Ariana Osborne in a red dress in a Marama Still

‘Mārama’ is a Māori Horror Thriller That Will Chill You to the Bone

I’ve seen many movies over the last two years. Nothing I saw inspired me with enough words to express how I felt about what I was seeing… until I saw Taratoa Stappard’s Maori gothic horror film Mārama. A stunning feature film debut that examines female rage, ancestral bonds, and reclaimed indigeneity in post-colonial England. 

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Adam Scott and Damian McCarthy Investigate the Horrors of ‘Hokum’

There have been some horror bangers this year, like Ready or Not 2, Send Help, and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. However, the terror is just ramping up! And adding to the pack is Damian McCarthy’s (Oddity) latest film, Hokum, hitting theaters this weekend.

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‘Mārama’ Writer and Director on the Making of the Emotional Horror

Taratoa Stappard’s feature film debut, Mārama, starts playing in theaters in the U.S. on Friday, April 17. Having had its world premiere at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, it’s a Māori Gothic horror set in the mid-19th century, where a young Māori woman (Ariāna Gibson) travels to Yorkshire, England in search of information about her birth parents. However, when she uncovers a dark colonial history, she must take vengeance into her own hands.

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Lee Cronin’s ‘The Mummy’ is a Viscerally Unsettling Reinvention of a Horror Icon

The Mummy remains one of the most iconic figures of the classic movie monster era. For nearly 95 years, the character has been reimagined through horror, romance, and action-adventure, evolving with each generation without ever fully losing its mythic power. Lee Cronin’s The Mummy recognizes that any new take must do more than reinvent the monster. It also has to leave room to engage with the story’s cultural roots in a way that feels thoughtful, grounded, and free of the outdated stereotypes that have often shaped past depictions.

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Filmmakers Daniel Goldhaber & Isa Mazzei on Bringing ‘Faces of Death’ to a New Generation

The original Faces of Death feature is an infamous piece of VHS history, filled with shock and gore. It was passed around in the ’80s and ’90s as a rite of horror passage that made you question if what you were seeing was real or not.

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Lee Cronin and James Wan Talk Bringing Authenticity to ‘The Mummy’

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy re-imagines the iconic monster through a more intimate kind of horror, trading spectacle for a story rooted in grief, guilt, and family trauma. In our interview with Cronin, along with producers James Wan and Jason Blum, we talk about reshaping the legend into something more domestic, unsettling, and emotionally grounded.

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‘Scooby-Doo’ to Clash with the Universal Monsters for Universal Fan Fest Nights

This brand-new backlot experience lets guests step off of the Studio Tour tram and into the thrilling world of a Scooby-Doo mystery.

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‘Ready or Not’ Here Comes Radio Silence, aka Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillett

Ready or Not came out almost 7 years ago. And while the film, of course, made star Samara Weaving a household name, it also skyrocketed directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (aka “Radio Silence”) into the stratosphere. In the aftermath of the surprise hit, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett successfully relaunched the then-dormant Scream franchise with two of its best installments, and brought us an amazing little surprise in Abigail. Now, they’re bringing back Weaving’s Grace for another killer game of hide and seek with Ready or Not 2: Here I Come!

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NOC Review: ‘Ready or Not 2’ Here Comes a Bloody Badass Sequel

When Ready or Not premiered in 2019, it quickly became a surprise hit, cementing Samara Weaving as a rising horror star and establishing Grace Le Domas MacCaullay as one of the genre’s great modern Final Girls. For me, as well, it was an immensely enjoyable surprise, coming out of nowhere to become one of my favorite movies in a year stacked with heavy hitters like Avengers: Endgame and Parasite.

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‘The Bride!’ Proves That Women Should Be Running Hollywood

The Bride! is an electrifying tale that leaves you clawing for more. Jessie Buckley delivers a phenomenal performance as the troubled Bride brought to life, with Christian Bale delivering a moving portrayal as Frankenstein‘s monster. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s script and direction are an absolute masterclass in storytelling and proves that women should be in charge of Hollywood with this retelling. “People love a monster,” and Gyllenhaal certainly serves up all of the good and bad monstrosities one could hope for in this film.

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‘School Spirits’ Star Kristian Ventura on Simon and Maddie in Season 3

The Season 2 finale of School Spirits may have left fans rattled, but no one was more shocked by the twist than Kristian Ventura himself.

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The ‘School Spirits’ Cast Teases “Apocalyptic” Season 3

It’s always spooky season in Split River.

