Reviews
‘The Outwaters’ Review: A Fantastic Fever Dream from Hell
The Outwaters delivers a surreal liminal horror experience whose slow start explodes into a cosmic nightmare.
Found footage has officially leveled up: welcome to liminal horror. This trending horror subgenre makes things feel dreamlike, with disjointed sequencing, strange angles, and something not-quite-right with the atmosphere. I’ve been lovingly referring to it as “the next level of found footage horror” because no wild camera angle or jarring transition is off-limits.
What is Liminal Horror?
Liminal horror plays with our concept of perceived reality. At its most basic definition, the word liminal suggests an existence between different states of being. The rules of time and space do not apply. Some aspects of Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining provide classic examples of this.
Modern references tend to coincide with the term “backrooms,” which alludes to areas outside our existence. Abandoned places are known to give off the liminal space aesthetic as the places we only see bustling with people get a peculiar aura about them once they are seen empty. More popular imagery amongst this trend includes photos of places and things that it feels like you remember – even though you’ve never seen them.
The Next Level of Found Footage
In January, all eyes were on Shudder’s film stylized in this subgenre, Skinamarink, as those who saw it proclaimed that watching this liminal horror movie felt like someone else’s nightmare captured on film. If you listened to the first episode of the Horror Press Podcast, you already know a little of what to expect if you’ve yet to see it.
The Outwaters is Screambox’s foray into this brand of horror. It takes the audience on a ride through hell as a group of people experiences something murderous in the desert. While I cannot speak for Skinamarink, The Outwaters feels like experiencing a blood-soaked nightmare.
By building a relationship between the audience and the characters, then obliterating it through a disorienting jolt to the senses, The Outwaters takes its audience on a mind-melting horror ride.
The Outwaters Creeps Up On You
If you had told me half hour into the movie that I’d have such a glowing review, I would have been astonished. While I’m not one to give spoilers, prepare yourself for a slow beginning. Much time was spent introducing us to our four main characters, and I impatiently awaited the horror to begin.
Director Robbie Banfitch knew what he was doing, as ominous music and upside-down shots appear randomly, teasing us with the horror we anxiously anticipate.
The action feels underserved when it arrives, as the build-up overshadows the minuscule occurrence. Then, the film hits the gas and doesn’t let up until the credits roll. It went further than I expected and then went further past that.
The beauty in holding back the delivery for so long is that it’s a powerful kick to the face once it comes.
The Outwaters Gives A Masterclass on Liminal Horror
Make no mistake: There aren’t smooth transitions between most footage clips, and the movie will not take the time to explain everything to you. But these features make the horror of The Outwaters work all the more.
The disjointed shots that follow through the action sequences happen so the audience can feel like they are experiencing the trauma too. Before we have fully processed one moment, a stream of events has flashed before our eyes, and we are along for this journey as they are.
Because of this play in trauma processing, the film feels realistic, even though cosmic malignancy is involved. The film successfully presented an encounter with something seemingly otherworldly in such a way that it felt possible.
In summation, The Outwaters goes from zero to 100, and the shots are shown so quickly that one view doesn’t give you the time to process everything you’re seeing. However, this format works because of what this movie is. As our main characters are subjected to nightmares come to life, they may not have time to process everything that has just happened, and neither do we.
It connects us with the experience, and Robbie Banfitch allows audiences to use their imaginations for the horrors we weren’t shown. The horrific images that follow are sure to burrow into your spinal fluid and randomly leech into your consciousness. The Outwaters’ slow beginning pays off to a bloody big finish. It may not be for everyone, but it certainly made a fan out of me.
Watch The Outwaters streaming on Screambox!
For more info on the making of the The Outwaters, check out our Q&A article!
Most people find that stretching their dollar still barely gets them by in today’s economy. I am very particular about what I spend my spare money on regarding extracurriculars. And no one likes to feel like their money is wasted. Madame Morbid Trolley Tours wasn’t an experience I had been familiar with. Maybe that’s because I’m chronically offline for most of my life. So this leads to the perfect question: in today’s turbulent economy, is Madame Morbid Trolley Tours worth the price? The short answer is unquestionably, yes. But it’s more than just a simple yes.
My wife and I arrived at the designated meeting point 15 minutes before the scheduled departure time. A handful of minutes later, a gorgeous, e-candle-lit trolley pulled up to the side of the road. We were greeted by impeccably on-brand Allison Chase, our tour guide, and trolley driver ‘Mad’ Matt Zaller. The wonderfully cheery duo invited us on the trolley, and the tour was set to begin.
400 Years of Death, Destruction, and Infrastructure
After a welcoming video intro from someone who knows a thing or two about busting ghosts, we set off on the inaugural Madame Morbid Trolley Tour in its ninth year of operation. From the Brooklyn Naval Yard all the way to Dumbo, and more, this tour magnificently chronicles 400 years of history, the good and the bad, expertly. No matter how much you think you may know about Brooklyn history, I can bet there will be something new learned within the first 15 minutes of the tour. From the first-ever plane crash to one of the worst theater fires in history, this tour covers tragedies that the greatest horror writers couldn’t conceive.
The Deadly [Charming] Docent
Allison Chase led the fascinating tour in character from the moment we stepped on the trolley until our departure. But Allison’s character was not forced or fake; you could feel Allison’s passion for not just morbid history, but the accuracy of it. Some of the stories we heard were steeped in historical context, and it was not boring for a single second. The Madame Morbid Trolley Tour is not your standard full-talking tour. It’s a mixed-media adventure of some of Brooklyn’s darkest moments.
