Starring: Tim Connolly, William Hinson, and Emma Nossal
Directed by: Tim Connolly
Rated: NR
Running Time: 109 minutes
Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars
There’s an overused horror marketing line that always makes me roll my eyes: “Nothing can prepare you…” It’s usually attached to something so terrifying it promises you’ll need a change of pants by the end. But with “Black Theta,” I can confidently say that nothing can prepare you for how damn funny it is.
I say that because the trailer and poster had me expecting another paint-by-numbers slasher. Instead, “Black Theta” goes for the jugular—and the funny bone. Andy (played by director/writer Tim Connolly) attends a trauma support group, one of the few people there with some genuinely horrifying baggage. Years earlier, he narrowly survived an attack by a masked intruder who murdered one of his friends. Now, he and his fellow group members are about to find themselves in another nightmare: a murderous cult has them in its crosshairs.
Beyond its obvious homages, “Black Theta” feels like a queer send-up of horror tropes, packed with sharp one-liners that either made me laugh out loud or left a mile-wide grin on my face. Comedy is notoriously difficult to pull off, especially in indie horror, but the cast here nails it—balancing absurdity with legitimate horror critique in a way that’s effortlessly entertaining.
That said, the movie doesn’t just lean on laughs. The finale delivers the blood-soaked goods with a series of creative and satisfying kills. If I have one big critique, it’s the runtime. At nearly 110 minutes, there’s a noticeable lull between the setup—where characters are introduced and positioned like pawns on a chessboard—and the eventual slaughter. Tightening it up to a sub-90-minute runtime would’ve made the pacing sharper and the film even more effective.
Still, Tim Connolly deserves serious props. He acts, writes, directs, and (from the looks of it) probably ran craft services too. “Black Theta” is a riotous homage to slashers that somehow finds a fresh voice in a genre that’s constantly recycling itself. What’s even more impressive is that Connolly clearly has the chops to go darker, bloodier, or more serious in future projects. And who knows—maybe he already has. After all, “Black Theta” is his third film.
Starring: Kue Lawrence, Kai Cech, and Max Malas
Directed by: Daniel DelPurgatorio
Rated: NR
Running Time: 92 minutes
Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars
As someone pointed out during the Q&A following the world premiere of “Marshmallow” at Panic Fest 2025, director Daniel DelPurgatorio broke a few unspoken rules with his debut feature: making a horror movie that’s set almost entirely at night at a summer camp and a cast filled with actual kids and preteens. That would be a logistical nightmare for most filmmakers, but DelPurgatorio handles it all with a confidence that feels effortless. More importantly, he makes a clear statement: he’s a visionary horror director worth watching—and worth buying advance tickets for.
Morgan (Kue Lawrence) isn’t thrilled about his first summer camp experience. He already struggles to make friends in his neighborhood, and he’s carrying trauma on two fronts. Before the events of the film, Morgan narrowly escaped death, while his grandfather—the one adult in his life who truly understood him—didn’t. Now, sent off to camp without his emotional anchor, Morgan faces bullies, shaky friendships, a maybe-summer-girlfriend, and a potential killer lurking in the dead of night. But it’s just Morgan’s trauma feeding off an old campfire tale told every year, right?
With a pulsating score, expertly timed jump scares, and a mystery that unravels in clever, unexpected ways, “Marshmallow” quickly reveals itself to be more than just another camp slasher. It’s also a sharp, funny coming-of-age story. Morgan is instantly likeable—you root for him the moment he’s introduced—and when the bullies show up, you want to jump into the screen and defend him yourself. His friend Dirk (Max Malas) nearly steals every scene he’s in. In fact, it’s impressive that in a movie featuring Broken Lizard alum Paul Soter as the camp leader, it’s Malas who ends up with the biggest comedic moments. Malas is like an impressive opening band that suddenly has the headliner re-examining themselves.
Even though most of the cast is made up of kids, the film doesn’t shy away from violence—but it never crosses a line into exploitation. The pain feels real, but not manipulative. The balance is impressive: the scares and stakes hit hard, but so do the emotional beats. As the story builds toward its climax, “Marshmallow” doesn’t lose steam. Instead, it smacks the audience with a series of satisfying, genuinely surprising revelations that deepen the story and make us root even harder for these characters. For that, credit goes to screenwriter Andy Greskoviak.
Honestly, credit goes all around. There are so many horror films where child actors sink the production or where the filmmakers don’t quite know what to do with them. But “Marshmallow” threads that needle with textbook precision. In some ways, “Marshmallow” is a lot like last year’s “In a Violent Nature,” both offer up a fresh take on slasher tropes we know and love, while helping modernize a genre that sometimes feels like it has nothing better to do than live in the 80s.
Starring: Betsy Sligh, Amna Vegha and Erin O’Meara Directed by: Ehrland Hollingsworth Rated: NR Running Time: 77 minutes
Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars
Why does anyone even babysit anymore? Babysitters have been horror film targets for over five decades, and in 2025, they’re still ripe for terror and mischief. “Dooba Dooba” peels back a new, modern layer of that age-old trope with a found-footage babysitter horror twist that creeps its way under your skin.
As far as I can tell, “Dooba Dooba” might be the first babysitter horror told entirely through found footage. The film captures Amna’s (Amna Vegha) horrific night of babysitting Monroe (Betsy Sligh) via a series of strategically placed cameras throughout the house. Why so many cameras? Because Monroe’s brother was murdered in his bed—just feet away from her—by an unknown intruder when she was younger. The trauma runs deep, and now the family uses the phrase “”Dooba Dooba”” as a safe word. Anyone walking around the house has to say it so Monroe knows they’re a friend, not a threat.
