Tag Archives: Netflix

31 Days of Horror: The Rental (2020; R; 88 mins.)

Posted on October 31, 2024 | 1 comment

In what was billed as a horror movie, this low-key yawn-fest had me actually using the vacuum while streaming it, I was so disinterested in its outcome.

When brothers perfect-Charlie and lazy-Josh, Charlie’s wife Michelle, and Charlie’s co-worker Mina (who is also dating Josh), decide to rent an extravagant oceanside house for a weekend, they arrive to find an unfriendly and odd host there to give them their key. As their weekend gets underway, they have to work first to hide Josh’s dog, which he wasn’t supposed to bring because pets are not allowed, then calm Mina down through various huffy fits she has because of the host’s seemingly racist attitudes. Deciding to liven things up with some drugs, Michelle offers them around before deciding she’s too tired after all and goes to bed. Okaay.

As the weeekend progresses and Mina discovers spying devices hidden in the rental–too late to hide some things that have already occurred–plans are formed and reformed among the four as to how to handle the host, secrets that are both kept and revealed, new threats, and more. In the end, viewers will learn who wins in this match of ho-hum and who-cares.

  • Top Scare: Car
  • Heartbeats: 1 3/4 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 2 out of 5
  • Scare Factor: 1 1/2 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 16 and up

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31 Days of Horror: Blood Red Sky (2021; TV-MA; 121 mins.)

Posted on October 28, 2024 | Leave a comment

If you’re willing to invest over two hours on a paranormal-ish movie set 90% on an airplane, this might be one to give a try. I’m not saying it’s a fantastic horror movie, but it’s also not the worst you could choose, either.

Nadja and her son Elias are traveling on a transatlantic flight to New York so Nadja can receive medical treatment for an unspecified blood disorder. In the airport, Elias meets Farid, a kind fellow passenger who also likes science, and they strike up a bit of a friendship. As the flight gets underway, though, it is soon hijacked by terrorists, including a psychopath who is only too willing to kill anyone in their way, and the copilot, who redirects their flight to crash land in Europe (the hijackers have plans to escape by skydiving).

In a panic, Elias tries to take off and hide in a cargo hold, and when Nadja runs after him, she is shot and left bleeding on the floor. Farid and other passengers try to help both Elias and others who have been hurt already, while most of the terrorists are in the cargo hold trying to put the bomb together. This is where we flash back to an event in Nadja’s past, when Elias was just a baby, which caused her blood disorder, and also where we discover how her husband died. As the story moves back to the present, we see Nadja in a new light, and realize she is stronger than she seems, and might be able to save Elias and the plane full of people from crashing after all. But time is working against her, and she will need help from both Elias and Farid in order to be able to finally put an end to this terror once and for all.

  • Top Scare: Psychopath
  • Heartbeats: 2 1/4 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 4 out of 5
  • Scare Factor: 3 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 16 and up

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Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Entertainment, Halloween, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, Paranormal, Reviews, scary movies, Streaming, Vampires

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31 Days of Horror: Don’t Move (2024; R; 92 mins.)

Posted on October 26, 2024 | 1 comment

Another day, another smart/clever/strong woman trying to escape a psycho man; this horror movie trope seems to be going as strong as ever with the new Don’t Move.

When Iris–who is still grieving the accidental fall death of her young son in the Big Sur mountains–heads back there to tend his makeshift memorial and “join him,” a man named Richard talks her down from the cliff (literally and figuratively) while sharing his own grief story. But Richard is not who he seems, and has soon injected Iris with a paralytic that will take twenty minutes to fully render her unable to move or talk, as he drives her back to his cabin in the woods for a little one-on-one weekend.

During this window of time however, Iris is able to use a hidden Swiss Army knife to free her hands and cause Richard to wreck, eventually escaping into the woods. As she counts down the twenty minutes, growing slower and less able to function, Richard stalks her. He’s already told her all about “the others,” so she knows what awaits her if she isn’t smart and fast and resourceful. Using every bit of serendipity, luck, and strategic planning that either comes her way or she creates over the next hour or two as she waits for the paralytic to both fully kick in and then fully wear off, Iris fights to not only escape Richard, but to also reclaim the life she’s decided she wants to live after all.

