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!
A newly certified mortician, Rebecca Owens, takes a night job embalming bodies and uncovers a demonic conspiracy, forcing her to confront her own past to survive the night.
The Mortuary Assistant is directed by Jeremiah Kipp director of Slapface (2021), Love & Everything in Between (2017), The Sadist (2015) and a few others.
The Mortuary Assistant is one of the worst kind of terrible movies, it does not land in the “so bad it’s hilarious” territory and it isn’t fun either. Instead what you get here is a completely botched movie that is apparently based on the 2022 video game of the same name. From what I’ve seen with fan’s reactions it does a terrible job of telling the story and fails to capture the atmosphere of the source material. I haven’t even played the game and I absolutely agree that the atmosphere is completely missing along with many other things.
What immediately kills this movie is the acting, this is the sort of terrible acting that leaves the viewer flabbergasted to the point where you ask yourself “did they even try?” Willa Holland who I typically like just does not shine here, it does not help that her character Rebecca is given no strong character writing. Paul Sparks feels like he’s half asleep with his performance, it’s a very phoned in performance that leans into the terrible territory and keeps going further down.
The script is poorly written and at times very baffling. While premise is an interesting idea, the execution ends up being incredibly dull and wasted. It’s filled to the brim with terribly done horror elements that are handled with the amount of care of a bull in a china shop, the atmosphere is completely missing and does not offer the viewer any sort of time to really get into the environment. It’s also completely sloppily put together, it has the feel of a science fair project that is two seconds away from coming apart.
The technical elements are horrible as well, the music is bland, the cinematography, lighting, shadows and such are all lifeless and completely fail to capture this sense of suspense or dread. None of it comes together in the end and truly feels like this was all done in less than 5 hours.
Overall there really is not much more to say about The Mortuary Assistant it’s by far the worst movie I’ve seen so far this year. The only good thing I can say about it is that it very forgettable, mainly due to just how bland the experience really is.
Two officers, trying to cover up a tragic accident, uncover a terrifying supernatural conspiracy, blurring the lines between reality and nightmare.
Bodycam is directed by Brandon Christensen director of Still/Born (2017), Z (2019), Superhost (2021), The Puppetman (2023) and Night of the Reaper (2025).
Right off the bat Bodycam has a good idea going for it, being a found footage movie that uses body cams to tell the story. Unfortunately this movie fumbles the ball almost immediately and never takes advantage of its own ideas. Instead it opts for jump scares, a laughably bad ending and a huge lack of atmosphere that tries to pull from video game franchises such as Resident Evil and Silent Hill which ends up being a complete and total mess.
The only major positive here is the performances from the movie’s two leads Jamie M. Callica and Sean Rogerson, the two do what they can with such a ridiculous and very shallow script. There are moments where they are able to make some of the dialogue salvageable, which ends up being some the only decently thrilling scenes the movie has going on. Unfortunately those don’t last for very long due to the movie’s need to fall in the incredibly ridiculous territory.
What ultimately really hurts this movie is the script, lack of an atmosphere and the ending. The script as I said before is incredibly shallow and has very little going on here. A lot of it is the typical found footage movie cliches and the overall story being incredibly undercooked, it’s a giant mess that hardly ever gives the viewer an idea as to why certain events are happening in the first place.
The lack of an atmosphere becomes apparent when you see that the movie resorts to jump scares…which is basically the entire movie. As I said before the movie tries to pull the atmosphere and feel of Resident Evil and Silent Hill however the movie does not have the psychological touch that the Silent Hill video game franchise has and it doesn’t have the fun and thrills that Resident Evil has. It’s a complete and total mess that tries to be a terrible replica but can’t even do that correctly.
Finally there’s the ending which is laughably bad, we do end up getting the reveal of what exactly is going on here in the end. But what we do get is this CG creature that feels incredibly out of place, it’s one of the most ridiculous endings to a movie I’ve seen so far this year and completely takes the viewer out of a movie that if it hadn’t taken you out of the experience before it sure will now.
Overall Bodycam is terrible, the performances from Callica and Rogerson are decent enough but that is nowhere near enough to save this complete and total mess of a movie.
Pedro (Hendler) is asked to look after his ex’s senile mother, Alicia (Maura), but she traps him in her home, turning a simple favor into a fight for survival
Crazy Old Lady is directed by Martín Mauregui director of Love (Part One) (2005).
Crazy Old Lady automatically hits you with this claustrophobic atmosphere as soon as it begins which is mainly thanks to cinematographer Julián Apezteguía’s camerawork. It’s a film that does meander a bit but it ultimately does reach the finish line with a solid conclusion.
