Two colleagues become stranded on a deserted island, the only survivors of a plane crash. On the island, they must overcome past grievances and work together to survive, but ultimately, it’s a battle of wills and wits to make it out alive.
REVIEW
I’m sure if you ask mainstream audiences the first thing they think of when it comes to director/producer Sam Raimi, it’s probably the mega-successful SPIDER-MAN trilogy of the 2000s. While those films are mostly great, us horror fans know the man for scaring us and/or making us laugh with his immortal THE EVIL DEAD trilogy. The same fans who recognize his work on beloved cult classics like DARKMAN, THE QUICK AND THE DEAD, THE GIFT and DRAG ME TO HELL. Raimi also brought some blood and scares to his last film, the successful DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS despite Disney fighting him on certain horror elements to please a bigger audience. So it’s nice to see Raimi back in full horror mode in 2026’s SEND HELP, a film that had me hooked the moment it was announced due to Raimi and the casting of both Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien - two actors I enjoy on screen. Having these two actors antagonize each other on a desert island in devious ways had to be a fun time at the theater. And I was right, as SEND HELP is another highlight in Raimi’s filmography.
SEND HELP is pretty much a story about power dynamics between the sexes and the classes. Linda Liddle is one of the star employees at her financial management job, using her corporate strategy to keep her company successful. Due to her great work, she is promised a promotion to Vice President. Unfortunately her boss has passed away, now replaced by his frat boy and misogynist son Bradley, who has given the position to his best college friend while looking down on her for her frumpy appearance and eating habits. During a flight to Bangkok for a business meeting, the plane crashes onto a deserted island, leaving only Linda and Bradley as the flight’s sole survivors. While Bradley still attempts to order Linda around, he soon realizes that he has no survival skills on an island. However, Linda does, doing all the hunting and shelter building, proving to Bradley that they’re on her domain now. Despite attempts to get along and work together, Bradley’s ego is so bruised that he just wants to get off the island and go back to his fiancee. Linda, though, finally has control and power in her life, doing everything to make sure she stays on the island - even if she has to keep Bradley prisoner to make it happen.
In a lot of ways, SEND HELP feels like MISERY but on an island. Bradley hurt his leg due to the plane crash, with Linda reluctantly helping him and making sure he heals up. But she keeps certain information from him and makes him reliant on her, keeping him as an unknowing prisoner as revenge for how he has treated her and other women at their workplace. Things become more interesting as we realize, through backstories, why the two characters feel justified in how they treat others. You start to sympathize with both Linda and Bradley and get how they got to be in their current positions to begin with. But Bradley still wants to go back to his old, upper class life while Linda, feeling she has nothing left at home, refuses to find any way of getting off the island to maintain her power over Bradley. This is where the power struggle begins for both the characters and the audience because you go back-and-forth on who to root for here. Linda is the wronged party from the start, but she becomes violently power hungry as the film rolls on. Bradley is a jerk, but it’s due to his neglectful upbringing, using his behavior as a defense mechanism. But he never really changes who he is either, despite all that. I think writers Mark Swift and Damian Shannon do a fantastic job in giving both characters depth and putting each one in a grey area. You definitely root for one character over the other, but there are times where you start questioning your opinion. It’s not a black-and-white world here, which makes the antagonistic nature between our two main characters a lot of fun to watch.
Sam Raimi is in fine form here behind the lens, giving us enough Raimi-isms to make the audience aware that, visually, this is his movie. While it never goes off the rails, in terms of visuals and violence, like his EVIL DEAD films, there are definitely moments where you smile because you know Raimi is having fun. We get the classic first person point-of-view shots where the camera is just zooming all over the place. We get moments where Linda will hunt an animal for sustenance and the animal’s blood gushes on her as if she’s Ash Williams. There is quirky framing of shots that make you laugh because they’re so unserious. And there’s a torture scene that gives us extreme close-ups that raise the tension tenfold. This is a more subtle Raimi, who only brings out the goods when the story calls for it. And I thought the use of the island location was wonderful, with gorgeous shots that display both paradise and dread. Some of the CGI is spotty, especially with the animals, but it’s not a total eyesore.
What really makes SEND HELP a film to watch is the chemistry between the two lead actors. I’ve been a fan of Dylan O’Brien since MTV’s Teen Wolf days and he’s only gotten better with each project he takes part of. SEND HELP is no exception, as O’Brien really brings out Bradley’s rich, frat boy persona. He’s believably misogynistic and has tantrums whenever he can’t use power on a woman. But O’Brien never goes too far with it, as he gives you glimpses that it may all be a front and he’s just really scared. There are times where you feel sorry for him, which can be challenging to play considering Bradley is a huge jerk. And O’Brien is just so likable as an actor that it almost feels a bit miscast. But he makes it work and shares a fun, frenemy chemistry with Rachel McAdams.
