching a lot of Stephen King, vampires, and recent films, meant I definitely watched this. I HATED this. It was the worst thing I watched all month in my opinion. The plot is ripping off a lot of Dracula (sorry King but you are) and basically everything about this film is dull and not scary. That said, if I were to have the choice, I would definitely choose to live in Jerusalem’s Lot (which I think is in Maine) over Derry or Gatlin.

New to me or not- new to me

Where did I watch it- HBO Max

Film 19- X (2022)

What is scary- mysterious killer

General or non horror people content warning- very violent and very bloody, voyeurism, animal death (I think- sorry my brain is broke from too much horror so not 100% on that), and some overt sex

Plot- In 1979, Maxine (Mia Goth) is an exotic dancer who wants to be an actress. Her older boyfriend has recruited Maxine, her coworker at the dance club she is at, and that coworker’s friend/boyfriend to be in an adult film. He tells her that trying to make it low budget on a farm with an “artistic” approach will mean that people who make actual films might notice and cast her. The four of them plus the director and his girlfriend/assistant show up at the farm he has booked, and the old man at the farm seems to not be happy that there are more people there and that one of them is black. The crew starts filming and as they film scenes she isn’t in, Maxine wanders around the farm and meets the farmer wife, Pearl (also Mia Goth but in old person make up). As filming continues, Pearl watches through cracks in the barn. One night the director gets annoyed when his girlfriend asks to be in a scene for the film and storms off. He runs into Pearl and then bloody violence ensues.

Short review- I have been meaning to watch X and its two sequels for a while. This is a film that used COVID to its advantage- it was filmed in New Zealand during lock down and they ended up filming it and its prequel/sequel back to back. This is a smart approach to horror as it is filmed in the style of 1970s grind house horror and taps into the fact that there were tight ties between the horror and adult film industries at that time- many directors of horror started in adult films and for some adult film actors of that time, horror was their jump off point for legitimacy. It is very much a film nerd’s horror film (I think the sequel/prequel even more so) and I really liked it.

Now obviously it is a film about people filming porn so if you don’t want to see that, maybe this isn’t for you. Also if you don’t do horror, not a good place to start.

New to me or not- first time

Where did I watch it- Amazon Prime

Film 20- Pearl (2022)

What is scary- a young woman with some mental health concerns

General or non horror people content warning- animal death, gore/violence, abuse of a carer’s relationship, bad parenting, disassociation, rotting food.

Plot- In 1918, Pearl (Mia Goth) is a young woman living on his parents’ farm. Her father has a disability due to a mysterious illness, her mother is overbearing, and her husband is away at war. Her only “friends” are the animals at the farm including an alligator, and she puts on performances for them as she wants to leave the farm and be a dancer in films. Pearl at times tries to sneak into town (well extend trips when she goes to get her father’s medicine) to go to the cinema and watch films of dancers. She meets the projection at the theatre (David Corenswet) who flirts with her, and she later fanaticises about him. Her sister-in-law tells her that there are going to be auditions for dancers for a tour of the state (Texas) at the local church, and Pearl decides she has to go. 

Short review- the rare sequel/prequel that is better than the first film. I watched X and Pearl back to back, and I loved both but especially this film. Pearl’s world is very surreal like a prevented Disney film, and just as the first film echoes grind house films of the 70s, this strongly pulls from the technicolor musicals of the 1930/40s- yes not the era in which the film is set but that adds to Pearl’s disassociation. Goth brings to Pearl a manic energy that is completely removed from her performance as Maxine in X (though I didn’t watch Maxxine- the third film in the X series- I’m not done with Mia Goth yet). It is also very funny at times. Also hey Superman is in this- gosh David Corenswet is pretty. This is the film that knocked Diabolique out of contention for my favourite new film of this October- though spoiler, it was a close second favourite in the end. 

New to me or not- new one

Where did I watch it- Amazon Prime BUT it isn’t part of a subscription, you have to pay for this one.

