Locked and Unloaded: Ghost in the Cell (2026) Review

Director: Joko Anwar

Notable Cast: Abimana Aryasatya, Bront Palarae, Dimas Danang, Endy Arfian, Lukman Sardi, Mike Lucock, Yoga Pratama, Morgan Oey, Aming Sugandhi, Rio Dewanto, Tora Sudiro, Almanzo Konoralma, Kiki Narendra, Haydar Salishz, Arswendy Bening Swara

What makes Joko Anwar such a fascinating director is his dedication to pushing himself into new artistic territory. He’s mostly known for his horror output, sure, including the incredible Satan’s Slaves films and the opening sequence of Impetigore, which might be one of the scariest things you will ever watch, but he doesn’t stop there. Last year, Amazon supported him as he went for pure action in The Siege at Thorn High; he pulled a comedy with Joni’s Promise, and he even went for a more subtle romantic crime drama in A Copy of My Mind. Anwar isn't afraid to push himself into new territory, and I have mad respect for that. 

 

His latest, Ghost in the Cell, has him taking his horror chops and heaving them fully into comedic territory. With flashes of Sam Raimi influences, particularly Evil Dead 2 or Army of Darkness era, Anwar has written, directed, and edited a film that should absolutely create some new pathways for fans to discover his films. Ghost in the Cell is brutally violent, occasionally creepy, and wholly slapstick in how it approaches its characters and their outlandish situation. The mix is certainly energetic, popping in big moments, but it’s not nearly as finely tuned as one might hope to deliver the gags, both comedic and gore-induced.

 

Flesh and Fluids: Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (2026) Review

Director: Jane Schoenbrun 

Notable Cast: Hannah Einbinder, Gillian Anderson, Amanda Fix, Arthur Conti, Eva Victor, Zach Cherry, Sharah Sherman, Patrick Fishler, Dylan Baker, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Quintessa Swindell, Kevin McDonald, Jack Haven

 

Considering that there have been dozens of films that have deconstructed and analyzed the slasher genre, when director/writer Jane Schoenbrun decided to give their take on crafting a (somewhat) meta slasher, it was easy to jump on board. Jane has already crafted one hell of a career in just two prior feature-length films, the incredibly poignant We’re All Going to the World’s Fair and A24’s I Saw the TV Glow, and with their latest entry, the incredibly titled Teenage Sex and Death At Camp Miasma, certainly cements them as one of the brightest auteurs working in cinema. 

 

Teenage Sex and Death At Camp Miasma, which I will shorten for the sake of my arthritis to Camp Miasma (fitting considering how the movie treats its fictional franchise), continues some of the themes that Schoenbrun has baked into their material, but it manages to take the surrealistic stylings and expand them immensely. The result is a dynamic combination that wears its genre influences on its sleeve but still feels fresh and exciting in its approach to the material. It’s a film that has pure adoration for slashers and those who grew up with them, but it's also not afraid to address its flaws with thoughtful analysis and a delightful tongue firmly planted in cheek.

 

It’s not a stretch to imagine that Camp Miasma, at least to some degree, feels like Schoenbrun is continuing to interrogate their own feelings about how media consumption can be both problematic and enlightening. If We’re All Going to the World’s Fair is meant to interrogate how the internet is a double-edged sword for connection and I Saw the TV Glow intends to navigate the concepts around television fandom and identity, then this latest film wants to - as the title very blatantly indicates - contemplate how audiences use horror cinema as catharsis for feelings around sexuality and mortality. 

 

What better genre to discuss sex and death than a slasher, right?

 

A Stitch in Time: The Bride! (2026) Review

Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal

Notable Cast: Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Peter Sarsgaard, Penelope Cruz, Annette Bening, John Magaro, Jeannie Berlin, Jake Gyllenhaal

 

When the trailer for your film features the slogan “Here comes the motherfucking bride” in big bold letters, one might expect that audiences might be prepared for an audacious cinematic experience. The title ends with an exclamation mark. It’s not like it’s trying to necessarily hide the fact that it’s going to be a rather wild ride of a film. Yet, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s second feature-length film, The Bride!, was met with a lot of pearl-clutching and some dismissiveness from critics and audiences alike regarding its messy nature and the bold choices it makes in its writing, characters, design, and overall intentions. 