Speaking of McAdams, I think SEND HELP may contain one of the best performances of her career. McAdams plays Linda as this meek, frumpy, insecure and totally socially awkward woman from the start. Along the way, she transforms into this confident and powerful woman, who unfortunately becomes corrupted by that power once she has a real taste of it. She goes from prey to predator throughout the film and it’s believable every step of the way because McAdams captures that change perfectly. From her body language, to the way she dresses, and to the way she speaks to Bradley [which totally evolves], McAdams becomes someone to be wary of. Considering she has the most meat to chew on here, it’s not surprising how much fun McAdams is playing every emotional beat of this character. You can tell she and O’Brien had a blast making this movie, which makes it fun for the audience too.
And any film with Blondie on the soundtrack scores points with me. From “Rip Her to Shreds” to “One Way or Another”, the needledrops are pretty on point. Also, props to Danny Elfman for an engaging musical score.
THE FINAL HOWL
One of my most anticipated films of 2026, Sam Raimi’s SEND HELP does not disappoint. While not Raimi’s most memorable visually, Raimi still manages to let the audience know he’s at the helm here. While most of the film is very subtle, capturing the bland office setting while later showcasing the beautiful island location to create a bleak paradise, the Raimi tropes do make their presence when the story calls for it. First person zooms. Gushing crimson that sprays on people. Extreme close ups to raise tension and terror. The Raimi horror maker is here and much welcomed.
Helping the visuals are the strong performances by both Dylan O’Brien and [especially] Rachel McAdams, who have great antagonistic chemistry as the two play off each other to see who can outdo the other. The shift in power dynamics between the two is a wild ride, as you sympathize with one over the other, which will then switch vice-versa, then make you feel sorry for both characters, until it shifts right back to the start. The simple writing allows both O’Brien and McAdams to flesh out their characters through body language and facial expressions, which tells their stories more than any dialogue could. It also helps that the two are clearly having fun, which makes it fun for the audience as well.
While I hope we get Raimi to making more horror films in a much crazier style like his older work [there were glimpses in DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS], SEND HELP is still a fine piece of work that I highly recommend if you’re looking for a well-made survival thriller.
Home from college, Lucy reunites with family including pet chimp Ben. Ben contracts rabies during a pool party and turns aggressive. Lucy and friends barricade in a pool, devising ways to survive the vicious chimp.
REVIEW
2026 begins just like 2025 did - highlighting apes for the first chunk of the year. Last year, we had two solid films in the Robbie Williams’ biopic BETTER MAN [in which Williams envisions himself as a CGI man-ape] and Osgood Perkins’ underrated THE MONKEY [one of my favorite horror films of 2025]. This year, the horror genre kicks off its movie year with Paramount’s PRIMATE - a film I’ve seen the trailer for countless times, with various audiences either laughing at it or groaning about the premise. I honestly wasn’t expecting much out of this film, but with a high Rotten Tomatoes score and solid word of mouth, it got me a bit excited for some chimp vs. human action. And yes, the hype is real because PRIMATE is a really fun time at the cinema.
The easy way to describe PRIMATE is “CUJO but with a chimpanzee”. The inspiration is fairly obvious, as our chimp Ben gets bitten by a rabid mongoose while in his enclosure, causing Ben to lash out at his human family and terrorize them in their own home. Ben gets more violent and relentless while the human characters either make smart [or in a lot of cases, dumb] decisions in order to survive while debating how to handle an innocent, yet sick, chimp.
Survival films like PRIMATE are pretty hard to mess up, as it's an easy premise that doesn’t require a whole lot of human characterization while mainly focusing on the battle between animal and human. The lack of real character development does hurt the film a bit, as you don’t really get to attach to the characters as much as one would like. The deepest we get is that eldest daughter Lucy is a bit estranged from the family due to the death of her mother. Lucy’s younger sister, Erin, is a bit upset with her while their deaf father has taken over their mother’s businesses and becomes an almost absentee dad because of it. Lucy has a supportive best friend in Hannah, while Hannah’s brother Nick is Lucy’s crush. That romance subplot is thwarted by Hannah’s friend Kate, who is kind of the mean girl of the group and doesn’t understand why Lucy would have a chimp as a pet. There are also a couple of boys that the group meets, who are just around to raise the body count. Other than that, it’s just a tale of surviving the night against a rabid chimp who has no issue hurting the family that took care of him.
