Tag Archives: fear

Out of the Further

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Vampire Owl: I think that they are going further into the shadow world.

Vampire Bat: No human can enter the shadow world in their original form.

Vampire Owl: I guess that it is where the astral projection comes in.

Vampire Bat: The realm has blocked all astral projections.

Vampire Owl: I have seen the northern witches do that.

Vampire Bat: It is just dark magic which creates other versions of them.

Vampire Owl: I thought the last grand sorcerer among them was dead.

Vampire Bat: The lands are now more magical than ever, blurring lines of reality.

Vampire Owl: Just what Dr. Frankenstein said in the science seminar.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein’s science is better called the Frank Illusion.

[Gets a savala vada and three cups of Darjeeling tea].

What is the movie about? :: In 1999, a woman named Ingrid (Laura Gordon) is shown as committing suicide in her bathroom, terrifying her daughter. Many years later, Gemma (Amelia Eve), the daughter who witnessed the act, as has grown up and live as a single mother to her own child, Maya (Island Austin). Gemma still remembers her childhood horror at times, but has managed to move on from her previous marriage by starting a new relationship with a local police officer, Nick (Brandon Perea). Things seem to be ready to get better for them, but then she comes across three people along the street who keeps starting at her and her daughter from the other side of the road; Lester (Joseph Lopez), Edna (Robina Beard) and Patsy (Susan Grey) are her strange new neighbours whom she doesn’t know, but that does not stop them from being creepy around. The next night, Gemma astral projects without knowing what is happening and is haunted by visions of her mother’s suicide. She also finds one of the elderly people in the vision and finds out that she brought something from what she thought as a dream to her bed.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The next day, Gemma who is a dental hygienist by profession, is scheduled to have a cleaning with Lester, the eldest of the elderly people in the neighbourhood. She is surprised to find that her portrait on the wall has gone missing and nobody knows what happened to it. Lester who does not speak a word, opens his mouth, and when she starts her work, bites Gemma’s finger, causing her to move back and hit her head on the X-ray machine – this knocks her out and her consciousness projects to the Further. Gemma wanders the clinic inside the Further before a blindfolded man ties her in a chair. A group of strange monstrous people approach her as she stares at them helplessly in bondage. Just before they brutalize her body, Gemma is saved by another elder woman identifying herself as Elise Rainer (Lin Shaye), who hands her a book and asks Gemma to find her. Using the address in the book, Gemma reaches a tattoo shop run by Clare (Maisie Richardson-Sellers), who is well-aware of astral projections and Further.

And what more is to follow here as something terrifying and unstoppable seems to be getting ready to unleash itself? :: Elise manages to possesses Clare and explains to Gemma that she is an astral projector who can travel between Further, a purgatorial realm and the material world. She adds that she is also like a courier, someone who can transport objects between the two worlds. She further reveals that the blindfolded man is planning to use Gemma to bring different evil spirits back to human world, and that the three elderly people are his acolytes who use some kind of sedatives in what seems like their oxygen cylinders to force themselves into the Further. Gemma finds herself as a bad mother as she is not able to take care of her daughter who also feels that there is something supernatural in their house. She tells Nick her situation, who offers to stay the night despite in full of doubt. Later that night, Gemma astral projects and is attacked by the blindfolded man. He forces Gemma to hold hands one of the spirits, and as she wakes up, she transports half of his body back to the real world, and the spirit with body cut in half dies, and Nick begins to believe her. But the question remains about how Gemma can manage to escape this evil.

The defence of Insidious: Out of the Further :: Instead of just traveling into The Further, we have the concept of a courier who can drag entities and things out into the real world, providing the movie with a certain amount of divergence, making sure that there is freshness and innovation. Several creative horror sequences can be seen adding to the terror, even bringing variety with the uncomfortable dental treatment moments on a chair – many closed doors, backrooms and passages add to the same and scares surely take over well. The demonic entities keep having their own identities while bringing the scares in their own way. The idea that this purgatorial world exists along with the human world without people out of heavens increases the fear factor. There is also one background tale to the main antagonist that keeps the narrative stronger. The final moments do stay strong as the unexpected happen, and defeating the terrifying antagonist would require more than just the usual skills and smartness. There is also that scene between credits which nicely add to the ending, and we can always be sure that there will be more sequels.

Positives and negatives :: We keep feeling that there was always something bigger coming out of nowhere, with twists and invincible entities. The initial feeling of unlimited fear for the other world do not exist with the same strength due to the idea being repeated multiple times. The repetition of horror can also be seen around, and we wonder if the same was necessary when the divergence was always there to be taken with new ideas added. A number of secondary characters do feel relegated, and a little more about Further would have done the movie more good too. Amelia Eve’s ability to handle the divergent horror also adds well to the movie while maintaining strength as a motherly figure as much as a daughter, both coming together very well here for her character. Brandon Perea as Nick Mendoza and Maisie Richardson-Sellers as Clare provides some fine support here and the same feels like an assurance. Lin Shaye is once again there as the core, this time coming out of nowhere to provide the same in style.

How it finishes :: Insidious: Out of the Further carries the Insidious franchise further, and considering the fact that the series of movies have come a long way with struggles in between, this is a fine addition that holds strong. These are the kind of demons and worlds which always have more to offer with better thought about sequels. The atmospheric haunted-house entry injects that kind of energy into the franchise’s expanding mythology which keeps reminding us that there will always be more to come. The movie also serves as a reminder that our dreams are not just ours, but much more. In a world which is running out of hope, one can safely say that horror is forever, and the movies of the genre needs elevation to create more and more terror out of its infinite world. Well, in the present world, there is no true genre other than world as evil keeps winning, and the righteous has no hope – let more horror come in the form of movies and reflect our world which has no real winners or survivors walking the righteous path. One would just wonder if our world is the real Further – the purgatorial other world.

Release date: 21 August 2026
Running time: 106 minutes
Directed by: Jacob Chase
Starring: Amelia Eve, Brandon Perea, Maisie Richardson-Sellers, Lin Shaye

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Pinocchio Unstrung

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Vampire Owl: I know this person. He wanted to be a vampire.

Vampire Bat: You mean wooden vampire dolls?

Vampire Owl: Vampires of the Woods, may be?

Vampire Bat: We are already in a castle in the woods, aren’t we?

Vampire Owl: That makes us just the Vampires of the Castle.

Vampire Bat: We have enough vampires to make the castle full.

Vampire Owl: We still do not have a strong enough army against other species.

Vampire Bat: There is a peace treaty running in the realm set towards eternity.

Vampire Owl: Well, a vampire’s eternity is longer than that of anyone else.

Vampire Bat: The realm belongs to all species, not just vampires.

[Gets a parippu vada and three cups of Yercaud tea].

What is the movie about? :: James (Cameron Bell) is a fourteen-year-old boy sent to live with his grandfather Geppetto (Richard Brake) after his parents die in a car accident, and his best friend also dies by terminal cancer. This makes the grandfather feel that he could come up with a perfect companion for James to keep forever. He introduces James to Pinocchio (Jude-Evan Lloyd), a wooden puppet whose nose keep growing as he lies, and tells him that he is his best friend and like a brother to him, but nobody should know about the puppet’s existence. He adds that once ready, he can show him as the friend who will never abandon him, but for now he should keep quiet. As Pinocchio learns about human anatomy as he sees how a male body works in a book, he wishes to become a real boy like his best friend. One day, deeper in the basement, Pinocchio finds a disfigured wooden creature who introduces herself as his Wood Mother (Emma Tate) and reminds Pinocchio that he is just a puppet and will need human organs to become a real boy like James. She reminds them that he might need to forcibly take them from humans who would not be willing to provide them to him.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Pinocchio feels that he could take them from some bad people and with the help of these human parts, he could change and become a real boy. The next day, James takes Pinocchio to school without telling his grandfather, and the puppet with his movements, tries to hide from view, but ends up causing a chain reaction which kills two people in a gymnasium. Despite his grandfather’s warnings, he also introduces him to Mia (Jessica Balmer) and Dudley (Jack Art Gray) who are shocked, but also impressed considering it as an AI Robot. They decide to learn more about it later, but James keeps asserting that it needs to be placed at home before his grandfather comes. They get the puppet to the exact place the grandfather would place it, and gets the feeling that there is something odd about the basement itself. But Pinocchio feels that he should take care of James as his best friend, and after freeing himself, decides to finish off anyone who hurt him, including the drunken driver who hit their car and the dentist who took out James’ tooth.

And what more is to come with some more horror yet to be unleashed? :: Pinocchio further decides to go after the bullies who always torment James, Trey (Toni Olabanji), Logan (Luca Marandola), Georgia (Mya Brown) and Amanda (Karolina Knight). They would have beaten up James miserably last day if it was not for Mia and he had witnessed the hate right there. Pinocchio finds all of them at the same area. First, he dislocates Georgia’s jaw when she swims in the pool and electrocutes her to death while she begged for mercy. He then proceeds to rip out a clueless Logan’s tongue and take out his eyes to provide him a painful death. He then finds Amanda in the shower and is surprised by her naked body and sexuality compared to the male human anatomy which he studied, and his confusion leaves her with the time to escape from the bathroom with an injury on her leg which slows her down, only to be caught by him who tears off her scalp with hair and wears it, shocking Trey who is impaled on his arms with the worst yet to come. Can anyone stop the puppet in time, or will he go on with the hunting mode?

The defence of Pinocchio Unstrung :: The movie has the scares working with the support of gory sequences, and is more effective as a dark fantasy with a character that brings the fear elements in a different way, justifying the twisted childhood coming back to us while traveling on another path. Richard Brake as Geppetto makes a character that we would remember for long as he possesses those multiple shades that aligns on multiple shades. Among the young ones, Jessica Balmer stands out while Cameron Bell does a fine job, and Jack Art Gray brings the humour around here. The voices are nicely added too. The final half an hour is what elevates the movie and makes the whole thing darker and twists our childhood world of Pinocchio for kids to the terror for adults. There is also some innovation and divergence related to the same. Even the murderer gets a coming-of-age tale as the original character would have had during this age. The puppet is a tragic, naive creation whose kills come from unguided understanding of love and protection as well as corrupt guidance, bringing some emotional weight too.

Positives and negatives :: The way in which our childhood characters turn them into a mode which we appreciate for the quality related to the same, and we remember that children have always been evil unless civilized, like we have already known from William Golding’s Lord of the Flies – the recent cases on news related to minor with acts of cruelty, not that far away from unexpected brutality seems to reassert the same. The killing sequences are gory, and even though some might think that it’s a little too gory, it is indeed effective. The killings are all done with innovation and gore, with Karolina Knight’s shower sequence scoring the best, and makes one wonder why she would not be a scream queen in a big horror movie, as she shows the potential. One still wonders if there could have been more of her in the movie, but among the four bully characters, she is the one who stands out, and needs a better number of movies of horror in slasher mode. One can still have a little trouble with the pacing as the horror takes some time to get going. Some people can also find the gory detail to be a little too much.

