31 MORE Movies to Die For: Complex’s 2021 Horror Movie Marathon

Director: Nia DaCosta

Starring: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Colman Domingo, Kyle Kaminsky, Vanessa Williams

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 84 percent (Critics), 72 percent (Audience)

khalScore: 2.5 bloody stumps out of 5

Premise: A direct sequel to the iconic 1992 horrorfest Candyman, we find an artist working his way back to his destiny.

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video

While I’ve only been writing about Candyman on this site for six years, I’ve been obsessed with the horror icon since I was a kid. The more I look back at my life, horror has always been something I was into. Admittedly, I was probably too young to be watching some of the stuff I’ve taken in, but I say that to say I’ve been watching horror for a while, and Candyman stuck with me because a) the 1992 film felt like it happened down the way from my childhood home and b) there weren’t as many dope Black horror monsters out there. We took what we got and we rep'd for him.

I’ve suffered through two weak sequels since first watching that film, and have been ready for rising star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II to dive headfirst into what’s becoming my favorite film genre. He’s captivated audiences with his work in everything from HBO’s Watchmen series to portraying Big Stunna in Netflix’s All Day and a Night to his work in the upcoming Matrix film, the fourth in the blockbuster series. I’d also dug Nia DaCosta’s Little Woods, a bleek tale on the stakes some take to survive led by Tessa Thompson. DaCosta, ahead of director Marvel’s The Marvels, joined Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld (who has a number of executive producer roles while also earning a writer credit for an episode of that Twilight Zone revival) to try and sidestep the horrid Candyman sequels and (hopefully) give the icon an appropriate alley-oop for the future. Did they succeed?

Right now, I’m the shrug emoji. Asses sure hit seats during opening weekend—in a pandemic—to the tune of $22.3 million at the box office, giving DaCosta the surprising distinction of becoming the first Black woman to top the U.S. box office as director. There was a lot that I loved about the film, too. Abdul-Mateen jumped into the role of Anthony McCoy with both feet, pouring himself into the role of an artist who, muse-less, limply references the real ills of his youth without realizing the tragic course his life would take. What that meant for this film, and the franchise, is currently unknown.

In the film, Candyman goes from one dude (the Tony Todd-portrayed Daniel Robitaille, the 19th-century Black man who got his hand cut off and honey smeared on him for bees to consume him for the crime of having a relationship with a white woman) to a spirit inhabiting a multitude of Black men through time, all of whom succumb to death via some mob-style violence. By film’s end, we find out that McCoy was the little baby boy that Helen had to rescue from Candyman at the end of the first Candyman, and this whole film was him readjusting his life to fulfill Candyman’s wish, but in the process McCoy is turned into some avenging figure. He takes out all of the white police officers to save his girlfriend Bri (Teyonah Parris, in a role that I wish gave her more). I can see the vision of what the next chapter in the Candyman story can be, and would love to see this figure turned into some kind of Spawn-esque anti-hero, but where does that leave us?

It’s not just the conundrum of what this film means; it’s a bunch of things about it. I was on the ride for two-thirds of the film, and even though Abdul-Mateen went through an insane transformation, that hard left into mutilation and insanity didn’t feel earned compared to how laid out the rest of the film felt. It’s even hard to tell if the gentrification angle that was teased really endured. Some of it felt obvious, most of it didn’t feel like it made much of a difference in regards to the true story in this film of Anthony’s change, and the film suffers for it.

The 2021 revival of Candyman was one of my most anticipated films of 2021, especially when it comes to the overall potential of the series. What we got was a mostly-there trek into what makes Candyman tick and how that anger cna be rechanneled, but without a real story viewers can sink themselves into, one that tells the hard truths while truly delivering a stellar journey, we could end up with a repeat of lame AF series of sequels again, and no amount of times saying anything in a mirror can save you from that reality. —khal

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Starring: Gael García Bernal, Vicky Krieps, Rufus Sewell, Alex Wolff, Thomasin McKenzie, Abbey Lee, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Ken Leung, Eliza Scanlen, Aaron Pierre, Embeth Davidtz, Emun Elliott

Rating: PG-13

Rotten Tomatoes: 50 percent (Critics), 53 percent (Audience)

khalScore: 1.5 AARP cards out of 5

Premise: You could grow old on this beach...it’ll just happen to happen in one day!

Where to Watch: n/a (yet?)

Maybe M. Night Shyamalan should’ve been the one to work on The Twilight Zone. His latest, Old, feels like a plot that should’ve wrapped up in a half-hour (or so). In this film, a family of four take a trip and figure out that an excursion to some dope beach is available. There was a dude who was mad insistent that they go, so they obliged. Come to find out, you can’t really escape the beach, which is also hitting the fast forward on your life, aging you closer to death the longer you are on the beach.

That part of the film was the most intriguing; because it’s the entire reason you pressed play, you’re waiting to see the people start aging out, which Shyamalan knows. The group is of varying ages, and includes a dog, so you get different perspectives on how people could rapidly die on a beach like this. Hereditary star Alex Wolff ‘s character start out as a little boy, and soon enough he’s getting very adult with another child. That section of the film is fascinating to me, but then you remember that the film also has to end.

I didn’t hate this film. It was actually much more satisfying than Glass, which totally took the wind out of its sails towards the end. The twist of this film is better, but it kind of lame. Again, if this was an hour of television? That’d be dope to see. The unnecessary spooky stuff that happens feels like they had to pad more onto this story, and the ending feels a bit to fantastical for my liking, but it could have been WAY worse. It should have been way better, but it could’ve been (more of) a disaster. —khal

Director: Darren Lynn Bousman

Starring: Chris Rock, Max Minghella, Marisol Nichols, Samuel L. Jackson

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 37 percent (Critics), 75 percent (Audience)

khalScore: 1 and a half puzzle piece-shaped chunks of back fat out of 5

Premise: Chris Rock tries to figure out who’s killing all of these damn cops in this new entry into the Saw franchise.​​​​​​​

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video

Is that Rotten Tomatoes score right? Were audiences that hype into this ending? It definitely feels like this new demented criminal mastermind who used Chris Rock as a pawn in this twisted game of revenge.

Spiral was true to the Saw series in terms of getting most of the gore and quick cuts right. They didn’t reinvent the wheel, they didn’t use Samuel L. Jackson nearly enough, and they didn’t do much more than wrap a decent revenge tale around a declining horror franchise. I’m sorry, I wanted Saw to win, but once mans died, what was the series even doing?

