Motherwitch (2026) Fantasia 2026

A well known painter tries to bring her dead children back to life via a spell, however she triggers a curse in process.

I'm not sure what I think of this film. I went into the film expecting a horror film and instead got a period set tale that plays more like a drama where a mother deals with grief, and there is some supernatural things going on. I didn't find it scary and I found my expectations colliding with the films desire to be something greater than just a horror tale.

I don't know if the film succeeded or not. I do know I have to see it again to give it a fair shot. (And I do have to applaud Fantasia for running an off the expected path film so it can get discovered.)

In the film sounds interesting to you, give it a try.  

A pointer toward No Rest For The WIcked (2026) Fantasia 2026

1862 on the Faroe Islands, a young man who lives with his mother, is rescued by a whaler.  The two men begin a relationship, however some think it kicks up dark forces.

I'm not going to do a full review because this film didn't click with me. Its not that there is anything wrong with it, but I know that this film is going to connect to a lot of people. Its a fantastic supernatural tinged romance. Its beautiful to look at, has real emotion and perfect performances. I enjoyed the hell out of it on a lot of levels.

At the same time I didn't connect. The problem was that watching it I wasn't always certain of what sort of tone the film wanted to take. As a result I couldn't find a way into the film.

You on the other hand you might find a way in.  Give it a shot.

Kiss Me My Ghost Friend (2025) NYAFF 2026

A down on his luck Theatrical writer/director decides to restage a Peking Opera written by his late father in a supposedly haunted theater. Along the way he meets the ghost of the lead of the original show and falls in love with her.

Yes, we’ve been here before. Yes, we know how this is going to go. At the same time this is very charming and extremely entertaining. It is very much something you will want to see.

I say that because a couple of minutes in I was thinking this was the wrong sort of cute. It wasn’t hitting all the cliches but driving them into the ground as if the film was using a pile driver. I was shaking my head. But then the film got to the haunted theater and suddenly I didn’t care. Everything was clicking and I was happily sitting in my seat munching popcorn and being entertained. I laughed, I smiled and I considered watching it a second time just because it made me feel good.

Did the film rattled the pillars of heaven? No, but it entertained the hell out of the curmudgeon for two hours.

Recommended.

Tha Rae-TheExorcist (2026) NYAFF 2026

Catholic priest teams up with spritual healer to take on a demon that has taken over a former priest. Of course there are complications.

This is one wild film. The opening scene has something that I never would see in a Catholic exorcism, namely a Catholic priest killing the possessed because if they go longer than three days they can't be turned back. That was a new twist I never expected.

To be honest I'm mixed on this film.  It's not the plot  or the sequences (there are some great things here) rather it's the two leads. The two young men don't have and gravitas. They have no weight what so ever. I never believed that they were on screen for any reason to look good. I would love to see them in a comedy, but in a drama or a horror film they seemed in over their head. They were never a match for the evil despite that it was written that way.

While not bad, this isn't what it should have been.

A disappointment.

REMANENCE (2026) Fantaspoa 2026

This is an old school style story about the work  of a wealthy architect from a century ago, who thought that his success was do to his connection to dark forces coming back to haunt us, or rather a man deeply in debt who investigates the story.

Watching the film I was reminded of some of the great B films from the 70’s and 80’s that filled cinemas before everything had to be part of a franchise. This reminded me of the work of people like Charles Band, Tibor Takacs, and others. These were solid little delights that leaned into their lower budgets and made everything work by giving us a serious tale. There was no tongue in cheek, just an earnestness that made us accept the madness on the screen. It’s a great little film filled with nostalgia and tension because the film doesn’t follow the well worn path of recent films.

Honestly this film is a delight and highly recommended.

Brief thoughts on Killing Faith (2025)

In the old west, a mother (DeWanda Wise) whose young daughter has hands that literally kill anything they touch. Hooking up with a drunk doctor (Guy Pearce), she takes her daughter across the wilderness to a healer (Bill Pullman) she hopes can remove the curse.

This is a supernatural tinged western that is a nice change of pace. Primarily focused on the characters trek, and fateful meeting with the healer the film uses the western setting as way of making eveything seem fresh. It's a clever move that assures we have interest. 

While we can guess how some of this is going to turn out, there is enough here, thanks to the cast which also has Joanna Cassidy, to make this a small gem of a film.  To be certain it isn't perfect, but is a great deal of fun and the film had be getting some popcorn early on so I could enjoy it properly.

This is a delight and recommended.

Crossword (2025) Popcorn Frights 2025

 

A couple trying to come to terms with the death of their daughter are stuck in the house together . She is trying to write the next book in her series of children’s books while he is doing crossword puzzles. As they deal with grief they begin to have some weird experiences, and it appears that the crossword puzzle is sending them messages from beyond the grave.

