Recent musings…
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The Adams Family conjures a poetic folk tale in MOTHER OF FLIES – Fantastic Fest 2025
Mother of Flies is haunting yet tranquil. The worlds that the Adams’ create are always moody, mysterious, and so cleverly constructed as to not show the seams of their impressively homegrown horrors.
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The Siberian Ripper’s sinister story is retold in NO TEARS IN HELL
Michael Caissie’s No Tears in Hell is no Netflix special. Inspired by the crimes of Russian serial killer Alexander Spesivtsev, also known as The Siberian Ripper, the film follows Alex (Luke Baines) as he prowls the streets to satiate his violent urges.
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SELF DRIVER is an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride where every life has a price tag
Self Driver takes the frustrations caused by these conditions and elevates them into an edge-of-your-seat thriller and asks the question of how far one will go for the paycheck.
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THE SEVERED SUN is a serviceable folk tale full of vengeance
Dean Puckett’s directorial debut takes a critical look at these forgotten otherworldly forces that still lurk in the shadows on lands overrun by the Church.
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Historical drama and vampiric horrors collide in SINNERS
Guilt and sin are poisonous elements ingrained into the soil of America. In a true Southern Gothic fashion, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is a tale of sinister events that are bred from poverty, alienation, and violence. Set in the Jim Crow era Mississippi delta, the birthplace of post-Confederate disenfranchisement of Black Americans, the bitterness left by…
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A beloved fairytale is twisted beyond recognition in THE UGLY STEPSISTER
Hidden under the hopefulness of a rags-to-riches Cinderella story has always been a poisonous jealousy and greed. So many versions exist and whether you are familiar with Perrault’s introduction of the glass slippers, the wickedness of the Brothers Grimm retelling, or simply a fan of the whimsy of Disney’s film adaptation, the tale typically follows…
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Mexican filmmaker Alexandra Carlota Velasco forces audiences to confront the reality of sexual violence in ETERNAL INFERNO (Short)
There is nothing more heartbreaking than being hurt by someone you trust. This is, unfortunately, a stark reality for many young women and girls and the work of Mexican filmmaker Alexandra Carlota Velasco forces audiences to confront that reality. Premiering at this past Final Girls Berlin Film Festival, Velasco’s latest short film Eternal Inferno is…
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Three brothers come of age in a world that has fallen apart in PARVULOS: CHILDREN OF THE APOCALYPSE
Children are our future. Although how involved the process should be is often not uniform across various cultural and social lines, every generation is tasked with paving the path for the next generation to carry on society–or so we would hope. Coming-of-age experiences differ whether you were raised to be a latchkey kid or if…
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BYSTANDERS is evidence of the future possible when survivors tell their own stories
Directed by Mary Beth McAndrews, Dread Central’s fearless editor-in-chief, Bystanders certainly brings a fresh perspective to the rape-revenge genre. The premise is par for the course when it comes to what audiences expect from this genre: Abby and her friends are drugged and assaulted by boys at a party, then left in the woods while…
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The Calls for Equality are Coming from Inside the House – Editorial for FANGORIA Magazine Vol. 2 Issue 26
In the latest issue of FANGORIA magazine, I take a look at the legacy of Bob Clark’s perhaps accidental feminist masterpiece and interrogate whether the film’s two remakes live up to that legacy.
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Driller Killers: The Power Drill and Emasculation in the Slasher Genre – MovieJawn Zine Fall 2024
Taking inspiration from my many read-throughs of Carol Clover’s Men, Women and Chainsaws, I take a look at the phallic symbolism behind the power drill as it has been used across a handful of films like The Slumber Party Massacre, Driller Killer, The Toolbox Murders, and Body Double, as well as how this weapon is…
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Halloween Horror Nights 2024 Mazes Ranked
My ranking of all of the offerings of Halloween Horror Nights 2024
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Benjamin Barfoot’s sophomore feature turns grief into a creature with DADDY’S HEAD – Fantastic Fest 2024
Benjamin Barfoot’s sophomore feature turns grief into a creature that will reach into the back of your skull, forcing you to relive childhood nightmares you thought you had forgotten.
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Apartment 7A: A Dance Macabre Between Control and Autonomy – Editorial for Fangoria Vol. 2 Issue #25
It is an honor to have my journey as a writer, film critic, and horror film academic (if you will), come full circle. In the fall issue of Fangoria, I wrote an analysis of the use of dance in Apartment 7A
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Samara Weaving fights her way through an exposition-less hellscape in AZRAEL
Writer Simon Barrett takes on a chilling challenge, testing his craft as a storyteller when a lean script takes away any chance to rely on exposition. This test extends to the cast, who must rely on body language and the expressiveness of their faces to deliver their performances.
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THE CROW (2024) is a reimagining of a coveted gothic tale that has a heart of its own
Although any attempt to resurrect The Crow will be haunted by the memory of Brandon Lee, Rupert Sanders’ reimagining of this coveted gothic tale has a beating heart worthy of our gaze.
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CUCKOO is a strange yet silly look at isolation and connection
Cuckoo is strange, to say the least. Its absurdity is homage to 70s and 80s Euro-horror but the film is quick to point at its own silliness and hopes that we will stay seated for the ride. As it unwinds, it only becomes more disorienting but Hunter Schafer’s Gretchen is the glue that holds Cuckoo…
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Is Rape Revenge Dead?
One of the most controversial subjects in horror has continued to return to the screen time and time again. This contentious subject can offer many a feeling of catharsis, while others stand firm on its exploitative nature but what is it about the rape-revenge narrative that keeps bringing filmmakers and audiences back?
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‘Feminist or Filth’ – Preview of my Master’s thesis
In this thesis, I will examine the evolution of the rape-revenge narrative as it has been utilized in horror films through a review of the cultural conditions that contributed to the establishment of rape as a narrative device in the horror genre.
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Blood-Stained Satin: A reflection on the aesthetics of ballet in horror
Beauty and pain are the pillars of the art, making “blood, sweat, and tears” merely an understatement for the sacrifices that young women make in the pursuit of careers as ballet dancers.
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