Tag: horror

Open your mind and invite progress. “Good Boy” (“Heel”, 2025)

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directed by Jan Komasa
© 2025 Signature Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

First of all, I’m a big fan of Jan Komasa, so my post won’t be very objective. He can tell stories about human nature in a way that speaks to me. Also, he chooses perfect people to play his characters and I’m thrilled to see he’s started collaborating with foreign film crews. Today’s film is considered a black comedy, but to me it’s a very good thriller with a terrifying conclusion. But first things first, we get to know Tommy (Anson Boon), a reckless teenager, who shares his quite parasite-like life on the internet. One night he overuses way too many things and ends up being kidnapped. At the same time, we get to know Chris (Stephen Graham), his wife Kathryn (Andrea Riseborough) and their son Jonathan (Kit Rakusen). They are an ordinary family that interviews Rina (Monika Frajczyk), a young woman of Macedonian origins, who’s applied to be their housekeeper. Everything seems to be going well until they show her the cellar and there’s Tommy chained and unconcious inside. The woman obviously wants to escape the house, but Chris has a very good argument for her to stay. Rina has been having troubles with her visa and if she doesn’t accept the job, Chris will make sure to let the right people know about it. And at this point we get three very different characters and their storylines: Tommy – a teenager who’s furious with the world and tries to escape the reality, Rina – an immigrant, who’s blackmailed to doing things against her will to stay safe, and Chris (and his family) – a man having a deep secret and strange motivation to kidnap a problematic 19-year-old. Each of those characters adds to the general story and I believe it wouldn’t be complete without them all. The film may seem a bit ridiculous and there are some funny moments, but if you reflect on the ending, it’s reminds of a horribly dark reality. Sometimes in life we don’t choose between good and evil, but between evil and lesser evil. Also, relations may stay incredibly strong, despite their often pathological nature. Great British debut, waiting for more!

My rating: 7/10
S.

The shoe will fit her. “The Ugly Stepsister” (“Den stygge stesøsteren”, 2025)

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directed by Emilie Blichfeldt
© 2025 Scanbox Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

I’ve read a comment saying that this film is a combination of “Cinderella” and “The Substance”… and I couldn’t agree more. That’s exactly what I had in mind while watching “The Ugly Stepsister”. And I must say – I loved it! The film crew took such a boringly common story and made a unique horror out of it. So, if you remember, Cinderella was the poor girl that lost her father and had to live with the evil stepmother and two annoying stepsisters. However, in this film, we get to experience the old story from the perspective of one of the stepsisters, Elvira (Lea Myren). When the prince is looking for his future wife among unmarried ladies, both Elvira and Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss), Cinderella-like character, wish to catch his attention. The problem is that Agnes is the pretty one, so Elvira doesn’t have much chance. However, if only she “corrects” some elements of her body, perhaps the prince won’t even hesitate. That is why Elvira goes through a series of surgeries in order to stop being the ugly stepsister. The filmmakers ask a question: what if Cinderella was the bad character? Why do we always tell this story in the same way and never stop to think of other possibilities? That’s something I definitely appreciated here. Another thing is the costumes, make-up and production design that look fabulous and suit the vibe of this production very well. Also, even though it’s labelled as a comedy, it’s a horror as well, so if you’re a sensitive one – better get yourself a blanket to hide under it from time to time. Maybe it’s not a horror full of jumpscares, but it’s rather very realistic and disgusting. All the zoom-ins may stay in your nightmares for a long time. I believe this film speaks for itself, especially since the director was inspired by Brothers Grimm, David Cronenberg and… a Polish pornography maker. So in case you’re caught watching blue movies, you can always say it’s just one of the steps on your path to win an Oscar. You’re welcome.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Whiskey for the pain. “Together” (2025)

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directed by Michael Shanks
© 2025 Neon. All Rights Reserved.