But once the parents leave and the babysitting begins, it’s clear that something is off. Monroe’s mood swings veer from endearing to unsettling. She acts strangely when Amna isn’t in the room, and the sheer number of cameras—some of which feel unnecessarily voyeuristic—adds to the growing sense of unease. The film leans into that discomfort, using the surveillance footage not just as a storytelling tool, but as part of the horror itself.
At a brisk 77 minutes, the movie builds tension smartly, blending glimpses into Amna and Monroe’s psyches with eerie VHS-style visuals. You’ll get clunky middle school PowerPoint presentations on serial killers, jittery archival footage of American politicians, and grainy imagery that recalls the last gasps of a dying tape deck. It evokes the same feeling “Paranormal Activity” did when it first hit—the sense that even though you know it’s fiction, it still feels real. Much of that realism is thanks to Betsy Sligh’s unnerving and excellent performance.
By the time the film ends, you’ll likely be left with questions—and maybe a few holes you’ll want to poke in the plot. But ultimately, there’s something admirable here: a film that proves you don’t need a massive budget, complex effects, or elaborate scares to build dread. With a basic setup, basic equipment, and a deceptively simple idea, “Dooba Dooba” manages to deliver a CCTV-fueled nightmare.
Starring: Fred Hechinger, Abby Quinn and D’Pharoah Woon-A-Tai Directed By: Finn Wolfhard and Billy Byrk Rated: R Running Time: 88 minutes Neon
Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars
First-time writer/directors Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk (who also star in the film) have a tough task on their hands. In the midst of a slasher renaissance, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle of much better horror-comedies. While “Hell of a Summer” boasts a fun cast, decent laughs, and all-around good vibes, it doesn’t stand out—especially compared to something like February’s “The Monkey” or the longer list of fantastic horror films screening at Panic Fest 2025.
The story centers on a group of teenage counselors at Camp Pinewa. Jason (Fred Hechinger) isn’t a teen, though—he’s a socially awkward 24-year-old who insists on returning as a counselor, despite the obvious weirdness of wanting to hang around teenagers while making minimum wage. When Jason and the other counselors arrive, the actual adult leaders are nowhere to be found. Rather than question it too much, Jason awkwardly steps into the leadership role while the rest of the cast cracks jokes and rolls their eyes—until a masked killer starts picking them off one by one.
Unfortunately, “Hell of a Summer” doesn’t give its characters much depth beyond standard slasher and teenager stereotypes. Jason has a love interest, but he’s too innocent and lacking in self-confidence to notice. The rest of the counselors deliver just enough personality to keep things moving, but not enough to make us care who lives or dies. Ironically, Wolfhard and Bryk may have written themselves as the film’s most interesting characters. Their Gen Z take on the Simon Pegg/Nick Frost or Seth Rogen/Evan Goldberg dynamics have some potential—it’s just not given enough to do.
Unlike those classic comedic duos, though, Wolfhard and Bryk don’t quite find any time or any way to elevate the material. There’s a missed opportunity here to deliver a compelling coming-of-age story wrapped in a summer camp massacre. The film is light on gore, plays it safe with its kills, and leans more into comedy than horror. Despite all my nitpicking, the frenetic pace at which the film moves kept me from thinking about all of this until the credits rolled. In that regard, I think Wolfhard and Byrk have highlighted a unique craft that combines a love of slasher with ability to create a comedic ensemble. I’d definitely sign up to watch their next venture.
I can see general audiences enjoying this kind of breezy, horror-lite romp. It might not stick with you, but it could be a gateway for someone to dive into the deeper end of the horror pool. And if “Hell of a Summer” can do that—if it convinces just one viewer to give the genre a real shot—then maybe it’s worth more than the sum of its body count.
Directed by: James P. Gannon and Matt Ferrin Rated: NR
Running Time: 95 minutes
Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars
I’ve spent nearly a third of my life living in a small town—about 10,000 people. That’s roughly 4,000 fewer than the population of St. Helens, Oregon, the filming location for the 1998 Disney Channel Original Movie “Halloweentown.” While some small towns, like the one I’m from, quietly move on after the credits roll, St. Helens has fully embraced its connection to the Kimberly J. Brown-led cult classic.
“The Spirit of Halloweentown” explores this local obsession by talking with St. Helens residents who count down the days to September, when they can don new costumes, run haunted houses, or dive headfirst into spooky festivities. The film focuses on several town personalities: a new restaurant owner grappling with outsider status in more ways than one, the self-proclaimed Queen of Halloweentown, a cheerleading squad rehearsing a zombie dance, a hometown ghost-hunting crew, and a woman who believes the month-long celebration is basically an open invitation for Satan himself.
There’s plenty to enjoy here, but the film has a scattershot rhythm. These people rarely interact with one another—at least not on screen—and it’s a bit disjointed considering they all live in the same tight-knit town. And for fans of “Halloweentown,” a heads-up: while the movie gets a lot of love at the beginning, it quickly fades into the background. This isn’t a deep dive into the film’s legacy as much as it is a portrait of a town that’s used its connection to the movie as a launchpad for something much bigger.
I mention my own small-town experience because I recognize the elements that made that part of my life feel unique—even if I’m more of a city person these days. There’s a kind of unspoken kinship among the folks in St. Helens, and a shared belief that the celebration, and even the town’s future, are bigger than any one person.cIt’s not Halloween that binds them—it’s the town itself, and the people who make it what it is.
Starring: Rick Kain, Helen Laser, and Neal Davidson
Directed by: Douglas Forrester
Rated: NR
Running Time: 98 minutes
Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
I know I’m getting old when more and more media either taps into my nostalgia or sets its story in the years I actually grew up. “Carry the Darkness” checks several of my personal childhood boxes—it’s set in 1993, features teens playing a video game knock-off of “Mortal Kombat,” and centers on a misunderstood, artsy metalhead named Travis Baldwin (Joel Meyers).
