Tag Archives: horror

REVIEW: “Iron Lung” (2026)

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The potential game-changing success of “Iron Lung” has become a compelling story on its own. The science-fiction horror film is written, directed, edited, and produced by Mark Fischbach, a popular YouTuber who goes by the online name Markiplier. He sits as one of the most popular streamers on the platform with over 38 million channel subscribers to date.

Fischbach self-financed “Iron Lung” for $3 million. Even more impressive, he self-distributed his film, initially only negotiating a small release in 60 independent theaters across the United States. He then reached out to his fans who spearheaded a massive grassroots campaign which caught the attention of several major theater chains. As of now, the film is showing in over 4,100 screens worldwide and made over $21 million in its opening weekend.

“Iron Lung” is based on a 2022 indie game developed and published by David Szymanski. It was a first-person simulation horror experience set entirely within a cramped midget submarine. The movie follows suit, keeping us confined inside a small iron shell for the duration of its two hours. The confinement itself is never an issue. But the two-hour runtime is, with Fischbach too often dragging things out considerably longer than he needs to.

The story is set in a distant future where mankind has colonized space. But a catastrophic event called the Quiet Rapture caused all star systems to vanish. Planets, stars, moons – all gone. And nearly all of humanity disappeared with them. The only survivors are the small numbers of people who were onboard space stations and starships. Those remaining desperately do what they can to stave off their extinction.

Enter Simon (strongly played by Fischbach), an antsy convict about to go on a dangerous mission as penance for a crime that we learn more about as the movie progresses. His mission is to descend deep into an uncharted ocean of blood on a desolate moon believed to hold information and resources crucial to human survival. His handlers have nothing but surface scans. So Simon is tasked with exploring the deep and photographing his findings in exchange for his freedom.

Simon’s small single-chambered submarine is welded shut and the lone porthole is sealed to prevent leaks due to the ocean’s intense pressure. That leaves him completely blind when submerged. His only means of navigation are his instruments and the crude images of an x-ray camera. His chief handler on the surface is the stern and cryptic Ava (Caroline Rose Kaplan) who barks Simon’s orders through a small speaker while trying to keep him focused.

There’s not a lot in terms of plot, but the first half-hour is riveting both narratively and technically. The early storytelling is equal parts harrowing and mysterious as new revelations raise the stakes while introducing an array of physical and psychological dangers. Tensions simmer, trust erodes, and deeper questions emerge. At the same time, Fischbach impressively acquaints us with the “Iron Lung” vessel, skillfully capturing the claustrophobia and peril through his camera and rich sound design.

But things take a frustrating turn as the film goes beyond slow-burning to meandering. Fischbach stretches his already limited story beyond its bounds, overextending sequences and repeating himself in scenes to the point of tedium. The gaps between new information get wider as Simon slowly navigates an assortment of drawn-out side quests that end up opening more questions than the movie ever answers.

Things do pick up in the final half-hour as Fischbach lets the blood gush (and I say that in its most literal sense). He and his team serve up a gory, blood-drenched ending that’s realized through a series of gnarly practical effects. And though it’s sometimes hard to discern what’s happening amid the dim lighting and shaky camera, the film’s ending goes for the jugular, more so visually than narratively.

In the end there is so much to admire about “Iron Lung” – the concept, the craftsmanship, the ambition, the determination. Markiplier shows some real creative chops, both in front of and behind the camera. Unfortunately the middle-hour’s languid pacing really stymies the movie’s momentum and zaps it of its tension, making the experience more grueling than thrilling. It’s a bummer because somewhere in “Iron Lung” is a tighter and more focused 90-minute movie that I would have loved.

VERDICT – 2.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Black Phone 2” (2025)

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10

Scott Derrickson’s 2021 horror gem “The Black Phone” left a mark with its sinister tone and edge-of-your-seat suspense. But its ace in the hole was Ethan Hawke who took on a role unlike any other in his brilliant forty-year career. Hawke played The Grabber, a serial killer and child abductor who terrorized the residents of a Denver suburb. Hawke lost himself in the character and delivered a horror movie antagonist that was both chilling and fascinating.

