Mayhem Film Festival Reviews - Day 4

Mayhem Film Festival Reviews - Day 4

MUM, I'M ALIEN PREGNANT. 

The final day of the festival kicked off with a screening of Sean Wallace and Jordan Mark Windsor's New Zealand Comedy – Sci-Fi  - Horror MUM, I'M ALIEN PREGNANT. 

Set in a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. Layabout, 30-something Mary, is still living with her mother, with no job, no friends and no social life. But following a chance encounter with her socially awkward new neighbour Boo, who may actually be half alien, judging by the strange deformity he has, she discovers that not only is she pregnant, but that it's growing at an alarming rate.

What follows is a series of exceptionally slapstick, not to mention “icky” series of events, as she is forced to deal with the side effects of bearing a part-alien offspring, as her condition baffles medical experts and causes havoc with the local doctors.

If you like gooey, body-horrors, you'll love this. Which also features quite a good cast, including Hannah Lynch (The Rule of Jenny Pen), Arlo Green (Cowboy Beebop), and “What We Do in the Shadows” alumni Yvette Parsons and Jackie Van Beek.

The film is being released to UK streaming outlets this month, so be sure to check it out.

View the Trailer on YouTube.


THE WHISPER 

Second film of the Day was Uruguayan horror THE WHISPER, from Gustavo Hernández, who previously directed the cult horror Silent House.

Set in an old mansion, deep in the forests or rural Uruguay. Lucia is a young, 20-something girl, who appears to be fleeing a criminal past, not to mention a violent father. With her, is her younger brother, Adrian, who is non-verbal and appears to have some form of autism.

Hoping to lay low at the remote location, problems arise when they discover a bunch of criminal thugs operating out of some nearby buildings. When they discover Lucia and her Brother know about them, they plan to silence them. But what starts as a home invasion takes a very dark turn, when they find that they have more to fear from Lucia's younger brother, than the siblings have to fear from them.

Another slow burn horror, where you're aware that something isn't quite right about the whole situation, but it isn't till much later in the film all the pieces fit into place. Very suspenseful, with some great gore scenes and some very dark twists. This was another favourite of mine from the weekend and would definitely recommend watching.

The version shown at the festival was the original Spanish Language release of the film, but there is apparently an English dub.

View the Trailer on YouTube (Spanish)

View the Trailer on YouTube (English)

NEVER AFTER DARK 

The penultimate film of Mayhem Film Festival, was eerie J-Horror NEVER AFTER DARK from American Director Dave Boyle (House of Ninjas, The Man from Reno).

A psychic-medium arrives at a remote hotel in the Japanese countryside, as the new owners think it's haunted and want her to investigate.

Whilst she does uncover evidence of a strange figure in one of the rooms, it soon becomes clear this is not a conventional spirit and it's going to take more than a conventional exorcism to get rid of it.

Not only this, but it seems there's a very real world threat, in the form of a former resident of the hotel, who may know more about the ghostly goings on than he's letting on.

Whilst I'm not usually into Japanese ghost stories, I actually found this one to be extremely gripping. If you like supernatural thrillers and Japanese horrors, then this one is definitely a must.

The film comes to UK streaming outlets in November, so be sure to check it out.

View the Trailer on YouTube.

CRAWLERS 

The festival closed with a screening of Angel Gomez Hernandez's arachnid comedy-horror CRAWLERS.

Best described as a cross between "Arachnophobia" and "Quarantine", the residents of a Los Angeles apartment block find themselves locked in by the authorities, after one of the tenants dies from a mysterious illness.

However, it seems that he didn't die of an infectious disease, but from a venomous spider bite and one of the culprits has followed him home. So, shortly afterwards, the other residents find themselves battling millions of the venomous creepy crawlies.

Whilst the authorities outside dither over calling a suitable exterminator, it seems the building manager, played by Mathilda Lutz (Revenge, Final Cut), with her arsenal of tools, may be their best chance of survival.

Whilst I couldn't help but notice similarities between this and the 2024 Sci-|Fi–Horror STING, which had a similar premise, I still found this to be bloody good fun. Definitely worth a watch, although not if your scared of creepy-crawlies.

This one comes to UK Digital outlets in November and a Disc release is planned for December, so be sure to watch it when it's released. 

Watch the Trailer on YouTube.

And thus concluded the Mayhem Festival for 2026. Thanks as always to Chris, Steve and Meli and of course, the staff of the Broadway Arts cinema in Nottingham and I look forward to seeing you all again next year.

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Mayhem Film Festival Reviews - Day 3

Mayhem Film Festival Reviews - Day 3

TERRESTRIAL

Day 3 kicked off with the exceptionally dark horror-comedy TERRESTRIAL, from Writer-Director Steven Pink, which examines the question. Just how far would you go to impress your friends?

A group of former college friends are invited to spend a weekend at the house of their friend Allan (Jermaine Fowler), who has become a successful sci-fi author.

The group are surprised to find him living in a large mansion in an extremely affluent area of the Hollywood hills. But something seems off from the start, as he is clearly hiding something.

As the weekend goes on, much to their alarm, his behaviour becomes increasingly erratic, and they begin to suspect that he might not be the successful author that he claims to be. But if he is a fraud, then how did he afford such a large house? Which is where things take a very dark turn...

Probably best described as a "comedy of errors" as Allan goes to increasingly ridiculous, and downright disturbing, lengths to maintain a facade of normalcy, this was hilariously great fun and a cracking start to Day 3. 

Director Steven Pink had previously written the comedy thriller Grosse Point Blank [1997] and also previously directed the Hot Tub Time Machine films, but this is way darker than any of those, despite the comedy.

