Horror fans can rejoice. The Evil Dead franchise is returning to the big screen with “Evil Dead Burn”. And by the looks of its gnarly first trailer, the team behind it hasn’t forgotten what has made the series so beloved. Original creator Sam Raimi returns to produce another terrifying chapter of squirm-inducing supernatural horror. Sébastien Vaniček directs and co-writes, with Souheila Yacoub, Tandi Wright, Hunter Doohan, and Luciane Buchanan starring.
“Evil Dead Burn” is the six feature film in the franchise and the third standalone movie since the 2013 loose reboot. It follows Alice (Yocoub) who moves in with her in-laws after the tragic loss of her husband. But after someone reads script from the dreaded Necronomicon, a malicious supernatural force is unleashed on the family. And from what we see in the well-earned red band trailer, the results are exactly what EvilDead fans have come to expect. It’s obviously not for the faint of heart. But what can I say – I’ll be there day one!
“Evil Dead Burn” hits theaters on July 10th. Check out the trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.
A couple of months ago Universal Pictures dropped a teaser for what is undoubtedly one of the most highly anticipated movie releases of 2026. Now they have given us the first full trailer for Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey”. The teaser was a terrific cinematic introduction to this ambitious big screen epic. The full trailer gives us a better taste of the film’s dramatic elements. We see more of the sterling cast and we get an even better grasp of the scope Nolan is going for. In a nutshell, “The Odyssey” looks amazing.
Nolan writes, directs, and produces what is the most expensive movie of his already legendary career (estimates have the film’s budget at $250 million). Based on Homer’s classic work, the film chronicles the journey of Odysseus (Matt Damon), the king of Ithaca, as he makes his way home to his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland) following the brutal Trojan War. His path proves to be full of peril, including encounters with enemy soldiers, massive storms, and mythological creatures. We see a little of it all in the new trailer which is more than enough to get my blood pumping.
“The Odyssey” comes exclusively to theaters on July 17th. Check out the new trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.
With Star Wars Day upon us, I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate this beloved franchise than by focusing on one of its most beloved characters. Darth Vader is considered by many (myself enthusiastically included) to be one of the greatest big screen villains of all time. It’s a legitimate claim that can backed up by simply perusing the vast catalog of great Vader moments from movies, streaming series, comics, etc.
Anakin Skywalker (aka Darth Vader) has been the narrative centerpiece for much of the Star Wars story, beginning with the prequel trilogy, on through the original trilogy, and in much of the animated universe. Even when other characters are the main focus, the shadow of Vader looms over whatever story is being told. Also he’s just an incredibly cool villain who has given us so many great Star Wars moments over the decades.
So in light of Star Wars Day, I thought it would be fun to highlight five of the most awesome Darth Vader moments in all of Star Wars (with video of the scenes included). There are so many to choose from so it’s impossible to call this a definitive list. At the same time, it’s hard to argue that these five moments aren’t amazing. Check them out below and be sure to share your picks in the comment section below.
(Be warned, if you haven’t seen Star Wars but plan to, there will be a few spoilers ahead)
#5 Vader Appears – “Jedi: Fallen Order”
“Jedi: Fallen Order” released in late 2019 and it quickly became one of the franchise’s most acclaimed games. While playing was an incredible experience all its own, it was the canonical story and rich character building that made the game special. Set five years after the events of “Revenge of the Sith”, the story follows one of the few survivors of the Empire’s Great Jedi Purge. It all builds towards an epic appearance of Darth Vader at his most powerful. While I’m sure most non-gamers haven’t seen it, it’s a moment that shouldn’t be missed.
#4 – Vader Pulls Down a Ship – “Obi-Wan Kenobi”
While it doesn’t rank among the most significant moments in Darth Vader’s storied history, there’s something about Vader pulling down an entire ship with his force powers that is just awesome. He does that very thing in the Disney+ series “Obi-Wan Kenobi” and it is every bit as cool as it sounds. As members of the underground desperately try to escape, Vader force grabs what he believes is their ship and yanks it back to the ground. It’s an amazing show of power even if the results aren’t quite what the dark lord expected.
#3 – The Mustafar Duel – “Revenge of the Sith”
The lightsaber duel between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker remains both exhilarating and heart-wrenching. It’s true that Anakin wasn’t yet in his ominous black suit. But he had been given the name Darth Vader by his new master so this choice certainly applies. The two former best friends and brothers unleash an epic lightsaber showdown that starts in a hidden Trade Federation base before spilling outside amid the dangers of the volatile volcano planet. Everything about the duel works, from the buildup to the execution to the dramatic payoff.