Travis, who’s into thrash metal and photography, gets relentlessly bullied by the school’s jocks. He escapes their torment by smoking weed, playing video games, and taking photos of the local dam and abandoned buildings scattered around his small town. Right from the start, Travis is surrounded by adversity: his father’s out of the picture, his mother scolds him as a pastime, and his best friend’s dad—a local priest—thinks Travis is the antichrist incarnate. To top it off, the town’s police seem eager to pin a string of grisly murders on him. While Travis isn’t the one behind the killings, the actual demonic culprit, takes a keen interest in him.
Blending Satanic Panic vibes with a thoughtful look at teenage trauma and isolation, “Carry the Darkness” offers a serious but fun take on demons and the weird kids like me who grew up on “Twin Peaks,” “The X-Files,” and “Unsolved Mysteries.” The setting, characters, and dialogue feel like they were pulled from a Stephen King paperback: teenagers seen as societal misfits who find meaning while confronting literal evil. And, of course, the adults just don’t get it.
Travis—and the people who stick by him—become more compelling as the plot deepens and the violence ramps up. Jaden Gant plays Jordan, Travis’ best friend and loyal wingman through all the supernatural madness. Jordan doesn’t tick all the “weird kid” boxes, but he’s still an outsider, and his loyalty is what makes him such a strong companion. Then there’s Stacey (Helen Laser), the new goth/emo girl at school, who serves as a potential love interest. But she’s more than that—her backstory ties her meaningfully into the film’s larger mythology. All three characters, while not always fighting side-by-side, each play an important role in confronting the ancient evil festering in their town.
While the finale doesn’t quite stick the landing, the emotional gut-punches that precede it resonate—especially for anyone who’s ever felt like a ghost in their own home, school or town. These characters find meaning through their art and their fragile, but fierce, friendships. And in this case, they also fight evil. That emotional core elevates what might have been a forgettable ending into something worthwhile and heartfelt.
“Carry the Darkness” is a compelling watch for anyone who spent their youth dodging bullies, reading Clive Barker, or blasting Slayer on their bedroom stereo.
Starring: Jenna Kenall, Hannah Alline and Natasha Halevi
Directed by: Zeshaan Younus
Rated: NR
Running Time: 71 minutes
Ethos Releasing
Our Score: 1.5 out of 5 Stars
It took me a while to figure out why “The Buildout” wasn’t clicking with me. On paper, it has a lot going for it: two strong lead performances, a mysterious cult with bonus UFO potential, and a vast desert setting filled with existential emptiness—a playground for a horror fan’s imagination. But it’s not that I dislike character studies. It’s that for me to enjoy one, the characters need to actually be interesting.
This low-budget indie follows Dylan (Hannah Alline) and Cameron (Jenna Kenall) on a sort of re-bonding trip into the Southern California desert. Dylan is set on joining a cult, while Cameron tags along as emotional support for the motorcycle-bound pilgrimage into the unknown. The extra bizarre caveat? Despite embarking on this trip together, the two haven’t spoken in years—ever since the death of Cameron’s sister. With a setup like that, “The Buildout” has plenty of backstory to sink its teeth into. But it never really does.
From a setting perspective, we should feel a creeping sense of isolation, of impending doom. Instead, the desert ends up as little more than a silent backdrop, lacking presence or atmosphere. The cult, which may or may not have some otherworldly connection, never feels as ominous as the word “cult” would imply. In fact, when we finally meet them, they’re about as forgettable as the latest conspiracy theory making rounds on social media. And while Dylan and Cameron’s personal revelations feel genuine, they’re overshadowed by the film’s disjointed execution. The result is two stories—one about fractured friendships, one about a shadowy belief system—that feel fundamentally incompatible.
As much as I wanted to enjoy it—especially since it touches on universal anxieties about friendship and how it evolves over time—I just never felt invested. Not because the themes weren’t compelling, but because the film itself didn’t seem invested in telling a fully realized story. The subject matter is fascinating, but “The Buildout” only engages with it on a surface level. And while complex questions don’t always require answers, it’s frustrating when a film doesn’t seem to answer any of the ones it presents. Which makes me wonder if we’ve been handed a sandwich with nothing between the bread.
Starring: Krsy Fox, Jon Sklaroff, and Elizabeth Caro
Directed by: Spider One
Rated: NR
Running Time: 105 minutes
Shudder
Our Score: 2 out of 5 Stars
I’ve been following Spider One’s directorial career since he debuted “Allegoria” at Panic Fest. It’s been an interesting journey, marked by a slow yet confident evolution—not necessarily for Spider One, but for Krsy Fox, who has appeared in every one of his films so far. While she’s been integral to his prior work, “Little Bites” is a tour de force simply for her performance alone. Unfortunately, everything else seems stuck in a rut.
“Little Bites” follows single mom Mindy (Fox), who allows a demon-vampire creature (Jon Sklaroff) to bite, nibble, and drain her of her blood and flesh in an effort to distract him from the fresh meat that is her 10-year-old daughter. The daughter is safely at grandma’s, so most of the film’s runtime is spent with Mindy and an indie-looking Nosferatu. Their interactions aren’t just a series of repeated feastings; the creature mentally and emotionally abuses Mindy on top of the physical harm. The film is a blunt metaphor for parenthood—how parents keep their own personal demons at bay while raising children. But despite all the visual meat being devoured on screen, there isn’t much meat on the script.
For a film that pushes close to two hours, it’s hard to justify some of the vignettes that pop up throughout. A child protective services worker (played by the magnificent Barbara Crampton) makes a visit for no apparent reason, as does horror icon Heather Langenkamp, in a scene that feels equally unnecessary. The only encounter that really works is when Mindy brings a man (Chaz Bono) back to her home to appease the ever-thirsty vampire. But even that scene doesn’t land as well as it could, because the film’s themes are so blunt and obvious that they invite scrutiny. It led me to wonder whether the narrative and direction were akin to a dog chasing a car—running full speed toward something without really knowing what to do once it catches it.