While there is a supernatural edge to the story, this is ultimately a study of two people trying to deal with unimaginable grief and unable to reach out to the one person who is hurting just as badly as they are. It’s a painful examination of how our minds desperately search for a reason and an excuse for the pain. While coincidental words in a crossword puzzle may be funny at other times, but here they allow our minds to throw blame in a desperate attempt to lessen what we are feeling.

I didn’t feel spooky, I just felt incredibly sad.

This is a super film. It’s a great little film that does more than scare us, and instead shines a like into a darkness no parent should ever feel

Recommended.

Virgin of the Quarry Lake (2025) NDNF 2025

When another girl finds that the affections of the man, she is interested are being directed towards another she takes magical steps to try and stop the pair.

This moody and oppressive fantastical romance of sorts is going to send chills through your body. This is a creepy little film full of the dark side of humanity.

While there is much to love in the film, some may not be happy with the deliberate pacing. There are lots of times where we simply observe and other times where there aren’t conversations but speeches. This is very much an art house film.  If you are okay with that and get with the film’s vibe this film is going to leave you deeply bothered (I mean deeply bothered)

Recommended

A CURSED MAN (2024) Premiering in LA Saturday, March 22nd and VOD on Tueday the 25th

Filmmaker Liam Le Guillou investigates whether or not there is anything to spirituality and the supernatural by having a cursed placed on himself…and then he tries to have it removed.

This is an intriguing documentary that actually shows the various ceremonies that Le Guillou is part of. It’s so atypical that the film begins with a warning saying that the filmmakers are not responsible if anything bad or strange happens to the viewer after watching the film.

For me the most interesting part of the film is not the ceremonies  but the discussions that happen around them. The confused nature of the various shaman, priests and practitioners is gripping. Their confusion that anyone would want to put themselves into any sort of danger intentionally or not is very real, if one wants proof of something why put yourself in danger to do so?

I liked A CURSED MAN. I liked that it didn’t cut away from the various ceremonies. I liked that there was serious discussions about the mature of the “supernatural”. In the age of flashy cable TV shows that amp up and over sell every moment, I like that the film was tethered to reality.

Worth a look.

A CURSED MAN (2024) Dances With Films New York

Filmmaker Liam Le Guillou investigates whether or not there is anything to spirituality and the supernatural by having a cursed placed on himself…and then he tries to have it removed.

This is an intriguing documentary that actually shows the various ceremonies that Le Guillou is part of. It’s so atypical that the film begins with a warning saying that the filmmakers are not responsible if anything bad or strange happens to the viewer after watching the film.

For me the most interesting part of the film is not the ceremonies  but the discussions that happen around them. The confused nature of the various shaman, priests and practitioners is gripping. Their confusion that anyone would want to put themselves into any sort of danger intentionally or not is very real, if one wants proof of something why put yourself in danger to do so?

I liked A CURSED MAN. I liked that it didn’t cut away from the various ceremonies. I liked that there was serious discussions about the mature of the “supernatural”. In the age of flashy cable TV shows that amp up and over sell every moment, I like that the film was tethered to reality.

Worth a look.

Ghost Killer (2024) Fantastic Fest

GHOST KILLER has a young woman with a messy life  ending up having the ghost of a murdered assassin attached to her. He won’t leave until she gets revenge for him.

This good but odd mix of horror, action and humor is entertaining but at the same time isn’t as satisfying as it should be. Blame the uneasy mix of genres that doesn’t always blend as perfectly as it should.. It’s never fatal but it’s bumpy.

And as good as she is I think part of the problem is Akari Takaishi in the lead. She’s fine but the role and her performance is played much too close to her one in the Baby Assassin’s Franchise. Watching her I kept waiting for bigger laughs.

My quibble aside, GHOST KILLER is worth a look.

ONPAKU (2022) NYAFF 2024

Real Estate investor from Hong Kong travel to Japan on business and ends up stuck between this world and the next.

Head scratching supernatural thriller has me uncertain as to why this film brought Josie Ho to the United States, couldn't they have picked a better film? This is a messy film where the narrative thread seems to be broken and so little is explained that there is nothing to really hold our interest. Worse it's a tale that begs borrows and steals from any number of other, better films.

The images are creepy and their marriage to the aggressive soundtrack makes for some scary moments, but they are few and fleetingly far between.

Honestly if this film didn't have Josie Ho attached to it this film would never have escaped to these shores.

A huge disappointment.

Hongfu Hotel (2024) Tribeca 2024

Father and son prepare to walk away from their hotel and the ghosts that live there.

Hands down one of the very best films of 2024. This is maybe one of the absolute best ghost stories ever made. It's a stunning film that says more about life than most feature films.

All hail Tian Xu, who along with everyone connected with this film has made a glorious film full of life and hope.  What wonders will he turn out next? I don't know but sign me up and let me buy the first ticket.