Have you ever seen some couple acting as if they were glued to each other? Disgusting, I know. And there are clever people on this planet who decided to make a horror out of it. Genius, I know. And I watched it… and I enjoyed it. Masochistic, I know. But hey, since you keep reading this post, it means you’re also curious about this sick idea. So, let’s go! We get to know Millie and Tim (Alison Brie and Dave Franco), who have been a couple for several years and one of them wishes to take the next step, while the second one hesitates. They decide to move to a house in the countryside and… no, it’s not another haunted mansion, that would be too easy. The creepy part is more ridiculous. One day, the couple go on a hike and accidentally fall into an underground cave. They stay there for the night, during which Tim does something… silly (you will see) and in the morning, the lovebirds wake up attached to each other. Literally – their legs are kind of glued. Weird? That’s just the beginning, because after that night, Millie and Tim will stay very, very close… At first, I was rather confused and didn’t like the chaos I experienced, but the longer I was watching, the more I understood this film’s form. It is a horror, but you are supposed to have fun during it as well. So if you don’t take those scenes seriously and don’t expect to get scared, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. The film is a bit disgusting (or more than a bit, depending on your sensitivity), but it’s also a romance, which is highly visible between Millie and Tim. Personally, I was just guessing that the filmmakers wanted to mock those real-life “glued” couples and it made the whole experience an absolute blast. When you see such people in public, don’t you think “oh just eat each other finally, for god’s sake…”? Well, I do. And this horror kind of made my dream come true. Also, the ending was quite surprising to me, which doesn’t often happen when I watch spooky films. Maybe it’s not a perfect production, but it’s definitely fresh and that’s what I appreciate the most.

My rating: 7/10
S.

There’s one winner and no finish line. “The Long Walk” (2025)

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directed by Francis Lawrence
© 2025 Lionsgate. All Rights Reserved.

It’s a film about walking. Period. Can’t remember more accurate title of a film to be honest. It’s literally a looooong walk. But I’m still writing about it, which means I liked it, right? Right. And I believe you should try it as well. Before watching the film, I actually decided to read the book it’s based on. The title is the same and it was written by Stephen King, under his pseudonym Richard Bachman. I like to read books first, because then I can imagine the story myself. However, if I watch the film first, later, I just see the same pictures while reading. So I grabbed that novel and hoped for a fun ride, but instead I got incredibly bored. The general idea is amazing, but the way it was written – it was really difficult to keep on going. Even though the book is pretty short, it took me a long time to finish it. So I was quite discouraged before watching the film, but luckily, the adaptation is way better! We move to some alternative times where the US is in a huge economic crisis. Therefore, any way of earning money for living is worth trying. Any. In order to give people a chance to improve their life and also to entertain everyone, there’s a long walk organised. 50 young men (in the book there are 100) voluntarily sign up to walk nonstop across the country. Sounds easy? Well, there are some rules to follow. You cannot stop, you cannot walk slowly, so basically you cannot rest. And if you do, you get a warning. What happens after the 3rd warning? Well, the volunteer finishes the walk… and his life. Where’s the end of this? Simple – wherever the one before last dies. There can only be one winner. So as I said, I loved the idea for this story. To be honest, that’s exactly how I imagine the future – people will be doing anything to survive. Perhaps such long walks become an actual tradition… You may think it’s insane to sign up for something like this, but if the prize is huge and can significantly improve your life, then you don’t think twice. However, if you don’t like reflecting on such future, I may also share that to me this long walk is a metaphor for coming of age. All the volunteers are young men who see it as a competition, but then, during the walk, they start learning life lessons – both heart-breaking and uplifting. Just like in life. And it kind of depends on you how you walk your way, but there’s also a lot that cannot be controlled. Wait, is it again a depressing interpretation? Damn, I guess it is. Anyway, the film is much better than the book (I’m sorry Stephen/Richard), because I actually felt engaged in the story and not bored by the fact they’re just walking. Also, the ending is different in the film and, in my opinion, waaaay better! So if you haven’t read the book, you may skip it. But if you have and didn’t like it, then give this adaptation a chance. I hope you won’t be disappointed.

My rating: 6/10
S.

Only monsters play god. “Frankenstein” (2025)

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directed by Guillermo del Toro
© 2025 Netflix. All Rights Reserved.

