Film Fests
GenreBlast X: “Final Transmissions” Review
Anthologies sit firmly next to found footage as my favorite type of horror content. It doesn’t matter whether they come together or stand alone. There are many franchises/heavy hitters over the past twenty-ish years. But to me, none have been as impactful as V/H/S. That is, until V/H/S: Viral. But that’s a story for November. V/H/S I & II had begun to set up this weird and wonderful connected world with rules. Watching certain tapes in a row seemed to summon something. By the time the third film came out, all hopes of world-building had gone out the window. This left the later films to be a mishmash of whatever anyone wanted. When I watched Final Transmissions for GenreBlast X, I felt something I hadn’t felt towards an anthology since the first two V/H/S films: craft, ingenuity, drive, hunger, passion.
Final Transmissions is the latest in anthology television that blends singular stories into an overarching narrative. While only having seen the first three episodes, Final Transmissions has set up this gorgeous world of terror that is already starting to pay off through the series’ wraparound. Hosted by Richard Slate (Brian Villalobos), Final Transmissions is a strange public access show from the eve of the year of Y2K. Lost to time but now found, Final Transmissions is amalgamated from the raw footage provided to a group of filmmakers. What transpires over the first three episodes is truly… otherworldly. The latest project from The Horror Hippies, Steven Hugh Nelson and Erica Nelson, comes a transmission that I hope is not final.
Doctor Midnight (S1E1)
Written/directed/edited by Steven Hugh Nelson
A man (Steven Hugh Nelson) heads to an abandoned hospital to conjure, and hopefully destroy, Doctor Midnight (Steven Hugh Nelson ((and Erica Nelson per IMDb))). Doctor Midnight was an evil doctor who would record his patients moments before their deaths. Unfortunately for the man, Doctor Midnight still lurks in the shadows.
Never have I felt a segment in an anthology that felt like it perfectly belonged alongside segments from the first two V/H/S films. That’s not to say Doctor Midnight can’t/shouldn’t exist on its own merit. But this episode of Final Transmissions makes me feel the exact way I felt when first watching V/H/S. There’s a rawness to Doctor Midnight that lends a unique authenticity to the episode. I also think I may be partial to Steven Hugh Nelson’s overall style. His feature directorial debut, Old Wounds, was stunning and Doctor Midnight just proves that Nelson is a master of found footage.
Setting The Stage
Doctor Midnight sets the stage for not just what’s to come regarding the segments, but what the overall story may plan to be. Richard Slate ruminates on what technology could/would be; a running question is can technology actually curse people? The wraparound story, titled The Broadcast, which is also written/directed/edited by Steven Hugh Nelson, is subtle but perfect. Richard Slate’s character slowly morphs into someone different within the first episode, but Nelson’s writing handles it with absolute class.
Nothing is over-the-top or hammered into your head. Rather, Steven Hugh Nelson weaves tiny supernatural elements and details into the story; it edges the audience to the tip of terror and delightfully plays with the audience like a cat with a mouse. This leads to multiple standout moments that are insanely impactful. And we’re still just on Episode 1!
You Were Never Alone (S1E2)
Written/edited by Michael J. Epstein // directed by Sophia Cacciola & Michael J. Epstein
Mikey Adams (Fayna Sanchez) is an astronaut who is alone on a spaceship. Mikey’s co-astronauts, Robert Torres (Charles Chudabala) and Sally Clark (Maiya Reaves), are on the moon. Their only communication is via radio. But they’re not alone. They were never alone. It’s not long until Mikey learns that there are some things that should be left alone.
Found footage, especially in anthology formats, lends filmmakers a chance to explore. Us fans of the subgenre can accept faults in many aspects because it’s, overall, the most budget-friendly way to make a film. Unfortunately, found footage has been having some difficulty with stepping out of the norm recently. You Were Never Alone not only tells a fascinating story, something that found footage also struggles with, but it tells a story so stylistically different that it shouldn’t work. Somehow it works too well.
The Pontypool Of Found Footage
There will only ever be one Pontypool. Sorry to break that news. The way Tony Burgess makes a single location utterly terrifying could be its own college course. You Were Never Alone takes Final Transmissions to a whole new level. Michael J. Epstein’s story is not only fascinating and well-written, but it is a stunning single location, static shot episode. Unless I’m misremembering, the viewer is locked into a single angle the entire episode. Seriously…how does it work so well!
When you think of co-directors, you probably think of something that’s grander in scale. Knowing that this episode is directed by TWO people is shocking. One person making something that is this reserved is tough. Two people making something like this? Astounding. You Were Never Alone slowly creeps its way into your soul; existential dread has nothing on this episode. Moreover, this episode expertly ties into the overall story of Richard Slate’s questioning of whether or not technology can harness supernatural powers of sorts. You Were Never Alone may go down as the most impactful film (episode) I’ve seen in 2026.