Set in NYC's Chinatown this film has a tactile quality. Having spent too much time in off the beaten path places in Chinatown I could feel the hotel and the rain soaked street. I've been there. I know this place without ever being there. 

The story itself kicked me in the ass and had me quietly sobbing for an hour or so after seeing it. I couldn't write on the film until the next day. All I could do was fire off emails to friends who I knew would love the film.

The film is being described as a horror film in the promotional genre listing, but the film isn't one. Yes there are ghosts, but they aren't really scary. They are just residents of the hotel.

Exploring the things in our life that change and those that hang around the film speaks volumes about the things we collect and the importance of the people in our lives. Why do we keep some people around, even if they once hurt us? What does it take for us to move on? There is a great deal to unpack here.

I was rocked. The final images of the film moved me deeply, with one that is probably going to haunt me forever

I can not tell you how good this film is.

If you just let this movie show you its wonders on its own terms I think you will find this to be one of the absolute best films you will see all year. Highly recommended

BA (2024) Fantaspoa 2024

This is a bittersweet supernatural fantasy has a father becoming the personification of death to remain with his daughter, however since he is death he can't let her know.

I went into this Fantaspoa film thinking it was going to be a straight on horror film, and instead it became a horror film of a different sort, one about the loss of the ones we love and the shortness of our time on earth. The result is a film that is greater than the scary poster implies.

This is the best sort of film, one about the people on the screen. The film works works because this is not so much a film about monsters, but about a father and daughter who love each other. Its a film about family and what we do to keep it together. Sure there are supernatural bits, but ultimately this is a well plotted family drama.

Writer director Benjamin Wong needs to be applauded for giving us something more than a scary movie. I was moved by BA. I wasn't expecting to be forced to think and consider weightier issues other than who lives and who dies. Instead I was forced to ponder life in a way that I wasn't used to doing. Wong beautifully takes the framework of a horror film and uses it the way the best films of the genre do and that is to shine a light on life in new and unexpected ways. Recently I was belittled on line because I said horror films should be more than just a series of jump scares and I was asked what horror films should be if not things that make us jump via a sudden loud noise. My answer was to mention films similar to BA where the dread is rooted in real fear  and not based on some one leaping out to say "boo". 

While I suspect anyone who wants jump scares every five minutes will be disappointed in BA, those looking for a truly creepy film that is more than a rollercoaster  are going to fall in love with it and the wonderful father daughter relationship at it's center.

Highly recommended

THE ISLAND BETWEEN TIDES (2024) Cinequest 2024

Alfred Hitchcock had been trying to make a film version of JM Barries Mary Rose for decades. Announced as his next project numerous times, no studio wanted to fund the project.  Now at long last comes THE ISLAND BETWEEN THE TIDES and the story finally makes it to the big screen.

The story is that of a young woman who disappears twice, once as a child she disappears for several days and returns again unaware that the time spent on a small island was anytime at all. Fifteen years later she disappears again, however decades have passed in the world, while none has passed for her.

Beautifully made and hauntingly shot film is either going to grab you not. This is a film where things progress at their own pace and moods are created. There is an intriguing mystery going on for a good portion of the film. The question that everyone is going to have to answer for themselves is, does the film  pull it all together in the end.  Without going into details, whether you like the film or not is going to be the make or break point for everyone who sees it.

Not being familiar with the source material except by after the fact, I completely understand why studios balked at letting Hitchcock make a film of the material. This is not to say their is anything wrong with it, more that this dream like or ethereal musings and if you don't click with it you'll not care for it. This is the sort of thing that Neil Gaiman is very good at doing but few others are these days. I'm not certain the filmmakers nail the ending. I was left going "yes, and...?" instead of "oh WOW".

As much as I balk at the film it is gorgeous and has some real mood  so if you like cinematic lyric poems this is worth a shot.

Creep Box (2023) is a must see

When you see CREEP BOX be ready  for a slow burn thriller. The filmmakers want to create a slow burn sense of unease that over time gets under your skin and creeps you out. There are no big jump scares or over the top frightening moments. I am saying this right at the top because this is a special film that needs to be seen on its own terms with no expectations.  And while there is no big scares there are numerous moments that are going to make you gasp.

That’s a rave.

The film is about a company that has developed a machine that can simulates a person before they died. Using it one an converse with the deceased. As long as they don’t mention certain subjects. The company is looking for funding to continue research as well as a government contract from the Department of Justice who think this could be helpful in criminal cases. Heading the project is a moody scientist who is suffering from grief, the result of the death of his wife a year earlier.

Get some popcorn and a drink of choice then sit back, belt in and go with CREEP BOX to the end. This is a supernatural tinged science fiction thriller set in place just like our own. The whole film is set in offices and homes we know and as a result we can’t distance ourselves from the weird stuff. Sure there is a couple of scientific work spaces, but they are not the main locations. We are in the  places where many of us work and live so we accept what we are seeing even more.

