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Spoiler-Free Reviews: MARGINALIA and BURNT FLOWERS (GenreBlast 2025) 

MARGINALIA (U.S., 2025) Official synopsis: Summoned to Karnstein Abbey to serve as a mourner at the funeral of their recently deceased abbess, Sister Trista discovers a dark secret involving demons, witchcraft and killer rabbits. But Sister Trista has a secret of her own. Nunsploitation, a Hammer Films’ horror vibe, and the retro charm and surreal qualities of filmmaker Guy Maddin’s work: Writer/director/editor/cinematographer Mark Beal’s beautifully bizarre Marginalia has all this and more. This black-and-white supernatural feature will win cinephiles over with its atmosphere to spare, which includes impressive practical effects work, cool stop-motion creatures, and wonderful medieval set design, costumes, and illustrations. Composer Alexander Hellonious’s evocative score fits the proceedings perfectly. Beal kicks things off right away with one of the most imaginative demises you’re likely to see this year. The cast members do a fine job with their committed performances, led by Jessica Bell as Sister Trista. Beal does assured work at the helm, and as he did with

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jun 18, 2026

Movie Review: Get the Gloriously Gross 20th Anniversary Steelbook of James Gunn’s ‘Slither’ Now!

Most people hear the name James Gunn and think Guardians of the Galaxy or his shiny new Superman movie. Not me. When I hear his name, my mind immediately goes to the gutter—specifically to Slither, his 2006 masterpiece of sci-fi slime that helped turn him into the cinematic mastermind he is today. So, the second I heard about the glorious new 20th Anniversary 4K Steelbook, I threw my wallet at the screen. Let’s say it did not disappoint. Slimey Tentacle Aliens If you’ve never experienced this beautiful disaster, the story is a classic “alien parasite meets the backwoods” nightmare. A space rock lands in a sleepy town. Then a local businessman is transformed into a walking tentacled biological hazard as the alien begins a messy mission to consume every living thing on Earth. It’s up to the town’s delightfully dry-witted Sheriff (Nathan Fillion, delivering peak Fillion) and a resilient local wife of the victim (Elizabeth Banks) to stop the infestation

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jun 16, 2026

Movie Review: “They Will Kill You” Is an Action-packed, Blood-Drenched Must-See – Stream It Now!

They Will Kill You—the raucous, blood-soaked action-horror-comedy that transforms a Manhattan high-rise into a literal house of the damned. If you’re a genre fan who lives for a perfect blend of laugh-out-loud humor and John Wick-style stunts, lock this in right now: this movie is an absolute must-watch. Zazi Beetz (Deadpool 2) stars as Asia, a woman who thinks she’s struck gold with a standard New York City apartment at “The Virgil.” Instead, she quickly uncovers that her gorgeous high-rise is actually a demonic death trap operating as a temple to Satan. To survive the night, Asia is forced to wage an absolute war against a gauntlet of robed zealots through corridors drenched in blood. And an onslaught of fights and supernatural twists. Director Kirill Sokolov (Why Don’t You Die!) masterfully helms the chaos from a script he co-wrote with Alex Litvak (Predators). Bringing extra horror pedigree to the table, IT director Andy Muschietti produces the film alongside Barbara Muschietti

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jun 15, 2026

Does ‘Kraken’ Sink or Swim: A Spoiler Free Review

Norway has already mastered the art of the rampaging mountain troll and the claustrophobic tunnel collapse. Now, it is setting its sights on the coastline. Kraken, the latest creature feature from the land of the midnight sun, is officially headed your way. The verdict? Some Scandinavian legends are better left rotting at the absolute bottom of a fjord. If you are looking for a visceral addition to the “Nature Strikes Back” subgenre, Samuel Goldwyn Films is handling the distribution to ensure this beast gets the showcase it deserves. Kraken hits select theaters and digital on June 12. Just make sure you know what kind of cruise you are booking before you buy a ticket. Something Fishy in the Fjord The eco-horror trouble starts, as it so often does, with the seafood. When wild salmon begin exhibiting “unnatural behavior”—which, in horror movie terms, is the universal signal to sell your boat and move to Nebraska—inexplicable deaths begin piling up in Norway’s