Derrickson returns to direct and rejoins C. Robert Cargill in writing the script for “Black Phone 2”, a sequel set four years after the events of the first film. Even more exciting, Ethan Hawke returns as The Grabber who (and this may be a spoiler for series newcomers) was killed at the end of the first film. But Derrickson and Cargill have created a surprisingly compelling angle to bring their villain back, and they manage to extend the original story in a unique and effective way.

“The Black Phone” drew its inspiration from a 2005 short story by Joe Hill. It laid the groundwork for the unexpected narrative twists of “Black Phone 2”. Set in 1982, the sequel continues the stories of brother and sister Finney and Gwen Blake (played by the returning Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw). Now 17-years-old, Finney has tried burying his trauma since grabbing headlines as the lone survivor of The Grabber’s murder spree.

Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures

But the movie is most interested in Finney’s kid sister Gwen, whose mysterious power (or curse) played a big part in the first movie. Gwen’s clairvoyance is manifested in dreams that she doesn’t fully understand. Lately they’ve been horrifying nightmares where she witnesses the brutal murders of three young boys. There is also the piercing rings of a black rotary phone – a potential connection to The Grabber. Each new nightmare gets more vivid and more disturbing. And each points to Alpine Lake Youth Camp high up in the Rocky Mountains.

Desperate for answers, Finney, Gwen, and her wannabe boyfriend Ernie (Miguel Mora) head to Alpine Lake to investigate. Posing as counselors in training, the trio arrive in the middle of a blizzard and are greeted by a limited staff including the owner, Armando Reyes (Demián Bichir). While there, Gwen’s terrifying dreams intensify. They begin with horrific encounters with the three mutilated little boys. But soon it’s The Grabber himself, now a raging vengeful spirit with an ax to grind with Finney and Gwen.

Derrickson really leans into the added supernatural spin, taking an already dark and unnerving story and making it even more unsettling. Along the way, we’re treated to several intriguing connections and unexpected reveals, some of which change our perspective on the first film in some surprisingly clever ways. They tell us more about The Grabber’s violent history as well as Finney and Gwen’s family struggles.

The performances from the young stars are generally good although the script trips them up on occasion. This is especially true with McGraw who is routinely forced to blurt out 80s-inspired insults which sound more hokey than authentic. Otherwise both she and Thames meet the many demands of their roles. We also get good supporting turns from Bichir and Jeremy Davies as Finney and Gwen’s father, Terrence.

Image Courtesy of Universal Pictures

As for Hawke, aside from a few glimpses in a handful of early flashbacks, it’s nearly an hour before we see him as The Grabber. And once he appears he is every bit as chilling as before, lurking in the shadows of Gwen’s dreams while grimly uttering his lines with an ethereal menace. He’s a haunting presence with powers inspired by Freddy Krueger, but whose vengeful rage and sadism is far more serious and focused.

The movie makes a number of impressive choices, but some of the most effective involve its bold visuals. Derrickson shoots Gwen’s dream sequences using Super 8mm and 16mm, giving them a grainy old home video quality. Together with the crackle of static in the audio, it creates an eerie and dread-soaked atmosphere. It’s a very specific and potent visual choice that’s more than just a gimmick. And it stands out even more once Derrickson begins integrating it with the digital photography of the ‘real world’.

“Black Phone 2” is a terrific sequel that many of us didn’t know we needed. From its well-developed character arcs to its sinister set pieces, the movie uses every facet of filmmaking to make us squirm in our seats but also empathize with its characters as they navigate such common yet weighty themes as processing trauma, facing fears, family bonds, and the testing of faith. Admittedly the rules of ‘dreams versus reality’ aren’t always clear, especially in the final act. But it’s easy to look past such small gripes after considering the keen vision and first-rate execution of this worthwhile sequel that’s full of proud callbacks and original twists all its own.

