Reviews
GROWING PAINS & GROWING FANGS: A Spoiler-Free ‘Subspecies V: Bloodrise’ Review

If you’ve been following HORROR PRESS for a while you know I love Full Moon Features. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have done a whole series on Full Moon during February. They’re charming, and the company just as much as the films have always been “for the fans”.
All this to say, Subspecies V: Bloodrise, the latest entry in the long-running Radu saga, is much of the same: a madcap crowdpleaser that delivers on all your bloody and sometimes silly vampire movie wants. If you’re a longtime fan, or someone getting into the wonderfully campy world of Full Moon, this is a great film to watch.
Born of monsters but raised by men of the cloth and trained to eradicate his own kind, an aged Radu Vladislas takes on what is supposed to be his final quest: destroying his father, King Vladislas. Instead, what results is the dormant beast inside of him being awakened after he gets turned, and his immortal bloodline abilities are activated. As he gets pulled into a world of monsters he sought to destroy, his descent from tragic hero into a bloody villain is on full display as he masters dark sorcery and darker paths to victory.
As I had hoped for in my article anticipating Subspecies V: Bloodrise, Anders Hove brings a new heart to a character that honestly shouldn’t be as compelling as he is. Knowing what Radu turns into in earlier films, you’d think seeing the endgame of a hissing snarling cruelty machine would undercut some of the sincerity Hove brings. But his narration throughout the film makes you feel sympathy for him as everything falls apart and his hopes slowly morph from getting justice to accumulating more power. His voice is perfect for storytelling, so it’s a no-brainer to have him narrate the tragedy alongside the film.
Don’t get it twisted; fans of the classic over-the-top nosferatu acting we’ve come to know and love will still be satisfied with Hove’s more scenery-chewing scenes and all the fun that entails. You get a whole lot more along with it, and have to wait a little bit longer for him to crank up the crazy to 11.
Regarding the rest of the cast, it’s also fun to see Denice Duff return. Though her and Hoves’ onscreen chemistry from their time as enemies remains, she plays a radically different character to her former role as Michelle, which adds a new twist to the lore. Among the new additions, Hunter Diana (Olivera Perunicic) has far too little screen time for as cool as she is, and I’m hoping to see more of her in the future.
Ted Nicolaou’s directing is evergreen (as is his writing on this one), capturing some of the coolest shots in the series as he and cinematographer Vladimir Ilic capture the beauty of the Serbian countryside and the old-world castles that lie in it. Some of the shot compositions reminded me of Frank Frazetta’s pulpier, leerier sword and sorcery artwork, and it just rules. The set design for the castles and other interiors is stellar, with each room packed full of details and set dressing that makes it feel lived in. Although admittedly, chunks of the movie are underlit (presumably unintentionally) and suffer visually as a result.
When we pull back from the aesthetics in the frame, you’re met with some downright insane editing choices that are so perfectly wild that they end up being hilarious. You get a lot of surprising quick cuts that never become irritating or frustrating, but punctuate certain moments with an undeniable comedy in how they’re presented, and I have to believe it’s intentional. It’s too accurate with the comedic timing to not be.
Sidenote: If you can’t find humor in some of the choices that made it past the cutting room floor, you might be forgetting that the silliness is one of the major selling points of Full Moon films, even if it isn’t a hallmark of the Subspecies franchise in particular. You kind of have to let loose and not take this one so seriously.
One of my biggest complaints story-wise is that we don’t get to see Radu as a child, or his training by the Knights of the Dragon, but there’s still time to see it in another film (if we don’t get to see young Radu beheading vampires, it’s a MAJOR missed opportunity). It’s extra egregious since the movie comes in at a crazy tight 74-minute runtime, which just left me wanting more. The effects also aren’t as involved in this one, so don’t expect the first few films’ hallmark stop-motion animation (as much as the lack of little finger minions breaks my heart!).
BOTTOMLINE: Subspecies V: Bloodrise is not just a worthy successor to the other Subspecies films, it’s downright fun as a standalone movie, and I fully trust fans will have a blast going in and coming out of this vampiric horror-fantasy quest. Between the directing, the script, and the gross blood-drinking noises, Radu will take you on one hell of a ride as he paves the road down there with good intentions, and then way more bad ones. This will stand as one of the best modern Full Moon films, and I can’t wait to see where they go from here. Give it a watch!
You can stream Subspecies V: Bloodrise starting on June 2nd on Full Moon Features as well as Screambox TV!
Reviews
‘Shadow of God’ Review: A Bold Indie Horror That Falls Short

Whether they land or not, it’s hard not to appreciate how impressive it is that Shudder gives a platform to myriad independent films. While Screambox struggles to finish the race, Shudder is doing a victory lap. Even the greats trip up occasionally. Shadow of God is a film I heard minor rumblings about across the interwebs, and as someone who isn’t into exorcism-like films, it still piqued my interest enough to seek it out. Then I watched it.
