More horror film reviews. Please note that all these films below feature
TW
gore to varying degrees, and mental health issues and suicide (especially Frรฉwaka).
V/H/S/Beyond (2024) -4/5 Hobbits
I enjoyed this anthology film, all the segments as well as the framing wrap-around were very intriguing and engaging, except for one which didn't fit at all with the theme of this being about aliens.
Definitely worth a watch, especially for the segment called Stowaway, directed by Kate Flanagan and written by Mike Flanagan (actress and creator, respectively, of Haunting of Hill House, Haunting of Bly Manor, and The Fall of the House of Usher, which is probably why it's my favourite segment lol)
V/H/S/Halloween (2025) - 1/5 Hobbits
Very meh for me such that I did not finish it. Perhaps this anthology hits harder for audiences that celebrate Halloween, but it felt very tropey and made me feel quite bored.
V/H/S/94 (2021) - 5/5 Hobbits
So far my favourite of the V/H/S anthology film series. Perfectly gory and disturbing, the wrap-around framing was very interesting, and each segment had me on the edge of my seat. This one is definitely not for people who are squeamish, the gore effects are very well done!
Frรฉwaka (2024) - 5/5 Hobbits
I thoroughly enjoyed this Irish folk horror. Exploring themes of paranoia, the Aos Sรญ, Magdalene Laundries, and familial ties. Blends the mythology of The Fair Folk expertly with the human emotions of grief and bargaining. No real jumpscares, I won't go on so as to not spoil too much, but I definitely highly recommend this.
Death Valley (2021) - 2/5 Hobbits
Also meh but I finished this one, so it gets one more star than V/H/S/Halloween. Blending resident evil, Nephilim, zombies, and sci-fi, I would have had a better experience if it just picked a lane and leaned into it instead of trying to everything and making a mediocre film. Watch if you want something on in the background and don't care about the stupid plot. I'm not sure how the film wanted me to feel about the antagonists - one moment it seemed I should me sympathetic, the next made them completely irredeemably evil, and then switches again and again. MEH
Belzebuth (2017) - 4.5/5 Hobbits
This is the opposite of Death Valley (2021) in that it does pick a lane (Catholicism and demons) and blends it well with a little bit of sci-fi. Great acting on Joaquรญn Cosรญos part, and was pleasantly surprised to see an actor (Tate Ellington) I saw in The Endless (2017) as one of the protags. Well worth a watch if you're into possession and demon horror. The ending felt like it would be right at home for Catholics who love religious horror (not sure what the overlap is for that haha).
Note: this one does feature mass child murder (not actually shown on screen but is the main plot points).