Brain Dead (1990)

"By the perception of illusion, we experience reality."

Brains freak me out. Just one little poke or minor alteration can change your identity forever. It's such a fragile process. You can't trust your own mind.

This movie is really hard to sum up. It's about a neurosurgeon who performs an experimental procedure on another man's brain. Lines begin to blur. You don't know who is what anymore. This stuff terrifies me to no end. It reminds me of a bad dream you can't wake from. I kind of love it because it wrinkles my brain.

4 stimulations out of 5

Note: This was the only film that starred both Bill Pullman and Bill Paxton, and it forever mixed me up.

The Attic Expeditions (2001)

AKA: Horror in the Attic

I love movies about people losing their mind, because it makes me feel sane.

A man finds himself in a sanitarium with no memory of how he got there. One by one, people wind up dead. This movie does such a good job of putting you in the mind of a crazy person that I can't make heads or tails out of any of it. And yet, it's compelled me for 25 years now. Maybe one day I'll figure it out.

3 locked trunks out of 5

The I Inside (2004)

After a car accident, a man wakes up in the hospital with short term memory loss, missing the last two years of his life. As he reconstructs the pieces, he bounces back and forth in his memories, seemingly able to alter the past. The way this movie unfolds makes you feel as lost and paranoid as its unreliable narrator, which works to its advantage. Whether it all comes together in a satisfying way is a different question altogether, and is left up to the viewer.

3½ perceptions out of 5

Sublime (2007)

A man wakes up in the hospital following a routine surgical procedure. He is kept there longer than necessary and not allowed to go home. It's a mindfuck kind of movie where the more you explain it, the more you ruin it, so I'll just leave it at that. This is true horror on a psychological level that stays with you.

4 Jell-O cakes out of 5

The Immaculate Room (2022)

A couple agrees to stay in a blank white space for 50 days with the promise of earning 5 million dollars at the end of it. With only the minimal essentials for survival and nothing to entertain themselves except each other, it becomes a psychological game to maintain sanity. It's a solid concept, although it runs the real risk of feeling as sterile and empty as its challenge sounds. Being trapped in a room alone with Kate Bosworth doesn't seem like such a bad deal to me.

2½ treats out of 5

Subservience (2024)

As lifelike androids replace the workforce, Alice is the latest big-titted gynoid acting as housekeeper while a man's wife recovers in the hospital. Her primary objective is to protect her master at all costs, so you can pretty much guess where it goes from here. The first half is strong, while the rest loses the plot.

2 UV lights out of 5

DreamQuil (2026)

In a futuristic society, a dissatisfied career wife signs up for a virtual wellness retreat that promises to fix her problems. Meanwhile, her presence at home is covered by an A.I. copy of herself, who is an easy replacement for her family.

Aesthetically, the film is pleasing, but it's a shallow, half-baked concept that feels more like a low-rated episode of Black Mirror rather than Total Recall.

1½ minxing sessions out of 5

Somnium (2024)

A prospective young actress moves to Los Angeles and takes a gig working nights at an experimental sleep institute where "dreams come true." Sleep deprived herself, she begins to see things in the shadows. This sci-fi/horror is weird and sometimes hard to follow, but leaves a strong impression behind.

3 Cloud Nines out of 5

Timestalker (2024)

Black comedy about a woman who is reincarnated over several time periods, always in pursuit of her one true love, only to die a horrifying death each time.

It's such a wasted premise that could have been executed so much better, but I admire it more for its vision. I hate posters that never live up to their promise.

2½ dil douls out of 5

Prevenge (2016)

Sometimes you follow the hype and it delivers on exactly what is promised. Other times, it leads you down a barren path filled with dashed expectations.

A pregnant woman hears the voice of her unborn fetus commanding her to kill. The premise reminded me a bit of Basket Case, but it's nowhere near as fun. Sadly, there's not a lot to distinguish it from your run-of-the-mill slasher.

2 cords cut out of 5

Dead Lover (2025)

Somewhat inspired by Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, a lonely, deranged grave digger, who reeks of corpses, dreams of true love. After briefly finding and subsequently losing it, she uses properties of a lizard and lightning to revive a part of him. I put this on because it sounded intriguing, but it quickly lulled me to sleep with its dollar store budget and incomprehensible plot in decidedly poor taste. Even at 80 minutes, this horror "comedy" feels like an eternity.