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jun 12, 2026

You get what you paid for… Game Review of ‘Bellwright’

Donkey Crew, in partnership with Snail Games USA, today launched the console port of their medieval survival RPG, Bellwright. I’m grateful for the reviewing opportunity, but unfortunately, I was disappointed. This is surprising as the game seemed to be well-liked on STEAM, and if there’s a group of gamers who like to complain more about the slightest thing, it’s PC gamers. In Bellwright, players can make their own character and set out to start their own village/community in their realm, that’s now become quite hostile. That’s pretty much what I can figure out, as one of the first issues I have with this game comes up. You’re just dropped into the game, no introduction, no exposition, just start the game and figure out the controls right off the bat, as there’s no tutorial (even though I selected in the options to have it). Once I figured out how to play, I started my mission…and got stuck, as in soft locked.

Continue reading →
Daniel S. Liuzzi
Jun 10, 2026

Spoiler Free Review: The Furious is THE Absolute Martial Arts Masterpiece of the Summer!

Let’s face it: modern action movies can be a dime a dozen. Too often, we get stuck with the same recycled plots, shaky camerawork, and scripts that rely on explosions to hide terrible acting. But every once in a while, a cinematic lightning bolt strikes. An action thriller arrives that not only delivers a truckload of bone-snapping ass-kicking, but also a story with a massive, beating heart. That is exactly what we are getting with director Kenji Tanigaki’s ultra-violent masterpiece, The Furious, punching its way into theaters on June 12, 2026. Two Broken Men, One Relentless Mission The film follows two desperate men on a collision course with a brutal criminal empire. First, there’s Wang Wei (played by the phenomenal Xie Miao), an ordinary tradesman desperately searching for his young daughter after human traffickers take her. When the corrupt local police give him the cold shoulder, he takes matters into his own hands. Along the way, he allies with Navin

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jun 9, 2026

Spoiler-Free Movie Review: ‘Psycho Killer’ is a Must-Stream for Slasher Fans

Let’s be entirely honest. Going into a movie titled Psycho Killer, it is easy to keep your expectations low. The genre is absolutely drowning in low-effort slasher clones recycling the same tired tropes we’ve been watching since the 1980s. But every once in a while, a movie comes along, ignores the standard playbook, and delivers a beautifully mean, incredibly fresh take on the formula. Psycho Killer is exactly that—a bloody, high-body-count masterclass that gives us a compelling hero, a genuinely interesting narrative, and a mountain of dread. A High-Body-Count Heartbreaker Without veering into spoiler territory—because you genuinely need to experience the final act of this film for yourself—let’s make one thing clear: if you are looking for a neat, comfortable, happy ending, change the channel right now. The script trades in a very specific kind of blood-drenched heartache. Instead of treating its victims like simple fodder for the next kill sequence, the film injects a real sense of emotional weight

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jun 9, 2026

Spoiler-Free Review: Recluse (Tribeca Festival 2026)

Official Synopsis After being summoned back to her childhood home to care for her bedridden father, Joan must confront the unearthed demons of her family’s past and contend with the home’s dark, malevolent energy that is both unseen and, much to her horror, seen. Review Horror films involving protagonists working closely with sound are practically becoming a subgenre in the fright-fare field recently — Rabbit Trap and Undertone, for example. The latest entry is writer/director/composer Henry Chaisson’s Recluse, a gothic chiller drenched in dread. When will horror film protagonists learn not to return to their childhood homes when estranged parents suffer health issues or die? Hopefully never, if the resulting tales are as intriguing as Recluse. Joan (Sasha Frolova), a sound recordist in the film industry does just that when her father, acclaimed but highly troubled painter Lawrence (Xander Berkeley) —who evidently was no stranger to the dark arts — is badly burned in a fire. Housekeeper to the expansive