View the Trailer on YouTube.

GAUA (AKA The Night) 

The Second film of Day 3 was Spanish folk horror GAUA, from Director Paul Urkijo Alijo, an anthology film of sorts, about witchcraft in a small rural town in Medieval Spain

Kattalin is a young girl, who decides to flee from her controlling husband, who she has never loved. Taking off into the night, she comes across 3 old washerwomen who basically spend their evenings drinking wine and gossiping.

There she hears about 3 mysterious tales of misfortune that have befallen the local townsfolk, which may well be linked to witchcraft. But she finds that she is strangely connected in some way to each tale.

A very dark, gothic tale, this was very much a slow-burn horror which should appeal to fans of folk horror.

View the Trailer on YouTube.

GHOST IN THE CELL 

The third film of Day 3 was another one of my favourite films of the festival, the Indonesian Horror-Comedy GHOST IN THE CELL from Joko Anwar (The Forbidden Door, TV's Nightmares and Daydreams).

A journalist, who was framed and wrongly convicted, is sent to prison after writing an article about the governments involvement in illegal mining operations.

There, he finds himself the target of one of the jail's toughest criminal gangs, who have been paid to silence him. But before they can do anything, several of them die very gruesome deaths, in extremely unusual circumstances, with their bodies strung up to form grotesque works of art.

It seems whatever is killing them, is targetting the criminals with the most “negative auras”. But when other prisoners start similarly dieing off, the rest of the inmates find themselves having to band together to work out what's doing this and how to stop it.

Boasting some spectacular gore and outrageous, slapstick humour (particularly when the prisoners start turning to interpretive dance to try and restore their positivity), this was terrific fun and was well received by the audience.

Watch the trailer on YouTube.
 

I'll also briefly mention that the day concluded with a screening of John Carpenter's IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS [1994], which was shown in tribute to the recently deceased Sam Neill, who plays the lead character. But I'll not review that here, as you should all be familiar with this film. Not being a fan of this myself, I decided to head off to the nearby Pit and Pendulum Pub for a few beers, before heading back to the hotel to prepare for Day 4.

Visit https://www.mayhemfilmfestival.com/ 

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Mayhem Film Festival Reviews - Day 2

Mayhem Film Festival Reviews - Day 2

CAREFUL

The first film of the Day 2 of the Mayhem Film Festival is usually reserved for obscure, bizarre, foreign films, and this years offering was the 1992 drama/horror CAREFUL by Canadian director Guy Maddin.

Taking place in the fictional alpine town of Tolzbad, the residents have to be extra quiet in everything they do, as the slightest sound could trigger a deadly avalanche, which could engulf the town.

Amongst this you have these 2 brothers, Johann and Grigorss, one of which develops some rather “unhealthy” leanings towards his mother, whilst the other decides to challenge the local nobleman to a duel, after their mother declares she actually has feelings for him.

There's also this other brother, Franz, that's locked up in the attic, who is mute, but is visited by the ghost of their deaf and blind father, who tries to warn him of impending doom. But as he can't talk, or leave the attic, he is unable to warn anyone.

If all this sounds a bit weird, the film is also shot in the style of a 1930s silent film, with some scenes colourwashed, like they did with some old B&W films. And if that wasn't enough, the film appears to be shot as a comedy. As there were too many funny scenes, for the humour to have been incidental.

Difficult to know how to describe it, but its very much an “arthouse” sort of film, but it came across to me as a Mel Brooks style spoof of German expressionist films.

If you like weird, arty films, you should enjoy it. But otherwise, you'll be left scratching your head what it was you just watched. 

View the trailer on YouTube.

YOU ARE THE FILM

Next up was the exceptionally bizarre Japanese film YOU ARE THE FILM from writer-director Makoto Ueda. In which a struggling playwrite goes to see a film about a struggling musician. But in the film she is watching, the musician is going to see a film about a struggling playwrite.

It turns out that the two are characters in separate films and somehow, the two films have intersected. But realising they are viewing each others story, they devise a way of helping each other out, by telling one another what's happening in each others film. So they can, hopefully, change their outcomes. 

A very bizarre, offbeat, sci-fi comedy. The Director had previously written the scripts for the similarly weird "Beyond The Infinite Two Minutes" (2020) and "River" (2023). I personally thought this was hilarious and loved it, particularly as the stories get progressively more bizarre towards the end.

If you like weird films, definitely give this one a go.

View the trailer on YouTube.

IMPOSTER

Third film of the day was the extremely dark psychological/supernatural horror IMPOSTER, which asks the question, just how far would you go to get a loved one back?

Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day) and Charlie Barnett (TVs Chicago Fire) take the central leads, as a couple with marital problems, who have just moved out to the countryside to try and start over.

But things take a turn for the worse, when their child disappears during a housewarming party and no one claims to have seen anything. But then things get really strange, when their child mysteriously turns up again, several days later.

It soon becomes obvious to the husband, that although this baby looks like their child, it might not actually be theirs. But as his wife's behaviour becomes extremely erratic, he soon begins to wonder if she is who she claims to be too...

A very intriguing film, which keeps you guessing as to what is going on right up till the end, when things take a very dark twist.  Although I struggled with it, due to the bleak ending (which I won't spoil for you) and the fact that it had no real likeable characters. But if you like dark thrillers, this one is definitely for you.

View the Trailer on YouTube.

 

 

MARAMA

The final film of Day 2 of the Mayhem Film Festival was the somewhat disturbing gothic horror MARAMA, from New Zealand Director Taratoa Stappard. 