The performances from Daniel Handler and Carmen Maura are what really make the film. Especially Maura who gives a genuinely intimidating performance, she’s able to capture this sense of dread in each scene. She effortlessly switches between personalities that really does make you wonder which one is going to take the front seat in the scenes of Alicia (played by Carmen Maura) and Pedro (played by Daniel Handler) exchanging dialogue. Maura captures the film’s claustrophobic atmosphere immediately when she enters the film and keeps it that way throughout the experience. Daniel Handler does a great job of displaying fear and realizing how insane the situation really is. He compliments Carmen Maura’s performance incredibly well and serves as this stone to build the movie’s haunting atmosphere.
The writing might not exactly be fantastic and there are cases where the movie is lacking a bit of depth, however the performances from Maura and Handler are able to elevate the material and make it a bit more interesting. With that being said the movie does meander a bit which does end up hurting the pacing at times, the pacing can feel breezy or it can feel rough it’s a very strange case of the movie using both.
Finally there are some backstory elements that are introduced but are not fully explored, the movie does make up for it with some symbolic elements such as the decaying house. The house actually does get development when it comes to the cinematography being so well detailed and with the lighting.
Overall Crazy Old Lady is a decent little film that does hold back at times, but it delivers when it comes to performances, cinematography and atmosphere.
January flew by and now we are suddenly February! There’s a lot to look forward to this month as well with tons of new releases! I do have 6 2025 films left to review which I’m aiming for those reviews to be done by the end of the month. Sundance reviews will also be coming this month! Anyway here is the list
When a young woman faces a deadly diagnosis, she seeks dark magic from a witch in the woods; but every cure has its cost.
Mother Of Flies is directed by John Adams, Zelda Adams and Toby Poser directors of The Deeper You Dig (2019), Hellbender (2021), Where the Devil Roams (2023), Halfway to Zen (2016), Hell Hole (2024) and a few others.
The Adams family are back with a really solid and atmospheric experience with Mother Of Flies. A film that unlike their last film Hell Hole (2024), manages to keep the eerie atmosphere and deliver tons of chilling scenes that capture the feel of abandonment with its setting. The film does take a bit to get going and there are some rough moments with the acting, but in the end the film delivers on its premise and leaves the viewer satisfied.
The performances are about the same as they have always been in any of the Adams family’s films. In other words it can range from being decent to rough territory, however the charm of them being a family and doing these films together seriously helps out in the long run. Despite some of the rough acting, you can feel the passion that John, Zelda and Toby spread on screen. It definitely works a lot better in this case since the film feels a lot more intimate which does give the viewer some touching father and daughter moments between Jake (played by John Adams) and Mickey (played by Zelda Adams). Toby Poser as Solveig is a pretty formidable witch, she has this calm yet intimidating energy to her that the viewer feels right when she’s introduced. The film’s slow burn feel heavily relies on Poser’s performance which ends up working to the film’s benefit.
The atmosphere is dark and has the feel of abandonment, it’s the same type of feel that Hell Hole (2024) tried to capture but unfortunately fizzled out as the movie went on. Luckily that’s not the case here with Mother Of Flies, whether it because Toby Poser’s calm yet threatening performance that ultimately tries to get Mickey by herself, or the cinematography from cinematographer Fabian Gamper is just visually more interesting and tackles the feel of abandonment much more sharply.
The film does admittedly take a bit to get going, it’s a film that takes its time to build the world around it and I would say the wait is worth it. The film’s script definitely has it’s weak points particularly with the second act of the film where there does seem to be some repetitive moments going on here. However as the film’s mystery becomes slowly realized by Jake and Mickey things get much more investing and brings the viewer into it all.
Overall Mother Of Flies is a solid film from the Adams family, it’s a huge improvement over Hell Hole (2024) and brings the atmosphere front and center.
Married couple Daphne and Darcy Davenport are two musicians who moved from London to a cottage in Wales to complete their new album. By accident they record a mystical sound never heard before and gradually disconnect from reality.
Rabbit Trap is directed by Bryn Chainey which is his directorial debut.
Rabbit Trap is one of those movies that has a lot of the right ingredients to make for an interesting little movie, but unfortunately drops the ball when it comes to adding detail to the story. Especially with its heavy use of being way too cryptic with the story.
The performances are all strong here, Dev Patel has a lot of charisma as an actor and here is no different. It might not be one of his absolute best performances, but he does capture the mysterious atmosphere the movie is going for and does a really solid job with his chemistry with the rest of the cast. Rosy McEwen offers great support for Patel (although I really do wish the movie went a bit more into her character), even if she is given the least amount to work with. Finally there’s Jade Croot who gives a quite terrifying performance, as soon as Croot enters the movie you feel the atmosphere completely change into something haunting. That’s present throughout the entire experience and is by far the movie’s best asset, it’s a mesmerizing performance that gets under the viewers skin very quickly.