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jun 8, 2026

Spoiler-Free Reviews: Grind and Friday the 69th (Portland Horror Film Festival)

Grind Official synopsis This horror anthology tackles the modern work landscape through four timely perspectives – a woman caught in a pyramid scheme, a delivery driver, a content moderator and a crew trying to unionize at a very familiar coffee shop. Review Brea Grant, Ed Dougherty, and Chelsea Stardust team up to codirect the workplace horror comedy anthology Grind (U.S., 2026). A mysterious packing warehouse, an online sales plan for leggings that comes with deadly consequences for not meeting sales quotas, a time loop that finds a food delivery gig worker in a huge mess, a content moderation job that features twisted images, and a corporate plot to overthrow unionizing baristas all feature in this scathing satire on the modern American economy and its effects on lower-level employees. Genre-film legend Barbara Crampton and comic actor Rob Huebel provide quality veteran performances as the head honchos behind evil empire DRGN. Many people will find the work situations uncomfortably highly relatable and

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jun 8, 2026

Spoiler-Free Review: Turn It Up! (Tribeca Festival 2026)

Official Synopsis An indie rock band struggling to make its mark finds a possible meal ticket in an infectious new guitar riff. Unfortunately, it’s also a cursed melody that just so happens to open a portal to another, much scarier dimension. Review Writer/director Sam Scott mashes up horror elements, weird science, and razor-sharp comedy in the Canadian feature Turn It Up!. The result is a fun, frenetic film that boasts some cool rock numbers to accompany its frenzied goings-on. Alternative rock group members AC (Justine Nelson), Berg (Jonathan Craig), Court (Gwenlyn Cumyn), and Russ (Xavier Lopez) are doing the unsigned band grind when a song that may or may not be called “The Odyssey” — depending on which member you talk to — catches the attention of famous manager Miss Vee (Liv Collins). She promises them their way to a big break, but this being a genre film, naturally she has ulterior motives. Scott delivers a nice twist on the

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jun 8, 2026

More from Reviews

Spoiler-Free Reviews: MARGINALIA and BURNT FLOWERS (GenreBlast 2025) 

MARGINALIA (U.S., 2025) Official synopsis: Summoned to Karnstein Abbey to serve as a mourner at the funeral of their recently deceased abbess, Sister Trista discovers a dark secret involving demons, witchcraft and killer rabbits. But Sister Trista has a secret of her own. Nunsploitation, a Hammer Films’ horror vibe, and the retro charm and surreal qualities of filmmaker Guy Maddin’s work: Writer/director/editor/cinematographer Mark Beal’s beautifully bizarre Marginalia has all this and more. This black-and-white supernatural feature will win cinephiles over with its atmosphere to spare, which includes impressive practical effects work, cool stop-motion creatures, and wonderful medieval set design, costumes, and illustrations. Composer Alexander Hellonious’s evocative score fits the proceedings perfectly. Beal kicks things off right away with one of the most imaginative demises you’re likely to see this year. The cast members do a fine job with their committed performances, led by Jessica Bell as Sister Trista. Beal does assured work at the helm, and as he did with

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jun 18, 2026

Movie Review: Get the Gloriously Gross 20th Anniversary Steelbook of James Gunn’s ‘Slither’ Now!

Most people hear the name James Gunn and think Guardians of the Galaxy or his shiny new Superman movie. Not me. When I hear his name, my mind immediately goes to the gutter—specifically to Slither, his 2006 masterpiece of sci-fi slime that helped turn him into the cinematic mastermind he is today. So, the second I heard about the glorious new 20th Anniversary 4K Steelbook, I threw my wallet at the screen. Let’s say it did not disappoint. Slimey Tentacle Aliens If you’ve never experienced this beautiful disaster, the story is a classic “alien parasite meets the backwoods” nightmare. A space rock lands in a sleepy town. Then a local businessman is transformed into a walking tentacled biological hazard as the alien begins a messy mission to consume every living thing on Earth. It’s up to the town’s delightfully dry-witted Sheriff (Nathan Fillion, delivering peak Fillion) and a resilient local wife of the victim (Elizabeth Banks) to stop the infestation

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jun 16, 2026

Movie Review: “They Will Kill You” Is an Action-packed, Blood-Drenched Must-See – Stream It Now!

