Review Category: Movie

MARTYRS (2008)

Considered a pivotal work of the French Extreme Cinema movement, Martyrs is a film once seen, never forgotten. While once may be one time too many for some, the film has reared its ugly little head again in this limited edition 4k restoration from Eureka Entertainment. That’s every drop of blood shed all over again, in gritty, crystal-clear, far-too-high definition.

For the uninitiated, or those lucky enough to forget: in 1971, a young girl (Jessie Pham) escapes a chamber of horrors where she’s been subject to all manner of torture and abuse. Whisked away to an orphanage, she befriends Anna (Erika Scott), who tries to bring comfort and light back into this profoundly traumatised individual’s life. Fifteen years later, and an adult Lucie (an electrifying Mylène Jampanoï) launches a bloody campaign of revenge against those she deems responsible. Soon after, Anna (Morjana Alaoui) arrives, wholly unprepared for what lurks in the depths of the Belford House.

Written in a deep depression (and one can tell!), Martyrs is a work of bleak and unrelenting nihilism. There’s nary a moment of warmth in the whole thing; no respite from the physical and mental abuse Lucie and Anna – and by proxy, the audience – are exposed to. Jampanoï and Alaoui are absolute warriors about the whole thing, even if Laugier’s male gaze-y camera threatens to cross a line that the film’s themes can’t excuse – as its horrific violence perhaps can. From home invasion movie to supernatural thriller (but not really), to ‘torture porn’ final chapter, Martyrs commits wholeheartedly to each subgenre it straddles. If its story is too slight to necessitate a re-watch, then this special edition – loaded with all-new interviews and featurettes – gives it fresh relevance.

Martyrs is a film once seen, never forgotten. If you really must inflict it upon yourself all over again, then this comprehensive restoration set makes for the ideal bloody vessel.

MARTYRS (Masters of Cinema) the limited edition is out on October 27, 2025

HOLE

A couple’s crime caper turns deadly when one of the rich women they target is left for dead in an act of blind rage and jealousy. But their efforts to dispose of the body unravel when their victim turns out to be alive and kicking, and determined to escape their clutches to reveal everything. The result is an extended game of cat-and-mouse that unfolds deep in the woods as all three enter survival mode, each with varying degrees of natural ability.

Even allowing for its relatively short run time, Slovenian indie thriller Hole is a film in a hurry. There’s little opportunity to establish the dynamic between Mia (Lea Cok) and Kevin (Marko Plantan) or to see their con succeed with earlier clients before the encounter with Ema (Darja Krhin) ends so calamitously. By the time events move on to the isolated forest, the audience still has no real sense of who these characters are or of the life choices that have led them all to this impasse. And that’s a problem for director Dejan Babosek, who co-wrote the script together with stars Cok and Plantan, because it makes it difficult to invest in the fate of any of the trio.

The lush woodlands of Ljubljana make for an attractive enough backdrop, while Babosek highlights the comedic absurdities of the situation rather than amping up the horror of Ema’s predicament. There are hints of the supernatural, too, in the form of a white angel and a strange beast. But the question of whether these spectres are corporeal or imagined is left intentionally ambiguous. Their presence is not enough to compensate for the imbalance between the rushed setup and the protracted and overly familiar execution.

HOLE is available on UK streaming platforms now.

SHELBY OAKS

Opening as a mock documentary focused on a missing YouTuber who hosted a ghost-hunting show, Shelby Oaks surpasses expectations by being an engrossing mystery and, ultimately, a different beast altogether.

Riley Brennan (Sarah Durn) was part of the Paranormal Paranoids, who head off to the deserted town of Shelby Oaks, which boasts a rotting amusement park and dilapidated houses. Riley’s sister, Mia (Camille Sullivan), is helping a film crew make a documentary about the story, the case having been dropped by the police, who consider her dead. After an occurrence while filming an interview, Mia is convinced otherwise and heads off to Shelby Oaks to see if she can find any trace of her sister.

Making his feature debut, Chris Stuckmann, himself a YouTuber with a more than healthy following, has managed to take a familiar horror conceit – the mockumentary – and merge it with a traditional narrative. More impressive is that both parts complement each other perfectly. Camille Sullivan is fantastic as the never-give-up sister, and when things take a turn that’s unfair to reveal, she excels in selling fear and anguish.

The production values on both elements of the film are brilliant. The old video footage looks genuine rather than just passed through a ‘VHS’ filter, and the ghost town of Shelby Oaks makes for a stunning location through the lens of Andrew Scott Baird. While Mia makes some of the typical horror movie mistakes (exploring creepy places alone at night), we could easily read this as Stuckmann playing at giving the audience what they want rather than having the confidence to embrace his own path fully. It doesn’t derail the film, though; by the conclusion, the missteps are forgotten. A very impressive debut.