Johannes Roberts, probably best known as the director who gave us RESIDENT EVIL: WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY, THE STRANGERS: PREY AT NIGHT, and 47 METERS DOWN, really does a fantastic job with building tension, suspense and dread once Ben is bitten and becomes insanely vicious towards his human counterparts. While the premise may seem silly to some, Roberts really brings out the terror in many scenes, portraying events as if it’s a slasher film with Ben stalking and attacking anyone he considers a threat. The film takes place within a day and mostly at night, adding a bleak atmosphere that makes you wonder if anyone is going to get out alive. The musical score is used impressively to elevate the tension, while the gore effects [and there are a lot of them] are done through CGI but it never takes away the effect of watching Ben rip jaws from faces and bash people’s heads in without a care. Roberts reminds us that while chimps are cute creatures, they’re also extremely unpredictable and dangerous. A chunk of the film has characters stuck inside a swimming pool after a character is bitten by Ben, while the chimp sits outside the pool watching them while struggling with his disease. It could have come off boring, but Roberts keeps you invested with solid pacing and care to detail. I thought he did a great job with PRIMATE.
The acting won’t win any awards, but I felt everyone did a solid job in making the situation super believable. I thought Johnny Sequoyah was a good Final Girl type as Lucy, as she’s given the most to do and has the most agency amongst the characters. She comes across as likable, caring and tough. I also liked Oscar winner Troy Kotsur as the father, Adam. He’s not in the film a whole lot but I liked how Johannes Roberts used his real-life deafness to build a ton of suspense, as Adam was unable to hear the terror that surrounded him. It made things frustrating and nail-biting at the same time, which I appreciated. Victoria Wyant stood out as mean girl Kate, having the best one-liners and just standing out from the more nicer characters. She also had one of the best horror moments in the film with Ben. Speaking of Ben, actor Miguel Torres Umba did the motion capture for the chimp and I thought he did an amazing job. While it’s obvious the cast and crew wouldn’t allow a real animal to perform the things Ben does in the film, I never questioned whether Ben was a real monkey or a human portraying him. Super impressed for sure.
THE FINAL HOWL
2026 is starting out in the right way as PRIMATE is a solid start to the horror genre this year. While the characters aren’t really much to discuss about, the premise of having humans try to survive against a rabid chimp makes up for it, as the film is a thrilling ride right from the opening minutes. Tense, suspenseful, gory, well acted and directed, PRIMATE may not make you go fully bananas but it’s definitely some monkey business worth checking out either in theaters or down the line on streaming.
In this episode, I joined Matt Poirier [aka The DTV Connoisseur] for our Christmas episode, as we look at the new SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT (2025) that's out in theaters now. We talked about how much fun we had and why, and how we need more movies like this in the theater.
Then with 2005's SANTA SLAY, we talk about Bill Goldberg as a wrestler, and how this movie was a departure from his wrestling persona--in a good way. We also discuss what the movie theater experience was like this past year, and what we think it'll look like in 2026.
THE TWO FACES OF DR. JEKYLL (1960) d. Terence Fisher (UK)
NEVER TAKE SWEETS FROM A STRANGER (1960) d. Cyril Frankel (UK)
HELL IS A CITY (1960) d. Val Guest (UK)
Celebrated for its distinctive brand of horror and suspense, Hammer Films has left an indelible mark on British cinema and influencing filmmakers around the world.
The year 1960 was especially significant for Hammer, as it was a time when the studio was solidifying its identity as a horror juggernaut, but also experimenting with genres, and pushing the boundaries of storytelling, atmosphere, and visual style.
This episode focuses on four films from that year: BRIDES OF DRACULA, THE TWO FACES OF DR. JEKYLL, NEVER TAKE SWEETS FROM A STRANGER, and HELL IS A CITY. Each representing a different facet of Hammer’s evolving approach, from Gothic horror and psychological thrillers to socially conscious drama and gritty crime narratives.
Join AC and his incredible panel of guests (Troy Howarth, Stan Hyde, Barry Kaufman, Lin Morris, and yours truly) as we look back at HAMMER IN 1960!!
In this episode, I joined Matt Poirier (the DTV Connoisseur) for our Halloween episode as we look at the action/horror classic MANIAC COP. Before that though, we talked about 2025 in film so far, especially the experience of seeing films in the theater, and which of the major studios came out winners and losers. Then with MANIAC COP, we get stuck in on some of the elements around policing that this touches on, and how relevant they still are today; also the imagery of the Twin Towers in a film and what that means. Finally, we look at some of the movie's highlights and our favorite moments.
Since I don’t have as much time to write longer reviews than I used to, I figured I would just post shorter reviews for horror/cult films that I feel deserve your attention.
Director:Francis Lawrence
Starring:Cooper Hoffman, David Jonsson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Judy Greer, Mark Hamill
Genre:Horror/Science Fiction/Thriller
Run Time:108 Minutes
Plot:
In a dystopian, alternate-America ruled by a totalitarian regime, 50 teenage boys take part in a deadly annual walking contest, forced to maintain a minimum pace or be executed, until only one survivor remains.
