When its themes aren’t fully in the foreground, in-between scenes induce a mood of malaise where the film falls out of its eccentric groove.

An improbable twist plus an improbable premise equals an improbable chance of this film finding an appreciative audience.

Immense credit goes to the film’s complete cast for keeping comedy tuned with subtlety so it doesn’t detract from the drama.

Having a few PBRs and a couple of friends on hand wouldn’t hurt to help with finding the fun in something so good-naturedly absurd.

Describing "Bedeviled" as by-the-book isn’t quite right as it never turns past the first page of being pat, predictable, and pedestrian in every sense as a supernatural slasher.

“Lake Bodom” is what a savage slasher film looks like when the kids aren’t caricatures and the murderer isn’t a merchandisable masked maniac.

“Happy Hunting” takes a confidently big bite out of the competition when it comes to “Most Dangerous Game” thrillers.

Earnest homage, entertaining performances, and some nailbiter setups of suspense make for a cheeky crowd-pleaser of surprise shocks and humorous horror.

“Trash Fire” is about confronting challenges in relationships, both romantic and familial, and the frightening honesty in its fiction can be unsettling to see.

“Ouija: Origin of Evil” ranks alongside “The Conjuring” as a memorably mesmerizing thriller with substance to match its style.

Not only does “Patient Seven” collect seven strong shorts worth watching, it includes a proper wraparound tying everything together in a creatively clever way.

“Raw” does not disappoint with unsettling scenes certain to have you uneasily scratching at sympathy pains as Justine goes down her hole of macabre metamorphosis.

“RWD” is an overachieving endeavor that doesn’t want for good intentions, but has low production quality and entertainment value to show for it.

I suspect that in twelve months time, I won't be able to tell you a single thing off the top of my head about “The Invoking 3.”

“The Autopsy of Jane Doe” earns entry onto any list of deeply intriguing thrillers with satisfying supernatural suspense to match its maddening mystery.

“Jack Goes Home” is an introspective character deconstruction with an arthouse indie skin first, and a psycho-thriller with slight swaths of commercial horror second.

Putting it in a peanut shell, “The Windmill” trots out more than a few tropes and predictable plot beats, yet it’s got gory guts and gusto where it counts.

What you end up getting out of “Phantasm: Ravager” is proportionately related to how much nostalgia you have for the franchise.

Will you want to own it on home video for repeat viewings every Halloween? No. But for a one-and-done viewing to kick off October? Sure, why not?

While its slow roll and tame terror keep menace at a minimum, the movie has a thematic backbone where comparative thrillers have only hollow horror.