Bethel Hill (S1E3)
Written/directed/edited Alex Hera
Vivienne (Cassidy Terracciano) finds herself stuck in a Jesus-like cult, set deep in the woods. Along with Silas (Andrew Dobbie), Vivienne attempts to locate a anomaly they have recently seen. But that anomaly may be something more than anyone could think. Can Bethel Hill survive this onslaught of terror?
If Ethel Cain made a horror film, it would probably be Bethel Hill. It’s Ptolemaea incarnate. While the previous two episodes of Final Transmissions have a healthy dose of film grain, Bethel Hill feels truly gritty. There’s a deep reflection on religion and the human experience that someone smarter than me could flesh out better. Bethel Hill intersects on conversations of drug abuse (a mysterious blue powder), religion, sex, and death. At points it does feel like Alex Hera slightly bites off a bit more than they can chew, but the overall experience of Bethel Hill is transcending.
A New Kind Of Horror
Alex Hera tackles a very niche subgenre of horror only really touched upon by Supernatural. I won’t go into too much detail because Bethel Hill is a truly unique experience. But there’s a creature used as the episode’s conduit for horror that I haven’t [ever] really seen utilized in horror. And when it has been utilized, it wasn’t super scary. Bethel Hill offers a truly horrifying gut punch of terror that expands upon the unique world built within the first two episodes.
There’s a moment in Bethel Hill that gave me goosebumps in a way no film (or episode) has in a very long time. Those who have seen the episode will know what I’m talking about (when it starts to run next to Vivienne!). Typically, the middle parts of an anthology are reserved for the lesser of the segments/episodes. Bethel Hill breaks that issue of anthology series low points in an ungodly way. Even if there are some moments that feel a bit too talky, Bethel Hill is a tour de force of horror.
What’s To Come For Final Transmissions?
Final Transmissions has already proven itself to be an industry shakeup. And it brings us back to my first point regarding V/H/S. None of this is to pit anyone against anyone. But as a huge fan of anthologies and found footage, I couldn’t help but feel hurt at how those behind V/H/S gave up on cohesion. Final Transmissions makes me feel hopeful. And scared. But particularly hopeful.
The Horror Hippies have brought together a group of respectable, hungry, ambitious filmmakers who have proven themselves to be genre powerhouses. Alex Hera’s episode was a perfect exclamation point to the first three episodes. To say I’m drooling at the opportunity to see the next three episodes is an understatement. Final Transmissions is a groundbreaking anthology series that has dug its tendrils deep into my soul. And it will to yours, too. Until the next three episodes, I’ll see you in the static.
If you’re not watching Indonesian horror, you’re missing out. The region is producing some of the craziest genre movies around right now, thanks in no small part to the efforts of writer-director Joko Anwar. His latest, Ghost in the Cell, which celebrated its North American premiere at Fantastic Fest 2026, combines everything we love about the filmmaker’s work—supernatural scares, inventive kills, and gnarly gore—along with a strong vein of comedy and political satire.
What is Ghost in the Cell About?
Ghost in the Cell centers around Dimas (Endy Arfian), a journalist whose life falls apart after he tries to run a story on corporate corruption and mysterious worker deaths. Wrongfully convicted of the horrific murder of his boss, Dimas finds himself with a one-way ticket to Cell Block C, where he quickly meets a colorful cast of prisoners—the good, the bad, and the seriously nasty. Among the good guys, there’s Anggoro (Abimana Aryasatya), who is constantly getting into trouble for defending fellow inmates, and Six (Yoga Pratama), who claims he can see people’s auras.
As if Dimas’ situation couldn’t get any worse, his arrival seems to trigger a series of brutal killings in the prison. Bodies are showing up mangled beyond recognition and displayed in positions that wouldn’t look out of place in Hannibal. It soon becomes clear that Dimas isn’t behind the murders, which begs the question: what did he bring in with him?
Anwar Embraces Horror-Comedy Whole-Heartedly
Prison is a scary place, and Anwar makes great use of the setting, with the action moving from the dingy showers where predators lurk to the bleak cellblock where inmates are at the mercy of their captors and the cafeteria where rival gangs eye each other up with ill intent.
But for all the human misery contained within the film, Ghost in the Cell is ultimately a horror-comedy, one that isn’t afraid to lean into broad slapstick and quippy dialogue when it wants to raise a chuckle. The tonal shifts can take a little while to adjust to, especially if your previous experience with Anwar comes from his more serious horror outings like Impetigore. This might be a problem if the film wasn’t actually funny, but Ghost in the Cell has enough laugh-out-loud moments to make you forget about any whiplash.