Review:
Based on a 1979 Stephen King novel of the same name [under his pseudonym Richard Bachman], THE LONG WALK was passed around for a long time before this film adaptation was actually filmed and released. From George A. Romero in 1988, to Frank Darabont in the 2000s, to both New Line Cinema and then eventually Lionsgate for the actual release, this adaptation for such a simple story took its sweet time getting its moment in the spotlight. And it was definitely worth the wait, as THE LONG WALK is one of 2025’s best horror films.
There’s not much to say about the film without really spoiling what happens [for those who didn’t read the novel, which I’m sure is quite a few], but THE LONG WALK is very well-made visually and tightly structured from a narrative standpoint. It’s a simple story with a group of young men walking for their survival in order to gain money and a single wish. And Francis Lawrence’s direction captures that really well, as the film isn’t all that stylish or distracting with unnecessary visual effects. From what I understand, the film was shot chronologically meaning the day scenes and the night scenes were all environmentally legit - which is a great touch and convincingly showcases the characters’ struggle to keep going during each day of the walk. While the death scenes are shot well and are visceral, considering how close we get to the characters and their stories, that wouldn’t happen if Lawrence just lets the story and the actors do most of the work for him, elevating a pretty simple point-and-shoot affair.
And boy - are the actors really great here. While each of the young men contribute something to the narrative, whether we grow to love them or despise them, the film is strongly carried by the central duo of Cooper Hoffman and David Jonsson. Considering his father has passed away in the story, it’s easy to see Hoffman using the pain of his own paternal loss [the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman] as a catalyst for Ray’s motivations to win the walk. And Jonsson has become a young actor I’ve been really enjoying onscreen lately, carrying himself with the charisma and confidence of someone beyond his years. And an unrecognizable Mark Hamill as The Major adds some ironic humor to a serious story, bringing much needed levity.
I wish THE LONG WALK had done better at the box office. But considering how non-flashy it is, it’s easy to see why many would probably wait until digital or streaming to check it out. And I hope audiences do when the time comes because it’s a super solid Stephen King adaptation that deserves a cult status in years to come. THE LONG WALK has the endurance to be in my Top 10 of 2025 Horror Films for sure.
SCORE
3.5 Howls Outta 4
(9 out of 10)
Director:Justin Tipping
Starring:Tyriq Withers, Marlon Fox, Julia Fox, Tim Heidecker, Jim Jefferies
Genre:Horror/Mystery/Supernatural/Sports
Run Time:96 Minutes
Plot:
After suffering a potentially career-ending brain trauma, Cameron Cade receives a lifeline when his hero, legendary eight-time Championship quarterback and cultural megastar Isaiah White, offers to train Cam at Isaiah’s isolated compound that he shares with his celebrity influencer wife. But as Cam’s training accelerates, Isaiah’s charisma begins to curdle into something darker.
Review:
Maybe besides TRON: ARES, no other trailer really got me hyped for a film like 2025’s HIM. For one, it was produced by Jordan Peele, who has had a great track record since joining the horror genre. Two, we rarely get horror films involving sports, making it stand out. Plus, a bonkers Marlon Wayans in a serious role? Sign me up as this couldn’t fail.
Yeah… about that. Man, talk about cinema disappointments of the year but HIM is definitely Him when it comes to that description. HIM is a film with so many ideas and so many things it wants to be and wants to say that it ends up saying not much at all. Watching this with one of my best friends who is more of a football fan than I am [even though I do watch and follow], I feel he got more of a commentary than I did. Yet, he felt the same disappointment that I did. What is this film about? CTE? Drug use in sports and how hard men have to live up to a certain status as they get older? Daddy issues and the shadow of the patriarchy? The rumors that the Illuminati controls how the sport is run with a cult-like mentality? There’s so much going on that I was pretty overwhelmed and underwhelmed at the same time watching this.
I felt the first half of the film was the more interesting portion, as it seemed to focus on Cade’s struggle to live up to who his late father wanted him to be. He sacrifices his individuality and his own health to achieve his [and/or his father’s dream] to be a pro football player. Cade even gets to train with Isaiah, who is his hero - yet, at the same time, his rival and the man he’s supposed to replace because of Isaiah’s age catching up with him. There seems to be a slight tug-and-war in how the two interact. It looks friendly on the surface, but Isaiah obviously has nefarious plans for Cade with randomly taking blood from him, giving him mystery drugs and even strange training where other players are brutally punished for missing plays. You start to feel for Cade a bit because you realize this isn’t exactly what he signed up for.
But then it starts becoming more supernatural and the film goes into a tired direction I had expected and was really disappointed by. Let’s say it goes from grounded to BLACK SWAN or a mixture of THE SUBSTANCE with MIDSOMMAR. The film becomes so surreal that it just loses its way towards a predictable ending. What do these random images mean? Why is the pacing so weird? And is that really the answer to the mystery [which I pretty much predicted]? I was more frustrated than entertained.