 

Well, if there’s one thing that I love in a movie, it’s audacity. Whether it works or not, I’ll take a film that swings for the fences and tries to throw its weight around. Given that the Frankenstein mythos, including The Bride of Frankenstein, has been adapted in one million ways for various audiences and with varying degrees of success, please give me something that, as a film, feels as scattered, sewn together, and fighting for life as its characters. To quote one of the iconic film critics, Joe Bob Briggs, “The only sin of a movie, in my opinion, is to be boring.” And The Bride! is certainly not that. Far from it. 

 

In fact, The Bride! might end up being one of the best films I’ve seen this year. It’s absolutely crafted with a sense of rage at the world, where a repeated phrase, “I would prefer not to,” becomes a war cry against expectations, social pressures, and a system built against you. Gyllenhaal takes the Bride of Frankenstein concept, updates it for the modern meta-textural era, and adds a lingering undercurrent of ‘fuck you’ to the conventions of storytelling and cinematic language. Yet, it still manages to feel humane with its characters and honest with its messages, and never feels like it's screaming just for the sake of screaming. There’s a heart beating in this monster, and just like its two leads, you might not always hear it because of what you see on the surface, but it's there nonetheless. 

 

Panic Fest 2026: Grind (2026) Review

Directors: Ed Dougherty, Brea Grant, Chelsea Stardust

Notable Cast: James Paxton, Christopher Rodriguez Marquette, Rob Huebel, James Urbaniak, Barbara Crampton, Vinny Thomas, Aubrey Shea, Courtney Pauroso, Ify Nwadiwe, Jessika Van, James A. Janisse, Sharlene Cruz, Jon Gabrus, Teri Gamble, Hannah Alline, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Anastasia Washington, Bries Vannon

 

Well, if you’re going to make a socio-political satire horror film, taking a shot at the gig economy is a great way to do it. In an age where satire is essentially dead, thanks to real-world events that could not possibly be any dumber, it’s nice to see a film like Grind succeed at being successfully funny and manage to be creatively empowered to have something to say while doing it. It helps that the talent in front of and behind the camera are working with the same spirit and tenacity to make it all work, but Grind manages to blend comedy and horror in some refreshingly fun and smart ways. Each story in this anthology has its own distinctive voice without betraying the film's overall intention, and the combination proves to be lethally hilarious. 

 

Panic Fest 2026: Frogman Returns (2026) Review

Director: Anthony Cousins

Notable Cast: Nathan Tymoshuk, Alexis Allotta, Natalie Tran, Chelsey Grant, C.Andrew Kogolenok, Brian Villalobos, Benny Barrett, Tom Ringberg, Karen Schovajsa

 

“Time to croak, bitch.” 

 

Despite the surprising amount of world-building that erupted in the third act of Frogman, I’m not sure I would have expected there to be a sequel. Yet, the film proved to be something of a massive cult hit, and when Frogman Returns was initially announced, I was pretty stoked. While the original certainly used the tropes and style of found-footage horror well, balancing comedy, horror, and exploitation into one slurpy stew, its third act went fully off the lily pad and straight into the deep end, with some wild ideas and wicked body horror. It’s the kind of film that comes with a built-in cult following. 

 

Frogman Returns follows in those leaps and hops with an eagerness to extend and deepen the insanity of Frogman’s world. Powered by some returning cast, a slightly meta approach to the original, and the pace of the Energizer Bunny on crack (is the Energizer Bunny even still a thing? Probably in Frogman’s world as a real cryptid), this sequel does go bigger, badder, and bolder with the ideas planted by its predecessor. And, don’t worry, the third act goes even more bizarre than expected. It’s insane and ‘ribbit-ing.’ You know, like riveting but for frogs. Or something. Sorry, I’ll show myself the door. 

 

Panic Fest 2026: Buffet Infinity (2026)

Director: Simon Glassman

Notable Cast: Kevin Singh, Claire Theobald, Donovan Workun

 

Much of modern storytelling, through whatever media you choose - whether it's book, TV, movie, or even the internet, is being built on nostalgia and meta-narratives. For many of us, remembering what something was like in the media from 20 or 30 years ago is ripe for analysis and exploitation. Releases like ‘legacy sequels’ or shows like Stranger Things aim to evoke nostalgia and meta commentary to sell their material. Remember how we felt about Star Wars? Or the old Steven Spielberg films? Remember when Rosanne was one of the best sitcoms on TV? Try out The Connors. You’ll feel the same. 