They Will Kill You—the raucous, blood-soaked action-horror-comedy that transforms a Manhattan high-rise into a literal house of the damned. If you’re a genre fan who lives for a perfect blend of laugh-out-loud humor and John Wick-style stunts, lock this in right now: this movie is an absolute must-watch. Zazi Beetz (Deadpool 2) stars as Asia, a woman who thinks she’s struck gold with a standard New York City apartment at “The Virgil.” Instead, she quickly uncovers that her gorgeous high-rise is actually a demonic death trap operating as a temple to Satan. To survive the night, Asia is forced to wage an absolute war against a gauntlet of robed zealots through corridors drenched in blood. And an onslaught of fights and supernatural twists. Director Kirill Sokolov (Why Don’t You Die!) masterfully helms the chaos from a script he co-wrote with Alex Litvak (Predators). Bringing extra horror pedigree to the table, IT director Andy Muschietti produces the film alongside Barbara Muschietti

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jun 15, 2026

Does ‘Kraken’ Sink or Swim: A Spoiler Free Review

Norway has already mastered the art of the rampaging mountain troll and the claustrophobic tunnel collapse. Now, it is setting its sights on the coastline. Kraken, the latest creature feature from the land of the midnight sun, is officially headed your way. The verdict? Some Scandinavian legends are better left rotting at the absolute bottom of a fjord. If you are looking for a visceral addition to the “Nature Strikes Back” subgenre, Samuel Goldwyn Films is handling the distribution to ensure this beast gets the showcase it deserves. Kraken hits select theaters and digital on June 12. Just make sure you know what kind of cruise you are booking before you buy a ticket. Something Fishy in the Fjord The eco-horror trouble starts, as it so often does, with the seafood. When wild salmon begin exhibiting “unnatural behavior”—which, in horror movie terms, is the universal signal to sell your boat and move to Nebraska—inexplicable deaths begin piling up in Norway’s

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jun 12, 2026

You get what you paid for… Game Review of ‘Bellwright’

Donkey Crew, in partnership with Snail Games USA, today launched the console port of their medieval survival RPG, Bellwright. I’m grateful for the reviewing opportunity, but unfortunately, I was disappointed. This is surprising as the game seemed to be well-liked on STEAM, and if there’s a group of gamers who like to complain more about the slightest thing, it’s PC gamers. In Bellwright, players can make their own character and set out to start their own village/community in their realm, that’s now become quite hostile. That’s pretty much what I can figure out, as one of the first issues I have with this game comes up. You’re just dropped into the game, no introduction, no exposition, just start the game and figure out the controls right off the bat, as there’s no tutorial (even though I selected in the options to have it). Once I figured out how to play, I started my mission…and got stuck, as in soft locked.

Continue reading →
Daniel S. Liuzzi
Jun 10, 2026

Spoiler Free Review: The Furious is THE Absolute Martial Arts Masterpiece of the Summer!

Let’s face it: modern action movies can be a dime a dozen. Too often, we get stuck with the same recycled plots, shaky camerawork, and scripts that rely on explosions to hide terrible acting. But every once in a while, a cinematic lightning bolt strikes. An action thriller arrives that not only delivers a truckload of bone-snapping ass-kicking, but also a story with a massive, beating heart. That is exactly what we are getting with director Kenji Tanigaki’s ultra-violent masterpiece, The Furious, punching its way into theaters on June 12, 2026. Two Broken Men, One Relentless Mission The film follows two desperate men on a collision course with a brutal criminal empire. First, there’s Wang Wei (played by the phenomenal Xie Miao), an ordinary tradesman desperately searching for his young daughter after human traffickers take her. When the corrupt local police give him the cold shoulder, he takes matters into his own hands. Along the way, he allies with Navin

