Theatrical Release – The Shock Doctors Podcast: Recent Episodes
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Bigger and dumber than its predecessor, Smile 2 trudges through an interminable series of foregone conclusions while screaming its themes at the audience as loudly as possible.
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Alexandre Aja’s latest film fails to maintain enough ambiguity to sustain its middle hour, and the ending raises more questions than the audience, after 101 minutes, will really feel motivated to answer.
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The Substance is a movie with three standout performances and a lot of panache that is weighted down by its own excesses, and a habit of repeating itself.
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This remake of the 2022 Danish film suffers from a stultifying fidelity to the original – except in two major respects, where there has been a decided downgrade. A waste of a very strong cast.
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The directorial debut of Robert Eggers’ younger brothers Max and Sam is an uneasy mishmash of influences, on top of being a tedious scatological assault on the senses.
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While the Shock Doctors share most of Chris Weitz’s feelings about AI and other facets of modernity, the actual film he’s assembled is a muddled hodgepodge of grievances that never coheres.
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Alien: Romulus is not without its merits – set design and visual style in particular – but it suffers from an excess of fanservice callbacks, and the AI revenant of Ian Holm was a serious misstep.
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Buoyed by a committed, charismatic lead performance from Josh Harnett, Trap nonetheless suffers from a lack of commitment to its initial single-location conceit.
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Given the background of the material and the people involved, The Exorcism qualifies as a serious disappointment. Turgid, incoherent, and riddled with cliches, this film should have stayed on the shelf.
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Our first great horror experience in recent memory, Longlegs is a slam-dunk early candidate for our favorite of the year. Oz Perkins, Nicolas Cage, and Maika Monroe have never been better.
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Marred by the superficiality of its sleazy 80s atmosphere, and the bizarre absence of heft in its central character, Ti West’s third X entry ends this franchise with a whimper.
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Michael Sarnoski’s prequel shares some of the pitfalls of earlier entries in the series, but his indie sensibilities add a new character-driven flavor to this film – and Lupita Nyong’o is characteristically excellent.
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Ishana Night Shyamalan’s feature directorial debut unfortunately shares a lot of DNA with her father’s worst work, particularly Lady in the Water. The result, like that film, is rather tedious.
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This disposable, drab, tension-free nothing of a requel is only the first entry in a trilogy that’s already been shot. God help us.
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Reminiscent of both halves of Twin Peaks and redolent with curdled 90s nostalgia, I Saw the TV Glow nonetheless provoked a Siskel-and-Ebert disconnect between Matt and Jim.
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This is pretty bottom-of-the-barrel, disposable stuff. When the movies coming to mind are Wish Upon, Countdown, and Imaginary, that’s a very bad sign.
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A step down from Ready or Not – mostly because it recycles many of the same beats less effectively – Abigail nonetheless features a fun cast and a few neat tricks. We just wish it maintained its momentum following a strong opening.
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A handsomely-crafted legacy prequel that features great performances, oodles of atmosphere, and some solid scares, even if some of its departures from the original don’t quite gel.
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While the ending isn’t quite as balls-to-the-wall as some of the buzz might have you believe, Immaculate is buoyed by a strong central performance and atmosphere to spare.
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Unlike Fantasy Island, the last Jeff Wadlow film we reviewed, the whackadoo third-act shenanigans on offer here aren’t fun-bad… they’re just a chore.
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A taut, engaging thrill ride with gorgeous visuals and impressive sound design, Out of Darkness almost completely overcomes an ending that might not work for some.
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There wasn’t enough meat on these bones to turn this short into a viable feature, and yet Bryce McGuire left some behind in favor of a grab-bag of tired and disconnected horror tropes.
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An improvement over some of Eli Roth’s more risible work, Thanksgiving is a refreshingly old-fashioned slasher that nonetheless feels rather predictable and thin.
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The video game series doesn’t hold a special place in either of our hearts, but the film adaptation is not the wholesale disaster social media makes it out to be.
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David Gordon Green’s latest attempt at a legacy sequel to a landmark horror film has more in common with The Exorcist’s legion of shoddy imitators than it does with the source material itself.
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Matt and Jim take this opportunity to do a full retrospective on the Saw franchise, and while it’s got a handful of high points, it’s mostly schlock. This entry is better than most.
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Apologies for the unannounced hiatus, but we’re back with a throwback to our second episode all-time. The Nun may not have been good, but this sequel is just… boring. It doesn’t help that it’s drowning in disposable tertiary antagonists, either.