 

However, there’s a sect of artists out there who use these same tactics to weaponize those concepts against their viewers, creating intriguing slices of art. The Adult Swim segment Too Many Cooks used the opening credits of an early-90s sitcom to kick-start its own descent into unnerving territory. Watching that on my phone while riding on a train in the middle of the night certainly added to it, but there was a bold, artistic, and often satirical slant to it that left me unnerved. 

 

It’s been over a decade since I saw that segment, and this approach to undercutting nostalgic elements is only finding more footing. Take Buffet Infinity as the prime example of such. This instant cult classic uses local commercials as canvases to paint a narrative around the horrors of capitalism through a cosmic-horror lens. Yes, you read that right. Buffet Infinity is an entire film made of clips of fake commercials for small-town businesses, news segments, and infomercials. Yet, it’s incredibly poignant in its tone, sociopolitical commentary, and razor-sharp writing that it manages to be hilarious, sorrowful, and utterly terrifying - oftentimes within one moment. It’s fucking brilliant. 

 

Fangs For Everything: Night Patrol (2026) Review

Director: Ryan Prows

Notable Cast: Jermaine Fowler, Justin Long, RJ Cyler, Nicki Micheaux, Freddie Gibbs, Phil Brooks, Dermot Mulroney, YG, Flying Lotus

 

Watching Night Patrol made me realize something. Boy, do I really miss Tales from the Crypt. Not just the show, but there was a time in the 90s when the HBO horror series made the leap to the silver screen for a couple of films. (Do we count that third Tales from the Crypt movie, Ritual, that no one saw?) Watching the strange concoction that is Night Patrol gave me the vibes of when I saw Demon Knight some decades ago. The offbeat humor, the bold swings in lore-building, the use of fantastic character actors, and the ambitiously deranged social commentary just give off big Tales from the Crypt vibes. And, quite frankly, I am 100% here for it. 

 

Night Patrol is the kind of independent horror that ought to find a very dedicated audience with time. Not only does it encapsulate the era of its release, particularly in how it portrays police violence and a distinct arm of the law that seemingly operates with no limitations, but it also does so by creating its own world that runs parallel to our own. Ryan Prows’ second feature-length effort is so oddly satisfying in the threading of its tones and themes that it immediately cements itself as a cult classic - brutally punchy in its efforts, but so incredibly watchable nonetheless. 

 

Bullet Break Dancing: Baby Assassins 3 (2025)

Director: Yugo Sakamoto

Notable Cast: Akari Takaishi, Saori Izawa, Atomu Mizuishi, Tomo Nakai, Mondo Otani, Sosuke Ikematsu, Atsuko Maeda, Kaibashira, Karuma, Mr. Bunny, Satoshi Kibe

 

If there was ever an action franchise that I would watch for eternity, quality be damned, it’s definitely the Baby Assassins series. While I thoroughly enjoyed both of the first two entries into this strange mixture of slacker comedy and highly choreographed assassin action, this latest entry, Baby Assassins 3 (or Baby Assassins: Nice Days, as it was released in some markets), is perhaps the best of the lot. Not only does it continue to thread the needle with its two off-kilter genres mashed together, but there’s an extra layer of nuance and emotional payoff that lifts this above its predecessors. 

 

In preparation for this film, I rewatched the previous two entries over the course of a couple of weeks prior. It’s strange that for a series that has primarily been made by the same creatives, including writer/director Yugo Sakamoto (who also delivered the highly entertaining horror action hybrid Yellow Dragon’s Village), this one just feels so much more cinematic. Not only in its visual stylings, which grow more refined as the series goes on, but also in the writing. It’s a prime example of a case where the team behind this series is simply getting better at making these movies, despite never having had a misstep. 

Kickstart My Heart - Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc (2025) Review

Director: Tatsuya Yoshihara

Notable Cast: Kikunosuke Toya, Reina Ueda, Shiori Izawa, Tomori Kusunoki, Shogo Sakata, Fairouz Ai, Karin Takahashi, Natsuki Hanae, Yuuya Uchida, Maaya Uchida

 

The first season of the Chainsaw Man anime absolutely had me hook, line, and sinker. I was so taken by its strange tonal balances, cinematic moments, and the sheer lunacy of its violence and tragedies that I ended up purchasing every volume of the manga. And I purchase each new volume on day one of its release in the US. But the anime is now three years old, no season two has come, and the animation studio behind it seemed far more interested in other projects than continuing on with the sensational anime. 