Chris Rock being a horror fan is dope; Chris Rock playing a dirty cop who can cut stand-up-worthy promos at the beginning of a film is hilarious. Chris Rock screaming at the loss of his partners / coworkers in a horror movie? Never not funny, but that’s the problem—for me. I can run this film back any time of the day, but it’s not giving me early Saw franchise vibes. I’m gonna stick around for Spiral 2 or however they continue whatever this is. If they don’t get it right by then? Saw​​​​​​​ might have run its course. —khal

Director: Prano Bailey-Bond

Starring: Niamh Algar, Nicholas Burns, Vincent Franklin, Sophia La Porta, Adrian Schiller, Michael Smiley​​​​​​​

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 89 percent (Critics), 58 percent (Audience)

khalScore: 2 worn VHS tapes out of 5

Premise: A woman who works as a film censor’s past catches up with her after a particular film screening.​​​​​​​

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video

An homage to the over-the-top VHS horror of the ‘80s, Censor is an odd film. The idea of a woman who works on cutting out material in these films being the subject of one of those films intrigued me...I just wish there was more there. Being a student of Joe Bob Briggs, I don’t shy away from proper gore, and enjoyed some of the outrageous elements of the kills in this film. I also loved the way Niamh Algar encapsulated the role of Enid, a quiet and composed woman who’s on the brink of madness and unraveling throughout the entire film. Her paranoia and the reality of her life, even when distributed in drips and drabs, kept this film together and made me sit through some of the ultraviolence and confusion to try and make it to...wherever we end up.

All of that said? The ending lost me. I’d hate to ruin it, but what you imagine is going to happen happens, and then we’re treated to some ill VHS-inspired effects. And then...not much else. I’m not even sure what the film was going for with this ending, but I remember it frustrating me after I screened it during (virtual) Sundance earlier this year. And it’s only the ending; I was with this tale right up until what happened happened. It wasn’t as awful of an ending as The Turning, but it definitely pissed me off. This could’ve been such a doper, more recommendable film if they’d just stuck the landing. Maybe someone should’ve censored this ending and came up with something better.  —khal

Director: Ben Simms

Starring: Mark Callaway, Ettore Ewen, Kofi Sarkodie-Mensah, Austin Watson​​​​​​​

Rating: TV-PG

Rotten Tomatoes: n/a

khalScore: 1 solidly-secure urn out of 5

Premise: WWE superstars The New Day try to escape WWE legend The Undertaker’s home, and you can help!​​​​​​​

Where to Watch: Netflix

This may not feel like a “traditional horror movie,” but I had to do it. I am a life-long pro wrestling enthusiast, and when I saw that the partnership between the WWE and Netflix meant that The New Day—including current WWE Champion Big E—would be dropping a scary movie for Halloweentime? I was excited.

Then I heard it was an interactive film, and I was less enthused. I tried with that Black Mirror event “Bandersnatch,” but I already knew that it’d be a fraction of the time spent on that five-plus hour project and this half-hour flick. Those elements were less fluid, too; while “Bandersnatch” made it a point to have the choices lead to more fluid scene changes, Escape the Undertaker just hits you with the next scene. There actually isn’t even much time to select. At one point I couldn’t decide if I wanted to do and it just chose to have Xavier Woods do the right thing for me. I actually had to force myself to do the opposite of my gut, just to see how the story would unfold. Towards the end of the film, Kofi makes mention of the many mysteries in Undertaker’s realm, making me believe they want you to check this out on repeat viewings. I don’t know why; I’m not even sure why The New Day wanted the urn in the first place. They make a mention of using it with their Power of Positivity, but they never explained how that’d work. We don’t even know how they got there; they just showed up at ‘Taker’s spot and he decides to let them in?

If you’re a pro wrestling fan who's kinda young and wants a fright featuring a relic and the greatest faction in the business, press play on this and follow all of the paths. Just don’t turn this on thinking you’re going to get anything more than a TV-PG scary flick with all of The New Day’s personality in it. They can’t save it, but Escape the Undertaker don't wanna be saved. —khal

Director: Everardo Gout

Starring: Ana de la Reguera, Tenoch Huerta, Josh Lucas, Cassidy Freeman, Leven Rambin, Alejandro Edda, Will Patton​​​​​​​

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 50 percent (Critics), 78 percent (Audience)

khalScore: 1 Purge siren out of 5

Premise: The Purge is still going on, somehow.

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video

This may be the worst Purge film ever. I thought the series was over after the events of The Purge: Anarchy, you know, when they stopped the Purge from being a thing. It made sense when The First Purge came out to show us how the Purge began. I knew The Purge was over after I started watching the now-canceled series; it seems like content about the days surrounding the Purge could actually kill the Purge.

Then the Purge didn’t die. Apparently, after the government stopped the Purge, some insurrectionists said "fuck it, we killing people still.” That happens near the border in The Forever Purge, which isn’t even the end of the Purge franchise. It’s not even Purging with a point; this is just mindless violence. Sure, there’s a plot; a migrant couple makes their way into America for a new life, and end up attempting to cross back, because of the Purge.

That’s it.

I’m not saying you can’t say anything with these films; the sequels highlighted just how divided the Purgers were, especially when it came to class. That’s always been there; it’s just. Even with a film like Get Out, where the social issues it references are right there on screen for you to dissect, it’s still wrapped up in a story. The Forever Purge just feels like Purging for Purgings sake. If there was a metaphor there, it’s been Purged.

Before writing this, I read that a sixth Purge film is in development. I imagine they will figure out a way to shoestring a script together, but dog, this franchise has to shit or get off the pot, because there are way cooler series that can do way more with these social issues than hamfist them into these ultra violent scenes. It’s not even cool kills. Go rent a better film. Or run back the other Purge films. Possibly the weakest horror film I’ve seen in 2021? —khal

Director: Rusty Cundieff

Starring: Corbin Bernsen, Rosalind Cash, Rusty Cundieff, David Alan Grier, Anthony Griffith, Wings Hauser, Lamont Bentley, Paula Jai Parker, Joe Torry, Clarence Williams III

Rating: R​​​​​​​

Rotten Tomatoes: 52 percent (Critics), 68 percent (Audience)

khalScore: 3.5 puppet dolls out of 5

Premise: A hood anthology that entertains while educating about a variety of social issues.

