Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come (2026)

After surviving one deadly game, Grace and her sister Faith must now outrun four rival families competing for a powerful throne – winner takes all.

Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come is directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillet directors of Devil’s Due (2014), Ready Or Not (2019), Scream (2021) Scream VI (2023) and Abigail (2024). The film serves as a sequel to Ready Or Not (2019).

Ready Or Not (2019) is a modern classic at this point, whenever someone brings up the conversation about their favorite horror films from the 2010s. Ready Or Not (2019) is going to be mentioned at least 10 times and rightfully so, it was an incredibly fun film that was genuinely really good. Samara Weaving and the rest of the cast were fantastic, the film’s gore, atmosphere, direction and humor were all incredibly effective as well. Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come does everything a sequel should do and even makes the argument of being better than its predecessor.

First and foremost the cast give fantastic performances across the board, Samara Weaving returns as Grace and she is just as great here as she was in the previous film. I would even argue with the film’s bigger scale, Weaving gives a much grander performance that ends up being quite effective. Weaving has only grown as an actress since the previous film and we really see that here in this film, it’s truly a wonderful sight to behold plus with the added bonus of learning a lot more about Grace as a character.

Kathryn Newton as Faith (Grace’s sister) is such a strong addition to the story, Newton works incredibly well with Weaving and has this natural chemistry that you feel almost immediately when she enters the film. She balances the humor with the more dramatic moments, the sisterhood element is genuinely charming and actually does have a few heartfelt moments at times. Newton has this charm that fits like a glove here, whether it’s the natural chemistry with Weaving or the chaotic energy she brings at times. There’s so much she delivers constantly throughout the film.

The rest of the cast are quite fantastic as well. Elijah Wood has a bunch of great moments here that are genuinely hilarious, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shawn Hatosy are both really strong here especially the latter who delivers a quite brutal scene involving Kathryn Newton. Gellar and Hatosy work well together and have plenty of scene stealing moments.

The writing is quite strong here, there can be the occasional hiccup when it comes to some character moments. However the film still delivers in all fronts, whereas the first one leaned more into the horror side. I definitely think this film leans more into the comedic side of things which quite honestly makes sense and fits the story being told. That’s not to say there aren’t any straight up horror moments because there are plenty of those and they are all quite effective.

Some might see this as a bit of a rehash of the previous film which is fair to say, but I do think the film manages to bring just the right amount of new elements combined with a larger scale to differentiate itself. The gore is back and just as fun as it was in the previous film, we get a lot more action sequences as well that effectively use the larger scale which the film takes advantage of.

Overall Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come is a ton of fun from beginning to end, there might not be anything huge thematically going on here. However between the performances, charm, writing and the large scale it’s next to impossible to come out of this movie thinking you didn’t have fun with it.

Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come is available on all VOD platforms.

9/10 A

Hokum (2026) Film Review

A horror writer visits an Irish inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, unaware the property is said to be haunted by a witch.

Hokum is directed by Damian McCarthy director of Caveat (2020) and Oddity (2024).

Damian McCarthy is a name that is slowly rising in the horror genre, while Caveat was just fine (to be absolutely fair I haven’t seen it since it released so perhaps a rewatch is in order.) Oddity struck gold with its genuinely terrifying atmosphere, the excellent performances and the nice throwback to the classic haunted house film. Hokum continues the effectiveness of Oddity and doubles down on showing engaging McCarthy is as a director.

The performances are all quite great, I’m not typically a huge fan of Adam Scott so his performance here really shocked me. He has his comedic moments but for the most part it’s this tense performance that is exploring the world around him. In a lot of ways Scott’s character Ohm Bauman connects with the viewer, when he is creeped out we are creeped out. It’s this experience that Scott really brings you in and it’s truly fascinating and makes the film all the more terrifying. David Wilmot also gives a great performance, it’s not an incredibly deep role however it has a nice balance of comedy and seriousness.

Whereas Oddity reminds you of the classic haunted house film, Hokum reminds you of those 90s computer horror point and click games and I mean this in a positive way. There’s just something about the atmosphere that hits you with that sort of feel, you never know what’s going to pop out from around the corner. When you combine this with excellent and focused camerawork from cinematographer Colm Hogan who really does such a brilliant job of bringing the viewer into the film almost immediately, you truly get some thrilling results that are spread throughout the film.