Ghost in the Cell Is a Genre-Bender to the Max
Comedy isn’t the only new flavor that Anwar has tossed into the mix. In Ghost in the Cell, dance sequences and martial-arts fight choreo sit side-by-side with some of the most extreme gore scenes seen outside a Terrifier movie in recent years. Then there’s the eerie way the spirit presents before it kills (trypophobia sufferers, beware) and the extensive critique of political corruption, power, and inequality. It’s an everything-and-the-kitchen-sink approach that shouldn’t work on paper, but under Anwar’s assured hand, it does.
It helps that for all the slapstick, the film lands a surprisingly earnest message, amplified by its vast ensemble cast. Dimas and Anggoro at times feel like main characters, but everyone in Ghost in the Cell has a big part to play, and that’s the point: in seemingly impossible circumstances, there’s strength in unity.
Ghost in the Cell Is an Endlessly Entertaining Blend of Goofiness, Heart, and Gore
If you’re looking for nonstop scares, you won’t find them in Ghost in the Cell. What you will find is a delightful blend of horror, comedy, and action that is apt to leave you grinning from ear to ear.
The film doesn’t skimp on the gore, throwing flesh and fluids at every surface. But it’s also charmingly goofy, with a cast that doesn’t take itself too seriously and a script that’s all too happy to devolve into a comedic dance scene when it feels like the spirit might strike. In every sense, Anwar is doing the most, and the end result is a film where there’s nary a dull moment in sight.
One of the great pleasures of attending Fantastic Fest is the ability to occasionally see movies that won’t be out for many months. That’s especially true with the Secret Screenings, which this year included a work-in-progress print of In a Violent Nature 2, a film that doesn’t even have a release date yet and made for a wildly entertaining midnight movie surprise.
While a few things may change between now and release, the cut shown at Fantastic Fest felt near-final. Here’s what you can look forward to when this sequel eventually slashes its way onto our screens.
Johnny Returns in In a Violent Nature 2
In a Violent Nature 2 picks up right where the action of its predecessor left off, while also introducing new aspects of the lore that slightly contradict or complicate what has already been established, a nod to the way that slasher sequels throw in new plot elements willy-nilly to suit their needs.
The second film centers on Alex (Lucas Nguyen), a quiet 14-year-old kid who misses the bus home from camp because his bullies have stuffed him in a trunk. Since his older sister works at the camp, he gets to hang out for the night while the counselors celebrate the end of the season. Unfortunately, an old fireman’s whistle has drawn the mute, hulking Johnny (Ry Barrett) to the camp—and before long, their night of revelry has turned into one of unimaginable horror.
Less Walking, More Killing
Chris Nash, who wrote and directed the first film, handles scripting duties this time around, with Nate Wilson—who served as first assistant director on the original—stepping into the director role. It feels as though Nash may have listened to viewers’ complaints about how much walking was in the original, because In a Violent Nature 2 takes a break from following Johnny on his lumbering mission. Instead, the camera largely chases Alex through the woods as he runs, trips, and stumbles away from the carnage.
This change is a mixed bag. Alex may be more a dynamic figure to follow overall, but he also makes some frustratingly poor choices, and his teenage moodiness makes him a little unlikeable. The first film also succeeded, in part, because it consciously played into how audiences consume slasher movies, with their sympathies shifting from cheering on the killer to rooting for the final girl when she triumphantly emerges. In a Violent Nature 2 feels like less of a meta-commentary on the slasher genre, though it still has plenty to offer fans of the genre, especially when it comes to kills.
In a Violent Nature 2 Takes the Gore to a Whole New Level
Mention In a Violent Nature to a horror fan and they’ll probably bring up the yoga kill within 10 seconds. For the sequel, Nash and Wilson attempt to up the ante—no small feat considering just how violent the first film was. It’s hard to top that particular kill, but In a Violent Nature 2 certainly gives it the old college try.
Shifting the focus from a single group of friends to an entire summer camp, even one that’s emptying out, instantly ups the potential body count (and harkens back to the slasher films of yore). Counsellors are slaughtered in droves, in ways more brutal than anything seen in the original film, with a few kills in particular sure to get people talking. It’s a real treat for fans of practical effects, and it’s great to see that even horror films positioning themselves as more “elevated” than the typical fare can have fun and get their hands bloody.
A Possible Set up for Another Sequel?
Minor spoilers ahead.
In a Violent Nature 2 feels like something of a response to the reception of the first film, removing what people didn’t like and piling on more of what they did. The result is a movie that feels a little less focused and meditative than its predecessor, but still incredibly fun. And with a third film heavily teased in the final minutes, it seems like we’ll be seeing more of Johnny in the near future. Based on the trajectory of other slashers, can we expect to see him fighting a psychic child next? Or—dare we dream—is he preparing for a trip to space?
Only time will tell. Better lace up your walking shoes.
When Does In a Violent Nature 2 Come Out?
In a Violent Nature 2 is slated to hit theaters sometime in 2026. Keep an eye on IFC Films and Shudder’s socials for more release information as it becomes available.