While “Bury the Bride” was a tight thrill ride, “Little Bites” feels more like a bloated episode of “Tales from the Crypt”—without the satisfying twist or payoff. Because the film is so personal to Spider and Fox (it’s literally about raising their daughter), I wondered if it was harder for them to be as self-critical in the editing process as they were with their previous films. Like his prior work, there’s a lot to admire and enjoy, but “Little Bites” is disappointing because it feels like a strong, powerful film is buried within its meandering narrative. It could have been another progressive step forward for Spider, but it never finds its footing.
That said, as I mentioned at the start, Fox delivers a performance that deserves serious attention. Her horror acting chops are on full display, and without her, the film might have been a complete disaster.
Starring: Bill Skarsard, Lily-Rose Depp and Nicholas Hoult
Directed by: Robert Eggers
Rated: R
Running Time: 132 minutes
Focus Features
Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars
Blu-Ray Score: 4.5 out of 5 Stars
One of the biggest questions for me heading into Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu” was how he would handle the undead title character. Would we see a harkening to the quiet evil of the 1922 version or something akin to Werner Herzog’s nuanced version in 1979? Having recently watched both in the past year, I realized as soon as Nosferatu was spotted that Eggers had done his homework, adding a dash and splash from each into Bill Skarsard’s version of Count Orlok. Thankfully, that isn’t the only storytelling blend that Eggers attempts, along with some fresh takes in the story of the undead.
Unlike prior imaginings, the 2024 version opens on Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) who already senses Count Orlok’s impending arrival deep in her soul, and probably her pants. This sense of dread could also be because her darling Thomas (Nicholas Hoult) is to actually meet the cryptic Count Orlok for a real estate deal. Thomas’ story is retread as we watch him travel to Orlok’s castle and experience horrors beyond his imagination. But the film does something curious, it constantly cuts back to Ellen, as she slowly loses sense of reality and has nightmare after nightmare of Orlok. Although at a certain point, as I hinted at earlier, you could make that argument that the nightmares become wet dreams.
If you haven’t sensed by now, the biggest change in Eggers’ vision is just how horny this film is. The sexual tension has always been there, but it’s never been this overt. The film notes that Nosferatu not only has a thirst for blood, but innocent virginal nude blood, although I doubt he’s too picky when he’s hankering for a midnight snack. The film also serves us a reminder that women weren’t generally believed, on anything, for centuries. Ellen’s treated with whichever weird medicinal practices of the time and when Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz (Willem Dafoe) shows up he, he actually believes Ellen, but tends to view her as a pawn in his chess battle with Count Orlok.
The film follows the originally closely enough that if you aren’t paying attention, you wouldn’t notice the subtle, yet profound differences in how the story unfolds. Fans of the originals will surely spot and mark the changes. Obviously, based on the trailer and Eggers’ other films, we weren’t about to see a more colorful and visually vibrant vampire film like the 1979 film. However, he really takes a few pages out of the Herzog vision of plague arriving in Europe. While “Nosferatu” doubles down on the darkness and the haunting shadows of Germany and Transylvania, Eggers vision is filled with evil in every nook and cranny.
It’s hard not to heap copious amounts of praise on Eggers, who has solidified himself as a modern voice in horror. While being quite longer than its predecessors, Eggers makes use of every frame, finding ways to crawl under our skin, suffocating us in Gothic horror imagery. The biggest weakness, which isn’t necessarily a flaw in the film, but is just enough for me to mention it as a reason this isn’t rated higher, is that the acting doesn’t leap off the screen as much as Count Orlok’s claw-like fingers. That’s not a huge knock against the film because so much of the film is told through visuals.
“Nosferatu” is surely going to be talked about for years, but in a year with lots of fantastic horror, it simply has to take a spot on the 2024 Mount Rushmore of horror films instead of standing tall like a monument to scary cinema. However, “Nosferatu” is Eggers best film, so far, as he takes the best components of his prior films, like “The Witch” and “The Lighthouse,” to craft a menacing film that Bram Stoker himself would surely be inspired by.
Special Features:
EXTENDED AND THEATRICAL CUTS OF THE FILM
NOSFERATU: A MODERN MASTERPIECE – A look behind-the-scenes
BREATHING LIFE INTO A DREAM – A talk with Robert Eggers about bringing his vision to the screen
BECOMING COUNT ORLOK – A look at nailing Count Orlok’s look in the film
CAPTURING THE MOOD – A look at the Oscar-nominated cinematography of the film
RECREATING 1838 – A look at how the film captures the look of 1838.
DRESSING THE PART – A look at the film’s wardrobe
THE END IS JUST THE BEGINNING – A look at the film’s visual effects
DELETED SCENES
FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH WRITER/DIRECTOR ROBERT EGGERS
Starring: Phillip Cordell, Ravi Patel and Quinnlan Ashe
Directed by: Danny Dones
Rated: NR
Running Time: 96 minutes
Freestyle Digital Media
Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars
I couldn’t pass up “Clone Cops.” The title and image at the top of the press release alone sold me. I didn’t need to read the synopsis or any of the other information in the press release. I just knew I had to watch something that looked like an incredibly low budget version of “Smoking Causes Coughing” that would worm its way into the brains of select audiences at 3 a.m. on Adult Swim. So, does it live up to the hype that I’m currently pumping it full of? Kind of, but I also think what it does is perfectly fine and fun.
With a backdrop that looks like whatever abandoned buildings were in the director’s neighborhood, “Clone Cops” introduces us to a world run by NefariCorp, a company that operates like a spite baby made by Amazon, Meta, and Pfizer. If you’re running the world, you need your own law enforcement, right? Enter the clone cops, who are all played by comedically self-deprecating and scenery chewing Phillip Cordell. The clones are made in a lab out of continuously recycled pink slime because they’re about as useful at stopping criminals as Stormtroopers are at stopping the Rebel Resistance. They’re deployed en masse, over and over again, to bust some criminals participating in a heist. Sounds like a great excuse to watch slapstick gore, but just when you think you’re about to watch a film on a 21st century version of the Keystone Cops, the movie flips on its head.