How it finishes :: The movie would continue the journey of our twisted childhood heroes becoming pure evil murderers, whether it is Popeye’s Revenge (Popeye the Sailor Man), Bambi: The Reckoning (Bambi), I Heart Willie (Mickey Mouse), Winnie-the-Pooh; Blood and Honey (Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet) or Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare (Peter Pan), and this one is a long way ahead of these movies in and out of Twisted Childhood Universe which reminds us that goodness has always been a lie in a world without hope. As horror remaining that genre which is truly part of our lives, and with all human beings being inherently evil, and this evil helping them to be successful in life, we are reminded that there is always some bigger horror out there. We remember that the people around us are more messed up than we know them, and are more evil that we think, while being good will never get us anywhere. There is no innocence in this world unless it is forced by civilization, and the lies that we see around will consume us one day, as the movie reminds us of the terrifying manipulation by these masked demonic humans all around us.

Release date: 24 July 2026
Running time: 82 minutes
Directed by: Rhys Frake-Waterfield
Starring: Richard Brake, Robert Englund, Cameron Bell, Jessica Balmer, Jude-Evan Lloyd, Karolina Knight

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Colony

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Vampire Owl: Do you remember the last times vampires established a colony?

Vampire Bat: In the shadow world? That was an outpost to keep an eye on shadow demons.

Vampire Owl: Nobody knew about the existence of creatures of shadows then.

Vampire Bat: The northern witches had foretold the existence of such creatures.

Vampire Owl: I feel that they were the nightcrawlers, the vampire half-breeds.

Vampire Bat: The vampire half-breeds have always lived among us.

Vampire Owl: They are not allowed within the boundaries according to the laws.

Vampire Bat: You can say that we have been a little too tolerant than others.

Vampire Owl: This is exactly what Dr. Frankenstein warned Uncle Dracula about.

Vampire Bat: Dracula does not need Mr. Frankenstein’s pseudo-vampire advice ever.

[Gets a wheat porotta and three cups of Wayanad tea].

What is the movie about? :: Seo Young-cheol (Koo Kyo-hwan) warns the police that he would launch a bio-terrorist attack at the Dongwoo-ri Building, then injects himself with the supposed vaccine to the virus which he intends to unleash on the unsuspecting people who are attending a science conference there. Meanwhile, a former professor in the same field, Kwon Se-jeong (Jun Ji-hyun) who had just recently lost her job is attending a conference dealing with the same in the targeted building with her former husband Han Gyu-seong (Go Soo) who is determined to help her. Gong Seol-hee (Shin Hyun-been), a biotechnologist and current wife of Han also hopes that he could help Kwon at a time of need. Meanwhile a security guard Choi Hyun-seok (Ji Chang-wook) is also at the building with his mobility-impaired older sister, Choi Hyun-hee (Kim Shin-rok), when something seems to happen in the building with the CEO who has planned and led the event being injected with something by Seo who infiltrated the building.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: It is seen that one after the other, all the nearby employees of the building and people attending the conference are infected, triggering a strange viral outbreak. Counter-terrorism team which gets the information about the bio-terrorist attack arrives in the building and tries to capture the man who is responsible for the same while expecting backup, but they end up finding only the infected with no clue of the bio-terrorist, with the building is placed under lockdown by the authorities to prevent further spread outside, thus trapping them inside. The infected quickly turns into zombie-like creatures with one bite and seems to have a collective mind having information shared from others who become the same type of infected creature without individual minds. Many civilians become trapped in the building which also hosts a shopping mall with restaurants, cinema halls and different branded stores. During their escape attempt, Gyu-sung dies saving a confused female student who becomes stuck all of a sudden.

And what more is to happen here as the bio-terrorism brings more of the infected to the scene creating further chaos? :: It is revealed that the infected possess a certain amount of advanced swarm intelligence, as they share sensory information between them like ants and would quickly evolve and get better as a group after each failed attack on humans. Using perfumes, anti-freeze and sprinklers to confuse the infected, the small group of survivors led by Kwon, decides to get to the top as instructed by the security, but ends up finding the bio-terrorist on the way, who has other plans for everyone. He is connected to each of the infected, and they all hear what he hears and sees what he sees, making it difficult for them to keep him with them in hope for a vaccine. They would need to blindfold him and none of them could talk when he is around. It is revealed that the man who caused all of these have even bigger plans, with the infection spreading all over the world, and his idea is that it only makes humans better with a shared connection and no selfish individual needs – this would be his idea of perfect humanity. Can he achieve the same or the people inside building, government, scientists or armed forces put an end to this?

The defence of Colony :: This one would forever be called a zombie movie by many people, but instead of having the mindless undead, the infected network that keeps developing has us more interested with the innovation. As the creatures communicate and coordinate tactics, as well as adapt to the human escape plans in real time we have them as smart and strong antagonists in one way or the other. With the outbreak within a sealed high building which has moments within elevator, narrow passages and parking lots has us connecting more, and with tension only increasing as time passes. Jun Ji-hyun leads the way with the performance as she stands strong as a character that we all would admire in her fight against all odds; in a supernatural movie in the dark, she would make a fine scream queen, and once again the final survivor among them all. Koo Kyo-hwan makes a fine menacing antagonist whom we all remember for how well he unleashes himself out of vengeance as much as the evil desire for the weirdest of changes – the cool determination that we see around him is very much memorable.

Positives and negatives :: The movie could have made the situation scarier for sure, as there was always scope for some unparalleled frightening scenes and situation. People transforming into part of a hive like ants have been nothing less than unlimited terror, and we see that during these moments, characters keep making some strange choices too. Despite the idea being so good, there is no further development with the same, and sometimes we feel that there is not enough thought regarding the same. Some more darkness, and people turning into something terrible and scary due to the scale rather than the looks could have also done wonders here. Ji Chang-wook as Choi Hyun-seok also has his moments, but the character could have been provided more to do in the end. Kim Shin-rok as Choi Hyun-hee also had more potential, as the skills were already there to be seen. Most of these characters do not seem to reach their best potential when we look at them. The work as the infected is quite nice, as we see how they go around and deviate from the usual zombie world.

How it finishes :: South Korean movies have been good with zombies, and we remember the same with Train to Busan and Peninsula within the chaos of horror. This one with a deviation in zombie-mode makes it interesting in the same scale, but the divergence keeps it different. We have all appreciated vampire movies with difference as the creatures kept changing in from, and this is the chance for zombies to have different forms – Warm Bodies did that long ago and World War Z had its own voice, but Resident Evil kept it moving in the exact same direction with sequel attacks. This variety and the detailed science fiction model surely works, but the characters and the emotional depth are on the struggle for sure. The predictable horror and a climax which never really elevates the movie can always try to bring it down, but one would feel that whenever there is a low, there is a journey that goes higher, and this one surely manages the whole thing well. Let us answer to the call of the zombies yet again here.

Release date: 28 August 2026
Running time: 122 minutes
Directed by: Yeon Sang-ho
Starring: Jun Ji-hyun, Koo Kyo-hwan, Ji Chang-wook, Kim Shin-rok, Shin Hyun-been, Lee Dong-hwi, Park Ji-hwan, Kim Sung-cheol, Lee Re

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Snake Girl

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Vampire Owl: Is this an extension of the Vampire Snake’s tales?

Vampire Bat: None of the vampires have traveled to China in the last few years.

Vampire Owl: You mean to say that vampiric existence has now been restricted.

Vampire Bat: Vampires shall travel to any realm whenever necessary, but just not now.

Vampire Owl: Is it because of the humans becoming more of virus?

Vampire Bat: Humans have been true virus species for quite a long time.

Vampire Owl: And they call some micro-organisms as virus and bacteria.

Vampire Bat: They have always been strange people of some absurd things of science.

Vampire Owl: They are just like Dr. Frankenstein, I would say.

Vampire Bat: There is nobody as absurd as Mr. Frankenstein.

[Gets a paneer curry puffs and three cups of Yercaud tea].

What is the movie about? :: In the remote border highlands long way outside the cities and towns, there is a dark forest, and the local mountain people abide by ancient taboos that forbid trespassing deep and harming certain serpents. But a man named She Ye (Zhong Lei) is determined to break all rules for his factory which manufactures vaccines from snakes. Jiang Yan (Michelle Hu), the corporate head who controls the vaccine business also looks forward to have things done her way, and feels that she could regenerate some of her youth and slow down her ageing using some of the snake serums. She focuses on capturing a strange snake called The Snake Girl (Jin Yangyang) that has the head and torso of a girl and the lower body of a snake. She feels that capturing and continuously milking the girl kept in strong bondage for her venom is the best choice for her to keep her youth as well as to sell even a drop of her product for millions of dollars. She orders She Ye to keep the Snake Girl alive, but hurt her as much as it is required to capture her.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As illegal biochemical experiments spread further into the area, create the elixir capable of halting cellular decay becomes top priority. During the initial fight, the hunters are ambushed in the foggy woods by the legendary creature, and the crew is wiped out, but the group looking to milk her for her venom vows to return and do their job with perfection next time. Chen Shu (Liu Lincheng), a skilled mountain tracker and herbalist who had lost his brother to an attack by the Snake Girl in the past decides to join the team on request, but lays the condition that none of the snakes would be killed. Unaware of the possibility of being cheated, Chen Shu agrees to guide a more advanced armed expedition to find answers to his questions from the past. The team of commanded is led by Qin Feifei (Grace Qiu) who stops at nothing. But they are attacked by the Snake Girl again, and despite the early retreat, Chen Shu’s plans work as they manage to capture her. While the Snake Girl is taken to the laboratory to be milked, Chen is also captured to be killed. Now what is to come next?

The defence of The Snake Girl :: There is not shortage of movies with snakes around, and we also have half-human and half-creatures around in different movies, and this one adds to that list. The Snake Girl becomes an interesting character right from the beginning itself, especially as we know very less about her and her habitat which is a mystery in itself. The woods remain lonely, dark and deep, with some secrets seemingly hidden there not just about one half-girl half-snake creature, but much more, as there is a long set of beliefs seemingly hidden around there. This might surely be what the monster fans look for with strange mutant experiments, lab break-ins and aggressive serpent creatures who also has a supporting tale from the myths and legends. At less than seventy-five minutes making it one of the shortest horror movies that we see these days, it wastes very little time and avoids the long and dragging subplots typical of this type of movies. The horror works well mostly, especially when the creature attacks in full power, and often out of nowhere. The jungle setting works really well and the Snake Girl becoming anti-heroic is also nice.

The claws of flaw :: When we have a half-girl and half-snake mode activated, we were always supposed to hope to see the most out of the premise and following situations. There are moments when the special effects do not look that good, and the Snake Girl could have always done more instead of just attacking – some of her moments also go unnoticed due to the pace and we never see the creature with all the grandeur, and one wonders if it is because there was not enough budget to make a spectacular creature out of her. The digital snake effects and the monster attacks vary widely in quality and can look cartoonish at times. She could have been a creature burning bright like William Blake’s tiger, or even something like a mermaid out of this world using forest as her waters. The same can also be said about making the girl and her snakes scarier. Being scary does not seem to be something this movie could do with effectiveness. The usual greedy corporate executive, unethical biological laboratories experimenting on animals, disposable mercenary hunters and nature that fights back are all just repetitive in this kind of movies.

