Exit 8 (2026) Film Review

A man becomes increasingly desperate when he realizes he is trapped in a subway station, needing to complete a mission to get out.

Exit 8 is directed by Genki Kawamura director of A Hundred Flowers (2022). The film is based on the 2023 video game of the same name.

Exit 8 is definitely an interesting one, very rarely do we get a video game adaption film that plays out and feels like a video game but that’s the case here. At times that can hurt the movie, but for a majority of the experience it benefits the film in a lot of ways. It also should be worth noting that I have never played the 2023 video game, I went into this one knowing very little about it.

The performances are quite great our main character who is simply known as “The Lost Man” is played by Kazunari Ninomiya who does quite an excellent job of almost immediately capturing the atmosphere the film requires especially during the film’s first act. The way he interacts with the world around him and navigates through the tunnels is very thrilling and really brings the viewer up close to the action.

I will say however the performance that really stood out to me was Yamato Kochi who plays a character simply known as “The Walking Man”, we see him early on as The Lost Man goes through the tunnels and they end up looping. We also do get a bit of a backstory to The Walking Man, it’s a simple yet effective backstory that does capture the film’s atmosphere. In fact from the moment Kochi enters the film the atmosphere definitely feels like it shifts into something more darker yet has this lonely feel. Kochi does the best job when it comes to capturing the atmosphere and going a little bit further with it, it’s almost like he’s putting this highlighter on it to bring your attention for the rest of the ride.

The film’s themes of choosing fatherhood or the single salaryman lifestyle and how every small decision in life counts is incredibly on the nose, there are points where the film just flat out says its themes. However I do think they still work effectively here and tie into the film’s story decently well, there isn’t anything here that is going to blow your mind as these exact same themes have been done before in far better ways elsewhere. But you do grow to really appreciate these characters and their stories that you find this strange sort of charm.

The technical aspects of Exit 8 is what brings this film together, the editing from Jimmy Liu is nice and sharp, the music from Yasutaka Nakata and Shohei Amimori starts off with a bang with opening theme and closes the film out incredibly well. Plus with the rest of the music throughout the experience matching the haunting atmosphere there truly is a lot to explore within. Finally there is the cinematography from cinematographer Keisuke Imamura who truly makes the experience of the film, every single turn from a corner or other angles brings this level of suspense to the atmosphere. There are some very clear references to The Shining (1980) and Imamura is able to make those his own by putting his own style into it.

Overall Exit 8 might not exactly have a whole lot of depth when it comes to dialogue or a narrative. But I still do think it’s quite a great film that gives the viewer a very interesting and thrilling experience.

Exit 8 is available on all VOD platforms.

8/10 B+

Alpha (2026) Film Review

Alpha, a troubled 13-year-old, lives with her single mom. Their world collapses the day Alpha returns from school with a tattoo on her arm.

Alpha is directed by Julia Ducournau director of Raw (2016) and Titane (2021).

Alpha is a pretty big departure from Ducournau’s previous work, where as Raw (2016) and Titane (2021) were much more on the horror side of things as well as being disturbing in their own ways. Alpha opts to go for a much more sadder and dramatic direction, that I do think benefits the film for the most part. Even if I do think this is a step back from Ducournau’s previous work, I definitely appreciate her going for something a bit different here even if not everything comes together.

The performances are all around fantastic, Tahar Rahim’s performance as Amin who is Alpha’s addict uncle is an incredibly heartbreaking performance. He brings this tragic humanity element to this role that really goes into very raw directions that hit the viewer like a truck. Rahim is able to balance warmth and vulnerability with his character and becomes the film’s emotional anchor, Amin’s story is rough to listen to but it’s by far one of the film’s strongest areas due to just how real Rahim’s performance really feels.

Golshifteh Farahani also gives an incredible performance, she plays a character simply known as Alpha’s mother which I do think in a strange yet effective way that works well with the story being told. Farahani does such a terrifying yet powerful job of portraying a traumatized mother who is doing everything to protect her child. She captures the chaotic elements of the film as well as the constant antagonizing fear of protecting a child. Her scenes with Rahim are easily some of the film’s best and truly help elevate the film’s material. Her performance much like Rahim’s is heartbreaking and will really pull the viewer into the experience.