What saves HIM is that Justin Tipping directs a beautiful film that makes interesting and sometimes breathtaking visual choices. A lot of the film feels like a Jordan Peele homage in terms of framing, editing and sound choices. But Tipping lacks the restraint and voice that Peele does, making the film kind of a visual mess as it goes along. With so many random images popping up, you’re just wondering what they have to do with anything. I don’t think even Peele could have saved this visually, as the script feels like a first draft that needed another edit.
The cast is probably the highlight of HIM. Tyriq Withers holds his own in the lead role, making the best of whatever’s thrown at him. Julia Fox and Jim Jefferies add some quirkiness and humor to the surrealism. But Marlon Wayans is the standout here, stealing the spotlight from Withers in every scene. I like seeing Wayans in serious roles because he obviously has range, which HIM definitely proves. He’s sympathetic. He’s manic and out-of-control. He’s sometimes terrifying. And he’s great.
If you’re a Marlon Wayans fan, then HIM may be worth checking out. He’s really the only reason to see this, despite a game cast and interesting visuals that fall apart due to a script that needed more edits and doctoring. It’s nice seeing more sports-centric horror films though, as HIM shows a lot of promise but never lives up to its Game Day potential.
SCORE
2 Howls Outta 4
(5 out of 10)
Director:Renny Harlin
Starring:Madelaine Petsch, Richard Brake, Rachel Shelton, Gabriel Basso, Froy Gutierrez, Brooke Lena Johnson
Genre:Horror/Thriller/Slasher
Run Time:96 Minutes
Plot:
When The Strangers learn that one of their victims, Maya, is still alive, they return to finish what they’ve started.
Review:
For those who read my review for THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 1 last year, you knew how much I hated the reboot for a franchise that didn’t even warrant one. The characters had no agency. The lead characters were two of the dumbest, most useless protagonists I’ve seen in a horror film in a very long time. And even when action happened, it wasn’t all that exciting. CHAPTER 1 felt like a weaker retread of the 2008 film. In fact, CHAPTER 1 was my Worst Film of 2024 in any genre.
So of course, I watched THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 2 because I was so excited for it.
Yes, that was sarcasm if you couldn’t tell.
I will say this for THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 2: the trailer gave me slightly more optimism than CHAPTER 1’s trailer did. I knew CHAPTER 1 would be terrible from the trailer, but at least CHAPTER 2 seemed to have more action, stalk-and-slash and an interesting side story that hadn’t been done in the franchise yet. I wasn’t expecting greatness but even a sequel that ended up being “mid” would have been enough for me.
Calling THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 2 “mid” would be extremely generous, as this sequel is just an extension of last year’s garbage. Our Final Girl still lacks a bit of agency, despite what happened to her and knowing the threat that’s coming for her. The new characters add absolutely nothing to the movie, with some not even getting more than a single scene before they’re taken out. The backstory for two of the Strangers, while welcome, still manages to be fairly generic and done better in many other movies. And the script tosses so much random and weird stuff for our leading lady that I’m wondering if anyone read the script before thinking it was okay to fund and film this. Like seriously… who are these movies for?
That being said, CHAPTER 2 at least tries to be better than CHAPTER 1. The opening hospital sequence, while not HALLOWEEN II, is at least an attempt to create tension and thrills as the Strangers chase Maya within the building. Yes, Maya still makes really dumb choices or doesn’t react to much at all at times. But at least she’s fighting back stuff and taking some control of the situation whenever the film sees it fit.
There’s also a random scene in the middle of the film involving a CGI wild boar that attacks Maya for, like, five minutes that had the entire audience laughing at how ridiculous it all was. This scene honestly should have made me walk out of the theater and demand a refund on my AMC A-List Membership. But it was so random and so bizarre that I wish more of CHAPTER 2 was this weird. At least it would have shown that Renny Harlin and/or whoever had a say in this project was willing to take wild chances that would have given CHAPTER 2 a reason to exist and be memorable. This is, without a doubt, the thing I will take away from this movie and I can’t hate this sequel for that.
While Renny Harlin does infuse the film with more tension, action and strange CGI animals, nothing Harlin does visually can save an awful and sloppy screenplay. The film looks polished and the opening sequence has promise. But Harlin has directed so many better films than this and there’s nothing stylish about this film that makes it stand apart from any other horror film of this kind.
The actors really try here and I feel bad that they’re in this movie. Madelaine Petsch is way better here than she was in the previous movie. But the script makes her character so dumb and frustrating that I keep wishing for the Strangers to end her journey sooner than later. Richard Brake gets nothing really to do as a shady sheriff [his role seems bigger in, sigh, CHAPTER 3] and Gabriel Bosso is creepy but it never really goes anywhere. Like, at all. These actors could have had interesting characters. But I couldn’t tell you what made any of them sign up for this besides a nice paycheck.