SHELBY OAKS is in cinemas from October 31st.

A DESERT

Embarking on a journey of self-discovery in the remote stretches of the Mojave desert, photographer Alex (Kai Lennox) hopes to return to his roots by capturing images of urban decay and crumbling civilisation. His work, black-and-white pictures of run-down factories and disused industrial spaces, will be familiar to anyone who’s stumbled across its ilk on Facebook or Instagram.

To Renny (Zachary Ray Sherman, channeling Bill Moseley in The Devil’s Rejects), it’s poverty tourism, plain and simple. Following a disagreement between the two men, Alex disappears. Wife Sam (Sarah Lind) is on the case, and hires private detective Harold (David Yow) to investigate. As he follows in Alex’s footsteps, a troubling mystery unfolds.

This gritty thriller by Joshua Erkman blends Hitchcockian mystery with the urbanoia chills of a Texas Chain Saw Massacre or Deliverance. Its story plays out slowly, snatching glimpses of darkness as Harold investigates. To invoke ‘Lynchian’ as an adjective (as the film’s marketing and prior buzz have done) ultimately does the film a disservice, as its story isn’t really that odd, its vision of the Mojave no Twin Peaks.

Instead, A Desert comfortably inhabits the dusty landscape of the Mojave, using the same structures which so fascinate Alex to house the disturbing surprises it does have in store.

A DESERT hits digital platforms on November 24th.

THE LAST SACRIFICE

Rupert Russell’s documentary The Last Sacrifice looks at a real-life murder case and discusses the speculation that witchcraft was the reason for the death.

The doc uses footage from various classic folk horror movies to illustrate the story of Charles Walton, who was killed in 1945 in a horrific pitchfork attack – a murder that is still unsolved. The rumours of occult goings-on involved with the murder are discussed, although still inconclusive. The history of pagan worship and Wicca practices in the UK is uncovered in an entertaining and captivating manner. Talking heads such as Jonathan Rigby provide facts and figures about the case that took place in the heart of the Cotswolds.

Another notable aspect of the original investigation was that it was led by Robert Fabian, the well-known detective from Scotland Yard, who would later go on to have his own TV show. However, even this legendary sleuth failed to uncover the truth at the bottom of the case.

The Last Sacrifice explores a number of theories on the murder while also looking at the rise of witchcraft in media and society in general. It’s a fascinating true crime documentary, and its use of familiar visuals, recut to form an unfamiliar narrative, makes it even more compelling.

While we may never know the truth surrounding Walton’s death, the conjecture makes for an unnerving viewing experience. It’s both chilling and entertaining. Stick around to the end to find out how the Teletubbies fit into the macabre situation!

THE LAST SACRIFICE screens in the UK over the Halloween period. See the film at the following screenings:

October 24: Dublin: The IFI (as part of HORRORTHON)

October 28: London: The Nickel + Q&A with Rupert Russell

October 30: Manchester: Home + Q&A with Rupert Russell

October 30: Edinburgh: The Cameo

October 30: Epsom Cinema

October 30: London: Finsbury Park Cinema

October 30: Liverpool: FACT

October 30: Liverpool: The Plaza Community Cinema

October 31: Lewes: Depot cinema + Q&A with Rupert Russell

November 1: London: Picturehouse Central + Q&A with Rupert Russell

November 1: Lancaster: The Dukes

Date TBC: Cardiff Chapter Arts Center

SCURRY

Australian writer-director Luke Sparke is nothing if not both ambitious and prolific. His string of low-budget, high-concept independent sci-fi horror films put many better-budgeted Hollywood releases to shame, visually at least.

His upcoming $10 million dinosaur adventure Primitive War has all the visceral, primeval savagery and spectacle that will forever elude the family-friendly Jurassic films. His alien invasion movies Occupation and Occupation: Rainfall made up for the deficiencies in their scripts by delivering big, bombastic action sequences and hugely imaginative creature designs. 2024’s Scurry dials things down a bit but is no less visually impressive, and Sparke returns to his familiar ‘invasion’ theme with a slightly more nuanced and intimate affair that sees the world coming under attack (largely off-screen) by creatures from below the surface of the planet.

Scurry (not to be confused with the upcoming British horror The Scurry about an attack by killer squirrels… sounds nuts!) is the told-in-real-time story of Mark (Jamie Costa… insert your own coffee-based jokes, please) and Kate (Emalia), two strangers who find themselves trapped underground with little to no resources as something catastrophic unfolds on the surface. Mark is a family man, injured in what at first appears to be an earthquake but is clearly something rather worse. Kate is a thief with a formidable survival instinct.