The film serves as an allegory for the AIDs crisis which for some people has some polarizing results, I will admit that not everything works here. But I do think there is a level of thoughtfulness that does shine through, that is perhaps due to the film’s performances and effectiveness on atmosphere. I do like the theme of bodies changing, cracking and let go, it’s devastating in its own right.

The cinematography from cinematographer Ruben Impens is quite effective as it paints this world that looks like it breaks on the edges in every single way. Physically emotionally and spiritually, it’s quite a brutal look of when all three of these elements just break, what do we have left? What is there to do? It’s questions like these are quite haunting.

I won’t say much else since I do think Alpha is the sort of film that you do have to really experience for yourself. Overall Alpha has its flaws, but I do think Ducournau sticks the landing. It might not be as great as her previous work, however I still think this is still a very strong film!

Alpha is available on all VOD platforms.

8/10 B+

Lightning Round Reviews: They Will Kill You and Reminders Of Him!

A woman takes a job as a housekeeper in a NYC high-rise, unaware of the building’s history of disappearances. She soon realizes the community is shrouded in mystery.

They Will Kill You is directed by Kirill Sokolov director of Why Don’t You Just Die (2018) and No Looking Back (2021).

They Will Kill You is a movie that I wish I had a lot more to say but this is definitely one of those cases where “what you see is what you get” rings completely true. I do not mean this in a bad way, while the story is a large mess it’s everything else that really helps push the movie to the finish line.

Zazie Beetz is truly great here as it does seem like she was having the time of her life, even if some of the one-liners can come off as incredibly corny. Beetz is able to make the one-liners work decently well, she goes completely all out here especially during the film’s bizarre third act that actually compliments her performance. Myha’la, Patricia Arquette and James Remar are all great here as well, they contribute the right amount to leave an impact on the viewer.

The film definitely borrows from Read Or Not (2019) and Kill Bill (2003) it’s very noticeable and unfortunately does lead to some moments that aren’t as impressive since they have been done multiple times before. However the film’s action scenes are still genuinely fun and they have the chaotic atmosphere to back them up. The gore is also quite fantastic as well, if you are fan of action films with a lot of gore this one will definitely do the trick.

Finally there is the film’s bizarre third act which I actually think is the film’s strongest area, It’s incredibly campy and James Remar’s voice work is truly fascinating. What I do love about the third act is it’s not afraid to go all out, it unleashes all of the chaos that the film was building up to and stands by it.

Overall They Will Kill You might not have a whole lot going on story wise, but I do think everything else combined together makes this one at least worth a watch.

They Will Kill You is available on all VOD platforms.

6/10 C+

After prison, a woman attempts to reconnect with her young daughter but faces resistance from everyone except a bar owner with ties to her child. As they grow closer, she must confront her past mistakes to build a hopeful future.

Reminders Of Him is directed by Vanessa Caswill director of Love At First Sight (2023).

Reminders Of Him is the third film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s books. I have only seen It Ends with Us (2024) which was terrible, I never got around to seeing Regretting You (2025) and looking at the reactions and reviews I’m probably going to keep it that way.

I guess by the default Reminders Of Him is the best of the bunch but that is really not saying a whole lot, while there are some decently done dramatic moments which is mainly thanks to Maika Monroe and Tyriq Withers. The movie almost immediately reminds you that you are watching a Colleen Hoover adaption and throws in some very poorly written dialogue that takes you out of the movie almost immediately.

The movie is about as predictable as you can really get, it’s one of those cases where you are just waiting for certain events to happen so the next one can proceed with how you expect them to. The chemistry between Monroe and Withers is also just not there at all outside of a few decent moments. It’s a shame because these are two really great actors they just have the misfortune of being stuck with a shallow script.

Overall there truly is not much else to say here, Reminders Of Him is a very forgettable movie that really overstays its welcome with a runtime of 114 minutes. Hadn’t it been for Monroe or Withers, the results would have looked far more ugly and terrible.

Reminders Of Him is available on all VOD platforms.

4/10 D+

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026) Film Review

As Spike is inducted into Jimmy Crystal’s gang on the mainland, Dr. Kelson makes a discovery that could alter the world.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is directed by Nia DaCosta director of Little Woods (2018), Candyman (2021), The Marvels (2023) and Hedda (2025). The film serves as a sequel to 28 Years Later (2025) and is the fourth installment in the 28 Days Later film series.