VERDICT – 4 STARS

REVIEW: “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (2025)

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7

Riding hot on the heels of Wes Craven’s enormous box office hit “Scream”, director Jim Gillespie’s 1997 slasher “I Know What You Did Last Summer” pretty much followed the same path to success. It was made on a small budget, it featured a collection of fresh young faces, and it raked in a lot of money leading to one immediate sequel, one later direct-to-video sequel, a now a legacy sequel that follows the events from the second movie.

Originally based on a 1973 novel by Lois Duncan, “I Know What You Did Last Summer” pulls inspiration from an old urban legend of the Hookman. In the 1997 film, a group of teenage friends from Southport, North Carolina are terrorized by a hook-wielding killer one year after they covered up a car accident where they accidentally killed a man. Murder and mayhem ensued as the friends found themselves the target of a mysterious killer.

Image Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

The 2025 film (which follows that silly trend of using the same name as a previous installment) takes place 28 years after the Southport murders. Director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, working from a script she co-wrote with Sam Lansky, basically follows the same blueprint as the first film, with a new group of friends and a couple of old familiar faces which fans will enjoy seeing despite them feeling shoehorned in.

Five not so interesting friends, Ava (Chase Sui Wonders), Danica (Madelyn Cline), Milo (Jonah Hauer-King), Teddy (Tyriq Withers), and Stevie (Sarah Pidgeon), drive up in the hills overlooking Southport for the best view of the town’s annual late-night Fourth of July fireworks show. As the group dumbly goofs around in the middle of the winding road, a truck is forced to swerve to miss them, plunging off the gorge to the rocks below.

Rather than help, the frightened group flee the scene. They later find out the driver was killed, but Teddy’s wealthy father (Billy Campbell) uses his influence with the cops to keep the kids from being implicated. The five friends take an oath to never mention what happened to anyone. But if you know anything about the original movie you know their secret comes back to haunt them.

One year later, Danica receives a mysterious note the reads “I know what you did last summer“. It forces the five startled friends back together where they quickly find themselves being stalked by a hook-wielding killer in a rain slicker. While the police aren’t much help, they find unexpected allies in Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Ray Bronson (Freddie Prinze Jr.) – two original survivors of the 1997 murder spree.

Image Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

Robinson and Lansky try but have a tough time giving us anyone to root for. It’s no fault of the cast as everyone puts what they can into their mostly hollow characters. Even Hewitt and Prinze Jr. struggle to bring anything beyond nostalgia to their characters. The story does them no favors, predictably moving from point to point, relying on jump scares rather than real tension, and eventually falling apart with a desperate twist that is more eye-rolling than shocking.

That leaves us with the kills – something all good slashers lean on to some degree. Here they barely leave an impression and even the most die-hard slasher fan will have a tough time being impressed. It’s just another blemish on what is a mostly lifeless and painfully by-the-numbers snooze that has a difficult time justifying its own existence. We get glimpses of what the movie could have been, but sadly it’s only glimpses. “I Know What You Did Last Summer” opens in theaters today.

VERDICT – 2 STARS

New on Home Video: “Constantine” on 4K Ultra HD + Digital

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Warner Brothers Discovery Home Entertainment is celebrating the 20th Anniversary of “Constantine” by bringing it to 4K Ultra HD for the very first time. The superhero horror film is based on the “Hellblazer” graphic novels from DC Comics and features Keanu Reeves as the titular protagonist John Constantine. It’s the feature film debut for Francis Lawrence who put together a dark and stylish supernatural adventure. Upon release, “Constantine” didn’t get the critical love it deserved. But over time people have rightly warmed up to it.

This cool new 4K Ultra HD edition of “Constantine” comes with a digital copy and will be available to purchase on February 18th. See below for a full synopsis of the film as well as release info including a list of special features.