Set in the Victorian era, a young Maori girl from New Zealand travels to Whitby in Yorkshire, after receiving a letter from someone there, claiming he has knowledge of her parents.

Having been adopted by a Missionary couple, she is eager to find out who her real parents were. But upon arriving at Hawksmoor manor, where the letter told her to go, she is upset to discover that the person that sent the letter died several weeks ago.

The lord of the manor, a chap named Nathanial Cole (Toby Stephens), seems enthralled by the fact she is of Maori descent and eagerly offers her a job of Governess, to help look after his granddaughter.

She reluctantly agrees, hoping to find out more about the person who wrote to her, only to discover there's definitely something “off” about the place, not least because of Cole's obsession with Maori culture...

Starting off as a sort-of period drama/thriller, it soon takes a few very dark twists, as it seems supernatural elements are trying to warn her of something and Cole is harbouring a very dark secret...

I'm not usually into these period pieces, but this one certainly kept me enthralled. If you like gothic horrors, then definitely give this one a go.

View the Trailer on YouTube.


And that was it for Day 2, so it was off to the hotel to prepare for Day 3

Visit https://www.mayhemfilmfestival.com/ 

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Mayhem Film Festival Reviews - Day 1

Last week, I made my annual pilgrimage to Nottingham for the Mayhem Film Festival, for Four days of Horror, Cult, Sci-Fi and general weird films. 

GRIND 

Day 1 kicked off with a screening of the darkly humoured American horror GRIND, from writers and co-directors Ed Dougherty and Brea Grant.

A tale of several interconnected stories, revolving around a group of downtrodden blue collar workers, that are struggling to make ends meet in the various menial jobs they do.

The first tale, takes a swipe at the way warehouse workers are treated at large "internet shopping" companies. Before segwaying into the awful things that delivery drivers have to do, just to get by in the gig economy and how internet influencers get duped into these multi-level marketting scams. The film also pokes fun at the way social media companies treat their employees and lastly, there's a tale mocking the treatment of workers at a certain large coffee chain...

I really enjoyed this film as it deals with the serious issues facing ordinary workers, but does so in such an abstract and offbeat way, with stories resembling supernatural thrillers, slasher films and even "Saw" type scenarios, it stays lighthearted and doesn't get all "preachy". As it also mocks the ludicrous behaviour of so-called "activists", who like to think they're "fighting corporate greed", when all they're really doing is making themselves look foolish.

Not to be confused with the 2025 film of the same name, if you've ever worked in a bad job for an awful boss, I'm sure you'll empathise with the characters. Horror icon Barbara Crampton also makes a welcome appearance in a guest role, appearing in one of the segments and the wraparound story.

I couldn't find a trailer online, but here's a clip from YouTube

NO WAY DOWN (AKA Kraken) 

The second and final film of the opening night actually proved to be one of my favourites of the entire festival, which was the gritty, urban French horror NO WAY DOWN.

Set in a suburb of Paris, the disappearance of a police officer in an area of derelict tower blocks has brought the police out in force on the estate. Which has been severely hampering the activities of one of the local crime bosses.

Believing it to be the work of squatters in one of the empty tower blocks, not least because a security guard also went missing there, he sends a couple of his enforcers to see if anyone's in there and turf them out under the cover of darkness .

However, they're followed in by a nosey internet vlogger, that wants to film inside the tower block for his social media channels, and then he's followed inside by a couple of female friends, that are trying to get him out.

But, it seems someone, or something, nasty is indeed inhabiting one of the blocks and they all find themselves in a bloody battle for survival amongst the labyrinth of corridors and empty rooms.

Filmed in French language, with English subs, this is a film that will certainly make urban explorers think twice before going inside any derelict builders and I'd describe this as a sort-of cross between Reservoir Dogs and The Toolbox Murders. There's some bloody brutal kills in this, that will certainly make you wince and some brutal action scenes that make this compelling viewing. 

The film was originally called "Kraken", but this was changed for its international release, presumably to avoid confusion with the Norwegian sci-fi horror of the same name. Definitely one to watch when it becomes available. Just look out for the scene with the fridge (which I won't spoil for you).

View the trailer on YouTube. 

And that was it for Day 1, so it was back to the hotel to prepare for Day 2

Visit https://www.mayhemfilmfestival.com/ 

Also visit their Facebook, BlueSky and X social media pages 

 

R.L. STINE’S PUMPKINHEAD - Available Exclusively for Free on Tubi in the UK

Tubi (www.tubi.tv), Fox Corporation’s free streaming service, announced today it is getting into the spirit of Halloween with the original movie R.L. STINE’S PUMPKINHEAD, now exclusively available for the first time on the platform in the UK. Inspired by R.L. Stine’s beloved The Haunting Hour, the movie blends just the right mix of chills and thrills, delivering a frightfully fun experience. 

 

Sam thought moving to Redhaven was the worst part—until his brother Finn vanishes and no one, not even their mom, remembers he existed. With Halloween ticking down, Sam, his friend Becka, and Rusty, the town’s most eccentric outcast, must stop a harvest curse before Finn is lost forever.

“There’s something rotten inside these pumpkins–and it isn’t pumpkin meat! I’m so happy to see one of my most terrifying Halloween stories brought to chilling life in this new movie!” – R.L. Stine

R.L. STINE’S PUMPKINHEAD stars Bean Reid, Adeline Lo (Sorry For Your Cost), Kevin McNulty (Snakes on a Plane, The Invisible), Bob Frazer (Safe Haven, Motherland: Fort Salem), Matty Finochio (Love Hard, The Order) and Seth Isaac Johnson (My Old Ass, The Killing).