 

Turns out, they were working on a theatrical film to continue the animated adaptation. Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc is perhaps a perfect distillation of everything fantastic about the Chainsaw Man anime. It’s a relatively tight package —a shorter story arc within the larger story — that distills all the tonal insanity, gory action, and emotional collateral damage of the series into an impressively crafted feature-length film that exemplifies the modern anime film. 

 

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. 

 

A Marvel-ous Superhero Journey: Hi-Five (2025) Review

Director: Kang Hyeong-cheol

Notable Cast: Yoo Ah-in,  Lee Jae-in, Ahn Jae-hong, Ra Mi-ran, Kim Hee-won, Oh Jung-se, Park Jin-young, Shin Goo

Before this review begins, I would like to express my admiration for Yoo Ah-in as a performer and my gratitude for his contributions to Korean cinema as a whole. I think he has made some of the most incredible performances the country has seen over the last decade, and I am beyond delighted to see him back on the screen once again. I will not get political here, but it is a shame to see him completely absent from the marketing of this film, and his lack of presence on even the poster is seen here. His character is absolutely hilarious, and he steals the show every time he is in frame, which thankfully, is quite often. With that out of the way, how is director Kang's latest comedic outing, this time being a superhero genre piece? It's absolutely fantastic, and I'm eager for everyone to see this one. If you love superhero movies in general and enjoy Kang's brand of extravagant humor, then this will be one you won't want to miss!

Get Stitches - Yadang: The Snitch (2025) Review

Director: Hwang Byeng-gug

Notable Cast: Kang Ha-neul, Yoo Hai-jin, Park Hae-jun, Ryu Kyung-soo, Chase Won-been, You Seong-joo, Kim Keum-soon, Lim Sung-kyun

 

Although South Korea continues to dominate the market for phenomenally great crime capers, that doesn’t mean that every film that makes it to the US will be a gut-punch of entertainment. 

 

On paper, Yadang: The Snitch sounds like it will rank right up there with some of the best crime caper blockbusters. It features a relatively stacked cast, slick action sequences, and one of those “keep ‘em guessing” narratives I thoroughly enjoy. To a certain degree, Yadang does have those aspects, and for many viewers, that’s enough to warrant a viewing and thorough enjoyment. Yet, the film is also bogged down by an unwieldy plot, tonal inconsistencies, and issues in some of its themes that undermine its overall experience. Take it for its charms and it’s a great time. Try to start digging a bit more, and the entire scheme tends to crumble a bit. 

 

Directors in Focus: Kim Sung-soo | Please Teach Me English (2003)

Director: Kim Sung-soo

Notable Cast: Lee Na-young, Jang Hyuk, Angela Kelly, Jeong Seok-yong, Na Moon-hee

From my understanding, Kim had gotten really deep into teaching film at University during this point in his career, and he made this film at that time. Why bring that up? I'm not sure. I think part of me is looking for a way to preface this write-up, knowing that the finished film is just not very good. Is Please Teach Me English a complete abomination to cinema? No, but it is certainly a stain on director Kim's otherwise pretty phenomenal filmography. People say even the greatest filmmakers can stumble, which is certainly the case here. While the film is fun and certainly doesn't take itself seriously whatsoever, it's this broad and over-the-top abrasive approach to the comedy that somehow both works in the film's favor and also as its very own downfall. This film certainly has garnered a fan base over the years and, in fact, was recently remastered and released on physical media once again in South Korea, so there is that. I will try my best to speak on the positive and negative aspects of this film, but I admit that I sometimes struggle to do so adequately, so bear with me.

...The Right Ones Will: Destroy All Neighbors (2024) Review

Director: Josh Forbes

Notable Cast: Jonah Ray, Kiran Deol, Randee Heller, Pete Ploszek, DeMorge Brown, Kosher the Pig, Jon Daly, Thomas Lennon, Ryan Kattner, Christian Calloway, Alex Winter, Kumail Nanjiani

 

Destroy All Neighbors is making a case for the oddest movie of the year, and its only January. Prog rocker William (Jonah Ray, Mystery Science Theatre 3000, Satanic Hispanics) bloodily stumbles through a Dickensian allegory for the creative process. Any horror fan takes note when they see a death or shocking sequence that they haven’t seen before, and this film had several that were true firsts for me and likely cinema as a whole.