The performers of the soul :: Liu Lincheng plays the protagonist well, and he is seemingly the one person in the movie who keeps having right and righteous intentions all the time. He would also feel like playing the one sensible person of relevance that stays so throughout the movie. Jin Yangyang who plays the titular character would also have our attention all the time with the looks and expressions of a creature not of the human world, but bringing something from beyond the common man’s understanding. There are those moments when she looks at the eyes of the main antagonists, and there is something about her and the portrayal of that character which has no dialogues and not even an attempt to speak. Michelle Hu’s antagonist looking for eternal youth reminds us some of the classic villains, and we can see that she remains the pure corporate evil who is not just greedy, but also as selfish as one can get, with no remorse for her actions, even at the end when she is ready to meet her doom. Zhong Lei’s antagonist is also a memorable one, even with the character not that developed as one would like when there is a clear past.

How it finishes :: This is one of those movies which came out of nowhere in Amazon Prime Video when there was the search for those horror movies – we remember that Anaconda: Cursed Jungle also appeared just like that on the OTT platform when we were looking for something to watch. This works the best when taken on its own terms as a fast-paced piece of usual creature entertainment. The short runtime and straightforward revenge plot keep the narrative simple and effective with not much to think too much about. Jin Yangyang’s voiceless half-girl plus half-snake, whose clear motive of revenge delivered with efficiency makes this even more satisfying. With some better budget, the movie could have done wonders for sure, as in this state, it struggles to make the best out of its premise. There is very less focus on the narrative, as the tale and situations feel ordinary and repetitive at times. But as it is on Amazon Prime Video, most people of this part of the world would have watched this one already.

Release date: 24 June 2025
Running time: 74 minutes
Directed by: Weiwei Chi
Starring: Liu Lincheng, Jin Yangyang, Grace Qiu, Zhong Lei, Michelle Hu

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Control Freak

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Vampire Owl: The vampire elders have always been control freaks.

Vampire Bat: The vampire elders shall not be questioned under any circumstance.

Vampire Owl: We are not questioning them, but appreciating their control.

Vampire Bat: They need not be appreciated, but respected and honoured.

Vampire Owl: I would say that they are not bigger than Uncle Dracula.

Vampire Bat: Forefathers are always more significant than the father of modern vampirism.

Vampire Owl: I do not think that they are that old and that much older compared to Dracula.

Vampire Bat: You have seen them, and they definitely look old.

Vampire Owl: They just live a nonsensical life. I still say not old.

Vampire Bat: They have seen the fall of Byzantium, Troy, Babylon and more. Uncle Dracula in comparison, is too young.

[Gets a gobi masala dosa and three cups of Ooty tea].

What is the movie about? :: Valerie Nguye (Kelly Marie Tran) who was born to Vietnamese immigrant parents in the United States of America has turned into a successful motivational speaker with a huge number of fans. But she secretly has a struggle as she always has the urge to scratch the back of her head. This urge has been going on since she lost her mother by drowning after their boat went down the river. As Valerie prepares for an international tour, she finds out that she needs her birth certificate to travel to China, bringing the need for her to get back with her estranged family. Her aunt Thuy (Kieu Chinh) directs her to her father, Sang (Toan Lee), who was a former soldier who fought in the Vietnam War. She sees that he had now turned into a monk, and it is only he who has the necessary documents for her. The relationship between the two has been strained due to their shared traumas, including her mother’s death and Sang’s long history of addiction which followed his time spent in the war.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Sang tells her about a Vietnamese folk tale about a parasitic ghost that feeds on human hosts, leading to the fall and end of the infected human. She does not believe the story at all, but finds something strange from their family photos which points to supernatural elements. Her husband Robbie (Miles Robbins) becomes more and more worried about her as she ends up injuring her head by scratching. She confronts Sang, and he reveals that he had summoned the parasite during the Vietnam War. He further adds that it was also passed to his wife, and she had tried to kill Valerie to stop it from spreading further in her bloodlines, leading to her death by drowning due to Sang’s intervention. As she still hesitates to believe him thinking that he might still be under the influence of the drugs, there is a breakdown for him during a grand motivational speaking programme. The doctors find out that she has scratched a hole right into her skull, and now she would have to go to the most extreme levels to find a solution. Can she do that?

The defence of Control Freak :: The movie’s use of Vietnamese folklore and the ghosts that feed on the hosts works not only with the horror, but also with the themes of immigrant assimilation, generational trauma and the pressure for living up to the expectations, and when the same happens to a motivational speaker, things seem to go nicely towards not just physical, but also psychological terror, which is nicely shown around here. The horror feels very much real, and will be reflected in life for a possible connection when there is a scratch on the head, and the creature outside also brings some more scares. The idea often hits us in more than one way, as we look at it. The best moments of the movie might be when it gets close to the end, even though we would have hoped for everything to happen a little differently. The idea of motivational speakers going to pretentions for fake inspiration will make us remember that we ourselves should have the strength and not listen to others. We have to remember that the very few successful examples are not to be taken as there are more unsuccessful people and there is more chance that we will be unsuccessful if we take that risk with life – the movie reminds us not to take motivation into hearts for we might also be fall into the traps of parasites.

The claws of flaw :: The movie surely has its own pacing problems, as it seems to slow down on too many occasions, and at times fails to pick up pace when there was clear chance of elevation. There is also a certain amount of repetition related to the same with panic coming with repeated itches, but then denying if anything is wrong even after hearing from others and hiding the world, then panicking after sometime, and going through the same thing again. The movie seems to be stretched out due to the same and even a one and three quarter hours feels so much as the protagonist keeps going through the same thing multiple times almost in the same order. From the moment when the parasite becomes an assurance of eating the host, the rest of the elements disappear, and it seems like they come one after the other and not together. The supporting characters could have been given more to do. The final moments seem to be forced and the audience feel like they walked into an ending because there needed to be one, and this kind of an ending seems to be just brought about as a mandatory one.

The performers of the soul :: Kelly Marie Tran has a lot on his shoulders, and she manage to hold them strongly. Considering her real-life parentage to be also from Vietnam, the choice seems to be a near-perfect one for the makers of the movie. As she carries the movie with some intense, vulnerable and physically demanding performance, the movie gets its due. There are moments when things seem to deviate and go slower, but she elevates the whole thing well enough, as she seems to become part of the folk-mystery. Miles Robbins plays Val’s supportive partner, and it is for this character that we feel the most – we feel his character to be loving and with genuine concerns and feelings for her character, and it is one person who remains righteous throughout the movie. He does not become the usual horror film boyfriend at all, and stay with her till the end, and also alive. The Vietnamese family members also have some role to play, but despite the Vietnamese side having so much importance, they are not given enough screen time.

How it finishes :: The movie often feels like something which had a grand potential, especially with body horror involved – this one just focuses on the head and a bug-like parasite when the scope was much more. More of body horror with the parasite spreading through the body would have been nice to have. When we look closer, this is more or less an impressive vehicle for Kelly Marie Tran whose leading performance breathes more energy and keeps the level of the movie higher. The Vietnamese folklore keeps us more and more interested. The only two Vietnamese movies which I have watched are both action thrillers, Furie and Furies, and more reviews which deals with similar topics will have our interest after this one. Indonesian movies like Impetigore or Korean Salmokji and India’s own Stree, Munjya, Thamma and friends had the folklore horror moving well, and we would surely need more of them. For now, this one movie with Vietnamese roots has us interested, and it is indeed available on Jio Hotstar. But as long as body horror is concerned, we would have needed more. Enjoy this one among the new releases of the OTT of Reliance.

Release date: 13 March 2025
Running time: 104 minutes
Directed by: Shal Ngo
Starring: Kelly Marie Tran, Miles Robbins, Kieu Chinh, Scott Takeda, Toan Lee

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Marshmallow

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Vampire Owl: We have been the people of the marshes.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that there is no talk about vampires of the marshes in this movie.

Vampire Owl: Aren’t we vampires part of everything we meet?

Vampire Bat: You mean to say that vampires are like Ulysses.

Vampire Owl: Yes, we strive, seek and find while never yielding.

Vampire Bat: There is nothing left for the vampires to find in this world.

Vampire Owl: There have not been enough centuries to learn the world.

Vampire Bat: Well, it is enough to understand our realm well.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein talks about different realms at the same time.

Vampire Bat: There is nothing more ridiculous than Mr. Frankenstein’s researches.

[Gets a chilli porotta and three cups of Ooty tea].

What is the movie about? :: Morgan (Kue Lawrence) is a young and lonely child who has regular nightmares which never seems to stop, and he also remains a kid who has almost no friends at all in the neighborhood or the education institution where he studies. Despite his grandfather Rot (Corbin Bernsen) passing away, his parents decide to send him to a summer camp in which they had already booked a place for him. There he meets the highly supportive and friendly young woman Rachel (Giorgia Whigham) who leads the camp and also welcomes Morgan with a happy face and promise of full support during the programme. Two other employees of the camp Kazswar (Pierson Fodé) and Laurie (Samantha Neyland Trumbo) are comparatively mean to the kids, and it is revealed that they are secretly having a sexual affair at nights in one of the selected cabins in the woods. Collins (Paul Soter) oversees things while Franklin (Maxwell Whittington-Cooper) maintains a friendly approach to kids and provides them with the much-needed emotional support.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Morgan ends up sharing the room with the son of his father’s friend CJ (Sutton Johnson), who remains mean to him, and even pushes him into the river almost having him drowned. Another boy Raj (Winston Vengapally) who questions him is also brutally beaten up by him until Rachel and Collins manage to pull him back. Morgan is consoled by his newfound friends Pilar (Kai Cech), Dirk (Max Malas), Caroline (Jordyn Raya James) and Sam (Dylan Friedman) who are also tired of CJ’s attitude. Morgan finds a masked man in a strange clothing at night and remembers that the people-in-charge at the camp had told them a spooky story about a doctor who kidnaps children who stay in their bunks at night and performs terrifying experiments on them in the basement of his building, and the camp itself was built over his house and clinic. He tries to escape, but realizes that the man has full control over the area, and some of the youth who controls the camp also seems to be helping the man. Can the children escape from the situation or atleast survive until dawn?

The defence of Marshmallow :: Instead of going through the standard campfire slasher tropes, the movie uses nostalgia and familiar setups to create a world which surprisingly diverts and brings a twist which is rather unexpected – the deviation from the original slasher idea to which the setup was already built, brings a science fiction side to the whole thing and has us thinking and hoping for a sequel which would establish a classic background. There is a fine use of classic woods, cabins and lakeside settings, a classic serial killer costume and creepy campfire folklore to build an unsettling old-style aesthetic which could keep us interesting right from the early moments in the camp; one can remember that the signs were already there. The surprises surely work and building twists on the unpredictable with red herrings acting well, has us interested. With the length only at one and half hours, the movie assures a smooth passage. With the evil spreading around here by the end of the movie, we can expect that sequel to come soon enough.

