It assumes everyone watching must be a dimwit too dense to understand how the most basic storytelling concepts work.
PREDATOR: BADLANDS (2025)
It’s a better idea to lighten up on the outrage and enjoy “Predator: Badlands” for its high value as an action-intensive outer space adventure.
THE CARPENTER'S SON (2025)
Although it leaps off a compelling springboard, “The Carpenter’s Son” lands in a shallow pool in search of more commanding material.
KEEPER (2025)
“Keeper” is more of a movie meant to highlight Tatiana Maslany’s talent anyway, and that is where the film sees its greatest success.
THE NAUGHTY LIST OF MR. SCROOGE (2024)
Compared to the pointless pap Winnie and Mickey are put through nowadays, crude Scrooge ends up looking as noble as Charles Foster Kane.
ADULT SWIM YULE LOG 2: BRANCHIN' OUT (2024)
I don’t know whether to emphasize “this” or “the,” but this is the humorous holiday horror movie you definitely want to enjoy at Christmastime.
PRIMITIVE WAR (2025)
If a Vietnam War movie doesn’t include Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” on its soundtrack, is it even a Vietnam War movie?
BONE LAKE (2024)
“Bone Lake” comes across as a genuinely committed attempt to craft a slick little film streaked with some slaughter and a slight touch of self-aware silliness.
COYOTES (2025)
“Coyotes” builds a stale-tasting nothingburger with moldy buns of humor, curdled condiments of horror, and meat missing from the middle.
DREAM EATER (2025)
Mimicking common “found footage” mistakes by merely going through the motions is the curse afflicting “Dream Eater.”
SHELBY OAKS (2024)
More of a ”side of the road” stop than destination entertainment, “Shelby Oaks” would fit well in a faux documentary marathon, just not as the main draw.
QUEENS OF THE DEAD (2025)
Confidently surfing a tidal wave of brazen gags, Tina Romero’s horror-comedy creates a partygoer personality as chic as its colorful characters.
FRANKENSTEIN (2025)
Guillermo del Toro’s creative freedom to be as artistically indulgent as he wants becomes a double-edged sword in this case.
BLACK PHONE 2 (2025)
“Black Phone 2’s” crossover into “A Nightmare on Elm Street” territory works well on the surface, but not as well for the familiar fiction operating underneath.
HELL HOUSE LLC: LINEAGE (2025)
This is an unentertaining sequel that’s poorly designed as a movie, and unnecessarily plodding as a story.
GOOD BOY (2025)
“Good Boy” rises above its gimmick label by adding thematic heft to what could otherwise have been a one-and-done stunt.
THE LONG WALK (2025)
It’s rare for a horror movie to run this deep on themes of friendship, finding hope in oppressive darkness, and refusing to be broken by bleakness.
THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER 2 (2025)
What if we take “The Strangers” and do the exact opposite of everything that made “The Strangers” suspenseful and successful in the first place?
VICIOUS (2025)
“Vicious” erases potential resonance with inessential stuffing that’s overlong, unnecessarily ambiguous, or just plain boring.
HIM (2025)
Summing up the movie’s “no duh” declarations: Violence as entertainment is bad. Exploitation is bad. Fanaticism is bad. “Him” is also bad.
It assumes everyone watching must be a dimwit too dense to understand how the most basic storytelling concepts work.