FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES (2025)

 

Directed By: Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein

Written By: Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor 

Story By: Jon Watts, Guy Busick and Lori Evans Taylor 

Cinematography: Christian Sebeldt

Editor: Sabrina Pitre

Cast: Brec Bassinger, Kaitlyn Santa Juana, Ryan Kihlstedt, Richard Harmon, Owen Patrick Joyner, Anna Lore, Alex Zahara, April Amber Jack, Teo Briones, Tony Todd 

Plagued by a recurring violent nightmare, a college student returns home to find the one person who can break the cycle and save her family from the horrific fate that inevitably awaits them.

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This film franchise makes a welcome return in a rebooted film that tries to add to the lore, as well as give fans what they have come to expect an unexpected gory death

As this film, obviously knows it’s audience and was made by people who grew up, loving the films, and you can tell and how much energy, passion and power they put into the film that while following the basic necessities of the franchise manages to stand out and feels a little bit, not only better made but also The quality comes across as better

One of the problems some might have with these films is that their generally made for audiences to cheer for the death, which feels kind of a, but the films usually try to keep the audience on their toes by not always going with the most obvious way of death, but try to spring either a surprise or try to make it a little bit comedic and bad taste by having us focus one way when really the violence is coming from another place, we weren’t even looking

Another reason this film is more memorable is that it is the last role in appearance for the late Tony Todd, who has always in someway been a part of this franchise as well as being an all-around character actor with over 100 credits. This is his final appearance and you can tell Watching this film by the looks of him that he was definitely sick when making this film and the film is dedicated to and it is a good role to go out on even despite the material.

The film gives the audience what it wants, and while doing that, it tries to fit in an original story, whereas instead of a randomly seeming to kill off survivors of a big accident, this film has death going after the bloodlines of characters who avoided death, even though we still get to see the goriness of what was originally supposed to happen or the massacre is more The word definition

Throughout this film, we see the decimation of one particular family, even as they try to escape death as luckily one member of the family gets the premonitions or visions of death or clues to a death before they happen. So that the film is still staying true to the rules of the earlier canon final destination movies, but allowing itself a little originality and a side step from them.

This film is more for the fans of the series, though it’s not a bad place to start if you haven’t seen any of the previous films, but will warn you. It’s more for the go fanatics who are looking for inventive death scenes, and a lot of jump scares. Which seems to be this film is Brad and butter.

Although the film makers also manage to create a lot of tension even when you know what is going to happen so that you anticipated and you want the characters to survive as they are likable, but you know that’s not possible but you want it also at times to get it over with as it’s just growing and growing But the other half of you is kind of hoping that they survive either way you just want that tension to be released and when it finally is, they managed to make it in the most splatter way that shocks but then also can’t amaze at times. 

Sure, one could easily get into the characters and story more of this film, but let’s face it. That’s not why most people are going to watch this film as truly the film could offer anything. People are here more for what they know about the film. as we are barely introduced to the characters before they start to perish. Sonthat we only know little details about them to really define their character or at least their traits.

The only disappointing aspect of this franchise is that knowing that all of the characters are doomed, and there’s a somewhat cynical air that floats above the film that will ultimately always end in tragedy. Though once you get past that. Especially as this film is on its sixth film. You just get used to the pattern if you’re going to continue to watch these films.

 it offers more than the usual though it has fun playing with the confines of itself

Grade: B -

CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD (2025)

 

Directed By: Eli Craig 

Written By: Eli Craig and Carter Blanchard

Based on the novel by: Adam Cesare 

Cinematography: Brian Pearson 

Editor: Sabrina Pitre 

Cast: Katie Douglas, Aaron Abrams, Kevin Durand, Will Sasso, Carson MacCormac, Vincent Muller, Cassandra Potenza, Verity Marks 

A fading midwestern town in which Frendo the clown, a symbol of bygone success, reemerges as a terrifying scourge.