When it comes to technical aspects, Rabbit Trap is quite strong. Sound designer Graham Reznick hits it out of the park, he takes the simple concept of sound and made it quite terrifying. There’s a mix of folklore here as well which does bring in some interesting moments. Cinematographer Andreas Johannessen and production designer Lucie Red give the movie this hauntingly beautiful feel and look that helps it standout a bit more. There’s this atmosphere that captures this feel of mystery where anything can happen or appear out of nowhere, the folklore like feel is also there something a lot of movies who try to go for this feel often miss.
Unfortunately Rabbit Trap suffers from a lot of writing issues. As great as the acting is, there’s just not a lot of strong character writing here and the lack of development really shrinks the impact the movie attempts to go for. The story’s cryptic and confused results lead to the viewer getting completely taken out of the movie.
Rabbit Trap falls short in what could have been a hidden gem that’s an atmospheric ride, but ultimately becomes quite forgettable.
Rabbit Trap is available on all VOD platforms.
5/10 C
Haunted by visions and recurring nightmares years after a near-death experience, Vanessa Shepherd finds herself living in the town of Abaddon, unable to break free from its unexplainable hold on her. When people around her suddenly and inexplicably begin to die, she soon uncovers her terrifying connection to the Abaddon Hotel, the Carmichael Manor, and the mysterious murders that have been occurring for decades.
Hell House LLC: Lineage is directed by Stephen Cognetti director of every installment in the Hell House LLC franchise (2015-2025) and 825 Forest Road (2025). Hell House LLC: Lineage serves as the fifth and final installment to the franchise.
Dropping the found footage element of your series with its supposed final installment is an incredibly questionable move. I’m not going to sit here and act like the Hell House LLC franchise are these masterfully written movies, they are flawed but outside of Lake Of Fire (2019) they are at the very least fun and capture this Halloween (not the film) type of feel that works in the series’s favor. The documentary style combined with the found footage element made this series more interesting and enjoyable as the viewer tried to unravel what exactly is happening in these movies. Lineage unfortunately strips all of this a settles for a dull, boring (I hate using that word but it’s very accurate here) and mixed with poor acting, direction along with terrible pacing.
The performances are terrible, everyone here is trying their best but with such an empty script and lifeless direction you can only do so much. The one who looks best walking out of this movie is Elizabeth Vermilyea (that’s not exactly saying much.) Lineage is incredibly lore heavy and attempts to expand the mythology of the franchise, but by this point it’s way too late. We get so many long a drawn scenes of incredibly dull dialogue that fails to bring the viewer into the movie.
I do think the movie’s attempts at trying to breathe new life into the franchise are somewhat admirable but ultimately end up being incredibly misguided. While there are some great shots thanks to cinematographer Brian Keenan, that does not end up meaning all that much when the rest of the movie is a complete and total mess. The direction just does not have the same charm or excitement that the rest of the series had in the past, say what you will about Lake Of Fire (2019) but at the very least the charm was still there. With Lineage it feels like the energy of the franchise is gone, the atmosphere that made the previous movies fun is just not present here.
Overall Hell House LLC: Lineage is easily the worst of the franchise, it’s a very confused and closing ending to the series that offers incredibly little to fans or casual watchers of the series.
Hell House LLC: Lineage is available on Shudder.
1/10 F
An upscale suburban mom brings a new nanny, Polly Murphy, into her home, only to discover she is not the person she claims to be.
The Hand That Rocks The Cradle is directed by Michelle Garza Cervera director of Huesera: The Bone Woman (2022). The movie serves as a loose remake of the 1992 film of the same name.
I had some sort of hope for this one considering Michelle Garza Cervera impressed with Husera: The Bone Woman (2022) a few years ago, unfortunately this feels like it was directed by an entirely different person. It’s also one of those remakes that completely fails to add anything interesting or try to tackle the story with a different approach.
Maika Monroe and Elizabeth Winstead are great here, but unfortunately the Lifetime Channel like script bogs down any sort of power that the two’s performances could have brought to the movie. There are moments here where you even wonder “how did this not end up on the LifeTime Channel?” the thinly layered script gives the movie absolutely no room for any sort of suspense or atmospheric moments, it’s all just one implausible situation after another.
The 1992 version is not a film I would say is one of my favorites, but it had the script, firepower and the atmosphere to back it up. All of that combined made it into a thrilling little ride that does not overstay its welcome. The remake however is dull and just does not have anything interesting going for it.
The Hand That Rocks The Cradle is available on Hulu.
College student Deena visits home and is roped into babysitting. The local sheriff is mailed a piece of evidence and is led on a scavenger hunt to reveal the killer of another babysitter.
Night Of The Reaper is directed by Brandon Christensen director of Still/Born (2017), Z (2019), Superhost (2021) and The Puppetman (2023).