Film 21- Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (2023)

What is scary- vampires

General or non horror people content warning- some blood, bullying, and a lot of people struggling with their mental health but it is horror comedy so it isn’t too bad

Plot- As a young girl, Sasha’s family gets a clown for her birthday but sadly the family are too hungry when the clown shows up and they tear him to shreds- yes the whole family are vampires and in this film vampires are born and age to a point. Sasha is traumatised by this experience and her fangs never descend (fangs come in during puberty). Years later when Sasha is a teen (in appearance, in age much older), she still doesn’t have descended fangs, is uncomfortable eating and killing humans, and lives off hospital blood bags. One night she sees a young man about to attempt suicide though he does not ultimately jump. Later she sees him and her fangs descend (albeit temporarily) in response to him. Sasha’s mother is sick of her not being a proper vampire and forces her to move in with her cousin who is older and completely happy with vampire life. Sasha continues to be reluctant to feed from humans and even causes her cousin to accidentally sire a man that her cousin had lured for Sasha to kill. Sasha goes to a support group for those who experience suicidal thoughts and meets the young man she was drawn to earlier.

Short review- this film is adorable. Even though the themes around mental ill health are quite dark, they are not exploited. Sasha may not be the first vampire to try to not eat humans for a bit (I see you Angel from Buffy or Louis from Interview with a Vampire) but there is something delightful about film adding the concept of actual aging to its vampire mythology as it gives an extra element of teenage identity to the film and to her struggle. I’ve not seen much French Canadian cinema (yes this film is in French), this indicates good things like be happening there. If you are just dipping your toe into horror, this is a good place to start as it is very tame.

New to me or not- first time

Where did I watch it- SBS on Demand

Film 22- The VelociPastor (2017)

What is scary- evil pimps, Christian drug dealing ninjas, or a priest that turns into a dinosaur (though he is meant to be the hero)

General or non horror people content warning- some blood, and a truly bonkers script

Plot- A young priest witnesses the death of his parents in “VFX of a car on fire” (that is right there is no fire, just these words on screen). As he struggles to cope with their deaths, an older priest recommends he take some time away from his parish. He goes to China where he cuts him on a dinosaur claw. When he gets home, one day he sees men harassing a sex worker and when he steps into save her, he turns into a dinosaur.

Short review- this film is ridiculously stupid, ridiculously bad, and ridiculously fun. I’m not sure I’d rewatch it but as a one off I laughed a lot. It asks the important question of “What does Christianity have to do with drug dealing?”. Also watch for one park that works as several wooded areas near the town the film is set in, plus China, plus Vietnam.

New to me or not- new one

Where did I watch it- Amazon Prime

Film 23- Gretel & Hansel (2020)

What is scary- a witch

General or non horror people content warning- child death, animal death, gore

Plot- In what looks like medieval times, a young woman, Gretel, (Sophia Lillis- Bev from It) is sent to find work after the death of her father but refuses to work for a man who threatens her with sexual assault. After she turns down the work, her mother throws her and her younger brother, Hansel, out of the house. Gretel and Hansel head into the woods in hopes of journeying to another family they know, and offer them work. Hansel often asks Gretel to tell him a folk story about a young psychic woman whose village imprisoned her in the woods. They encounter dangers in the woods and end up taking shelter in a mysterious woman’s house who allows them to stay in exchange for work. The old woman also begins to teach Gretel the ways of herbs and other occult matters. Gretel starts to have visions of violence in the house being committed by a woman who might be the old woman earlier in her life.

Short review- I was not expecting this from Osgood Perkins considering the only two films of his I had seen at this point were Longlegs and The Monkey. Medieval era and fairy tale horror can both be difficult to land. I don’t think this does fully land. The visuals are good and the performance especially Lillis are too, but the plot is a bit too tangled for its own good. It isn’t bad but it isn’t amazing either.

New to me or not- new to me

Where did I watch it- Amazon Prime

Film 24- The Dead Zone (1983)

What is scary- visions of death

General or non horror people content warning- sexual assault, suicide, jump scares, blood, jump scares

Plot- Johnny (Christopher Walken) is in a car accident. Years later, he comes out of a coma and when he touches the hand of his nurse and sees her daughter in the middle of a fire, he realises he can see people on the verge of death and might be able to save them. The local sheriff (Tom Skerritt) approaches Johnny to help him identify a serial killer in the town.

Short review- Time for more Stephen King and time for the least Cronenberg-y film that Cronenberg has ever made. It is seems so odd to watch a Cronenberg film with zero body horror as especially it was my only Cronenberg this October. It is a very well made and  an exceptionally well acted film. I will say though, it is very episodic and I could see it being better as TV series (I know there is a more recent TV series based on the book). 

