Hell to Pay: Diablo (2025) Review

Director: Ernesto Díaz Espinoza

Notable Cast: Scott Adkins, Marko Zaror, Alanna de la Rosa, Diana Hoyos, Lucho Velasco

At this point, if you wanted to add Scott Adkins or Marko Zaror to any film, I’m there. Put both of them in? Well, shake me down and steal my lunch money, cause you can have it. Watching these two duke it out cinematically on screen since Undisputed III might be one of the best things in action cinema in the last 15 years (even when they don’t fight but share the same film like in John Wick 4). For their latest film, Diablo, Zaror is bringing along long-time director and collaborator Ernesto Díaz Espinoza (notable for Redeemer and Fist of the Condor), and the results are as smashingly high-octane as one would hope. 

Fantasia Fest: Mother of Flies (2025) Review

 Directors: John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser

Notable Cast: Zelda Adams, Toby Poser, John Adams, Lulu Adams

NOTE: This film will be coming to Shudder in 2026.

The Adams Family has made a name for themselves over the past decade in the horror community. The core four have gathered once more to collaborate on their tenth feature together (if I'm not mistaken on that number), and this marks their 6th horror film together as a collective. I have yet to explore their works before The Hatred (2018), but I have been a fan ever since I picked up that double-bill home video release that Arrow put out with that and The Deeper You Dig (2019), which ended up being the film that got a lot of eyes on them at Fantasia Fest that year. They've since made a plethora of films, and I believe this is their 4th time taking the stage at the big genre festival. They have quite a rapport with many folks, including myself, but there is no denying their handcrafted, DIY, and very punk style of filmmaking, which just seems to get stronger and more creative each year. They sort of detoured a bit with last year's Hell Hole, which had more of a "bigger", perhaps even mainstream appeal. I liked it more than most seemed to. Still, I will say that their woodsy, sort of spiritualistic style of storytelling and narrative crafting shifted into a more streamlined, albeit gooey and absolutely wild creature feature. For the most part, it worked. They did an episode of the show Tales from the Void, and now have two features coming soon to the world. One, called Slug (if memory serves), will be the next one, and today's film to discuss is Mother of Flies, which marks a very strong return to form for the family.

Soul of an Assassin: Ghost Killer (2025) Review

Director: Kensuke Sonomura

Notable Cast: Akari Takaishi, Mario Kuroba, Masanori Mimoto, Ayaka Higashino, Hidenobu Abera, Naoto Kuratomi

 

When the opening sequence unveils itself to have Masanori Mimoto fighting off assassins armed with knives in an alley, humming along to a synthwave score, punctuated by hyper-grounded and lightning-fast choreography, you know that you’re in good hands with Ghost Killer. The latest low-budget, highly executed martial arts actioner from director and choreographer Kensuke Sonomura, his third as a director, follows suit with his previous films. 

 

Both Hydra and Bad City were gems to be discovered, and while Ghost Killer does play slightly into some new realms, it’s another raucous slice of martial arts film that will have both his fans and newcomers hooked into his style. It’s quirky and offbeat in its concept and performances, but never hesitates to deliver those brutal beat-downs and jaw-dropping kung fu choreography that people have come to expect from his material.         

Simply put, it’s another borderline masterpiece to add to his already impressive resume.