Where to Watch: 

While I wanted to get a bunch of 2021 horror out of the way early, I had to throw this one on. When this film came out, I remember wanting to check it out because a) I remembered Cundieff from 1993’s Fear of a Black Hat, which he also wrote, directed, and starred in, and b) because Spike Lee’s 40 Acres and a Mule was producing on this. I was a fan of Creepshow, which was a light(-er) herted horror anthology film, but it's funny to see the world awaken to horror with a heavy dose of social issues now, like Cundieff hadn’t broken that ground back in 1995 with Tales.

The centerpiece of this film is the funeral director (played by the late Clarence Williams III) taking a trio of gangbangers deeper into his funeral home to get them “the shit.” Along the way, he relays stories of the dead folks sitting in the home. David Alan Grier had an early serious (super serious) role in one short, as did Corbin Bernsen, who got chased around by some amazing puppet animations! There were commentaries about police in the community, abuse at home, gang culture, racism, and a lot more, all told with bits of humor and loads of really dope horror effects.

Cundieff and crew truly spoke for the people while keeping both feet planted in the horror genre. These days, the industry will infuse these ideals into horror films instead of letting it flow naturally, or calling on a Cundieff to find more cohesive ways to blend the two. A film like Tales From the Hood champions throwing subtlety out of the window in favor of hitting you with that real rap. —khal

Director: Leigh Janiak

Starring: Kiana Madeira, Olivia Scott Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr., Julia Rehwald, Fred Hechinger, Ashley Zukerman, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Maya Hawke, Jordana Spiro, Jordyn DiNatale

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 83 percent (Critics), 63 percent (Audience)

khalScore: 2 mindless murderers out of 5

Premise: An ancient evil terrorizes a mid-’90s suburb.

Where to Watch: Netflix

As a middle school kid in the early ‘90s, Fear Street novels were my jam. I was actually surprised that my very Christian school had these kinds of books in the Scholastic periodical, but moms didn’t mind because I loved to read. Anyways, I knew what I was getting into when I threw the first film in this series on...and I’m not sure I’m ready to keep going.

First off, how fucking ‘90s is this soundtrack? Compared to Captain Marvel, Fear Street: Part 1 had a number of great needle drops. It also had a lot more violence than I was ready for. Knives thrust into throats and axes into skulls; the books I read had some wild shit in them (I remember one girl getting messed up after being thrown off a horse, and there was always someone with a knife in the letterman jacket), but this tale was wild. It also had some dope call backs, like stealing AOL accounts to chat with your friends; that’s real talk! It was also ill to see an LGBTQ-focused story in this horror film, especially when you think about how much harder it was for many to come out. Dope inclusion.

That said, at a certain point this just becomes the last act of the first Nightmare on Elm Street film, aka a bunch of teens going Home Alone on some mindless murderers for legit the second half of the film. It’s fun at times, and the film doesn’t scrimp on the gore, but at a certain point you know we’re just running in place until we get to the net film, which takes you out of what could’ve been a dope teen-centric horror flick. —khal

Director: James Wan

Starring: Annabelle Wallis, Maddie Hasson, George Young, Jacqueline McKenzie, Michole Briana White

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 76 percent (Critics), 52 percent (Audience)

GoodmanScore: 3.5 laughs out of 5

Premise: What if the murderous dreams you saw were actual deaths?

Where to Watch: HBO Max

There’s a rope-a-dope happening in Malignant. James Wan’s return to the genre that made him a household name isn’t quite as straightforward as its initial trailers made it out to seem. Sure, there is a movie in which Madison Mitchell’s (Annabelle Wallis) dreams serve as portals into the eyes of a murderous killer. But it’s also so so so much more than that.

Even though Malignant has been out for almost a month at this point, I want to protect its secrets. The viewing experience I had (at home sadly, but more on that in a moment) was a highlight of my year because of the batshit crazy twist hidden away inside the film. Wan has teased his camp sensibilities you’ve paid close enough attention. Hell, Aquaman includes a scene wherein Julie Andrews—Mary Poppins herself!—voices a giant sea monster and a moment where a giant squid plays the drums.  Remember all the absurd events of Furious 7? Much like this memorable poster for The Snowman, Wan gave you all the clues.

Without tipping it too much, Malignant plays like a spiritual successor to Evil Dead II. It’s certainly not as scary as the Sam Raimi classic, but it is just as absurdly gory and funny. If this comparison piques your interest at all, watch the opening of the film. If you laugh, stick with it; If you roll your eyes, bail. I wish I’d gotten a chance to see this in a theater with a live crowd as we all slowly realized Wan’s true intentions. There’s still plenty of time, however, to go ahead and see Malignant now before it inevitably turns into the cult classic it’s destined to become. —William Goodman

Director: John Lee

Starring: Ilana Glazer, Justin Theroux, Pierce Brosnan, Sophia Bush

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 48 percent (Critics), 16 percent (Audience)

khalScore: 1 used pregnancy test out of 5

Premise: A woman realizes that the pregnancy of her dreams is slowly becoming her worst nightmare.

Where to Watch: Hulu

I’m not mad at this film, which was co-written by and starring Ilana Glazer of Broad City fame. Produced by A24 and released by Hulu, False Positive got mostly-negative reviews for a number of valid reasons. Before we get into the bad, though, let’s give it its flowers.

Glazer stepped out there. I was wondering what a horror project from her would look and feel like, and at the vry least, this did not feel like the firecracker-making weedhead who slayed all over NYC in the Comedy Central series. She was frieghtened, she was determined, and she was concerned throughout False Positive, giving me some intriguing ideas on what she can do as an actress. The score was cool, at times. Not too overbearing, but it had its moments. And truth be told, I’ve not seen too many films about the horrors of pregnancy, especially on the wild stories you hear about fertility clinics. I think of films like Rosemary’s Baby and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle with this film, which is cool, but is also the problem.