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This film at first brings nothing new or noteworthy to the table as it plays pretty standard not necessarily an homage to 1980 slashers, but it plays like a basic one that I could’ve been from that time. As it feels cut and dry and fits all the basic clichés. 

It Does it seem to have knowing about it and a bit more of a sense of humor but really just seems to offer more of a modern spin. 

It’s interesting as most of the victims seem to be killing teens only who seemed to be the few who are clued in to the killer as the adults seem to always constantly turn a blind eye.

This feels like a film that tries to play into that haunting aspect a few years ago of just random clowns on abandoned roads or in the dark like a cult that had many sightings across America, which, if this film would’ve came out around that time would’ve been perfect advertising only this film is actually adapted from a very successful book series.

never read the books it’s based upon though watching this film does make me actually want to read it and it sequels

The kills don’t even feel that inventive most of the time they are more trying to set it up a standard for this next generation by showcasing the past when it comes to violence.

As the violence here seems to be the element that might set the film apart from other teen horror films as this is a noted, rated R and doesn’t go for that PG-13 aftermath violence only. Which should PLEASE gore fans out there?

Looking at the cast in the direction is the film at times comes across as a CW channel version of a horror film or even one of those Hulu original horror films that they have every year around Halloween, which aren’t great, but at least are somewhat fitting the season and offering up content. It feels like it pays homage to the 1980s slasher films a bit too much.

This film feels like a lighter version for the same audience as the horror film THANKSGIVING by Eli Roth. Only hear the film comes off a little too smooth and a little to planned 

Even with Katie Douglas as the lead. The film never truly catches fire and she’s an actress who I am actually a fan. She and the other actors stay true to their character types until their endings.

Luckily, it gets better by the second half as one scene comes across as original and it’s more of a comedic scene, which seems to start the film on a totally new path. At that point, the film at least still be quite sharp, but feels like it will start to beat itself have its own identity that sets itself apart.

Then you realize also that maybe the reason why the first half was so stale is it was setting us up for the revelations in the second half that they were hoping might be able to save the film. Wish I which one could say that that works, but it at least offers certain elements that are a breath of fresh air.

Now you do get some THE PURGE vibes at times. 

As this film certainly loves to show off and use shotguns.

Even dispatching one of the few minority characters who ends up being the most annoying of them all in such a cruel, most violent way. The other one perish is way too early even before we get to know that character which is cliché and while logically isn’t the first victim, though is the first victim in modern day where the film is set.

The film does offer rebelling against tradition, exposing the ways in which it is bad or stunt the growth of others. As a theme offering an anti-conservative message, which might have been one of the reasons that bothered as well as bad promotion and merchandising for the film.

Which one is hurting a lot of films these days, especially the more independent feature films.

By the end, it even starts to feel a bit predictable. 

Though one is disappointed a bomb as it’s not likely to have a sequel or build an audience even though many have said that the sequel book is much better.

I usually want to root for Eli Craig’s movies but they always seem to fall a bit short where it feels like something is missing that could truly help put them over the top. Maybe it’s because the films play basic yet they have quite the spin that should make them a cut above.

Grade: C

DANGEROUS ANIMALS (2025)

 

Directed By: Sean Byrne

Written By: Nick Lepard 

Cinematography: Shelley Farthing-Dawe

Editor: Kasra Rassoulzadegan

Cast: Jai Courtney, Hassie Harrison, Josh Heuston, Ella Newton, Liam Greinke, Rob Carlton

When Zephyr, a savvy and free-spirited surfer, is abducted by a shark-obsessed serial killer and held captive on his boat, she must figure out how to escape before he carries out a ritualistic feeding to the sharks below.

