lightninli
JoinedMarch 18, 2018
Articles1,029
Comments54
By day, Eric is a mild-mannered Architect, bringing great buildings to the good boys and girls of his hometown of Portland, Oregon. By night, he is a disreputable podcaster looking to promote the best and worst of horror movies!

Deck of Haunts: A PC Game Review

★★★★.5 out of ★★★★★

Intensity: 🩸🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

Have you ever desired to be a haunted house? Deck of Haunts will feed that desire, as well as many hapless investigators who want to discover the horrible truth about what you are. There is a dark heart beating at the center of this old mansion on a blasted hill, and it needs to feed on the souls and sanity of those who dare enter it. This is a digital card deck-building game that combines with a construction simulator. This game presents a significant strategic challenge. Good luck! It starts easy and becomes deviously hard.

Read More

Opus (2025): Review

★★★ out of ★★★★★

Intensity: 🩸🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

Place famously eccentric actor, John Malkovich into a story about a messianic pop star leading a death cult commune, under the A24 umbrella and you have the makings of an art house classic, right? Almost. It's a combination of The Menu, Midsommar, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. This A24 production falls a bit shy of its incredible promise.

Read More

Mockumentaries: The Documentary’s Evil Sibling: Episode 199

Horror Mockumentaries succeed because of the implied truths they pretend to offer. The authenticity, tangibility, and verisimilitude all convey that what you are watching actually happened. And, it could happen to YOU. Because it is a MOCKumentary and not a DOCumentary, this is all fiction, though, and thank goodness for that. Some of the most brutal and horrific stories originate from this favorite subgenre of horror. Join us in Episode 199, as the Scariest Things investigates the truth of Mockumentaries.
Read More

The Best 25 Horror Movies of the 21st Century : Episode 200

We have reached a milestone recording episode, and also a good milestone date for horror movies. The first 25 years of the century, nay, the millennium, have passed. It is an opportune time to look back at the first quarter century and show our favorite movies of the past 25 years. We like our lists and rankings here at The Scariest Things!
Read More

The Sinister Cinema Story (2025) Review: The Portland Horror Film Festival

★★★★ out of ★★★★★

Intensity: 🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

Are you a fan of obscure and cheesy cult films? Odds are, you would appreciate the efforts of Sinister Cinema, the Medford, Oregon-based distribution company that lovingly restored and distributed thousands of almost-forgotten films. This documentary from Jack Perez goes in-depth on the company that wouldn't let these films die.

Read More

Dooba Dooba (2025) Review: Portland Horror Film Festival

★★★1/2 out of ★★★★★

Intensity: 🩸🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

How is it that babysitting, traditionally the lowest common denominator flexible starter job, is so dangerous? Dooba Dooba is a lo-fi found footage film exploring the perils of a woman babysitting an odd girl full of tricks and dark secrets. If you think you know babysitter horror, think again; this movie has some wild twists. The film creates a moat of anxiety which will have you twitching from the dramatic irony of knowing too much, while the characters head blindly into awful decisions.

Read More

House of Ashes (2025) Review: Portland Horror Film Festival

★★ out of ★★★★★

Intensity: 🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

In a slightly dystopian future, Mia Sheldon finds herself imprisoned at home for the crime of having a miscarriage. She has been acquitted of her husband's death, which was ruled a suicide. What opens as a promising premise slides into the overly familiar. Unfortunately, the film dodges what could have been a fascinating sociological critique. House of Ashes contains some humorous and chilling moments, but overall, the film fell a little flat.

Read More

It Needs Eyes (2025) Review: Portland Horror Film Festival

★★★★ out of ★★★★★

Intensity: 🩸🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

It Needs Eyes examines the link between the dangers of obsessive and addictive behavior when coping with grief. "It", in this case, is the dark web. Brutal social media requires people to watch the dreadful material to have any power. It has found an addict, corrupting the otherwise innocent Rowan, who is struggling through grief by watching things she should not see. This is a beautiful, slow-burning movie featuring terrific performances from young actresses Raquel Lebish and Isadora Leiva. The film never terrifies, but the story will get under your skin and unnerve you.

Read More

Alma and the Wolf (2025) Review : PHFF

★★★★ out of ★★★★★

Intensity: 🩸🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

Alma and the Wolf spins a strange and surprising story that weaves themes of unfulfilled dreams and dark secrets. Ethan Embry, Li Jun Li, and the rest of the cast provide an emotionally poignant and ultimately tragic fable. Part psychological thriller, part folk horror, this film may be the best showcase of Embry's acting chops in his extensive filmography. This movie was the opening film at the Portland Horror Film Festival.

Read More

Predator: Killer of Killers (2025) Review

★★★★ of ★★★★★

Intensity: 🩸🩸🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

Predator: Killer of Killers is the second installment in the reinvigoration of the venerable action/sci-fi/horror franchise, following the 2023 release of Prey. Suffice it to say, the Predator franchise is in good hands. This animated feature picks up the baton from Prey, going back in history to epic battles between the Yautja (Predators, for the uninformed) and warriors of ages past. The production is gloriously illustrated, packed with action, and is written according to the mantra of show, don't tell.