At times, this felt too much like wearing their influences on their sleeves. Like, it wasn’t Get Out, but sometimes it felt like Get Out. I also felt like this film was too predictable. Maybe it’s just me, but I knew way early that Corgan wasn't to be trusted. And while I understand that Glazer’s character was having delusions, I’m not sure why she had to think the midwife Grace was so “cultural”—in ads and IRL. It was an extremely random delusion to have, and one that doesn’t necessarily mean much of anything in the grand scheme of things. I’m also not sure if it was me, but the actual reveal is terrible, but I felt like it was going to be a bit more of a sinister mystical thing than something that, while extremely vile and horrific, was more based in someone being the worst kind of filth. Again, it’s unique, and a horror story that I imagine many women can relate to, but the film felt like it was weaving into something a bit more dark arts. Or maybe that’s just me.

All-in-all, I’d never watch this again, but I’m glad I did, as it’s another big swing in the arena of women-focused horror tales.  —khal

Director: John Lafia

Starring: Alex Vincent, Jenny Agutter, Gerrit Graham, Christine Elise, Grace Zabriskie

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 40 percent (Critics), 47 percent (Audience)

khalScore: 3 yardsticks out of 5

Premise: The possessed doll is back and looking for Andy.

Where to Watch: Peacock

This film is proof that I was too young when these horror films came out. I wasn’t in the theaters seeing these, but I definitely remember watching Child’s Play 2 on VHS. It didn’t bug me out—again, it’s a doll that’s possessed and trying to voodoo its soul into this kid’s body; I knew it was bullshit. I wasn’t ready for things like his teacher getting beat to death with a yardstick, or the deep(-ish) look at the foster life. Also, Chucky is a foul-mouthed MF as well.

I think it just felt like the perfect sequel. The first Child’s Play was hard; being a kid who grew up in the My Buddy era, a horror movie set around these “loveable” dolls made all of the sense in the world. When they took the sequel and let Chucky ramp up the violence (and the f-bombs), things really started moving for the series. It took a turn, focusing more on the foul and less on the fright, but Chucky is GOATed either way, and this film is why. —khal

Director: Fred Dekker

Starring: Jason Lively, Steve Marshall, Jill Whitlow, Tom Atkins

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 74 percent (Critics), 70 percent (Audience)

khalScore: 3 out of 5 zombie dates

Premise: This homage to b-horror flicks features old zombies returning to the modern-day.

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video

I didn’t know about this film. I found out it’s a cult b-horror flick later, but at the time, I found it while up late one night, going through eBay looking for vintage horror tees. I saw a tee with this flick on it and had to investigate—you can’t own the shirt and not have seen the film! What I got was a story that was roughly run-of-the-mill—a zombie gets frozen, then gets reanimated in the ‘80s, causing havoc on a college town.

I feel like I’ve seen a number of these over my life, to varying degrees of success. Night of the Creeps succeeds because, frankly, it’s better than it really needs to be...which may be its problem. The film did some interesting things—the protagonist’s best friend walked with crutches (and that fact was worked into his story), and he even got to deliver some powerful monologues. The film also cared a lot about the detective and his journey to rid the town of this zombie threat. The problem was, the zombie stuff and everything outside of that very serious second half wasn’t as good. It wasn’t bad, but it just felt like zany zombie antics, which isn’t bad, but was a little disappointing.

Truth be told, I don’t even remember how this film ended. The zombies lost, but they may have won (kind of), but ultimately it didn’t matter. If you’re trying to just zone out to a film that took the time to name characters after a number of horror legends, this may be the hidden gem for you. —khal

Director: Ernest Dickerson

Starring: Snoop Dogg, Pam Grier, Khalil Kain, Clifton Powell, Bianca Lawson, Michael T. Weiss

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 25 percent (Critics), 40 percent (Audience)

khalScore: 1 out of 5, um, bones?

Premise: Snoop Dogg is a pimp who haunts the building he used to own.

Where to Watch: Tubi

You’ve seen this, right? Snoop Dogg will forever catch a bag, and has had many roles over his extensive career. Still, the ghost pimp wasn’t one I envisioned seeing. And it’s not a film I enjoyed. Despite a strong Black cast—shouts to the legendary Pam Grier, Clifton Powell (IYKYK), and the always-booked Bianca Lawson—I don’t think much could save this one. It checked off most horror tropes, it was bloody enough, but it was dumb. Pure dumb. The less we discuss this one, the better, if I’m being honest. —khal

Director: Leigh Janiak

Starring: Sadie Sink, Emily Rudd, Ryan Simpkins, McCabe Slye, Ted Sutherland, Jordana Spiro, Gillian Jacobs, Kiana Madeira, Benjamin Flores Jr., Ashley Zukerman, Olivia Scott Welch, Chiara Aurelia, Jordyn DiNatale

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 88 percent (Critics), 81 percent (Audience)

khalScore: 3.5 summer nights out of 5

Premise: The Fear Street tale goes back to ‘78. Feels like Sleepaway Camp TBQH.

Where to Watch: Netflix

I’m determined to finish this Fear Street series once and for all. I’m glad this film is here, as I enjoyed it more than the first one.

While the first Fear Street film felt like a random Nightmare on Elm Street sequel, Part 2 was more Sleepaway Camp / early ‘80s teen slasher vibe. Not really Friday the 13th, but you catch my drift. We’re getting deeper into this spirit and realizing it’s been around for a while. It had all of the crude teen humor I remember seeing as a kid, but it didn’t hit the same.

Shouts to Sadie Sink; I wonder if the Stranger Things star was a big reason everyone loved this flick. The ‘70s cast was actually solid, and did their thing—I kind of wish we got more of them than the ‘90s kids. Sadly, by the time it ended, I realized we just went sent back to 1994 so we can go back to… 1666? I am NOT into this at all, and I am NOT looking forward to the final film. —khal

Director: David Gordon Green

Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Thomas Mann, Anthony Michael Hall​​​​​​​

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 39 percent (Critics), 67 percent (Audience)

GoodmanScore: 2 knives out of 5

Premise: Michael Myers continues his reign of terror in the sequel to the 2018 reboot​​​​​​​.

Where to Watch: Peacock

I think I enjoyed David Gordon Green and Danny McBride’s 2018 reboot of Halloween more than some in the way it mined—pretty naturally and deftly—the idea of generational trauma (a phrase which is getting thrown around too much these days, but I digress) in the Strode family. Introducing Karen (Judy Greer) and Allyson (Andi Matichak, turning in a star-making performance) as Laurie’s (Jamie Lee Curtis, fantastic as always) descendants, forced to hear about Michael Myers’ inevitable return, made for a compelling way to continue Laurie’s character all these years later. 