This unlikely pair find themselves forced to work together, worming their way through a network of increasingly cramped tunnels in search of a way back to the surface. They soon become aware that they’re not alone; skittering predatory arachnid creatures – part beetle, part spider – are never far away, and the pair endure a number of nail-biting encounters with these monstrosities, most notably in one sequence where a near-rescue turns into a bloody massacre.

Scurry is pretty much a two-hander, and it’s often a big ask to expect audiences to fully invest in a story driven by just two characters, especially when they’re trapped in a dingy, claustrophobic environment. Sparke just about pulls it off though, thanks to a more sympathetic running time than many of his other slightly over-bloated features and by managing to turn the environment itself into a third player in the narrative, a situation that’s bad and challenging enough without throwing rampaging spider-beetles into the mix.

The creatures themselves appear sparingly and fleetingly, which adds to their menace, but despite the potentially gripping scenario, the film’s limitations lead it into some dead-ends. Its third act, where it should become more propulsive and climactic, is a little sluggish and underpowered. Kudos though, for a terrific final scene which reveals the true extent of the horror above ground.

Ultimately, Scurry suggests that Luke Sparke’s career is still a work-in-progress, but when he can marry a really great script to his already extraordinary visual sensibilities, he’s likely to finally be recognised as an exciting and dynamic talent in genre filmmaking.

SCURRY is available digitally in the US and will be available in the UK shortly.

DELIVERY RUN

Set within the visually impressive surroundings of snowbound rural Minnesota, this indie survival horror offers countless knowing nods to its influences, but has enough of its own self-belief to avoid becoming simply a homage. Mixed in with echoes of Steven Spielberg’s Duel, Robert Harmon’s The Hitcher and the Coen brothers’ Fargo is director and co-writer Joey Palmroos’ own inventive and absurdist spin on the classic idea of a malevolent mechanical menace threatening a lone traveller.

Lee is a young underachiever with ambitions to open his own food truck business. But for now, he’s stuck as a gig-economy delivery driver, on the verge of eviction and bankruptcy, with a bad gambling habit and mounting debts to impatient local criminals. Out on the road, with only his goldfish Reggie for company, Lee is hunted by a huge snowplough and its unseen driver. None of the people in his life believe he’s being targeted, so Lee has to take matters into his own hands.

Alexander Arnold is excellent in the lead role, managing to make Lee likeable despite his terrible, self-destructive life choices. Palmroos and Anders Holmes craft sharp dialogue for their ensemble of oddballs, and mix in the visuals of Minnesota’s naturally atmospheric landscape. The massive snowplough is an arresting nemesis, but the limited budget precludes much in the way of metal-on-metal carnage.

It’s still an entertaining watch, even though there’s too much crammed into the short runtime and there are some stark inconsistencies in tone. Just try not to be distracted by the realisation that goldfish Reggie, who spends most of the film balanced in a bag on the dashboard of Lee’s car, would in reality be parboiled by the deep-winter demister.

DELIVERY RUN will be released on digital platforms in the UK on 6 October.

THE DROWNED (aka THE WATERHOUSE)

Convening at a remote house at the side of the ocean following the heist of a valuable painting, three thieves – Eric (Alan Calton), his partner Matt (Dominic Vulliamy), and Paul (Michelangelo Fortuzzi) face internal conflict and outside malevolence as they try to discover what’s happened to Matt’s mother, Denice (Corrine Wicks), who was meant to meet them there.

Eric, being the first to arrive, finds evidence that she had been there, but a strange, bloody track leading out to sea makes him think the worst. When a trio of women wash ashore in a small boat, the men concoct a story as to why they’re there and why they have no supplies. Meanwhile, each of the men has strange experiences, hearing eerie voices and then suddenly finding themselves on the beach with no clue as to how they got there.

Mixing myth (sirens) and Greek tragedy (Oedipus) with a Reservoir Dogs scenario, The Drowned is a slow-burning, haunting film that is reminiscent of several others but ultimately stands on its own feet. Written and directed by Samuel Clemens (the son of legendary screenwriter Brian Clemens, who wrote for the TV series The Avengers and directed Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter in his time at Hammer), the film’s atmosphere builds as it leaves the relatively safe confines of heist thriller and morphs into a phantasmagorical horror tale. He directs confidently and will certainly be a talent to watch out for in future.