About the Film:

Year: 2005

Runtime: 121 Minutes

Director: Francis Lawrence

Screenwriters: Kevin Brodbin, Frank Capello

Cast: Keanu Reeves, Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Tilda Swinton, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Djimon Hounsou, Gavin Rossdale, Peter Stormare, Max Baker, José Zúñiga, Francis Guinan, April Grace

Rating: R for violence and demonic images

Based on the DC Comics/Vertigo “Hellblazer” graphic novels and written by Kevin Brodbin and Frank Cappello, “Constantine” tells the story of John Constantine (Keanu Reeves), a man who has literally been to hell and back.  When he teams up with skeptical policewoman Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) to solve the mysterious suicide of her twin sister, their investigation takes them through the world of demons and angels that exists just beneath the landscape of contemporary Los Angeles.  Caught in a catastrophic series of otherworldly events, the two become inextricably involved and seek to find their own peace at whatever cost.

Special Features:

“Constantine” Digital release and Ultra HD Blu-ray disc contains a new special feature along with previously released special features:

  • New Feature – Two Decades of Damnation
  • Commentaries
  • Channeling Constantine
  • Conjuring Constantine
  • Holy Relics
  • Shotgun Shootout
  • Hellscape
  • Warrior Wings
  • Unholy Abduction
  • Demon Face
  • Foresight” The Power of Pre-Visualization
  • A Writer’s Vision

 

“Constantine” Ultra HD Blu-ray disc contains the additional previously released special features:

  • Director’s Confessional
  • Demon Face

 

REVIEW: “A Knight’s War” (2025)

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Matthew Ninaber directs, writes, produces, and stars in “A Knight’s War”, a gritty and imaginative creation that embraces medieval action, dark fantasy, and horror. It even adds a few dashes of black comedy to lighten up what is a mostly grim and dread-driven story. Ancient prophecies, jealous gods, soulless demons, bloodthirsty witches – they all play into this twisted and forbidding world.

For an 80s kid like me, “A Knight’s War” calls back to a number of fun fantasy adventure films I grew up watching. Throughout its entertaining 104 minutes, it brought to mind such movies as “Krull”, “Conan the Barbarian”, “Beastmaster”, and “Dragonslayer” just to name a few. But what impresses most is the way Ninaber and company do so much with so little. “A Knight’s War” didn’t have the benefits of a big studio budget but it often looks like it does. The production design, costumes, makeup, visual effects – it’s all a striking testament to the vision, vehemence, and virtuosity that drives the filmmaking.

Image Courtesy of Epic Pictures

Co-written by Ninaber and his brother Jeremy, the story is soaked in original mythology that’s relayed through a healthy balance of visual and expository world-building. It begins with two brothers, Bhodie (Jeremy Ninaber) and William (Matthew Ninaber), both knights on a mission to rescue a young woman being sacrificed in a demonic ritual. The woman’s name is Avalon (Kristen Kaster) and the brothers believe her to be the key to a dark mystical prophecy.

But their rescue efforts are thwarted and Avalon is transported to a hellish realm populated by all manner of evil. Desperately clinging to the prophecy, Bhodie follows Avalon through a forbidden gate while William attempts to fend off a horde of demons. Once in the realm, Bhodie is greeted by a mysterious gatekeeper (Shane Nicely) who informs him that three evil lords possess three magical stones. If he wants to return home with Avalon he will need to defeat the lords and retrieve the stones.

To help Bhodie on his journey, the gatekeeper offers him a magical talisman that gives him one hundred lives. All he asks in return is that Bhodie brings him along when he returns to our realm. Bhodie accepts and then sets out to find Avalon. It doesn’t take him long, but convincing her to come back with him proves difficult. That’s because she’s on a mission of her own – one fueled by her own lust for revenge.

Image Courtesy of Epic Pictures

From there, the action picks up as Bhodie and Avalon, each with their own levels of distrust, face-off against forces of evil and sometimes each other. Along the way, Ninaber treats us to a strikingly creative array of sinister enemies and a series of encounters infused with deliciously gory combat. And it all plays out against a fittingly fantastical backdrop. Things can get a little too exposition-heavy in spots and the mythology doesn’t always make sense. But the film steadily moves forward, delivering one skillfully crafted sequence after another.