The silly bad acting action does unfold like an episode of “Power Rangers,” but the film manages to twist the story consistently while wedging in commentary on the social media age and the cruelty that inhabits it, the cutting corners ineptitude of corporate run public services, the idea of endless content to feed humanity, and how Earth may just now be where poor people inhabit it to provide for the rich on the Moon. However, all of that may be the film’s biggest problem because it really does way too much on top of the inherent comedy. I’m not saying it didn’t tackle these topics in fun ways, but it seems to overinflate the runtime and break up too much of the comedy and moments where we learn more about these absurd characters. It is a fun giggle-filled ride, but it could have been a low budget “The Other Guys” with some more fine tuning.
The film appears to pay homage to sci-fi genre amongst the laughs while developing a low-budget Troma charm (although not as gross out). Sometimes it leans into those low budget charms while other times it just does look and feel like a low budget film. I haven’t really talked about the plot, but that’s because so much relies on the twists which evolve over time. “Clone Cops” is just fun, and honestly, that’s all you can really expect, want and need out of a film that barely passes the hour-and-a-half mark.
Starring: Peter Sarsgaard, John Magaro, Ben Chaplin, Leonie Benesch
Directed by: Tim Fehlbaum
Rated: R
Running Time: 95 minutes
Paramount Pictures
Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars
There’s one key criticism I’ve heard about “September 5” from people who’ve seen it and people who haven’t seen it yet are hearing me describe the film, and that is that it’s ethically repulsive. I wouldn’t make that criticism, but several people have told me that the film sounds like ignorant glorification of violence. There’s actually a term for this, “media contagion.” It’s the idea that coverage of violence can beget violence. In “September 5,” an ABC sports broadcasting team, led by Roone Arledge (Peter Sarsgaard), Geoffrey Mason (John Magaro) and Marvin Bader (Ben Chaplin), attempt to cover the unfolding act of terrorism against Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics.
Viewers are transported into the smokey ABC control room as the production crew grapples with covering the event via several cameras, witnesses and a young Peter Jennings (Benjamin Walker). As a journalist and former news producer, it’s a familiar scene, not so much the smoke and ashtrays. I immediately felt immersed because of my background, which I’ve told people, implies that I’m biased towards liking this movie. The big issue is when the control room realizes that terrorists may be figuring out their next steps because of the ABC live broadcast. This is exemplified in a scene where the cameras watch the armed forces encircle the building while realizing that the terrorists inside the Olympic village are tuning in to ABC to see where those pesky snipers are. It’s something that we would all, in the 21st century, state is obvious not to do.
But that’s where I defend “September 5.” While this isn’t the first time media covered violence live, it’s easily the earliest instance of live coverage of a terror attack. The film dives into the real-time decision making over ethical dilemmas that materialized second-by-second. It’s a watershed moment in how crisis situations are handled and yet throughout the film, we see how much of its handling has become the news product we digest now. The film artfully highlights moments of brevity and times of clumsiness on the ends of these individuals handling this incident. There is no time to reflect on the decisions, the decisions are made and it’s now onto the next media quandary.
“September 5” highlights the frenetic nature of a newsroom during a crisis. It tactfully shows how good and bad decisions happen all the time, but the people know that as long as the story is still unfolding, there’s no time to reflect, redact or change what has happened. Geoffrey does most of the decision heavy lifting while Roone serves as his parachute in case those decisions aren’t ethically sound. The tight editing and brisk 94 minutes add to the palpable tension, even if you know the tragic outcome of the hostage situation.
“September 5” doesn’t look to make some grandiose stand on news media’s past, present or future. It’s a fly-on-the-wall, reminding people that journalists are just people who have elected to work in a high-stress field. It’s easy to forget in today’s digital news day that human beings are still working hard to confirm facts, chase down leads, ask the difficult questions and follow the most dangerous stories until their bitter end. Sure, my love of this film is biased, but I hope that others love it for humanizing those who are constantly demonized for covering the burning world.
I’m not a fan of ranking my top movies of the year. I haven’t done it for MediaMikes since 2019. Looking back, I would have switched out like three films on my best of that year, and years before, because, in general, your favorite films will sometimes reveal themselves over time. However, the ones I listed as the worst that year are still pretty damn bad and have aged like Demi Moore towards the end of “The Substance.”
Movies sometimes take a while to resonate. They need to marinate. Sometimes what we loved at the time loses it’s luster. Just ask the Academy how they feel about “Shakespeare in Love,” “Crash,” or “Green Book.” But 2024 has become a different beast entirely. I’m sure there’s various years like this past one, but 2024 has been weird because I’m not sure if I could rank my favorites film, much less condense my favorite films down to 10, which I generally feel like I can do soundly most years. Yes, you can call it a cop out or say I’m not doing my critical duty.
So, when I decided to make a top films of the year list for 2024, I felt like I needed to try and include a muddled mess because overall it was such a good year for film. It really was, I didn’t walk away from too many movies feeling like I had completely wasted my time or wanting to punch the director. The list below is made of films that deserve to be talked about or mentioned, but may not deserve the top spot. But honestly, would any of these films deserve the top spot? Which ones would muscle out others in a duke ’em out battle for the top 10? Seems unfair to me. So, without a futher ado…
Best Films of 2024 in No Particular Order:
“Furiosa”
What the hell happened to this? “Furiosa” came and went, and now it’s not even being mentioned in most critics groups or awards shows. Did we forget that Chris Hemsworth played a perfectly delusional wasteland emperor? Did we forget that George Miller is still an action scene aficionado that speaks volumes in chaos? If you need the perfect prologue to Miller’s magnum opus, “Fury Road,” then you need to sit your butt down and watch “Furiosa.”
