Night Swim released January 5th in theaters directed by Bryce McGuire and also written by him and Rod Blackhurst. Night Swim was produced by big names Blumhouse Productions and Atomic Monster and distributed by Universal Pictures. Starring Wyatt Russell from Black Mirror and Kerry Condon from Better Call Saul did not dazzle audiences in theaters and hasn’t seen much change since hitting streaming platforms for rent.

I’ll give credit where credit is due, I did not think they’d be able to pull off an entire movie centered around a pool. Myself and many others thought to ourselves, “just don’t go into the pool,” but they managed to at least try to overcome those limitations. Wyatt Russell is a gem that is the reason this movie isn’t a total flop. The concept has the legs of a short story but Russell’s performance gives it some much needed gas.

Jack in the Box Rises released January 11 directly to VOD and is directed by Lawrence Fowler, written by him and Geoff (Jeff) Fowler and starring Nicholas Anscombe, Isabella Colby Browne, and Leona Clarke. The film was produced by Fowler Media and I couldn’t find a solid source for distribution.

This is the first on the list that I didn’t fully watch, which is now part of my critique. I have the attention span of a lab mouse after succumbing to TikTok algorithms so I reserve high praise and credit to movies that make it impossible to pick up my phone or laptop. Unfortunately this isn’t one of those but in its defense it’s like the 3rd or 4th installment in a franchise that I’ve never watched. The start is a bit corny, an older un-introduced man assigns a teen girl to infiltrate a private boarding school in order to acquire the relic which contains the Jack in the Box demon.

All in all it’s a helluva lot less awful than I thought it’d be from acting to special effects and I didn’t turn it off but rather just tuned in and out. It’s a good background horror movie that you don’t intend to be fully immersed within but that opinion could swiftly change if I watched the other installments.

The Shudder original, Destroy All Neighbors released January 12th directed by Josh Forbes. The film is written by Mike Benner, Jared Logan, and Charles A. Pieper and starring Jonah Ray, Randee Heller, Pete Ploszek, and Kiran Deol (Keer-an Dee-ohl). As mentioned this is a Shudder production in association with RLJE Films who also distributed it and Counterpart Pictures.

Fair warning this one might include spoilers and that this type of humor and gore is not my cup of tea. I found the film foul–but I think that was meant to be part of the charm and would appeal to some. Josh Forbes is giving Ryan Reynolds in Voices and it’s a less serious rendition of the same concept. I found Forbes’ character extremely less endearing however and his overall goal and driving force pissed me off.

I couldn’t tell if it was trying to say that the guy is a shitty serial killer who thinks he’s always the victim despite being a murderer and that those dead bodies re-animate or if it’s in his head. Granted I tuned out frequently from this one, mostly due to disgust. This is for the Anchorman comedy crowd that like a touch of Terrifier gore without as much blatant misogyny.

Sunrise released January 19th in limited theaters and on VOD. It is directed by Andrew Baird and written by Ronan Blaney and stars Alex Pettyfer, Crystal Yu, William Gao, Kurt Yaeger, Olwen Fouéré, and Guy Pearce. Lots of companies produced including Grindstone Entertainment Group, 23ten, Source Management + Production, and Northern Ireland Screen. The film was distributed by Lionsgate in the US and UK.

If I had to describe Sunrise in one word it would be slow. It’s a perfectly fine horror movie, it’s just really…really slow. Alex Pettyfer gives the character Fallon a brooding teen Bat Man like silence. Unfortunately this intense silence is more action-movie than scary-movie in the case of Sunrise.

The juxtaposition of Pettyfer and Guy Pearce as Reynolds, the town’s unelected patriarch that reigns more terror than assistance, pushes things close to cringe territory. It felt like two different movies occurring at the same time, a western and a midwestern tale both fighting for center stage, a new approach and an older approach despite Pearce not being old.

The slowness and need to be watching every scene in order to get the bulk of the story makes this not a movie I’d recommend for most. If you like a lot of nature shots and slow B-roll between short scenes with little to no dialogue then this is your movie. If you’re looking for a vampire tale steeped in bloody tension this isn’t that.

Next up, There is a Monster became available on VOD January 30th and can be watched on Prime now. Directed and written by Mike Taylor the film stars Joey Collins and Ena O’Rourke and distributed by Gravitas Ventures, which is a red flag for me.