While much of the happenings are ambiguous, the final shots of the stolen painting (the film’s alternate title gives a massive clue as to whose brush the piece of art comes from) serve as a portent as the thieves receive a form of poetic justice. The film’s images and brooding sound design will linger long after the story is over, and the melding of myth and metaphysical will give fans plenty to debate.

THE DROWNED is on digital platforms in the UK from October 6th, October 7th in the US and October 8th in ANZ

SCARED SHITLESS

Taking a job with his dad, germophobic Sonny (Daniel Doheny) comes face-to-faeces with his worst nightmare after attending a routine house call at a packed apartment block. Dad’s job? Plumber. Dad? Steven Ogg, of Grand Theft Auto V and The Walking Dead fame. The shit, as they say, is about to hit the fan.

In pitting the nebbish germophobe and his vulgar father against a genetically engineered toilet creature, this grisly comedy-horror makes good use of its charismatic star, letting Ogg cut loose and crack wise amid the unfolding chaos. As Sonny teams up with plucky night manager Patricia (Chelsea Clark) to get to the serious business of investigating the infestation, Ogg’s Don is left to it, schmoozing the resident pensioners and butting heads with the local influencer (Brynn Godenir).

Scared Shitless is unrepentantly goofy, featuring a good level of splatter and appropriately yucky creature designs. While director Vivieno Caldinelli and screenwriter Brandon Cohen rarely take Sonny’s germaphobia seriously (it never once rings true that you’d find the guy anywhere near a U-bend), the grotesque use of practical effects serves as a neat contrast to his fear of what lies in the loo.

Unfortunately, perhaps due to the low budget, it peaks as it’s just getting started, wrapping (or wiping) up in an all-too-brief 76 minutes. This lack of fibre extends to Sonny’s relationship with his father; while it’s always fun to see Steven Ogg do Trevor Philips again, their arc feels unfinished and too unserious for the later dramatic beats to hit as intended.

Scared Shitless is a brisk, breezy work of toilet terror featuring dynamic performances and deviously gory action. But, like a good poop foiled by over-greased bowels, it’s over too soon.

SCARED SHITLESS is in US cinemas and digital platforms from October 3rd.

SOMNIUM

Several of 2025’s most talked-about horror films blend traditional genre iconography while exploring deep, meditative themes far darker than their imagery. From Sinners’ musing on colonisation to Bring Her Back’s themes of loss and grief, we’ve had plenty to mull over when leaving cinema screens outside of jump scares and buckets of gore. Somnium, the feature debut from Racheal Cain Stephens, aims for a similar balance between its symbolic and outright sinister elements, leaning into its character-driven narrative to mixed success.

Somnium follows Gemma (Chloë Levine), an aspiring actress who has moved from her small town in Georgia to make it big in Los Angeles. Between auditions, she takes a job at Somnium, a mysterious experimental sleep clinic. Her job as a ‘sleep sitter’ sees Gemma watch over the patients in stasis pods, who are hoping that having positive dreams injected into their subconscious will help them make their everyday dreams a reality. As the trial progresses, however, Gemma believes there is a more sinister motive at play.

While it boasts traditional sci-fi and horror elements, outside of the sleep clinic, Somnium is a poignant exploration of chasing your dreams, imposter syndrome, and the soul-crushing nature of desperately trying to succeed in a saturated industry. More terrifying than any of the standard genre fare on offer here is Gemma’s creeping doubt, as she’s plagued with flashbacks of her former life and dogged with questions over whether she did the right thing moving to LA. The battle between the heart and the mind is at the centre of Somnium, with Levine’s stunning performance giving Gemma a strength and determination that prevents the film from becoming yet another cautionary tale about the pursuit of fame. The sleek set and costume design help the brooding terrors work well within Somnium‘s narrative, which feels both nostalgic and modern in tandem, as Stephens cultivates a skin-crawling premise and atmosphere.

But despite this, Somnium can at times feel muddled, with so many threads fighting for prominence. While Gemma attempts to find herself in the hustle and bustle of LA, Somnium, too, never quite finds its stride, straddling a wide array of topics that mean none feel as thoroughly explored as they could be. It leaves the film feeling surface-level, never delving far enough into its themes to be as impactful as it strives to – it’s less dream-like and more tired. Stephens does a masterful job of creating fully rounded characters and world, but the setup doesn’t pay off as we wind through increasingly cryptic scenes and a somewhat anticlimactic finale.

Despite feeling stuck in a spiral, Somnium is a promising feature debut from Stephens, with strong characterisations and a bold approach to its central themes. Its sleek design is pumped full of life thanks to its character-driven narrative and captivating performances, which prevent the wider story from completely falling flat.

SOMNIUM is available now on digital platforms.