Destroy All Neighbors’ strength lies in its writing, as noble and heady ideas of identity, success, and sacrifice grapple with surrealistic and slapstick executions. Writers Mike Benner (Bob’s Burgers), Jared Logan (The Late Late Show with James Corden), and Charles Pieper (Beyond the Dark) weave an impressively accessible picture of just how much an artist can struggle to finish their work, poking fun at actors, writers, and musicians in the process. You can feel the influence of Bob’s Burgers and the Late Late Show in the writing, and fans of these programs with stronger stomachs should choose to sample this horror comedy oddity.

Redcaps Paddy Whacks: Unwelcome (2023) Review

Director: Joe Wright

Notable Cast: Hannah John-Kamen, Douglas Booth, Jamie Lee O’Donnell, Chris Walley, Kristian Nairn, Colm Meaney, Niamh Cusack, Lalor Roddy

 

Having been a big fan of Grabbers, where drunkenness is the only way to fight off an alien invasion, my expectations for director Joe Wright’s latest horror comedy, Unwelcome, were reasonably high. To try and temper those expectations, I didn’t watch or dig into any of the promotional material for it and waited patiently for its release from our friends at Well Go USA. 

 

While the balance of horror and humor in Unwelcome isn’t nearly as good as the previously mentioned Grabbers, it is one of the year's more offbeat and fascinating films. Mainly because, when this bad boy is boiled down to its bones, it’s basically Straw Dogs that happens to have the Far Darrig (they are NOT leprechauns) in it. Throw in a dash of Raimi-inspired slapstick horror along with some Italian gothic pops and it is a combination that should be as entertaining as it is batshit insane. Yet, as the film progresses, it becomes apparent that the balance of tones, narrative buoyancy, and darker dramatic elements just cannot find their footing. 

 

Putting the Cult in Cult Cinema: Yellow Dragon's Village (2023) [Screambox Original]

Director: Yugo Sakamoto

Notable Cast: Atomu Mizuishi, Mayu Suzuki, Takuya Matsumoto, Yuni Akino, Zingi Umemoto, Rikiya Kaidou, Yu Yasuda, Wataru Ichinose, Itsuki Fuji, Masayuki Ino, Kenta Osaka

 

Never underestimate the DIY indie film industry either. Sure, the big leagues and studio films have the money and time to make some impressive feats of cinema, but sometimes the most interesting slices of celluloid are the ones found in the cracks of the system. Take Yellow Dragon’s Village for instance. The film looks to be made by its on and off-screen creative teams for roughly $100 and the promise of shots at the local bar at the end of each day, but there is such a freedom to its playfulness that immediately strikes. 

 

While the film might be listed as a horror, sometimes a drama, on various platforms, it is far more than that. Yellow Dragon’s Village is premiere-low budget filmmaking at its finest, delivering a coy sense of humor along with its genre-bending play on expectations in a way that sets up its audience for one thing and then batters them with another. It uses its serious filmmaking concepts and then promptly, more than once, throws them out the window for the sake of toying with its audience.

 

Debuting on the streaming service Screambox, it’s that horror tag that represents the initial expectations that Yellow Dragon’s Village is playing with. Director Yugo Sakamoto, the one-man do-it-yourself filmmaker who delivered two (!) fantastic action films last year with A Janitor and Baby Assassins, tackles the horror genre with a story that starts off like any classic horror film. A group of college-aged youths find themselves stranded in the forest. It’s only when they stumble upon the titular village, where the locals offer to help them out, that they uncover a cult looking for their next sacrifice. 

 

Go Big or Go Home: Shin Ultraman (2023) Review

Director: Shinji Higuchi

Notable Cast: Takumi Saitoh, Masami Nagasawa, Daiki Arioka, Akari Hayami, Tetushi Tanaka, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Koji Yamamoto, Ryo Iwamatsu, Kyusaku Shimada, Toru Masuoka, Keishi Nagatsuka, Hajime Yamazaki, Soko Wada, Issey Takahashi, Koichi Yamadera, Kenjiro Tsuda

 

Over the last year or so, the Millcreek re-releases of the various Ultraman series have been a staple of my watching. Even more recently, I’ve taken to watching the “first” season of Ultraman every night. One or two episodes just before bed. It’s been blissful. The show is silly without losing its straightforward approach to its material, it’s colorful and creative, and it’s an adventure/science fiction show where the science team doubles as adventurers. The fun Ultraman battles that cap off each episode, where he goes toe to toe with various monsters and aliens, are icing on the proverbial cake. 

