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Movie Review: ‘Vicious,’ Starring Dakota Fanning, is a Streaming Must-See!

While scrolling through Paramount+ for a late-night horror fix, I stumbled across Vicious. I originally reported on it when it was first announced in 2025. In a sea of hundreds of horror releases across 2025 and 2026, it had temporarily slipped off my radar. But the second I hit play, I was instantly reminded of why this project caught my attention in the first place. Vicious boasts what may be the most accurate title in recent horror history, delivering a relentless, bone-chilling experience that lives up to every letter of its name. Bryan Bertino Delivers Pure Unfiltered Suspense Behind the camera is director Bryan Bertino. He’s the modern master of dread who previously terrified audiences with The Strangers and The Dark and the Wicked. Bertino once again proves why he is a force to be reckoned with in the genre. He crafts a claustrophobic narrative that builds unbearable tension from the very opening scene. His signature ability to turn ordinary,

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Oct 2, 2026

Game Review: ‘Gears of War E-Day’

For a long time, I’ve been a Gear-Head, no, not talking about cars. I’m talking about Gears of War, baby! The grittiest tactical third-person shooter I’ve ever played by The Coalition. I love the series and the story, but one topic is always brought up in the games… Emergence Day. The dark day in Sera’s history when, globally, threats from underground began to emerge. Now, after so long, we can finally experience E-Day for ourselves in Gears of War E-Day. I want to give a massive thank you to Xbox for providing me the chance to experience E-Day early! Gears of War E-Day puts players back in the large COG Boots of Marcus Fenix, who, while trying to celebrate the life of a fallen comrade, is forced to take up the fight against the Locust horde that is emerging from underground. Now, onto the game itself! For returning Gears fans, the controls may be slightly different than what we’re used

Continue reading →
Daniel S. Liuzzi
Oct 2, 2026

Spoiler-Free Review: Bloody Tennis

Official synopsis Follows Sophie, who is admitted to an elite tennis academy hidden in the South of Europe, where she must contend with fierce competition and the school’s increasingly sinister undercurrents.  Review Writer/director Nikias Chryssos’s Bloody Tennis (Germany, 2026) feels far closer to pastiche of Suspiria than mere homage. This is obvious as soon as American tennis player Sophie (Sandra Guldberg Kampp) steps foot on the European tennis school campus for elite players and meets school director Mary (Elina Löwensohn). Mary gives off “evil leader” vibes right off the bat, and the Suspiria parallels have only just begun. Suspiria isn’t the only fear-fare film that Bloody Tennis apes. The  film also borrows heavily and frequently from Eurohorror of the seventies and eighties, with Hostel-like vibes from early 2000s torture shockers also thrown in for good measure. A big problem here is that viewers are not given anyone to root for. Sophie is the protagonist — at least for a while

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Oct 2, 2026

Spoiler-Free Review: Child

Official synopsis To save their dying son, a father follows his wife into a mysterious journey where the promise of life slowly reveals the monstrous depths of a parent’s love.  Review Avoid spoilers, dear readers, and go into director Cyrus Neshvad’s chilling Child (Luxembourg, 2026) as cold as possible. This thriller with horror elements had me captivated the entire time, building from tense, dramatic suspense from the outset to a jaw-dropping third act full of unexpected shocks. Anne (Brigitte Urhausen) and her physician husband Greg (Mailk Zidi) are a highly troubled couple whose young son is hours away from dying if he doesn’t get an organ transplant. Anne blames Greg for their son’s situation, making their drive from their home city in Luxembourg to a remote rural location in another country to pick up the needed organ a dreadful one.  Once they arrive at the destination, matters become ugly and dangerous right away. But this is only the first act,

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Oct 2, 2026

‘Hallowarrior’ Review: Strong Performances Salvage a Flawed Post-Apocalyptic Thriller

