Connect with us

Movies

Alex’s Top Three of 2021

I am a self-proclaimed Reaction Whore™. When it comes to showing people films that I love, I strive to provoke an evocative response, be it shock and awe, fear, or laughter.

Published

on

Malignant

I am a self-proclaimed Reaction Whore™. When it comes to showing people films that I love, I strive to provoke an evocative response, be it shock and awe, fear, or laughter. Malignant garners all of the above in one bonkers package. Directed by horror master James Wan, I was initially perplexed by the B-movie schlock it presents. The film’s opening borders on camp and reminded me of 1999’s House on Haunted Hill. The melodrama is almost tangible in the cold, damp house where protagonist Madison resides, and the plot screams direct-to-video. But the gag is, dear reader, that this film knows exactly what it’s doing, and once you understand this, you are in for a wild ride.

The film centers on the aforementioned Madison, whose life is upended by murders she presumes to be committed by her childhood imaginary friend, Gabriel. Its plot maneuvers through themes and topics of spousal abuse, astral projection, hot cops named Kekoa, the gray morality of science, bad wigs, and ultimately lands on the patriarchal control men have over women and their bodies. And while Malignant certainly toys with these ideas, its ultimate purpose is to reveal to us a twist and climax like no other: Gabriel is not Madison’s imaginary friend. He is an extreme teratoma attached to the back of her head from birth, which remained dormant in her skull until a recent violent altercation with her now murdered husband set him free.

Yes, it is the mother of all Reaction Whore™ moments. The crowning achievement, however, is that this information is revealed while Madison is imprisoned in a holding cell with a dozen other women wherein Gabriel unleashes a bloody reckoning upon them in a moment that can only be described as “backward John Wick.” So please, don’t shame my cinematic promiscuity. I’m only trying to spread the wealth.

The Fear Street Trilogy

 Not since Kill Bill and The Matrix released their respective parts within six months of one another have I had the pleasure to enjoy such a rapid-fire release schedule of a film series. Dished out on Netflix over the course of a few weeks in the height of the summer, The Fear Street Trilogy became an event in the style of the Movie of the Week that we rarely get to experience in today’s binge culture.

The trilogy tells the tale of the curse of the supposed 17th-century witch, Sarah Fier (I see what they did there), that looms over the town of Shadyside. Its overarching plot focuses on a group of teens in the phosphorescent-infused Fear Street: 1994 who are inexplicably linked to the curse and its murderous rampage. The following two films bring us further back to the washed-out nostalgia of a summer camp in Fear Street: 1978, and finally to the early American settlers of Fear Street: 1666 to delve deeper into the history of the curse and why exactly people are transforming into vicious killers, Evil Dead style.

Advertisement

Knowing Fear Street is based on a young adult book series of the same name, I honestly did not have high expectations going in. I was surprised with how much these films lean into their R rating, violently setting the bar high with the first kill and not letting up through three gruesome supernatural slashers worth of carnage. They also cleverly take a page from American Horror Story and retain key members of the cast to play different characters in each film. The result gave me all the feels as I grew to care for these actors and their well-developed characters right up until they were snatched from my heart in a series of kills that stand up to some of the better slashers out there. Fear Street: 1978, my favorite of the trio, ends in an especially brutal and tragic sequence between two sisters that left my jaw on the ground.

Netflix served up a thrilling summer indulgence this year, and I invite them to try it again sometime.

Titane

French filmmaker, Julia Ducournau, delivered one of the most unexpected films on the 2021 bingo card: Titane. A bizarre story on love and human evolution, it follows a dancer with a steel plate in her head who moonlights as a serial killer, is impregnated by a car, and flees her crimes to disguise herself as a man’s decade-long missing son, which then results in the pair finding unconditional love in one another and the human/machine hybrid child she births into the world.

Much can be said concerning Titane’s sophisticated themes and grotesque imagery, and perhaps that’s why it stood out to me. To take such an absurd premise and skillfully track the journey of a woman quite literally made of steel and detached from her humanity, who finds love and acceptance with a similarly lost stranger, is a thing of art. The cold steel of Titane melted away, as did my mind, by the time the credits rolled.