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jun 9, 2026

Spoiler-Free Movie Review: ‘Psycho Killer’ is a Must-Stream for Slasher Fans

Let’s be entirely honest. Going into a movie titled Psycho Killer, it is easy to keep your expectations low. The genre is absolutely drowning in low-effort slasher clones recycling the same tired tropes we’ve been watching since the 1980s. But every once in a while, a movie comes along, ignores the standard playbook, and delivers a beautifully mean, incredibly fresh take on the formula. Psycho Killer is exactly that—a bloody, high-body-count masterclass that gives us a compelling hero, a genuinely interesting narrative, and a mountain of dread. A High-Body-Count Heartbreaker Without veering into spoiler territory—because you genuinely need to experience the final act of this film for yourself—let’s make one thing clear: if you are looking for a neat, comfortable, happy ending, change the channel right now. The script trades in a very specific kind of blood-drenched heartache. Instead of treating its victims like simple fodder for the next kill sequence, the film injects a real sense of emotional weight

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jun 9, 2026

Spoiler-Free Review: Recluse (Tribeca Festival 2026)

Official Synopsis After being summoned back to her childhood home to care for her bedridden father, Joan must confront the unearthed demons of her family’s past and contend with the home’s dark, malevolent energy that is both unseen and, much to her horror, seen. Review Horror films involving protagonists working closely with sound are practically becoming a subgenre in the fright-fare field recently — Rabbit Trap and Undertone, for example. The latest entry is writer/director/composer Henry Chaisson’s Recluse, a gothic chiller drenched in dread. When will horror film protagonists learn not to return to their childhood homes when estranged parents suffer health issues or die? Hopefully never, if the resulting tales are as intriguing as Recluse. Joan (Sasha Frolova), a sound recordist in the film industry does just that when her father, acclaimed but highly troubled painter Lawrence (Xander Berkeley) —who evidently was no stranger to the dark arts — is badly burned in a fire. Housekeeper to the expansive

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jun 8, 2026

Spoiler-Free Reviews: Grind and Friday the 69th (Portland Horror Film Festival)

Grind Official synopsis This horror anthology tackles the modern work landscape through four timely perspectives – a woman caught in a pyramid scheme, a delivery driver, a content moderator and a crew trying to unionize at a very familiar coffee shop. Review Brea Grant, Ed Dougherty, and Chelsea Stardust team up to codirect the workplace horror comedy anthology Grind (U.S., 2026). A mysterious packing warehouse, an online sales plan for leggings that comes with deadly consequences for not meeting sales quotas, a time loop that finds a food delivery gig worker in a huge mess, a content moderation job that features twisted images, and a corporate plot to overthrow unionizing baristas all feature in this scathing satire on the modern American economy and its effects on lower-level employees. Genre-film legend Barbara Crampton and comic actor Rob Huebel provide quality veteran performances as the head honchos behind evil empire DRGN. Many people will find the work situations uncomfortably highly relatable and

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jun 8, 2026

Spoiler-Free Review: Turn It Up! (Tribeca Festival 2026)

Official Synopsis An indie rock band struggling to make its mark finds a possible meal ticket in an infectious new guitar riff. Unfortunately, it’s also a cursed melody that just so happens to open a portal to another, much scarier dimension. Review Writer/director Sam Scott mashes up horror elements, weird science, and razor-sharp comedy in the Canadian feature Turn It Up!. The result is a fun, frenetic film that boasts some cool rock numbers to accompany its frenzied goings-on. Alternative rock group members AC (Justine Nelson), Berg (Jonathan Craig), Court (Gwenlyn Cumyn), and Russ (Xavier Lopez) are doing the unsigned band grind when a song that may or may not be called “The Odyssey” — depending on which member you talk to — catches the attention of famous manager Miss Vee (Liv Collins). She promises them their way to a big break, but this being a genre film, naturally she has ulterior motives. Scott delivers a nice twist on the

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jun 8, 2026
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