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From beginning to end, this is a quite glorious bee movie that has fun with its premise, but grounds itself with enough reality to keep the tension and thrills up

it’s main focus is on beast or the dangerous animals of the title here meant to be sharks, but also can be used for the films Central villain played with ecstatic energy by Jai Courtney, who is really becoming quite a notable character actor usually playing villains as over-the-top as he can yet charming after Hollywood try to make him more of a leading man and films, like TERMINATOR: GENYSIS and LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD (DIE HARD 5 that doesn’t even really feel like a true diehard film as much as a generic action film that includes the character John McLean) as for a while, it seemed like you could go either way when you saw him in a movie, but he has been putting in good work in character rules.

Thought this would be just one of too many shark movies that seem to come out every year then heard some buzz around the film that got my interest and put it on my to watch list figured I’d watch it eventually when came around to it. 

Then I found out Sean Byrne was the director. So then dropped everything and had to see it ASAP. he is not necessarily known the world over, but he is a genre director who never disappoints and always thrills with surprises no matter the topic or genre so one looks forward to any new project or presentation he has as after all this is his first film in 10 years. After THE LOVED ONES and THE DEVIL’S CANDY

here he doesn’t disappoint though on that same breath one say it’s not his strongest either then again even for a genre film there aren’t many places you can go with it so that it feels familiar. Even though the filmmaking and the cast truly sell the film and their characters. He manages to do so much with so little and still make it feel grand and full. 

unfortunately, there’s but so much all of them can do. though at least it stays entertaining and thrilling throughout so that it’s never boring and keeps you on the edge of your seat while it goes through the motions.

Jai Courtney‘s character though stays fascinating as he’s a villain but not your typical villain as truly he’s more of a serial killer who just has a long and drawn out method. when it comes to the ceremony of his killing and why, though he will drop someone literally at the drop of a hat if they get in his way though, they are seen More as collateral damage, even as victim. throughout the film, we are taking through the entire process.

Being that Mr. Courtney is the biggest name he comes across as the star. As he has the juiciest role and makes the most of it. Though Hassie Harrison gives a strong performance as the resourceful final girl. Who is as tough as she is beautiful? As well as Josh Houston who is supposed to be her knight in shining armor but ends up more being the damsel in distress in the third act. As well as most of the film.

As the title suggests or is a metaphor that some of the most dangerous animals can be human, though some only become predatory when provoked or out of survival.

Grade: B- 

HELL OF A SUMMER (2025)

 

Written & Directed By: Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk

Cinematography: Kristoffer Bonnell

Editor: Christine Armstrong 

Cast: Fred Hechinger, Finn Wolfhard, Billy Bryk, Abby Quinn, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Krista Nazaire, Pardis Saremi, Matthew Finlan, Adam Pally, Rosebud Baker

The counselors of a summer camp are terrorized by a masked killer.

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While the film is certainly funny. As a horror film it should work, but doesn’t. As it is a horror comedy, but at times it feels like it is trying to be a parody or spoof with a little more sketch comedy thrown in. As the film Wants to be sensical somewhat. as commonly the film feels like the work of a sketch, comedy troop that just decided to pay homage to horror films of their youth, and trying to modernize them.

As the film comes off pessimistic to a degree adding character based humor to familiar situations. Making to feel like a post modern slasher film. Which is unfortunate as most of the characters are there a memorable. You only wish it was In a stronger script and story. 

The film has various strange tones and moods that come at random times. 

there are very few on screen kills which lowers the film’s value. As it’s not even made for creativity. It only hurts the film, especially when most of the cast is killed. The only time there is violence is more in the death scenes they choose to show which is more the villains. 

At a certain point there seems to be just a massacre of various characters getting killed one by one to make up for the lack of kills in the first half. 

Despite the many jokes about him, that land. The lead character could have been fleshed out a bit more. To help the audience understand him or at least understand what drives him. Rather then cia tangly have him just be enthusiastic. Where It’ understandable the filmmakers want to add him as a suspect though we know it’s not him. Leaving us hung up and dry in his character feels unnecessary rather than silly. For instance is he on the spectrum or suffering from arrested development 

The film seems to want to also parody or bring back memories of the disappearing camp films. 