The claws of flaw :: The teenage camp cliches and teenage drama make it difficult to get going for the movie, as the initial moments can make one feel that the movie is not of that strength, and is not that interesting. The central mystery surely takes a little too much time to start and keep moving. The kids’ elements do not work that well in the beginning stages either, and it is not that easy to connect with the kids early enough. The big science fiction revelation happens a little too late too, and that feeling gets cut very soon. Despite often mentioned as a slasher, this has not much of blood and gore, and the science fiction taking over as genre only comes rather too late. You see the type of movie changing as you keep watching, and it is quite strange a feeling indeed, as you are left with no slasher to take home as science fiction seems to completely take over here. The idea that children are inherently evil is not that well-explored here, as a Lord of the Flies feeling was there to be taken, but never really takes off.

The performers of the soul :: The kids surely come up with some interesting performances, and Kue Lawrence who leads them clearly stands strong, and brings the introverted, grief-stricken 12-year-old outsider who cannot get out of trauma as he gets bullied, and the vulnerability remains believable throughout the movie. Max Malas provides some fine support to the main character and even brings some humour to the same. The friendship between the two remains interesting right from the moment they meet. The other children also add nicely despite the two boys standing out with the performances. Among the adult actors, Giorgia Whigham as Rachel does the best, and seemingly blends as if she is looking for more horror movies to add to her pocket – it is a joy to watch her around. Samantha Neyland Trumbo would suit as a scream queen in another flick, as she seems to have that special horror charm. Paul Soter as Collins remains a strong presence in the movie while Maxwell Whittington-Cooper and Pierson Fodé comes in from two sides showing different attitudes towards situations really well.

How it finishes :: The movie succeeds as a divergent slasher as it refuses to be just another usual summer camp slasher. It goes through different genres nicely and effectively, and the twist in the end makes the movie’s world even more interesting, with the scope for sequel left wide open with more science fiction being possible – the sharp turn taken by narrative comes when least expected. But it is to be said that one would still wonder if the best is explored here. The ending has some of the momentum disrupted as the revelation just happens as if it was rushed through the act. There is some world-building which comes in the end, and that is just quickly done though, and people are left waiting for the sequel to learn things more clearly. The slasher horror fans would also wonder where all the blood and gore have gone missing. Despite the initial doubts, the movie is still one interesting horror that chooses to go for the twists above everything else. This is one movie about which most us knew thing, and this is a case when the lesser known strikes.

Release date: 11 April 2025
Running time: 93 minutes
Directed by: Daniel DelPurgatorio
Starring: Kue Christian Lawrence, Max Malas, Kai Marie Cech, Giorgia Alice Whigham, Pierson Dane Fodé, Corbin Dean Bernsen, Alysia Whitney Reiner, Paul Gregory Soter, Cullen Douglas, Michael Park

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Dark

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Vampire Owl: We are the true people of the dark and stays further in darkness.

Vampire Bat: Darkness has been our ally for many centuries.

Vampire Owl: There is no light that has taken away our darkness.

Vampire Bat: We have traditionally been against the spreading of light.

Vampire Owl: Light has created more scope for evil as humans can see in it.

Vampire Bat: Yet, humans are blind to goodness and honesty.

Vampire Owl: These had ceased to be considered qualities of humans long ago.

Vampire Bat: Well, evil has always been easy to find among humans.

Vampire Owl: There is a famous quote attributed to Dr. Frankenstein related to the same.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein has no quotes relevant to us. We should only refer to Uncle Dracula for interesting and useful quotes.

[Gets a chicken curry puffs and three cups of Yercaud tea].

What is the movie about? :: Vignesh (Ajay Karthi) is a rationalist who tries to live life in his way, just arrived in Chennai from Bangalore for a few months for his work. Despite his family’s attempt to interfere, he decides not to stay with his uncle living in the city, and looks for a place to live near his office, even though he can also take the work from home option if necessary. While facing many problems due to his bachelor status, high rent and temporary nature of stay, he comes across a two-storied house offered at an unusually low rent by an elderly landlord who lives in the ground floor, Karunakaran (K. Bhagyaraj). Despite the owner’s warnings that the house has a terrible reputation due to three youngsters committing suicide there, Vignesh decides to take the option, believing in his faith in rationalism over everything else. There he also meets Karunakaran’s young daughter Priyadharshini (Anchana Nethrun) who does not show an interest in talking to him, and the father also shows no interest in introducing her as he is only bothered about having someone stay in the house for some time.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: While Karunkaran finds this three-month stay of Vignesh as an option to have people believe that there is no problem with the house, as different people had run away from the rented upper floor complaining about ghosts or some terrifying presence which haunted them. The whole neighborhood had considered the area to be a haunted one, but Karunakaran assures him that he had seen no ghosts there despite being always around, and still tells him that he can leave – the rationalist in Vignesh still decides to stay and even opt for more of work from home option. But soon Vignesh experiences sleep paralysis, terrible hallucinations and bizarre apparitions, and comes to know that one tenant there had killed the other two and set himself on fire, as he see burned people and moving shadows all around. The television gets switched on by itself and keeps playing the same song and the same books keep falling down the shelf and more follows. Now, he wonders if he remains sane, but further feels that he might in grave danger – can he escape from this terror?

The defence of Dark :: The movie focuses the most on psychological tension, and the same also helps in adding further to the overall red herrings, which finally ends in that effective twist. There is also no meaningless romance or humour added here that would have devastated the mood as we consider the fact that the movie is based on mood rather than anything else. The background score and some quick appearances of scary visuals keep us going, and keep the genre going with its classic values. The movie never really extends its stay either as less than two hours make its existence right within the time-period in which we have the attention. The premise was too good, and the first scene had really caught our attention, followed by a second level of terror, making us wonder how well the world can be determined from there. We can feel the possible eternity of horror with the early shock and scares being provided. There is that feeling when something terrifying is to jump out of darkness and create that memorable experience.

The claws of flaw :: The movie could have been more direct and the confusion that it creates in between blurring reality and thoughts, and connecting them with horror, does not work that well at all times. It often gets down to the familiar haunted-house formulas with the random strange noises, forced nightmare sequences and a tragic past which does not use the best advantage. The pace keeps varying, with some moments feeling rather strange, and often not suitable to go through the flow otherwise. The police investigation is also not given that much of a focus despite that being the source of information about the past. One still keeps wondering why a perfect closure was not given for the tale, and the ghost just seems to have been unleashed and left so to act too strange, even though there were many direct methods for the creature to unleash itself and do its work. A few better moments from the distant past could have also served well. This kind of movies should have always had the power of a detailed past, but the same is not served here – the twist also comes in a little too smooth manner.

The performers of the soul :: Ajay Karthi has us going through the horrifying journey with him, as he carries the full weight of the film. He shows a certain amount of physical and mental deterioration from the confident rationalist to a man caught in a supernatural web from where escape seems almost impossible – the change from a confident professional young man into an insomniac pushed to the edge of hopelessness and sanity is shown naturally. The pain of going from one extreme to the other is nicely reflected through his performance. Anchana Nethrun brings the surprise here, as she becomes the centre of a tragedy as much as going through the core of horror. Her performance shows some vulnerability and a certain amount of melancholy as the tragic history of the house slowly comes to light. The emotions work strongly whenever she is around, as the abiding sadness keeps creeping in. At the same time, Bhagyaraj brings the strength of a veteran older generation to the horror narrative, while serving on the realistic side. Natarajan Subramaniam brings the feeling of enquiry to the same.

How it finishes :: This happened to a surprise good horror that came out of nowhere, as we did not even know about the release of such a movie – yet, it falls short of where it should have reached in the end. The movie feels ambitious and could have been something like Demonte Colony with sequels as an expansion could serve really well, or at least move on the Pechi mode. The strong and emotional performances along with the quick shocks in the darkness almost got it there, but in the end, had it limited in scope. The pace problems with some predictability, and the limits of setting, without that much focus on the psychological side by the end, has us asking for more. The scary side surely had some fine initial push, especially with those moments in the beginning. With better focus on the world and by spreading the evil, this can still gain more through some well-made sequels. The attempt at divergence and experimentation that comes though are to be appreciated here, and other movie industries also need more attempts at horror.

Release date: 3 July 2026
Running time: 110 minutes
Directed by: Kalyan K Jegan
Starring: Ajay Karthi, Anchana Nethrun, Natarajan Subramanian, K Bhagyaraj

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Salmokji

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Vampire Owl: I once knew a smart vampire with this name.

Vampire Bat: This is not a name for any kind of vampire.

Vampire Owl: But vampires can take on any suitable name as desired.

Vampire Bat: You should know that some names are more suitable than others.

Vampire Owl: Our realm takes all names with respect.

Vampire Bat: You can’t name a vampire as a mosquito just because both drinks blood.

Vampire Owl: I do not see a connection between the two cases.

Vampire Bat: Well, vampires make the best connections.

Vampire Owl: I know that Dr. Frankenstein makes even better connections.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein lacks connection in his head. Even Uncle Dracula knows the same.

[Gets a wonder cake and three cups of black tea].

What is the movie about? :: In a digital street-view mapping company, the people-in-charge finds out that some area in the footage they are using to be blurred, right at the edge of the foggy and deserted area near Salmokji Reservoir. Facing a deadline which needs quick resolution, Producer Han Su-in (Kim Hye-yoon) volunteers to lead a field crew to the reservoir to re-shoot the coordinates and remove the glitch from their map, as her senior was not able to do so. Su-in reaches the place with a small production unit, including her junior colleague Woo Gyo-sil (Jang Da-ah) and camera crew members Director Choi (Kim Jun-han) and Assistant Director Min (Kim Young-sung). As they try to mount the 360-degree cameras to their vehicle, the weather does not seem to be that good for their work. There are also some strange optical distortions, and the vehicle’s navigation system is also not working that well. There are some strange frequencies which bring some murmurs, captured in their devices too, while some of their equipment goes missing.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Su-in’s support and former boyfriend, Yoon Gi-tae (Lee Jong-won) drives out into the countryside to deliver new equipment and help the confused team, after she made a call to the Head Office. As Gi-tae reaches Salmokji, he finds out that it is too late for a shoot as total darkness has enveloped the area, and with the crew’s communications not working, it would not be easy to find them – they would still need to complete the shoot by early morning so that the same can be uploaded before office hours begin. Meanwhile, the strange reservoir begins to work on the team’s vulnerabilities, bringing some confusing and at times terrifying acoustic hallucinations of drowning victims, and the voices of their loved and deceased ones also come into the picture. They try to leave the area, but the map only keeps leading them to the same place, and they wonder if the strange woman whom they saw on the way with stones had something to do with all of these. Can they escape what seems to be a force of nature or will they be killed?