The film is written and directed by Jem Garrard and executive produced by James Mattagne, Joan Waricha, Harvey Kahn, Yvonne Bernard, Dan Bernard, Jem Garrard, Allen Lewis, and Rama Diallo.  

View the Trailer on YouTube. 

R.L. STINE’S PUMPKINHEAD is now available on Tubi in the UK. 

Visit... http://www.tubi.tv

 

 

Exclusive interview with filmmaker Matthias Hoene - Lead Director of GNOMES

As TV audiences in the UK brace themselves for a gnome invasion with the UK release of horror-comedy series GNOMES on Disney+, Lead Director Matthias Hoene reflects on the challenges of making horror-comedy, the joy of creating murderous gnomes and working with Obsession star Inde Navarrette.

 
Q) GNOMES has been described as a mix of Gremlins and Hot Fuzz. As the lead director, how did you approach balancing the comedy with the genuine horror of a small town being terrorised by garden ornaments?

The challenge was finding the right cinematic language for two genres that often want completely opposite things. Comedy wants you to see. Horror wants to hide. Comedy thrives on action and reaction happening together, often played at speed. Horror builds through anticipation — withholding information, slowing things down and letting the audience imagine what might be lurking just outside the frame.

But underneath all of that, the characters had to feel real. However ridiculous the world around them becomes, their fear, relationships and emotions cannot be part of the joke. If we believe in them, we can throw as many homicidal garden ornaments at them as we like and, hopefully, the audience will come along for the ride.

 
Q) What do you think it is about garden gnomes that makes them so uniquely terrifying yet hilarious?

It’s easy to dismiss garden gnomes as chintzy kitsch, but they have a surprisingly long and troubled history. First appearing in 19th-century Germany as wood-carved and ceramic figures believed to bring good luck, they were sneered at by the horticultural establishment and embraced by working-class gardeners as cheerful, affectionate lawn ornaments.

What I love about gnomes is the contradiction. They represent innocence, happiness and a slightly chintzy vision of peaceful country life. So when they suddenly turn on us, there is something inherently funny and deeply unsettling about it. To me, they make perfect horror-comedy villains: cute enough to love, ridiculous enough to make us laugh, and just dangerous enough to make us regret ever putting one in the garden.

Q) The show relies on a blend of practical puppetry and visual effects. What were the biggest logistical challenges of making inanimate, tiny objects look actively murderous on set?

I grew up without a TV and spent my time reading books, building Lego spaceships, painting Warhammer miniatures, sculpting dioramas and making homage film posters with an airbrush and acrylic paint. I’ve always liked making things by hand. My first short film featured an animatronic mobile phone, for which I used servos scavenged from my remote-controlled car. Having inhaled films like Gremlins and Critters as a kid, I was very keen to give Gnomes that same handmade, crafted feel. We worked with creature designer and puppeteer Justin Dix and his excellent team, who sculpted gnomes by hand in clay, as well as 3D modelling and printing some of them. There is nothing quite as joyous as a hand-puppeteered killer garden gnome. There’s an immediacy to having the creature physically there on set — the actors can touch it, fight it, throw it across a room. 

To make it all work we created the Gnome Unit - a guerrilla unit working in parallel with the main shoot, wrangling our little terracotta terrors while the main unit was off filming the actors. Of course, we also needed help from VFX, and often we used a hybrid approach: body and movement from puppetry; eyes and facial expressions from CGI. That allowed us to keep the physicality and imperfections of something handmade while giving the gnomes a much greater range of expression.

 
Q) You are well-known for directing Cockneys vs Zombies. How did your experience directing fast-paced, comedic zombie gore influence the way you directed GNOMES?

I approached the series with the same mischievous sense of play as Cockneys and wanted to push the show as far as we could. The first few episodes are very character-driven, but the show keeps ramping up - getting bigger, crazier and more outrageous - until the action explodes into an epic finale in episode six.

One of the elements that runs through all my work is that I try to give every story a lot of heart. And that extended to the gnomes themselves. I never wanted them to feel like one anonymous horde of monsters. That became part of the fun: however big and chaotic the action became, the gnomes weren’t just things attacking people. They were characters with their own personalities, grudges and particular enthusiasm for violence.

Q) GNOMES was created by Joel Kohn. How closely did you work with him to bring the scripts and overarching vision for the series to life?

The collaboration with Joel was fantastic. We developed the scripts together with our amazing writers, Tegan Higginbotham and Paul Verhoeven, and worked very closely throughout prep to establish the world, the tone and the rules of the gnomes.

As pilot director and co-showrunner, a big part of my role was establishing the overall cinematic language of the series - how we balanced horror and comedy, how the gnomes moved and behaved, and how the practical puppetry and VFX would work together.

Once we started shooting, Joel and I alternated between the main and second units. While I directed my episodes: 1, 2, 4 and 6, Joel would often be out with the Gnome Unit shooting gnome sequences. Then, while Joel or our other director, Sian Davis, were directing their episodes, I would shoot second unit for them. It was a genuinely collaborative way of making the show - and probably the only way we could have pulled off something this ambitious on the schedule we had.

 
Q) The series features an incredible lead cast including Asa Butterfield (Sex Education, Ender’s Game) and Megan Smart (Class of ’07, Black Snow). What do they bring to the comedic dynamic of the show?

It’s incredibly important to me to create a great atmosphere on set, and Asa was one of the best collaborators I could have wished for. He brought this wonderfully easy-going energy that everyone responded to and that made the set a genuinely fun place to be.