The combination of makeup/costume, acting, audio, filming quality, and transitions pissed me off from jump. I highly disliked watching this and even decided to restart it because I’d gotten so annoyed and felt the reason must be that I missed something. The story was unfollowable for me with the aforementioned issues, everything is choppy and weird with a tinny quality to the audio that takes you out of any world building that the film attempts.

The whole thing is a movie made paint-by-numbers style with generic scene setups and very you-speak, pause, then you-speak, then you-laugh, then you-speak style dialogue that distracts from the substance of the conversation meant to drive the plot further. It distracts from any quality that could be derived from it.

I probably wouldn’t have watched this if not for this project and I’m glad I didn’t spend money to rent or go see this film. If you have Prime it’s available to watch for free and if this style is your thing then have at it. I however get annoyed when I watch movies of this quality that money got put into projects like it when stunning stories languish in the bottom of a pile on someone’s desk. This is the second film that I decided to shut off fairly early on. I don’t want to give it a 0% but it’s got a super low one from me.

The next movie I did watch the trailer for and went in having watched some of the PR interviews from the cast. Lisa Frankenstein released February 7 into theaters starring Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, and Liza Soberano. The story is written by Diablo Cody, who also wrote Juno and Jennifer’s Body, and directed by Zelda Williams, director of Kappa Kappa Die and a plethora of acting credits in both film and TV. Produced by MXN Entertainment and distributed by Focus Features in the US and Universal Pictures internationally.

This is the first 2024 horror movie that I saw in theaters and I personally went ecstatic due to Cody having written the script. The following will most likely include some spoilers for this film. To compound on my excitement I’ve loved seeing Cole Sprouse in acting roles beyond The Suite Life. Some of the things from the trailer that I worried would be cringey turned out to be on a sliding scale of silly to hilarious but all endearing. The story often features clever tactical ways to keep the on-screen gore at a minimum while still adding that gore as a main story cornerstone for the 2 evolving characters, Lisa and Taffy.

The choices in set design, costumes, how shots are framed, and the special effect details with the monster keeps the mood lighter and quirky despite the gruesome things occurring. This reinforces the teen-like mindset and perspective of the events in the plot exceptionally well. I found myself chuckling about easter eggs that reminded me of teen experiences like Pabst Blue Ribbon beer showing up in her subconscious.

Releasing directly to Shudder on February 9th, Skeletons in the Closet is directed by Asif Akbar and story by Al Bravo but written by Joshua A. Cohen and Koji Steven Sakai. Terrence Howard starts in the movie alongside Cuba Gooding Jr., and Udo Kier. Produced by Al Bravo Films, Beno Films, and One Dollar Studios and distributed by Allblk I really wanted to like this film. Upon going to watch it however it became apparent that it felt rushed and cheap in a cutting corners kind of way. They clearly had money for some things like wardrobe and hair but skimped on things like CGI and special effects that completely take a viewer out of the film upon appearing on screen.

The film feels like a student project with the lack of attention to detail that if included would draw you into the film more and make the horror impactful. I’m convinced it’s a project made by friends who wanted to make a movie together but not sure if anyone took the actual movie portion seriously. This is another movie of the 84 that I just flat out turned off and refused to watch due to the frequency of physical cringe I sustained before even getting to the meat of the story.

The review of the next one, History of Evil, will be full of spoilers, it’s available now to watch on Shudder and is excellent but it would be hard to explain why without at least some spoilers. Releasing February 23rd the film was directed and written by Bo Mirhosseni and stars Jackie Cruz, Paul Wesley, and Rhonda Johnson Dents. Wesley’s ability to be the knight and shining armor as well as the most unhinged Dexter-like demeanor in the same character is alive and well.

Similarly to the Stefan versus Silas and humanity-turned-off-Stefan in The Vampire Diaries, the Ron at the start of the film is slowly eroded away by the racist and vengeful spirit of the house they seek refuge in. I enjoyed the story elements that provided insight into the fictional 2040’s version of America and The Resistance to that dystopia through people like Alegre and Trudy.

Ron Dyer, her husband, becomes seduced and infected with Cain’s, played by Thomas Francis Murphy, worldview. They sound like bottom feeding right-wing grifters trying to convince one another there’s nothing wrong with just wanting to be back on some imaginary top. A KKK robe hangs in a dedicated-to-racism bomb shelter in Cain’s backyard and a tree stands on the property adorned with strings of film blowing in the wind.