The defence of Salmokji: Whispering Water :: The darkness used in the strange abandoned area nicely works, and the use of the water and its related evil presence keeps the movie going strong with that touch of fear – the same is amplified with the sound effects which works so well; the moments of throwing the stone to the other side and it coming back in another form quickly caught our attention. Then, the first appearance of the thing out of water and the police scenes remain memorable. The climax is unexpected and nicely brings the horror back, and even nicely sets the world for a possible sequel. As this is supposed to be based on real urban legends based on a reservoir and water, things only get more interesting, as we consider the history behind the same. Unlike those found-footage movies which managed to get more attention than they deserved, the devices including the cameras and videos are used in the best manner without getting overdone or standing in the way of the overall mood. Some shots seem to be done to maximize the effect even with minimum special effects.

The claws of flaw :: Despite the scares being present, we do feel that some of them are just forced, and serves more or less as the quick jump scares which come out of nowhere just for the sake of being there. The characters are not that detailed, and most of them do not feel that smart when we look at them from a distance. A lot of background surely goes missing around here. The supernatural entity along with the mythology in which it stands, as well as whatever folklore or urban legend it is based on, remains mostly unexplored, which leaves the movie with an incomplete feeling. One would feel that some kind of exploration related to the same will be around in the last moments, but the same is not there to be found. We have kept looking for the same throughout the movie, and by the end, we get so close, but we see things going the unexplained way again. Sometimes, the camera also goes strong, and not that interesting to follow. A few more moments that goes back to the folklore with a flashback would have served well too.

The performers of the soul :: Kim Hye-yoon remains strong at the core of the movie, with an emotional side that works well with her. She does not go with the typical horror scream-queen tropes, and instead goes for calmness and exhaustion that follows. Her depiction of a certain emotional overload facing hallucinations works really well. She would make a fine part of a usual horror movie as well. Lee Jong-won’s support is to be noted, as he remains the sanest character who makes more smart decisions than any other. Jang Da-ah seemingly brings the less experienced younger member to life, and there is also a certain amount humour that goes on with a certain cuteness factor; she is also someone we hope to see surviving. Kim Jun-han as Woo Gyo-sil brings some more horror with a different character that comes into the picture with some mystery behind his actions. There is always something about this character who goes multi-faced. Kim Young-sung as Song Gyeong-tae had something to add as a strong character too.

How it finishes :: The movie goes through a smooth Korean folk horror journey even though it does not bring anything that grand or divergent in character. There are moments that make it stand apart from other horror movies, and it surely has enough scares to make an impact despite the idea being not that refined to make the best impact. The performances being good surely supports the cause here too. The reservoir here is not just a spooky set piece, as it is successfully transformed into an ancient presence that brings unlimited horror, even though not that much explained or unleashed as one would have wanted it to be. This would have been Korean horror’s most effective slow burn folk-horror with a little bit more attention, but we do not see that much of an effort here. But we know that we get enough dose of scares around here, and there is a certain amount of satisfaction related its divergence. The movie is available on Amazon Prime Video among those other horror movies of the year, some of which are not even worth being categorized into that genre, and is surely worth some attention.

Release date: 17 April 2026
Running time: 95 minutes
Directed by: Lee Sang-min
Starring: Kim Hye-yoon, Lee Jong-won, Kim Jun-han, Kim Young-sung, Oh Dong-min, Yoon Jae-chan, and Jang Da-ah

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Jester 2

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Vampire Owl: It is time we appoint a Vampire Jester in the court.

Vampire Bat: The times of vampire entertainers are over in our world.

Vampire Owl: You think that Uncle Dracula would not need one to keep him not so serious?

Vampire Bat: I think that you are talking about the Vampire Clown.

Vampire Owl: I object to that usage because they call Dr. Frankenstein by that name.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein has always been a clown of science.

Vampire Owl: You know the greatness of the scientist Frankenstein soon enough.

Vampire Bat: Please keep the castle out of strange pseudo-science and related experiments.

Vampire Owl: I would have liked the castle to have all the credit for great experiments.

Vampire Bat: There is no greatness in fake experiments which bring nothing useful.

[Gets a parippu vada and three cups of Wayanad tea].

What is the movie about? :: A Halloween night begins, and a terrifying mute figure wearing a scary clownish mask and an orange suit is shown to kill a man at night in the streets after showing him a magic trick, and this happened after he had caused the death of a young man at a costume party after a little performance. This man of illusions and magic tricks, the Jester (Michael Sheffield) keeps walking through the streets, seemingly look for more victims. At the same time, a lone teenager Max (Kaitlyn Trentham) decides to get out of her home to walk through the streets wearing an oversized top hat and a hand-stitched magician’s tailcoat, staying close to the mood of the season and following a trick and treat model. Max has always been a social outcast, bullied all the time by the friends who study with her, and she is also not really liked by her mother and sister, both of them considering her to be too weird and not mentally grown up enough for her age. Her only place of refuge is an antique magic shop managed by Willie (Dingani Beza) who has served as her mentor, also teaching her some tricks of illusion in the process.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As she sits at a diner all alone at night, on the opposite seat, the Jester arrives to sit in a friendly manner. As he takes out a deck of vintage playing cards, and tries to go through his usual activity, Max recognizes the idea of the illusion, and as taught by Willie, she brings a counter-trick, and beats him in his own game. The Jester finds theatrical routine falling apart and deeply enraged by a teenager beating him, slams his hand on the table and leaves as she wonders about what just happened. She finds out that the Jester is a supernatural entity who has turned the entire neighborhood into a location where he is going to perform through a night of blood and gore. He stalks local residents, and darkness has become his ally, with Halloween masks an added advantage. Max witnesses one of his acts of brutality as she goes with him as he had invited him to go to a home for trick and treating. She understands that this is something supernatural.

And what more is to follow here as horror makes more claims in the Halloween night? :: She tries to escape from him, but ends up in a strange place under the control of the Jester where he explains that he needs her to join him and perform tricks instead of him as she had beaten him in his own game of illusions. Only then, he can claim souls this time, and she has to lead the way. She instantly disagrees to the same, but then learns about the consequences which would lead both her souls to eternal torment as a result of a pact which he had made with an evil entity whose existence goes a long way back. She partially agrees to help him by leading him to the people who bullied him earlier and provide him with their souls. But when she reaches one of such victims, finds herself unable to have the Jester murder him. But with time running out and the Jester determined to claim souls and with her own life at stake, she has to find an alternative, as her family is also targeted by the evil entity of Halloween. Can she escape from this situation which seems to be inescapable from all known angles?

The defence of The Jester 2 :: The movie stands tall with Michael Sheffield’s work as the Jester at its strongest. His silent theatrics in the orange suit and scary mask give him a genuinely striking visual presence reminding one of tricksters and evil clowns. Kaitlyn Trentham also nicely blends in here as the girl who seeks for a better situation in life, and at least to be considered a person of importance. She will make a big impression as a scream queen with more horror movies. The Halloween mood also brings the aesthetic with street carnivals, people in the classic costumes, neon-lit small town and spookiness never leaves, as the visual score remains high. Instead of remaining just a mindless slasher, the attempt to weave in an emotional core about loneliness can be seen, and the Jester is also more than what meets the eye. The magic and illusions getting into murders also have our attention, as the usual random murders are no longer at the main focus. The twisted world keeps us feeling that there is something about it than what meets the eye.

The claws of flaw :: The movie seems to have a certain amount of confusion about what kind of an entity Jester really is, as we find him as many different things at once, and in the end, he is taken apart rather too easily despite being such a creature of evil and darkness set in a world of chaos and illusions – he could have been a force of nature from the abyss of evil like no other. The Jester could have been that kind of a creature bigger than all evil clowns as we have seen in It or Terrifier. The lack of pace also brings some worry in between. The presence of uneven CGI along with those visual tricks keeping itself cheap might be because of a lower budget – much more could have surely been achieved. The dramatic side with the mother-daughter could have been stronger with more moments, and sisterhood elements also deserved something better than what we had around here as just a quick scene and references. The mentoring with the magic and some stylish illusions would have also made a classic background.

How it finishes :: There was always a lot of scope with this kind of a premise, and we had hoped for more. Yet, this remains interesting throughout its run, even when things slow down a bit. The Jester 2 rests mostly on the strength of its visuals with the atmosphere and some nice tricks, along with the performances from those who plat the protagonist and the antagonist. We can hope that the ritualistic purpose of the creature gets expanded on another day with one more sequel, or a prequel from a long way back, as this is one concept that can keep the horror strong. Facing a seemingly unstoppable force from the depths of unknown will always have our attention. A future sequel with a bigger budget can bring something to remember for a long time. For now, it is available in both Amazon Prime Video and Jio Hotstar, making sure that we have nicer slasher from two of the best OTT platforms available in India. After all, these are the kind of platforms which we use more due to special offers which come from mobile phone recharges and other sources.

Release date: 17 October 2025
Running time: 90 minutes
Directed by: Colin Krawchuk
Starring: Michael Sheffield, Kaitlyn Trentham, Dingani Beza, Jessica Ambuehl

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Runner

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Vampire Owl: We have always been referred to as night runners by humans.

Vampire Bat: That is a title reserved for the creatures of spirit world.

Vampire Owl: I have heard humans calling us by that name.

Vampire Bat: It is because you haunted houses like evil ghosts.

Vampire Owl: That was like a few hundred years ago.

Vampire Bat: You should have known that they write it down in detail.

Vampire Owl: Well, humans no longer read or write anything by themselves these days.

Vampire Bat: They will still get the details from their own Artificial Intelligence.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein has said that Artificial Intelligence was transferred from shadow world to humans.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein knows no shadow. I have heard that he is even writing a book named “Frank’s Shadow’s of Infinity”.

[Gets a sambar vada and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: Maia (Gal Gadot) is a prosecutor who deals with some of the most sensational cases, thus becoming almost a celebrity in the same. She also serves as single mother to her diabetic son Noah (Rory Wilmot) as they live in London going through a happy life. On the day she is supposed to appear in court for the trial of a notorious crime boss, the health and figure conscious Maia goes for a run after dropping off her son in the school campus, not walking him to the building. As she keeps running, she receives a call coming from Noah’s phone from an anonymous person who declares himself as an employee of the dreaded crime lord. He tells her that Noah is with him, and orders her to go according to his instructions so that the boy does not succumb to his diabetes-related problems. He also lets her know that he has hacked her phone, revealing details of her hidden folders and her semi-naked private pictures which she found there to make her believe – he tracks her each step as she is supposed to keep the mobile phone with her, which leaves her unable to call or talk to others for help.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The Caller (Damian Lewis) shows her a trashcan from where she is able to find a gun which she is to use to murder the key witness in the case of the crime lord. As the witness is under police guard, only she can have access to the man in him room which is at an undisclosed hotel set in an area which only a few people know about. Facing the death of his son in one hour and with the Caller having not only her semi-nude private photos, but also other private details from a complicated troublesome past which could destroy her reputation, she has to act and run fast as she can, as there could be restrictions on her path ahead during the busy hours. As she tries to contact Ted (Alfred Enoch) who works with her and has shown a certain romantic interest in her after snatching someone else’s phone, he reveals that he had hacked his phone too, and she understands that she is helpless and completely in control of the unknown man who holds her hostage while her son has gone into coma and faces death with only a few minutes remaining.