 

Advertisement

Alex Warrick is a film lover and gaymer living the Los Angeles fantasy by way of an East Coast attitude. Interested in all things curious and silly, he was fearless until a fateful viewing of Poltergeist at a young age changed everything. That encounter nurtured a morbid fascination with all things horror that continues today. When not engrossed in a movie, show or game he can usually be found on a rollercoaster, at a drag show, or texting his friends about smurfs.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Movies

The Best Horror You Can Stream on Shudder in November 2025

Published

on

Halloween season is over, and many streamers have forgotten about us horror kids. While they take their 11-month hiatus from the genre, we can be grateful that we still have an app that cares. We are so lucky that Shudder remains that girl year-round. Whether you’re finishing their new original show Guts & Glory, catching up on The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula: Titans, or running at some of their deep cuts like I am, Shudder has your best interests at heart. As usual, she has quite a few titles fighting for our attention. Which is why I am here with five titles I think should be at the top of all of our watch lists this November. So, cancel your holiday plans and pick up your remote because we have got horrifying things to watch.

The Best Movies to Stream on Shudder This Month

Habit (1995)

An alcoholic unwittingly enters into a relationship with a succubus in New York City. If you ever wondered what Larry Fessenden was getting up to in his youth, you need to see this ’90s gem. I lucked out and caught it at Brooklyn Horror Film Festival last year, and I lived my best life. While watching it on the small screen will not be the same, I plan to hit play anyway. Mostly because I love to see 1990s succubi leaving their mark on men…and also the horror genre. Shudder is also adding The Last Winter and Depraved, so we can spend a whole day with Uncle Larry’s work.

Sew Torn (2024)

A seamstress happens upon a failed drug deal and steals a briefcase. She soon finds herself caught in a deadly situation where all roads lead to death. I caught Sew Torn at SXSW last year and have been wondering what happened to it. So, I am very happy this odd little bird has found her way to Shudder. I cannot wait to make my friends who are looking for something cute and deadly watch. I knew nothing when I hit play on this, and I encourage you to know as little as possible, too. I fear I have already written too much in this blurb to be completely honest. 

Advertisement

You can watch Sew Torn on November 1st.

The Retreat (2021)

A couple goes on a pre-wedding retreat and unwittingly becomes targets of a group of serial killers. We have seen too many movies about retreats, and I thought this one would be more of the same. This title does not completely reinvent the wheel, but it does set itself apart within this oversaturated subgenre. The Retreat is a surprisingly fun and tense little thriller that feels made for the winter watches. Come for the lesbian characters leading the film, and stay for the violence. I also encourage you to check it out while it is on Shudder, because it is usually on apps with ads.

You can watch The Retreat on November 1st.

The Creep Tapes (Season 2)

Peachfuzz returns with more tapes, chaos, kills, and WTF moments. Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice have reentered the TV arena and are making things weird again. If award shows were real, this duo would be leading the Emmys charge. I saw the first three episodes, and Josef/Peachfuzz is still the serial killer after our own hearts. Our Wolfie is still cutting up (literally and figuratively) in the most amazing ways. Guest stars in danger this season include David Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devil), Katie Aselton (The League), and Robert Longstreet (The Haunting of Hill House). 

Advertisement

You can watch The Creep Tapes (Season 2) on November 14th.

Krampus (2015)

A kid accidentally summons demons during the holidays in this horror comedy. Krampus remains one of the top-tier Christmas horror titles for me. It is also my favorite Michael Dougherty film. Not only because it has the star power of Adam Scott and Toni Collette, either. This movie is wicked, and even the kids are in danger. I do not have many holiday horror movies I revisit every year, but Krampus is one of the very few. It still holds up, and I cannot wait to rewatch it with a festively boozy beverage. 

You can watch Krampus on November 15th.

Those are a few reasons I am grateful for Shudder this holiday season. While the rest of you are fighting with your family and friends, I will be parked in front of my TV. You can have your turkey because I would rather gorge myself on episodes of The Creep Tapes anyway.

Advertisement

Let me know what Shudder shenanigans you have got your little eye on. I am nosy and want to make sure I am not missing anything on my favorite streamer.