Rope is in the cellar, presumably used to lynch people in said tree on the property. It’s mentioned earlier in the film that the property is a good hiding spot due to the fear surrounding it, which becomes apparent and obvious as the film continues. The melding of post-apocalyptic Handmaid’s Tale America style of horror with supernatural slash possession horror works really well and creates a compelling tale that’s horrifying in the usual ways but also in a way that is truly American.

On February 27 Camp Pleasant Lake released in some theaters and directly to platforms via Starz. Written and directed by Thomas Walton the film features a plethora of actors in various roles including Jonathan Lipnicki, Bonnie Aarons, and Andrew Divoff. I haven’t watched this one yet so my slight review is based on just the trailer. I truly cannot tell what the vibe of this movie is supposed to be from the trailer, it simultaneously seemed like a joke but also that they were taking it seriously. It’s a terror show at a camp with a dark history, fairly standard seeming, and during the trailer we literally see someone with the slasher’s mask pulled above his head like he’s the killer, which could be a spoiler or a misdirect.

The next big horror film of the year, Imaginary, released in theaters March 8, and the trailer left audiences wary initially. Directed and written by Jeff Wadlow and also written by Greg Erb, and Jason Oremland the film does not have a good reputation. Starring DeWanda Wise as the lead Jessica, Tom Payne as Max, Taegan Burns as Taylor, and Pyper Braun as Alice. It was produced by big name studio Blumhouse Productions and Tower of Babble Entertainment, and then distributed by Lionsgate. The following review will contain spoilers.

What seems fairly straightforward, a scary imaginary friend, is given much more depth in Imaginary. I really enjoyed the unique perspective of a step mother who wants to become integrated with her family. In addition to that a reluctant teen daughter and a happy but hurt young daughter have a complicated relationship with their mother. Their father, a musician named Max, is Jessica’s husband and he quickly departs for a tour with his band which is insane because of the current circumstances with his daughters openly struggling in the recent life changes, including the move to Jessica’s childhood home, and he leaves the new stepmother to deal with those challenges on her own.

After moving back to her childhood home Jessica’s nightmares intensify and the youngest daughter, Alice, finds an old teddy bear she calls Chauncey. That old bear is actually a conduit for a spirit type demon thing that pretends to be an imaginary friend while actually trying to consume the imagination of Alice like it tried to with Jessica. We discover that Jessica’s own father sacrificed his sanity and eyesight to save her from Chauncey.

Despite the bad ratings and reviews I enjoyed watching this movie. I loved the layer that is added to the concept of an imaginary friend to create a whole separate universe with its own rules and challenges. I want to see more of the universe created around the portal to this other realm and Chauncey’s seeming connection to a multitude of children’s imaginations—particularly keen on Jessica’s due to its expansiveness.

I wanted to know more about the reality which Chauncey can create to trap others in this other realm. I’d recommend this one, there aren’t huge shocks or surprises from a standard horror movie but I really enjoyed the visual effects, characters and actors who portrayed them, and the story of the blended family.

Next up is a lesser known title, Dead Mail, that was released on March 9 and I haven’t watched it yet. Some of the movies in this video I didn’t go out of my way to watch due to lack of interest but this one I really hoped would become available sooner rather than later. Directed and written by both Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy the film was produced by Alarmist Entertainment and Contact Light Films. The film stars Sterling Macer Jr., John Fleck, and Tomas Boykin and is a project with lots of big endorsements from publications like Variety.

From the trailer the concept is really interesting—a man is being held hostage but manages to momentarily break free and shove a letter into a mailbox. Once the letter is inside it ends up getting mailed, blood and all. The letter is a desperate request for help which ends up as a case given to a detective. Without anything but the letter informing that there’s a captive in an unspecified location the detective is on the case. I will be watching it when it’s available to rent and am excited to see it but anticipating a possible slow burn.

On March 22nd Immaculate released in theaters and is more liked than disliked but not really loved. It’s directed by Michael Mohan and written by Andrew Lobel; produced by Black Bear Pictures, Fifty-Fifty Films, and Lupin Films and distributed by Neon, an indie leader in film distribution. Starring Sydney Sweeney as Sister Cecilia and other church figures played by Álvaro Morte, Dora Romano, Benedetta Porcaroli, Girogio Colangeli, and Simona Tabasco all serving at a Catholic convent in Italy that assists dying nuns. This review will contain spoilers to discuss some of the best elements of the movie in more detail.