Read More

The Portland Horror Film Festival is This Week!

THE MOST DIVERSE HORROR FEST IN THE WORLD TURNS 10!

Our hometown favorite film festival is kicking off its tenth annual showcase of independent horror films. World-renowned for their horror short films and underground horror features from across the globe, The Scariest Things is once again proud to be associated with them. Our team will cover the films, interview the filmmakers, and once again run the Horror Movie Greenlight Pitch experience at the Saturday night closing party, outdoors and under the stars at Dot's Cafe. Be part of the Portland Horror Film Fan community and join us!

Read More

Bring Her Back (2025) Review

★★★★★ out of ★★★★★

Intensity: 🩸🩸🩸🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

Bring Her Back is the sophomore horror feature effort from the Australian Philippou brothers, who two years ago produced the surprise hit Talk To Me. I am happy to report that they have once again delivered a spine-tingling and intense thriller that will haunt your soul for years to come. Sally Hawkins provides a villainess for the ages, and the rest of the young cast become sympathetic pawns in a horrifying possession experiment. The movie is an excellent original story, but you need to be willing to sit through a slow, steady burn and withstand some savage gory moments.

Read More

Pacific Northwest Horror: Episode 198

For much of the Scariest Things crew, we are discussing horror movies from our backyard. This is our home turf. The Pacific Northwest is a suitable backdrop for horror, with its often gloomy weather, quirky urban cities, and history of cryptids. Famously, we keep it weird in the PNW, and the movies reflect these tastes.
Read More

Two New Addictive Zombie PC Games Available On Steam

Are you the type of gamer who enjoys battling hordes of the undead? Do you enjoy strategic scenarios that feel consequential, and every turn feels like life or death? Steam has two new zombie-apocalypse: Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days and Infection Free Zone are two zombie-themed games that will get your pulse pounding. As a bonus, both are relatively inexpensive games that will provide many hours of grim entertainment.
Read More

Control Freak (2025) Review

★★★ out of ★★★★★

Intensity: 🩸🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

Control Freak might be the itchiest movie ever made. Vy Nguyen is a self-help guru on the rise and on the cusp of great fame. Despite her outward confidence, she has developed a nervous habit of scratching the back of her head. The psychological effect is due to a curse handed down to her from her parents, and what starts as an itch threatens to destroy her and everything she has achieved. You will be scratching your head by the end of this movie. (For many reasons)

Read More

Our Favorite Jump Scares: Episode 197

Jump Scares are the foundation of so many horror movies. This blast of adrenaline keeps horror fans coming back to the cineplex. Great horror movies, awful horror movies—they all use them. The Scariest Things team discusses our favorite use of the easiest and perhaps most essential trope in the genre.
Read More

Sinners (2025) Review

★★★★1/2 out of ★★★★★

Intensity: 🩸🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

Sinners proves positively that Ryan Coogler has mastered the art of making a horror blockbuster. He resides on a short list of directors who can not only deliver stunning artistic achievements, but at the same time knows how to please a demanding audience. Bathed in boozy, bluesy period atmosphere, it represents swampy cool, and celebrates the black experience of black culture in the 1930s Jim Crow South. Already a box office smash, the Academy should start preparing for another horror movie to crash the Oscar party come the next nomination period.

Read More

Trailer Alert: The Long Walk

The Long Walk, one of Stephen King's oldest un-filmed published works, will arrive in September in wide theatrical release. In The Long Walk, 100 young men participate in a walk down US Highway 1. It is a death march for 99 participants and a dream come true for the lone survivor. These contestants are to keep up a pace of three miles per hour or risk a warning. Three warnings, and the attending military patrol will shoot the straggler dead. The intense trailer created plenty of buzz.
Read More

The Overlook Film Festival Recap 2025

Overlook, the great New Orleans Horror Film Festival, has delivered its goods. Long-time Patreon supporter of The Scariest Things, Robyn Marcotte, joined us to share her experiences with Eric and Liz on the festival. More than ever, I found that I didn't have enough time to see nearly enough of the movies. Still, I was able to catch eight feature films and 23 short films. You have to pick and choose, as it is physically impossible to see all the movies. So, it became a bit of a guessing game as to what was going to be the best watch. In this episode, we share our thoughts on everything we did at the Festival.
Read More

Daydreamers (2025) Review

★★★★ out of ★★★★★

Intensity: 🩸🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

Daydreamers (Nguoi Mat Troi) announces that Vietnamese horror has arrived, boldly and with style. It takes the traditional Western tropes of vampires and packages them in a wholly Vietnamese wrapper. Two vampire brothers have taken different paths in their acceptance of vampirism. The older brother, Marco, revels in the power that is bestowed upon him. His younger brother Nhat seeks freedom from the restrictions and curse of vampirism and seeks to become human again. Themes of family honor, redemption, recovery, betrayal, and forbidden love play strongly throughout the film.