But underneath that chilled demeanour, he was incredibly hardworking. He would prep scenes with his co-stars the day before and came to set ready to play. He brought an enormous range to Arnold Kipps — brilliant comic timing, but also a real emotional truth that grounds all the insanity happening around him.

Megan brought tremendous warmth and emotionality to the show, and her chemistry with Asa is fantastic. Gnomes is, at heart, a love story, and from the beginning Asa and Megan felt like two people who had known each other for years. That gave us the freedom to push the comedy and the craziness around them because the relationship at the centre always felt real.

Tess Haubrich (Alien: Romulus) had to spend four hours a day in make-up to become our Gnome Queen. But when she finally stepped onto set and started casting her spells, it wasn’t only the terracotta armies that were entranced — I could hardly bring myself to say cut either.

However absurd the world became, I never wanted the actors to play the absurdity. They played their characters and relationships for real — and we let the homicidal garden ornaments take care of the horror comedy.

Q) Your next feature film is the survival horror thriller INVERTIGO. What can you tell us about it.

INVERTIGO is a rollercoaster survival thriller about five teenagers who become trapped on an unfinished rollercoaster during a thunderstorm in Florida.

The film stars Inde Navarrette and Tim Roth, and we’re currently in post-production, with the release planned for 2027.

It’s an edge-of-your-seat thriller, but what I’m most excited about are the characters and the performances. You put five young people hundreds of feet in the air, take away any obvious means of escape and then start applying pressure — physically and emotionally — and you very quickly find out who they really are.

We shot the film with Tea Shop Productions across Bangkok, London and Florida, and I can’t wait to share it with the world when it’s ready.

Q) What was it like working with the cast, especially with Obsession star Inde Navarrette.

I remember watching an early screening of OBSESSION at Fantastic Fest in Austin, and my producer James Harris recommended I check out Inde. No surprise, I was blown away by her performance, and when she responded well to the script, we set up a meeting and I offered her the role straight away.

Inde is a very collaborative and giving actor, and we had a lot of fun developing her character during prep and on set. Everyone knows she has oodles of charisma and that the camera loves her. But what is really magical to watch is how instinctive and effortlessly natural she is as an actress

The INVERTIGO shoot was incredibly demanding. We often filmed eight metres up on a steel rollercoaster, at night, in torrential rain, and I could sometimes only give direction through a megaphone. Despite all that, Inde pulled out amazing performances over and over again. More than that, she was so giving and supportive that everyone around her was able to do their best work too — and I think that really shows in the rushes and in the finished movie. She deserves all the success and recognition coming her way, and I can’t wait for everyone to see her in INVERTIGO next year.

 
Q) What is it about the horror genre that you particularly like?

Horror is the ultimate morality tale. I love that horror can be anarchic, mischievous and incredibly visceral. It bypasses the intellectual part of your brain and goes straight for the nervous system. You can physically feel an audience holding its breath, tensing up, and then releasing all of that tension together.

That’s one of the things I love most about cinema. I want to take the viewer somewhere, make them forget for a while that they’re sitting in a room looking at a screen.

Q) Finally, looking ahead, what other projects are there in the pipeline?

I had an enormous amount of fun making GNOMES, so I’m excited to do more television, particularly as a showrunner and pilot director. We have a few projects we’re pitching at the moment.

On the feature side, I’m in prep for the wellness-retreat horror film Transformation with Stone Village (Station Eleven), and character-driven battle royale Best Enemies with Parallel 42, as well as another top-secret project with Tea Shop and Capstone..

GNOMES is currently streaming on Disney +.

 

 

 

 

 

CHILDREN OF THE WICKER MAN - Exclusively in UK cinemas from 23rd October

CHILDREN OF THE WICKER MAN is a powerful, personal account by Dominic and the late Justin Hardy about their father Robin Hardy and the making of his cult folk horror film The Wicker Man. Following a successful run on the international festival circuits, the film now receives its theatrical release exclusively in UK cinemas. 

 

 

Following the sudden passing of director Justin Hardy, CHILDREN OF THE WICKER MAN, screenings will be presented with an introduction and Q&A by the producer, Dr Christopher Nunn.

Regarded as one of the greatest British films of all time. The Wicker Man (1973) was directed by Robin Hardy and written Anthony Shaffer (Sleuth, Frenzy). Its lead actor Christopher Lee considered it to be his best film and called it “one of the most remarkable films ever made.”  Fifty years after the film first shocked cinemagoers around the world, two brothers Justin and Dominic Hardy discovered in hidden in the attic of the former family home six sacks of documents from the filming of The Wicker Man. These included scripts, personal letters, on-set photos, and storyboards. 

CHILDREN OF THE WICKER MAN follows the journey of the brothers as they research the making and legacy of their father Robin Hardy's 1974 movie, which according to the brothers, destroyed their family. 

Justin Hardy directed his final film, Wrath of the Gods, co-written by Dominic, which was screened posthumously at the world premiere at this year’s Tubi FrightFest.

View the Trailer on YouTube.

The film’s theatrical release will be accompanied by the launch of the paperback edition of the book by the publisher History Press.

 

 

 

Malcolm McDowell & Gary Busey star in TRICK AND TREATS - arriving on UK Digital

Get ready for some terrifying TRICK AND TREATS this spooky season with Eric Hector’s twisted new horror starring the legend that is Malcolm McDowell and Gary Busey (Point Break, The Buddy Holly Story).

 

As the 18th Century English and American nursery rhyme goes... "Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater had a wife and couldn’t keep her, so he put her in a pumpkin shell and there he kept her very well…". On Halloween, more than two-hundred years later, inside a decaying old biker club on the highway sits a twisted jack-o-lantern, Trick (voiced by McDowell). 

