When “Creep 2” finally figures out which branch is best to follow, a blinding “aha!” bulb course corrects the film for a far sharper second half.

This gorgeously haunting presentation hopelessly defeats itself fighting an unwinnable war to find a suspenseful story worth telling.

“To Hell and Back” celebrates the monsters and maniacs that made Kane Hodder famous while stripping off the makeup and masks for an intimate profile of the man underneath.

While a patient pace taxes the tank for more gas than the film carries, “1922” hit a higher rung than most on the ladder of Stephen King adaptations.

The movie makes its mark by taking two memorable turns, giving its take on the “what’s really going on?” premise a sharper bite than most.

Think of “It Comes at Night” in terms of atmosphere, except with actual infected attackers haunting the hallways as if they sprinted in from “28 Days Later.”

Not since Jennifer Kent’s “The Babadook” has a filmmaker so creatively captured both the magic and the misery of childhood fears and fantasy.

A basic, by-the-numbers retread of Amityville tropes and classic chiller clichés in milquetoast movie form.

“Dead Ant” delivers a certain amount of fun, just not the whole kit ‘n kaboodle of craziness promised by its premise.

Polished or not, the movie is so lifelessly sloppy, it looks like a rough cut of a half-speed rehearsal.

“Better Watch Out” turns dark humor into darker horror with a wicked twist on home invasion thrillers no sane mind can see coming.

With unimpressive scope and a casual approach to inducing unease, “The Crucifixion” is a mediocre at best entry in the demonic possession subgenre.

The film is so specifically focused on ‘McKamey Manor’ that Schnitzer may as well have made the entire movie about McKamey and nothing else.

“Wish Upon” may be a textbook teen thriller. But that textbook is bound tight, with sharp corners, hefty content, and a crisp, glossy finish.

If “The Sound” could make one of its own, it would be a woof because the movie is a dog.

If you’ve remained a happy passenger on the “Child’s Play” train, your boarding pass is still good for an entertaining ride on “Cult of Chucky” too.

Gugino and Greenwood pair perfectly, matching each other’s moods and mindsets with countering conflicts keeping intensity elevated.

Whatever the unknown number of disposable DTV detritus I’ve reviewed is up to now, “Ryde” increases it by one.

From the Carrie White clone to the cheap coincidence of a conveniently populated cabin a few feet away, “The New Blood’s” setups are admittedly silly.

“Leatherface” can succinctly be summed up as an outstanding Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo effort that is only a mediocre “Texas Chainsaw” film.