New to me or not- first time

Where did I watch it- Amazon Prime

Film 25- The Girl with All the Gifts (2016)

What is scary- mushroom zombies

General or non horror people content warning- a lot of blood and gore, animal death, child death

Plot- in the future, cordyceps (yep the same fungi as Last of Us) has become a fluid borne infection which turns people into zombies. At an army base, scientific experiments are being done on children who generally appear normal but can develop a similar rage to the zombies. One of the teachers at the base, Miss Justineau, forms a bond with a girl, Melanie, who appears to be able to tame her rage when triggered.  When zombies attack and overrun the base, a small group of survivors- Miss Justineau, Melanie, the lead scientist Dr Caldwell, the sergeant overseeing the base Sergeant Parks, and some other soldiers- flee and have travel through a zombie infected London to get to another base and safety.

Short review- what if The Last of Us and 28 Days Later had a baby that was still a quality film. This was very good and I did like the fact that the film is driven by a young woman of colour in Melanie. This was my only zombie film this year and it was definitely worth my time. The characters are all fully fleshed out and complex which is more than you get from a lot of zombie fare, and performances are solid. 

New to me or not- new

Where did I watch it- Amazon Prime but I had to pay for it. It hasn’t been available at all in Australia for the last few years so I was happy even to have the rental option.

Film 26- History of the Occult (2020)

What is scary- witches

General or non horror people content warning- this one is a pretty easy watch. It has some thriller bits and one possible jump scare and also a bit that isn’t for those who can’t do flashing lights

Plot- In 1987 Argentina, a TV news program, 60 minutes to midnight, is being forced off the air by political machinations. With founding from a chemical company, they are doing their final show wrapping up their year long investigation into the president. Whilst the show goes to air, the show’s producers and journalists hide in a safe house. Though some of the journalists do not believe it, the show is going to announce that the president is a brujo (a witch). Odd things start happening and people memories start playing up, meanwhile a solo young journalist is on the streets waiting to pick up something mysterious.

Short review- this is a tight combo of political thriller, magic realism, and horror. Though it isn’t overtly scary, it is an interesting insight into and reflection of the horrors that were at times very real in that era in South America. The themes of political threats to journalism also speak loudly into the modern Western world. Even if this is a fictionalised horror film, it is an example of the exceptional political thrillers that are coming out of South America at the minute. At this point, I was three non English language films down and I was not done which is much better than only one non English language film last year.

New to me or not- first time

Where did I watch it- SBS on Demand

Film 27- Scooby-Doo (2002)

What is scary- mysterious demons

General or non horror people content warning- nothing- if you ain’t a child, this ain’t scary (it is the film I was referring to when I said I watched two comedy horrors this season, when speaking about What we do in the shadows)

Plot- After Fred (Freddie Prinze Jnr) once again taking credit for Velma’s (Linda Cardellini) work, and Daphne (Sarah Michelle Gellar) once again getting kidnapped by the bad guy, the three of them decide to break up Mystery Inc over the objections of Shaggy (Matthew Lillard) and Scooby Doo. Two years later, they all receive individual summons to Spooky Island to investigate why the teens who come to the island appear to be morphing from party kids to mild mannered kids who might be demon possessed during their stay. When all of the former Mystery Inc crew try to work as individuals, nothing seems to work out for them and they need to ask if they should be working together.

Short review- this film is CAMP- so camp that it should be in bold with glitter. The casting is genius, particularly Lillard, but across the board they got actors who could nail these beloved characters. I haven’t rewatched this since seeing Barbie and watching it now, I cannot not see Daphne and Fred being part of the inspirational DNA for Barbie and Ken. The script has the right amount of cheese for the content- they got James Gunn at the perfect point as he moved from trash cinema to more main stream fare. Is it a great film? No. Is it buckets of camp fun that is always good for a rewatch? Yes

New to me or not- I’ve seen it a couple of times

Where did I watch it- HBO Max

Film 28- Frankenstein (2025)

What is scary- men trying to be mothers

General or non horror people content warning- child abuse, dreadful parenting, animal death, blood and gore, violence

Plot- as a boat quests for the North Pole, it finds a man on the ice, Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac), and also finds it is being hunted by a monster (Jacob Elordi). Victor recounts to the captan the story of his life from his abusive father and his mother who died in child birth to his adult quest to extend life which ultimately results in the creation of a monster made of the stitched together bodies of dead men. Soon after the monster boards the ship and tells of his life from his creation onwards.