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Even with its slam-dunk premise, we didn’t love “Dracula on a Boat.” However, it gets points for hearkening back to 90s and early 2000s Universal monster flicks. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next … Continue reading Episode 157 – The Last Voyage of the Demeter →
Despite being well-made and periodically effective, Danny and Michael Philippou’s film left us cold. We wouldn’t mind seeing the hand come back, though. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us … Continue reading Episode 156 – Talk to Me →
Samuel Bodin’s dramatically under-promoted film features a few good scares and some deft camerawork, but the parents were written without depth and the film is sometimes paced too much like a trailer. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got … Continue reading Episode 155 – Cobweb →
James Wan’s second franchise ends with a whimper. It’s not a trainwreck, but it’s also just not that good. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel … Continue reading Episode 154 – Insidious: The Red Door →
Anthony DiBlasi elected to remake his own film, 2014’s Last Shift, and frankly, he did better the first time. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel … Continue reading Episode 153 – Malum →
A fairly run-of-the-mill adaptation of a minor Stephen King work, this film is not without craft, particularly in its careful control of just how much of the Boogeyman you see. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea … Continue reading Episode 152 – The Boogeyman (2023) →
A gorgeous and visually striking tone poem, Mark Jenkin’s film might leave you wanting in the story and character department. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? … Continue reading Episode 151 – Enys Men →
A promising beginning is entirely drowned in a tidal wave of bad screenwriting and shoddy direction. Jena Malone and Danny Huston deserved better.
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Refreshingly not about capital-T trauma, Lee Cronin’s entry is another win for a franchise that, in 40 years, has yet to miss.
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A few nice early touches and Nicolas Cage’s committed performance are undone by Renfield‘s being half a cop movie – and not a particularly good one, at that.
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Featuring some Raimi-esque pulp and an engaging performance from Russell Crowe – ropey Italian accent and all – Julius Avery’s latest film is a solid entry in the exorcism subgenre.
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With his pitch-black pinhole glimpses of chaos in the desert, Robbie Banfitch clearly wants to put our imaginations to work, but he doesn’t leave us quite enough to work with.
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Reaching a new low for the franchise, Scream VI spends most of its runtime insisting that everything is different and all bets are off, only to keep rehashing the same tired tropes.
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Featuring good performances but a slightly flabby second act, Knock at the Cabin settles comfortably into the middle tier of M. Night Shyamalan’s oeuvre. It doesn’t really work as a climate change allegory, though.
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Drab, incoherent, and brainless from start to finish, Fear is the result of director Deon Taylor hurling a bunch of tropes at the wall and seeing what sticks – and nothing does.
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Brandon Cronenberg adds another strong entry to his weird and unsettling oeuvre, while Mia Goth gives her third standout horror performance in the space of ten months.
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A team-up of the talents behind Housebound and Malignant should have been a slam dunk, but don’t believe the hype – M3GAN is an assembly-line-style dud.
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Skinamarink is not a perfect film, but it’s so weird and singular that we might not change a thing about it.
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While not quite up to the standards of his prior work, Luca Guadagnino’s cannibal romance road movie is moody, occasionally arresting, and driven by good performances all around.
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Even if The Menu doesn’t qualify as horror comedy haute cuisine, there are some tasty morsels knocking around in there. Ralph Fiennes is a delight.