  • Top Scare: In Cabin
  • Heartbeats: 2 1/2 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 2 out of 5
  • Scare Factor: 1 3/4 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 15 or 16 and up

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Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Entertainment, Halloween, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, Reviews, scary movies, Serial Killers, Streaming, Thriller

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31 Days of Horror: Till Death (2021; R; 88 mins.)

Posted on October 25, 2024 | 5 comments

What’s more romantic than a surprise getaway to your lakeside house filled with lit candles and rose petals for your 11th anniversary? Well, definitely not awakening in bed the next morning, handcuffed to your controlling husband, as he lifts a gun and kills himself, then discovering he has thought of everything: landline is out, cell phone destroyed, all the drawers in the house are empty. Oh, and it’s the dead of winter far away from others, only your wedding dress is in the closet, and he’s left notes and other fun discoveries for you throughout the house.

Of course, being the badass survivor you already were after being attacked years ago (that’s how you met your lawyer husband after all, during that mess), you’re determined to survive this too. But wait, did that horrible husband of yours also include others in this revenge plot of his? Yes, yes he did. And did you say “revenge”? Yes, yes I did. See, he knows about him. And he’s maybe not the best person to begin with, either. When you put those together with some other stuff going on in his life, it all adds up. And, though he may have thought of most everything to get his revenge, you decide you also deserve your own bit of it as well. And you’re smart and strong and gutsy. So if you play your cards right, you just might show him who’s really in charge in the end.

  • Top Scare: Chase Scene
  • Heartbeats: 2 1/4 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 3 out of 5
  • Scare Factor: 2 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 16 and up

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Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Entertainment, Halloween, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, Reviews, scary movies, Streaming, Thriller

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31 Days of Horror: Abandoned (2022; PG-13; 102 mins.)

Posted on October 23, 2024 | 2 comments

For this National Horror Movie Day, I was ready for a ghost-ridden, haunted house-type movie, and happened upon this one. After some recent gore-laden films, spooky/eerie happenings in a remote farmhouse sounded like the right amount of creepy. However, I should have abandoned Abandoned after the first 20 minutes, and I’ll share why so you can choose a better scary show for yourself.

When Alex and Sara, along with infant son Liam, find a great deal (always with the great deal…red flag, people!) on a big farmhouse and barn, they decide to ignore the fact that a murder involving a baby occurred there in the past (the movie itself is set in an undetermined era…perhaps the ’70s or perhaps not). Alex is a farm animal vet who is working to get a new practice off the ground by driving around to find people with farms (weird), while Sara, a teacher in the past, stays home with Liam. Now, you can tell right away things are a bit off: the lighting is kind of muted, Sara always wears the same white dress and Liam only a diaper/cover, a neighbor walks on into the house but Sara doesn’t see it as too odd, the couple is quiet and don’t talk much, items seem to move from room to room (or do they?), and other unusual things. And Liam cries ALL THE TIME. Yes, this is actually part of the movie. Out of the over one hundred minutes of Abandoned, Liam cries probably 20%-25% of it!

Now, we also learn the family who lived in this house before were more than creepy. A father kept his daughter prisoner there, got her pregnant, and shot the baby when it was born. These spirits are still in the house, and they have different goals for Sara. As Sara seems to slowly lose more and more of her mind, she puts Liam in greater and greater danger. But it’s not just the spirits who are after Sara. See, the whole movie is also a big ol’ metaphor for the postpartum depression Sara’s suffering from. So, the question is, will Alex see what is happening to his wife and be able to save her and Liam before it’s too late? Will the mystery of the neighbor be solved? Will the spirits leave them alone and move on? Will Liam EVER STOP CRYING?? You could watch the movie to find out. But, truthfully, I’d pass and save your time (and ears) for better pursuits.

  • Top Scare: In Bedroom
  • Heartbeats: 1 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 1 1/2 out of 5
  • Scare Factor: 1 1/4 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 13 and up

2 Comments

Posted in 31 Days of Horror, baby, Entertainment, Halloween, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, Paranormal, Reviews, scary movies, Streaming

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31 Days of Horror: The Babysitter: Killer Queen (2020; TV-MA; 101 mins)

Posted on October 22, 2024 | Leave a comment

So, I’ve not even seen The Babysitter, but this looked like a fun, mindless, tongue-in-cheek teen horror flick I figured I could jump right into without the back story, and I was right. All in all, this movie was a bunch of nonsense wrapped in good laughs with a great twist or two, lots of silly gore-filled scenes, actual beautiful scenery, and a great cast.