Short review- last year I tore a Frankenstein adaptation to shreds (Victor Frankenstein- don’t watch it) and there was even a connection to it here with Charles Dance playing Frankenstein’s father in both, but this is completely different beast. I have impossibly high standards for adaptations of Shelley’s best known novel but even I will concede that this might be the best one we will ever get. It nails the gothic genre and tone which I would expect from del Toro, and it is spearheaded by two powerhouse performances in Elordi (he is outstanding as the monster) and Isaac. There were a few changes to the book that held it back from being perfect (I doubt we will ever get my perfect adaptation) but this was solid. Finally third Mia Goth outing for October and second where she is doing double duty as she is Frankenstein’s mother and Elizabeth here.

New to me or not- it literally just came out so obviously new to me

Where did I watch it- the cinema. I know it will be on Netflix soon as it is a Netflix production but I do recommend seeing it on the big screen.

Film 29- Intruder (1989)

What is scary- mysterious killer

General or non horror people content warning- several gory deaths, stalking

Plot- a group of young people who work in a supermarket are told they have work all night in preparation for the store being sold. One of them has had an unpleasant interaction with an ex boyfriend who appears to be stalking her, but generally they are trying to make the most of the over night shift. However, suddenly they start being killed by a mystery killer.

Short review- this, like Chopping Mall, is peak 80s horror but oddly it is a bit under the radar and less well known. It is super fun and if you are a fan of slashers, the kills are hilarious OTT gore. Counting this as my Sam Raimi film for this October even though he is acting not directing here and even better along for the ride are Ted Raimi (big fan since he played my favourite character in Xena) and in a brief cameo, Bruce Campbell. It has all the ingredients of a Raimi directed film without being one. Definitely recommend for those who like 80s horror.

New to me or not- first time viewing and will likely rewatch

Where did I watch it- I couldn’t find it on streaming so sadly again this came down to me lucking out and finding someone has put it on YouTube

Film 30- Theatre of Blood (1973)

What is scary- mysterious killer who loves Shakespeare

General or non horror people content warning- blood, gore, animal death, and an at times not great depiction of those who are unhoused.

Plot- London theatre critics start dying in ways that align with the deaths in Shakespeare plays. The police notice that the deaths appear to be in the order of the last plays of recently deceased actor, Edward Lionheart (Vincent Price). The remaining critics and the police start to wonder if Lionheart might still be alive even though his daughter (Diana Rigg) definitely appears to be in mourning.

Short review- friends of mine recommended this to me after it was their favourite film this October and yes to most everything here. Firstly, it is mandatory Vincent Price film for this October. Second, it is camp as all get out. Finally, I cannot believe no-one had thought of this concept earlier. The performance are great and the set ups are over the top and hilarious. Definitely watch out for the henchman with big hair and big sunnies who is doing the most.

New to me or not- new 

Where did I watch it- Amazon Prime

Film 31- The Blackcoat’s Daughter or February (2015) (warning this film came out under different titles in different places, it took me a bit of searching to find that it was February and not The Blackcoat’s Daughter in Australia)

What is scary- creepy school kids and possession

General or non horror people content warning- blood and gore, jump scares, and vomit

Plot- It is school holidays but two girls are not picked up from their Catholic boarding school. Rose (Lucy Boyton) has lied to her parents about pick up times as she is worried that she is pregnant and wants time to get an abortion before her parents show up if she is pregnant. On the other hand, it is unclear why Kat’s (Kieran Shipka) parents have not shown up and it seems like she might have a creepy obsession with Rose. Elsewhere, Joan (Emma Roberts) who appears to be having flashbacks to a mental institution hitchhikes with a middle aged couple.

Short review- Third Osgood Perkins film for October. This one is interesting as you can see in it a lot of the formative material that he would later develop into Longlegs. This was the strongest of the three Perkins film I saw this October and a lot of that is due to the performance of the three leads. It is definitely worth seeing to see the early work of a director is likely to be very influential in horror in the upcoming years though I would still say Longlegs is his best film yet.

New to me or not- first time

Where did I watch it- Amazon Prime

Film 32- Perfect Blue (1997)

What is scary- doppelgängers 

General or non horror people content warning- Stalking, disassociation, attempted sexual assault, awful men, exploitation of young women in the service of fame, voyeurism.