Made for a more modern generation. though without the obvious exploitative cliché is that usually these films have as it tries to be more politically correct.

In the end the film is fun in a silly way, that feels more like a fun look rather than an actual full feature. It feels more like an interesting student film or a film that was made more for a sketch comedy group to stretch their wings. Rather than the two filmmakers behind the film. Who are also co-starring in the film. One Finn Wolfhard the biggest name in the film. Along with Billy Bryk they play the two characters who if not for the lead seem like they would be. As they seem to get the most attention 

Grade: C

V/H/S/HALLOWEEN (2025)

 

Directed by Alex Ross Perry, Casper Kelly, Paco Plaza, Anna Zlokovic, Bryan M. Ferguson, R.H. Norman, Michelle Pitt-Norman 

Written By: Alex Ross Perry, Casper Kelly, Paco Plaza, Anna Zlokovic, Bryan M. Ferguson, R.H. Norman, Michelle Pitt-Norman and Alberto Martini (UT SUPRA SIC INFRA)

Cinematography: Adrian Hernandez, Robert Kolodny, Owen Laird, Daniel Marks, Sean McDaniel, Powell Robinson 

Editor: Robert Kolodny, Bryan M. Ferguson, R.H. Norman, Alex Familian, David Gallart, Dylan Hoang, Sean Mark Lamb Lewis, Phil Samson 

Cast: Rick Baker, David Haydn, Samantha Cochran, Natalia Montgomery Fernandez, Elena Musser, Maria Romanillos, Almundra Amor, Ismael Martinez, Riley Nottingham, Lawson Greyson, Jenna Hoffman, Sami Nye, Stephen Gurewitz, Carl William Garrison, Jeff Harms, Noah Diamond, Sarah Nicklin 

A collection of Halloween-themed videotapes unleashes a series of twisted, blood-soaked tales, turning trick-or-treat into a struggle for survival.

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It’s that time of year where this horror anthology comes up with a new collection. Which is a nice tradition. As usually each collection every year has a theme to it usually expressed in the title. This one is similar and revolves around stories that take place in or around Halloween, though unlike some of the former entries, it’s not so much about a group finding all these random tapes and watching them or being presented to them This year‘s anthology has a background story and then just plays each short film in between the main background story. One can admit this is a yearly guilty pleasure whose quality is a roller coaster yet still enjoyable. Even though after last years entries. One was wondering was it on its last leg and run out of steam.

Still think it should be like the ABC’S OF DEATH and allow new or struggling filmmakers a chance to submit their own entries and use maybe one of two of them as segments each year. After either being voted on by fans or the producers. 

Though truthfully, this year’s anthology should have the subtitle forget those kids as this year the anthology seems to have more of a presence of children. In most of the stories and none are not sacred cows. They are is open to violence and unfortunately death as any of the adult characters.

Even though each anthology is cruel in its own way for some odd reason this year, feel a little more disturbing again maybe it’s because children can be easily as victims as anyone but also there is one short in particular that is not only uncomfortable but again so warped. 

Writer/Director Alex Ross Perry’s Entry KID PRINT was the one I was looking forward to the most and it is unforgettable, Maybe because unlike the rest of them, it doesn’t really deal with fantasy or made up monsters. It’s a little too realistic and seems like it could really happen which is why it’s a memorable and all the more powerful even though at first it starts off seemingly normal and not that special but by the end, it has totally transformed itself as like the plot it starts off so innocently and so simple, and then catches you off guard with a heaviness that you never saw coming. Which is not surprising, considering it’s done by the director from the an anthology whose work I know the most. Alex Ross Perry, who is a journeyman independent director who is not known to do genre films. Usually this seems to be his first and definitely his first official Horror film. Which seems to be an experiment and exercise while using his usual filmmaking technique of realistic stories, and a love a film, the equipment in the filmmaking techniques.