And what more can happen here with a child’s life and a woman’s reputation at stake? :: The Caller intends to take the easiest path to murder the man in safe security and at the same time also destroy the life and reputation of the woman who played a major role in having the crime lord in peril. It is revealed that he had hacked the two mobile phones a long time ago, and has this one perfectly planned leading to a perfect murder, knowing Maia’s history of being orphaned and divorced, as well as her mental problems and medicines which she has been taking for mental health. With her mother murdering her father, he considers her to be someone who has a history of violence and brutality in blood along with that mental illness, making her the perfect choice to commit this murder. As she is disturbed by him talking about her disturbed past, mental problems and semi-naked private photos, she is struck by a car on the road, and awakens some minutes later in an ambulance, understanding that she is a lot behind with time. Now, she has to run faster than ever by taking the best shortcuts in the city to even stand a chance to make it – she is not supposed to use any transportation, talk to anyone or draw attention to herself. Can she race against all odds with the injury and reach the location to murder the man?

The defence of The Runner :: The movie lasts for less than one and half hours which makes this one a perfect quick journey through a classic run through London. The charm of the visuals of one of the classic combinations of the ancient and modern has us interested as much as the thrills of the terror with a terrifying killer knowing everything about you while keeping your most loved one hostage – the running is nicely managed throughout the movie which is all about the same and happening within the Aristotelian classical unities. As this follows one main storyline and action, with no subplot, with everything taking place within a single 24-hour day and confined to a single physical location of London city, this is a classic journey which is past-paced while moving through a single small world. The feelings of the protagonist is nicely felt, and Gal Gadot is a perfect choice for this role, as she delivers another thriller outside the big action thrillers like Red Notice and Fast and Furious series or the Wonder Woman and the rest of the Justice League world. Gal Gadot running through a city with unparalleled determination is a sight that we will remember for long.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does not hesitate to show itself as a cliché or a deviation from previous movies at times. Gal Gadot who handles the physically demanding nature of this sprint could have also had some big stylish sequences at high pace which would be above the ordinary, but we see it kept ordinary and simple, below the huge situation that we have around here with a high-profile case and a dreaded crime lord involved. There could have also been more life-threatening moments to go with the same with the protagonist taking so many more unexpected risks. Some of the effects used to make the running feel tiring, hectic and tensed do not work that well, as camera focusing on her from different angles including bird’s eye, from the floor and third-person chasing her would have been stylish – maybe the protagonist could have jumped on the roofs, gone through windows, taking some strange paths through less taken paths; all of these could have been added here and there. The final moments are not that strong too, and the solution here seems rather easy and quickly achieved without that huge tension in the end which we had awaited.

How it finishes :: The film’s biggest asset is its pace going under that one and half hour of time which is often a minimum for most movies, and it goes through a fast and furious journey through the streets and transit systems of London despite the struggle that comes by the end. Gal Gadot brings some classic physical stamina to a role that requires continuous sprinting and some near-perfect movies along with those emotions that need to be displayed in between. It is more or less like an adrenaline-fueled workout run that can keep one extra-healthy if done every day without failure or those injuries. The movie’s inability to bring that tension in the end and the easy solutions are not what we had in mind considering lives and privacy at sake. As the final act abandons its gained momentum for those strange twist revelations, what it had accumulated do not stand that strong. But we enjoy the tension, and the short run-time has us always in focus. As this released directly to Amazon Prime Video, this makes a fine weekend watch on the OTT with the entertainment going at the right pace.

Release date: 2 September 2026
Running time: 84 minutes
Directed by: Kevin Macdonald
Starring: Gal Gadot, Damian Lewis, Rory Wilmot, Alfred Enoch

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They Will Kill You

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Vampire Owl: They used to say these words about us related to killings.

Vampire Bat: They do this at a time when humans are the real killers.

Vampire Owl: I still wonder why they are not extinct yet.

Vampire Bat: Evil always finds a way to survive and destroy others.

Vampire Owl: For them, death leads to afterlife and not to the undead status, so they will.

Vampire Bat: Yes, we do not accept evil humans as vampire anymore.

Vampire Owl: Have you seen any good human in the last few years.

Vampire Bat: You know that I do not meet humans anymore. Too much evil around them.

Vampire Owl: All the evil overlords have always been human.

Vampire Bat: Well, humans have always been good with black magic and the chaos nodes which channel their powers.

[Gets a mango burfi and three cups of Munnar tea].

What is the movie about? :: Asia Reaves (Zazie Beetz) is coming out of a troubled past which involved a lot of time being spent in prison after she shot her abusive father. Coming out of her troubled past, she goes searching for her sister Maria Reaves (Myha’la) who was taken away by the same abusive father, and arrives at the Virgil, a huge high-rise building in New York City, posing as the new maid appointed by the special extra rich people who choose to live there. She had gathered information anything anyone last knew about Maria was that she had taken a job was a maid there, and people who take the work is never really seen outside. Lily Woodhouse (Patricia Arquette) tells Asia that the building is more than one hundred years old, and she expects her to do good work for the wealthy and elite which leaves no room for mistake. She is also given a well-arranged beautiful room to stay for the day. She meets Lilly’s husband Ray Woodhouse (Paterson Joseph) who leaves a message “They Will Kill You” on the mirror of her bathroom, but she misses the same as she moves directly into the shower and fog on the mirror erases the same.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Asia notes that there are some strange sounds coming from within the walks, and while she is sleeping, a masked man attacks her, and while trying to fight back, both of them get knocked out. Soon, a few other masked people also come in from the ventilation shafts and secret passages in the room. But she wakes up and manages to fight back. They are surprised to find Asia armed and highly skilled at defending herself, managing to kill all of the assailants despite being outnumbered, thrown around and beaten up. Asia gets out of the room only to find Lily and she demands the location of Maria, who is known to work as a maid at the Virgil. But Lilly only laughs at her while Asia’s attackers resurrect, forcing her to run from them to hide herself in a room, only to find out that the windows of the building cannot be broken, and later to be stabbed by a little boy on her back. She then seeks refuge in the building’s vents, clueless about what is happening around her.

And what more happens here as something more terrifying awaits at each turn? :: Asia who manages to survive against the chasing Sharon Vanderbilt (Heather Graham) despite almost being at the receiving end of the blows, and is saved from others by Ray who explains that the Virgil is a dedicated temple to Satan, and the residents have been granted immortality by performing human sacrifices by capturing and ritually killing the young women looking for jobs as maids. He guides them through the vents and above the room of lust with naked people going through orgies of sexual activities, as Ray tells them about the other deadly sins being openly practiced within the building to please Satan. Sharon who whose head was destroyed by Asia’s shotgun had her eyeballs following them though, and they find Maria only to understand that she does not wish to leave the place at all. She tells them that she had dedicated her life as a maid there and knows what goes on there, making her a part of the Satanic pact. Asia knocks her out and tries to leave only to be hunted by the Satanists. Can the sisters make it out alive?

The defence of They Will Kill You :: The situation which is darkly comedic, but with a stylish approach to action and violence, with fights very much interesting at all times – there is nothing much that one can expect here more than what we see on the screen here. Zazie Beetz whom we know the best from Deadpool 2 is a perfect scream queen survivor fighter here too, as she goes through the fights and maintains that emotional weight, as she balances her feelings with survivalist action – the first fight in the room is too good with style and fun as she excels right there, with those unexpected moves and sets the tone really well for what is to follow in the movie later; there is even a nice, funny side to that battle. The environment really works in favour of the movie too, as the eerie, isolated luxury high-rise building provides a claustrophobic atmosphere which leaves one with no chance to escape and no help to be taken from outside. The use of Satanism also works in its favour like in Psycho Killer, as the terror feels like having some other-worldly influence as escape seems more and more difficult.

Positives and negatives :: The movie’s situation nicely resembles the sequel to Ready or Not which released this year with its own sisters in trouble to due to a group of families hunting them within a closed space in a luxury land property instead of this luxury building rising high. The Satanic presence was also around in that movie, and the similarities still point out the differences, with this one not being that serious, and the humour here is surely stronger with more focus on horror, while the earlier movie felt more serious and further emotional about sisterhood. The movie’s brutality might not be acceptable to everyone, but there is a certain amount of balance maintained there too. The shift between the genre can also feel strange at times. The style also takes over a little bit too much, and some elements of possible horror seems to be left unattended as the terrifying seriousness is not set as the most significant thing here. Myha’la and Heather Graham also deserved more fights here, but they are very good when they go through the same.

How it finishes :: This might be one of the most fun-filled survival horror thrillers that you might ever see in a long time, as the way in which it serves the purpose has to be appreciated. One would feel that some smaller moments could have been taken differently, but that would go unnoticed unless the viewer is digging a lot deeper. We note that this one became an entertaining watch like not many others could accomplish with similar situations. The social message about the rich hunting the poor is also there, and we see how evil has its roots in the influential sides, maintaining its terror really well. The action here is too good, and the surprise provided by the first fight in the room scores higher than ever, with another big fight in the darkness and the final battle making impact too. If you are looking for an inventive, gory, survival-based thrill ride with big action, this is the one entertainer that you are looking for, and the same can be accessed through Jio Hotstar, with Zazie Beetz stealing the show so well.

Release date: 27 March 2026
Running time: 94 minutes
Directed by: Kirill Sokolov
Starring: Zazie Beetz, Myha’la, Paterson Joseph, Tom Felton, Heather Graham, Patricia Arquette

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Devil’s Mouth

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Vampire Owl: At least the devil is doing better than the humans these days, I think.

Vampire Bat: Maybe the devil should go to Earth and leave hell for the humans.

Vampire Owl: Isn’t it where most of the humans are going sooner or later?

Vampire Bat: I am expecting the angels of heaven to be very lonely.

Vampire Owl: Do you think that there will be space in hell for this many humans?

Vampire Bat: Hell is infinite and eternal, and with separate circles.

Vampire Owl: So, it is the same as what Dr. Frankenstein had discovered.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein is a man of infinite circles of nonsense.

Vampire Owl: When did infinity start coming in circles of Frankenstein?

Vampire Bat: He has always needed them as he would be going to hell as a human too.

[Gets a paneer paratha and three cups of Darjeeling tea].

