Tag Archives: terror

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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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ 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.

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 Calendar Killer

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Vampire Owl: I was once called the Calendar Vampire.

Vampire Bat: It is quite an absurd name for a vampire.

Vampire Owl: I am an owl who has a calendar collection. So, that works.

Vampire Bat: What does a centuries-old vampire who lost track of time do with a calendar?

Vampire Owl: I am aware of the passage of time and dates.

Vampire Bat: I would always doubt your awareness.

Vampire Owl: Is it because I admire the work of Dr. Frankenstein?

Vampire Bat: What Mr. Frankenstein is doing is more like the lack of work.

Vampire Owl: I would appreciate Frankenstein the scientist all the time.

Vampire Bat: As someone who keeps killing dead people through experiments.

[Gets a sweet samosa and three cups of Darjeeling tea].

What is the movie about? :: Jules Tannenberg (Sabin Tambrea) works at a telephone helpline service which has the limited duty of talking to people walking home alone, especially women, and help them to go on and make sure that they reach home or their immediate destination safely. He is someone who was only recently widowed, after his wife committed suicide and had also lost two of his three children at the same wretched hour. He has successfully completely a good number of walks through phone with possible victims, saving many from harassment. One day, he gets distressed call from Klara Vernet (Luise Heyer) who seems to be in a lot of panic. Klara tells him that she was targeted by a psychotic murderer known only by the media-provided pseudonym, Calendar Killer. This particular killer who had risen to a celebrity status through social media and new channels is known to mark his victims’ death dates in advance on the walls of their homes with a horrifying ultimatum, “Him or You” which means that one among the husband and wife will be murdered, unless one partner kills the other.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As Jules attempts to keep her calm and guide her through phone, he suspects that there is domestic violence involved, and more details about her is revealed. She tells him that her husband Martin Vernet (Friedrich Mücke), a high-ranking state official has been subjecting her to years of domestic violence, some of them psychological in nature, which has led her already struggling mental health to get worse. Klara was running away from him as Martin had tied her up in the middle of a secret club and punished her in front of everyone else on the day of their wedding anniversary. She had left her six-year-old daughter Amelie (Romy Miesner) with a young babysitter named Vigo (Shadi Eck) and was afraid that she would loss custody of her daughter as her declining mental health had led to her being admitted to psychiatric institutions. Now with a killer also on her back and with her husband refusing to believe that there is a psychopath, she has no hope – but can this hope be revived through that phone call or will the killer take a life?

The defence of The Calendar Killer :: The run-time of a little above one and half hours is very much favourable to the movie which keeps the pace going. The cold and wintery aesthetic paired with the midnight deadline facing murder or death, creates some genuine suspense in the first half, as there is uncertainty, haunting and some surprise waiting to arrive for the viewer. The camera work by Christian Huck plays a big role in making the whole thing captivating – the settings and darkness had become allies of the movie from the early stages itself, and we are aware that there is something unexpected and sinister not just with the psychopathic killer, but also about other people. The scenes in the club comes as big revealing moments about the characters and that becomes the first surprise delivered. The final twist related to the murder is quite a big surprise for the audience who might not have guessed that multiple shocks were coming that way as people seem to be someone else in unexpected masks. The strong emotional performance of the leading lady adds to the overall quality of the movie and keeps us further interested in the proceedings.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does seem to lose its way at times, seemingly deviating from its most important elements. The focus which should have been on the psycho killer often wanders here and there as if never sure about which direction it should be heading. We can see a number of far-fetched coincidences which seems to be forced into the proceedings and then there are those illogical character choices which keeps the movie further confused. The exaggerations are also there, and we wonder if the leading protagonist is really crazy due to some of her choices and actions. Then there is the attempt to balance a usual serial killer with a psychopath on the hunt with a serious domestic abuse trauma narrative, which gives both sides some struggle. The exaggeration of domestic struggle flashback into the intentionally weakened psycho killer tale will have the audience in peril on many occasions in between, and if it was not for the performance of the lady in the lead, would have never connected well like we have here. Then there are also some characters that never gets the due.

The performers of the soul :: Luise Heyer clearly leads the way and plays the victim to a state of near-perfection. The excels in those moments of sadness and pain, and shows the pain of being under a dominant and influential partner who takes advantage of her. At the same time, she shows the determination that such a character gains when facing even bigger trouble, and fights herself to keep her soul instead of having her revenge. The emotional weight of the terrified, exhausted mother stays at full strength with her – we can feel her anguish at her present and the past as flashback works even better. At the same time, Sabin Tambrea comes up with a dual-layered performance which shows a higher level of calibre. There is a certain emotional side to him and the journey through multiple layers has our attention. Martin Vernet’s work also brings a certain impact as we never see the performance getting any weaker. Rainer Bock also remains solid throughout the run-time. Andreas Döhler also has a memorable quick role here.

How it finishes :: The movie in based on a German novel, Sebastian Fitzek’s Der Heimweg, and any comparison to the same can only be done by those who have actually read it. This psychological thriller makes the most of its small runtime and claustrophobic premise even while maintaining a little too many flaws than one would want it to have. The message about domestic violence keeps struggling and often pulls the psychopath down with, but in the end, it manages to come out strong enough to make the whole thing better. The final surprise saves the movie despite the ending just happening with ease. Anchored by Luise Heyer’s memorable vulnerability and emotional side as well as Sabin Tambrea’s surprise strength that takes a divergent path, the film nicely uses the real-time tension against a bleak and wintery setting. The usual phone-helpline narrative with a twist keeps this unsettling world interesting for us. The struggles in between can be often forgotten as the world holds together. The movie is available on Amazon Prime Video to take your free time.

Release date: 16 January 2025
Running time: 97 minutes
Directed by: Adolfo J Kolmerer
Starring: Luise Heyer, Sabin Tambrea, Friedrich Mücke, Rainer Bock, Andreas Döhler, and Romy Miesner

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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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@ 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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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Psycho Killer

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Vampire Owl: So, they have finally used the exact title for a smart killer.

Vampire Bat: Being psychotic is not a new thing for humans.

Vampire Owl: If this movie was in the vampire world, it would be psychic not psychotic.

Vampire Bat: Our world has its own dose of psychic vampires.

Vampire Owl: Doctor Sleep, I think, was inspired by them visiting the human world.

Vampire Bat: Vampires visiting human world have more similarities to Byzantium.

Vampire Owl: Yet, the human world remains too close to cruelty as their reality.

Vampire Bat: Brutality is the first step to becoming a human. It has always been so.

Vampire Owl: Whenever the word psycho is used in relation to any species, it points to humanity.

Vampire Bat: Uncle Dracula tried long reasoning with them and banned them within minutes.

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

What is the movie about? :: Satanic Slasher (James Preston Rogers) has been terrorizing multiple districts of USA for quite some time, murdering people who seemed to be random victims as he never really chose one place at a time. The scenes of murder were identified as places of unparalleled terror where even police officers fear to go. He had received the name from the media and public due to the occult symbols he had left behind at the crime scenes and his brutality seemingly reflecting the hell which he had written about at the areas where the murders took place – Satan worship was the only common thing. Jane Archer (Georgina Campbell) is a highway patrol officer who finds her husband, a police officer, being murdered by Slasher as his identity was almost discovered by the man. She becomes obsessed with finding and bringing the man to justice if she cannot kill him, and with memories of her husband and expecting their first child, she decides to go on a hunt much to the dismay of her relatives and the co-workers who understand that they cannot stop her, whatever they say or do.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: She feels that Slasher could be a murderous Satanic preacher who held his own people hostage and then killed them in a famous case of mass murder, but is someone who was supposed to have died some time ago. The other option is that someone who is a big fan might have taken over the identity, especially someone who is interested in Satan worship and hopes to go full evil as a demon of destruction to please the devil, the signs clearly being there in the death scenes. She also finds out that Slasher murdered a female pharmacist in a small town around and had raided the pharmacy for a number of antidepressants and other drugs. Despite her getting no support from the FBI which had taken over the case from the police, one of the officers Becky Collins (Grace Dove) provides her the route of his attacks and the fact that he had never taken the drugs to sell them, and could have only used them for himself. She also adds that he had also attacked a librarian and some books were also reported stolen from the local library.

And what more is to happen here as a demonic serial killer is on the hunt? :: Slasher also kills a couple facing a car breakdown whom he finds on the way, and gets into a church and kills the parish priest there after asking for a confession, and drinks his blood. But he is not satisfied as he keeps looking for answers. As Jane finds him staying in a motel and tries to restrain him all by herself as FBI provides no support, he attacks her and beats her up before throwing her out of the room, knocking her out before fleeing. Slasher decides to speed things up and goes to a mansion owned by a Satanist cult which is run by a strange man, as they replied to a secret Satanic advertisement with codes which was given by him after committing a murder. Slasher uses them to find a man whom he has been looking for, and despite them accepting him as one of theirs, he finds their ways hedonistic as the Satanic members go on naked sexual acts pairing up random men against women for unleashing their carnal desires in the name liberation and liberalism against all limits of morality. He decides to do something that he feels will open the gates to hell. But can he do that all by himself? How many more will die in the process?

The defence of Psycho Killer :: Georgina Campbell as Jane Archer comes up with a brilliant performance, as we feel the determination related her, and how well she does a woman on vengeance as much on duty and mourning. James Preston Rogers as the slasher is a strong presence, and never losses the power of the psycho killer on a mission. The grim, bloody and dark atmosphere of the movie works really well as the visuals suit the serial killer mode as much as the demonic level nicely. The brutal murder of the hedonists in the Satanic mansion might be one of the best moments in the movie as it has a certain amount of poetic beauty to it. The next classic moments come by the end of it, as the attempt to open the gates of hell got a terrifying vibe to it, with hidden implications, even though not a real intervention of supernatural in store. The evil here can be really felt as there is the Satanist and anti-God vibe to it; the depiction of the same is exactly as we have seen in the movies and news here too – the need to do evil is rather too strong here.

Positives and negatives :: The final moments provide that fine twist related to the idea of hell, and it is indeed a smart move but people will still feel that this is a deviation from the serial killer mode which was to go on a full psychotic murder spree from the shadows. There could have also been more action in the final moments and a supernatural twist would have also done more. The Satanic cult tropes, bloody aesthetics and the atmosphere for fear still stays well here. Malcolm McDowell’s role is also worth noting as Satanic leader, but one feels that he could have been there for more. The same is the case of Grace Dove and Logan Miller who leaves rather too early. Then, the Computer Generated Imagery show some struggle at times too. The blood and gore, despite never over done for a slasher movie, might not be comfortable for everyone. Its release also went unnoticed, as we look when it really came out for the viewers. If it was not for its entry into JioHotstar, I would have never known about it either.

How it finishes :: The movie maintains the aesthetic of horror as a psycho killer going the Satanist way provides the extra, but one also feels that the final product does not go to the psychological thriller mode which was also there for the taking. This is still a classic finish with some moments to remember in between, as we see a kind of slasher with nostalgia which brings something to stay with its divergence which is not from the basic elements, but to bring something new. The movie surely had so much scope as a slasher which could make it big here, as the idea would feel still relevant in this world rather than where it really released. For all the die-hard slasher fans of 1990s thriller aesthetics, it will always remain the right watch for us. When most of us remember that we were all fans of Evil Dead, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Scream and other franchises from quite some time ago, this one should begin another franchise – the ending happens in such a way that there is scope for sequel. A slasher fan would find it better not to read too much of those negative reviews and go for a sequel if it finally gets released.

Release date: 20th February 2026
Running time: 91 minutes
Directed by: Gavin Polone
Starring: Georgina Campbell, James Preston Rogers, Malcolm McDowell, Logan Miller, Grace Dove

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Pumpkinhead

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Vampire Owl: I would accept this one as part of the vampire team.

Vampire Bat: There can never be a pumpkinhead vampire.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein had once created a creature out of a pumpkin.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein can create only be a creature and can create none.

Vampire Owl: Frankenstein can only be a creature of supreme intelligence.

Vampire Bat: Do not transform him into an alien now.

Vampire Owl: He is not of this realm, and therefore he is an alien, the smartest among them.

Vampire Bat: He is not worthy enough for any designation.

Vampire Owl: You are talking about the greatest scientist of twelve realms.

Vampire Bat: He is the one pseudo-scientist that I would avoid.

[Gets a masala bonda and three cups of kadak tea].

What is the movie about? :: A thirteen-year-old boy named Sam (Bean Reid) who was forced to leave his friends and relocate from New York City to a small village with a seemingly perfect and peaceful farming community called Redhaven with his family. The story of the village points to Palmer (Kevin McNulty), who is known as a generous, friendly old farmer who is the descendant of those agriculturists who saved the town by creating agricultural success out of nowhere at a time when everything was failing in the land and crops were dying. The people of the village have been spreading the word that it was achieved through hard work and advanced farming techniques and the villagers celebrate the same through a harvest festival. During this festival, Redhaven’s unmatched prosperity in compared to the area around them continues to be celebrated as the award-winning crops which are sold in bulk and at high prices throughout the neighbouring villages are remembered in Palmer’s lands. But Palmer keeps people away from his farmhouse, which he keeps away from the village folk, but everyone surrounds the area around the farm where he has kept the celebrations alive.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Angry about his move to the strange place which seems to have nothing for him, and chased away from the farmhouse by Palmer while looking at a strange pumpkin, Sam decides to steal a massive pumpkin from the farmer’s restricted area just to make the man feel bad about it. The police begin to start searching about the same as a case was registered, and the farmer who was held at high regard by the village gets all the condolences. Sam’s elder brother Finn (Seth Isaac Johnson) finds out about the same, and with hope for the best about the family’s relationship with the village where they have to spend rest of their lives decides to return in back at that night itself, even though Sam remains unhappy about the people of the village and its lack of facilities compared to every place he had stayed before. But Finn who reaches the farmhouse is attacked by some unknown force, and some vines which capture him, take him right into the sand.

And what more is to follow here as things seem to show tendency to get further complicated? :: The next morning, as he cannot find his elder brother anywhere, Sam keeps searching for Finn, but is not able to find him. As he keeps searching for him, he remembers that he was going to Palmer’s house to return the pumpkin, and with his only friend from the area which he had just found, Becka (Adeline Lo), he goes on searching, only to be thrown out of the farmhouse by Palmer. As he tells his mother Cassie (Kendra Anderson) about his elder brother going missing, but he discovers that she does not remember Finn and according to her, such a person never really existed in their memory even as an acquaintance. He brings photos of them together, but she does not see her elder son and asserts than Sam is her only child and they came to the village as a group of two in their car. Becka tells him that children have gone missing from the village before, and none of the adults seem to remember them. She tells him not to waste time with adults of the village anymore, and only an outcast named Rusty (Matty Finochio) might be able to save them. At the same time, the scarecrow in the field seems to look at them. Can they find the secret behind the missing children soon enough or will more of them go missing?

The defence of R L Stine’s Pumpkinhead :: The movie’s biggest point is the scarecrow monster itself, which brings effective scares. The creature’s unnatural and unsettling movements create genuinely unsettling visual scares, and rises a long way above CGI using an actor. The idea of children being erased from the memory and even proof of their existence disappearing makes a scary point here further away from the usual horror. Despite the scares, this one remains a horror which stays within its borders, making it watchable for everyone, and still does enough justice to the genre. The presence of ancient evil makes sure that a high level of danger is always there to unleash chaos into unsuspecting people. The kids do a great job, and the pairing of the leading children works effectively, and the final villain reveal also blends in well. The visuals are nothing less than stunning, as the autumn imagery and the small-town harvest festivals with pumpkins, all with that orange shades provide a stunning look here, and in this case, even the night view has a certain charm as much as the horror that stays. The climax twist feels classic and should inspire a sequel.

The claws of flaw :: This is that kind of a movie which we had not heard about until it was released on Amazon Prime Video, and when something goes unnoticed by the horror enthusiasts, that feels strange. Some of the acting in the beginning does feel like a struggle, especially with the first few moments never really bringing much of an interest. The weak beginning might decrease the number of people who watch movie to its more interesting parts. The main character if written better, would have helped the process in those early stages, and the protagonist being a little more likeable would have surely served the purpose better. The people who look for strong and extremely terrifying moments will be disappointed, as the movie never really goes for something huge. One would also feel if something other than the scarecrow and some vines within a farmhouse could have been added to extend the strength of horror, as the idea of an ancient evil rooted on Earth and nature would have endless possibilities. The supporting characters are not given enough according to the situation either, and our hope to see the pure evil unleashing itself is lost.

How it finishes :: R L Stine’s Pumpkinhead stays different from other horror movies as a work on screen which can be watched by the whole family, never really taking it to the next level – it can be a good thing of something bad, as it limits the movie, but keeps it accessible to everyone. The scares are still effective enough, and staying within a drawn line of control, it can still call for all kinds of audience. Its power as a highly effective, atmospheric gateway horror movie cannot be questioned at all. It balances the spooky nostalgia of 90s horror with modern style, making it a perfect entry point for younger audiences who are looking for horror entry while remaining entertaining enough also for those usual horror fans. It can also be said that the horror here is not just physical, but psychological as the memory of a loved one disappearing also adds on here. The feeling is more or less like folk-horror as centuries-old ancient horror comes out of nowhere with unsuspecting people playing along with the evil plans. Now we will see what can come in this franchise if there is a sequel – there should be more evil to unleash here.

Release date: 17th October 2025
Running time: 90 minutes
Directed by: Jem Garrard
Starring: Bean Reid, Seth Isaac Johnson, Adeline Lo, Kevin McNulty, Bob Frazer, Matty Finochio, Troy James

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Drop

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Vampire Owl: I remember that I once dropped bomb in the land of zombies during a lockdown.

Vampire Bat: It was a magical orb; you don’t call it a bomb.

Vampire Owl: In our worlds, the orbs replace the bombs.

Vampire Bat: We are no longer using that magic in our lives.

Vampire Owl: The dark magic has still spread enough in the realm.

Vampire Bat: Such evil has been limited to the lands of the northern witches.

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein had ended the witches by himself.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein won no science vs magic battle.

Vampire Owl: Frankenstein will end all unnecessary magic with the use of science.

Vampire Bat: Now you know why Uncle Dracula banned him.

[Gets a sweet puffs and three cups of Kodaikanal tea].

What is the movie about? :: Violet (Meghann Fahy) had been suffering as she was unable to leave her alcoholic and abusive husband despite her being a therapist herself. But this had changed as the man committed suicide, but she was blamed for it, and people often told the stories about her killing her husband as she was unable to suffer his atrocities anymore, as even the neighbours could not stand the man. On an eventful day, after finishing daily work, she is startled by a metre reading man knocking on her window and she had guided him to the back of her home. Later, Violet decides to leave her young son Toby (Jacob Robinson) at home in the care of her younger sister Jen (Violett Beane) and go for her first date after the death of her husband. Jen makes sure that her sister wears the best clothes and manages to find her true love this time and get married to lead a good life. With everything set and with the best wishes of her sister, Violet reaches Palate, a grand restaurant at the top of a skyscraper for a date with a photographer named Henry (Brandon Sklenar), whom she has been messaging through a dating app.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As Henry is late, she spends some time at the bar and meets Richard (Reed Diiamond), a little elderly man waiting on a blind date, Matt (Jeffery Self), a server on his first day at the restaurant, Cara (Gabrielle Ryan), the friendly bartender, Phil (Ed Weeks), the restaurant’s pianist, and Connor (Travis Nelson), a young man waiting for his sister. Henry reaches, and as they start their date, Violet begins receiving messages on her mobile phone through a short-rage texting system. These messages from this unknown user starts with memes which gradually become more threatening. Henry tells her that it could only be someone seated in their section of the restaurant as the range would only be that much. Despite Violet trying to ignore the drops, the crisis elevates as the unknown person asks her to check her home security cameras. As she checks for the same through camera, she finds Jen being knocked out by a masked man who locks Toby inside a room, and she is warned against telling everyone about it, as the boy would be killed if anyone comes to know about it.

And what more is to follow here as lives seem to be at stake with time running out? :: The messenger tells her that only by careful actions, her son will be saved, and warns her against leaving from the restaurant, as she is to continue her date. When she moves, it seems that the man knows, and as she moves into the toilet, she finds hidden cameras near the wash, and the same was also seen on the side of her table. She pretends to be scared of heights and ask for the table to be moved from their location with the city view to anywhere else. Henry manages to have the same done with the help of the staff, but she is forced to come back as the messenger asks her to return to the same seat or her child would die. They return to the same table, which the staff says was particularly chosen for them through a call, but both of them remember none of it. The messenger further instructs Violet to find a camera in Henry’s bag kept on a side and destroy its SD card. Violet manages to complete the job and finds out that Henry, who works for the city mayor, has photos which would serve as evidence against the man. But this would not be the last thing she will have to do to save her son. How long can she survive like this?

The defence of Drop :: The movie is powered by a fine performance from Meghann Fahy who drops the anchor with a performance that requires some fine skill, as she has to continue fighting against all odds with control over her actions as much as the emotions. Brandon Sklenar also provides some fine support here as he plays the next significant character. These characters are placed in a situation which does not go much about one and half hours, and with such a short run-time, the movie leaves one with no wasted time. There are some nice situations which feels more real than the others. The anxieties about digital life and surveillance feels very much real as we never really move away from the same, no matter how much we feel that this would not happen to us. The suspense and thrills we feel here are more like taken right out of a world that we know. There is also that emotional side related to the life of the main character. Then there is the stunning world of the restaurant with a view and the tension that something big is going to happen any time soon, and the audience are prepared for the same.

The claws of flaw :: When we think deeply about the movie, we can’t help feeling that the villain’s plan depends on the near-impossible, requiring the best of timing and perfect surveillance that stretches the willing suspension of disbelief at times – this happens in such an area where immense possibilities are there, and just going for the same in the usual manner and then trying to hide the evidence would have been the better options however we look at it. The idea that the main character, despite being a person with skills related to the mind decides to stay with her abusive and alcoholic husband who does not have the right state of mind makes us wonder what kind of skills she has in her field of psychology. The flashback which goes there is not that much either, and we never really go that deep into past, and yet there is so much of talk about the same. Then the finish seems to be done in a hurry as the revealing is done and then the chase happens as if they were just put there to end the film as soon as possible.

How it finishes :: Drop takes advantage of the fear of being watched digitally with no idea of who is doing the same; it is indeed one of the scariest feelings that one could have, as this has become an inevitable part of our life in one way or the other. Meghann Fahy carries the same tension while not really out of the character’s long trauma right on her shoulders. Her performance that stands apart makes sure that the emotional stakes feel raw and very much human, even when the technology around her tries to take over. It is to be noted that all of these happens in the restricted space of the top floor of a skyscraper where the restaurant is situated. There, it expertly turns an everyday social setting into a terrifying nightmare, and for the same, it needs the applause, as some of us might think twice about talking to a digital stranger too. It could have still become something more, but it chooses not to, as the terror lies a little too much in the messages and a video cam rather than on the main location in real space, and we should have had a little bit more of the main character’s past and a less quick journey in the final stages. But we have everything that ends well, and we are left with messages, which is very much fine.

Release date: 11th April 2025
Running time: 95 minutes
Directed by: Christopher Landon
Starring: Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane, Jeffery Self, Ed Weeks

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✠ The Vampire Bat.

Eesha

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Vampire Owl: Looking for recent horror movies, we have to go into another industry.

Vampire Bat: Well, not all industries have all movies exactly as they project for outside world.

Vampire Owl: I think that the best movies are those which are not known to many people.

Vampire Bat: True. They do not release the best movies in the theatres.

Vampire Owl: Yes, the theatres are for heroes who fly and beat up thousands of people.

Vampire Bat: They do even worse things, and it is strange for our world, not for theirs.

Vampire Owl: Can’t one of these movies become highest grossers instead of that mass masala?

Vampire Bat: Well, mass has the advantage because theatres are for the masses.

Vampire Owl: Yes, strange humans and their love for the mass thing.

Vampire Bat: This is the exact reason why humans are not allowed inside the Dracula Castle. Even the worst of the witches or fully drained zombies would not let them in.

[Gets a Chicken curry puffs and three cups of Wayanad tea].

What is the movie about? :: Kalyan (Thrigun), Naina (Hebah Patel), Vinay (Akhil Raj Uddemari) and Aparna (Siri Hanmanth) are four youngsters who try to find the truth behind supernatural situations and expose fraudulent spiritual leaders who try to extort money out of unsuspecting believers – they find out that the easy targets for spiritual practitioners are those who feel that evil has possessed their own people or homes or maybe even believes that some curse has been unleashed, and death or hell awaits them. As they were childhood best friends, and Vinay and Aparna had managed to get married some time ago, and is expecting a child. But this has not stopped their plans to expose more people who are involved in spiritual practices and they become well-known for the same in the city. But they extend their plans to go for something much bigger, far away from their city, but Aparna is hesitant about it. But with the support of the rest, who are firm believers in rationalism, they set out to investigate the case of Aadidev (Babloo Prithiveeraj), a former neurosurgeon who has turned into a spiritual healer.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Aadidev has been treating individuals who claims to be afflicted by supernatural forces at an ashram which he found in a remote village in the border between Andhra Pradesh and Odissa. He had left his job as a reputed neurosurgeon who conducted so many surgeries which saved many lives after the death of his wife. The friends find a video of the woman before his death and feels that she was just mentally disturbed and the attempt at exorcism killed her. As they travel to the remote area on the border of two states through a twisted road on the hills, they almost meet with an accident when coming against a motor-bike carrying a family, but the woman who was sitting on the back of the vehicle dies as she falls down the cliff. But the friends remain unaware of the same as they reach their destination. When they reach the ashram, they are attacked by a strange man, but Aadidev saves them. But the friends call all of these to be staged with paid actors and Aadidev faces such strong lack of belief for the first time.

And what more can happen in this world of faith against another one which lacks the same? :: This makes him take the friends to an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere. He tells them that the place is haunted with spirits and after three days of living there, the friends will start believing in life after death. The friends accept it as a challenge, but he tells them that it is no usual place, as there have been so many deaths including murders and suicides right in the building. He also has his disciples write some incantations for protection along with leaving a few religious and spiritual items there. He also asks them not to cross a certain area which would take them out of his protection and the same would be extremely dangerous. They do not really care about the same as they find the spiritual man to be a fraud who uses the faith and belief of the locals to his best advantage – they feel that he had chosen this particular way of life as it seemed as the easier and influential job through which he could earn the most with the least efforts while taking no real risk. Can the friends stay there for three days and come back alive or will they lose all their rationalism and might even be killed by the evil spirits who roam in the area?

The defence of Eesha :: The movie has some very impressive visuals which serves the purpose or horror very well. The darkness, shadows, and the shades give the film an eerie, high-quality visual beauty of horror. The atmosphere is nicely created and some fine settings serve like a special boon here. The background score nicely supports the same. The beginning itself had nicely set the mood here. Babloo Prithviraj’s work is a big bonus here, and we see that even though not on the side of the protagonists, he scores so well that we like him from the beginning even when the heroes talk about him. Hebah Patel as Naina plays the biggest sceptic of the movie really well, and she reminds us of the actions and talks of Gayathrie Shankar playing Meena in the Tamil horror movie called Pechi, but there is no similar twist for this one. Siri Hanmanth as Aparna has her moments, while the male cast seems to be more in support with the two women seemingly deviating into their thoughts well. The dramatic twist which comes in the end remains a strong one, and it is something which make on think, and is not limited to one world.

The claws of flaw :: The movie leaves too many gaps in the tale as it seems to have some trouble about understanding what it really wishes to achieve. There is a certain amount of confusion about the dead person’s spirit coming back as revenge instead of anything else, but then the situation of the four friends explained in the end does not seem to match with the same leading to multiple confusions in the thread that binds all of them. Then the rationalist friends also act a little too strange even when they see things that could make even the most sceptic people believe in all of these, and after exploring so many fraud cases, they cannot seem to feel a difference here, as the act of being brain dead makes it appearance at times, but we knew that this was coming, but they surely manage to solve some of those problems in between, not aggravating the whole situation in any manner. Adding more cases and their comparison with this, as well as revealing the modus operandi of the friends to such situations, would have made the whole thing more interesting; yet we just have them just going through the whole thing with no real plan.

How it finishes :: The movie manages its horror with a difference, and the deviation from the usual can also be seen around. It can be considered a visually striking, technically superior horror film that feels like being pulled down by its own ambitions to make it more twisted than it should have been, especially considering the overall mood going on another path. When the standard paranormal terror strikes with that divergent twist, the narrative struggles to get them together. The concept of a rationalist group facing the consequences of their arrogance is still interesting, but the overlapping of reality, hallucinations and spiritual possession often asks for more, but we are happy with what we get here. One can thank the mood, background scores, and high-quality visuals which brings that creepy experience, as we horror fans get the horror we have always wanted. After all, for a horror movie, it is more about what is one the screen, and what experience we are going to have, with hope for fear more than anything else.

Release date: 25th December 2025
Running time: 127 minutes
Directed by: Srinivas Manne
Starring: Thrigun, Hebah Patel, Akhil Raj Uddemari, Siri Hanmanth, Mime Madhu, Babloo Prithveeraj

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

<<< Click here to go to the biggest movie of last year.

<<< Click here to go to the most awaited sequel of the year.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.