Post-apocalyptic warfare meets seasonal horror in Hallowarrior. An energetic, high-octane thriller that turns Halloween nostalgia into a bloody fight for survival. The film marks the feature directorial debut of Ben Sottak. He also produced alongside Emmajane Hoffman under the Strange Eons banner, with The Spitting Image and The Dazey Phase. Pitting a solitary survivor against a ruthless band of raiders, the feature serves up an engaging blend of wasteland action, profound isolation, and seasonal mayhem. It’s time for our Hallowarrior review; let’s get into it. Milly Shapiro Anchors a Gripping Story of Isolation and Warfare At the center of the carnage is Milly Shapiro (Hereditary). She delivers a tour-de-force performance as Pumpkin, a young woman navigating a desolate, post-plague Earth. Believing she is the last living human, Pumpkin spends Halloween scavenging for supplies to celebrate her favorite holiday in solitude. Shapiro effortlessly captures her character’s emotional arc. She conveys the horror and sadness of true isolation. She transforms from an

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Oct 1, 2026

Game Review: ‘End of Abyss’

If Little Nightmares and Dead Space had a baby, it would be Section 9’s End of Abyss, hands down. Over time, I’ve become not-so-much of a fan of top-down games, but this one has won me over. I want to thank Section 9 and Epic Games for the review opportunity and for restoring my faith in top-down games. End of Abyss is a top-down atmospheric dark sci-fi action-adventure where you play as Cel, a combat technician sent deep into an underground facility to uncover what’s happened to those inside and what’s trying to reach her. Now, onto the game itself! The controls for End of Abyss will take a little getting used to, but after a little time, you’ll get used to them. Headphones are a must for this, as they’ll help immerse yourself into the dark world the story is taking you into, along with helping you hear what’s crawling in the dark… There is no true “spoken dialogue,” as the

Continue reading →
Daniel S. Liuzzi
Sep 30, 2026

Sensation Over Substance: Ryan Murphy Fails with Monster: Lizzie Borden

The fourth installment of Ryan Murphy’s true-crime anthology has arrived with “Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story.” And true to form, historical fidelity takes a back seat to grand cinematic spectacle. Rather than delivering a grounded exploration of the infamous 1892 Fall River ax murders, Murphy opts for sensationalized drama, exaggerated psychosexual tropes, and timeline manipulation. While long-time viewers of the franchise have come to expect artistic license over forensic accuracy, the sheer volume of historical liberties taken in this season creates a vast divide between the real-life figures and their screen counterparts. The Real Lizzie Borden vs. Murphy’s Caricature The most glaring departure in the series lies in the characterization of Lizzie Borden herself. Murphy frames Lizzie as an isolated, bumbling, and deeply bizarre outcast who spends her days lurking in the family parlor. The historical record paints a drastically different picture. The real Lizzie was an active, well-regarded member of her community. She served in local social clubs, held

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Sep 29, 2026

‘Deathgasm II: Goremageddon’ Swaps Heart and Humor for Unrelenting Splatter

The long-awaited sequel to 2015’s cult horror-comedy hit Deathgasm has finally made its way to theaters and digital platforms. After a high-profile festival run featuring stops at Fantastic Fest, Sitges, BIFAN, and Fantaspoa, Deathgasm II: Goremageddon promises fans a return to the heavy metal demon apocalypse. However, while the original film struck a satisfying balance between endearing underdog humor, headbanging metal anthems, and creative practical gore, this second offering trades much of its charming heart for pure, unadulterated nastiness. Resurrecting the Band for One Last Battle Years after surviving the original film’s bloodbath, Brodie (Milo Cawthorne) finds himself washed up, broke, and rotting in small-town purgatory. A desperate lifeline appears when the legendary NoizeQuest battle-of-the-bands competition rolls into town. It offers Brodie a chance at redemption and a shot at winning back his former love, Medina (Kimberley Crossman). The catch? His drummer is missing an arm, and the rest of his bandmates are completely dead. Armed with lingering pages from