The film’s script is straightforward yet very effective, the mystery itself is genuinely engaging and has this classic feel that you can’t help but appreciate. The examination of repressed trauma combined with Irish folklore helps keep things fresh, the film also gives the hotel a lot of character with tons of attention to detail. We get so much to look at with certain floors of the hotel and as we explore you slowly but surely get an idea of what’s going on here. This is the sort of film that rewards the viewer for being patient, it leads into the film’s final act where it does get truly tense and the atmosphere comes at you in your face.

Overall Hokum is an excellent film, it’s a straightforward yet very effective story that is truly worth it for the experience.

Hokum is currently in theaters.

9/10 A

The Bride (2026) Film Review

In 1930s Chicago, Frankenstein asks Dr. Euphronius to help create a companion. They give life to a murdered woman as the Bride, sparking romance, police interest, and radical social change.

The Bride is directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal director of The Lost Daughter (2021).

The Bride is not what you expect at all, sure it does take inspiration from the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein. But rather than just being yet another Frankenstein adaption, this one chooses to go a very different route with some choices that are admittedly some huge swings. Not everything here works, but the elements that do really help this film stand out.

Jessie Buckley is quite fantastic here which isn’t really a surprise given how great of an actress she is. She actually plays a dual role, she plays The Bride and plays Mary Shelly, the ghost of the author of Frankenstein. She plays both these performances quite well, Buckley delivers an incredibly unhinged performance that has this unpredictable energy where it’s hard to read what she is going to do next. One minute she is having a somewhat normal conversation with someone and the next she’s twitching, yelling and saying the most bizarre sentences you could think of. In some cases this would be points against the movie, however Buckley does such a fantastic job of really capturing the bizarre atmosphere the film asks for that it ultimately works.

Christian Bale meanwhile plays Frank (or Frankenstein’s monster) who looks beaten up and has been through this multiple times before. He is sad, lonely, strangely gentle at times and can even get terrifying when needed. It’s a very different take on the character that is admittedly really neat and something that we the audience typically don’t lean into. I do think Bale’s best moments are when he and Buckley are causing chaos together. There is this nice yin and yang type of feel going on here with The Bride and Frank (at least in the beginning) that the film does explore.

As I said earlier the film is unhinged and it’s proud of it, there are times where the film definitely does not go far enough. However I do think the ideas presented are fascinating, the whole Mary Shelley’s ghost element strangely works incredibly well and fits into the narrative being told. Rather than showing how tragic these characters are, Gyllenhaal goes for a much more playful energy where these characters are chaotic and they are trying to figure out love, identity and revenge. Which I do think benefits the film far more in the end, sure thematically there is a bit of a mess going on here. But it’s the sort of mess that you can’t help but have fun with and genuinely appreciate.

The technical aspects are really strong here, especially the cinematography from cinematographer Lawrence Sher who goes for this large in scale 1920s film that mixes gangster movies and gothic movies. It’s an incredibly strange hybrid that works in the context of what the film is presenting. The score from Hildur Guðnadóttir fits the mood of the film and really brings the viewer into the experience.

Overall not everything in The Bride works but in the end it does end up being such a fun and genuinely great film. I admire the film for taking the swings it took and really not caring what anyone else thinks.

The Bride is available on all VOD platforms.

8/10 B+

Faces Of Death (2026) Film Review

A content moderator finds videos that appear to be recreations of the original Faces of Death film and must determine if the violence is real or fake.

Faces Of Death is directed by Daniel Goldhaber director of Cam (2018) and How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2022). Faces Of Death is a reimagining of the 1978 film of the same name.

The first question on anyone’s mind when the discussion of a Faces Of Death remake comes up is “how do you make a film like that nowadays?” The simple answer is you don’t, you rework it into a clever and quite thrilling horror film that manages to capture the disturbing and unnerving feel in its own way. Faces Of Death is a very surprising film due to just how much of it really works and how effective the atmosphere, performances and story is.

The performances all around are fantastic. Barbie Ferreira gives a raw and investing performance that navigates this incredibly disturbed world, she matches the atmosphere in a heartbeat and gives her character Margot Romero a lot of depth. The few second flashbacks we get of her has this quite tragic feel that adds to the atmosphere. She also works incredibly well with the rest of the cast, the back and forth between Arthur Spevak (played by Darce Montgomery) are by far some of the film’s best moments.

Speaking of which Darce Montgomery is the film’s secret weapon, Montgomery perhaps gives one of the most unnerving performances so far this decade, every single moment he’s on screen you feel this sense of dread, his character Arthur throughout the film recreates the deaths from the original Faces Of Death. Montgomery gives a down right evil and terrifying performance that leaves the viewer stunned. His ability to go from a normal everyday person to a deranged individual is truly astonishing, when you add in the atmosphere into the mix his performance only gets more and more effective.