“September 5”
In my review (which hasn’t been published yet) I mentioned my bias for this film, being a journalist and reporter. From the opening scene, my eyeballs were absolutely glued to the screen, so much so that I couldn’t pry them off until the credits began to roll. It’s not a film with stellar performances that will leave your jaw on the floor, or a story that you don’t know already, but it’s the riveting nature in which it tells the daily, if not minute-by-minute, ethical choices made in newsrooms everyday.
“Memoirs of a Snail”
I’ve never seen Adam Elliot’s prior films, but now I need to. I didn’t think it was possible for a stop motion animated film to not only spiritually break me, but build me back up again. “Memoirs of a Snail” is for the little guy, the weirdo, the outcast, the person that doesn’t feel like they fit anywhere in society. It speaks to us, and everyone actually, that we will find that person, thing or belief that will keep us going in a cruel world. Easily the most heart felt film of the year.
“Late Night with the Devil”
Part possession horror, part found footage, part late night parody, and part what in the hell just happened, “Late Night with the Devil” is David Dastchmalin’s feather in his cap. Shot like any bad late night talk show in the 70s/80s, this film keeps you guessing and has you biting your nails alongside Dastchmalin’s character. It drew headlines this year for it’s use of AI, but that’s just background noise, check this one out.
“Sing Sing”
I’ll go ahead and spoil something for you, (not the film) you’re not going to see “The Brutalist” on this list. I got what it was going for…art…the artist…humanity…but to me, “Sing Sing” was what “The Brutalist” was going for, with on-par performances and a runtime that didn’t leave me needing to piss twice. “Sing Sing” is compassionate, beautiful, and heartbreaking. Unlike “The Brutalist,” I left “Sing Sing” with a sense of hope that art could truly make the world, even if it’s just our own, a little bit better.
“Cannibal Mukbang”
Did this movie come out this year? Did anyone see this? Hell if I know. I saw it this past year at Kansas City’s Panic Fest this year, so it’s going on the list. You hear about how “no one makes films like this anymore.” That’s become so cliche I roll my eyes, but that is “Cannibal Mukbang.” It’s a genre blend that can make the case for not only being the best cannibal film of the year, but the best film about love this past year. Brave performances, a bold script, and a perfect reason to watch gooey gory schlock.
“The Wild Robot”
Just when you think you know what “The Wild Robot” is, it evolves. Without spoiling a single thing, I wasn’t expecting this movie to morph and shapeshift throughout its brief runtime so much. For a kid’s movie, this is pretty damn intelligent without boring the kiddos. Not only is the animation style incredibly gorgeous, but it’s the kind of film Pixar wishes they could still make. This and “Memoirs of a Snail” would have to duke it out for best animated film of the year.
“Nickel Boys”
In a year of memorable films, “Nickel Boys” carves out its own special place in your brain. Its visual storytelling is unique enough to be memorable, but it’s a story you won’t forget. It’s a tragic film about the human spirit and how optimism and pessimism both have a place in our world view. I do hope that a film like “Nickel Boys” not only reminds of America’s dark past, but how we’re still dealing with and handling those repercussions in our modern landscape.
“The Substance”
You know a film’s good when it’s lengthy runtime, in this case 141 minutes, feels brisk. “The Substance” isn’t just Demi Moore’s comeback, it’s a wild middle finger to society’s beauty standards. Sure, it’s about a Hollywood starlet, but Moore’s performance and role feels applicable to everyone. Sure, it’s ridiculous body horror in the vein of Cronenberg, but just like “The Fly,” it’s humorous and relatable, even when the guts come spilling out like a viscera volcano.
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes”
Just when you think the franchise couldn’t exist without Andy Serkis, a fourth installment comes along and continues its mind boggling effects and pertinent storytelling. While at first, it does feel like it’s missing a vital piece, this new tale with new characters pick up the slack and take us on a journey that’s filled with new moral quandaries, heart and a fresh sense of wanting to see where this story goes.
“Wicked”
Of course this is on here. It’s this year’s “Barbie.” While not as magnificently made as Greta Gerwig’s Mattel vision, “Wicked” is still a magnificent vision. Yes, I’m a sucker for a well-made musical, but this film really found that sweet spot between mainstream likeability and powerful messaging. I wasn’t even sold on the idea of this film, but about 30 minutes in realized I was dead wrong that anyone could bring the story to life in such a fantastic, rich way.
“In a Violent Nature”
As I stated in my review, is it possible to reinvent the slasher genre? It is the wheel of horror. While it doesn’t reinvent said wheel, it comes pretty damn close. It not only tells a great new slasher story, but deconstructs the slasher genre itself in a quiet foreboding way. In those long moments of silence and stalking, we’re able to reflect on the whys of the genre and why it continues to stand the stabbing test of time. Also, we get to watch some incredibly brutal kills.
“A Real Pain”
Me and my partner took away different interpretations of the ending as we left the theater. I’m not sure that was the film’s intention, but I think we both kind of reached the same conclusion without actually reaching that conclusion. This film is about the enduring power of love and humanity, and how it not only rings true in all our hearts, but echoes throughout time and generations. Also, Kieran Culkin is an absolute delight and deserves all the awards.
“I Saw the TV Glow”
Remember how I said time reveals your favorite films? While not initially sold as a great film after completing it, the film creeped into me over time. The aesthetic is a total fast ball pitch to Millennials like myself, but that wasn’t what stuck with me. Just like the main character, the movie poked at my regretfullness and how I perceive my own sense of personal growth. I’m middle aged and should have it all figured out…right? My nostalgia, my prior friendships and my unanswered questions continue to mold and shape me.