Saying CHAPTER 2 is better than CHAPTER 1 is like saying that Chlamydia is better than Herpes. While just a tiny bit better, it’s still an awful sequel that only fans of this franchise or anyone who has to see every horror film ever made [like me] should give any attention to. And yes, I’ll be there to suffer through, sigh, CHAPTER 3. I’m hoping the third time’s the charm, but I’m not holding my breath.
SCORE
1 Howl Outta 4
(3 out of 10)
Director:Mercedes Bryce Morgan
Starring:Maddie Hasson, Alex Roe, Marco Pigossi, Andra Nechita
Genre:Horror/Thriller/Comedy/Mystery
Run Time:94 Minutes
Plot:
A couple’s romantic vacation at a secluded lakeside estate is upended when they are forced to share the mansion with a mysterious and attractive couple. In this darkly hilarious and seductive horror story, a dream getaway spirals into a nightmarish maze of sex, lies, and manipulation, bringing terrifying secrets to light and triggering a bloody battle for survival.
Review:
With a title like BONE LAKE, you’re expecting a horror film involving a lot of sex. Or at least, a film sort of making fun of sexual exploits in a horror-comedy fashion. The trailer, which would play every time during the previews for the past month or so, had me intrigued with its teases of salacious manipulation and promise of some sort of sex-thriller that we’ve haven’t really seen much of in mainstream horror since the 1990s really. Luckily, I was able to see this before its wide release date to see if the film lived up to what the trailer promised.
Unfortunately like most trailers, they swerve the audience in presenting one thing but giving you another. BONE LAKE is no exception, as it’s a film that’s not the sex-thriller romp I was expecting. While the opening scene does have both male and female nudity and there are sexual scenes once every blue moon, BONE LAKE is pretty conservative for the story it wants to visually tell, making it somewhat of a disappointment of something more interesting. It’s not unlike anything you could watch on a Lifetime or on a Tubi - a messed up game involving two random couples who just end up at the same lakeside estate due to a double booking. But as the film rolls along, one of the couples seems to be much more than they appear, making their own rules and manipulating the other couple for reasons that are revealed in the final act. The revelation, which I was indifferent to, will probably divide audiences - although I did feel like it made one of the couple’s motivations to be at the estate interesting enough.
So while the story is pretty basic and predictable, I did think Mercedes Bryce Morgan’s direction had some style to it, while the visuals popped with vibrant colors [even at night] and with, of course, some nice eye candy for everyone. The use of special effects for the horror elements and gore are done surprisingly well for an independent flick. There’s an opening kill involving an arrow through someone’s testicles as they escape [the audience popped for that one] and there are a bunch of amputations during the film’s final act involving an axe and a chainsaw [a bit of an EVIL DEAD tribute in particular moment]. Not a bad looking nor badly paced feature.
The actors are fine. Maddie Hasson looks like Florence Pugh and is quite good as the more conservative Sage. She has nice flirtatious chemistry with all of her co-stars, regardless of gender. Alex Roe plays the attractive and manipulative bad boy, Will, having the film’s more humorous moments. Andra Nechita brings sex appeal as the seductive Cin, while Marco Pigossi plays, what some may call the Beta Male, Diego perfectly. Since the film focuses on such a small cast, I thought these four actors did what they could with the simple and expected material to not make it boring. So kudos to them.
Honestly, I was expecting BONE LAKE to be more provocative and sleazy considering what the trailer teases. But it’s just a predictable and fairly conservative mystery that’s not all that sexy, scary or laughs-out funny. But it entertained me for 94 minutes and I was along the ride to see how it would all end. A theatrical watch could be a tough one, but definitely a good time on streaming.
Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren take on one last terrifying case involving mysterious entities, from their past, they must confront.
REVIEW
For 12 years, THE CONJURING franchise has thrived through 4 main films and 6 spinoffs to varying degrees of quality. Despite the controversies behind the real life personas, the film characters of Ed and Lorraine Warren have become beloved figures in the horror genre this century. I also enjoyed watching Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga play these characters, as they bring a lot of heart into their performances by keeping things grounded within a supernatural world.
However, the last CONJURING installment [THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT] really soured me on this franchise. It was boring. The premise felt tired. Turning The Warrens into the Benson and Stabler of the series took away what made the characters endearing to begin with. To say that I wasn’t excited about a new CONJURING film was an understatement. But here I am, discussing what’s being sold as the “final” installment of the main series - THE CONJURING: LAST RITES. Never believe anything studios sell you when it comes to horror that uses the words “last” or “final” because they don’t mean a damn thing. And considering that LAST RITES has become one of the most successful horror films in recent memory, almost breaking records at the box office, I doubt this will be the last we’ll see of the Warrens.
But is the film any good?