Apparently, at the age of 12, Cole survived a blood cult that had something to do with his babysitter (just guessing here, based on the first minute of this movie). Thing is, it’s two years later and he’s now magically a junior in high school and still no one believes him–not his parents, guidance counselor/school nurse, teachers, fellow classmates, etc., who all think he’s gone a bit loony–all except for his best friend Melanie, who experienced it too but knows better than to talk about it. When Cole finds out his parents are about to send him to a psychiatric high school, he skips school with Melanie and three friends to head to the lake for a party, where they have an actual houseboat waiting. A new girl in school, Phoebe, is at the lake too, but heads out instead on a jet ski. Nice lives! As the night goes on, a huge surprise awaits Cole, turning his world upside down. Eventually, he and Phoebe connect and work together to stay alive despite evil forces trying to kill them. Much gore and hilarity ensue, and things wrap up in a very satisfying way for Cole, Phoebe, and the franchise.

  • Top Scare: In Houseboat
  • Heartbeats: 1 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 4 1/2 out of 5
  • Scare Factor: 1 1/4 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 17 and up, due to gore, language, drugs, violence, and sex

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31 Days of Horror: Outside (2024; TV-MA; 142 mins.)

Posted on October 19, 2024 | Leave a comment

I was excited to find a new zombie movie, but wary when I saw the length of this one. As it turns out, this was only about 10% zombies tops, and 90% family dynamics, so yeah, the 144 minutes length was waaaay too long for a “nice” zombie movie.

The story begins with the family of Francis, Iris, Josh, and Lucas in a bloodied van, arriving at Francis’s family’s countryside mansion after seemingly escaping a zombie apocalypse. Already we realize the parents are not getting along/lovey-dovey, and that the boys are traumatized from whatever they’ve been through. After finding his father already dead, and helping his zombified mother out of her misery, the four move into the house, find a fresh well, discover chickens, and settle in a bit. Francis likes this life and wants to stay put, but Iris wants to follow rumors to head north where some say there’s a camp with food, medicine, regular folks, etc. This dispute will take up about 25% of the rest of the movie, along with flashbacks Francis has of his horrible father (10%), a secret Iris holds about one of the children (10%), Iris being unhappy and/or mad and/or pouty (20%), Francis becoming more and more weird (20%), and a frenzied final stretch of madness with both zombies and family (10%).

So, if you’re looking for some great zombie thrills and chills, you’re not going to find it here. If, however, you’re looking for the story of how one already-falling-apart family gets through a zombie apocalypse while slowly losing their minds, this one more than fits the bill.

  • Top Scare: Kitchen
  • Heartbeats: 1 3/4 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 3 1/2 out of 5
  • Scare Factor: 2 1/4 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 16 or 17 and up

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Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Entertainment, Halloween, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, Reviews, scary movies, Streaming, Thriller, Undead, Zombies

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31 Days of Horror: The Deliverance (2024; R; 112 mins.)

Posted on October 16, 2024 | Leave a comment

Based on a true case out of Gary, Indiana, with demonic posession witnessed by police officers, doctors, and a social worker, this is the story of Latoya Ammons (Ebony in this version) and her three children who all experienced strange and violent incidents in their home which escalated over time. I was very much looking forward to this movie, after reading so much about the true story. But-despite some amazing acting from Day, Close, and a couple others-this version initially showed promise, dragged quite a bit in the middle, then rallied in the end for an overall so-so experience.

When very rough-around-the-edges Ebony (Andra Day) and her three children move to a new home with her mother Alberta (Glenn Close), who is fighting cancer and has recently “found Jesus,” all is not rainbows and roses. Ebony has a drinking problem and is a harsh mother and daughter, money is more than tight, and weird noises keep coming from the basement. When the youngest boy, Andre, starts talking to seemingly no one and wandering the house at night in a trance, Ebony angrily tells him to stop. Meanwhile, a social worker (Mo’Nique) stops in regularly to check on the kids, asking where all their bruises are coming from, and another unknown woman is often sitting in her car at the curb watching the house from the street.