Plot- Mima is a pop star who is giving up singing to become an actress. She is cast in a minor role in a legal procedural but with the encouragement of her agent, her role is expanded. She has also been sent the link to a website that seems to be an accurate diary of her life, and we can see she is being stalked by a creepy guy. As her role in the TV show expands, it also gets more adult with her needing to be in a simulated rape scene, and as the role gets bigger, she also does more publicity including a photoshoot with a photographer who is known for getting actresses naked for photos which he does get Mima to do. As Mima loses grip on her identity, she starts to see visions of herself in her old pop star costume.

Short review- this film is terrifying and it is also perfect. It makes many lists of the best anime films ever made for a reason, and it is interesting to see how pointed it is about fame around two decades before Me Too. Mima thinks she has power but it is chilling to see it taken from her in a way that makes her lose her sense of time and identity. I did a bit of a head trip with this one and the next film (oddly both Japanese films) as they both mess with time. Also to flag, Black Swan is definitely a rip off of this film.

New to me or not- I have been trying to find this for over a decade as it has not been available in Australia for years, therefore this is a first watch

Where did I watch it- it still isn’t officially available in Australia but I found a dubbed (urgh I wish it was subbed) version on YouTube

Film 33- Ju-On: The Grudge (2002)

What is scary- a vengeful ghost curse

General or non horror people content warning- in the opening section, buckets of jump scares. Also family annihilation, animal death, and creepy arse ghosts

Plot- a man kills his wife, child, and the family cat in a fit of jealousy, and the violence of that death causes a curse to be on the house and to possess anyone who enters it with a certain death.

Short review- I won’t describe more of the plot as it is non linear and basically that is all you need, violence death creates contagious death curse. This film often suffers from comparisons to The Ring which is of the same era of J-horror and though I do think The Ring is a better film, it is not by much. This is a very tight, very scary film, and I do like that it focuses on the curse and not an individual. The curse is effectively the main character which is a tactic I’ve seen in literature but not ever done as effectively as this in film. It is so very tense.

This one is definitely not for those who don’t do horror with jump scares though.

New to me or not- new one

Where did I watch it- Stan

Film 34- Vamps (2012)

What is scary- vampires

General or non horror people content warning- basically there isn’t one- I forgot I did have a third comedy horror in the mix. There is barely any blood even though it is vampires.

Plot- Goody (Alicia Silverstone) was made a vampire in the 1700s but she is a pacifist and only eats animals. Her best friend, Stacy (Krysten Ritter), became a vampire in the 1990s, and as far as she knows she and Goody are around the same age. Goody and Stacy work at a pest extermination company where they can access all the rats they want to eat. They are both involved in a group for vampires who refrain from drinking human blood. Suddenly Stacy is sent a jury summons even though she has not voted or paid taxes since the 1980s, and she also meets Joey (Dan Stevens) who turns out to be a van Helsing. It turns out Joey’s father is behind vampires all over the city getting notices for jury duty, tax audit, and other things that will bring them out during the day.

Short review- this film was written and directed by Amy Heckerling and you can feel the Clueless vibes and not just as this features both Alicia Silverstone and Wallace Shawn. This film is a bit of light fun and I will always watch absolutely anything with Krysten Ritter in it. If you want a light comedy that is fun but not amazing and you are a fan of this cast, it is a good one off watch.

New to me or not- first time watch

Where did I watch it- Amazon Prime

Film 35- In the Mouth of Madness (1994)

What is scary- the mysterious town you cannot find or leave

General or non horror people content warning- blood/gore, jump scares, suicide, some flashing lights.

Plot- John Trent (Sam Neill) is an insurance investigator who is employed by a publisher to help them locate Sutter Crane, a popular horror writer, who has disappeared on the eve of the release of his new book. The rumour is that Crane’s books might cause madness and Trent starts to have visions of that. Trent deciphers from the books the location of Hobb’s End, the supposedly fictional location of Crane’s books. Trent sets out with Linda Styles, an employee of the publishing company, to find the town and when they get there, they cannot leave and something odd is definitely going on.

Short review- After I earlier watched a Cronenberg film that didn’t feel like Cronenberg, at times I felt like this wasn’t Carpenter, even though it was, and thankfully the music was there to remind me at times. For all the King I watched this October, this felt like faux King as it is about an author who is “bigger than King” (yes this is said in the film) and it is largely set in a New England town (granted in New Hampshire not Maine but it does give Derry vibes). This said the books by Sutter Crane have much more of a Lovecraft in their vibe than King-isque. Sam Neill is good in the film but generally I’m not sure I’d rewatch this one even though it isn’t bad. 