During “downtime” (the times between locations), we were edutained by mini documentaries (that were quite funny). Some of the “downtime” was filled with traffic trivia (I won a needle pen!). And other times were show-and-tell-like, with objects passed around for us to examine. But there was never a moment of silence that wasn’t purposeful. All in all, Allison’s knowledge and passion shone like the luminosity of a full moon.
Is Madame Morbid Trolley Tours Worth It?
The Madame Morbid Trolley Tour was not just a fun night out for my wife and me, but it was a delightfully dark night of edutainment. It should also be noted that ‘Mad’ Matt’s driving skills were fantastic. There was a time when I had become enamored with how Matt handled the narrow streets of Brooklyn before realizing that I needed to refocus my attention on Allison. The Madame Morbid Trolley Tour is an exceptionally fun evening of horror and history that will make you think twice next time you walk down the streets of Brooklyn. It is worth the money, and then some. There’s no better activity for a cold, dark October night than the Madame Morbid Trolley Tour.
For more information on Madame Morbid Trolley Tours, and to get your tickets, click here!
I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I should have watched the Stephen King adaptation Cujo a million years ago. First of all, I was a voracious King reader in middle school. The other thing I was obsessed with during those years was Friends. You know, the show that hinges a major episode’s subplot on Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) watching Cujo for the first time. Whatever the reason was, I never got around to it, but I’m rectifying that oversight now.
What is Cujo About?
Cujo tells a relatively simple story. Donna Trenton’s (Dee Wallace) a housewife who’s cheating on her husband Vic (Daniel Hugh-Kelly) with local handyman Steve (Christopher Stone). There’s no accounting for taste, because Vic is 10 times hotter and Steve doesn’t own a bed frame. Look, Donna. I know Vic has that awful David Hasselhoff hair, but I promise the 1980s will end sooner or later. It’ll be OK.
Donna’s attempted termination of this affair ultimately leads to its discovery. Amid this drama, her car breaks down at a mechanic’s isolated farmhouse, trapping her and her son, Tad (Danny Pintauro). You see, the mechanic’s dog, Cujo, freshly christened with rabies, is patrolling the area and attacking everything in sight.
Dee Wallace Is Cujo’s Not-So-Secret Weapon
It would be impossible to start a worthwhile review of Cujo without praising Dee Wallace. The woman is a genre icon, naturally. Think about this: She had only appeared in seven theatrical movies before starring in Cujo. Four of those movies are The Stepford Wives, The Hills Have Eyes, E.T., and The Howling. But this woman didn’t become an icon simply by accidentally stumbling into some iconic titles. She is simply terrific as Donna, using her darting eyes and taut expression to deliver oodles of subtext. You instantly get the sense of how trapped she feels by marriage and motherhood without her uttering a single word.
A good performance is vital, here. Because there’s a hell of a lot of drama to get through before she’s trapped in that damn car. But Wallace instantly shoves you into Donna’s perspective, whether you like it or not. This makes it all the more potent when she is menaced by Cujo. Her desperate attempts for survival, also impeccably performed, have true weight because she seems like a real person. She is also given an incredible scene partner in Danny Pintauro. The future Who’s the Boss? star, who was only six when shooting Cujo, has a perfect everychild quality. His innocence heightens the peril. But so does that fact that he is just as irritating as every six-year-old you’ve ever met.
This movie truly captures how annoying it must be to be stuck in a life-and-death situation with a child. This is a compliment, I swear! Donna is worn down by every aspect of the situation, including her own son’s inability to cope with it. And this ratchets up the tension even further, to an almost unbearable degree.
Cujo Is a Mixed Bag, But Worthwhile Overall
The movie doesn’t work if Cujo himself doesn’t work, and at first I was real worried that he wouldn’t. In the first half, the St. Bernards that play Cujo onscreen are often shown to be wagging their tails in delight. Which kind of undercuts the reality of the situation, I’d say. But the editing and the special effects step in to fix what animal training couldn’t. The attack scenes in the second half are constructed with quick cuts that never let you get too much purchase. It’s a good approach for keeping viewers off-kilter.
Also, Cujo becomes less and less recognizable as a cuddly canine the further the movie gets. It’s a simple trick, really. He ends up getting coated with more and more slime. Saliva, pus, blood, and what have you. This is good for making him feel like a true movie monster. Plus, it’s a good mirror for the sliminess inside the car as it gets covered in sweat, blood, and grime.
The second half of the movie ultimately works like gangbusters. It’s a shame that Cujo is too cowardly to get Donna and Tad in the car before the halfway point. This decision is somewhat faithful to the book’s structure as I remember it. However, it diminishes the weight of the long days that they spend in the car. We really need to feel that crushing stretch of time, and we don’t. When Tad is suffering from dehydration, it’s not a gut punch. Honestly, I just found myself asking, “Already?” It’s good that they gave the movie a happier ending, because the classic grimdark Stephen King finale wouldn’t have landed.
Is Cujo Worth Watching in 2026?
At the end of the day, Cujo is a solid movie and I’m glad I finally watched it. However, it’s not such a stone-cold classic that I’m not at least a little intrigued by that upcoming Netflix remake…