What is the movie about? :: Five friends from the United States, Sara (Kathryn Newton), Max (Lala Condor), Greg (Gavin Casalegno), Adrienne (Tommi Rose) and James (Nico Hiraga) are on a trip to South Asia, now visiting the beaches and going through underwater journeys in Thailand. As they are enjoying the open tropical waters off the coast, they do not realize that Sara is diving in the water, and as they ask for the boat to be moved to the land as Max feels that she is in the shower. Left alone, Sara is swarmed, and stung by aggressive jellyfish in all parts of her body, rescued later, but is left in pain. Max is supposed to be the one in control of the trip and also the one who said that everyone was aboard before the boat was taken forward, which leads to some tension, but Sara and Max are back together as best friends in no time. The friends are back together, and as they continue to feel that something is in the saltwater of ocean due to seeing dead fish and turtles cast ashore on beaches, they sign up for a guided swim through a fresh water remote cave system known as The Devil’s Mouth.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: This early incident leaving Sara as damsel in distress does manage to keep a rift between them right before they enter The Devil’s Mouth cave network, and despite Sara trying to keep up with the excited team against her pain and in spite of Max trying to tip the guide to take better care of her friend, there is some disagreement. While Sara asks for the easy way through the tunnel without that much of it submerged in water, Max who has always been the leader opts to go for the highly submerged red route, and Sara, despite her fears, agrees to the same. The team is led through a path which had its water level only somewhat come down from being fully submerged in a previous storm. They go through different caves which are interconnected through passages flooded with water, some of them even having salt water from the nearby ocean. But they soon find one of the divers who went before them dead, and within minutes finds themselves hunted by a shark which seems to have come in from the ocean during the flooding with nowhere to go as the tunnel lost its connection with the saltwater. Now, can they survive the creature sensing blood all around?

The defence of The Devil’s Mouth :: With the tide rising and oxygen levels dropping inside the cave system, the friends left on the isolated rock shelves where the shark cannot reach, do not find it to be a long-term option, but have nowhere to go in the maze-like chambers – this is perfectly shown here with each scene, and we have an environment which is so well created and maintained with danger all around the corner. The cave diving horror and shark survival are combined nicely here, as the subterranean setting makes it a different battle against the creature. The tight underwater struggles, internal disagreements, secrets and grievances within themselves, all add to the further tension here. The movie is also never really that long, and this length feels perfect for the total run-time. The signs of the same was established early enough, and that too in open water, with the attack of the jelly fish as much as being left alone in the middle of the sea – these are also basically the kind of horror which are scary enough even without huge fangs.

Positives and negatives :: The movie’s caves are among the best that you might ever see, and when you put a shark in there, it is just glorious. One then remembers that some fine foreshadowing has always been there, and all would lead to just disaster. The final moments when the protagonist lures the shark with herself as a bait is among the best of the movie, and when the characters try to escape from the shark at a ledge, and when they move through tight tunnels, we are all kept in the highest level of tension. We see that the situation places us in a world from where escape is almost impossible by logic with water all around, and the shark being able to thrive in both freshwater and saltwater settings. This also means that there is less visibility, and we can keep feeling the need to have more light around – keeping on looking at the darkness is not the best thing we can do around here. There is some repetition here and there with what the characters are doing, even though the same remains enjoyable.

The performers of the soul :: Here, we have Kathryn Newton once again doing what she does the best, and that is to survive against all odds, as she already did in Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, and had managed to get out of that Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania level which was rather lower in comparison to where she stands now as a grand scream queen in the making – she seems to be surviving everything in a convincing manner, and here, she remains a lovable character, and it is her for whom we keep rooting for, as she knew that something bad was going to happen all the time, and in her senses, tries to avoid the worst, even though she has to finally give in to her friends. She is the survivor whom we would all love to have, maybe in a sequel to The Shallows. She is one young actress who seems to be bringing a certain amount of completeness. Lana Condor whom we would best recognize from Alita: Battle Angel, Pretty Lethal and X-Men: Apocalypse, also comes up with a memorable role, and it is another work that we are going to remember here. Tommi Rose also has some work that we will remember. Nico Hiraga as James might be one selfish character which is done well. Then, Gavin Casalegno also comes up with the needed.

How it finishes :: It can be seen that the movie maintains a certain amount of balance around here with a shark attacking in a flooded cave with nowhere to go – the horror gets more of the strength here with the same, while tensions also run related to the past among the characters. We have already seen the sharks and friends running strong in 47 Meters Down, Deep Blue Sea, Killer Whale and more, but this one takes a divergent and interesting approach with the same. Anchored by strong performances from Kathryn Newton and Lana Condor, the movie also focuses on the deteriorating, toxic friendship and further focuses on the terrifying situation rather than the shark. The predictability does not push this aquatic survival flick that much down, as the tension never leaves us and the lovely leading character always have us rooting for us, with the empathy right there to be taken home. I would consider this to be a surprise charm as one of the best shark movies in some time, and its release on Amazon Prime Video has left the same accessible to more of us who choose OTT over the theatres.

Release date: 29 July 2026
Running time: 104 minutes
Directed by: Jeff Wadlow
Starring: Kathryn Newton, Lana Condor, Gavin Casalegno, Nico Hiraga, Tommi Rose

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Heart Eyes

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Vampire Owl: So are the hearts in the eyes, or eyes in the heart?

Vampire Bat: If there is a serial killer around, does that really matter?

Vampire Owl: Yes, we need to understand the killer first.

Vampire Bat: You know that human serial killers cannot kill vampires, right?

Vampire Owl: Well, they can always cut our heads off.

Vampire Bat: Most human serial killers just keep stabbing.

Vampire Owl: We should just let them come. They have good necks.

Vampire Bat: I heard that you were allergic to blood.

Vampire Owl: It is never too late to have some blood shake in life.

Vampire Bat: Well, this one happens on Valentine’s Day and the colour surely matches.

[Gets a paneer samosa and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: For the last few years on every Valentine’s Day, a serial killer known as the Heart Eyes Killer who is short named HEK by the media, has targeted different couples in different American cities. This year, the killer is known to have murdered two couples in Seattle and a wedding ring which has the initials “J S” is also found at one of the crime scenes where the couple was murdered in some of the most brutal ways possible. The case is taken over by the detectives Zeke Hobbs (Devon Sawa) and Jeanine Shaw (Jordana Brewster), who are nicknamed Hobbs and Shaw after the famous Fast and Furious spin-off movie starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Jason Statham in which there was so much of action with the two. At the same time, in the same city, Ally McCabe (Olivia Holt), a marketer for a jewelry company who just had a break-up, accidently meets a stranger Jay Simmonds (Mason Gooding) in a restaurant, and is ridiculed and almost fired by her boss Crystal Cane (Michaela Watkins).

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Ally’s strange ad campaign with doomed couples is detested by almost everyone due to the recent murders of lovers by the serial killer who had just started murdering in the city. Crystal calls upon a freelancer accomplished in the same field, and it turns out to be Jay much to her surprise – she is supposed to work with him and create a whole new ad campaign. On the same day, Jay invites her to dinner that night, asserting that it is not really a Valentine’s Day date despite the date being February 14th. He further suggests that it may give them further inspiration for the campaign which they have to work with together and succeed. Ally agrees despite the killer already at work for the season of the Valentines, as she desperately needed the job after the break-up. But after reaching the restaurant and post a few minutes of talk, they are not happy with each other and gets out, but as Ally sees her ex-boyfriend, she kisses Jay and introduces him as her boyfriend because her old love already came with a new girlfriend.

And what more is to happen with a brutal murderer on the hunt for lovers on Valentine’s Day? :: Ally and Jay reconcile over that act and he takes a taxi to her home, where he helps her break in to her home after she realizes that she had forgotten her key, and he cuts his hand in doing the same. Ally helps with his wound upstairs, as she was someone who had dropped out of medical school. All of a sudden, the Heart Eyes Killer jumps out of the cupboard and attacks them. After a chase, he knocks Jay out as Ally keeps running. Detectives Zeke Hobbs and Jeanine Shaw who found no other killer, but found the killer’s mask and weapon with Jay, and they arrest him, shocking Ally who had returned to the area after hearing the police siren. The police take Jay for questioning at a police station, and there both Hobbs and Shaw show that his initials match those on the previously found ring and also shows proof that he was in the same cities at the same time during HEK’s previous attacks. But soon, the power goes out and a masked figure with a weapon comes out, revealing the heart symbol on the eyes and begins his killing spree. Can the new partners and police escape without being killed?

The defence of Heart Eyes :: The chemistry of Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding is what drives the movie so well, with humour, taking part in action, and adding the unexpected romance at times as everything comes when a serial killer is on the hunt, making the whole thing very interesting. At the same time, the movie gets into the gore easily and killings begin, while romance keep ending, and even for the protagonists, the focus is less on love and more on a classic escape act which is followed by more running and fighting with a murderer ready to get into act. With the nice humour working so well, we see the rom-com and slasher modes switching each other one, and at times existing at the same time, keeping the whole thing enjoyable. All these happen within a short run-time and the final scene throws a fine punch, and there are some nice twists that lead to the same. Among the police characters, it is Jordana Brewster who steals the show, and that seems to be evident from the early scenes and the police station moments.

Positives and negatives :: The final twist may have given some clues early itself, and we see them coming quite early, with one at the police station itself, and another at the crime scene – there are not enough red herrings to keep the twists away. Most of the supporting characters also get not much to do, and the bloody side with all the violence will not make everyone happy, especially when coming in between romance all of a sudden without warning. The movie still manages to keep its level, even when it is short of romance or short of killings, and that comes a surprise with this not being among the best-known slasher movies. The killings do work as one would expect from this kind of a movie. The visuals serve the purpose right from the beginning too. Michaela Watkins adds some nice humour right from her first moments. Gigi Zumbado should have been there for more, as it was really fun when she was around – the disappearance only to appear in the end does not serve the character that well. Yoson An’s work surely came as a fine surprise too.

How it finishes :: I had left this one behind without watching for some time as the idea did not feel that interesting, but coming back to it on Amazon Prime Video was surely worth it. Even though it feels like old-style slasher at times, there is also that fresh feeling around. There is a certain cuteness with romance and humour on one side and we also see that unlimited terror on the other side. Fans of the slasher genre would surely appreciate the inventive, bloody kills which keeps happening from the beginning to the end, often in innovative manner. The movie is indeed self-aware and has such a fine cast. There is also that scope for sequel that we see by the end of the movie. If you are looking for a fun movie in the weekend with friends, you will love the cute little romance against a backdrop of creative carnage, then you also get surprised with the rising quality around here. You can see a chaotic, self-aware energy in this wildly entertaining ride, as long as you do not dig too deep around here. Heart Eyes could get into your list of favourite killers, and can go the Scream, Halloween and I Know What You Did Last Summer mode accompanied by the newer Psycho Killer and others.

Release date: 7 February 2025
Running time: 97 minutes
Directed by: Josh Ruben
Starring: Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Gigi Zumbado, Michaela Watkins, Devon Sawa, Jordana Brewster

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

The Astronaut

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Vampire Owl: I have dreamed about being an astronaut when I was a child.

Vampire Bat: You became a vampire hundreds of years ago. So that would have been long ago.

Vampire Owl: Considering in vampire years, I am still not that old.

Vampire Bat: That explains you being a child even when space travel started its job.

Vampire Owl: I was never thinking about human space travel.

Vampire Bat: You are looking forward to being teleported other realms?

Vampire Owl: Yes, Dr. Frankenstein has created a magical space vessel.

Vampire Bat: You should remember that nothing made by Mr. Frankenstein actually works.