½ a severed fingering out of 5

Deathgasm II: Goremageddon (2025)

The first Deathgasm was an earnest attempt to recapture the splatter comedy of Evil Dead II, Re-Animator and Dead Alive. 10 years later, the band reunites in this reanimated undead horror comedy. Everyone returns from the first film, and the carnage is turned up to 11. If you're a fan of the original, you'll likely be filling your shorts. For everyone else, this shit is way too scattershot and over the top. Contains the most genital mutilations I've ever seen in any film.

2 glory holes out of 5

Night of the Reaper (2025)

A young woman takes a job babysitting for the town sheriff. Meanwhile, the sheriff receives snuff tapes of local unsolved murders that suggest she may be next. The first 10 minutes got me excited that this might be a good horror movie. Those hopes were quickly dashed by the 11-minute mark, whereby it became a very run-of-the-mill slasher mystery with few plausible suspects.

1 case of the runs out of 5

Don't Move (2026)

After losing her family to a traumatic incident, a grieving woman joins her local church retreat for an escape into nature and winds up being picked off one by one by a creepy-crawly hunting them. This B-movie is monumentally stupid, but it's watchable if you're in the mood for a crappy creature feature.

1 tangled web out of 5

The Devil's Mouth (2026)

Ah yes, we've got to reach this month's quota for shitty shark movies...

A group of friends go to Thailand to explore an expansive underwater cave system and naturally encroach on the territory of one ravenous bull shark.

The film is photographed beautifully and there's plenty of eye-candy, but these kids are too vapid and there's not enough chemistry to root for them.

If you're looking for solid cave-based terrors, check out The Descent.

½ a giant turtle out of 5

Fall 2: Deadpoint (2026)

The sister to one of the characters from the first movie carries on the tradition by doing another dumb stunt. This time it's a treacherous plank walk on the side of a mountain in Thailand and obviously it wouldn't be a movie unless the stakes were raised to ridiculous heights. Once again, peer pressure leads the way and you're cursing the stupidity of decisions, but these characters aren't as strong as the original and it all falls apart quickly. There is a late-stage development that pissed me off, and you can fuck off with that sequel bait.

1½ Deth Dragons out of 5

Fall (2022)

I don't have a ton of sympathy for adrenaline seekers who willingly put themselves in danger, knowing what price they may pay. After a woman's husband dies in a mountaineering climb and she's hit rock bottom, her friend tries to revitalize her spirits by pointlessly climbing a terrifying 2000-foot television broadcast tower in the desert. As one can imagine, everything that can go wrong, does go wrong. I enjoyed it mostly because of how ruthless and relentless it is, but in the back of my mind, all I'm thinking is that they did this to themselves. It reminds me of other survival thriller scenarios where people are trapped in extreme situations, like Open Water, Frozen, and All is Lost.

3 vultures out of 5

The End of Oak Street (2026)

On a quiet suburban neighborhood street in 1982, residents are plagued by strange goings-on of the prehistoric variety. The trailers will do all of the heavy lifting for you, but for best results go into it blind. There's a moment about halfway through where I realized what type of movie this was going to be. Then, about five minutes later, something else happens which completely changes the entire tone again. It's somewhere in between these two extremes that I can't quite reconcile how I truly feel about this film. It has the veneer of classic '80s Amblin comfort food movies, but it's much darker than anticipated.

2½ "insane, stupid moments" out of 5

The Dog Stars (2026)

In a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by virus and disease, a pilot surveys the land for supplies with his trusty canine companion by his side. This feels a bit like Walking Dead, except without the zombie horror element. Ridley Scott's sleepy survival thriller meanders for two hours and not a great deal happens. It's very pretty to look at, but it feels unfinished and runs out of gas quickly.

2 constellations out of 5

Hope (2026)

AKA: 호프 (Hopeu)

Is it possible for a movie to be both quick-paced and slow at the same time?

In the sleepy town of Hope Harbor, South Korea, big things are going down and two cops face off against a deadly threat. This movie is a thrill ride that both amused me and annoyed me in equal measure, which makes it hard to recommend, especially with the shameless sequel bait. It could have easily trimmed an hour from the runtime, but there are epic chase scenes in this film that are so exhilarating that I lost myself completely, which redeemed itself.

3½ inopportune times for a shit out of 5

Colony (2026)

AKA: 군체 (Gunche)

Victims of a bioterrorist attack exhibit zombie-like symptoms, except they all move as one hive mind entity. Contained to a single skyscraper, this swarm intelligence continues to evolve while the vaccine lies with the one person who leaked it. This ultra-violent action horror film is an even more beefed up version of Yeon's Train to Busan, and the less kindly counterpart to Pluribus.