What makes this film so great is that while we are watching the characters try to make their machine  work the film is also quietly forcing us to ponder the nature of grief. How do we process it? How do we live it? Can we ever get over it? The film quietly keeps these questions out of the forefront until the end. As we begin the run to the end we are finally clued into what the film is actually about. Gloriously, and unlike the vast majority of films that try to so something like this, CREEP BOX blends the themes with narrative so that we don’t see the larger questions if we don’t want to. Additionally it’s so well blended that when we reach the end we want to go again right away so that we can see how the themes tied everything together.

And before you walk away know this is a great thriller beyond the themes. Watching the little box work is really uncomfortable. I say that because it made me never want to use the box were it real. I mean it made my skin crawl.

That’s a rave.

If you can go with a low key thriller with a big, but quiet, emotional punch at the end then CREEP BOX is one you’ll want to see.

Creep Box next screens at April's Philip K. Dick Film Festival, which takes place at The Museum of the Moving Image in New York City. For more information and tickets go here.

Last Party (2023)

28 long takes are cut together to seem like one long take in the tale of four friends who go to a high school graduation and find they have to take stock of their lives when they are trapped in a room together and some weird things begin to happen.

A mix of coming of age, teen angst and supernatural events the film never pulls it all together. While there is most certainly something here, the presentation is too focused in the trick of long takes. The result are performances that are much too mannered  along with too much happening off camera. For example there is a late in the game sequence where everyone stares at something in the mirror, which we never see. Why? Because it's in the middle of the take and the camera can't pivot or else we will see nothing there.

What disappoints me is that there is enough here that if this had been shot a more conventional film, with some slightly more real dialog, this film could have been something.

Points for trying something new. Subtractions for being frustratingly close to it working.

The Devil on Trial (2023) on Netflix

This is the true story of the tale of the trial of Arne Cheyenne which was told in THE CONJURING 3, but this time by the people who lived it. The film is the story of an alleged possession that resulted in murder. At trial the defense attempted to use the defense of demonic possession but the court was not going to allow it.

This is not a film that is going to back up the tale told in the  Hollywood film, this is something else. This is the story of a deeply troubled and fragmented family coming to terms with a series of events that left it shattered, though not because any demonic possession was involved. I say this because while the film charts the course of a possession for the first half of the film, the film flips and revelations come to light that are in its way most troubling. For those who love the Conjuring films the most shocking is going to be that Ed and Lorraine Warren were money grubbing frauds (we hear audio recordings of discussions of money deals for books). I wasn't shocked at the revelations other than this is the first time I've seen a a major outlet dare to say the Warrrens were frauds. Most places hold them in high (financial) rehard since their sensational stories bring viewers.  However anyone who knows the real story of the Amityville Horror scam, and how that was cooked up as a money grab, knows they are just after the money.

I liked THE DEVIL ON TRIAL.  I liked it's rare attempt at not buying the bullshit in the popular version of the story and being willing to look behind the curtain. That's a rare thing these days since TV seems to sell the crap (look at the Ghosthunters, Bigfoot shows)because of ratings.

Worth a look.

ONYX THE FORTUITOUS AND THE TALISMAN OF SOULS (2023)

Written directed and starring Andrew Bowser is the story of a nebbish who goes to the home of his demonic idol to take part in a ritual to raise a demon. Things of course go horribly wrong….

Based on Bowsers web series ONYX is a great deal of fun. Riffing on tons of similar films from the film nails pretty much everything so perfectly that you really won’t notice that it is paying homages to various other films.  This is the way filmmakers should pay homage to the films they love and not in the showy ways that other creators tend to do it.

I really loved this film a great deal it made me smile from ear to ear pretty much from the first frame to the last.

If there is anything really wrong with the film it’s the in the performance of writer director Bower who has a very mannered low key rapid fire style of speaking that is quite frankly annoying as all hell. I wanted to smack him and tell him to stop it… and then I realized that everything around him was so wonderful I’d put up with his performance just because everything else was so good. Honestly I would have put this on my best of the year list if Bower was less over the top.

Reservation aside this film is a great deal of fun so if you love films like GOONIES, MONSTER SQUAD, BEETLEJUICE and similar films you will have a great time here.

Beyond the Grave (2023)

Filmmaker looks at various thoughts about life after death.

A film full of lots of interviews looking at various ideas concerning what happens after we die, this isn’t anything we haven’t seen before. While not bad on its own terms the film suffers from being too much like any number of the endless shows on cable and streaming on the same subject. We’ve been here before and while the talking heads were largely not anyone I hadn’t run across before the information presented was.

Is it bad? Actually no, it simply suffers from a sense of Dejavu