Pastor Joseph (Busey) believing Trick to be the pumpkin from the infamous lullaby, attempts – and fails – to steal it. Though his warnings are dismissed as madness, a young group of friends are about to discover the hard way that there may be some truth to this paranormal pumpkin tale.

While celebrating Halloween, Ashley (Loren Ledesma) and her costumed friends wind up at the roadside bar, but things take a dark turn when a gang of bikers holds them captive and threatens to torture and kill them. Just as all hope seems lost, Ashley hears Tricks’ voice echoing in her head... is the ancient pumpkin trying to help, or has he got more murderous motives?

Play TRICK AND TREATS this Halloween for a fearsome folklore fable with a torturous twist.

On Digital 19 October from Miracle Media

View the Trailer on YouTube. 

Horror Makes Us Happy Podcast - 2026 October Specials

The Horror Makes Us Happy podcast will be celebrating the 2026 spooky season with five special guests!

New interviews will be released with Lauren-Marie Taylor (Friday the 13th Part 2, In a Violent Nature) and Larry Fessenden (Pearl/X/MaXXXine, You're Next, Session 9). Lauren-Marie's interview will be released October 9th, and Larry's will be released October 23rd.

Continuing their Youtube Live Chat series, cohosts Steve and Chris will be welcoming back Robert P. Ottone (The Vile Thing We Created, Amityville Awakens), Joe R. Lansdale (Bubba Ho-Tep, Hap and Leonard), and John Fallon (Saw II, The Shelter, Dead Shadows) to chat about their new projects. Those Live Chats will take place on the Horror Makes Us Happy Youtube page, on October 11th, 18th, and 25th respectively.

Also, their monthly book and DVD giveaways are still active, with multiple books signed by their authors, former guests on the podcast. Registration for the giveaways can be found on their website, https://HorrorMakesUsHappy.com. A list of the books and DVDs have been released on social media, including their BlueSky account.

About Horror Makes Us Happy: The hosts of the Horror Makes Us Happy podcast are Steve Becker and Chris Whitman. After ten years in recovery (now 20+) Steve wrote A Guide to the Recovery Toolbox (ebook , paperback), and Chris is the author and artist behind the horror webcomic PIECES.

 

 

Shudder Original, folk horror NIGHTBORN - On Disc, December

Acclaimed Shudder Original, folk horror NIGHTBORN – from Hanna Bergholm (Hatching) and starring Finnish award-winning star Seidi Haarla in a powerful lead performance, alongside British screen favourite Rupert Grint – sees a happily married couple move to a remote forest home, so they can be close to nature when their first child is born, but this darkly brooding tale turns into a terrifying parental nightmare.

This darkly disturbing new Finnish folk horror is set for its release on Blu-ray and DVD on 14 December 2026 and digital on 21 December 2026, following its highly anticipated, sold out, UK premiere at the BFI London Film Festival 2026, nationwide theatrical screenings with Picturehouse Cinemas and its debut on Shudder.

Deep in the dark, eerie, isolated forests of Finland, a couple’s dream of starting a family descends into a waking nightmare when Saga (Haarla – Compartment Number 6) and her British husband Jon (Grint – Harry Potter, Servant) move into her decaying childhood home, seeking a peaceful fresh start.

Following a gruelling birth, their newborn son, Kuura, begins transforming at an impossible, terrifying rate – sprouting hair and developing a disturbing craving for blood. As Saga’s sanity is pushed to its very limits, the couple’s relationship disintegrates.

As they try and tackle their problems, madness descends, the forest darkens and takes hold, and a monstrous presence starts to engulf them. Is it the mother, the baby or something far too sinister to comprehend

Prepare for darkness as NIGHTBORN exposes the darkest fears of motherhood, and nature versus nurture, in a gorefilled folklore terror fest.

Bonus Material includes:
• Behind-the-Scenes Featurette

Pre-order the UK BD from Amazon.co.uk 

Pre-order the UK DVD from Amazon.co.uk 

 

THE EXORCIST: MARTYRS - Coming March 2027

Academy Award nominee Scarlett Johansson fronts THE EXORCIST: MARTYRS, an unsettling new chapter in one of the most storied titles in cinema history from genre auteur Mike Flanagan, the creator of acclaimed series The Haunting of Hill House, The Fall of the House of Usher, Midnight Mass, and the new Carrie, as well as the films Doctor Sleep, The Life of Chuck, Hush and Gerald’s Game.

Thirteen years ago, New York City detective Julie Miller (Johansson) ended the terror reign of satanic serial killer Father Sunday. The case made her a hero, and she has thrown herself into her work ever since. Now a new killer scrawls her name in an altar boy’s blood on the walls of a church crypt, dragging her back into the darkness she believed she had buried with him.

Aided by former prison chaplain Father William (Academy Award nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor), who heard Father Sunday’s final confession, and sharp rookie detective Gina Restrepo (Sasha Calle - The Rip), Detective Miller will discover a filament linking a lineage of serial killers, from H.H. Holmes to the Zodiac, that could corrupt everything, and everyone, she loves with an evil that goes well beyond the mortal.

The top-flight cast includes Academy Award nominee Diane Lane as Mary, Detective Miller’s mother, who has moved in with her to help raise her grandson Max (Jacobi Jupe, Hamnet); Actor Award winner Scoot McNairy (Argo) as paroled convict Clay Silver; Emmy winner Gil Bellows (Carrie) as Peter Nicks, a former acolyte of Father Sunday; Emmy and Tony winning screen legend Laurence Fishburne as revered priest Father Nichol; and acclaimed star of The Odyssey, Emmy and Special Tony Award winner John Leguizamo, in the most menacing role of his career as Father Sunday.