Shadow of God: A Promising Premise Falls Flat
Shadow of God follows alcoholic exorcist Mason Harper (Mark O’Brien) as he travels back to his hometown following a death during an exorcism. Mason meets up with his ex-beau, Tanis Green (Jacqueline Byers), who gives him a place to stay while he’s back. The semi-happy reunion between Mason and Tanis is cut short when the dregs of Mason’s deceased father’s cult learn of his arrival. Everyone’s faith will be tested as something more sinister than anyone could imagine rears its ugly head.
It feels like there was a disconnect between writer Tim Cairo and director Michael Peterson, as Shadow of the God feels nothing more than scattered parts of better films clumped together into a heaping mess of something. While full of awful dialogue, Cairo’s script tells a compelling and somewhat unique take on the religious horror subgenre. The bones of a better film exist deep within the script. A rewrite (or three) could have helped to trim the fat and identify the elements of the story that truly work. On the other hand, Michael Peterson seems to have little to no control over whatever he was doing here.
Digital Effects Ruin Emotional Depth
The real issue with the film is the unfortunate digital effects slapped on before the final cut. Any semblance of an okay film quickly flew out the window with the slapdash effects. Nothing takes you out of a well-crafted emotional moment like a giant, badly composited white light shooting out of someone’s forehead. I was so checked out by the end that my final note written about the film simply says, “barn effects BAD.” To be completely honest, I don’t even know what I meant by that.
Not a singular solid performance graces the screen during this hour and 27-minute series of images. I get that independent films face difficult and unique challenges that larger budget films don’t. But the performances feel as if the cast were given the script seconds before the scenes were shot. Mark O’Brien was a huge sell for me with this film, as I adored him in Ready or Not, and it feels like [maybe] his agent dropped the ball on this one.
The Potential Buried in Shadow of God
Reviews
‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’ Review: Show Me Your Teeth

It has been just three years since Jurassic World: Dominion put the latest trilogy in the franchise on ice with the bite force of a smurf, but like any money-maker in Hollywood, no IP stays extinct for long. Universal decided to revisit the franchise’s roots, heading back to the lab to poke and prod at its barely fossilized remains in an attempt to mix up its DNA enough to warrant a reboot. Jurassic World: Rebirth promised a thrilling return to form – a journey into dino-infested waters that put the terror back in Tyrannosaur. With horror-adjacent auteur Gareth Edwards (known for Monsters and Godzilla) directing and writer David Koepp (who adapted Jurassic Park and The Lost World), returning after a nearly thirty-year absence, expectations were colossal.
What they delivered is a glossy, crowd-pleasing theme park ride into nostalgia that never fully commits to genuine horror or the deeper scientific soul of the 1993 original. It’s enjoyable for fans who love every iteration unconditionally, but it is sure to frustrate those with a more critical eye who expected something closer to a cold-blooded classic.
Jurassic World: Rebirth – A New Chapter or Nostalgic Retread?
For those needing a refresher on the events leading up to Rebirth, you can snag yourself an honorary degree in paleontology with our handy Jurassic Horror 101. After closing out the first reboot trilogy with a whimper, Universal needed to steer the narrative away from pseudo-science and half-baked existentialism toward a more visceral experience; nothing will compare to Spielberg’s masterpiece, sweetie!
The elements for success are all here: Edwards has a strong resume in titanic horror, Koepp is the man behind the original film adaptation, and the fresh faces of Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey, and Mahershala Ali bring star power to the tropics. Yet, whether due to studio interference or simply buckling under nine tons of pressure, they still haven’t figured out how to catch lightning in a bottle twice.
Dinosaurs, Big Pharma, and a Tropical Mission
Set five years after dinosaurs were left to coexist with humans, we learn that the prehistoric beasts are once again facing extinction, both physically and metaphorically. Unsustainable living conditions within Earth’s rapidly changing ecosystems are eliminating them faster than an ice age, and – perhaps in a nod to our apathy in a digital world – the humans around them largely do not give a damn. As dino merch turns to ash and people avoid the roaming beasts like an invasive flash mob, pharmaceutical company ParkerGenix recruits mercenaries Zora Bennett (Johansson) and Duncan Kincaid (Ali), along with soon-to-be-unemployed paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Bailey), for an adventure their wallets can’t resist.
It seems that dinosaurs are still thriving on small islands surrounding the equator, and ParkerGenix has discovered within these surviving creatures a medical miracle that may provide a cure for heart disease. However, this being a Jurassic movie, our beautiful trio is tasked with retrieving this biomaterial from an island overrun by failed genetic experiments abandoned by the infamous company that started it all – InGen.