3½ ant mills out of 5

Peninsula (2020)

AKA: 반도 (Bando)

A sequel to Train to Busan, taking place four years later when refugees are tasked with returning to the ruins of South Korea to retrieve a truck full of riches, where the quarantined survivors and hordes of undead remain. Like most modern zombie media, it focuses more on humans fighting each other rather than the actual apocalypse. It's not a bad film, but it's sprawling and unfocused, and contains one too many fast and furious vehicle sequences.

2½ underground arenas out of 5

Seoul Station (2016)

AKA: 서울역

An animated prequel to Train to Busan, these events take place early in the outbreak unfolding in a different part of the country, telling an original story with new characters that can be enjoyed separately from that film. While not as kinetic or exciting as its live-action counterpart, it manages to deliver a solid and satisfying story almost as brutal and devastating as its predecessor.

3 homeless shelters out of 5

Train to Busan (2016)

AKA: 부산행 (Busanhaeng)

En route a high-speed rail heading to Busan, passengers begin experiencing extreme distress and bodily changes after an infectious person gets onboard.

This modern classic Korean zombie flick is in an unrelenting, intense, brutal and at times heart-wrenching journey in line with Dawn of the Dead (2004) and World War Z, that plays out a bit like 28 Days Later meets Snowpiercer.

4 baggage compartments out of 5

Incantation (2022)

AKA: 咒 (Zhòu)

A woman implores the viewer to help her lift her daughter's curse in this folk horror tale from Taiwan. Good found footage is hard to find. Even more so the kind that gets under your skin and stays there long after the movie has ended.

Unfortunately, this wasn't it. It's truly a collection of things that go bump in the night, told in a confusing nonlinear manner that does a great disservice to its story. After reading a chronological description of the plot, I now appreciate what it was trying to do, but I shouldn't have to work this hard to enjoy a film.

2½ mixed blessings out of 5

The Turkish Coffee Table (2025)

AKA: Cam Sehpa

The appropriately named Turkish remake of The Coffee Table. Like that film, it's hard to say anything about it without spoiling it, so all I can do is see how it compares. This one is a lot more gaudy, showy and ostentatious. For whatever reason, it doesn't hit the same. Maybe because I'd already seen it done better the first time. This is simply an inferior reproduction of the original design.

1 shatterproof glass out of 5

The Coffee Table (2022)

AKA: La mesita del comedor

A couple buys a coffee table. It's no ordinary coffee table. It's one of its kind, the salesman insists. Then an unspeakable tragedy occurs. I can't say anymore.

I'm not sure whether to classify this as horror, drama, suspense or comedy, but probably all of the above. You need nerves of steel to sit through this movie.

4 screws out of 5

Lo (2009)

A man conjures the demon Lo to help retrieve his one true love from hell; his only protection being the summoning circle from which he sits. Essentially a no-budget stage play set within one location, it makes clever use of spaces to tell its story in flashback. It's a bit of an oddity; a romantic tragihorror comedy.

3 rare editions of Faust out of 5

Love Object (2003)

A lonely workaholic buys a $10,000 silicone sex doll, who he models after his work crush. As he imbues it with her qualities, lines start to blur. At a certain point, can reality ever live up to the fantasy? In many ways, this movie feels like the antithesis of American Psycho, although you can see the parallels. This horror flick is very darkly funny, even as it treats its subject deadly serious.

3½ Strauss waltzes out of 5

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (2026)

Camp Miasma is a Friday the 13th-esque horror franchise in need of new blood. It finds its reboot in the form of a young female director interested in bringing back the original final girl, who has remained a recluse ever since. There's a lot to love about this film, especially the dreamy way it all plays out. A very meta homage to horror that even references Wes Craven's New Nightmare, which I was thinking of the whole time. It examines the relationship between the movie and the viewer; but once it goes past a certain point, you're on your own. This one didn't quite resonate with me as strongly as I Saw the TV Glow, but it's an original artistic vision and that's something to get excited about.

4 Little Deaths out of 5

Teeth (2007)

Vagina dentata. Every man's worst fear. Every woman's secret fantasy.