As more and more odd and then violent occurrences take place in the house and then at school to the children, other social workers become involved, as well as the woman in the car. But no one seems to believe Ebony when she says she is not hurting her kids, and the kids don’t have memories of what has been happening. With the demon taking greater posession over time, Ebony must figure out a way to help both herself and her kids if she is to keep her family together, keep them all safe, and rid them all of this demon before it’s too late.

  • Top Scare: Hospital
  • Heartbeats: 1 1/2 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 2 1/4 out of 5
  • Scare Factor: 2 1/4 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 16 and up

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Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Entertainment, Exorcism, Halloween, Hell, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, Paranormal, Reviews, Satan, scary movies, Streaming, Supernatural

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31 Days of Horror: We Have a Ghost (2023; PG-13; 126 mins.)

Posted on October 14, 2024 | 1 comment

Billed as a supernatural horror comedy, I thought this would be a fun addition to my 31 Days of Horror. And it was, though I’d say it was more drama than horror, a heartfelt story with fun thrown in and great acting from Jahi Di’Allo Winston as Kevin and David Harbour as Ernest the Ghost, along with Jennifer Coolidge and a for-once-not-annoying appearance by Tig Notaro.

When the Presley family-Frank, Melanie, and teens Fulton and Kevin-discovers a great deal on an enormous old house (does this ever bode well?), they snatch it up and move on in. But when Kevin explores the attic, he’s soon “scared by” a bowling shirt-wearing, middle-aged ghost with a comb over named Ernest (at least, that’s the name on the shirt). Except Kevin laughs instead of screams, leaving Ernest befuddled. The two soon begin to communicate (though Ernest can’t talk), and Kevin tries to help him figure out why he’s stuck in the house and who he really is. But big brother Fulton soon uncovers Kevin’s secret friend, and his video of Ernest goes viral (a montage of various social media reactions is hilarious and incredibly on point). When Frank, who has a history of bad business decisions, decides to try to cash in on the notoriety, it draws the attention of not only the world, but a government paranormal scientist (Notaro) as well.

As Kevin and his neighbor Joy work to help Ernest find his answers, and seemingly the entire world works against them, shenanigans ensue in which Ernest gets to have fun being a classic ghost, doing classic ghost antics. But will they be able to solve the mystery before the government catches Ernest to study him? Will Ernest ever find out who he really is and why he’s stuck here as a ghost? And most of all, will Ernest ever find the lasting peace he wants, or is he doomed to walk through walls for eternity?

  • Top Scare: First Contact
  • Heartbeats: 1 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 1/2 out of 5
  • Scare Factor: 1 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 12 or 13 and up

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31 Days of Horror: Thanksgiving (2023; R; 106 mins.)

Posted on October 13, 2024 | 2 comments

I was ready for a good ol’ slasher flick for my 31 Days of Horror, and Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving was the perfect movie. And, good gravy, am I thankful I was able to carve out some time to watch it before November rolls around, so I have a chance for my drumstick-shaped thighs to stop quivering like cranberry sauce before I’m really stuffing my pie hole next month!

When the rich owner of the Plymouth, Massachusetts RightMart chooses to open for Black Friday deals on Thanksgiving evening, an unruly mob sees his teenage daughter Jessica and her friends gaining early entry and breaks through the barriers, creating an epic bloodbath in their quest for a free waffle iron. One year later, the town has moved on, and no one has been held accountable. So, of course, a killer takes it upon him- (or her-) self to seek revenge.

One by one-in truly creative, gory, and okay, even funny, ways-and wearing a plastic mask of the city’s founding father John Carver, the killer seeks out first those who contributed to the riot, then the close-knit group of friends. This killer has set a beautiful Thanksgiving table, and each seat has been reserved for (the remains of) those who were responsible a year earlier and got away with what happened. The town’s sheriff, played by missing ‘r’-accented Patrick Dempsey, is competent, but always just a step behind, and Jessica works with him to catch the deranged killer. But will they be able to “stick a fork in” the murders in time, or will they, too, soon join the feast?

  • Top Scare: Mother Hiding Scene
  • Heartbeats: 3 out of 5
  • Gore Factor: 4 1/2 out of 5
  • Scare Factor: 3 out of 5
  • Recommended for: 17 and up

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Posted in 31 Days of Horror, Entertainment, Halloween, horror, Horror Movie, Movies, Reviews, scary movies, Streaming, Teenagers

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