Emma Thompson stars in this white-knuckle thriller that features a layered performance, and some stand-out moments. With Finland standing in for Minnesota, Thompson braves the cold as Barb who sets out for Lake Hilda for personal reasons. A goodbye needs to be made. Along the way, she has an unnerving encounter with a man in…
Tag: frightening
Lost Man’s Lane (2024) – Scott Carson
Scott Carson delivers a book I just couldn’t put down with Lost Man’s Lane. Combining nostalgia for the end of the 20th century with a twist of supernatural thriller, the tale is a coming-of-age story that is by turns frightening and beautifully told. Marshall and his mom are living their lives in quiet Bloomington. When…
Alien: Out of the Shadows (2014) – Tim Lebbon
It’s been a long time since I picked up an Alien novel. I dug the Alien 3 novel based on the original script by William Gibson, and before that I read Alan Dean Foster’s adaptation of Aliens bach when it first came out. But I was eager to dig into the universe again, I was…
The Girl with All the Gifts (2016) – Colm McCarthy
I don’t know if there’s a horror sub-genre more flexible and adaptable than the zombie story. It can do straight horror, gore, comedy, romance, tragedy, and can give us social commentary, or just give us a white-knuckle thrill ride. This time out, it’s a pontificiation on humanity, our treatment of others, growth, and nurturing. Mike…
The Queen (2024) – Nick Cutter
Canadian author Nick Cutter (aka Craig Davidson) really knows to deliver a tale that gets under your skin, and horrifies you, and he does it again with The Queen. Combining a coming-of-age tale with explicitly detailed body horror, this one was a page-turner from the beginning and is completely engrossing. Cutter plunges readers right into…
Talk to Me (2022) – Danny and Micheal Philippou
The Philippou brothers deliver a fantastic Australian horror film with Talk to Me, creepy, smart, layered, and relatable characters make this one to watch, and get freaked out over. Something is sweeping the social media of the kids in a town in Australia, parties built around a ritual involving an embalmed hand, candles, and ninety…
Evil Dead Rise (2023) – Lee Cronin
Lee Cronin wrote and directed Evil Dead Rise a nice new spin on the classic horror franchise that promises the ultimate in grueling horror. As much as I love the originals, and Bruce Campbell, I love that the new films have eschewed some of the comedic elements and really leaned into the brutal gore and…
The Menu (2022) – Mark Mylod
The Menu is a remarkable thriller sauteed with a little comedy to deliver a confection that may not meet with delight with all moviegoers’ palettes, but if you’ve got a cynical streak, especially as it leans towards societal behaviours and elitism, this one will be met with a chef’s kiss. The story follows a group…
Imaginary Friend (2019) – Stephen Chbosky
Stephen Chobsky, perhaps currently best known as the author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, gets his Stephen King on with his latest novel, Imaginary Friend, a tale of horror that pits a small town against itself in a battle of good versus evil. At the heart of the story is young Christopher, and…
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) – Chuck Russell
The third entry in the Elm Street franchise is a lot of people’s favorites after the first film, and it’s easy to see why, with story credits from Wes Craven and Frank Darabont this instalment features Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) on the cusp, he’s still scary, but he’s also starting to introduce some quips to…
The Mind Reels 