Before I move on to telling you about the film, let me just remind you about one important fact: Frankenstein is the surname of the scientist who made the creature, not the creature itself. But I guess no matter how many times someone says that, we will still see the green head with screws in it. Anyway, we’ve seen so many different adaptations of this story, so the question is: do we need another one? And my answer is: yes, we do. Before I explain you my point of view, let me introduce you to the plot in case some of you might not be familiar with it that much. We move back to the 19th century where we meet Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac), a son of the best surgeon, who follows his father’s steps. Victor wishes to become an even better specialist who will be able to win with death. The medical community pushes him away for such attempts, but then, a wealthy merchant, Henrich Harlander (Christoph Waltz), offers his money to support Victor’s work. If you think it was just a friendly gesture then you’ll see that nothing comes for free. Anyway, as you might be guessing, Victor succeeds and revives a creature, which becomes a huge challenge to face. Now, whatever happens to the “monster” is his creator’s choice. And Victor doesn’t really know how to play god… Now, do you know why we need next adaptations of this story? Because it’s universal and each time it may give us a different kind of reflection. After watching del Toro’s film I realised that he managed to tell two stories in one. The first is about a boy whose traumatic experience and fear of losing control pushed him to creating something he couldn’t take responsibility for. The second is about a creature that doesn’t belong to this world and cannot even count on the person that brought it here. And you know what they have in common? They both struggle with loneliness, just in their own way. Even though “Frankenstein” was written in 1818, its messages might still be useful nowadays. I know it’s hard to accept sometimes, but we’re just humans, so instead of playing god, we should just make the best of what’s in our hands. But, getting back to this adaptation – if Jacob Elordi and make-up artists working on set do not get at least nominations to Oscars and other cinema awards, I’ll be incredibly disappointed. They absolutely nailed it and I have to say that Elordi is incredibly attractive even with this number of stitches on his body. The only thing that I’d change would be the length of the film – to me, it could have been a bit shorter. But I loved the fact that we could learn the story from two perspectives and sympathise with both of them. Yes, I sympathised with Victor, because I understand where his anger came from. Perhaps you’ll have a different reflection. Check it out.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Where you gonna go, where you gonna run, where you gonna hide? “Body Snatchers” (1993)

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directed by Abel Ferrara
© 1993 Warner Bros. All Rights Reserved.

Still not tired of our body snatchers? Then let me introduce you to the most disgusting adaptation, which is much more of a horror than a sci-fi to me. So in case you’re planning a family afternoon with a film – try something else. This time we move to a military base, where soldiers are being replaced by our well-known aliens in a seed pod form. The only way to distinguish real people from imposters is that the first ones can actually express emotions, which makes setting the film’s action in a military base quite funny. I mean, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve never seen soldiers as the most emotional people, at least not showing them that directly. Anyway, we follow Steve (Terry Kinney), who’s an agent sent to examine the ecological influence the military has on the surroundings. He moves there together with his family and, as you can guess, they are about to be next victims of the body snatchers. Doom, doom, doom. As I said at the beginning, this film is the creepiest of them all. Some critics say the plot of this part is the weakest, and I kind of agree, but the horror vibe makes up for it. I was actually positively surprised, because watching another similar adaptation would put me to sleep. Yet, this one kept me entertained. In fact, you may observe an interesting change in the narration here. As in the two previous adaptations the scientist/doctor was the protagonist, here, at some point, we get a new leader – Marti (Gabrielle Anwar), Steve’s daughter. And it’s not only a pleasant surprise in this production, but also a significant part of a revolution in horrors. You see, in old horrors, the protagonist was very often a man, while in the 80-90s the filmmakers wanted to create more female characters in this role. Marti is a perfect example and I just adore how she becomes the protagonist at some point instead of being one from the very beginning. So as you can see, even while watching angry aliens destroying humanity you may learn something about the history of cinema. And if you survive this adaptation, there’s one more waiting for you. Stay tuned!

My rating: 6/10
S.

Sleep and be born again into a world without fear and hate. “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1978)

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directed by Philip Kaufman
© 1978 United Artists. All Rights Reserved.