 

Ultraman, the alien who fused with a human to become Earth’s protector, has never really left the social consciousness since that 1960s series as it continually evolves with each season and remains on the air and in theaters, but Shin Ultraman represents a fascinating aspect of the cultural icon. It’s both its own stand-alone story, possibly part of its own cinematic universe, and a remake of the previously mentioned original season. It threads the needle with an impeccable nuance, embracing aspects of its 60s origins but embracing enough of a modern aspect to modernize it for a new audience. Also, Shin Ultraman delivers on its promise of delivering kaiju-sized fun while doing it. 

 

A Little Robot Girl in a Little Horror World: M3gan (2023) Review

Director: Gerard Johnstone

Notable Cast: Allison Williams, Violet McGraw, Jen Van Epps, Brian Jordan Alvarez, Ronny Chieng, Jenna Davis, Amie Donald

 

An uncanny valley is a fascinating place to be. With the right expectations, a cinematic audience can embrace it and enjoy it for what it is - the horrifying and occasionally humorous place. When it does not work, it’s truly one of the most confusing things to witness. This was the tightrope that M3gan was aiming to walk. Uncanny enough to be memorable, but not enough to lose its audience. While the overall critical reception of the film at this time has been shockingly positive, M3gan is a film that sincerely relies on its audience to be laughing within minutes to set up the expectation for its journey to the uncanny valley.

 

For some, it’s going to be one of the best surprises of the year. For others, it’s going to be a relative chore to sit through. Thus is the nature of this tightrope walk.

 

The Complications of the Interwebs - Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) Review

Director: Jon Watts

Notable Cast: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jacob Batalon, Jon Favreau, Jamie Foxx, Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Marisa Tomei, Benedict Wong, Rhys Ifans, Thomas Haden Church, JK Simmons

 

The final of four Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films in 2021 just happens to be one of the safest ones. In a year filled with giant question marks around new heroes like Shang-Chi and Eternals or the long-awaited, and still very mediocre, Black Widow, Spider-Man: No Way Home seemed like the one that audiences could devour with the most ease. It was a hero in his third solo film of the franchise, one with a deep history in pop culture, and audiences were craving a bit of comfort food in the wake of a new wave of pandemic after a long and tumultuous year. 

 

Marvel understood the need and so did Sony, considering it was a cooperative effort between the two studios in the most obvious ways possible. 

 

The box office numbers reflect this choice as audiences still repeatedly flock to theaters to see this third Spider-Man solo flick.  It’s not shocking. That’s what No Way Home is built to be as a film. It’s pure crowd-pleasing popcorn material through and through, almost to a fault. Nonetheless, through its dynamic action and charming performances, it’s hard not to love Spider-Man: No Way Home to some degree even if its reliance on nostalgia overpowers so much of its run-time and material. 

 

It's A Scream '22, Baby: Scream (2022) Review

Directors: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin,Tyler Gillett

Notable Cast: Melissa Barrera, Jenna Ortega, Jack Quaid, David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, Dylan Minnette, Mason Gooding, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mikey Madison, Sonia Ben Ammar, Marley Shelton, Kyle Gallner

 

Over the last couple of decades, the Scream franchise has seen its fair share of praise and detractions. The original Scream was unleashed when I was 11 years old - and depending on your age in comparison that makes me either a baby or ancient but never betwixt, and it’s been a part of my horror history throughout. The meta commentaries, the satire, and the status as kick-starting a multitude of trends has cemented the Wes Craven and Kevin Williamson film and its subsequent sequels as one of the most iconic modern (post-modern?) horror series ever. 

 

In a day and age where the slasher is slowly but surely rearing its head once again, it’s not shocking that a new Scream film, tenaciously titled Scream - and from this point on will be referred to as Scream ‘22 for the sake of clarity, would also be coming back to theaters to take another stab at reigniting the franchise. 

 

It’s a new horror era though and the fresh minds of Radio Silence are slicing the line between modernizing the series and staying true to its core values with surgical expertise. Granted, the meta nature of its satire practically makes the series critic-proof to a certain degree, but it’s hard not to appreciate a legacy sequel that actively maintains the values of the legacy sequel while simultaneously running a cold, sharpened blade to its impracticalities. You know, as we all expect from a Scream film.