28 Years Later brought back the franchise last year and ended up being one of the best films of the year. Bone Temple continues this momentum and delivers what can be argued to be better than its predecessor.

Like last time, the performances are absolutely fantastic. Starting with Ralph Fiennes who dives even deeper as Dr. Ian Kelson, I still believe that he is one of the best written characters from a film in the 2020s and after this film that argument grows even stronger. Especially with the final moments we get with Kelson, Fiennes has plenty of jaw dropping moments here that are truly phenomenal. Between the final act (more on this in a bit), the moment where Kelson turns Samson into a human being, or any of the interactions he has with Samson. It’s all so masterfully done and quite easily one of the best performances of the year, it’s a perfect companion version of Ian Kelson from the previous film.

Jack O’Connell as Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal is terrifying, not only is it one of the best performances so far this year but it’s one of the most terrifying. O’Connell really leans into A Clockwork Orange (1971) territory and it’s quite brutal and tense to watch, every action of Jimmy Crystal is unpredictable as you have no idea what he has planned in his head or how he’s going to react. Even if you can predict something he does, he will throw another trick at you.

O’Connell captures this portrait of a nasty and evil man yet in some ways you can understand why Jimmy became the monster he did, he’s the direct opposite of Kelson. Whereas Kelson still finds hope throughout the virus and its destruction on human life. Jimmy sees this virus as some sort of punishment from a higher power, this could drive people to insanity especially if you let that insanity take over your mind. This is why Jimmy is such an interesting character and is the perfect opposite of Kelson. This becomes incredibly clear during the film’s final act.

Other fantastic performances include Alfie Williams who does just as fantastic as he did in the previous film, this film still has that “hero’s journey” type of feel all be it in a much more darker way. Chi Lewis-Parry as Samson is a beautiful performance, as mentioned earlier his interactions with Ralph Fiennes are some of the film’s best moments. The decision to give him a lot more to do this time around was a very smart one. Erin Kellyman as Jimmy Ink/Kellie is perhaps her best performance to date, her bond with Alfie Williams is some of the biggest amount of light you are going to get in the disturbing and dangerous atmosphere so it stands out quite well.

The cinematography combined with the music is phenomenal, while it is a bit of a shame that Young Fathers did not return to do the music for this film. I do think the score we got here fits the film quite well, cinematographer Sean Bobbitt captures the absolute disturbing and dark nature of the film’s world while Hildur Guðnadóttir captures the tense and atmospheric ride of the score. When combined together they help create this dark and disturbing world that feels a lot more closed off than its predecessor, which completely fits the tone of the film.

Nia DaCosta’s direction is quite fantastic and manages to capture the spirit of this franchise while also including her own ideas, what DaCosta really excels at here is giving this film a yin and yang sort of thing with the previous film, whereas the previous film felt more adventurous and was more about what it means to be human plus life and death. This film is much more closed off and is a lot more on the darker side, questioning why this virus even started and seeking answers that are next to impossible to find. There is also a focus on brutality and the true evilness of the virus and how mad it makes certain people.

Finally there’s the last act of the film, we see the personalities of Jimmy and Ian collide. This final scene feels like you are in hell, there is a lot of craziness, Iron Maiden and chaos. Yet along with this comes the film’s most important and powerful moment, It’s when Ian Kelson says “There’s no God, there’s no devil, but there’s hope because there’s us. There’s humanity.” Not only is this the perfect final touch on Ian Kelson as a character but it’s the perfect way to describe this film. All we can count on is ourselves, look after each other and not let evilness take over. This represents Ian Kelson helping people such as Nelson, Jimmy Ink looking after Alfie and Jimmy letting evilness take over his mind to the point where he inflicts pain onto others.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is simply put one of the best films of the decade so far. It’s a brilliant film that perfectly fits with its predecessor and is a film that will almost surely leave the viewer with a long lasting impression.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is available on all VOD platforms.

10/10 A+

Send Help (2026) Film Review

An overworked analyst and her arrogant nepo-baby boss survive a plane crash near Thailand and must cooperate to survive on a remote jungle island while their workplace power dynamic collapses around them.