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Sep 29, 2026

Spoiler-Free Review: Never After Dark

Official synopsis Never After Dark follows Airi (Hoshi), a wandering medium who spends her life guiding restless spirits out of the world of the living. Summoned to an isolated country house, she comes face to face with a grotesque apparition with powers that defy Airi’s experience. As she digs deeper into the house’s past, a secret comes to light — and Airi finds herself hunted by a far more unpredictable force. For the first time, her greatest adversary is not the supernatural, but the living.  Review I’ve been waiting to see writer/director Dave Boyle’s Never After Dark since its film festival debut. Alas, my festival viewing dates and the film never matched up, but now that it is on its wide release, I finally had the opportunity to watch . . . and the wait was more than worth it. Never After Dark is the type of fear-fare feature that I don’t want to spoil in any way, because going

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Sep 28, 2026

Spoiler-Free Reviews: Welcome to Dolly’s House and Attack on Paradise (Fantastic Fest 2026) 

Welcome to Dolly’s House (Taiwan, 2026) Official synopsis Maria stumbles into a surreal trap after she finds a video of a girl running from a mysterious woman and is drawn to an eerie, mind bending mansion. Fantasy-horror animation inspired by the classic literary anthology Taiping Guanji.   Review Codirectors Rady Fu, Tree Muta, and Seven Ych have crafted an intriguing rotoscoped fear-fare animation feature in Welcome to Dolly’s House. The story follows young online influencer Maria as she and her deceitful boyfriend try to uncover the mystery of the woman named Dolly who appears in a video where a young girl suddenly vanishes into thin air.  The animation is absolutely gorgeous and is reason enough to recommend this supernatural offering, but the third act is also a strong reason to seek out this film, as it goes into quite unexpected territory.  Aficionados of creepy-doll horror should especially find Welcome to Dolly’s House an engaging watch. It’s a colorful, trippy, eye-popping experience.

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Sep 25, 2026

More from Reviews

Movie Review: ‘Vicious,’ Starring Dakota Fanning, is a Streaming Must-See!

While scrolling through Paramount+ for a late-night horror fix, I stumbled across Vicious. I originally reported on it when it was first announced in 2025. In a sea of hundreds of horror releases across 2025 and 2026, it had temporarily slipped off my radar. But the second I hit play, I was instantly reminded of why this project caught my attention in the first place. Vicious boasts what may be the most accurate title in recent horror history, delivering a relentless, bone-chilling experience that lives up to every letter of its name. Bryan Bertino Delivers Pure Unfiltered Suspense Behind the camera is director Bryan Bertino. He’s the modern master of dread who previously terrified audiences with The Strangers and The Dark and the Wicked. Bertino once again proves why he is a force to be reckoned with in the genre. He crafts a claustrophobic narrative that builds unbearable tension from the very opening scene. His signature ability to turn ordinary,

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Oct 2, 2026

Game Review: ‘Gears of War E-Day’

For a long time, I’ve been a Gear-Head, no, not talking about cars. I’m talking about Gears of War, baby! The grittiest tactical third-person shooter I’ve ever played by The Coalition. I love the series and the story, but one topic is always brought up in the games… Emergence Day. The dark day in Sera’s history when, globally, threats from underground began to emerge. Now, after so long, we can finally experience E-Day for ourselves in Gears of War E-Day. I want to give a massive thank you to Xbox for providing me the chance to experience E-Day early! Gears of War E-Day puts players back in the large COG Boots of Marcus Fenix, who, while trying to celebrate the life of a fallen comrade, is forced to take up the fight against the Locust horde that is emerging from underground. Now, onto the game itself! For returning Gears fans, the controls may be slightly different than what we’re used