This story is Based around Kidprint was a free service offered by Blockbuster Video in the mid-1990s. Participating stores had a kiosk that children stood in front of that showed their height, and staff would use a VHS camera to record a short video of them speaking basic information about themselves. Parents would take home the tapes to use for ID purposes incase their child went missing.

Another reason why this entry is so different is Because at heart most horror stories seem to be about revenge. Setting things right in whoever’s eyes no matter what. Even if there are extremes and plenty of innocents damaged and killed along the way. When it comes to this short it ends with an injustice that doesn’t seem like it will ever get righted and in many ways. As it should have never happened and has plenty of mistakes, mishaps, wrong turns and lack of communication that ultimately leads to tragedies that by the end seem like they will continue. Which makes it all the more disturbing. 

The film is messy more emotionally with where it goes that it almost feels like a snuff film. As most of the films live up to the title more shot with home video cameras and from point of view shots commonly. 

The other stories/segments are the wraparound segments of DIET PHANTASMA. Written & Directed by Bryan M. Ferguson. Which gets repetitive, as we watch a control group taste test a new soda with ghastly results. Where each segment shows how uncaring the executive watching the results is behind it and the creative ways in which the volunteers are killed or slaughtered after drinking the soda, by the soda. 

It seems to want to be an Anti-capitalist message and dark comedic satire, but the point or ultimate jokes comes off disappointing that we went through all of that to get to this punchline. Which isn’t weak but isn’t that strong either. Though it does help tie together not only the Halloween theme inspiration but also it’s indented to HALLOWEEN 3 

The film starts of with COOCHIE COOCHIE COO written & Directed BY Anna Zlokovic. Which as usual for the franchise ends up being the most disgusting and nasty entry of the film. Here more gore wise. The film is based around two female teenagers facing their last Halloween together, who decide to go trick-or-treating and are enticed by a mysterious house and the promise of free candy. Where once they enter, they can’t seem to escape. Not only that but are chased by various seeming demented adult babies and a breast feeding phantom. 

The next segment is UT SUPRA SIC INFRA directed By Paco Plaza (Director and mastermind behind the REC film franchise) which gives the film some international flavor. Which at least I can say this franchise usually provides. this is the only tale to have a co-writer not directing. This ends up being the weakest of all the segments. The most disappointing. As it has its moments and the filmmaking is great, but the story feels familiar and like we’ve seen it before. It has interesting dressing but lacks depth or reason. Where it feels like more thought was given to the look then the actual idea. As by the end nothing is truly explained and it seems to just lay there. As it comes across as a rather basic gory ghost story 

Then we have the segment FUN SIZE Written & Directed by Casper Kelly. That plays more like a demented fantasy. Where a group of friends take more then one piece of candy from a random table of candy none have ever heard of, breaking the rules they are taken and transported to a warehouse factory. Where they find out horrifically how the candy is made. As they try to revise they are haunted and hunted by the candy’s playful mascot and his assistant. This one seems to more lean into cruel gore and torture with a more playful macabre attitude. 

Wish this shirt had more of a point other than the consequences of breaking the rules. which is the set up but then that’s it other than the carnage. 

The previously mentioned KIDPRINT plays next. 

Then the final extended tale HOME HAUNT written & Directed by R.H. Norman & Michelle Pitt-Norman. Which revolves around a man and his family obsesssed with Halloween who host a haunted house every year for the neighborhood. Looking to impress his son who is finding this embarrassing he ends up taking a record from an antique store that is off limits and the record seeks to make his attraction come to life and transport his family and all of his customers to a personal hell. That they try to escape from.  This starts off fun until it just turns more mean spirited, but next to FUN SIZE the most comedic and so called fun segments. Which might be why they feel a bit similar. This has a meta money as most of these films have practical special effects and this film has legendary special effects artist Rick baker as a cast member.

This anthology makes it through another year, but at least it leaves behind better memories than recent past entries. 

Grade: B-