Dawn has always been different. After a traumatizing incident as a youth, she devotes herself to a life of purity and abstinence, when she meets a nice boy and things get hairy quick. Let's face it. You know exactly what you're going to get here and it delivers in spades. It's a dark satire about female anatomy and autonomy; something that comes in handy when you're a desirable woman receiving unwanted attention. Let's just say it's not a dealbreaker for me.

4 gyno exams out of 5

Deep Dark (2015)

A struggling artist moves into a rundown old apartment where he strikes a Faustian bargain with a talking hole in the wall that grants him inspiration. But, of course, with prosperity comes complications when love threatens to come between a boy and his hole. This is one of my favorite weird indie films that no one has ever heard of. It's a brilliant black comedy about the price of success.

3½ mobiles out of 5

Decay (2015)

After an intruder accidentally dies on his property, a lonely, disturbed man decides to take care of her remains as both her body and his sanity slowly decompose. This is Swiss Army Man if played totally straight and completely depressing. It's a dark and tragic character study (think Norman Bates meets Herbert West) featuring a very grim scenario that was purportedly based on actual events. [Yes, it was me.] It's a very slow movie, but moving in a way.

3½ OCD rituals out of 5

The Forest Hills (2023)

A hairy dude suffering from all sorts of issues (both real and imagined) is convinced he's turning into a wolf and believes another may be hunting him.

The version I saw (the "Festival Cut") featured additional footage of Shelley Duvall, which ended up being her final role after a 20-year absence from film. It's nice to see some familiar faces that have been missing from the screens for years, but also sad to see this assortment of C-listers cobbled together in an incomprehensible plot filmed on a shoestring budget. What saves the film from being a total disgrace is a harrowing performance from Chiko Mendez.

½ an unpleasant diagnosis out of 5

Sleepwalker (2026)

After her daughter dies in a car accident and leaves her husband in a coma, a mother racked with guilt is haunted by episodes of somnambulism and waking visions of her daughter. It's an interesting idea, but awful execution. The twist ending either saves it or makes it worse, depending on your interpretation.

I chose to watch this film solely in honor of the late Hayden Panettiere. R.I.P.

1 finger(s) counted in a dream out of 5

Night Nurse (2026)

I suppose I spoke too soon. A caregiver at an assisted living facility falls for her manipulative dementia patient and helps him run a phone scam targeting other seniors out of their money. I hate movies marketed as "erotic thrillers" that fail to deliver on either part of that promise. I felt outright revulsion watching this, and I don't mean that complimentary. What a heap of shite.

0 sponge baths out of 5

Corporate Retreat (2026)

A girlfriend dragged along on a Gen-Z company getaway immediately regrets her decision after it quickly becomes a team-building exercise for survival.

If you're expecting the heights of the comedy-horror cult classic Severance, you're shit out of luck. It manages to feel boring, exploitative and low-effort. Probably the worst horror to come out of 2026 since Faces of Death. I'm glad to get that shit out of the way for the month (though the night is still young).

0 scoops of eye scream out of 5

Onslaught (2026)

Adria Arjona battles genetically enhanced super soldiers in this throwback to '80s action-horror thrillers. Adam Wingard is at his best when left to his own devices and I enjoyed the weirder elements, but I was bored during most of the setup. All of the fun was in the back half, but then it was over too soon.

2 McGruff bangers out of 5

The Mortuary Assistant (2026)

A newly sober woman working as an understudy for an undertaker takes the creepiest shift at a big empty morgue all alone, and wouldn't you just know it, freaky things start to happen. Are the dead coming back to life, or is she losing her mind, or...you get the idea. I can't exactly comment on the faithfulness of this video game adaptation because I've never played it to begin with, but you get the impression it was better suited to that medium. The premise somewhat reminded me of The Autopsy of Jane Doe, which is the much better film by far.

1 letting strip out of 5

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021)

I liked it better than the W. S. Anderson films, but that's not saying much. This reboot adapts the origins of the games much more faithfully, but still ends up lacking. It held my attention because I was familiar with the characters and the creature designs and locations looked cool. Other than that, it was forgettable and destined to be ripped apart. Seems like either way, fans are never happy.

2 final forms out of 5

Resident Evil (2026)

A medical transport courier is handed an emergency delivery to Raccoon City, where things are currently going down. This is a video game adaptation done right; a pulse-pounding, unrelenting survival horror adventure as well as an original story that anyone can enjoy separately from the games. With quick-paced action and pared-down characters, this is an even better Evil Dead film than the last Evil Dead, and miles above that Paul W. S. Anderson abomination.

4 indestructible padlocks out of 5