Director Daniel J. Phillips takes us into the unsettling world of religious horror with “Diabolic”. It’s a well-traveled subgenre that has been approached from nearly every angle imaginable. Yet when done right, filmmakers have shown that there are still some good frights to be found, even if we’re in well-travelled territory. Sadly, that isn’t the case with the underwhelming “Diabolic”.

“Diabolic” is a slow-moving supernatural chiller that hits many of the same thematic and subgenre beats that we’ve seen in numerous other movies of its kind. That said, it still would have worked if the film could have added just a little more of its own original flavor. Yet none of its efforts at doing so are all that compelling.

To their credit, the screenwriters (Phillips, Mike Harding, and Tricia Madsen) attempt to build a foundation that we’re told is inspired by true events. But the perfunctory buildup quickly leads to a glaringly ill-advised trip that soon devolves into another story about weird, rigid religious people and one malevolent evil spirit. And from the movie’s perspective, one is just as bad as the other.

Elizabeth Cullen plays Elise, a young artist suffering from debilitating blackouts. As her episodes become more frequent, they grow longer and more violent. Desperate for help, Elise’s psychiatrist offers her one more option before admitting her to the hospital. He believes her blackouts are the result of buried trauma from growing up in the Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints – a fringe offshoot of the Mormon Church. He suggests exposure therapy. More specifically, that she travels to the church and seeks help from their healers. Yikes.

So Elise, her supportive husband or boyfriend Adam (John Kim), and her self-invited best friend Gwen (Mia Challis) load up and travel deep into the forest, well away from civilization to the off-the-grid fundamentalist compound. There they meet the homely Hyrum (Robin Goldsworthy) and his stern mother, Alma (Genevieve Mooy). Together they all engage in a warped, hallucinogenic drug-induced ritual at the site of her worst trauma. What could go wrong?

As the baffling character choices mount up, the story branches out in a couple of directions. One involves a series of clunky flashbacks as Elise begins recalling her relationship with a fellow church member, Clara (Luca Sardelis). The other introduces the vengeful spirit of a cursed witch (Seraphine Harley) that is inadvertently released during the healing ritual. Neither leave much of an impression. The Clara bit is an angle we’ve seen countless times before. And the witch isn’t established enough to be as threatening as she needs to be.

In terms of horror, “Diabolic” puts most of its effort into creating a creepy atmosphere. And that’s possibly the movie’s biggest strength. It also does some pretty cool things in the practical effects department. But outside of one lone gloriously gruesome slaying, none of the few kills we get stand out at all. That, along with a story that often seems at odds with itself, leaves us with a movie that has the right setting and develops the right tone, but that lacks the narrative freshness or genre punch to stand out from the crowd.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

The latest cinematic expression of Bram Stoker’s seminal 1897 horror classic “Dracula” is the simply yet fittingly titled “Dracula”. It comes from writer-director Luc Besson who offers up an unconventional reimagining of vampire mythology and the Dracula story itself. He spins a dark tale rooted more in romance than horror. Yet it has splashes of blood, some wild creative strokes, and even injections of humor, all of which make this more than some generic Dracula rehash.

While the core of Stoker’s story remains, the differences in Besson’s retelling come to light frequently and fairly quickly. With its period romance focus comes some unique style choices which work in surprising harmony with the film’s Gothic horror elements. There’s also an interesting thematic shift from science vs. religion to faith vs. apostasy. We also see a chunk of the story taking place in Paris rather than London.

Other differences are more character related. Dracula’s three brides (or sisters, depending on what interpretation you hold) are replaced by comical stone gargoyles which uproots a prominent thematic layer to Stoker’s story yet makes this more of a singular love story. Also absent is Dr. Abraham Van Helsing. Instead we get an unnamed priest from an order of vampire hunters. And there is no Renfield, at least not the version of him we’re used to.

Besson’s story kicks off with a prologue set in 1480 Eastern Europe. Before setting out to face the invading Ottomans, Prince Vladimir of Wallachia (Caleb Landry Jones) seeks assurance from a high-ranking Cardinal (Haymon Maria Buttinger) that God will protect his precious wife Elisabeta (Zoë Bleu) while he’s in battle. But as she’s being ushered to a safer location, Elisabeta and her escort are ambushed and murdered. A devastated and angry Vladimir abandons God, vowing never to serve Him again until Elisabeta is returned.