Sadly, Halloween Kills disappoints. The second in a trilogy of films from Green, it feels like a middle chapter, content to tread water until the new story can wrap up in Halloween Ends next year. It’s not without its moments—the kills even more brutal and frequent this time around—but the core of it doesn’t quite hang together. Kills tries to expand the generational trauma of the first film to the entire town of Haddonfield, to decidedly mixed results. The ideas at play are interesting on paper but less compelling in execution. Worst of all, the film sidelines Laurie to accomplish this goal and suffers considerably as a result.

All that said, Kills doesn’t torpedo the lingering goodwill I have from the 2018 reboot, so I have to admit I’m curious to see how everything will conclude in Ends next year. But I can’t say I’ll be revisiting this sequel anytime soon. —William Goodman

Director: John Carpenter

Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Pleasence, Nancy Kyes, P.J. Soles, Charles Cyphers, Kyle Richards, Brian Andrews, Nick Castle​​​​​​​

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 96 percent (Critics), 89 percent (Audience)

GoodmanScore: 5 knives out of 5​​​​​​​

Premise: Evil comes to a small town​​​​​​​.

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video

What is there left to say about Halloween? John Carpenter’s 1978 classic is unimpeachable, both as a horror mainstay and as an entry in the canon of American moviemaking. A spiritual successor to Psycho, it’s a profoundly terrifying film about the personification of evil, as the Shape (better known as Michael Myers) haunts and murders his way through the small town of Haddonfield, Illinois, on Halloween night.

As scary as Halloween is—its chilling scares continue to hold up, as I watched the movie for the very first time in 2017 and found myself horrified at every turn—it also manages to sneak in fantastic slice of life moments like Laurie and Annie smoking a joint in a car listening to “Don’t Fear the Reaper” as Michael purses them. The balance between these things is expertly pitched thanks to Debra Hill and Carpenter’s script, which uses such a fantastic economy of storytelling to make the audience care about the characters before Michael arrives. 

So many of Carpenter’s images linger in my mind around this time of year, whether it be Michael hanging in the yard behind the clothing line as the fall wind blows, him standing at the top of the stairs, or countless others. But it’s more than just imagery. At its core, Halloween continues to be effective because the victims of Michael Myers could have just as easily been you or me. That’s the real power of Halloween; the idea of a crazed killer mercilessly murdering has long kept us awake at night in fear of the Boogeyman. Seeing it rendered in such a striking, haunting, and terrifying way will always make it an effective scare—and a damn good movie to boot. —William Goodman

Director: David Gordon Green

Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Virginia Gardner, Haluk Bilginer, James Jude Courtney

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 79 percent (Critics), 70 percent (Audience)

khalScore: 2 and a half molars out of 5

Premise: Forget the rest of the Halloween films you saw after Halloween (1978).

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video

I have a weird relationship with the Halloween franchise. As a kid, I never saw the film. I remember watching AMC a lot, back before they had scripted television. They did a lot about the history of cinema, and during the Halloween season I’d seen them talk about John Carpenter’s 1978 classic Halloween. I’d known about the film’s overall iconography before ever properly watching. Fast forward to high school, and I fall into a crowd who loved Michael Myers but were making their way through the awful middle section of sequels. The first time I ever ate boxed macaroni and cheese was while watching Halloween 5, and it was a real low point in my life up until that point.

I’m properly caught up on the Halloween saga as an adult, and have a soft spot both for the original and the first half of Halloween II, so I was more than hype when Universal brought Michael Myers back for the 2018 reset of the series, picking up 40 years after the events of the first film. It was already hokey—a podcast crew is doing a story on Laurie Strode around Halloween, and at the same time Michael Myers is planning his escape?!—but it’s 2018, right? That means that we get to see Michael, now on the loose, dropping his victim’s teeth on a bathroom floor. It’s manaical without being overly gory (something I hate about that weird 2000s-ish era of ultra gore), and drew me in. Even the story of Laurie’s life since the first film and how that wears on her family was intriguing. Shit got dumb, but we got to see Michael be Michael, so it was OK.

I also knew immediately that this film wasn’t the end. I didn’t love the film. The kids in the first film were annoying, but these kids are 2018 annoying. It hits different. It was amazing to see Laurie and Michael switch positions—the hunted becomes the hunter—and it’s played up visually in very real modern revival ways (for good or ill, depending on how much that bothers you). That said, Michael survived that MF house exploding on his head. I knew it once the credits rolled. And a year later we got the Halloween Kills and Halloween Ends announcement. We’re on the final stretch, and have been told when it will come to rest. And hell, even if you absolutely HATE this film, I’ve seen worse​​​​​​​. Let me enjoy Michael’s brutality in peace. —khal

Director: Tibor Takács

Starring: Stephen Dorff, Louis Tripp, Christa Denton

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 60 percent (Critics), 44 percent (Audience)

khalScore: 3 demons from hell out of 5

Premise: A couple of suburban kids—one of them being Stephen Dorff in his debut role—open up a portal to Hell.

Where to Watch: Tubi

I don’t remember when The Gate first hit HBO, but whenever it did, that’s when I first saw it. I didn’t even realize that little kid was Stephen Dorff until years later, and it’s one of the few movie trivia facts that stick out in my mind. I never even think about him being in Blade that often, but we’re clearly off the rails here.

I’ve loved this movie for forever. Even with an R rating, it's not that wild. It’s fucked up, sure; this is what I imagined mad suburban kids were doing. Stephen Dorff wanted to shoot off rockets in his backyard, and somehow he discovered a passageway between the underworld and Earth. Then his metal-loving kinda nerdy friend told him about spinning records backwards (which was a huge thing back then) and they apparently summoned demons or whatever. If you look at that creature up above, that’s basically what inhabits this kid’s house one night when his parents are gone. It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but it has some trippy visuals, including a gigantic version of one of those things. It’s ill.

It being R-rated makes sense, but this film is tame, especially compared to 2021 or whatever. It’s worth the watch just for how mid-’80s it is, honestly. —khal

Director: John Carpenter

Starring: 

Rating: 

Rotten Tomatoes: 

GoodmanScore: 

Premise: 

Where to Watch: YouTube

I hadn’t sat down to watch John Carpenter’s The Thing until I started seeing a lot of friends on the timeline watching it during quarantine last year. I know that’s extremely late to the game, but I’ve only started exploring the horror genre within the last half-decade or so, after simply being too scared to watch a lot of these movies. Even though The Thing debuted in 1982, its story of isolation, paranoia, claustrophobia, and tale survival felt particular resonate during last year. Perhaps in the chaos, people turned to Carpenter’s classic to try and comprehend our new reality. 