#2 – Vader’s Redemption – “Return of the Jedi”
Darth Vader’s tortured and violent story culminated in a moment of redemption that not only triggered the end of the Galactic Empire, but saved his son Luke who was able to turn his father back to the light. It took place in the Emperor’s throne room on the second Death Star. The gravity of Vader’s choice to save Luke by killing Palpatine can’t be overstated. It’s one of the most significant moments in Star Wars. And it (mostly) wraps up the story of Anakin Skywalker, whose tragic life ends with what you might call peace.
#1 – The Hallway Massacre – “Rogue One”
Though it doesn’t carry anywhere near the weight of my previous pick, no Dark Vader scene has shown him more menacing and merciless than in the heralded hallway scene in “Rogue One”. Vader is nothing short of terrifying in this brief but jaw-dropping sequence at the end of the film which directly connects it to “A New Hope”. Vader unleashes his full wrath on the helpless rebels. The siren, the creaking metal, the lightsaber’s ignition, the swelling music, the desperate screams – it all plays into what is one the franchise’s most iconic moments. It never fails to give me goosebumps.
As fans of the genre well know, horror movies aren’t just a seasonal thing. But over the past several years, it seems they’ve pushed themselves more into the year-round mainstream. Studios are putting more effort into giving horror films wider releases and stronger promotion. And it’s easy to understand why. The formula is pretty simple. Horror movies are usually made on a small budget which means turning a profit is a lot easier. So it makes sense why we get so many.
The first of three horror films getting a wide release in May is writer-director Damian McCarthy’s “Hokum”. As with his previous two chillers, “Caveat” and “Oddity”, McCarthy relies mostly on atmosphere, mood, and patient pacing to unnerve us. He tells another emotionally grounded ghost story, shrouded in mystery and steeped in folklore. For the most part, it stays true to its effectively eerie approach, only occasionally disrupting things with a lazy jump-scare.
Image Courtesy of NEON
Adam Scott plays Ohm Bauman (Scott), a successful author struggling to finish the third novel in his popular Conquistador trilogy. He’s stuck on the epilogue to his bleak story, which may or may not be inspired by some pretty heavy personal trauma. But Ohm’s book briefly takes a back seat after he discovers some of his parents’ old belongings including a picture of his mother by a massive redwood tree in Ireland.
Ohm traces the picture back a remote country inn in Ireland called the Bilberry Woods Hotel. During happier days, it’s where his mother and father spent their honeymoon. So Ohm travels there with plans to stay for a week, hoping to spread his parents’ ashes by the big redwood tree from the photo, and finding closure for himself in the process. But there is a deeply troubled side of Ohm that ends up sending the movie down a dark path. And the events that unfolds will have you questioning much of what you see.
The hotel itself introduces an interesting assortment of characters including the creepy old owner named Mr. Cob (Brendan Conroy), the receptionist Mal (Peter Coonan), the groundskeeper Fergal (Michael Patric), the bellhop Alby (Will O’Connell), and the bartender Fiona (Florence Ordesh). The smug and sardonic Ohm leaves a bad impression with everyone other than Fiona who helps him locate the old redwood tree from his mother’s photo.
But then the movie broadsides us with a shocking turn which I won’t spoil. It’s a jolt that we never see coming, yet that never feels as significant moving forward as it clearly means to. Shortly after, Ohm learns that Fiona has gone missing. The semi-concerned hotel staff are quick to name a shaggy local named Jerry (David Wilmot) as the prime suspect. Yet they bristle at Ohm’s questions, especially when he asks why they refuse to search for her in the glaringly suspicious, locked-tight honeymoon suite.
Image Courtesy of NEON
Of course there turns out to be a lot more to the honeymoon suite. Ohm faces off against an unexpected enemy. He gets help from an equally unexpected ally. And the frights come from all directions, inspired by old witch tales, the notion of demons, and even classic haunted house stories. McCarthy weaves them all together into something genuinely macabre yet without fountains of blood and gore. And he succeeds in keeping us on the edges of our seats.
While it does borrow ideas from other horror movies that came before it, there is a uniqueness to “Hokum” that gives the film its own identity within a grounded and ever-growing field. That said, key elements of the story could have used more attention, whether it’s Ohm’s family issues or deeper explanations of the hotel’s secrets. Still, getting something that’s even slightly original to the horror genre is refreshing. And McCarthy continues to build a resume that makes him an exciting new voice going forward.
With his new feature “Deep Water”, Renny Harlin reaches back to a popular movie from his early directing days in search of some return-to-glory magic. The Finnish filmmaker established himself with two popular action movie gems from the early 1990s, “Die Hard 2” and “Cliffhanger”. But since then his career has had its share of misfires along with one notorious box office bomb. One of the exceptions was 1999’s “Deep Blue Sea”, an enjoyable killer shark movie with a fanbase that has only grown over time.