Admittedly there are occasions where the budget limitations can be hard to miss. You see it in a handful of stagy backgrounds and in moments where the story confusingly lurches forward to get to its next point. But those things can’t minimize what the filmmakers are able to accomplish in this well-made, incredibly efficient, and wildly entertaining fantasy adventure. “A Knight’s War” opens in select theaters on February 7th and is available on VOD February 11th.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS

REVIEW: “Heart Eyes” (2025)

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For those moviegoers worried that we’re running short of psychopathic masked serial killers, fear not. “Heart Eyes” is here, a wild genre hybrid that mixes ingredients from sappy romantic comedies and blood-saturated slasher movies. It’s a gleefully self-aware date night cocktail that derives much of its enjoyment through its giddy embrace of numerous genre tropes. To put it simply, director Josh Ruben knows and delivers on his assignment.

Ruben, along with screenwriters Phillip Murphy, Christopher Landon and Michael Kennedy, fashion a movie so in tune with its own silliness that you can’t help but get onboard. You’ll laugh at the goofy gags and abject absurdity as much as you’ll recoil at the jolting violence and gruesome gore. But most surprising is how a movie that is both a romcom parody and a shameless splatterfest can be this shrewdly scripted and devilishly charming.

Olivia Holt is sturdy and committed playing Ally, a twenty-something former med student who now works as a Seattle marketing executive. Things aren’t going well at work following a bad ad pitch and now her tyrannical boss (Michaela Watkins) is threatening to fire her. Meanwhile her love life isn’t much better. Ally recently broke up with her boyfriend, but she can’t quite stalking his social media accounts.

Image Courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing

Elsewhere, news reports tell of a bloodthirsting maniac on the loose in Seattle. The media has dubbed him the “Heart Eyes Killer” and for obvious reasons – he wears a crude leather mask with two hearts for eyeholes. He targets random cities for his annual Valentine’s Day killing sprees, hunting and slaughtering romantic couples for reasons that (of course) will eventually come to light in the final act. First it was Boston, then Philly, and now it’s Seattle.

Ally’s boss demands she redo her ad campaign and pairs her with a hunky hotshot named Jay (Mason Gooding). Following a rather unpleasant working dinner, Ally spots her former beau outside of the restaurant with his new girlfriend. In an impulsive move, she plants a kiss on Jay in hopes of making her ex jealous. But she inadvertently gets the attention of Heart Eyes who’s watching from the bushes.

The killer mistakes Ally and Jay for a couple and makes them the focus of his Valentine’s evening festivities, chasing the two around the city and butchering anyone who happens to get in his way. One of my favorite running gags involve the two repeatedly trying to convince Heart Eyes that they are not together. Yet in classic romcom fashion, that changes over the course of the night as Ally and Jay get a little closer with every near-death encounter.

Image Courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing

As you watch “Heart Eyes”, romcom and slasher tropes are scattered like Easter eggs and spotting them is a big part of the fun. The swell of sappy love songs, the aggressively awkward meet-cute, the jabbering best friend (Gigi Zumbado). On the other side you get the slow walking but always present killer, an array of hapless victims, bumbling police officers (played by Jordana Brewster and Devon Sawa) who are no help at all. This just scratches the surface of what you’ll find.

“Heart Eyes” is a mashup in its truest form. It artfully combines the well established frameworks of romantic comedies and slasher movies into one wildly entertaining confection. To no surprise its story is a little shallow, and the end reveal isn’t all that satisfying. But Holt and Gooding make for a likable and root-worthy duo while Heart Eyes is an especially brutal killer, using a variety of weaponry to deliver some truly creative carnage.

Again, the filmmakers know what kind of movie they’re making. Ruben and company have clearly watched a number of romcoms and they possess an obvious love the slasher genre. Now sprinkle in an assortment of well-timed and genuinely funny jokes and you have “Heart Eyes”, a movie that knows its target audience and is happy to feed them exactly what they’re hungry for. “Heart Eyes” opens in theaters today.

VERDICT – 3.5 STARS