New to me or not - first time watch

Where did I watch it- paid for it on Amazon Prime

Film 36- Slaxx (2020)

What is scary- killer jeans (yes you read that right)

General or non horror people content warning- blood/gore, child death, bad labor practices/exploitation

Plot- An idealistic young woman starts a job at the local store of Canadian Cotton Clothiers- a company that boasts of being environmental conscious and having an ethical supply chain. The rest of the employees are disgruntled and dismissive. The company’s founder visits the store to speak to the employees, as it will soon be the main store stocking the new Super Shaper jeans which will shape themselves to any human body. One of the employees steals a pair of the jeans but soon after they appear to start to tighten around her waist and when she returns to the bathroom, the jeans tightened so much that they tear her in half. The jeans then start to coming for the employees.

Short review- The satire of this film like might be a bit heavy handed at times (which I will say I’m about to critique another film for) but I didn’t mind it here as the stupidity of the concept meant it still worked for me. It is clearly a low budget film (on par with the 1980s films I watched) and therefore has no known actors- the only recognisable face is the founder of the company and to be honest, I’m not sure I would have picked it if I hadn’t just rewatched It as he is played by the actor who played Bev’s abusive father. It is hilarious and I would definitely rewatch it.

New to me or not- first watch

Where did I watch it- paid for it on Apple TV

Film 37- The Haunting (1963)

What is scary- ghosts

General or non horror people content warning- hard core dissociation, a few jump scares

Plot- Hill House is a haunted house with a dark history. Dr John Markaway gets permission from the current owner to conduct experiments into the haunting and she agrees to it on the condition that he include her heir, Luke, as an assistant in the experiments. Markaway reaches out to many people who have had occult experiences or expertise, but only two accept- Nell and Theo. Nell is a sheltered woman who has spent all of her adult life caring for her ill mother who has very recently died. Theo is a bohemian woman who is psychic and is very confident in her identity. As the four of them settle in for the night, the women hear knocking in their room and creepy laughter in their room. The next day they wake to find a creepy message to Nell on the wall and they find statues that resemble them.

Short review- this is a classic for a reason- it is one of four films I would recommend to anyone looking for a good 1960s horror film (the others being Psycho, Rosemary’s Baby, and The Innocents)- and it isn’t a shock that the book it is based on has been adapted so many times (it was an adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson). With basically no effects, it creates a hugely tense air of suspense and makes you fully convinced that the ghosts you never see definitely exist. This film is also significant for how far ahead of its time it is- it is often cited a peak example of an early positive depiction of an LBGT+ character in Theo who the film loads with lesbian overtones and unlike later films, it leans into neither the “bury your gays” trope (spoilers though this film is decades old and the story well known, Theo survives) or the “gay people are evil” trope (Theo is far and away the best character in the film). So if you want suspenseful, progressive scares from the 1960s, you cannot really go past it

New to me or not- I’ve seen it a few times

Where did I watch it- paid for it on Amazon Prime

Film 38- Society (1989)

What is scary- the rich

General or non horror people content warning- body horror, gore, way too much goo, incest, also orgies

Plot- Bill has always been worried that he might be adopted and that he is out of step with his wealthy family. He is unable to make the coming out party for his sister and then the next day, his sister’s ex-boyfriend plays him a recording he has made of the coming out party that sounds like an orgy and not a debutant ball. When Bill’s therapist replays the tape, it sounds like a normal debutant ball and he tries to convince Bill that he didn’t hear the original recording. After his sister’s ex is in a car accident trying to get him a whole version of the original tape, Bill starts investigating what is going on.

Short review- I blame Amazon Prime for forcing this on me as I didn’t stop it casting properly when I finished In the Mouth of Madness and it auto started on Society whilst I was watching Slaxx, which meant it was sitting there to finish. I kind of wish I didn’t watch it. I somewhat opted to watch it as it is meant to be satire but it is so heavy handed with its satire that by the end of the film, characters have literally spelled it out in the dialogue. It thinks it is much smarter than it actually is, and the body horror orgy that ends the film goes on for way too long. Hard pass on ever watching this again and definitely felt I needed to wash out my brain afterwards.

New to me or not- new one

Where did I watch it- as mentioned Amazon Prime.