LAST RITES begins in the 1960s as a young Ed and pregnant Lorraine take on a case involving a cursed mirror. The mirror messes with Lorraine so badly that she ends up going into labor. At first, the baby is stillborn. But once Lorraine begins to pray for the baby to come back, the baby cries and Judy is officially here.
The film moves 20 years into the 1980s, where an adult Judy is starting to have her own premonitions that worry Lorraine. Meanwhile, the Smurl family from Pennsylvania buy a gift for one of their daughters who just completed her confirmation ceremony. The gift happens to be the cursed mirror from decades ago, now ready to terrorize a new family as well as lure the Warrens to finish what it started years ago.
The positives:
Despite what I think of any of the main CONJURING films, you can’t go wrong with the strong cast. Both Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga can play Ed & Lorraine Warren in their sleep at this point, maintaining their incredibly strong chemistry and grounding the film with their charisma and heart into their roles. I liked that the two actors got to play more familial roles this time around, allowing Wilson and Farmiga to portray concerned parents and spouses. Lorraine’s worry about losing her only daughter to evil, while also juggling concern for Ed’s heart condition allows both to play different beats from the other three installments. There seems to be actual stakes this time around, which strengthened their performances I felt.
The addition of Mia Tomlinson as an older Judy Warren is a great casting choice, as she carries the role with the right amount of depth the screenplay allows her to have. She has nice chemistry with Wilson and Farmiga, while playing so many different emotional beats - from fear, to passion, and to a certain amount of malice towards the end of the film. Ben Hardy gets less to do as Judy’s boyfriend Tony, but he carries his own against the other three main actors. He plays the role of the audience very well, learning about what the Warrens have been doing for decades and slowly helping them in the family business.
The actors who play the Smurl Family do a nice job as well, but they’re not given a ton other than arguing with each other and/or reacting to the supernatural stuff around them. But they’re fine. And it’s always nice to see returning actors like Steve Coulter, John Brotherton, Shannon Kook and other familiar faces from previous films in this “last” installment. I appreciate it as a fan of continuity.
I also felt that this is Michael Chaves’ best film as a director, as he seems to finally have the confidence to make some bold choices and visualizes the groundedness and the scares equally well. The special effects look good and the pacing is better here than it was in THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT. I feel like Chaves took the criticism of the last installment and turned it around by making LAST RITES feel more in tone with the first and best CONJURING film. If you’re going to be James Wan-lite, you could do a lot worse than Chaves’ visual presentation here.
And as an 80s fanatic, I loved the soundtrack and needledrops here.
Negatives:
Even though I do believe there will be another CONJURING installment despite the title, considering how much money it has made already, let’s be honest: this main series feels tired after four movies. It feels like the same film as the first one, but less quality each time. Same beats, similar threats with a predictable conclusion - do we really need to see more of these? Say what you want about slasher films. But I can tell you the difference between SCREAM and SCREAM 2 or A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET from A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3: DREAM WARRIORS. Same beats and formulaic, sure. But slasher sequels usually bring something new to each installment. Besides a different cursed object or villain, what’s the difference in terms on how these movies are presented? Yes, LAST RITES is a better movie than THE DEVIL MAY ME DO IT because it feels more in line with the first two films. But that’s kind of the issue here. It feels like something I’ve seen before but in “light flavor”.
I also couldn’t really connect or care about the supporting characters in this film. This refers mainly to the Smurl Family, who just feel like a Temu version of the family in the first CONJURING. The two older daughters are pretty interchangeable. Same goes to the two younger daughters. The father and mother aren’t all that interesting or charismatic. The grandparents are just there to be fodder later on. I knew nothing of these people other than that they were being messed with by whatever demon was possessing that mirror.
And as much as I like Tomlinson’s and Hardy’s performances, their characters could have used more depth as well. While better than the Smurls, I think I needed more time to see their love story and their connection to Ed and Lorraine. It’s obvious Judy and Tony are being propped up to become the new main characters in the franchise going forward if there are more, Maybe we’ll get more personality and depth for them whenever that happens. But as of now, I don’t really need to follow these two new characters in more installments even though it could work if done right.
And while Michael Chaves does a better job here, the film does have some pacing issues. When the film doesn’t focus on the Warrens, which is more than you think, LAST RITES becomes less interesting to watch. And the film isn’t remotely scary or creepy. I still think THE CONJURING 2 is tops with that due to the presence of The Nun. Having Chaves direct this film as if it were a James Wan film just makes you realize how much better Wan is at creating this kind of film.
And out of the four threats, this cursed mirror is probably the least threatening honestly. Yes, it hurts some people and even emotionally traumatizes the Warrens due to Judy’s troubled birth during their first encounter with the object. And yes, the idea of having an evil version of your reflection attack you can be creepy. But it doesn’t do a whole lot until the last act of the film and is solved pretty easily by the end, all things considered. I think the lamp in AMITYVILLE 4: THE EVIL ESCAPES is more threatening.