400 years later in Paris, Dr. Dumont (Guillaume de Tonquédec) seeks help from the Vatican on a disturbing case that is outside of his expertise. He’s sent a Bavarian priest (played by a magnetic Christoph Waltz) from a group secretly commissioned by the Church. Once there, the priest is escorted deep below the hospital where Dumont introduces him to his patient, Maria (Matilda De Angelis), a volatile and seductive young woman who the priest quickly determines is a vampire.

We learn the priest’s order has been hunting the head vampire for centuries. And that head vampire is none other than Count Dracula, formerly Prince Vladimir. Now 400 years old and a husk of his former self, Dracula stays secluded in his Romanian castle while his “associates” scour the land for his reincarnated bride. But his search takes a turn when a solicitor from Paris named Jonathan Harker (Ewens Abid) pays him a business visit.

Over the course of his chilling stay at the Count’s castle, Harker shows Dracula a photo of his fiancé Mina (also Bleu) who bears a striking resemblance to his long departed wife. Certain that he has finally found her, Dracula departs for Paris to reunite with his Elisabeta. From there Besson branches out with two storylines that are destined to intersect. One follows Dracula’s venture into Paris as he searches for Mina. The other follows the priest’s investigation as he searches for Dracula.

As Besson’s vision unfolds, it’s hard not to enjoy his nods to the classic story but also his own original reinventions. Nearly every change he makes is there to serve his biggest revision – making this a doomed Gothic love story. Jones is outstanding in portraying Dracula as a creepy yet tragically heartbroken figure rather than a predatory bloodsucking monster. Bleu is a revelation in her crucial dual-ish role. And Waltz is his usual captivating self despite the priest being strangely underwritten in spots.

In addition to the stellar performances, Besson is also helped by Colin Wandersman’s bold cinematography and Danny Elfman’s sweeping score. The period-rich production design and costumes add to the film’s stylish verve. It all enhances this beguiling new spin on Stoker’s classic. It’s chilling, alluring, wonderfully weird, and slyly funny at the most unexpected times. Best of all, it doesn’t try to be the grandest of all Dracula incarnations. The movie is very much its own thing which is a key reason it works so well.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

Gus Van Sant returns with “Dead Man’s Wire”, the director’s first feature film in nearly eight years. His latest is a crime thriller that’s inspired by the real-life Indianapolis hostage crisis involving Tony Kiritsis. On February 8, 1977, a desperate and deranged Kiritsis entered Meridian Mortgage Company after falling behind on his real estate mortgage payments. After a clash with mortgage broker Richard O. Hall, Kiritsis pulled out a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun, wired it to the back of Hall’s head, and demanded $5 million and immunity for being cheated by the company.

The incident and the subsequent 63-hour standoff forms the backbone of “Dead Man’s Wire”. Written for the screen by Austin Kolodney, the story is an interesting blend of old-fashioned suspense thriller, crime drama, and pitch-black comedy. It takes this bonkers real-life story, which was captured live and in color, and gives it the Sidney Lumet “Dog Day Afternoon” treatment. Van Sant and Kolodney play around with the facts in an effort to draw some current-day connection. You could say it turns the true story on its head, and not in the best of ways.

A fiercely committed Bill Skarsgård plays Tony Kiritsis, an aspiring businessman with a bone to pick with the heads of Meridian Mortgage Company. The Tony we meet is a rather unremarkable fellow – tall and lanky with a fairly plain haircut and a thinly drawn mustache. He’s jittery and wild-eyed yet unassuming in his light green polyester shirt and brown corduroy jeans. About the only thing standing out as he walks into Meridian’s office building is the sling supporting his arm and the long, narrow cardboard box he’s carrying.

Tony makes his way to the fourth floor where he’s scheduled to meet with Meridian’s president, M.L. Hall (a comically vile Al Pacino). But Tony is informed that M.L. is off on a last-minute “business” trip and instead he’s to meet with the president’s son, Richard (Dacre Montgomery). Forced to play the hand he’s dealt, Tony pulls wire out of his sling and a sawed-off shotgun out of his box and takes Richard hostage. Tony rigs his gun to Richard with the wire so that it will discharge if he’s shot. He then sets out to let the world know how the company has wronged him.

