Need some Halloween spookery? With Buzz’s cinema don Keiron Self your guide, take a look at this year’s latest additions to the world of horror and thriller films, all available to stream on various platforms now…
EVIL DEAD RISE
(Dir: Lee Cronin; 18, 98 mins)
This new instalment of the original, groundbreaking scary splatterfest gave new life to the book of the dead. Genuinely scary and funny, paying homage to the original Evil Dead films whilst also forging a gory path of its own.
TALK TO ME
(Dirs: Danny and Michael Phillipou; 15, 95 mins)
A horror hit out of the blue, this embalmed-hand-holding possession film Talk To Me is fresh and unsettling and has already gained a sequel. A young cast, Sophie Wilde in particular, hit the scares hard.
PEARL
(Dir: Ti West; 15, 103 mins)
The follow-up to X stars Mia Goth once more: Pearl is an off-kilter tale of a farmgirl and wannabe actress in the early years of cinema that showcases Goth’s brilliance and unsettles with skin-crawling skill.
SKINAMARINK
(Dir: Kyle Edward Ball; 15, 99 mins)
Horror as slow cinema in this experimental arthouse viral hit that has two young children waking up in the middle of the night to find their father is missing and their world is disappearing too. Elusive and immersive, all shot from a child’s perspective, Skinamarink is a blend of David Lynch and Paranormal Activity demands patience but unsettles with its nightmarish vibe.
M3GAN
(Dir: Gerard Johnstone; 15, 102 mins)
This blend of Chucky and the Terminator is schlocky and silly, but the robot companion for a bereaved child is a very creepy invention. M3gan is worth seeing for the unsettling robot dancing and all-fours galloping chase sequences.
THE DIVE
(Dir: Maximilian Erlenwein; 15, 91mins)
A nerve-shredding tale of tension, where two sisters go on a dive – as one is trapped by a rockfall, the other tries to help. Tense rather than packed with scares, The Dive is a horrible concept that leaves you horrified: there are no sharks or man-eating Megs, but this two-hander will still leave you gasping for air.
INFINITY POOL
(Dir: Brandon Cronenberg; 18, 117 mins)
A hedonistic exclusive island resort is more than it at first appears in Infinity Pool, following an accident, and guests Alexander Skarsgard and Mia Goth are soon pulled into its surreal, violent and sexually perverse machinations. Body horror and satire, with some uncomfortable mask work.
KNOCK AT THE CABIN
(Dir: M. Night Shyamalan; 15, 100 mins)
Shyamalan returns to form somewhat in Knock At The Cabin, a twisty (obvs) thriller where a family has to make a sacrifice, or the world is destined to plunged into apocalypse. Or is it? Dave Bautista shines as the one who knocks.
BEAU IS AFRAID
(Dir: Ari Aster; 15, 179mins)
Hereditary and Midsommar director Aster’s epic road movie Beau Is Afraid is cinematic Marmite but is riddled with unsettling moments. Joaquin Phoenix is an anxiety-ridden man trying to get home in an Oedipal quest that is never less than intriguing.
ENYS MEN
(Dir: Mark Jenkin; 15, 96 mins)
Cornish film-maker Mark Jenkin’s follow-up to the excellent Bait, Enys Men is a dreamy retro horror that explores landscape and loss as wildlife observer Mary Woodvine’s life on an island takes a spooky turn. Elliptical, odd and unlike anything else on this list.
words KEIRON SELF