“Deep Water” sees Harlin dipping his toes back into the shark-infested cinematic waters, although this time without the science fiction angle from his previous film. Instead, he goes the full survival thriller route, mixing in some 1970s disaster cinema, while embracing the absurdity that makes shark flicks so diverting. The results – pure popcorn entertainment with the kind of throwback pleasures that many of us grew up loving.
“Deep Water” features an especially wild scenario which Harlin uses to its fullest. Co-written by Pete Bridges, Shayne Armstrong, S.P. Krause, and Damien Power, the story follows one ill-fated international flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai. As with most movies of its kind, it begins with a series of scenes that give us one-dimensional introductions to specific passengers and crew members. Of course all will factor into the peril that lies only a few scenes away.
Image Courtesy of Magenta Light Studios
Tops on the cast list is Aaron Eckhart who plays Ben, the flight’s First Officer and the film’s flawed protagonist. Ben has yet to make captain for reasons that are referenced more than reckoned with. More notable is how he uses work to avoid going home despite the desperate pleas of his wife. We learn they have a young son with cancer and a struggling Ben is doing everything but face that reality. So he stays in the air, this time alongside the equally flawed Captain Rich (Ben Kingsley).
Among the passengers is Dan (Angus Sampson), the mandatory scumbag we all hope gets eaten. There’s the recently married Declan (Ryan Bown) and Jaya (Kelly Gale) along with their children from other marriages, his sulky daughter Cora (Molly Belle Wright) and her outgoing son Finn (Elijah Tamati). There are Esports players Sam (Li Wenhan) and Lilly (Zhao Simei) who butt heads with obnoxious jock Hutch (Lakota Johnson). And we get a spirited grandmother played by Australian screen and stage legend Kate Fitzpatrick.
Other players include the brave and dutiful flight attendants, Zoe (Na Shi) and Penny (Lucy Barrett), a nerdy PC gamer, Matt (Richard Croughley), and a kind-hearted veterinarian named Martine (Madeleine West), as well as others. They all are among the 257 souls onboard the doomed commercial airliner. The trouble starts when a fire in the cargo bay sets off a violent chain of events that sends the plane plunging towards the Pacific Ocean.
Harlin lets loose in crafting a truly harrowing crash sequence that is keenly shot and furiously edited. The fire sends air tanks ripping through the plane, tearing a hole in the fuselage. Bottles from snack carts and overhead luggage fly through the cabin with lethal precision. The engines burst into flames. The belly rips open from a jagged coral reef as the plane skids across the deep waters. It’s Harlin at his best, keeping us glued to every sharply detailed and utterly terrifying moment.
Image Courtesy of Magenta Light Studios
But the scenario only gets worse from there. Within the massive wreckage, passengers and crew frantically scramble to escape from different sections of the splintered plane. Ben tallies the number of survivors to around thirty. But in a movie like this we know that number is going to dwindle fast. Especially when the dead bodies in the waters around them form a feeding ground for hungry and hyper-aggressive mako sharks.
Regardless of how crazy it sounds, Harlin keeps us invested by maintaining a steady edge-of-your-seat tension as he moves us from one silly yet terrifying encounter to another. But his biggest trick is in making us care about the remaining survivors despite their archetypal limitations. We care because Harlin cares about them too, and it comes across in the semblance of human drama he creates in nearly every life and each death.
Now I don’t want to overstate the humanity in a movie that so proudly makes fun its main focus. But there are emotional stakes and the movie is surprisingly sensitive (right through to its overly sugary ending). But at its core, “Deep Water” is a ‘disaster movie meets sharksploitation’ and it makes no apologies. It’s full of clever visual choices, plenty of gnarly kills, and a top-to-bottom committed cast who very much understand the assignment. Mark this one down as one of the bigger surprises of the year so far.
As many of you know, the original “Resident Evil” began as a survival horror game which launched in 1996 on PlayStation and PC. It would go on to become a massively popular gaming franchise, eventually inspiring six live-action big screen movies and several animated films. Now we’re getting another feature film reboot and it comes from director Zach Cregger who’s fresh off the enormous success of his 2025 horror gem “Weapons”.
This “Resident Evil” is said to take place in the franchise’s well known Raccoon City during the events of the “Resident Evil 2” video game. It stars Austin Abrams as Bryan, an everyday medical courier whose routine night plunges into terror after a viral outbreak unleashes a horde of flesh-eating monsters. Cregger has called his film a love letter to the games meaning it will be loaded with easter eggs for fans to enjoy. And if the new trailer is any indication, it should also fully satisfy the appetites of fun-loving horror fans.
“Resident Evil” hits theaters September 18th. Check out the new trailer below and let me know if you’ll be seeing it or taking a pass.
Keith & the Movies 