By the R.J. MacReady (Kurt Russell), Blair (Wilford Brimley), Childs (Keith David), and the rest of an American Antarctic crew realize something is amiss in their midst; it’s already too late. The tension Carpenter builds here is among some of the finest committed to cinema history, bolstered by an absolutely all-timer of a score from the legendary Ennio Morricone. The slow descent into madness is nothing short of an inevitability; the results are terrifyingly memorable.  

“Nobody trusts anybody now . . . and we’re all very tired.” That line might as well have been written in the sky throughout last year. Yet, the true power of The Thing lies in its incredible ending, as Childs and MacReady sit and question the unanswerable. It’s a masterstroke that Carpenter’s conclusion transcends, as it’s beyond fitting that a threat so extraterrestrial ends up becoming something so personal. After all, what’s more human than being stuck to ponder the unknown? —William Goodman

Director: Robert Eggers

Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Ellie Grainger, Lucas Dawson​​​​​​​

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 90 percent (Critics), 59 percent (Audience)

GoodmanScore: 5 bloody hearts out of 5​​​​​​​

Premise: Puritan family forced to the woods encounters pure, unbridled evil.

Where to Watch: YouTube

Describing a movie as a “vibe” is a bit of terminology that’s becoming increasingly overused, but The Witch is a decidedly vibe-y movie. Director Robert Eggers’ adaptation of a haunting piece of Puritan folklore unfurls itself with intentional slowness, drawing you into the madness. By the time you realize just how bad things are, it’s too late to escape. In every sense of the word, The Witch is a vibe, a mood, a tone. And its effect on you will depend upon how along for the ride you are. But if you’re on its same wavelength, the ride is bone-chilling. 

Six years later, I’m still shocked by the fact The Witch is Egger’s directorial debut; this movie is so expertly crafted, rivaling the craftsmanlike nature of a Wes Anderson in the sense that not a second of footage is wasted. Everything little decision only furthers the overwhelming sense of dread lingering in every single shot. Plus, Anya Taylor-Joy’s acting debut cemented her as a new talent to watch; revisiting The Witch shows she had the makings of a bonafide star from the very second she appears on the screen.

The Witch deserves its place in the hallowed annals of horror classics. If you haven’t watched it in a while, I implore you to do so. And if you couldn’t get down with it the first time, try again. You’re missing out on a masterwork.  —William Goodman

Director: Sam Raimi

Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Betsy Baker, Theresa Tilly

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 95 percent (Critics), 84 percent (Critics)

khalScore: 5 shotguns shells out of 5

Premise: Read a book, get haunted by demons.

Where to Watch: HBO Max

Talk about a classic. Shouts to my high school Video teacher for putting me onto this. It’s how I initially knew of Sam Raimi; he’s the guy who nailed a camera onto a board and had two people hold the board, chasing the characters in the film. At the time, we were learning about the medium and that kind of DIY spirit always inspired me. Knowing that Raimi and Bruce Campbell continue to get money together so many years later is equally inspiring.

The Evil Dead was a cult classic in my day, and it's the film I prefer out of the first to in the Evil Dead series. Evil Dead 2 is Supreme Clientele; we'd already gotten the foundation on Ash (Campbell) and his situation (he and his friends let loose something evil and he’s the only person who can get rid of it). Because of his predicament in Evil Dead, it’s changed Ash. Turned him into an interesting hero. He was crass, but he was also on the side of good. It made for amazing one-liners and hilariously gory situations. That said, I’m more of an Ironman guy. I appreciate getting in on the ground floor on this guy Ash, seeing him in love and as a regular guy before going half crazy and travelling to the ends of the Earth to destroy evil (watch Army of Darkness if you haven’t!). Hell, Ash may have one of the more interesting arcs in the horror genre. And while many love the end result, I appreciate taking it back to the essence. And honestly, this batshit crazy horror flick is equally as dope as any of your favorite flicks. It may be one of the first DVDs I ever owned. —khal

Director: Leigh Janiak

Starring: Kiana Madeira, Ashley Zukerman, Gillian Jacobs, Olivia Scott Welch, Benjamin Flores Jr., Darrell Britt-Gibson

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 90 percent (Critics), 77 percent (Audience)

khalScore: 1 out of 5 curses

Premise: Bless Black Jesus that this series of films are over.

Where to Watch: Netflix

Period pieces aren’t really my thing. Well, not films that go this far back. I wasn’t mad at portions of this—that love story going all the way back, the witch hunt vibes—but overall? They got all the kids to be transported back into 1666 to put an end to it once and for all. I really wasn’t interested in this at all. I wouldn't have wanted to read this book. Next time, just do a Fear Street series. Start with the “Cheerleaders” books. —khal

Director: Karyn Kusama

Starring: Logan Marshall-Green, Tammy Blanchard, Michiel Huisman, Emayatzy Corinealdi, Lindsay Burdge, Michelle Krusiec, Mike Doyle, Jay Larson, John Carroll Lynch 

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 89 percent (Critics), 69 percent (Audience)​​​​​​​

GoodmanScore: 4 dinner plates out of 5​​​​​​​

Premise: A Los Angeles dinner party starts to go horribly awry​​​​​​​.

Where to Watch: Tubi

There’s a certain sense of dread that comes with a dinner party. The feeling of being stuck in one place, in one room, in one chair for (potentially) hours on end, forced to make polite conversation, is daunting—personality style be damned. So naturally, a dinner party makes for a great horror movie setting.

Karyn Kusama’s The Invitation is more thriller than outright horror. Still, no matter how you ultimately decide to classify it, the movie takes this premise and executes upon it to deliver a brilliantly tense result. The mood is jittery long before Will (Logan Marshall-Green) and his girlfriend Kira (Emayatzy Corinealdi) arrive at the home of Will’s ex-wife Eden (Tammy Blanchard). See, Will and Eden eventually divorced in the aftermath of a familial tragedy, and this is the first time the two have seen one another in quite a while. With the powder keg primed, things only begin to spiral further out of control as unexpected guests arrive. 