The script from Isa Mazzei and Daniel Goldhaber is quite clever, the film goes for this meta approach which could have very easily went downhill incredibly fast. But the film brings this inspired approach that doesn’t leave the original film in the dust, in fact it’s part of the story as mentioned before with a serial killer recreating deaths from the original. The dialogue is also quite strong as well, there are a few hiccups here and there but a majority of the time you are fully invested to see where exactly this film goes next.

The film’s atmosphere right from the beginning brings you into the film, even during the film’s more relaxed moments you always feel like something is around the corner. The film’s scale is haunting and especially when the film enters its third act where the build up brings its final results which are quite effective. The gore is nasty especially when you combine it with Montgomery’s performance. Finally Goldhaber once again shows that he knows how to create a thrilling atmosphere, he displayed this with his previous two films Cam (2018) and How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2022) and he shows that here in such disturbing and thrilling detail.

Overall Faces Of Death is an incredibly effective film that has excellent performances, a disturbing atmosphere and an investing world that is quite terrifying.

Faces Of Death release tomorrow on all VOD platforms.

9/10 A

Affection (2026) Film Review

Ellie confronts a disturbing condition resetting her memory, unable to recognize her husband and daughter. Each reset disorients her, leaving haunting recollections of an unfamiliar life.

Affection is directed by BT Meza which is his directorial debut.

Affection is one of those movies where it throws you right into things, in some cases this can be a good thing and in others it can be messy. Affection it’s this strange middle ground that as it goes on it starts to hurt the movie.

The main reason to watch this movie is for the performance from Jessica Rothe, she once again shows how exciting of an actress she really is. When the atmosphere requires her to bring in this raw direction she’s able to bring it to the table almost immediately, she brings a lot of layers to her character Ellie and works with the script as well as she can. Even with the writing’s weaker points, Rothe is able to turn in a genuinely great performance that leaves the viewer with some sort of impact.

The movie’s atmosphere is also quite effective, right from the beginning you get this Black Mirror like atmosphere and it does bring a lot of intrigue to it all while also complimenting the characters. The gross out visuals are inspired and have this unnerving feel to them, they bring some sort of focus to the movie’s more bizarre moments. Cinematographer Jason Hafer does a great job of giving the movie some great detail in during the gross out moments.

What does hold Affection back however is the writing and pacing, for a 90 minute movie this feels 2 hours long. The first bit of the movie takes an incredibly long time to get going, it’s not until the tip of the end of the second act is where things finally start to speed up. The writing is a bit too predictable for its own good, once you grasp what is exactly going on here. You can very easily figure out what’s going to happen next, the simplicity of the movie’s ideas also really stop the movie from exploring them to their full potential.

Overall Affection has its moments of greatness, but it does not quite come together as a full picture. Had this been a 30-50 minute short I think the results would have been far better and much more fitting.

Affection releases tomorrow in theaters.

5/10 C

Psycho Killer (2026) Film Review

A police officer tracks a serial killer known as “the Satanic Slasher” after he kills her husband.

Psycho Killer is directed by Gavin Polone which is his directorial debut.

Before you ask no Psycho Killer by Talking Heads is not in this movie. Anyways Psycho Killer is such an absolute mess of a movie that it’s almost impressive. This is basically one of those detective tries to catch a serial killer movies but done incredibly poorly. Which is sort of funny since writer Andrew Kevin Walker (writer of Seven (1995)) is involved with this movie.

First and foremost the characters are not interesting at all, outside of a few decent moments from Georgina Campbell who really tries her best to salvage what she can. The rest of the cast just can’t help this movie at all, I’m not exactly sure how they made the antagonist of the movie the Satanic Slasher incredibly boring but they somehow did it. The voice they decided to go with for the character sounds like an edgelord (I hate using this term but it’s truly the best way to describe it) of Bane from The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Which leads to the character not being taken seriously at all from the viewer, especially when you don’t have the suspenseful atmosphere to back it up.

The main problem here is the script, there is no originality here. Every single cliche you can think of that’s in a horror movie about a serial killer is here and each of these cliches are done at their worst, it’s almost impressive to see just how many cliches are packed into this movie. The incredibly clunky dialogue does the movie no favors at all, a lot of the conversations have no depth and fail to invest the viewer. The movie’s characters make observations that the viewer had long since made which in turn makes the whole mystery element irrelevant.