Send Help is directed by Sam Rami director of Evil Dead (1981), Evil Dead II (1987), Army Of Darkness (1992), Spider-Man and its two sequels (2002-2007), Drag Me To Hell (2009), Oz the Great and Powerful (2013), Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) and a few others.

After a few franchise films, Sam Rami returns with an original film that brings him back to his roots and what he’s best at. Send Help is everything you can really ask for from a Sam Rami horror project. Excellent act, the perfect blend of horror and comedy and creative writing that puts a spotlight on several different themes that all mesh well together.

The performances from Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien are some of 2026’s best so far. Rachel McAdams goes from being calm and collected to insanity in a snap, it’s an unhinged performance that perfectly captures the atmosphere Rami creates with this film. There’s almost this strategic element in McAdams’s performance that the viewer slowly but surely starts to dive into as the film goes on, McAdams has always been a fantastic actress, but here she really kicks it up a notch. From the moment her character Linda Liddle is introduced you immediately get into her character, we as the viewer slowly watch her slowly change over the course of the film and it’s just a huge blast to see.

Dylan O’Brien is also quite fantastic as well, he plays a complete and total asshole and does quite a great job at doing so. The scenes of him trying to stand against an unhinged Rachel McAdams is some of his best moments, the fear in his eyes and the suspense is the perfect combination. The best however is the dynamic between the two, they work effortlessly together, whether it’s the film’s opening moments of O’Brien’s character Bradley Preston being a complete and total asshole to Linda, or when Linda has Bradley at a brutal point where he has no choice but to listen to her. Everything about McAdams and O’Brien working together in the film just makes a lot of sense.

The writing is quite clever, it ties in themes like generated power dynamics, hierarchy, nepotism and toxic workplace politics in both a humorous and serious way. The film is not saying anything particularly new about these topics, however the way the film manages to tie in these topics into the story (you slowly start to see them come into play as the film goes on) is very interesting and what makes the writing so investing.

As I said before Sam Rami returns to his roots and that means we get some fantastic gore, some well done shots (with the help of cinematographer Bill Pope) and creatively built atmosphere. What makes Rami such a compelling and fascinating director is the atmosphere he builds for his films and that’s no exception here. McAdams and O’Brien are quite easily able to capture the atmosphere the film requires, it’s feel of a film that balances its humor and horror perfectly. The film is able to both make the viewer cackle at a simple joke and make you feel somewhat disturbed by some of the gore. It’s the perfect blend that really hits the ball out of the park.

Overall Send Help is a fantastic film, In a year that has been excellent for horror so far. This is definitely one of the best of the pack.

Send Help is available on all VOD platforms.

10/10 A+

Iron Lung (2026) Film Review

In a post-apocalyptic future after “The Quiet Rapture” event, a convict explores a blood ocean on a desolate moon using a submarine called the “Iron Lung” to search for missing stars/planets.

Iron Lung is directed by Mark Fischbach also known as Markiplier which is his directorial debut. The film is based on the 2022 video game of the same name.

Markiplier is a YouTuber that I never watched but have always respected, everything I’ve heard about him or seen of him when he shows up in an article is always positive. When I heard that he would be making a film I was definitely interested to see what he could do, something that I really have to give credit where credit is due is the many swings Markiplier takes here with this film (which I’ll get into.) It should be noted that I have not played the game, so I’m more than likely missing a few things.

Iron Lung wastes no time at all, we get straight into the film with a very neat voice over and then the film takes into the action. Right from the start Mark Fischbach’s performance is actually quite impressive and while there are some hiccups, it’s not nearly enough to take you out of the film. There’s this genuine fear in his eyes and voice that are quite effective and mix in well with the atmosphere and even cinematography. Fischbach also does quite a great job with the dialogue exchanges with the rest of the cast, even if this is just mainly the Fischbach show. The rest of the cast are still great and have this effectiveness that keeps you in the film.

As I said earlier, the film takes a couple of big swings here that actually do land. The first one being that this is a cosmic horror film that is a directorial debut, cosmic horror is hard to nail down by itself but tackling it on your directorial debut is even harder. From what’s presented here and the elements that are included, Fischbach does such a fascinating job of really putting the audience right into the experience. The other huge swing is the over the top finale that should not work yet and it does. Perhaps it’s the nasty imagery and practical effects that really compliment the film, they are nice and gooey plus has a lot of character to it.