I’m being coy here not to spoil what is, without question or hyperbole, one of the most unforgettable movie endings I’ve ever seen. If you’ve somehow missed The Invitation when it dropped in 2015, check it out now. While you may dread dinner parties for the foreseeable future, you’ll be in for a feast you’ll never forget. —William Goodman

Director: Joe Dante

Starring: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Polly Holliday, Frances Lee McCain

Rating: PG

Rotten Tomatoes: 85 percent (Critics), 78 percent (Audience)

khalScore: 4 oozing cocoons out of 5

Premise: Some kid doesn’t follow the simple rules of pet ownership and destroys his little town.

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video

These days, the joke everyone has to tell is that Gremlins is a Christmas movie. It’s not even ironically funny anymore; it just is. That said, it’s such a weird little horror film. It’s PG, but is about a creature called a mogwai, which is a tiny ball of fuzz that likes watching TV and imitating heroes, dancing, and the like. Don’t feed it after midnight (in your time zone, apparently) or it will enter a cocoon and turn into a GREMLIN, and certainly don’t get it wet—it will shoot out even more mogwai, which could repeat the cycle. It’s the spotted lanternfly of the horror game. But it goes down during Christmas. We clear?

Because Gizmo was so undeniable—think Baby Yoda-levels of pandemonium—Gremlins is a film I grew up with. It was quirky, it was fun, and it had Phoebe Cates. I was hooked, and upon rewatch, it gets weirder and more fun the more I watch it. —khal

Director: Peter Manoogian

Starring: Tracy Scoggins, Bentley Mitchum, Michael Russo, Jeff Weston, Daniel Cerny

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 29 percent (Audience)

khalScore: 1 reanimated doll head out of 5

Premise: Don’t build that toy store on this cursed land!

Where to Watch: Tubi

Where Gremlins essentially ended in a store, Demonic Toys begins in a toy store...that has been cursed by an age-old demonic plague or whatever. Shouts to Charlie Band; films like Demonic Toys or why I had to speak with him last Halloween. Again, this isn’t about where this film sits on any quality level—it’s more about turning the vision into a reality. One day, someone said, “Hey, I have an idea for a movie about a toy store where the toys are possessed and want to kill you.” And then they just made it. Never mind that the story didn’t make much sense, or that the little boy who was possessed by the devil kept going to the well of wanting to [REDACTED] from where he came. You got moments like a little baby doll talking cash shit to this assorted group of unfortunates who happen to. be trapped in this nightmare. Be thankful that films like this could get made—and go straight to video.

Actually, I’d be lying if I said I saw this on video initially. Demonic Toys, Puppet Master, and other films were staples on Joe Bob Briggs’ Saturday night b-movie series on The Movie Channel back in the ‘90s. Fun ways to spend a Saturday night after you watched the 8 PM premiere on HBO hours earlier. Real zombie hour stuff, but it’s good to know that it maintains it’s… whatever it is all these years later. —khal

Director: Coralie Fargeat

Starring: Matilda Lutz, Kevin Janssens, Vincent Colombe, Guillaume Bouchède

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 93 percent (Critics), 58 percent (Audience)​​​​​​​

GoodmanScore: 4 star earrings out of 5​​​​​​​

Premise: A romantic weekend goes horribly wrong​​​​​​.

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video

The rape-revenge thriller is a perilous genre. The execution has to be perfectly balanced; should anyone aspect fall out of balance in any way, the whole thing tips over. It’s a miracle then that Coralie Fargeat’s Revenge manages to not only find proper stability but further iterate and improve on the genre in the process.

As Jen (Matilda Lutz) is helicoptered to a desert villa for a weekend dalliance with Richard (Kevin Janssens), who is cheating on his wife, the two indulge—in cocaine, booze, a luxurious location, one another—their time is soon cut short when two of Richard’s hunting buddies suddenly arrive. The group parties well into the evening, drinking and dancing, only to all wake up the next day and assume Jen’s behavior from the night prior is an invitation for a pass. After she refuses, horror ensues, culminating with Jen’s death after a brutal assault. Only Jen isn’t quite dead yet and returns from the ashes with a fiery vengeance. It’s not long before the hunters become the hunted—and the movie kicks into violent gear. 

Revenge is the first feature from French filmmaker Fargeat and brings with a welcomed feminist perspective as she plays with all the established (and often misogynistic) tropes of the genre in bold ways. The violence—and there is so, so much of it—is lingered upon to make a point. It’s there because the genre demands it, but Fargeat is interested in exploring its lasting impact. Even the manner in which Jen is framed in the early stages is meant to say more about how the men around her perceive her than how she’s choosing to present herself. Again, it’s a delicate highwire act, but one Fargeat expertly traverses.

Revenge may not fall into the traditional “horror” box, but it’s downright scary. Yet it’s compelling, too, rising like a phoenix from the ashes of a well-worn genre and transcending into something bold and new.  —William Goodman

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Starring: Olivia DeJonge, Ed Oxenbould, Deanna Dunagan, Peter McRobbie, Kathryn Hahn​​​​​​​

Rating: PG-13​​​​​​​

Rotten Tomatoes: 68 percent (Critics), 51 percent (Audience)​​​​​​​

RoseScore: 3.5 dirty diapers out of 5​​​​​​​

Premise: Something’s up with Grandma and Grandpa, and the kids are going to get to the bottom of it.​​​​​​​

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video

One of M. Night Shyamalan’s favorite and most iconic bags is his twist-ending bag, and he was in his duffle for The Visit. Basically a demented version of Hansel and Gretel, we follow two kids who are just supposed to be visiting their grandparents, and that’s when shit goes left. The Visit works because of how unnerving it is while never taking itself too seriously. The film delivers lighthearted comedic moments while still establishing a sense of genuine dread that’s enhanced by Shyamalan’s found-footage style shooting and absence of music score.