“The Apprentice”
I say this as apolitical as I can, but this might be the most glowing film about Donald Trump. Yes, the film still shows the Trump we all know, the adultering degenerate real estate tycoon who bullied his way to the top. But throughout the film’s runtime, we watch as Sebastian Stan becomes the man we all know, implying that Donald may not have always been the asshole we now know him as. It’s a shame Hollywood decided to hide this one because it’s legitimately good and the performances are next level.
“Anora”
Sean Baker, the co-creator of “Greg the Bunny,” has knocked it out of the park again with “Anora.” His slice of life films are some of the best in recent memory and this one ranks right up there with one of my other favorites of his, “The Florida Project.” I don’t know who Baker has for casting, but he’s always finding absolute diamonds in the rough. The cast, led by Mikey Madison, is absolutely flawless and the story is wild and melancholy.
“Joker: Folie à Deux”
I know what you’re thinking, “The shitty Joker sequel is on this list, but not “The Brutalist?”” Yes. Shoutout to John Waters for making me consider watching this film after it was absolutely review-bombed by critics and audiences. However, Joaquim Phoenix remains brilliant and Lady Gaga should probably play my insane ex in a film. Simply put, it’s an audacious toe-tapping middle finger to anti-heroes that makes us reflect on why we like them in the first place.
Honorable Mentions in No Particular Order:
“Didi”
“Alien: Romulus”
“Beetlejuice Beetlejuice”
“Infested”
“Challengers”
“Oddity”
“Hundreds of Beavers”
“Dune: Part Two”
“Azrael”
“Heretic”
“Queer”
“Deadpool and Wolverine”
“Monkey Man”
“Thelma”
“My Old Ass”
“Babygirl”
“Longlegs”
Final Thoughts
Horror is the real winner of 2024. Never have I seen such a quality range of widely released horrors ranging from bodily, slasher, aliens, ghosts and everything in between. Of course there were some stinkers, but that happens every year. It’s a topic for another day, but horror is simply a reflection of where we’re at as a society or culture. We see that horror leaking into other films on this list like “Memoirs of a Snail,” “Real Pain” and even “The Brutalist.” The horrors of reality, the horrors of our past, the horrors of those around us, the horrors of ourselves; the horrors of everything. 2024 is us screaming into the void trying to make sense of it all, just like this year’s best films.
Other than that, I’ll admit, there’s some controversial shit on my list. But you’re going to find that on everyone’s from 2024. It wasn’t necessarily a year where a handful of films rose above the rest to shout “Pick me! Pick me!” There’s films I didn’t watch and films that just didn’t click with me (yes…like “The Brutalist”). I do think 2024 will be a year where the Academy makes a selection that will not stand the test of time. The thing that does stand the test of time though…what resonated with you in these tough times.
Starring: Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson and Hamish Linklater
Directed by: RaMell Ross
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 140 minutes
MGM Studios
Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars
For the first 15 minutes or so, I wondered what was going on. That’s because the camera begins in a first-person point of view in “Nickel Boys,” showing us the African-American life in 1960s Florida. Through a young boy’s eyes, we see family and friends playing cards, parents doing mundane household tasks and the unfortunate, casual racism surrounding them. “Nickel Boys” is simply warming up, as it prepares to continue this first-person perspective into a historical nightmare that creatively tells a fresh, yet old story about racism in the U.S.
The eyes we see through are Elwood’s (Ethan Herisse), who is looking to further his education at a black college during the Civil Rights Movement. Unfortunately, his story truly begins as he hitchhikes to campus. He’s picked up by a man driving a stolen car and when he’s caught by police, Elwood is assumed to be the man’s underage accomplice. As punishment, Elwood is sent to Nickel Academy, a reform school that may as well double as a brainwashing labor camp. Even though Elwood eventually finds comfort and comradery with another student, Turner (Brandon Wilson), the duo will endure a gauntlet of various tortures and violent incidents at the hands of their abusive academy leaders.
The first-person point of view in “Nickel Boys” flips back and forth between Elwood, Turner, historical images and video, and even present day to tell a harrowing chapter of Americana that isn’t quite known to the vast majority of the public. The way it’s shot not only puts us in the boys shoes, but makes us feel just as helpless as they do. When the physical, mental and sexual abuse rears it’s ugly head, all we can do is suffer through it as the boys. Not all is doom and gloom though, Elwood channels the Civil Rights Movement in the belief that morality ultimately bends towards justice. Turner, though, believes the world is a crumbling mess and that Nickel Academy may be their final stop in life.
While these conversations give us insight into Elwood and Turner, we sometimes are unable to fully connect with either because of the way the film is shot. Yes, we know hear them externalize their feelings, but the lack of physical cues through their faces sometimes leave us lukewarm about the emotional messaging of our characters. Despite being in their shoes, I didn’t feel like I was being fully immersed in this miserable experience, but instead found that some parts of the movie left me emotionally detached. However, I do believe the stylist choices of this film ultimately benefit even if it did dampen that aspect of the viewing experience. “Nickel Boys” is a sensory experience that wants us to live this dark chapter of American history, rather than relate to it.
Director RaMell Rose, who’s only prior experience is the documentary “Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” is near masterful in his crafting of “Nickel Boys.” What originally was a film I had never heard of or knew anything about turned into easily one of my favorite films of the year and led me down a rabbit hole of Nickel Academy articles. The biggest takeaway for me in the way Rose tells his story is how we have yet to learn from our own history. While we dig up the skeletons of our racist, abusive past, we find ourselves still trapped in this hateful treatment of children. The Agape Boarding School in Missouri opened in 1990 and operated for nearly three-and-a-half decades before death and sexual trafficking allegations plastered headlines across the Show-Me state. We haven’t learned anything, unfortunately. “Nickel Boys” asks society if we want to remain helpless to the demons among us, or, like Elwood, do the right thing and remain hopeful that others will.