The main flaws here simply come down to the 2 hour and 5 minute runtime plus the story feeling a bit confused. I will absolutely admit that there were times that I genuinely had no idea what exactly was going on, which does lead into this interesting angle where it felt almost intentional and other times it did not feel intentional. When you combine that with the runtime being a bit long and sort of a slog to get through during the film’s first, there is a bit of a mess here.

With that being said however, that isn’t nearly enough to take away the positives of the film. Fischbach’s direction is genuinely solid and knows how to create a thrilling atmosphere that adds in some claustrophobic moments that are bound to get you invested.

Overall Iron Lung is a film that is quite interesting, it’s heavily flawed and could have been trimmed down. However it’s a fascinating watch that understands the atmosphere incredibly well.

Iron Lung is available on all VOD platforms.

7/10 B

Scary Movie (2026)

Cindy and her friends as they are forced to reunite when the original masked killer returns 26 years later.

Scary Movie or Scary Movie 6 (2026) is directed by Michael Tiddes director of A Haunted House (2013), A Haunted House (2014), Fifty Shades Of Black (2016), Naked (2017), Sextuplets (2019)and Half Baked: Totally High (2024). The film is the sixth installment in the Scary Movie series. It’s a spiritual sequel the first two films.

The Scary Movie series were without a doubt the most popular set of films that came from the parody movie era of the 2000s and the early 2010s. The first two films I still think are fun comedies that really nail down the whole idea of parody, there is still quite a bit of charm there that works well. The third and fourth movies have their moments, not everything works with the two but you do get some quite memorable moments. The fifth movie is quite horrendous and came out at a time when the parody genre was reaching its fall off.

Scary Movie is luckily FAR better than Scary Movie 5 (2013). Although that is not exactly saying much and I can’t necessarily say that this is a good movie, when it comes to a parody movie not being as bad as ones like Scary Movie 5 (2013), Disaster Movie (2008), Epic Movie (2007) and a few others that is absolutely considered a win.

First and foremost Anna Faris and Regina Hall once again do a really great job as Cindy Campbell and Brenda Meeks respectively. They both still have the comedic timing that they pull off incredibly well even with the movie’s more lame jokes, it’s great seeing the two together again and really showcases that without the two, the Scary Movie series just does not work nearly as well. Other characters that return are Doofy (played by Dave Sheridan), Shorty (played by Marlon Waynes) Ray (played by Shawn Waynes), Greg Phillippe (played by Lochlyn Munro) and Bobby Prinze (played by Jon Abrahams (although the latter two have very small roles.) The cast works well together and have the same level of charm they had in previous entries of the series.

The introduction of the new characters is very mixed, their inclusion makes a lot of sense. After all the main story the movie is parodying is Scream 5 & 6, a majority of them however do feel underutilized. Credit where credit is due I do think the movie’s ending is a nice spin on the whole new characters in horror franchises sort of thing.

As far as cameos go, I do think the movie does a pretty great job. There is shockingly not a whole lot of them and the ones that do appear got laughs out of me, definitely a breath of fresh air when you compare this to other parody movies that focused more on shoving as many cameos as possible.

The first half of the movie is definitely the strongest, the movie comes out swinging with a quite strong and clever intro scene that while does capture the familiarity feel of these movies. It also has this nostalgic welcome back feel that you can’t help but appreciate, what follows is a steady string of good bits that you can tell the cast was having a blast with. While not every single one of these jokes lands as you do have a few that feel either forced, overly explained or stretched for way too long, for the most part the first half of the movie manages to stick the landing.

Unfortunately that’s when things go downhill, the second half of the movie really reflects as to why the parody movie genre died. Most of the jokes in the second half feel like they are stretched for way too long, the movie does not let its own jokes breathe, when you combine that with shockingly slow pacing (how is this even an issue?) and you have yourself a very rough second half to get through. It’s frustrating because there are some decently clever set ups for jokes, but unfortunately the delivery and timing is incredibly messy.

The movie also very clearly has a lot of scenes missing, there were points where it felt like this very messy project that was due the night before. There is a whole lot of jumping around from parody to parody that almost felt reminiscent of Family Guy cutaway gags. While a few of these jokes offer some great laughs, others feel like a complete waste of the movie’s time.