Film 39- The Boogeyman (2023)

What is scary- what the title says, the boogeyman

General or non horror people content warning- creepy creature, suicide, the worst friends ever, blood and gore, lazy parenting

Plot- Sadie’s mother has just died and her whole house is still unpacking the trauma of that. Sadie’s father, Will, is a therapist and one day, a man shows up without a booking. The man says that everyone has blamed him for the death of his children and he is clearly potentially dangerous so Will calls the police. Whilst Will is on the phone though, the man disappears and Sadie, who has returned from school early, finds that he has hung himself in their laundry. Sadie’s younger sister, Sawyer, has been sleeping with the lights on since her mother’s death and she starts seeing a boogeyman.

Short review- last King of the season and this one is It’s poor cousin- I would go with the original personally. This has a stacked cast with Sophie Thatcher as Sadie, Chris Messina as Will, and David Dastmalchain briefly as the man who pops up for the therapy appointment, but that is really where things end with the quality of this film. The performances are good but it isn’t scary and the script is weak. In addition to this, it has a few things that wig me- both sisters have the worst possible friends who are super insensitive, and Will shifts all the emotional work of parenting onto Sadie. 

New to me or not- first time

Where did I watch it- Disney+

Film 40- Antlers (2021)

What is scary- a cannibalistic creature

General or non horror people content warning- cannibalism, blood and gore, child abuse, neglect, suicide

Plot- Julia has returned as a teacher to the town in which she grew up- having left years earlier following a childhood marred by abuse at the hands of his father. She notices that a boy in her class is showing clear markers of possible abuse and Julia raises this with her brother who is a cop and with the principal of the school. Both the police and principal initially dismiss her concerns because there is a meth problem in the town and they know that the boy’s father cooks meth but has been found by the courts to be a fit father in the past. Julia visits the boy’s house and hears strange noises. Then soon afterwards the police find the mutilated corpse of a man who worked with the boy’s father and the principal finally opts to visit the boy’s home.

Short review- Much like The Boogeyman, this lucked out on its cast- Keri Russell plays Julia and Jesse Plemons her brother- but also like The Boogeyman it is a bit of a let down. The creature effects are great which is unsurprising as it is produced by Guillermo del Toro, and the performances too, but the script is very weak. I also think it is well past time we had a film about wendigos that is from a First Nations point of view- at least this had a First Nations character unlike wendigo content I’ve seen in the past. I would say if you are looking for a horror film featuring a teacher who is concerned about a student maybe watch Weapons instead.

New to me or not- new one

Where did I watch it- Disney+

Film 41- Mom & Dad (2017)

What is scary- parents killing their kids

General or non horror people content warning- lots of child death, blood and gore, alcoholism

Plot- Carly has made plans with her boyfriend after school but her parents, Brent (Nicolas Cage) and Kendall (Selma Blair), tell her that she has to be home for a family dinner so she goes off to school in a huff. Kendall and Brent also go about their day- Kendall to yoga and a bitch session about kids with another mother, and Brent to work whilst having a hard core mid life crisis. Before the school day ends, parents start gathering in hoards around the schools, and it seems like something might be awry so the teachers try to delay releasing the kids. One kid scales the fence to get to his mother, only for her to stab him to death with her key cars and the rest of the parent hoard to overwhelm the teachers and go for their kids. Kendall has in the meantime gone to see her sister give birth only for her sister to then try to kill the baby.

Short review- Oh Nicolas Cage I do love you in overacting mode. Cage goes all out not just in his presentation of a midlife crisis but also in his attempts to kill the kids. The scene where he builds and destroys a pool table- perfection. This is quite an enjoyable silly fun outing and it is a pity that it was a direct to video film that no-one saw. That said, big warning for the scene where Kendall’s sister tries to kill her baby as for a film that is generally very OTT that scene is quite dark.

New to me or not- first viewing

Where did I watch it- Stan

Film 42- Scream (1996) and Film 43- Cabin in the Woods (2011)

I’ll skip typing these up as I did last year. I watch them every Halloween and they are great. See https://clarewoodley.blogspot.com/2024/11/im-into-survival.html for my thoughts on these two. This year, I watched both on Stan

Film 44- Interview with the Vampire (1994)

What is scary- Vampires

General or non horror people content warning- lots of blood (some of it CGI), child death, animal death 

Plot- In San Francisco in 1991, a journalist (Christian Slater) meets with a man who claims to be a centuries old vampire and the vampire recounts his life. The vampire, Louis (Brad Pitt), was a plantation owner in late 18th century Louisiana who after the death of his wife and child threw himself into drinking and gave up on his life. One night while drunk, Louis encounter Lestat (Tom Cruise) who offers to turn him into a vampire. Louis accepts the offer but unlike the flamboyant and violent Lestat, Louis cannot bring himself to kill humans. Lestat is increasingly enraged at Louis’s reluctance to drink human drink and their relationship becomes on edge. One night after plague hits New Orleans, Louis is wandering the streets where he finds a recently orphaned girl, Claudia (Kirsten Dunst), and Lestat makes Claudia a vampire to trick Louis to staying with him into caring for the child which oddly works and they raise the child together over decades.