Starring: Nick Frost, Aisling Bea and Sebastian Croft
Directed by: Steffen Haars
Rated: NR
Running Time: 86 minutes Shudder
Our Score: 3 out of 5 Stars
Thanks to “The Witch” and “Midsommar,” there’s a fresh new take on folk horror. For those who don’t know, folk horror is like a fish out of water, if the fish was an English person and the water was that white person traveling to another predominantly white rural area where they discover peculiar and dated beliefs, traditions and terror. Enter “Get Away,” a film about the British Smith family traveling to a remote Swedish island, that carries a dark cannibalistic past involving the imperialistic British.
“Get Away” sees the usual tropes of the genre, unwelcoming locals with an axe to grind, rituals that make no sense to anyone outside those taking part in the ritual, and of course blood and guts. What “Get Away” offers is deadpan comedy and a tongue firmly planted deliciously in it’s own cheek. The Smiths, made up of Richard (Nick Frost), his wife, Susan (Aisling Bea) and their kids (who you can’t tell if they’re young adults or very old adolescents) seem comically oblivious to the creepiness around them. They also don’t seem to mind the “piss off” attitude of the tiny Swedish community. So why are the Smiths there? To watch a play about the horrific cannibalistic event I mentioned.
The tone of the film is off, but the comedy helps balance it from time-to-time. The comedy is along the lines of what we witnessed in Frost’s older films like “Hot Fuzz,” a film that could also be considered a mockery of folk horror if it wasn’t straight up lampooning action films. Because I mentioned “Hot Fuzz,” I almost feel obliged to say that everything feels off because there’s a few twists that “Get Away” has tucked away in it’s back pocket. Thankfully those twists are cheeky and stop the film from descending into a meandering mess.
While I enjoyed myself, I did find myself wondering if the jokes came before the story. I say that because the film flips between the narrative of the Swedish islanders and the Smiths, killing the possibility of more mystery and intrigue about what the other is actually up to. You’d think that switching narratives would mean there’s a lot of juicy meat in there, but there’s a few seemingly pointless moments. They’re made even more pointless when you consider the whole film. It’s one of those rare moments where the bloodsoaked finale not only saves the film, but weakens the first hour.
Anytime I see Nick Frost or Simon Pegg I think to myself, “Why aren’t they in more?” I’ve seen them in at least a dozen TV shows and films together, but it seems like I rarely see them without the other in anything good. I wonder if it’s like a Trey Parker and Matt Stone dynamic where they just don’t click if they’re apart. While “Get Away” is enjoyable, it feels like it could have been way better, especially if Simon Pegg or Edgar Wright had a say in the final product.
Starring: Bill Skarsard, Lily-Rose Depp and Nicholas Hoult
Directed by: Robert Eggers
Rated: R
Running Time: 132 minutes
Focus Features
Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars
One of the biggest questions for me heading into Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu” was how he would handle the undead title character. Would we see a harkening to the quiet evil of the 1922 version or something akin to Werner Herzog’s nuanced version in 1979? Having recently watched both in the past year, I realized as soon as Nosferatu was spotted that Eggers had done his homework, adding a dash and splash from each into Bill Skarsard’s version of Count Orlok. Thankfully, that isn’t the only storytelling blend that Eggers attempts, along with some fresh takes in the story of the undead.
Unlike prior imaginings, the 2024 version opens on Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) who already senses Count Orlok’s impending arrival deep in her soul, and probably her pants. This sense of dread could also be because her darling Thomas (Nicholas Hoult) is to actually meet the cryptic Count Orlok for a real estate deal. Thomas’ story is retread as we watch him travel to Orlok’s castle and experience horrors beyond his imagination. But the film does something curious, it constantly cuts back to Ellen, as she slowly loses sense of reality and has nightmare after nightmare of Orlok. Although at a certain point, as I hinted at earlier, you could make that argument that the nightmares become wet dreams.
If you haven’t sensed by now, the biggest change in Eggers’ vision is just how horny this film is. The sexual tension has always been there, but it’s never been this overt. The film notes that Nosferatu not only has a thirst for blood, but innocent virginal nude blood, although I doubt he’s too picky when he’s hankering for a midnight snack. The film also serves us a reminder that women weren’t generally believed, on anything, for centuries. Ellen’s treated with whichever weird medicinal practices of the time and when Professor Albin Eberhart Von Franz (Willem Dafoe) shows up he, he actually believes Ellen, but tends to view her as a pawn in his chess battle with Count Orlok.
The film follows the originally closely enough that if you aren’t paying attention, you wouldn’t notice the subtle, yet profound differences in how the story unfolds. Fans of the originals will surely spot and mark the changes. Obviously, based on the trailer and Eggers’ other films, we weren’t about to see a more colorful and visually vibrant vampire film like the 1979 film. However, he really takes a few pages out of the Herzog vision of plague arriving in Europe. While “Nosferatu” doubles down on the darkness and the haunting shadows of Germany and Transylvania, Eggers vision is filled with evil in every nook and cranny.
It’s hard not to heap copious amounts of praise on Eggers, who has solidified himself as a modern voice in horror. While being quite longer than its predecessors, Eggers makes use of every frame, finding ways to crawl under our skin, suffocating us in Gothic horror imagery. The biggest weakness, which isn’t necessarily a flaw in the film, but is just enough for me to mention it as a reason this isn’t rated higher, is that the acting doesn’t leap off the screen as much as Count Orlok’s claw-like fingers. That’s not a huge knock against the film because so much of the film is told through visuals.
“Nosferatu” is surely going to be talked about for years, but in a year with lots of fantastic horror, it simply has to take a spot on the 2024 Mount Rushmore of horror films instead of standing tall like a monument to scary cinema. However, “Nosferatu” is Eggers best film, so far, as he takes the best components of his prior films, like “The Witch” and “The Lighthouse,” to craft a menacing film that Bram Stoker himself would surely be inspired by.