Overall Scary Movie is really about what you expect, I think the main problem here with this one is it does not go far enough with its humor and does not do a whole lot to stand out. It ultimately does feel like just another parody movie that has a few memorable scenes attached to it. As I said before, this is far better than Scary Movie 5 (2013) and if you are a fan of these movies you will get some entertainment out of it. Just don’t go in expecting this to be up there with the earlier installments.

Scary Movie is currently in theaters.

4/10 D+

Backrooms (2026) Film Review

After a therapist’s patient disappears into a dimension beyond reality, she must venture into the unknown to save him.

Backrooms is directed by Kane Parsons which is his directorial debut. The film is based on Parson’s web series and inspired by the Backrooms which came from a 2019 thread on 4chan.

Backrooms is a very interesting one, what may on the surface seem straightforward turns out to be something much more strange and chaotic as the film goes on. It’s one of those films where this is not what I expected but in a very good way, the film does have bumps in the road but the overall package is quite fascinating.

The performances are quite strong here, starting with Chiwetel Ejiofor who plays Clark a furniture store owner. Ejiofor gives this raw portrayal of a man going through loneliness, resentment and even declining mental sanity. As the film goes on we see all of this slowly but surely come together and the effect the Backrooms have on his character Clark, Ejiofor also captures the film’s surreal experimental atmosphere quite effectively and brings the viewer on this unsettling yet fascinating journey.

Renate Reinsve gives yet another fantastic performance, Reinsve plays Mary a therapist who navigates the Backrooms. While Mary may seem like she is not one of Reinsve’s most developed characters she’s played. The development mainly comes from her body language, reactions to the Backrooms and what she finds in them. There’s moments where she hesitates while being pursued as well as standing there, the look on her face has this sense of sadness, sympathy and depression. It’s truly a prime example of how incredible Reinsve as an actress.

What is truly incredible here is 20 year old Kane Parsons directing this, he does such an incredible job of bringing this atmosphere that is truly haunting. The first act brings you right into things with a found footage moment that truly brings tension to the viewer, it does a fantastic job of setting the atmosphere and bringing you into the experience. We also do get another found footage moment later on that is just as effective (quite honestly some of the most effective found footage moments in a while.) While the second does have incredibly slow pacing and is admittedly weaker than the first and third act, the direction from Parsons, the performances and the atmosphere are able to keep the viewer along for the ride.

Then we get to the final act which is quite chaotic yet has some interesting themes that the film explores quite well. Mark by this point has lost sanity and he makes this known, there are some quite suspenseful scenes that really bring the viewer close to the action and the exploration of the film’s world. When you combine this with the effective cinematography from Jeremy Cox you truly do get unsettled as the viewer.

Backrooms is one of those films where you should go in as blind as possible, overall the film is truly fascinating and Kane Parsons hits it out of the park. Parsons shows his ability to bring thrilling atmosphere with some well done characters (even if I wished there was a bit more development.) Backrooms is not going to be for everyone, but I do recommend giving this one a go!

Backrooms is currently in theaters.

8/10 B+

Forbidden Fruits (2026) Film Review

At a mall store, Apple leads a secret witch cult with coworkers Cherry and Fig. New hire Pumpkin questions their sisterhood, forcing them to confront inner darkness or meet violent ends.

Forbidden Fruits is directed by Meredith Alloway which is her directorial debut.

Forbidden Fruits is one of the biggest surprises so far this year, what could have easily been another The Craft (1996) meets Mean Girls (2004) type of deal. Ends up going the extra mile and manages to be cleverly written and quite a whole lot of fun as well. Especially when you combine that with some really strong performances that truly make the film its identity.

The film’s firepower comes from its performances, you would be forgiven if you went into the film thinking that the performances are not going to be anything special. However that’s not the case here because everyone here is giving it their all which really helps the film in the long run.

For starters we have Lili Reinhart who plays Apple the leader of the trio, Reinhart gives such a fantastic performance here that it becomes crazy on how good she is. She nails the film’s campy, comedic and dramatic moments that all add up to such an investing performance. Reinhart also has the charisma to back herself up, you can feel that she fits like a glove for a film like Forbidden Fruits. Her conversations with the rest of the cast feel natural and the body language she uses here are both hilarious and kind of intimidating at times. Reinhart gives one of the best performances so far this year, without her I don’t think the film would have worked nearly as well.

