Greetings again from the darkness. I’ll admit to being braced for a low-budget horror movie that would have more in common with SHARKNADO than JAWS. This genre film from director Sean Byrne and screenwriter Nick Lepard is neither of those films, but certainly holds its own as terror on the open sea.
The extended pre-credit opening sequence tells us all we need to know about Bruce Tucker (Jai Courtney, A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD, 2013). He’s a survivor of a childhood shark attack and his scars led to his obsession with the creatures – running a tour boat for those who want to get up close and personal with sharks (while in a cage, of course). Athletic and adventurous Greg (Liam Greinke) coaxes his meek and timid girlfriend Heather (Ella Newton, “Harrow”) onto the boat and into the cage. It turns out her hesitancy would have been better served as Tucker’s rugged charm quickly turns quite sinister.
Independent surfer, Zephyr (Dallas’ own Hassie Harrison, “Yellowstone”) crosses paths with Real Estate dude Moses (Josh Heuston, “Heartbreak High”) and the two exchange banter that certainly qualifies as high-level flirtation … leading to the back of Zephyr’s van, and her eventual unannounced departure. It doesn’t take long before her evening of bliss turns into her being next in Tucker’s long line. It’s a line so long, he has a VHS tape library of all his conquests/victims. See, Tucker does more than just sing the “Baby Shark” song. He feeds his sadistic nature in a manner that I won’t detail here.
IFC and Shudder films have teamed up to deliver a surprisingly taut thriller from an absurd premise thanks to Jai Courtney not overplaying a villainous role that could easily be over-the-top, and Hassie Harrison playing a believably tough woman fighting for survival. When Tucker first says, “No one even knows you’re here”, we recognize that we are in for a ride. This is director Sean Byrne’s first movie in ten years (THE DEVIL’S CANDY, 2015), and the first to include two versions of the “Ooby Dooby” song by Teen Jesus and CCR. For lovers of this genre, just know that the money shot is worth the wait.
Opening in theaters on June 6, 2025
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. As one who watches twenty-plus movies every month, it’s a bit of thrill when one offers something out of the ordinary – a unique viewing experience. Such is the case with this short film from writer-director Matteo Burani and co-writer Gianmarco Valentino. Of course, we’ve all seen stop-motion animation and claymation films … just last year, WALLACE AND GROMIT: VENGEANCE SO FOWL was outstanding. But Burani’s film from Studio Croma is something altogether different (and likely influenced by the great David Cronenberg).
Greetings again from the darkness. When most people think of unicorns, they picture something along the lines of “My Little Pony”, or some other lovable, cuddly animal from a kids’ story. This feature film debut from writer-director Alex Scharfman is definitely not that. In fact, the inspiration from the classic JURASSIC PARK (1993) is quite evident in these unicorns (and one of the main themes). Welcome to a fantasy-comedy-slasher with more than a dash of social commentary.
Greetings again from the darkness. John Lithgow frequently plays likable characters that take advantage of his innate ability to connect with viewers as an ‘every-man’ type – often reminding us of people we know. However, over his career that spans approximately fifty years, I’ve always been more interested and more intrigued when nice guy Lithgow plays the villain (see “Dexter”). It takes a talented actor to be believable as characters we love and characters we loathe. Writer-director James Ashcroft and co-writer Eli Kent have adapted Owen Marshall’s oddball short story into an equally oddball feature film.
Greetings again from the darkness. Every year this festival serves up at least a few feature film debuts that not only entertain, but also instill optimism for future projects. Writer-director Woody Bess has delivered an amusing debut that fits snugly in the rare genre of comedy-horror. As an added bonus, the acting is pretty darn good as well.
Greetings again from the darkness. My first exposure to Count Orlok was in a film class at the University of Texas. We were shown a portion of director FW Murneau’s 1922 silent film, NOSFERATU: A SYMPHONY OF HORROR. I was mesmerized with the look of the film and especially with Max Schreck as Orlok. While growing up, I fawned over other vampire movies – Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr, Christopher Lee, and even Frank Langella – but I never again saw anything like Schreck’s Orlock. And yes, over the years, vampires have become frequent subjects of movies and even TV shows, and “Nosferatu”, based on the original Bram Stoker story from 1897 spawned NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE (1979, directed by Werner Herzog, starring Klaus Kinski) and NOSFERATU (2023, directed by David Lee Fisher, starring Doug Jones). My anticipation soared when it was announced that the extraordinarily creative filmmaker Robert Eggers (THE WITCH, 2015; THE LIGHTHOUSE, 2109; THE NORTHMAN, 2022) would be basing his version on Henrik Galeen’s script from the 1922 original.
Greetings again from the darkness. Every movie review provides the opportunity to walk the line between telling enough, but not too much. Some movies pose more of a challenge than others, and this is one. Director Steffan Haars (the ‘New Kids’ movies) and writer-actor Nick Frost team up to deliver a devilish and campy folk horror-slasher-comedy that brings a bit of innovation to genre that could use a boost.
Greetings again from the darkness. If you simply have too much happiness and joy in your life right now, filmmakers Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz (GOODNIGHT MOMMY 2014, THE LODGE 2019) have an elixir for you. Their film, based on historical records from 1750 in Upper Austria, is just about as bleak as any movie I can recall. It has the look and feel of a folk horror, but it’s more about a slow trek to madness by way of depression.
Greetings again from the darkness. Movie goers are accustomed to seeing the comedic side of Nick Frost in The Cornetto Trilogy from director Edgar Wright. These are the three films where Frost shares the screen with Simon Pegg: SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004), HOT FUZZ (2007), and THE WORLD’S END (2013). Fans of that series are in for quite a shock thanks to this Shudder film from director Bruce Goodison and screenwriter Virginia Gilbert.
Greetings again from the darkness. Screenwriter Sarah Conradt must think mothers possess superhero emotional strength, if we are to judge by her two most recent films – this one and MOTHER’S INSTINCT (also 2024). In this feature film directorial debut from long-time producer Robert Salerno, the mom is really put through the ringer – and we are right there with her.
Movie Reviews from the Dark 