Continuing our adventure with body snatchers, today I’m recommending you the film made in 1978, which in my opinion is the most sci-fi of them all. Maybe it’s because I grew up watching sci-fi films from the 70-90s and anything made back then seems more interesting to me when it comes to this genre. I don’t know. Anyway, if the version from the 50s wasn’t your cup of tea, don’t worry and try this one. The story is the same, yet there are slight changes that make the film more dynamic and futuristic, I’d say. So we get to learn that some aliens need to leave their own planet and they travel to our lovely Earth to settle here. And if you’re used to seeing aliens as creepy creatures with big heads and black eyes, let me say that these aliens are way more… sophisticated. They arrive in a form of seed pods with flowers. Isn’t that cute? Wait till they eat your brains and take over your bodies… Anyway, one scientist analysing the strange plant decides to bring it home (how thoughtful!) and show it to her boyfriend. How surprised she is when the next day the man is acting weird. That’s why you shouldn’t take work home, people! Elizabeth (Brooke Adams), the irresponsible scientist with silly ideas, asks her friend Matthew (Donald Sutherland) for help. The man obviously recommends her boyfriend to meet a psychiatrist, but soon more extraordinary things begin to happen and it seems like not only that poor guy might need mental health support… I wasn’t that engaged in the psychological reflection as I was while watching the previous version, but I was definitely more entertained. This film is a classic sci-fi from that time of the cinema and I’m not surprised it’s the most popular version of them all. Is it the best? I wouldn’t say so, because to me each version is unique in its own way and I hope that thanks to those posts I’m sharing you will notice that as well. What I absolutely loved about this film is the ending. Just please, don’t search for it – watch the film and let it surprise you! And if you’re hoping for some chills, see you next time for the most horror version of the story…

My rating: 6/10
S.

I’ve seen how people have allowed their humanity to drain away. “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1956)

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directed by Don Siegel
© 1956 Allied Artists Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

November is this gloomy month where we’re still in Halloween mood, yet Christmas is knocking on our door. Since the atmosphere is already spooky, let me spoil you with four films telling basically the same story, just in four different ways. Boring? Nah, trust me, you may have fun. Especially if you’re a cinephile who enjoys films not only for their plots, but also for all the technicalities. I watched all four films one after the other and I believe recommending you the same marathon is actually interesting. Let’s start our journey from the oldest film, which is the one made in 1956. We move to Los Angeles where a man named Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) is in hospital claming that people have been replaced by impostors. In order to understand the patient better, he is asked to explain everything step by step – and that’s how we also learn the whole story. In fact, Mr. Bennell is a psychiatrist himself and at work he started meeting more and more people suffering from Capgras delusion – which is believing that someone in our surrounding is an impostor. Sounds like a typical day in a psychiatric ward? Sort of, but things get complicated when Miles finds strange bodies without any features. Is it true? Are people actually being replaced by some mysterious creatures? Well, that’s for you to see, but considering the title of the film, the answer is obvious. It’s labelled a horror, but to me it felt more like a drama/action production. I didn’t feel this sci-fi or horror vibe, which is perhaps because I watched it 70 years after the releasing. However, I could observe the real drama going on in the characters’ heads. I mean, to me it was more of a story about identity and humanity crisis than a horror that anyhow scared me. Still, even though it’s not the spookiest thing I’ve seen in my life, I enjoyed it and I recommend you to experience the dramatic adventure. This film is the most dramatic of them all – next ones will be creepy, strange and terrifying. Get ready for a ride!

My rating: 6/10
S.

I can make them hurt each other. “Weapons” (2025)