Continue reading →
Daniel S. Liuzzi
Oct 2, 2026

Spoiler-Free Review: Bloody Tennis

Official synopsis Follows Sophie, who is admitted to an elite tennis academy hidden in the South of Europe, where she must contend with fierce competition and the school’s increasingly sinister undercurrents.  Review Writer/director Nikias Chryssos’s Bloody Tennis (Germany, 2026) feels far closer to pastiche of Suspiria than mere homage. This is obvious as soon as American tennis player Sophie (Sandra Guldberg Kampp) steps foot on the European tennis school campus for elite players and meets school director Mary (Elina Löwensohn). Mary gives off “evil leader” vibes right off the bat, and the Suspiria parallels have only just begun. Suspiria isn’t the only fear-fare film that Bloody Tennis apes. The  film also borrows heavily and frequently from Eurohorror of the seventies and eighties, with Hostel-like vibes from early 2000s torture shockers also thrown in for good measure. A big problem here is that viewers are not given anyone to root for. Sophie is the protagonist — at least for a while

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Oct 2, 2026

Spoiler-Free Review: Child

Official synopsis To save their dying son, a father follows his wife into a mysterious journey where the promise of life slowly reveals the monstrous depths of a parent’s love.  Review Avoid spoilers, dear readers, and go into director Cyrus Neshvad’s chilling Child (Luxembourg, 2026) as cold as possible. This thriller with horror elements had me captivated the entire time, building from tense, dramatic suspense from the outset to a jaw-dropping third act full of unexpected shocks. Anne (Brigitte Urhausen) and her physician husband Greg (Mailk Zidi) are a highly troubled couple whose young son is hours away from dying if he doesn’t get an organ transplant. Anne blames Greg for their son’s situation, making their drive from their home city in Luxembourg to a remote rural location in another country to pick up the needed organ a dreadful one.  Once they arrive at the destination, matters become ugly and dangerous right away. But this is only the first act,

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Oct 2, 2026

‘Hallowarrior’ Review: Strong Performances Salvage a Flawed Post-Apocalyptic Thriller

Post-apocalyptic warfare meets seasonal horror in Hallowarrior. An energetic, high-octane thriller that turns Halloween nostalgia into a bloody fight for survival. The film marks the feature directorial debut of Ben Sottak. He also produced alongside Emmajane Hoffman under the Strange Eons banner, with The Spitting Image and The Dazey Phase. Pitting a solitary survivor against a ruthless band of raiders, the feature serves up an engaging blend of wasteland action, profound isolation, and seasonal mayhem. It’s time for our Hallowarrior review; let’s get into it. Milly Shapiro Anchors a Gripping Story of Isolation and Warfare At the center of the carnage is Milly Shapiro (Hereditary). She delivers a tour-de-force performance as Pumpkin, a young woman navigating a desolate, post-plague Earth. Believing she is the last living human, Pumpkin spends Halloween scavenging for supplies to celebrate her favorite holiday in solitude. Shapiro effortlessly captures her character’s emotional arc. She conveys the horror and sadness of true isolation. She transforms from an

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Oct 1, 2026

Game Review: ‘End of Abyss’

If Little Nightmares and Dead Space had a baby, it would be Section 9’s End of Abyss, hands down. Over time, I’ve become not-so-much of a fan of top-down games, but this one has won me over. I want to thank Section 9 and Epic Games for the review opportunity and for restoring my faith in top-down games. End of Abyss is a top-down atmospheric dark sci-fi action-adventure where you play as Cel, a combat technician sent deep into an underground facility to uncover what’s happened to those inside and what’s trying to reach her. Now, onto the game itself! The controls for End of Abyss will take a little getting used to, but after a little time, you’ll get used to them. Headphones are a must for this, as they’ll help immerse yourself into the dark world the story is taking you into, along with helping you hear what’s crawling in the dark… There is no true “spoken dialogue,” as the