THE EXORCIST: MARTYRS is written and directed by Mike Flanagan, based on characters created by William Peter Blatty. The film is produced by David Robinson (The Exorcist series, Dead Ringers series), three-time Academy Award nominee Jason Blum (Get Out, Black Phone films) and Mike Flanagan. The film is executive produced by Alexandra Magistro and Ryan Turek.

View the Trailer on YouTube.

THE EXORCIST: MARTYRS is released to UK cinemas March 2027. 
 

 

12-Year-Old British Actress Summer-Joules Saunders Leads Post-Apocalyptic Feature Film THE N.E.S.T. PROJECT

British actress Summer-Joules Saunders, 12, has taken on the protagonist role of Elara in THE N.E.S.T. PROJECT, an ambitious independent post-apocalyptic feature film and the opening chapter of The Eight Saga.

Currently filming in the UK, THE N.E.S.T. PROJECT  introduces audiences to a dark new world in which civilisation as we know it has changed forever.

In the aftermath of a devastating collapse, safety and sanctuary are offered by a powerful organisation known as N.E.S.T., promising protection and the possibility of a better future.

But beneath that promise, not everything is as it seems.

At the centre of the story is Elara, a courageous and inquisitive young girl who begins to question the world around her and everything she has been led to believe.

As Elara searches for answers, her journey explores themes of survival, freedom, courage, friendship, resilience and hope, placing a young protagonist at the heart of the film's post-apocalyptic world.

Summer-Joules has spent recent months immersed in the role, filming on location and developing Elara through emotionally demanding and physically challenging scenes.

The role requires both vulnerability and strength as Elara navigates a world where danger, uncertainty and the search for truth are never far away.

Summer-Joules said:

    “I love playing Elara because she’s brave, but she doesn’t always know how brave she is. I love discovering more about her every time we film and being part of creating this whole new world.

    “I’ve learned so much from everyone I’ve worked with on set, and I’m really excited to see the finished result of everyone’s hard work.”

Already an experienced young performer, Summer-Joules has worked across screen, stage and voiceover, continuing to develop her craft alongside her professional work.

THE BEGINNING OF THE EIGHT SAGA

THE N.E.S.T. PROJECT is the opening feature in The Eight Saga, introducing the world, characters and story that begin a wider creative journey.

The independent production brings together actors, filmmakers, producers and creatives to build a distinctive post-apocalyptic world, with Elara's story forming a central part of its beginning.

For Summer-Joules, being entrusted with the protagonist role represents a significant new chapter in her development as a young screen actress.

Filming on THE N.E.S.T. PROJECT is continuing in the UK, with further information about the film and The Eight Saga to be announced as production progresses.

Supernatural J-horror NEVER AFTER DARK - on Digital platforms, November

A wandering medium, Airi spends her life guiding restless spirits out of the world of the living. Summoned to an isolated country house, she comes face to face with a grotesque apparition with powers that defy Airi’s experience. 

 

As she digs deeper into the house’s past, a secret comes to light — and Airi finds herself hunted by a far more unpredictable force. For the first time, her greatest adversary is not the supernatural, but the living.

Written and directed by Dave Boyle (House of Ninjas, The Man from Reno), it stars Moeka Hoshi (Shōgun), Kento Kaku (House of Ninjas, Alice in Borderland) and Kurumi Inagaki (GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka)

NEVER AFTER DARK premiered at SXSW 2026 before a festival run that included screenings at Overlook Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival and Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival.

View the Trailer on YouTube. 

NEVER AFTER DARK arrives on Digital platforms 2nd November from Blue Finch releasing.

 

Director Sean Hogan talks about his feature THE DARK GETS IN - Premiering at FrightFest Halloween

Ahead of the International premiere of his latest feature film THE DARK GETS IN at Tubi FrightFest Halloween on October 31, Sean Hogan reflects on the film’s journey, the challenges of improvisation, and the sharing of personal loss.

 

Q) THE DARK GETS IN has been described as a’ mock-true crime documentary.’ What true-crime cases / TV series did you draw your inspiration from?

The true crime elements were something that came about via a discussion with the film's producers, who admittedly were more familiar with those sorts of shows than I was. They were keen to make something along those lines, which led me to suggest that we utilise a fictional documentary format. That way we could play around with classic true crime tropes but also take the story in some unexpected directions. So I did have to brush up on my true crime in order to write the screenplay! In the end, the one that probably inspired me the most was Joe Berlinger's The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel.

Q) We follow the harrowing case of a missing female teenager. You’ve gone on record as saying that you have lost close family members suddenly and unexpectedly and know just how wrenching that experience can be. How did this inform the creative process?

It's true that I have been through the experience of losing family members very suddenly. That wasn't actually something I consciously thought about when I started writing the script; it was only when we started production that I realised I'd probably been channelling those feelings without really even being aware of it. The thing is, when I look back at the work I've been doing in the last 5-10 years, I can see now that a lot of it is actually attempting to come to terms with those same experiences. With this particular film, it just made me want to try and deal with those sorts of emotions as honestly and realistically as I could. I've seen first-hand what a tragic loss like that can do to a family, and the terrible grief and incomprehension that springs out of not being able to properly explain or understand why such a loss happened. While the film ultimately goes to places that are not naturalistic, it still felt important to ground the core drama in something that felt very raw and real.