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directed by Zach Cregger
© 2025 Warner Bros. Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Halloween is coming! And you know what we need? Lots of sweets (to eat or to give to little terrorists in bedsheets with holes), candles (for the atmosphere and smell), creepy decorations (so China doesn’t go bankrupt) and a decent horror. Today, I’m recommending you a film that is perhaps not the scariest thing I’ve seen, but surely one of the weirdest recently. And if you dislike children and they creep you out, then you’ll love this one! The story is told in a nonlinear way, so we jump from a perspective to a perspective and we put everything together like puzzles, but I’ll try to give you a small idea what this film is about. We end up in Maybrook where one night, exactly at 2:17 a.m., 17 children disappear. UFO? Kidnappers? Well, we don’t know. They simply run out of their houses and poof – gone. Turns out those were all students of one class and after the night only one classmate, Alex (Cary Christopher), survived and showed up to school. Since it’s an unusual coincidence, the boy is asked lots of questions and the class teacher, Justine Gandy (Julia Garner), becomes the main suspect. The woman feels like an outsider, yet she tries to make sure her only present student, Alex, is fine. When she starts following him, she notices strange things about him, his house and his parents. Doom, doom, doom. What can I tell you… the previous horror by Zach Cregger (“Barbarian”) was much more interesting to me, because it was strange and surprising, yet I didn’t feel overwhelmed. This one is like a protein shake made by 3 different people who didn’t discuss the ingredients so each of them adds something random. Still, I enjoyed the fact that the narration wasn’t linear and I had to discover everything myself instead of just being told what happened. However, this film also made realise that I’m not a big fan of Julia Garner. She’s a lovely lady, but her performances here and in “Wolf Man” were actually disappointing. Perhaps it’s just wrong casting, so I hope to change my mind and appreciate her acting skills in the future, because for now I just found her characters incompatible with the films. But, when it comes to the boy playing Alex, Cary, he did a wonderful job. I had chills how convincing he was, so chapeau bas, little man! Anyway, if you feel like you’ve guessed what happens in this horror, I bet you’re so wrong, because literally everything happens here. I kind of miss those simple horrors where there was just a guy with a chainsaw and people running for 90 minutes. Still, I stayed entertained and this film qualifies as a horror, so why not recommending it to you? Have fun and watch it after you give strange children sweets. Because after this film you might not want to open your door. You’re welcome, buddy.

My rating: 6/10
S.

Life and death struggle against our own extinction. “Humane” (2024)

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directed by Caitlin Cronenberg
© 2024 Elevation Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Like father, like daughter? Perhaps. Although I have a feeling the daughter’s style might be much closer to my preferences. I’m obviously speaking about the Cronenbergs. Today’s film was directed by Caitlin Cronenberg, the daughter of David Cronenberg, probably the most famous Canadian horror filmmaker. I’ve seen lots of his films and he’s really passionate about disgusting viewers, which he does perfectly. However, there’s only one horror made by him that I actually liked very much, so I cannot really say I’m a big fan. When I was watching “Humane”, I didn’t know it’s made by David’s daughter, yet I felt a pinch of Cronenberg’s filmmaking style. It’s Caitlin’s first feature film, but I have a feeling we might like each other if she continues this directional path. Anyway, what’s happening in the film? We get to know a family that meets for a dinner at the parents’ house. During the meal, the father (Peter Gallagher) announces that he and his wife (Uni Park) are about to be voluntarily euthanised. Why? Well, in the world presented in the film, humanity has reached the point where authorities have to get rid of people as there are too many of them. That is why they create a special program, whose goal is to euthanise 20% of the world population. They may either randomly choose you or you can sign up yourself. If you sign up yourself, your family will be safe (one person per family is enough). Obviously, the adult children are against their parents’ idea, but the father believes it’s not only for the sake of their protection, but also for the glory. He used to be a famous TV personality, so volunteering would be appreciated by his fans and he would die a hero. When the euthanising crew arrives, the wife is gone, which means only the father may undergo the procedure. And he does. However, that’s not the end, because the crew came to euthanise 2 people and they need to leave the house with 2 bodies. So now, the 4 siblings have to decide who of them will volunteer instead of their missing step-mother. And the game begins! First of all, I love the fact that the director addressed the problem of global warming and she presented that in the future we may actually face such programs and make such decisions. Building horrors on potential true stories? Perfection. Second of all, the real horror here is not the fact that people euthanise themselves, but the choice that those 4 characters have to make. They need to question everything and kind of rate the usefulness of each person staying alive. That’s creepy and fascinating at the same time. And lastly, there’s a pinch of humour to make the experience even more disturbing. I cannot spoil you the ending, but I can say it’s both surprising and disappointing. Perhaps I expected something else, but it’s still quite unique. So I’m curious about your opinion. And I hope that Caitlin will continue to make films because I see a lot of potential there!

My rating: 6/10
S.