Things quickly evolve into a truly crazy scenario as Tony marches Richard out into the busy Indianapolis street as cops converge and the media broadcasts it to the world. Tony’s demands are to the point. He wants his debt forgiven, full immunity, and a public apology from Richard’s father. It all leads to an extended standoff at Tony’s apartment building and an eventual crackpot ending that fits well with this stranger than fiction story.

Aside from Skarsgård, Montgomery, and Pacino, “Dead Man’s Wire” is accented by an array of other intriguing characters who are realized through some fun and wily performances. Colman Domingo plays the silky voiced Indianapolis disc jockey Fred Temple (Colman Domingo), who’s based on the real-life radio personality Fred Heckman. An unrecognizable Cary Elwes plays Detective Michael Grable, an acquaintance of Tony’s who is first on the scene. And Myha’la gets some good scenes as a local TV reporter determined to get the scoop.

Unfortunately, the movie skips over one of the more fascinating elements of the true story – the trial and its subsequent verdict. Instead, all we get is a brief tacked-on scene at the end. But that falls in line with what Van Sant is going for. He is more interested in making a movie brimming with anti-institutional sentiment. He packages it within a classic crime thriller framework that’s soaked in a richly detailed 1970s aesthetic. It can also be darkly funny, often at the most surprising times, adding levity to an already gonzo true story that you have to see to believe.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

At the risk of once again dating myself, I miss the glory days of 1980s Sword and Sorcery movies. I grew up losing myself in the fantastical worlds created in movie like “Conan the Barbarian” (1982), “Clash of the Titans” (1981), “Beastmaster” (1982), “Krull” (1983), “Red Sonja” (1985), and “Dragonslayer” (1981). While fantasy adventures have continued in things like “The Lord of the Rings” and “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves”, the 80s Sword and Sorcery films had a spirit all their own.

Enter “Deathstalker”, a 2025 release that is an 80s styled Sword and Sorcery movie through and through. It’s passionately written and directed by Steven Kostanski, the man behind 2020’s genre explosion “PG: Psycho Goreman”. Now if you’re at all familiar with “PG” you’ll have a feel for the style of filmmaking you’ll see in “Deathstalker”. It’s almost playfully violent and unashamedly gory. But better than that, it’s a practical effects-driven feature that never lets its modest budget lessen its huge ambition.

“Deathstalker” is technically a remake of the 1983 Roger Corman produced movie of the same name. Kostanski is faithful to the original film in presentation, narrative style, and tone, but he tells a much different story. While scavenging a fresh, corpse-littered battlefield in the war-torn kingdom of Abraxion, a former soldier in the Queen’s army known as Deathstalker (actor, stuntman, and martial artist Daniel Bernhardt) recovers a gold amulet. His plans are to sell it for a tidy profit. But those plans quickly fall apart.

Deathstalker learns the amulet is cursed and magically bound to whoever possesses it. Unable to rid himself of the cursed relic, he sets out on a journey to find someone who can. Along the way he’s joined by a quirky sorcerer named Doodad (physically captured by Laurie Field and voiced by Patton Oswalt) and later an impulsive thief named Brisbayne (Christina Orjalo).

But there are others who want the amulet for their own nefarious purposes, namely a powerful necromancer named Nekromemnon (Nicholas Rice). He intends to unleash the amulet’s power to destroy the world and then rebuild it as he sees fit. So Nekromemnon sends out a host of assassins to kill Deathstalker and bring the amulet to him. And that sets up the bulk of the movie as Kostanski straightforwardly steers us from one action-packed and blood-drenched sequence to another.

Overall the story is fun, routinely silly, and proudly in-tune with the movies that inspired it. Admittedly the mythology is a little muddled and there is a tad too much exposition. But the cheeky sense of humor ensures it’s never taken too seriously. And the world-building is fittingly fantastical and full of imagination. It features many interesting locations that are populated by such creatures as two-headed trolls, witches, pig soldiers, swamp monsters, the reanimated dead, and so on.

But the most fun is found in the movie’s special effects. You could almost consider “Deathstalker” to be a celebration of the practical effects era. Kostanski and his team put aside the prominent digital approach of today. Instead they go a more handcrafted route, using an amazing combination of stop-motion animation, richly detailed makeup and costumes, latex masks, prosthetics, bodysuits, and an assortment of sets and props. As with the movies from the genre’s heyday, the effects are sometimes obvious. But artistry can shine brightest in the imperfections. And there’s something refreshing about seeing a creative vision without the slick polish of CGI.

