There’s something depressingly relatable in seeing art about housing crises from other countries as it’s something that hits people so personally, knowing that we’re not alone. The sad part is obviously that it’s happening at all, with little social security, and this is the feeling that dominates The Tenants – […]
Mike Leitch
The Beast Within (Fantasia 2024) Familial and Familiar Take on Werewolf Legend (Review)
There’s no attempt to hide what the titular Beast Within is in Alexander J. Farrell’s first horror feature (co-written with Greer Taylor Ellison), which opens with the quote “There are two wolves inside all of us … they’re always at war”, followed by the classic “lone person killed by monster” […]
Lisa Frankenstein (2024): Quirky Throwback Comedy Horror Lacks Spark (Review)
Fifteen years after the release of Jennifer’s Body, now firmly considered a cult horror hit, Diablo Cody makes a highly anticipated return to the genre. Interestingly, it is also her return to teen centred horror even though it feels closer to noughties teen life than teens today. Its retro eighties […]
Freaks vs the Reich (2021) Delightful High Concept Fantastical Adventure (Review)
After being shown around festivals (including Glasgow Frightfest in 2022), under its original title ‘Freaks Out’, Freaks vs the Reich has finally been released in the UK. Changing the title to something more eye-catching and B-movie like means the film is more likely to reach a wider audience. It can […]
The Almond and the Seahorse (2024): Low-key and Earnest Disability Drama (Review)
Stage to screen adaptations can be a mixed bag, either by playing it too safe with a stripped-back aesthetic that makes the film essentially a recording of a stage show, or by pushing too far with camera trickery and story expansion that means the strengths of the play are lost […]
You’ll Never Find Me (2024): Visually Ambitious Slow-Burn Aussie Horror (Review)
After receiving a lot of buzz from festival circuit, You’ll Never Find Me, the debut feature from Josiah Allen and Indianna Bell arrives on Shudder. It’s a natural home for an indie horror with big ambitions and promising great things in the future for the directing duo. Set almost entirely […]
Possessor (2020): Prestige Treatment for Gory Modern Classic (Review)
Hearing Brandon Cronenberg and various crew members discuss the production process of Possessor across the numerous features on this release, it is a miracle that the film got made and that the final result is so memorably weird and unique. Its release in 2020 during the height of Covid lockdowns […]
Doctor Jekyll (2023): Entertaining Reinterpretation of Classic Story (Review)
The world premiere of Doctor Jekyll at Frightfest 2023 (which I was able to attend) began with director Joe Stephenson announcing he was about to go into a meeting to find out whether Hammer would still be producers on the movie. By the end of the screening, it was confirmed […]
7 Keys (SXSW 2024): Stylish Execution of High Concept British Thriller (Review)
Receiving its world premiere at SXSW, Joy Wilkinson makes her feature film debut as writer and director with 7 Keys, having found success in theatre, television, and radio. Immediately, she shows confidence in executing her vision with the opening shots of houses and flats around London, each one tinged with […]
Custom (2024): Sexual Power Dynamics Blurred in Unsettling Debut (Glasgow Frightfest 2024)(Review)
With a tantalising teaser played during last year’s London Frightfest, Tiago Teixeira’s feature debut Custom makes its world premiere at the Glasgow edition. It centres on Harriet (Abigail Hardingham, also an associate producer) and Jasper (Rowan Polonski), a couple who have struggled to get success with their art and have […]