Read More

Tropes in Clown in a Cornfield (SPOILERS)

This is a SPOILER description of the tropes in Clown in a Cornfield. It isn't the actual review. Part of the fun with this movie was identifying all of the traditional themes and tropes that Clown in a Cornfield used to build up its story. This link was created so that people who didn't want to get spoiled for the film can avoid divulging the big story beats in the movie. For those of you who like spotting tropes like BINGO, read on! But, with a word of CAUTION, if you are spoiler sensitive. A link back to the review is provided in this post.
Read More

Clown in a Cornfield (2025) Review

★★★ out of ★★★★★

Intensity: 🩸🩸🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

Clown in a Cornfield is a return-to-basics teen slasher movie that gets all the little things right, but shares the same narrative limitations as its precedent source material. Sometimes hilarious, often bloody, this adaptation of a popular YA novel by Adam Cesare is tonally pitched still at a younger audience, and will likely be quite popular with the teen scene.

Read More

Horror Shorts Filmmaker Roundtable: Overlook Film Festival 2025

Horror Shorts are often the heartbeat of horror film festivals. They are frequently overlooked by audiences, but not at this year's Overlook Film Festival. Each session was full of horror fans, which was great. Listen in to these emerging directors and writers for insight into how to make festival-worthy films.
Read More

Ash (2025) Review

★★1/2 out of ★★★★★

Intensity 🩸🩸🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

Ash is a big, bombastic science fiction horror film that wears its influences on its sleeves. It offers a thrilling opening sequence and a monstrous conclusion but gets completely lost in its storytelling. Director/composer Flying Lotus crafted lovely psychedelic visuals and composed a soundtrack that thunders with propulsive energy, but unmemorable characters prove to be this film's undoing.

Read More

It Ends (2025) Review & Interview with Director Alex Ullom and Producer Carrie Carusone

★★★★.5 out of ★★★★★

Intensity: 🩸🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

It Ends travels with four college students on a road trip as a last hurrah before sending one of their own into the working world. What was meant to be a simple food run becomes a trip down a dreadful and endless road. As the miles add up, the group struggles to determine why they have been dealt this fate, fearing that this might be the afterlife with no off-ramp in sight.

Read More

Good Boy (2025) Review and Interview with Ben Leonberg

★★★★.5 out of ★★★★★

Intensity: 🩸🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

Good Boy is a ghost story told from a dog's perspective. If you have ever wondered why your dog has been barking at shadows or unheard sounds, you will understand the mechanics of this film. Our furry best friends know things that we can't fathom. Indy is a loyal pet to his ailing owner, who has moved into an old home with a cursed reputation.

Read More

The Ugly Stepsister (2025) Review: Overlook Film Festival

★★★★★ out of ★★★★★

Intensity: 🩸🩸🩸🩸out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

If we are honest with ourselves, most of us would identify more with the imperfect Elvira than the flawless Cinderella. Emilie Blichfeldt has produced a master class in deconstructing a modern myth. Beauty may only be skin deep, but its impact on one's self-worth can be devastating. The Ugly Stepsister is a boundary-pushing movie that is guaranteed to make you uneasy or even queasy and will leave an emotional mark on you.

Read More

Redux Redux (2025) Review

★★★.5 out of ★★★★★

Intensity: 🩸🩸🩸out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

In Redux Redux, a vengeful mother engages in a multiverse-hopping vendetta to exact justice on a serial killer who murdered her daughter. She hopes that in one of the alternate universes, she will find a world where her daughter is still alive. An interesting take, if a bit over-extended, on the causality loop of fate.

Read More

Hallow Road (2025) Review

★★★★ out of ★★★★★

Intensity: 🩸🩸out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

How far will you go to protect your children from poor decision-making? Hallow Road hits the streets as a one-room black box stage thriller set in an automobile. Two parents race to the scene of an accident involving their daughter, as panic sets in and additional levels of tragedy are revealed. This movie will put you through the emotional wringer and has some cryptic plot twists hiding in the shadows.

Read More

40 Acres (2025) Review: Overlook FF

★★★★.5 out of ★★★★★

Intensity: 🩸🩸🩸out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

The post-apocalyptic Canadian survival tale 40 Acres is a savage and emotional story that tests the boundaries of Darwinian society at the brink. In the end, when countries and governments fail, the family unit survives. This movie has increased prominence due to the current tensions between Canada and the US. The sense of dread only increases when the plausibility factor of this story has increased tenfold in recent months. The plot mirrors a thrilling opening scene with a devastating closing act, which stacks the deck heavily against our protagonists. Pulses will pound.

Read More

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Give us your email and get The Scariest Things in your inbox!

Scariest Socials