Continue Reading

Movies

The Best Horror You Can Stream on Netflix in November 2025

Published

on

The year is winding down, and I don’t know about you, but I am trying to pack in as many 2025 horror movies as I can. Is this because I love making end-of-the-year lists? Yes. Is it because I am an unhealed overachiever? Also, yes. So, I am assuming some of you are also cruising the streamers to see what you may have missed. While Netflix has had my favorite new slasher Heart Eyes for a bit, and I have mentioned that in previous streaming guides, they also have other new horror titles to show you.

I do not talk about them as much because I did not have a good time with them. However, that does not mean you won’t enjoy some of these titles. That’s why I am taking the high road and finding something to be grateful for about each of them. That way, you will know there is a silver lining if you do watch them. Allow me to help you figure out what to prioritize this month and what to skip. Check out this chaotic Netflix hitlist below! 

The Best Movies to Stream on Netflix This Month

28 Years Later (2025)

A group of survivors on a small island has built a fortress to protect them from the rage virus. However, a young boy discovers what is really outside the walls of their community and sets off to find a cure for his sick mother. We all loved 28 Days Later, and some of us liked 28 Weeks Later. So, 28 Years Later was never going to live up to the hype with almost thirty years of anticipation. While I didn’t love it, I did enjoy seeing Danny Boyle helm another zombie installment. What he does in the subgenre is top-tier, and we are welcome (even if the script left me wanting more). That might have gotten buried in all the talk about the dicks seen in the movie, though.

Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025)

Advertisement

A group of girls competing for prom queen starts disappearing, leaving the underdog to figure out what is happening to her competition. I had a lot of thoughts about this lackluster installment in Netflix’s Fear Street adaptations. As someone who grew up reading Fear Street books and wanting to adapt them myself, I do not understand how this movie came out so badly. Which made it hard to find something nice to say about this title. However, the soundtrack slaps, and it is not the soundtrack’s fault that it was wasted on a low-energy bottom-tier slasher. So, if you hit play on this, you can at least look forward to hearing some retro bangers selected by music supervisor Nora Felder. If you are familiar with her work on Yellowjackets and Stranger Things, you know Felder does not miss.

Maa (2025)

To battle a demon’s curse, a mother transforms into the legendary goddess Kali. As usual, Netflix did not advertise an international horror movie that seemed to have some potential. If they had told us Maa was an Indian Hindi-language mythological horror movie, most people who yell for intersectionality and originality would have run at it. Instead, we had to find out about it months later while looking for something we hadn’t already seen on the app. This movie is too long, and I cannot say it is good by any stretch of the imagination. However, it also made me realize how little I know about the goddess of destruction. If you are a nerd like me, this might lead you down a cool rabbit hole. You can also say you gave a view to a horror movie starring Brown people. Who knows, maybe you could be one of the few who enjoy this chaotic film.

Until Dawn (2025)

A group of friends find themselves trapped in a time loop where they keep getting killed in gruesome ways. I love the video game and was so bummed this adaptation was so bad. However, the practical effects are very cool and should be celebrated more. I think the stuff that the SFX team pulled off might be the only reason to watch the movie personally. I’m happy the actors whose work I enjoy got paid, and that’s another positive thing I can say. However, if we want to see young people in deadly time loops, we have so many movies that do it better. Excuse me as I look right at Happy Death Day and all of the movies that have tried to copy her.

Advertisement

Ziam (2025)

A Muay Thai fighter battles through a zombie apocalypse to save the woman he loves. Netflix fumbled the advertising for this one too, because who doesn’t want to see a Thai zombie film? So, I was excited to watch it, but then sad I did not like it. However, I think this one is on me. It is an action-horror with a lot of heartfelt moments, and that’s not my bag. I wanted more violence and zombie action because I am a broken and heartless ghoul. So, Ziam might be the only movie on this list that does not deserve my bombastic side eye. I am waiting for other people to watch it and let me know if they have a better time with it, though. 

While I was not the audience for these movies, I am assuming some of you will dig them. Worst-case scenario, you cross off a few more 2025 horror movies and have something to talk about at Friendsgiving. Happy Horrordays! I will see myself out now…

Continue Reading

Horror Press Mailing List

Fangoria
Advertisement
Advertisement