★★★★ out of ★★★★★
Can a misogynistic rideshare driver and a trio of strong-willed women work together to survive a monstrous attack? Spanish horror outing The Passenger attempts to answer that question in a gruesome, fast-paced romp.
Ranging from the horrific to the hilarious, the short films showcased at Panic Fest have something for everyone.
★★★★ out of ★★★★★
A peepshow dancer and a religious zealot must try to work together during the apocalypse or suffer abominable fates in this wild eighties-set chiller.
★★★★ out of ★★★★★
This Argentinian tale of a sorcerer trying to save his daughter from a diabolical creature is bound to put a lump in your throat as it sends shivers down your spine.
★★★★ out of ★★★★★
The bright Nordic summer masks something sinister in The Innocents.
The Pandemic fueled dread of Dashcam is showing at Panic Fest in Kansas City on May 1 and May 4. TST had the great opportunity to interview the director Rob Savage to discuss his latest creation.
★★★★ out of ★★★★★
Strap in for the most uncomfortable ride of your life with Rob Savage's Dashcam.
The Chattanooga Film Festival (CFF) brings another fine assortment of chillers, thrillers, the funny, and the fantastic, to this year’s virtual edition. The fest has announced its first wave of films, and from the frightening (such as The Ones You Didn’t Burn) to the freaky (the found footage mind-bender The Outwaters), CFF has something for genre film aficionados of all kinds.
IFC Midnight has dropped the official trailer and a brand new poster for Chloe Okuno’s debut feature film, Watcher. Watcher...
Luzifer ★★★1/2 out of ★★★★★
Gatlopp★★★1/2 out of ★★★★★
Joseph reviews two films from Calgary Underground Film Festival.
★★★★ out of ★★★★★
The family that slays together...will have you laughing right until the screaming starts.
At Panic Fest in Kansas City, a wicked slice of horror-comedy has been ordered up in the form of an indie UK feature, When the Screaming Starts. The Scariest Things podcast crew immediately fell for this mockumentary about a Manson Family-style murder cult setting its roots in London. We were joined by the Director and Actor/Producers of the film to discuss the story of the "family" that slays together and doesn't stay together (ahem!).
Follow Her ★★★1/2 out of ★★★★★
Ox-Head Village ★★★1/2 out of ★★★★★
Yellow Dragon's Village ★★★★ out of ★★★★★
Joseph reviews three films from Brazil's Fantaspoa film festival, all of which are well worth seeking out!
Panic Fest is turning TEN, and you can join the celebration this spring!
SXSW made its return to live audiences in Austin in March of 2022, and The Scariest Things was present for the event. Liz Williams took in as much as she could at the festival, and the rest of TST's staff followed by streaming for one of the world's great film festivals.
★★★1/2 out of ★★★★★
Time traveling serial killer. That's all you need to know about Shining Girls.
Moshari ★★★★ out of ★★★★★
Homesick ★★★ out of ★★★★★
Wild Bitch ★★★ out of ★★★★★
Joseph reviews three fine short films from SXSW.
Nitram ★★★★ out of ★★★★★
A Family Affair ★★★1/2 out of ★★★★★
Joseph reviews two strong films from Boston Underground Film Festival, Australian true-crime drama "Nitram" and winter-set horror short "A Family Affair."
The Outwaters: ★★★1/2 out of ★★★★★
The Zand Order ★★1/2 out of ★★★★★
Joseph reviews two features from San Francisco's Unnamed Footage Festival, "The Outwaters" and "The Zand Order."
🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘 out of 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
“This is rock and roll that is going to change your fucking life!” — Lita Ford.
★★★ out of ★★★★★
Intensity: 🩸🩸🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸
Cecilia has become a successful influencer, using self-help meditation rituals of her own creation. Unfortunately, she has yet to truly conquer her own insecurities, and when she gets invited to spend some quality time with a long-lost childhood bestie, her childhood bully is there too, bringing up long-dormant fears and is forced to take a more aggressive approach to deal with her problems. At times admirable, at others frustrating, the movie is a bit of a mixed bag of bullying tropes.
★★★★ out of ★★★★★
A gripping film that finds a fine balance between the terror of having a stalker with dark humor rooted in the supernatural, Jethica is a must-see for fans of well-crafted independent cinema.
★★★★★ out of ★★★★★
Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean you are not being watched.
Emergency: ★★★★ out of ★★★★★
as I was during the dark-comedy thriller Emergency. Its trio of protagonists have different views on what the right thing to do in their situation might be, and everything they do seems to get them in deeper and hotter water.
Blink: ★★★★ out of ★★★★★
A young woman named Mary (Sophie Thatcher) wakes up in a hospital bed, paralyzed and only able to communicate with the nurse on duty (Alicia Coppola) by blinking. Full Short included here!
★★★★ out of ★★★★★
Hypochondriac is really a film that hits the right place and the right time. Mental health, familial relationships, concern about physical health and well being, and our collective sense that we just might be lost in the universe. Hypochondriac delivers on all these fronts and manages to sneak in a couple legitimate scares!
★★★1/2 out of ★★★★★
At the edge of the Arctic Circle, in an isolated and remote Inuit community under the unending daylight of the arctic summer, a group of teenage girls fights off boredom... and an alien invasion of Earth. This is the simple premise, executed earnestly, of the feature Slash/Back which had its world premiere at SXSW 2022.
★★.5 out of ★★★★★
Who’s ready for an early 1990s straight-to-VHS horror-filled romp in the hood? Silly caricatures? Thin and well-trod plot? A vague rip-off of 1980s slashers and a not-so subtle rip-off of the Saw franchise? If any of this sounds remotely interesting then you’re in for a treat! Bitch Ass has got it all.
★★★ out of ★★★★★
The best defense is a good offense when you're playing Bodies Bodies Bodies
★★★★★ out of ★★★★★
Horror fans have been waiting 10 long years for visionary director Ti West to return to the big screen. With this love letter to indie film, West proved that he's still got the X factor.
★★★★1/2 out of ★★★★★
Become an accomplice to The Prank in this hilarious gateway horror comedy.