Rebirth’s script does touch upon the ethical dilemmas of serving Big Pharma for a seven-figure payout. Still, these moral quandaries are explored no more deeply than a child kicking at sand on the beach, hoping to uncover something shiny underneath the silt. Thematically, the franchise has painted itself into a corner since 1993. The existential wonder, quiet pathos, and scientific stakes have since been mined dry, which makes the shift toward more human-scale horror a welcome pivot. Two reboots in, we may never see a film that so effortlessly balances terror and philosophy as the original did. So, while I could continue to rip the script to shreds, why bother? Instead, let’s get to why you’re really here and tear into the horror of it all.
Does Jurassic World: Rebirth Deliver on Horror?
As is common with blockbuster films, Rebirth finds itself at odds with its behind-the-scenes talent and the studio executives at Universal. They clearly chose Edwards for his experience with films of kaiju proportions, and Koepp’s portfolio includes its fair share of bangers, including 2025’s critically acclaimed Black Bag. The marketing heavily features the newly hatched D-Rex, a “Xenorancor rex” level monstrosity that by all accounts should be the scariest thing this franchise has ever seen. However, the cold open, which includes a Final Destination-like mishap that allows the D-Rex some bloodlust, is all too brief. And that is the film’s biggest flaw: They have to let it linger, and they don’t.
A certain sense of style and cinematic flair that horror’s best know how to use is simply missing. Is this a creative misstep, or is the studio afraid to alienate families? The hallmark sequence that strands our heroes — a franchise staple — lacks the dread felt in the original’s historic T-Rex attack or even the epic trailer cliff dive from The Lost World. Since the human characters in these movies survive far more often than they should, they could at least leave us a bit shaken after such a spectacle. That said, the film does include a tense river raft sequence from Michael Crichton’s novel that fans have been begging for since the 90s, and it is undoubtedly the movie’s highlight.
CGI vs. Practical Effects in Jurassic World: Rebirth
I could overlook the lack of scares, or at least choose to politely ignore them, if they had gone back to basics and incorporated quality practical effects. Most are aware that OG’s lasting reverence is at least partly due to its extensive use of lifelike, tangible dinosaur prosthetics and robotics. In 2025, a solid combination of quality CGI and practical magic would go a long way. Backed by Edwards’ love of lighting a dramatic silhouette, the D-Rex does have some ominous and visually impressive moments as we catch glimpses of her amidst fire and fog. Then you see mother monster full frontal without the filters, and it feels like catching sight of a sweaty drag queen after a summer brunch performance.
The editing does the film’s attempts at horror no favors either, exhibiting strange spatial logic during tense beats where dinosaurs seem to vanish between cuts and human characters appear to ignore the massive beasts that were chasing them moments earlier.
A Love Letter to Jurassic Fans
As mentioned, fans of the franchise do have a lot to love here, despite Rebirth flopping in the horror department. Instead of the over-the-top fan service found in Dominion, we are given plenty of self-referential nods and visual echoes, from mirror messages to rescue flares and raptors in the kitchen. The excellent score by Alexandre Desplat likewise resurrects a familiar tune that accompanies a sequence featuring mutated Brachiosauruses that look ripped from Annihilation, which almost brought a tear to the eye of this longtime fan. What the movie lacks in scares, it makes up for in charm, and moments like these, along with a central trio of likeable characters, are enough to keep the formulaic plot moving along.
It’s no surprise that Wicked’s Jonathan Bailey, as the eager and inexperienced Dr. Loomis, is as charming as ever. The flitters of interaction between him and Johansson’s gruffy mercenary, Zora, are endearing, and Mahershala Ali’s characterization of Kincaid rounds out the trio with enough wit to establish them as the reboot’s next generation. A paper-thin backstory helps us understand why these would-be heroes are risking their lives for the better part of two hours, leaving room for improvement in potential sequels.
There’s also a forgettable family with the personality of wet rags who get caught up in the action, serving more as catalysts for set pieces than as developed characters. Still, their scenes provide some comedic relief through Gen Z’s himbo boyfriend, Xavier (David Iacono), and a cute baby dinosaur named Dolores (could a Labubu crossover be on the way?).
Is Jurassic World: Rebirth Worth Watching?
Overall, Jurassic World: Rebirth is more entertaining than innovative. It won’t convert any skeptics into dinosaur enthusiasts, but true fans can find plenty to enjoy in this sweaty jungle romp. It’s predictable and lacks the horror elements that readers of Horror Press crave, but I had a good time despite it all. The franchise still has teeth, albeit buried deep within its gums. Hopefully, Universal will allow some creatives the freedom to yank them out in bloody glory for the next one.
Jurassic World: Rebirth is now in theaters!