“Deathstalker” turns back the clock to an era when bringing your imagination to life required more than computer programs and green screens. It takes us back to a bygone era of Sword and Sorcery adventures, telling a ridiculously entertaining story and creating an inspired world of wonder despite its budget limitations. It does it all with a sincere passion but also an ever-present sense of self-awareness. Those two ingredients are essential in making “Deathstalker” a glorious throwback experience.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

Rod Blackhurst makes his feature directorial debut with a film that hearkens back to the pulpy horror movies from 1970s which found new life on video store shelves in the 1980s. “Dolly” transports us back to the grindhouse with its noticeably low budget, gritty aesthetic, and unflinching graphic violence. At the same time we see flashes of the same artistic merit that made Tobe Hooper’s “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” stand out from its contemporaries.

Now I don’t want to get too carried away. “Dolly” isn’t up there with Hooper’s seminal horror classic and I don’t think it’s trying to be. Instead Blackhurst (who also co-wrote the script with Brandon Weavil) embraces his clear inspiration and deep affection for genre films by both paying homage and adding his own deranged flavor. The result is an effectively chilling and delightfully twisted horror throwback that has just the kind of kick genre fans will relish.

Blackhurst and Weavil break their story into seven or so chapters with such titles as Mother, Daughter, Home, Reunion, etc. While it’s hardly significant or even necessary, the chapter structure strangely fits well and adds to the story’s macabre tone. As for the small cast of characters, we meet Macy (Fabianne Therese) and her boyfriend Chase (Seann William Scott) as they’re dropping off his daughter before heading out for a hike in the mountains. But it’s no normal couple’s getaway. Chase plans to ask Macy to marry him. Little does he know, Macy isn’t sure she’s ready to be a wife or a step-mother.

After taking a nature trail through the forest, Chase and Macy arrive at his favorite overlook. But before he can pop the question, Chase breaks his own rule and leaves the trail to investigate the eerie sound of music from a toy radio. When Chase doesn’t return, Macy goes looking for him. But instead she encounters a hulking non-verbal mother figure named Dolly (played by American pro wrestler Max the Impaler) who knocks Macy unconscious and carries her to an old house deep in the woods.

Macy eventually wakes up to find herself in a disturbing situation. She’s in an upstairs nursery, wearing baby girl clothes and awkwardly lying in an oversized bassinet. Just as Macy comes to her senses and begins looking for a way out, Dolly bursts in. She’s an imposing figure, wearing a tattered dress and a crude Porcelain doll head, who wants to raise Macy as her child. It’s a twisted scenario made even more unsettling with the revelation that Macy is the latest of many who have brutally suffered and died by the bloodstained hands of this unhinged ‘mother’.

Much like Hooper’s classic, things only get more depraved and bizarre the longer we stay in the house. Dolly’s delusion starts with pacifiers and baby bottles before devolving into something dramatically more shocking. And her warped motherly instincts are routinely interrupted by unstable fits of self-loathing rage. It makes the unstable Dolly even more terrifying. Meanwhile Therese, channeling her very best Marilyn Burns, shows Macy’s indomitable will to live which fuels her fight for survival, setting up several killer throwdowns with her captor.

“Dolly” was filmed over the course of 19 days on location in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Lovingly shot on Super 16mm, the lo-fi visual style alone has a transportive effect. It shrewdly calls back to the many similar films that paved its way. But it also plays a big part in capturing and sustaining the mood and atmosphere Blackhurst is going for. Equally essential is the assortment of crafty camera techniques he and DP Justin Derry employ including tilt shots, tracking shots, high angles, wide angles, intense close-ups, even a classic iris shot.

“Dolly” flaunts a premise that is as outrageous as it is creepy. It’s not for the squeamish, especially as the horror progressively turns more grisly. Yet there is a darkly comical undercurrent that Blackhurst knowingly embraces. Even with the hints of pitch-black humor, it’s easy to be unnerved by Dolly’s merciless psychosis, her grimy blood-splattered home, and some gnarly practical effects that have no shortage of blood and gore. These things alone meld into something wildly satisfying. But it’s the distinct throwback style that makes this catnip for genre junkies like me.

VERDICT – 4 STARS