When you first start watching Night Of The Reaper you will almost immediately catch on that it’s going for this 70s and 80s retro style. There’s a clear When A Stranger Calls (1979) and Halloween (1978) influence here, the movie is basically a late 70s and early 80s period piece. We have seen plenty of these types of movies in the past and unfortunately Night Of The Reaper really fails to standout among them.
The acting is a hit or miss, Jessica Clement is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here as she does manage to capture the 70s and 80s feel that the movie is looking to achieve. Everyone else however is given the short end of the stick as their performances range from terrible to very below average, the actors are trying their best with what they are given but due to the movie’s terrible script there’s so much missed potential here.
There’s a few scenes here that work decently well, there’s one scene in particular that makes use of some great practical effects. The movie’s twist is a great idea at first but ultimately gets completely buried under the shallowness of the rest of the movie, there just is not enough here to back up the twist. Instead of capitalizing off of the twist the movie strangely does the exact opposite by throwing bad dialogue and a lot of cliche moments that take away from it.
Overall Night Of The Reaper had a lot of potential here, but due to the script and the shallowness of the movie it’s ultimately a very forgettable experience.
A college student visits her grandparents in the countryside. She is happy to see them but begins to feel a sense of discomfort as she uncovers dark secrets. It seems that there is something in the house.
Best Wishes To All is directed by Yûta Shimotsu which is his directorial debut.
Best Wishes To All is a strange one, there’s a lot that happens with seemingly very little explanation (in both a good and bad way.) I admire that the themes the film attempts tackle such as economical and society implications as well as happiness being limited at the expense of others. The way the film goes about exploring these themes while interesting does not always mesh together.
The performances are solid, Kotone Furukawa is definitely the standout, she brings this captivating performance to the table that the viewer immediately connects with as we travel this strange town the film takes place in. Everyone else does a really good job here, especially when it comes to the more humorous moments. All the actors are able to quickly switch in tone when the atmosphere and story demands it.
Speaking of which the atmosphere is effectively done, it’s able to capture the darkly humorous and the serious tone both at the same time, there are some moments of this genuine dread and then certain moments where you find yourself laughing. It’s this strange blend that surprisingly works in the film’s favor.
The themes it tackles while admirable, don’t fully come together for one particular reason. It’s mainly due to the film becoming weird for the sake of being weird, I get what they were trying to go for by executing themes of happiness at others expense or capitalism in a much more unique way. But when you have your character’s bizarre behavior feel less and less organic as the movie goes on it does start to take you out of the film, these weird moments make for some great moments by themselves but not when they are trying to add commentary.
Despite its issues I do think Best Wishes To All is a decent time, if you are looking for a strange movie that has solid acting and atmosphere I recommend giving this one a shot!
Shortly after the death of her estranged mother, Shoo a primary care nursing student takes a placement in a remote Irish village to care for Peig a reclusive, elderly woman who lives in fear, haunted by her experiences in a Catholic asylum. The house in the woods holds plenty of dark secrets and Peig’s paranoia begins to rub off on Shoo, whose own troubled, abusive past begins to catch up with her.
Fréwaka is directed by Aislinn Clarke director of The Devil’s Doorway (2018)
Fréwaka is an Irish folklore horror film that does tackle generational trauma, admittedly there are so many horror films that tackle this theme. However the film is able to still stand as the performances are very strong, the film having a haunting atmosphere and the way the trauma is executed really works.
The performances are strong and always keep the viewer on the edge of their seat, Clare Monnelly in particular does a really great job of capturing the film’s atmosphere. Whether it be through the dialogue which is almost entirely spoken in Irish, the facial acting that tells the viewer all they really need to know in certain scenes. The generational trauma that is passed down from each generations is felt through the performances and is what gives the film it’s unique feel.
The dialogue as I said before is almost entirely spoken in Irish, which benefits the film since after all it is about Irish folklore. At points it feels like Clarke is trying to tackle Ireland’s past and present cultural landscape which is quite fascinating, the way the film executes trauma is different than what we usually get. There’s a story going on here about generations going through some sort of trauma that are each quite haunting in their own right, when you combine that with the strong dialogue that slowly reels the viewer in you have yourself quite a solid film.
Atmosphere is the part this film really nails, right from the beginning you can feel the haunting yet inviting atmosphere enter the film. We get a bunch of moments where we as the viewers feel lonely, it takes place in a small town that isolates our main character Shoo (played by Clare Monnelly), the interactions are filled with paranoia and even makes the viewer question what is really going on here?
Overall Fréwaka might not be doing anything entirely new, but the way the film goes about the execution combined with the genuinely strong acting and thrilling atmosphere makes for a fun ride that I would recommend giving a go.
Jerome Reviews... 