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Prey for the Devil is a movie that is impossible to care about, a worse-than-average exorcism film in a subgenre where “average” is a pretty low bar to clear. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for … Continue reading Episode 133 – Prey for the Devil →
Halloween Ends – about two movies too late. The film is a misbegotten mess, top to bottom, riddled with baffling story decisions and underwhelming direction. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d … Continue reading Episode 131 – Halloween Ends →
In spite of a few solid scares, Smile is too full of same-y mystery thread-pulling – and in Matt’s opinion, annoying cops – to really succeed. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie … Continue reading Episode 130 – Smile (2022) →
The back end of Pearl isn’t as visually arresting as its opening act, and suffers from some scripting issues, but the film is a knockout showcase for Mia Goth’s delightfully broad performance. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got … Continue reading Episode 129 – Pearl (2022) →
Although it falters a bit in the back half, Barbarian has a killer opening act and an assortment of thrilling hard left turns in plot and style sprinkled throughout. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for … Continue reading Episode 128 – Barbarian (2022) →
The Invitation features the sexiest vampires this side of Twilight, and in spite of some satisfyingly old-fashioned gothic horror touches, has about as much dramatic heft – or as many scares. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an … Continue reading Episode 127 – The Invitation (2022) →
Orphan: First Kill is a wholly unjustified prequel that attempts to top the original’s already ludicrous twist, but is mostly just an inert mess. William Brent Bell is a hack of the first order, and always has been. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, … Continue reading Episode 126 – Orphan: First Kill →
Some promising early sequences are quickly undone by a melange of poorly-differentiated characters and a distinct underuse of the “dark and stormy night” atmosphere. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like … Continue reading Episode 124 – Bodies Bodies Bodies →
Jordan Peele has done it again, building terrific popcorn entertainment around stunning, already iconic new horror imagery, impeccable pacing, and note-perfect performances from Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea, Steven Yeun, and Michael Wincott. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune … Continue reading Episode 122 – Nope →
Based on a Joe Hill story, The Black Phone nails a trifecta – strong performances from Ethan Hawke, Madeleine McGraw, and Mason Thames, assured direction by Scott Derrickson, and a smart script from Derrickson and writing partner C. Robert Cargill. It’s a blast. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check … Continue reading Episode 120 – The Black Phone →
Meet the new sex… very much NOT the same as the old sex. Crimes of the Future isn’t quite vintage Cronenberg, but it’s still plenty good. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie … Continue reading Episode 119 – Crimes of the Future →
Strong performances by Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear (in his case, several), as well as some interesting ideas, at least make this film deeply watchable, if utterly confounding. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the … Continue reading Episode 118 – Men (2022) →
A flawed but entertaining Stephen King property from the ’80s is turned into dimly lit, poorly written CGI capeshit. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel … Continue reading Episode 117 – Firestarter (2022) →
While the film tries to grapple with important themes – the cyclical nature of violence and the hardships of the immigrant experience – an utter lack of suspense and a script allergic to subtext leave the whole endeavor dead on arrival. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out … Continue reading Episode 113 – Umma →
After nearly a decade away from the genre, Ti West still builds tension as well as anyone in the business, but old people having sex isn’t quite as repulsive as he wants it to be. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or … Continue reading Episode 112 – X →
Period creature-feature goodness and an interesting twist on the mechanics of lycanthropy are diminshed by pacing issues, a sometimes-drab color palette, and some questionable choices about the film’s Roma pseudo-antagonists. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea … Continue reading Episode 111 – The Cursed →
Ben Wheatley’s best film since Kill List is a trippy folk horror nightmare, with strong performances all around. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free … Continue reading Episode 109 – In the Earth →
The latest entry in the long-running franchise is not entirely without merit, but enduring all of the “requel” discourse is about as much fun as watching Reddit projected onscreen for 114 minutes. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got … Continue reading Episode 108 – Scream (2022) →
Mild pacing issues and Dr. Ritter’s impenetrable motives prevent Nightmare Alley from being a slam-dunk, but it’s still a very good time. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to … Continue reading Episode 106 – Nightmare Alley →
Your Masters of Microphoning meander through another Johannes Roberts misfire, albeit one that appears to make some fanboys very excited. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? … Continue reading Episode 105 – Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City →
Last Night in Soho wastes an imperfect but engaging opening stretch by dissolving into a featureless morass of shadow men and a climax that is bone-deep bad. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next … Continue reading Episode 103 – Last Night in Soho →
Antlers is a creepy and effective creature feature that’s sometimes hampered by certain lighting and backstory choices. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to … Continue reading Episode 102 – Antlers →
Matt and Jim wouldn’t be surprised if Halloween Kills this franchise. Zing! Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on … Continue reading Episode 101 – Halloween Kills →
For this milestone, Matt and Jim have put together a super-sized episode tackling the so-called “Thorn Trilogy” of Halloween sequels. They are… not good.
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With a heaping helping of early-aughts action-horror goodness and some unexpected tricks up its sleeve, Malignant is a pleasant surprise – perhaps the biggest in Shock Doctors history.
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While it’s hampered by a muddled climax, strong direction and performances make Nia DaCosta’s film a worthy heir to the Candyman mantle.
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David Bruckner’s latest film benefits from a typically strong Rebecca Hall performance, a minimum of spookhouse nonsense, and an oppressive atmosphere – even if the closing line is a bit of a dud.
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