Short review- this might be the gayest film ever made. I remember the first time I saw it as a teen thinking that Louis and Lestat felt like a couple, and as an adult that is all I can see, they are definitely a gay couple. I understand the TV adaptation makes it more overt (I’m yet to get to it) and that the producers of this tried to tone down the homoerotic subtext (supposedly there was even a point where Anne Rice wrote the part of Louis as a woman), but boy did they fail as it is more text than subtext. I will always have a soft spot for this film as it is first bit of vampire content I remember truly loving as a young person- I saw it before Buffy- and it played a big role in the fact that vampires will forever be my favourite supernatural creatures. Even when not viewed through the eyes of a teen who was very caught up in how pretty Brad Pitt is in this, it is a great film. It looks great, the acting across the board is great, and it is so deeply camp, but the quality of the film does come down to three things, the performances of the three lead actors. Brad Pitt isn’t tasked with much but being pretty and sad, but he did both of those to perfection. Then you come to the two actors who run away with the film. Tom Cruise may be a highly divisive person for good reason but on a good day, boy can he act, and this is one of his best ever performances. If you read Anne Rice’s books (I’ve read the first three in the series) and you just looked at Cruise, he would be the last person you would think of as Lestat and supposedly Anne Rice thought so too, but he proves everyone wrong. He truly embodies Lestat and imbues him with the most amazingly camp energy to the point where he is nearly unrecognisable. Finally the actor who is a true phenomenon in this film, Kirsten Dunst. When there was that window where people questioned the acting skills of an older Dunst, I would always say “watch Interview with the Vampire” because she shows more talent in this film than most actors, definitely most child actors. This might be my favourite ever performance by a child actor and as an 11 year old, she manages to steal scenes from both Pitt and Cruise. One thing I do have to laugh at  when I rewatch this is how grossed out I was as a teen by something that is clearly janky 90s CGI… the throat cutting scene truly worked on teen me, adult me less so.

New to me or not- obviously from the above, this is a rewatch

Where did I watch it- HBO Max

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So that was it for the year. I cannot believe I got to 44 films which in retrospect was maybe too many. I have some final thoughts on bests of certain films:

Best new to me film- Perfect Blue (though definitely honourable mentions to Pearl and Diabolique)

Most fun new to me film- I watched a few bit of fun horror this October so it was a tough call, but ultimately this was definitely Chopping Mall

Most OTT fun death- it would have been super painful but the MRI machine Final Destination Bloodlines

Best performance in a film I watched- I want to say Kirsten Dunst in Interview, but sticking to things I’ve not seen before either Mia Goth in Pearl or Jacob Elordi in Frankenstein

Things that most turned my stomach- all the goo at the end of Society (I was good with the body horror but everyone was covered in goo/gel at that body horror orgy for way too long). Dishonourable mentions- the pie in Theatre of Blood (mostly that it was creamy as being force fed that much cream is gross) and kangaroo hunt in Wake in Fright

Best individual scene- fencing on trampolines in Theatre of Blood

Biggest creep/scare factor- Ju-On: The Grudge especially the ghost child

I won’t break them down but also this October, I got in some horror or horror adjacent TV show in Alien: Earth (a few exceptional episodes but also a few patchy performances and an ending too reliant on a second season), Midnight Mass (Mike Flanagan firing on all cylinders), Gen V season 2 (OK not horror (unless we count too real political satire as horror) but very bloody- this continues to be a very solid spin off to my current favourite show), A Discovery of Witches (not horror, more vampire romance, but it is light fun and the leads have great chemistry- that said Matthew Goode does tend to have great chemistry with everyone) and most importantly It: Welcome to Derry (two episodes in and this is amazing). Once I finish on A Discovery of Witches, I plan to continue my vampire vibes by finally starting on the TV version of Interview with the Vampire.

To see us out for another year, my new favourite robot friends: