Tag: Horror

Arcadian

2024   RLJE Films

Rated:  R

Length:  1 hr  32min

Action ~ Drama ~ Horror ~ Sci-Fi ~ Thriller

Directed by: Benjamin Brewer

Starring:  Nicolas Cage, Jaeden Martell and Maxwell Jenkins.

Family Is Stronger Than Fear

Arcadian drops us deep into a world where every night is a fight for survival, and every day is a fragile respite from the terrors that lurk outside. Paul, played by Nicolas Cage,, hunkers down with his twin teenage sons, Joseph (Jaeden Martell) and Thomas (Maxwell Jenkins), on an isolated farmhouse, their lives strictly organized around a nightly lockdown to keep out mysterious, predatory creatures. The film wastes no time throwing viewers into this tense routine, where every sunset brings dread and the comfort of family is tested by the constant threat from just beyond the barricaded doors.

Thomas, outgoing and impulsive, often pushes the boundaries of their father’s rules, sneaking away for brief encounters with Charlotte, a resourceful neighbor from the next farm. Meanwhile, Joseph plays by the rules and quietly studies their world, even daring to trap one of the nocturnal creatures in hopes of understanding it better. Arcadian skillfully builds drama by focusing on these sibling differences, revealing how each boy handles fear, isolation, and the flickering hope for connection in a world that’s lost its sense of safety.

A single brash decision shatters their carefully curated routine, plunging the family into a series of harrowing confrontations. As the threats evolve and old alliances fracture, the tension ratchets up, leaving Paul and his sons struggling not only against the monsters outside, but also against their own insecurities and doubts. Arcadian is less about explaining what caused the apocalypse and more about exploring how these survivors cope, adapt, and search for meaning and hope—even when the world grows darker with each passing night.

Arcadian drops you into a tense, post-apocalyptic world where survival means daylight refuge and nightly battles against terrifying creatures. Nicolas Cage quietly anchors the story of a father trying to keep his twin sons safe as the monsters evolve new ways to attack. With sharp creature design and sibling drama at its core, Arcadian offers a fresh take on the creature feature genre that fans of atmospheric horror won’t want to miss. Perfect for viewers who crave suspense and a story about family fighting to hold onto hope in a dark, dangerous world. Well worth a watch!

Dangerous Animals

2025   Shudder

Rated:  R

Length:  1 hr  38min

Horror ~ Survival ~ Thriller

Directed by:  Sean Byrne

Starring:  Hassie Harrison, Josh Heuston, Rob Carlton, Ella Newton, Liam Greinke and Jai Courtney.

You’re Safer In The Water

Jai Courtney stars as Bruce Tucker, a boat captain on the Gold Coast of Australia who runs Tucker’s Experience. a shark cage attraction. As he is returning to his boat with supplies he finds Tourists Greg and Heather waiting to be taken out and experience the shark cage experience. After talking to them and realizing that know one knows where they are, Tucker is more than happy to take them out to sea for the shark cage experience. After taking them out and throwing out chum to attract the sharks, Tucker lowers Greg and Heather into the ocean in the shark cage. After bringing them back up, Tucker promptly stabs Greg repeatedly with a knife and kicks him overboard for the sharks to feast on. Heather screams and Tucker smiles wickedly at Heather and says, “Welcome Aboard!”

Zephyr (Hassie Harrison) is a free spirited American surfer living out of her van and travelling the Gold Coast of Australia. She is running from her past and searching for solace in the sun and the waves. She meets Moses (Josh Heuston) one day as he is looking for someone to help him start his car. Reluctant at first, Zephyr agrees to help him after she realizes that he is also a surfing enthusiast. They get his car started and then form a bond which leads to a one night affair. Zephyr, afraid of any kind of commitment and being a solitary creature, sneaks out as Moses is sleeping. She heads to the beach to do some early morning surfing but realizes she has lost her fin key for her surf board. She notices Tucker’s truck parked behind her and thinking he was probably an early morning surfer like her, rummages through the back of his truck looking for a key. Tucker shows up and she explains that she wasn’t breaking into his truck, only looking for a fin key. He has one and gives it to her. and when she turns her back to go to her van, Tucker ambushes her and knocks her unconscious.

When Zephyr comes to she is laying on a bed handcuffed to a metal railing. Frantic she tries to break free and realizes there is another girl laying in the same situation as her. It is Heather the Tourist who calmly tells her they are on Tucker’s boat and that there is no chance of escape. Tucker eventually shows up and gives the girls bread and water. Zephyr quickly realizes that Tucker has drugged the water and passes out. When she comes to, Tucker has Heather attached to the shark cage crane in a harness. She is drugged and Tucker has thrown chum into the water. As he starts to lift Heather up it becomes clear that he is about to feed the sharks with Heather that she is about to witness “The Greatest Show On Earth!” Tucker lowers Heather into the water and videotapes the whole episode for his perverse viewing later. When Zephyr comes to again she is back handcuffed to the bed in the boat. She frantically tries to escape knowing that she will be the shark’s next meal.

And what follows is a frantic thrilling and desperate journey to survive the psychotic serial killer Tucker and his perverse fascination with feeding people to the sharks. Moses is so taken with Zephyr, he tries to find her and eventually figures out that she is on Tucker’s boat and that Tucker is a “Dangerous Animal”. Like the solitary creature the shark, Tucker looks for his victims and attacks them when they least expect it with no mercy. Moses and Zephyr have grown very fond of each other and both realizing the other is in danger, they team up to escape from Tucker’s madness. Dangerous Animals is like Jaws, Hannibal and American Psycho all rolled into one. It is more terrifying than Jaws, more evil than Hannibal and more devious than American Psycho. If you love the Horror genre or Thrillers in general, this is a must watch! Jai Courtney and Hassie Harrison are fantastic in this, I absolutely loved it and would definitely watch it again!

Turn off the lights and devices,

Make some popcorn,

Grab a beverage,

and Scream,

I mean Stream This Movie

on Amazon Prime and Shudder

Wolf Man

2025   Universal Pictures

Rated:  R

Length:  1 hr  43min

Horror ~ Thriller

Directed by: Leigh Whannell

Starring:  Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, and Sam Jaeger.

What If Someone You Love Became Something Else?

Blake Lovell (Christopher Abbott), a writer struggling with anger and estrangement from his wife Charlotte (Julia Garner) and daughter Ginger, receives news that his long-lost father is officially declared dead, along with the keys to his remote childhood home in Oregon. Hoping for a fresh start and to mend family bonds, he takes his wife and daughter deep into the woods, only to find himself caught in a living nightmare. The family’s arrival coincides with reports of a mysterious creature rumored to stalk the wilderness, and during their trip, they are attacked by this beast, forcing them to barricade themselves inside an isolated farmhouse as night falls.

As the terror unfolds, Blake is injured and begins to exhibit strange symptoms, heightened senses, loss of speech, and a disturbing physical transformation. The claustrophobic tension in the farmhouse grows as Charlotte and Ginger watch Blake’s condition deteriorate, heightening the family’s fear and desperation. The monster continues to prowl outside, trying relentlessly to break in, while the family scrambles for safety, confronting both the external threat and the growing unpredictability of Blake himself. Desperate to escape, Charlotte attempts to flee with Ginger, but the creature forces them back into hiding. As Blake’s transformation accelerates, hair sprouting, fangs and claws emerging, his humanity fades, and he becomes a danger to his own family.

The general consensus of the movie and the people in that area is that it was a virus that infected the human and caused it to be “werewolf”-like. The movie and the story really veered off the typical Werewolf-wolfman theme. It was more of a virus infects man with some serious family issues story. Branded as a “re-Boot” of The Wolfman Franchise, it was more of a horror movie with a virus gone rogue. I am a huge fan of the original Monster Movies; Dracula, The Wolfman, Frankenstein, Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman, etc. and the one thing that bugs me about “remakes’ or “re-boots” is not following the story. Changing the story so much that it no longer resembles the original. Nosferatu is a great example of a remake that follows the original closely, they just updated the effects using the latest film technology. Invisible Man (Leigh Whannell also directed that movie) is another one that strayed from the original story although I did like that movie.

Universal Studios “Re-boot” of The Wolf Man takes a very different approach compared to the beloved 1941 original and other werewolf films over the decades. While the original focused on the tragic figure of Larry Talbot, a man cursed by supernatural means and transformed under the full moon, 2025’s version centers on Blake Lovell and treats lycanthropy less as a mythical curse and more like a horrific infection, spread by a cut rather than a bite. This new film sets its action in the present day, using a single dread-filled night to ramp up tension, unlike the original and the 2010 remake, which unfolded over longer periods and leaned more heavily into gothic, supernatural tales. Blake’s transformation is also less hairy and exaggerated; the werewolf retains more human features, making him look visibly “caught” between man and beast, which differs sharply from the completely monstrous, animalistic look of earlier versions.

Comparing Wolf Man (2025) to other werewolf films like An American Werewolf in London, The Howling, or even the 2010 Wolfman remake starring Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins and Emily Blunt, it stands out as more grounded with much less emphasis on supernatural legends, silver bullets, or dramatic transformation sequences. The movie avoids mystical explanations, focusing instead on body horror and emotional breakdown within a family, which is a clear departure from the magical invincibility and tragic grandeur of its predecessors. This approach made the story and the film lack the scares, heart, and bold visual flair that made past werewolf movies iconic.

It moved kind of slow and it was pretty much a disappointment for me. I was expecting the classic wolfman/werewolf story and that’s not what this is. So you might like it based on it’s own merits, but if you are expecting a remake of the classics, like I was, you won’t like it.

Watch at your own risk……..

Wolf Man Movie Coming To Prime Friday August 22, 2025

2025   Universal Pictures

Rated:  R

Length:  1 hr  43min

Horror ~ Thriller

Directed by: Leigh Whannell

Starring:  Christopher Abbott, Julia Garner, and Sam Jaeger.

What If Someone You Love Became Something Else?

Wolf Man is a reboot of The Wolf Man franchise by Universal Pictures as part of their Dark Universe Franchise. Coming to Prime Friday August 22, 2025.

Official Synopsis:

Blake moves his wife Charlotte and daughter Ginger to his childhood home in rural Oregon. Upon arrival, he survives a brutal animal attack, forcing the family to barricade themselves inside the house. As the night wears on, Blake’s bizarre behavior turns monstrous. To protect her daughter, Charlotte must decide whether to confront the danger outside or the growing horror within.

The Gorge

2025   Apple TV+

Rated:  PG-13

Length:  2 hr  7min

Action ~ Adventure ~ Horror ~ Romance ~ Sci-Fi

Directed by:   Scott Derrickson

Starring:  Miles Teller, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Sigourney Weaver.

They’re Not Keeping You Out, They’re Keeping Them In.

Two elite snipers, Levi (Miles Teller) and Drasa (Anya Taylor-Joy), are deployed by rival powers to isolated guard towers on opposite rims of a secretive, heavily-fortified gorge. Their assignment is cryptic: defend the gorge for a full year, forbidden from communicating with each other or the outside world. Both come with heavy personal burdens, Levi battles PTSD, while Drasa is haunted by her father’s death, yet they quickly realize their mission offers few answers and even fewer reassurances about what they are actually protecting.

Despite strict protocols, the prolonged solitude and relentless vigilance foster a connection between the two adversaries. Through clever, silent exchanges and eventually bold gestures—such as a zipline crossing for an in-person dinner—their relationship grows from wary rivalry to deep affection, sustained across the chasm that separates them. This budding romance is interwoven with moments of tension and shared danger, as they fend off unidentified threats emerging from the depths and slowly begin to peel back the layers of secrecy around their mission.

Events escalate dramatically when a failed return trip leaves Levi stranded in the gorge, prompting Drasa to launch a desperate rescue. Forced to descend into the unknown, they face hostile and bewildering challenges, all while realizing that the nature of their assignment and the true interests behind it are far more sinister than either had imagined. Their struggle to survive and uncover the truth tests, not only their combat skills, but the trust and bond they have forged in the shadow of the gorge.

I went into this one without knowing anything about it, didn’t even see the trailer. Which is exactly how I think you should watch it, the less you know the better the experience I believe. Well I did know that Anna Taylor-Joy was in it, probably the deciding factor in watching it. I am a fan, there is something about Anna that is very captivating. I first saw Anna in Split and Glass, but it was her performance in The Northman and The Menu that really got my attention. And I have to say that she does not disappoint in this one, in fact I’d have to say she absolutely killed in this role.

Miles Teller I am not that familiar with, I did some research and have seen him in The Divergent movies with Jennifer Lawrence but I don’t really remember him, just his face looked familiar. I did see him in Only The Brave, I love that movie…..great true story and a well done movie with Josh Brolin. I liked him in this one and thought he did a great job. The chemistry between Miles and Anna was infectious, it felt real. I thought it was a good story, a great Romance, and a captivating Sci-Fi adventure full of Horror and action. It was good to see Sigourney Weaver again doing what she does best as well.

I liked it, I will watch it again and I highly recommend it.

Turn off the lights, crank the audio, turn off the phone,

Grab a beverage, Make some popcorn and Stream this movie

On Apple TV+

The Northman

Only The Brave