Sister Cecilia arrives at the convent only to begin noticing things are a little off there, like more intense versions of rituals and everyone being normal while extremely bizarre things are happening, like they’re in on a secret she doesn’t know. The viewer also doesn’t know the secret and this creates some kinship between audiences and character but is annoying in her approach or rather lack of approach to the weird behavior and occurrences for most of the movie.

After falling pregnant despite claiming to be a virgin Cecilia is lauded as a Holy figure in the convent, the next Virgin Mary. The child is considered a blessing to the religion and they begin to restrict her and look past her personhood in favor of bringing the next Jesus into the world. Cecilia works tirelessly to free herself from the circumstances, even pretending the baby is in danger so that she’s taken to the hospital.

We learn that the convent is a little more organized in their approach to this “blessing” than they had let on. The father is a former geneticist that has been experimenting with the nuns to try and manufacture a new messiah. After being branded with the very crucifix mark that she’d seen scarred on nun’s soles of their feet around the convent, she fights her way out of captivity. While she’s fighting, her water breaks and she manages to get into the catacombs beneath the convent to try and escape. She lights the geneticist man on fire and struggles with him until she’s able to kill him with an important relic.

Cecilia breaks out of the catacombs into daylight and gives birth. After that she bites the umbilical cord and after seeing the baby and hearing strange noises coming from it—harkening back to alluded to monsters in the catacombs. She crushes the baby with a rock after this and Sweeney gives such a good performance that I actually ended up on the edge of my seat, uncomfortable, but riveted with the emotional display and the ability to story tell with just acting and sound effects.

Story points like the lack of consent around impregnation, religious zeal surrounding pregnancy and childbirth, and robbing expecting mothers of their personhood mirror issues surrounding reproductive health rights in the USA. It also mirrors the inherent struggle between science and religion when it comes to literally everything about fetuses.

Shortly it will be clear that Tubi is crushing the game and doing it for free, the next title the first one I liked but not the last. Slay released on Tubi March 22nd, both written and directed by Jem Garrard. I normally don’t watch comedy horror outside of projects but I am glad that this project exposed me to this movie and all of the drag horror on Tubi. Produced by Blue Ice Pictures the plot centers around a 4 queen drag family who travel around performing gigs, like the one that brings them to the Dusk Till Dawn like bar in the middle of the desert.

Starring Trinity the Tuck, Heidi N Closet, Crystal Methyd, and Cara Melle the camped out journey begins with stunning performances from the queens and a cast of characters, figuratively and literally, who occupy the bar. Things go south when vampires descend upon the bar and the group plus other patrons have to hide out inside.

There isn’t a ton to spoil, this is more comedy than outright horror and even features some interesting and complicated relationships between the characters. While battling the vampires the audience is treated to one-line quips and downright filthy reads.

When I heard a second Winnie-the-Pooh horror movie being made I shuddered in disbelief. How could something so horrendous get a sequel? A…sequel? Less than a year after the first monstrosity with the corniest of corny masks for the main villain, Pooh Bear,  Blood and Honey 2, the sequel with an updated Pooh mask became available on VOD March 26. As part of The Twisted Childhood Universe the movie is intended to be a horror version of the books.

Blood and Honey 2 is directed and written by Rhys Frake-Waterfield and stars Scott Chambers, Tallulah Evans, and Ryan Oliva. I will admit that the production quality has increased from the first film, this one being produced by ITN Distribution and Jagged Edge Productions. Some aspects are redeeming, I liked the other Pooh-universe characters like Owl and Tigger, even with the cheesy one liners. The story is more coherent in this one compared to the first one.

Similarly to Terrifier 3 I can imagine that this has its audience but the overly grotesque, the edgy to be edgy kills, and hyper sexualized horror films. The constant joking coupled with attempts to have something deeper happen is stiff and clunky, feeling like dad jokes but in murder font. The two main actors are genuinely talented and the scenes that centered around their story and characters were the best parts.

Obviously they are making a third film and I imagine that they will continue to make them as long as someone pays and someone else wants to watch it—which seems to be the case. At the end Owl proclaims that he’ll bring everyone back to exact revenge against their vanquishers.