School Spirits is back and scarier than ever. The third season of the teen drama-horror, which premieres January 28 on Paramount+, follows Maddie (Peyton List) as she deals with terrifying visions and struggles to adjust back to the living world. Meanwhile, Simon (Kristian Ventura), now trapped in the afterlife, is determined to unearth the buried secrets of Split River High once and for all.

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Monkey Shines with the Cast and Director of ‘Primate’

The first big horror film of the year is here! Primate, starring Academy Award-winner Troy Kotsur, Johnny Sequoyah, Victoria Wyant, Benjamin Cheng, and Jessica Alexander is swinging into theaters this week. And to celebrate we had the opportunity to sit down with the director/co-writer of the film, Johannes Roberts, as well as Kotsur and Sequoyah, to get an inside look at the terror and chaos of their monkey problems!

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Emma Tammi Talks Returning for ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s 2’

Emma Tammi is back for Five Nights at Freddy’s 2, based on the popular video game series by Scott Cawthon. The first film, released in 2023, became the highest-grossing horror movie of the year. I caught up with the director/executive producer at New York Comic Con to discuss how the characters will continue to grow, which Easter eggs to include, and more.

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‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ Showrunner Jason Fuchs on the Twists of Episode Six

If you’re a horror fan, odds are you’re watching IT: Welcome to Derry every Sunday on HBO. Ever since the show debuted October 26, and has become a ratings juggernaut for the network. Furthermore it has enhanced the mythology established in IT and IT: Chapter Two, frankly surpassing the latter by adding more depth to it (as evidenced by this past week’s episode). This is due to the masterful work from showrunners Jason Fuchs and Brad Caleb Kane. And we had an exclusive chance to sit down with Fuchs to discuss the series and the shocking twists from this Sunday’s episode!

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A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Paranormal Activity’

When I first heard that the Paranormal Activity franchise has been adapted into a staged production, I was immensely skeptical of its scare factor on stage and that there was a worthy story to be told that can hold on its own. But in a shocking turn of events, Paranormal Activity: A New Story Live On Stage has defied all my expectations as a genuinely engaging and terrifying experience that will absolutely delight all horror/thriller fans and newcomers alike.

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The Cast of ‘Black Phone 2’ on Continuing the Story and Exploring Their Characters

While covering New York Comic Con for The Nerds of Color, I had the chance to speak with Black Phone 2 stars Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Miguel Mora, and Demián Bichir! We discussed the pressure of making a sequel, having Finn and Gwen’s sibling relationship as the heart of the story, bringing their own experiences to the characters, and more.

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Visiting Derry at the Red Carpet of ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’

IT: Welcome to Derry premieres tonight! And earlier this week, we got a glimpse at the highly anticipated (and frankly highly enjoyable and truly terrifying) prequel to Andy Muschietti’s IT and IT: Chapter Two. We were seeing red everywhere, with red balloons floating around the sewers of Derry, and red carpets rolled out for the show’s stars and creators! Click here to get an inside glimpse at our visit to Derry and our conversations with some of the cast and creators from the premiere of this terrifying chapter in the IT saga!

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Floating High with the Cast and Creators of ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’

Every 27 years, something bad happens in the town of Derry, Maine. Children go missing, as fear and evil run rampant. Beneath the heart of this sleepy town lies a horrifying secret that threatens to divide its residents and cause chaos. However, is it just the supernatural terrors that plague this place? Or is there something deeper, sadder, and more real that is behind it all? We got to the bottom of these questions with the cast and creators of IT: Welcome to Derry!

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‘Black Phone 2’ Star Madeleine McGraw Answers the Call

Black Phone 2 is terrifying audiences everywhere now! While the first film was all about Mason Thames’ character, Finney, the amazing Madeleine McGraw takes center stage this time as Gwen. What does The Grabber have in store for this clairvoyant badass? We had a chance to chat with McGraw about the answer to that, plus much more!

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NOC Review: Blumhouse Phones It In with ‘Black Phone 2’

Traveling back to 2022, I remember leaving my screening of The Black Phone, touched, thrilled, and genuinely surprised having seen what became one of my favorites of that year.

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Director Ritesh Gupta on the Meta Horror of ‘The Red Mask’

We interview Ritesh Gupta about directing the indie horror film The Red Mask and its meta commentary on the current state of Hollywood.

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How ‘HIM’ Exposes the Cult of Sports and the Commodification of Black Athletes

American football isn’t just a game; it’s a religion. The rituals, the chants, the stadiums packed with worshippers draped in team colors, it all mirrors a form of collective devotion. In Justin Tipping’s new psychological thriller HIM, produced by Jordan Peele, football becomes something far more literal: a site of sacrifice, worship, and horror.

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