The only other positive outside of Georgina Campbell’s performance is the movie’s opening. It’s the only time during this 91 minute mess where you can actually feel the atmosphere be thrilling and what does end up happening is genuinely nasty, it gives the movie a nice little boost to hopefully take advantage of but then the rest of the movie happens.

There really isn’t much more to say here, Psycho Killer is by far one of the worst movies of the year so far. It’s baffling how much of a mess and truly awful this one gets as it goes on.

Psycho Killer is available on all VOD platforms.

1/10 F

Most Anticipated Films Of May 2026!

We are now entering the summer movie season! April was a fantastic month for film, between The Drama, Faces Of Death, Erupcja, Mile End Kicks, Mother Mary and a few others it was a great time to be a movie fan. May is looking to continue that train especially when it comes to the horror genre!

Worth noting that I have already seen Billie Eilish-Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) I decided to keep it on this list (this is a new rule I’ll keep going forward, if there is a movie I have already seen I will still keep it on the most anticipated films of the month list!)

May 1st

Hokum (Theaters)

The Devil Wears Prada 2 (Theaters)

May 8th

Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D (Theaters)

Silent Friend (Theaters)

Affection (Theaters)

Mortal Kombat II (Theaters)

May 15th

Obsession (Theaters)

Is God Is (Theaters)

Lifehack (Theaters)

May 22nd

I Love Boosters (Theaters)

Passenger (Theaters)

Saccharine (Theaters)

May 29th

The Backrooms (Theaters)

Pressure (Theaters)

Fucktoys (Theaters)

Quick Reviews: Slanted (2026) and Whistle (2026)

A Chinese-American teen gets surgery to change her race to win prom queen, leading to body horror as she deals with the consequences

Slanted is directed by Amy Wang which is her directorial debut.

Slanted is one of those films where I do think the bizarre idea is more interesting than the film itself. That mainly comes down to execution and the film really not going far enough with its premise, despite that however I do think the movie manages to stick the landing in the end.

I do think this is McKenna Grace’s first performance since Gifted (2017) where she actually got a lot of depth for her character. There are some emotional moments here that wrap into the film’s themes and McKenna Grace is able to really capture said moments and make something devastating. Shirley Chen is also quite great here as well, the first bit of the movie we see Joan Huang (played by Shirley Chen) wanting to change. The acting from Chen is careful and quite devastating especially since the viewer does know what is going to happen. When we do get the change of Joan Huang becoming Jo Hunt the result has its character moments but does eventually dry up.

What hurts the movie the most is the writing, as a body horror movie it’s just not there at all. Outside of a few moments towards the end there really isn’t a whole lot of body horror going on here. As a satire that tackles themes of racial identity and self-hatred they are done decently enough, but the execution feels like it’s missing some power hitting moments. The whole idea of the race change through this technology is far more interesting idea than the movie itself, the more interesting moments come in with Joan Huang’s parents reaction to her change. It’s genuinely devastating to watch seeing them completely destroyed and disappointed.

Then you have the rest of the movie that just kind of feels there and does not really do much with the themes. I think for the most part the movie gets the job done, but for a movie that tackles quite a heavy topic it surprisingly feels lacking.

Slanted is available on all VOD platforms.

6/10 C+

A group of high schoolers finds a cursed whistle that, when blown, causes a supernatural entity to hunt them down, manifesting their future deaths.

Whistle is directed by Corin Hardy director of The Hallow (2015) and The Nun (2018).

Whistle is if you took any of the Final Destination movies and proceeded to make your movie far less entertaining. While Whistle is not the worst copycat out there, it is a very forgettable one that is slightly frustrating due to having some interesting ideas that are held back by terrible writing.

The cast try their best with the script that’s given, Dafne Keen being the movie’s lead gets the bigger end of the stick naturally. So she’s able to turn in a decent enough performance, Sophie Nélisse is also not bad here either. A far more interesting movie is hiding in the romance between Chrys Willet (played by Dafne Keen) and Ellie Gains (played by Sophie Nélisse.) The rest of the cast do what they can, I don’t think anyone here turns in a bad performance it’s just a matter of the script being terrible and not giving a lot of these actors anything to work with.

The writing is what flat out kills this move on arrival, the dialogue has a few laughably bad moments that the movie tries to play as being serious. The large amount of cliches and lack of tension completely take the viewer out of the movie and can easily be predicted as to what is going to happen.

There are some creative kills here, but just getting to them feels like a chore. Which is a shame because I do think the whole idea of the whistle causing the deaths of how someone is going to die is pretty interesting. Unfortunately the movie completely botches the idea and goes for the most generic direction possible.