THE FINAL HOWL
The best thing I can say about THE CONJURING: LAST RITES is that it’s at least better than the last installment, THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT by a good amount. LAST RITES is a more cohesive film with stronger performances by Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga and the rest of the cast. Wilson and Farmiga can play these roles in their sleep and they’re wonderful in this sequel. Michael Graves’ direction is light years better than the previous sequel, giving us James Wan-lite for the most part. And if it’s, indeed, the final installment of the main series, the film wraps things up nicely.
But I felt the supporting characters [other than The Warrens] weren’t all that interesting enough to care about, the scares are barely there and it just feels like the same ol’, same ol’ with this franchise by this point. And considering how much money this movie has already made [and good for horror for raking in that box office cash this year], let’s be honest with ourselves - nothing about THE CONJURING: LAST RITES will be the “last” for this main series, as I can see Judy Warren and her partner Tony Spera becoming the main focus going forward. It’s a fine enough sequel but there will most likely be more. If you don’t believe that, I have a cursed mirror I’d like to sell you for cheap.
A savvy and free-spirited surfer is abducted by a shark-obsessed serial killer. Held captive on his boat, she must figure out how to escape before he carries out a ritualistic feeding to the sharks below.
REVIEW
Many, many years ago, I would host an annual “Animal Summer” on this blog - highlighting some films that focused on animals doing some dastardly things. Besides October, it was probably my favorite part of the year for reviews because I’m such a sucker for animals-run-amok movies. But I’ve gotten away from it for a long while now, as I seem to only sporadically be reviewing things these days. But 2025’s DANGEROUS ANIMALS makes me want to reconsider, because this movie was more fun and sinister than I was expecting.
Jai Courtney [in probably what may be my favorite role of his] plays an Australian shark tour guide who, due to childhood trauma from surviving a shark attack, lures tourists in the middle of the ocean to murder them and feed them to sharks while videotaping the entire thing. One night, he kidnaps a young surfer [a game Hassie Harrison] who he plans on videotaping her murder. But she proves to be his biggest challenge yet, since she’s more predator than prey. While DANGEROUS ANIMALS may be marketed as somewhat of a shark movie, the title really refers to Courtney’s Tucker and Harrison’s Zephyr - two people who may be playing the predator and prey roles respectively, but are truly a match for one another in ways that they’re just as much sharks as the animals swimming in the ocean.
Courtney steals every scene as the film’s dynamic and sinister villain. While good-looking and charming, the actor gives off right away that something is quite not right with Tucker. And the film wastes no time showing what a psycho he is, killing people on his boat and then putting a harness on certain victims to lower them with the sharks to see them get chewed up while he records it all on a camcorder. Tucker even watches the murders during breakfast, admiring his work as if he was Steven Spielberg. Courtney also has a memorable dance scene that I’m sure will be GIF’d to death.
Harrison holds her own against Courtney, playing a strong-willed young woman who refuses to be a victim. While a standoffish and kind of emotionally cold character, Harrison still manages to make Zephyr likable due to her intuition and willingness to do anything to survive. The moment Zephyr realizes she’s in a death trap, she does anything and everything she can to figure out her escape. Harrison gives Zephyr a lot of strength and manages to be as large of a personality as Courtney’s Tucker, despite the size difference. The two actors play perfect foils for one another.
I also liked the romance angle, as it actually enhanced the tension in the film. Zephyr’s one-night-stand [a charming Josh Heuston] is the only character who realizes she’s missing and uses detective skills to figure out her whereabouts before it’s too late. The discovery leads to a thrilling third act, which makes you root for the protagonists more than you probably already had.
DANGEROUS ANIMALS is directed by Sean Byrne, the man responsible for two awesome movies - 2009’s THE LOVED ONES and 2015’s THE DEVIL’S CANDY. Byrne shoots a beautiful film that’s dark, even if the cinematography is bright and colorful. Every frame, every character interaction, every chess move Tucker and Zephyr make against each other - they all matter and you’re rewarded at the end for how it all comes together. The sharks look great and the gore is pretty gnarly when it does occur. I appreciated the serious tone [for the most part], as a lot of modern shark films come across as silly or unrealistic. Byrne seems to have a lot of respect for these beautiful creatures and I appreciated it.
All in all, DANGEROUS ANIMALS is one of my favorite horror films of 2025 at the moment. It’s a simple, yet engaging thriller that focuses on the true crime aspect of the human cat-and-mouse game of survival, with sharks used as a plot device and murder weapon of choice. Hassie Harrison makes for a great Final Girl, while Jai Courtney is at his best here as a charming, yet demented villain that will probably gain some sort of cult status.