Victoria Pedretti is also quite fantastic here as well, she plays Cherry who is far more on the comedic side of things than Apple. But still manages to stand out quite well and that’s all due to Pedretti’s delivery, she really leans into the film’s more campy and comedic moments but manages to bring them to the viewer in a way that’s both fun and charming. These moments don’t feel forced or lame, it’s part of who Cherry is as a character and it truly works in the film’s favor.

Lola Tung who plays Pumpkin and Alexandra Shipp who plays Fig are also great here as well, Tung is able to anchor the whole campy horror comedy element with this nuanced intriguing take of a performance. We get to see her explore the world around her as she goes from a mall worker to being a coven of witches. Finally Alexandra Shipp gives this stylish and magnetic energy that really boosts her performance, she might not get a whole lot of character moments. But that is made up by easily connecting with the rest of the cast.

The writing is surprisingly cleverly written, there’s a lot of character moments particularly for Apple and Pumpkin that really bring this story together. There are elements of The Craft and Mean Girls but they are not the front and center, the film is more focused on giving the viewer a new experience while also putting elements of the previously two mentioned films in the mix. Especially during the film’s third act where things get very wild really quickly.

The overall atmosphere is just what this film needed, it’s chaotic and mixes well with the location which is CF Sherway Garden which is a mall in Canada. The atmosphere and location combined together really paint this fun and investing picture that you can’t help but want to explore even when all of the chaos is going on.

Overall Forbidden Fruits is a whole lot of fun from beginning to end, thematically there might not be a whole lot going on here. But the film makes up for it by not taking itself too seriously while also focusing on being a genuinely excellent film.

Forbidden Fruits is available on all VOD platforms.

9/10 A

undertone (2026) Film Review

The host of a popular paranormal podcast becomes haunted by terrifying recordings mysteriously sent her way.

undertone is directed by Ian Tusaon which is his directorial debut.

undertone is the very definition of a film that is just not going to be for everyone, the film relies much more heavily on its technical aspects than a lot of other horror films do, mainly the sound, atmosphere and camera movements (which I will get into all of those.) The film does have an ending that is admittedly on the weaker side but for the most part this is a quite effective ride.

Nina Kiri gives quite a great performance here, we get to see her character Evy slowly realize what is exactly going on with the 10 audio recordings and how horrifying they really are. Kiri does a fantastic job of capturing the film’s atmosphere, I do think some of Kiri’s best moments are with Michéle Duquet who plays Mama (Evy’s mother). These are some genuinely sad scenes and quite tragic that Kiri really excels at, I do wish the film elaborated just a tad more on this. However from what we got it is very effective and keeps the viewer invested.

The film’s main weapon of choice is the technical aspects as I said before. Starting with the sound, it’s effectively used to terrify the viewer with each of the audio recordings getting more and more intense. The sound brings you into this world that is very close together as it starts to bring itself in the sounds of Evy’s house such as the floors creaking and stained breaths, Evy starts to become incredibly terrified of every sound even ones that normally you would write off. It brings this level of rawness to the mix that even when you are watching the film you may check around you to hear for noises.

The camerawork from Graham Beasley is very well done, it’s at a much smaller scale and can feel claustrophobic at times. The cinematography has this fear of the unknown type of feel that you have no idea what is going to happen or why anything is happen but you still get this very uneasy feeling. When you combine this with the sound, you get some genuinely terrifying scenes that stick with you as the film goes on and even when it ends.

Finally there is the atmosphere which brings the whole film together, almost immediately you are placed in this world where things just don’t feel right at all. As the film goes on we see more and more of this add up until the ending where admittedly the film does drop the ball. The ending does feel very abrupt and leaves the viewer with way more questions than answers (and I’m not exactly sure if it’s in a good way.) However the rest of the film is a very atmospheric ride that keeps stacking up until some very terrifying moments during the third act.

undertone is definitely a film I recommend going into knowing as little as possible (I kept this review very brief because of this.) If it sounds like a film you are interested in I do recommend giving this one a go!

undertone is available on all VOD platforms.

9/10 A