Continue reading →
Daniel S. Liuzzi
Sep 30, 2026

Sensation Over Substance: Ryan Murphy Fails with Monster: Lizzie Borden

The fourth installment of Ryan Murphy’s true-crime anthology has arrived with “Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story.” And true to form, historical fidelity takes a back seat to grand cinematic spectacle. Rather than delivering a grounded exploration of the infamous 1892 Fall River ax murders, Murphy opts for sensationalized drama, exaggerated psychosexual tropes, and timeline manipulation. While long-time viewers of the franchise have come to expect artistic license over forensic accuracy, the sheer volume of historical liberties taken in this season creates a vast divide between the real-life figures and their screen counterparts. The Real Lizzie Borden vs. Murphy’s Caricature The most glaring departure in the series lies in the characterization of Lizzie Borden herself. Murphy frames Lizzie as an isolated, bumbling, and deeply bizarre outcast who spends her days lurking in the family parlor. The historical record paints a drastically different picture. The real Lizzie was an active, well-regarded member of her community. She served in local social clubs, held

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Sep 29, 2026

‘Deathgasm II: Goremageddon’ Swaps Heart and Humor for Unrelenting Splatter

The long-awaited sequel to 2015’s cult horror-comedy hit Deathgasm has finally made its way to theaters and digital platforms. After a high-profile festival run featuring stops at Fantastic Fest, Sitges, BIFAN, and Fantaspoa, Deathgasm II: Goremageddon promises fans a return to the heavy metal demon apocalypse. However, while the original film struck a satisfying balance between endearing underdog humor, headbanging metal anthems, and creative practical gore, this second offering trades much of its charming heart for pure, unadulterated nastiness. Resurrecting the Band for One Last Battle Years after surviving the original film’s bloodbath, Brodie (Milo Cawthorne) finds himself washed up, broke, and rotting in small-town purgatory. A desperate lifeline appears when the legendary NoizeQuest battle-of-the-bands competition rolls into town. It offers Brodie a chance at redemption and a shot at winning back his former love, Medina (Kimberley Crossman). The catch? His drummer is missing an arm, and the rest of his bandmates are completely dead. Armed with lingering pages from

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Sep 29, 2026

Spoiler-Free Review: Never After Dark

Official synopsis Never After Dark follows Airi (Hoshi), a wandering medium who spends her life guiding restless spirits out of the world of the living. Summoned to an isolated country house, she comes face to face with a grotesque apparition with powers that defy Airi’s experience. As she digs deeper into the house’s past, a secret comes to light — and Airi finds herself hunted by a far more unpredictable force. For the first time, her greatest adversary is not the supernatural, but the living.  Review I’ve been waiting to see writer/director Dave Boyle’s Never After Dark since its film festival debut. Alas, my festival viewing dates and the film never matched up, but now that it is on its wide release, I finally had the opportunity to watch . . . and the wait was more than worth it. Never After Dark is the type of fear-fare feature that I don’t want to spoil in any way, because going

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Sep 28, 2026

Spoiler-Free Reviews: Welcome to Dolly’s House and Attack on Paradise (Fantastic Fest 2026) 

Welcome to Dolly’s House (Taiwan, 2026) Official synopsis Maria stumbles into a surreal trap after she finds a video of a girl running from a mysterious woman and is drawn to an eerie, mind bending mansion. Fantasy-horror animation inspired by the classic literary anthology Taiping Guanji.   Review Codirectors Rady Fu, Tree Muta, and Seven Ych have crafted an intriguing rotoscoped fear-fare animation feature in Welcome to Dolly’s House. The story follows young online influencer Maria as she and her deceitful boyfriend try to uncover the mystery of the woman named Dolly who appears in a video where a young girl suddenly vanishes into thin air.  The animation is absolutely gorgeous and is reason enough to recommend this supernatural offering, but the third act is also a strong reason to seek out this film, as it goes into quite unexpected territory.  Aficionados of creepy-doll horror should especially find Welcome to Dolly’s House an engaging watch. It’s a colorful, trippy, eye-popping experience.

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Sep 25, 2026
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