Vampire Owl: It is a wrong accusation by his mortal enemies. He travelled back in time last week and brought proof from another period of time. Even aliens approve of him.

Vampire Bat: I am quite sure that he brought back that ancient thing from a museum and not from the past. It is his time machine that looks more pre-historical than that thing.

[Gets a poori masala and three cups of Wayanad tea].

What is the movie about? :: Sam Walker (Kate Mara) is the daughter of General William Harris (Laurence Fishburne) a veteran military officer who has worked in collaboration with NASA space travel, and has Sam going on another space journey in relation to communicating with extraterrestrial beings if there are any. But as she comes back from the International Space Station, some debris leads to her crash-landing back on Earth. After floating somewhere in the middle of sea, she is finally rescued by the United States Coast Guard and taken to the nearby hospital for recovery, even though not taken out of quarantine for some days. Her fellow astronauts and doctors keep visiting her at the hospital, while William assures her that he is incredibly happy for her, and hopes that she will get well soon for the next mission, with NASA and Pentagon working very closely together in making significant discoveries which would change the world as they know it. She feels that things are just okay as she only got a few bruises.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Sam does not remember most of the incidents in space, and continues in quarantine for decontamination. She is visited by her husband, Mark Walker (Gabriel Luna) and daughter, Izzy Walker (Scarlett Holmes). But for her own safety, Sam is confined alone to a rural cottage somewhere in Virginia, where diplomats and very important people are supposed to stay in secret when there is some danger with their lives, or just to stay away from media. It is seen that the next house or shop is kilometres away, and the place only has woods on all sides and some meadows in between, with almost no traffic at the closest road passing around. As Sam adjusts to her new lonely situation, she also goes through a series of medical tests to make sure that her mental and physical fitness are okay, with a new journey to the space station coming up. Sam and Mark are having some difficulties trying to cope as a family, due to her frequent journeys to space and the quarantine that comes before and after that. It is revealed that the child is also adopted, as they hoped that it would make things better between them.

And what more can happen here as there seems to be some mystery to be resolved? :: While walking outside and close to the nearby woods, Sam notices that the entire premises have some hidden cameras, most of them directed right towards the home. This makes her wonder about her location, as she had already felt that somebody did open the door and enter during last night, thus also making the floor a little messy. William shows her that the hidden cameras are linked to a certain underground bunker in the house, from where the whole place can be watched in detail. If anyone try to breach the property, it could be known with ease, and there could also be a lockdown which would prevent anyone from getting in. Strange occurrences continue, and later that night, the power is cut off, and the alarm system is triggered, locking her inside the house. A dark creature seems to have entered the home, forcing her to lock herself inside the bunker. Now, it is to be seen if she can survive these nights, and with nothing on the cameras, will people believe her theory that something followed her from back to Earth from space?

The defence of The Astronaut :: The twists in the movie are pretty much unexpected, even though not that interesting, and that surprise takes the movie to a higher level, even though slowly and steadily. The film builds on with a tense, eerie mood with its quiet, minimalist approach to horror, that seems to work for most of the time. The combination of psychological thriller, science fiction and paranormal horror got the arrangement right, as we look at it. The isolated safe house with dark woods all around and continuing psychological tension are effective with the possibility of twists always being present. Kate Mara has things in control here with emotional weight as she moves forward in a world of conflicts. Morgan–Fantastic Four actress seems to have changed a lot, and maybe it is we all ageing together. Her movement to the twists in the end works so well that we even hope for the world to be extended in a sequel at that moment. Laurence Fishburne is a big strong presence here, and his roles like this have remained too good in the past.

The claws of flaw :: The movie drags in between even in a one and half hour movie which deals with aliens – it would not have been that difficult to deal with such a safe topic during normal circumstances of Earth and space. The struggle with pacing feels so much, especially in the second half when it seems to try too much, and yet the narrative keeps its trouble going through. Some of these narrative changes and interesting developments come too fast and leave unanswered questions, as the science fiction elements continue to stay in the background without that much of a detailed happenings on the screen. One keeps wondering why it immediately took that deviation, even though it was the twist that came quickly – there could have been other ways to bring the same to keep on with the route of the overall movie. Sometimes, one would wonder if the combination could have been kept better coherent at all times. The predictability is also present in between, even though not with the final twist.

How it finishes :: This is one of those movies which were less known, and surprisingly, in spite of staying close to the genre, I never really knew about this movie’s existence. Despite losing the pace in between, and narrative also making that struggle, the movie maintains a level, not losing it on the way completely even when there seemed to be the chance. This would mean that the mixed reviews are quite justified, and its journey through Amazon Prime Video might also be complex. For a quiet, atmospheric psychological science fiction with strong leading cast performances and high-level tension coming out of the mood and atmosphere with dark woods ready to pounce upon the terror, this would be the right choice. There is no questioning that kind of an ability around here. But one can see that there are no clear explanations of these alien elements, and the lack of traditional horror thrills would continue to affect the interest of people. Otherwise, this would nicely work for a smooth, slow and steady journey with something coming in the background.

Release date: 17th October 2025
Running time: 91 minutes
Directed by: Jess Varley
Starring: Kate Mara, Laurence Fishburne, Gabriel Luna, Ivana Miličević, Macy Gray, Scarlett Holmes, Reza Diako, Daniel Quirke, Daiana Madeira, Christine Abernathy, Ezrael MacTire, Erin Gill, Gareth Battersby, Aidan O’Sullivan

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

A Woman Called Mother

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Vampire Owl: Why is this particular woman only called a mother?

Vampire Bat: Maybe it is a name in another language which means mother in another.

Vampire Owl: Or calling a mother not a mother is usual among some humans.

Vampire Bat: And yet it is a horror movie with a mother.

Vampire Owl: There was that movie called Mama with such a theme, right?

Vampire Bat: Yes, but I would not find any relation between the two.

Vampire Owl: The human worlds are never really related to one another.

Vampire Bat: It is a good reason to hate one another for the humans.

Vampire Owl: Is hate another word for humanity?

Vampire Bat: Human hatred is infinite and eternal, like Uncle Dracula’s curse and Frankenstein’s madness.

[Gets a Munnar white chocolate and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: Yanti (Artika Sari Devi) goes through a severe psychological breakdown after her husband leaves her and their children and files a divorce. She becomes desperate to claim her independence and provide for her family which is now financially broken. She moves to a new area with her two children, her teenage daughter Vira (Aurora Ribero) and her younger son Dino (Ali Fikry) to a rural town where she plans to open a stylish and advanced new hair salon. Her two children are not confident about the same, as this shop is opened right beside their home which is far away from the roads and town area, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. It is indeed a peaceful place for a home, but not the right place for a salon as Vira keeps asserting. Yanti invites different people of the town to the salon, and her children do notice a certain amount of seductive nature in that invitation. Then all of a sudden, the move seems like a blessing, as people seem to come in big numbers to her new venture.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The success of the salon brings them a lot of wealth, which interests them, but Vira has not been feeling well at the place which feels as strange as what has been happening with her mother’s business adventure. She sees some shift in the mother’s behaviour and she seems to be doing something strange in the bathroom, lying in the bathtub. Then, she also sees someone else, a shadowy figure with her mother, mostly reflected in the mirror. Yanti is also seen drinking a lot of milk for no reason, while a certain cruelty and brutality when preparing meat can also be seen from her side. Dino had also felt something while trying to explore an abandoned house nearby with overgrown vegetation as part of her attempt to take a video for the social media. Unlike Vira, he feels that it is safe inside the house until he sees his mother both inside the house and outside on the streets at night. But as their room is not bathroom-attached, they might need to walk around at night. Now, what might be the problem with the mother and how can this terrifying situation be solved?

The defence of A Woman Called Mother a.k.a. Dia Bukan Ibu :: The movie places the characters nicely inside the house and the salon making them ready for all the horror which is to come, with the rest of the world only adding less to the scares in comparison. As the mother’s evil presence grows to be more menacing, the danger is even more felt in a world of terror. The focus here is not only on the fear of the supernatural which is ready to unleash itself on the family, the real-world tragedy of a broken home, financial devastation and the immense burden placed on single parents. With the trauma already there much earlier, we see the horror as the extra addition to what is already there. The final moments nicely show the unleashing of pure evil, but we already see the signs of the same in a bathtub and the actions of the mother with shadows and darkness nicely complementing all of these without hesitation. The imagery of horror that we have here catches our attention, and being a fine atmospheric horror is the movie’s advantage.

The claws of flaw :: The movie drags quite a lot as we look at it – there is the time taken to get into horror action, and even after that there is some drag. The middle part drags significantly as the story takes so much time revealing what is actually going on – this would test the patience of viewers looking for clues early itself. The idea in the movie is also not new, and it is not extended that much to provide a new divergent feeling. The movie’s best moments also fall apart after starting very strong. A number of characters of the movie that fails to go relevant also goes through a struggle. The blood and gore might upset some people as it is rather evenly distributed around here, and focused on animals, which can also be found not good for a number of viewers. The supernatural is also not that much explained here. We keep feeling that there is more to this, and enough has not provided around here related to the world of terror. Then we remember that there were many repetitions, and still there was not enough provided here to make the narrative’s movement through the inner evil smoother.

The performers of the soul :: Artika Sari Devi’s performance as Yanti remains something to be appreciated. There is more than one side of the character that she displays around here. She shows the shift from a broken, grieving mother to a feral, unpredictable and possessed monster of pure evil incredibly well. Her work brings the scares and makes the whole thing deeply terrifying to watch with the help of some mysterious gestures and expressions. The bathtub scene and the last moments with her coming in a bloody dress would be two moments which would be remembered as classic additions to an otherwise dark movie which depends on quick scares. Aurora Ribero comes up with a performance to remember as the young woman who does a fine job in understanding that there is something wrong with her mother, and she plays a character with confidence and determination which has us rooting for her. We would feel that she would make a great scream queen in horror movies someday. Ali Fikry has his moments, and the brother-sister moments add well to the side of drama.

How it finishes :: If you are looking for a a highly unsettling piece of psychological domestic horror, this might be the one, even though it is never near perfection in any way. There are so many moments which could have been better, and it is only safe to say that there were so many occasions which could have been dealt in a better way. There are indeed those moments when it falters under its own weight with the repetitions. Furthermore, it treads incredibly familiar territory for anyone already well-versed in Indonesian occult cinema. The movie had made some good impact in the Indonesian Film Festival too, and deserves a watch for its divergence from the usual. Indonesian movies have had some fine horror added here and there which have kept us wondering why more industries could not follow this particular path. It is the one reason why this movie came to the movies to be watched list early. Its availability in JioHotstar was another reason, and this one does not disappoint the audience who loves to have some variety in horror.

Release date: September 25, 2025
Running time: 119 minutes
Directed by: Randolph Zaini
Starring: Artika Sari Devi, Aurora Ribero, Ali Fikry, Fara Shakila, Khiva Iskak, Sita Nursanti, Dian Sidik, Husein Al Athas

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.