I wasn’t at ease during any point of this movie, and that’s a good thing. The jumpscares do feel gimmicky at times, but that doesn’t make them less frightening. It’s really the fact that you assume grandma and grandpa are just crazy and senile until the big twist at the end that makes The Visit worth watching. It’s one of those movies that you have to go back and watch a second time to try and pick up the breadcrumbs that Shyamalan littered throughout the story the entire time. He’s great at making those “what the fuck” moments in the end, even if the movies themselves get a bit convoluted in the process. [Ed note: Like Old.] Despite the found footage horror subgenre on its last leg, The Visit is still a fun movie that keeps you on your toes and instinctively makes you want to facetime your relatives to make sure they aren’t some strangers from the nearby psych ward. —Jordan Rose

Director: Trey Edward Shults

Starring: Joel Edgerton, Christopher Abbott, Carmen Ejogo, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Riley Keough​​​​​​​

Rating: R​​​​​​​

Rotten Tomatoes: 87 percent (Critics), 44 percent (Audience)​​​​​​​

RoseScore: 4 black coughs out of 5​​​​​​​

Premise: A family struggles to protect itself as something looms in the shadows of the forest.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Where to Watch: Netflix

I think It Comes at Night is one of the more slept-on horror flicks in A24’s dense catalog. In a post-apocalyptic world scarred by a deadly virus, the movie follows a family struggling to keep itself safe while helping another family they know very little about. 

My favorite thing about this movie is all its red herrings. The “it” that we spend the whole time preparing for is present the entire time. It’s not a monster, even though we never find out what killed the dog. “It” is the distrust that ends up corroding the central family and causing total havoc. All of the demons that we expect to confront come from the inside, whether in the form of the son’s fever dreams or the drastic lengths the father goes to protect his family. The woods remain an ominous backdrop to the story, but that’s just a decoy to take your focus away from what the real monster is, a complete lack of faith in strangers when desperation hits a boiling point. 

My favorite types of movies, in general, are the ones that don’t spell out the answers for you. I love when a film makes you piece together its exposition with subtle clues to get the implied background of the story. We never get an overt explanation of how the family ended up in their log cabin fortress in the middle of the woods. We never find out how the deadly virus came to be or what happened to the rest of society. It Comes at Night just drops you right in the middle of the family’s world, knowing as much as they do about everything. And I love that because it builds on the movie’s central theme of how being left in the dark leads to distrust and destruction. 

Sure, at the end of the day, this movie is basically a drawn-out prisoner’s dilemma that leads to the mutual destruction of both families, but it’s the way we get there that I think is so fun and fascinating. It Comes at Night inverts what we as horror fans come to expect in movies like this with promotional material and trailers of a dog barking into a void of darkness. Instead, it creates a story much more tethered in reality about how people will most likely turn on each other in times of extreme desperation to protect what they care about. It’s not breaking new ground, but I just think It Comes at Night deserves its flowers and is worth a watch during this spooky season. —Jordan Rose

Director: Aneesh Chaganty

Starring: Sarah Paulson, Kiera Allen

Rating: PG-13

Rotten Tomatoes: 89 percent (Critics), 74 percent (Audience)

khalScore: 2 and a half pills out of 5

Premise: A mother is concerned that her daughter

Where to Watch: Hulu

Admittedly, I went in with high hopes on Run. Sarah Paulson’s name being attached to anything is immediately holding my interest. Her playing a mother of a wheelchair-bound teen in what feels like the worst game of mousetrap was also exciting. The story, which went from “this mother is bugged out” to “wait, is that even her mother?,” loses steam once you find out the real story, and suffers greatly for it. Not a total waste, as we’re given two strong performances that, like A Quiet Place, really utilized disabilities in its storytelling. The film isn’t just about that, but it’s always good to see everyone being able to see themselves in all facets of entertainment, which is the real win. —khal

Director: George A. Romero

Starring: Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, Fritz Weaver, Leslie Nielsen, Carrie Nye, E. G. Marshall, Viveca Lindfors

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 74 percent (Critics), 68 percent (Audience)

khalScore: 3 cracked meteorites out of 5

Premise: Stephen King and George A. Romero drop the quintessential horror anthology film.

Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video

Creepshow was another early one for me. And again, even with the big adult rating—likely due to themes of being buried up to your neck like Ted Danson was, or suicide and other gruesome things—this film is wild tame compared to today’s tales. The difference is, similar to the horror comics of the ‘50s (which were also the inspiration for HBO’s Tales From the Crypt series), you’d get multiple tales, led by one narrator/connecting story. It’s hard to pick a favorite out of this admittedly-hokey, all-in-good-fun series of films. It might be the one that Stephen King (who penned all of these tales in his screenwriting debut) stars in. He’s a guy living out in the middle of nowhere who happens upon a meteorite, which lands on his, um, land. No sooner has he discovered it than he blunders that by damaging the meteorite, causing green liquid to spill out. Bumps form on his finger tips, which turn into… you get the idea. I’d rather not spoil this spooky tale, but it’s an awesome short, sad story in a film full of short, entertaining tales. Much better than its sequels, and the Shudder series, which comes close but fails to surpass the OG. —khal

Director: Edgar Wright

Starring: Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Matt Smith, Michael Ajao

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes: 74 percent (Critics), 92 percent (Audience)

GoodmanScore: 3.5 record players out of 5

Premise: A young girl moves to London and becomes dangerously obsessed with the past.

Where to Watch: In theaters

Edgar Wright is one of cinema’s most technically accomplished directors. You see this in all of his films like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Hot Fuzz, Baby Driver, and the handful of other films he’s helmed over the years. His newest release, the Giallo-inspired horror movie Last Night in Soho, might be one of his most technically and visually impressive yet.

Instead of the whip pans and intentional cuts of the past, Wright’s direction in Soho takes on a more subtle yet equally impressive approach. As aspiring fashion and ‘60s-obsessed student Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) moves to London to begin college, she eventually is forced to move into a flat wherein she dreams about the life of a woman named Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy, fantastic as always) in roaring ‘60s London. Eloise observes these events on the other side of a mirror. Wright revealed in an interview that the majority of these shots are accomplished through in-camera tricks instead of any CGI. Soho feels pretty light on CGI in general, with Wright seemingly establishing the incredible tone of this world through practical effects. From a purely craft-based level, Wright ups his game once more in a truly impressive manner.

Yet style doesn’t matter if the substance isn’t there, but luckily, there’s plenty to chew on throughout the movie. Soho might not be subtle in how it frames its themes, and you may be able to puzzle out some of its twists and turns. Yet, the tight thriller the film eventually turns into is more than compelling, thanks to McKenzie’s committed performance and Wright’s masterful ability to ratchet up the tension. Much like the ‘60s-era, Eloise is so focused on, Last Night in Soho may not be for everyone. But should fall under the film’s spell, you may find it hard to shake. —William Goodman