There really isn’t much else more to say here, if you have seen any horror movie within the last 10 years. Then you have already seen Whistle and know exactly how it’s going to end. In a year that so far has delivered a lot of great horror movies, this one really feels out of place.

Whistle is available on all VOD platforms.

3/10 D-

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy (2026) Film Review

A young girl disappears in Egypt and returns eight years later, physically unwell and possessed by a demon, terrorizing her family in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is directed by Lee Cronin director of The Hole in the Ground (2019) and Evil Dead Rise (2023).

After Evil Dead Rise (2023) I was quite excited to see what Lee Cronin was going to do next, when it was announced it would be a take on The Mummy I was pretty intrigued. I’m always a sucker for different takes on the Universal monster movies, while Lee Cronin’s The Mummy isn’t a terrible movie and does have a lot to like here. There is a whole lot holding it back that ultimately makes the experience feel incredibly lackluster.

The acting for the most part is decent, everyone does what they can with a very generic script that does not give any of the cast anything striking to work with. May Calamawy who plays Detective Dalia Zaki probably gives the best performance here even though her character is one note and by the end we really don’t know much about her. Natalie Grace as Katie Cannon gives a creepy performance but that’s really about it, there are times when the creepiness works well and other times where it comes off as incredibly over the top.

The best part of the movie is the gore, if you have heard anyone talk about this movie the one thing that people will tell you is that it’s nasty. Which it absolutely is, there are a few moments here that will definitely make the viewer cringe. For a mainstream studio horror movie that’s quite surprising, while it does get very over the top. Early on it’s quite effective in bringing the viewer into the picture and effectively creates this mean spirited atmosphere.

With that being said, what hurts this movie the most is the script. It’s very clear Lee Cronin wanted to make The Mummy very Evil Dead like, so much in fact that there are times where you almost think you are watching a new installment in the series. Doing that is fine but when you mix it with very bare bone elements of The Mummy and bring in elements from The Exorcist it starts to become a gigantic mess. The character decision making is a bit too hard to ignore, I’m not expecting a Mummy movie to be grounded but there are a lot of very ridiculous decision making moments that ultimately take the viewer out of the experience.

The running time is also a huge issue, the 2 hour and 14 minute runtime is not justified here at all. There is a whole lot of padding for the sake of it and there are even some scenes that could have flat out just been cut, Katie terrorizing the family starts to become incredibly redundant, the other kids being possessed doesn’t go anywhere and the final act is a mashed up mess that feels way too over the top for its own good.

Overall you could do a lot worse than Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, but it is frustrating since there is a good movie in here somewhere. It’s just buried within a lot of extra bunk that holds the movie back.

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is currently in theaters.

5/10 C

Honey Bunch (2026) Film Review

Diana is a head trauma patient with memory loss whose husband takes her to a secluded, “cozy” mansion for a radical new treatment, only to find the staff is secretive and the therapy disturbing.

Honey Bunch is directed by Dusty Mancinelli and Madeleine Sims-Fewer both of which previously directed Violation (2020).

I was very impressed with Mancinelli’s and Fewer’s directorial debut Violation (2020) so I was very excited to see what they would do next, while Honey Bunch isn’t as good as Violation (2020) I still do think this is an incredibly solid follow up and has a lot to like about it.

The performances are solid, particularly Grace Glowicki as Diana. Glowicki gives a believable, meditative and this psychological performance almost like we are seeing through her eyes. It’s a stunning performance that really gives the viewer a lot to explore as the movie progresses, she also delivers some genuinely sweet and vulnerable moments that stick with the viewer throughout the experience.

The whole theme of memory being recovered and feeling the unease about relationships is so well done here, it’s done at this slow burn type of pace that slowly creeps up on you and ultimately shows the final result. The tone plays into why the film works as well as it does, it’s unnerving and at times oddly whimsical. It reveals itself in dissociation and ambiguity without ever fully explaining itself, it keeps the viewer informed just the right amount to have you stay on the ride.

The technical aspects such as the cinematography from cinematographer Adam Crosby is very beautifully done and gives the film a personality, it has this balance of beauty and darkness that is truly mesmerizing and really keeps the viewer invested and motivates the viewer to explore the film’s world. There’s a lot of striking moments here that really leave you in awe.

Overall Honey Bunch might have some pacing problems, however the film makes up for it with just about everything else. If you are a fan of slow burn horror films this is definitely something worth checking out!

Honey Bunch is available on Shudder.

7/10 B