 

Q) You wanted actors that were deft at improvising to help create a sense of documentary reality. How challenging was it to get the right cast, given the naturalistic narrative style required?

It did take quite a long time. When we put out the initial casting call, I think we had hundreds, if not thousands of applicants. So firstly, we had to look at a lot of showreels and decide who the best candidates for the various characters might be. However, improvisation is a very particular skill and not something that all actors are proficient at. We then had to hold an improvisatory audition process where we asked the people on our shortlist to answer some interview questions in character. That gave us a much better idea of who would be able to work in this sort of naturalistic off-the-cuff style. In a couple of cases, I felt like I was already seeing the character I'd written in those audition tapes and couldn't imagine anyone else playing them – luckily those particular actors went on to accept the roles!

Q) What do you want audiences to take away?

I hope they're as interested in the human drama of the film as the more horrific elements. The film does take a fairly slow-burn approach and you spend a while getting to know the characters before any supernatural elements start to creep in. It's really an experiment in trying to create a sense of slowly mounting dread, which is always more interesting to me than a succession of “boo!” moments. Of course, I also want people to enjoy the horror once it arrives. I suppose I'd like audiences to walk away from the film thinking that they'd seen something that managed to be both frightening and tragic.

Q) Can you describe your personal journey making this film?

 I'd never made anything like this before. Although there was a written script that served as the roadmap/bible for the film, I've never utilised improvisation to the same extent that we did here. That could be nerve-wracking at times but also incredibly exciting. I gave the actors a lot of freedom to come up with their own ideas and some really creative material came out of that. The finished film does follow the basic narrative structure of the original screenplay, but there are also moments in there that I never would have written myself. The process of making something in this fashion wasn't always easy, but it was incredibly invigorating. I feel like the whole experience has taught me an incredible amount, even if I never make anything in quite the same way again.

Q) The title The Dark Gets In suggests a theme of creeping, unstoppable corruption or psychological unravelling. What is the "dark" representing for you, and how does it manifest for your characters?

As you say, it can be read in several different ways. In the film, the character of Natasha talks about a darkness that has followed her all her life: an early childhood tragedy that now seems to be repeating itself. That threat is ultimately revealed as something very specific: darkness personified, if you like. By the climax of the film, these same dark forces will have literally “got in” and invaded the family home. But there's also an interior darkness to some of the characters, a suggestion that the people we're closest to in life might have murkier aspects to their personalities that we never normally see. Added to which, the film also looks at how the internet functions as a kind of breeding ground for darker behaviour, an arena in which online anonymity permits people to indulge in all sorts of illicit fantasies and forbidden impulses. And given that the internet is now in almost all our homes, it can very easily serve as a pipeline to channel this kind of darkness directly into people's lives.

 

Q) Much of your previous work, like The Devil's Business, thrives on tense, Pinteresque contained spaces. Does this film continue that tradition, or are you experimenting with a more expansive canvas this time?

The nature of this film means it can't help but be somewhat more expansive, simply because of the number of characters and locations. The documentary form dictates that you're constantly cutting from here to there and back again, so you can't really build that same atmosphere of claustrophobia. On the other hand, I hope The Dark Gets In still has a similar sense of tension, that same inexorable feeling of events spinning slowly out of control. Although they take very different forms, both this film and The Devil's Business are ultimately about characters finding themselves trapped in situations they can't possibly control or understand; and finally coming to the realisation that the world is a much more illogical and terrifying place than they ever imagined.

Q) You’re known for brilliantly imbuing character-driven drama with classic horror genre themes. Does this stem from your literary roots?

I suppose that while I loved horror from a very early age, over time I also became interested in other creative areas, be that different kinds of films or novels or theatre. Everything I do now is just kind of a stew of those sorts of influences. I do take a lot of care over the writing process; ideally, I guess I'm trying to make films where both the visuals and the dialogue are equally important. It always seemed obvious to me that horror movies were better when they took the time to create interesting characters and give them well-written dialogue to say, so that's just something I've always striven to do. I also believe that genres need to expand and progress in order to stay relevant, and one of the ways you achieve that is by bringing in outside influences, whether that be (in my case) Pinter or Bergman or true crime documentaries or a hundred other things.

 

Q) You’re very much a stalwart of independent filmmaking. Beyond directing, you have championed the genre by writing extensive metafiction and books deeply rooted in the history of cult and independent cinema. Is this something you want to continue doing?

I hope I can continue doing all of it! Getting films produced is always very difficult; part of the reason I started writing prose fiction is because I hadn't been able to make a film for several years. Luckily, that all changed recently but there are never any guarantees it will continue. So I will keep on writing fiction regardless, because that's much more under my control. I'm not sure whether I'll write any more actual cinema metafiction, as I've published several books in that vein now and there are other things I want to do. But whatever I write will probably always have at least one foot in the genre: my most recent novel was a folk horror/psychological thriller, and I've just finished the first draft of a noir/horror novel.

Q) Finally, what can you tell us about future projects?

There is one really exciting project bubbling under which involves a classic horror property, but I'm still waiting to be given a contract, so can't say any more. Beyond that, I have a US-set script I'm trying to make, and a TV miniseries I'm developing. I'm also working on an idea for another UK indie film. I wish I could be more certain about what might happen next, but such is the nature of the business. We'll just have to see how this film is received and if anything else comes of it!

THE DARK GETS IN is screening at Tubi FrightFest Halloween at the ODEON Luxe West End on Saturday 31 Oct, at 3.40pm and 4.10pm.

For more details on this and other films showing, visit https://frightfest.co.uk/