News

‘Elevated horror’ gets a bad reputation – but the era is easier to identify now it’s definitively ended with such films as The Monkey.

Hot off the critical success of his Silence-Of-The-Lambs-ish serial killer thriller, Longlegs, you could be surprised to find the next film Osgood Perkins’ name appears next to on a marquee is very, very silly.

The Monkey, which arrived in UK cinemas last week, shares a name and a simian mascot with the Stephen King source text. It even shares a certain amount of the author’s nihilistic wink-wink sense of humour. But where even King’s goofiest tales usually possess some amount of sinister melodrama, Perkins mines the “toy monkey that makes random people explode in gnarly ways” premise for damn-near every laugh it’s worth.

Theo James plays two comically opposed twins – one so terrified of a toy monkey he refuses to maintain any long-lasting relationships,...

The Roku Ultra includes a backlit, rechargeable remote control. (Courtesy image)

More than half of American households subscribed to broadband Internet have cut the cord on cable and satellite television services or identify as consumers who have never subscribed to traditional pay TV in the first place, according to new research released by Parks Associates this week.

The report, franchised from the data analysis firm’s Video Services Consumer Insights Dashboard, showed 46 percent of American households are cord-cutters — people who have moved away from cable and satellite TV, and comparable streaming cable-like products — in favor of a mixture of broadcast and connected TV platforms, while 12 percent of American households are “cord-nevers,” or individuals who have never paid for a traditional pay TV product.

The figures are based on data collected and analyzed during the third quarter (Q3) of 2024. Three years prior, around 35 percent of American households identified as cord-cutters, while...

While many films have conjured terrifying physical manifestations of grief, one that set a notably high bar for hand-crafted horror exploring that fecund strand was Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook. The specter of that brutally effective 2014 shocker proves inescapable for writer-director Dylan Southern in The Thing With Feathers, right down to a malevolent figure haunting the main characters that looks like something out of Edward Gorey. The main salvation is the staggering commitment of Benedict Cumberbatch, hurling himself into the role of a bereaved husband in a performance touched by madness that holds nothing back. His wounds are gashes continually being reopened.

The source material is Max Porter’s prize-winning 2015 novella Grief Is the Thing With Feathers, which yielded a solo stage piece three years later seen on both sides of the Atlantic, adapted and directed by Irish playwright Enda Walsh and starring a protean Cillian Murphy. The book is...

(Stock image by Artem Podrez)

International research firm Parks Associates has launched a dedicated business that leverages more than four decades of data and insight to provide tailored strategies and results to their clients.

The company’s launch of the Strategic Consulting Unit this week will utilize prior, current and forthcoming data-driven research to effectuate strategies in the consumer, small business, light commercial and multifamily technology markets.

“We provide research in many different ways; this consulting service provides a new approach to support the hundreds of companies we serve across the connected home and business ecosystems,” Elizabeth Parks, the President and Chief Marketing Officer at Parks Associates, said in a statement. “With almost forty years of data, insights, and industry relationships, we are uniquely positioned to help companies navigate market disruptions and identify growth opportunities.”

Parks Associates is one of the research firms routinely relied upon by The Desk to...

With a number of horror movies under his own belt, Guillermo del Toro is sharing his rave thoughts on a recent body horror hit. Regarded as one of the most revered filmmakers in modern cinema, del Toro is known for his ability to weave fantastical and frightening tales with emotional resonance. As a two-time Academy Award winner for The Shape of Water (2017), his unique vision has been seen in everything from Pan’s Labyrinth to Crimson Peak and Nightmare Alley, often exploring themes of transformation, loss, and otherworldly beauty, earning him a reputation as a master of genre storytelling.

Del Toro's also known for his advocacy of other storytellers, which extends to his efforts in championing women filmmakers, particularly in the horror and fantasy genres. Del Toro has frequently emphasized the value of female perspectives in reinventing narratives that traditionally prioritize male voices. Through projects like The Babadook director Jennifer Kent...

Guillermo del Toro, the master of modern fairy tales, is offering to share his title with “The Substance” writer/director Coralie Fargeat.

During a conversation between the two filmmakers for Mubi, del Toro praised Fargeat’s “beautifully savage” vision for the twisted drama that stars Demi Moore as an aging actress who takes a serum to birth a younger version of herself, played by Margaret Qualley. “The Substance” won the screenwriting prize at Cannes and the TIFF People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award, as well as has already garnered Academy Award buzz.

“Your two movies [‘The Substance’ and 2017’s ‘Revenge’], for me, are expulsions. They’re literally expulsions of something that seems to me is very personal to you,” del Toro told Fargeat. “It’s like a fairy tale that goes into the dark.”

Del Toro pointed to the comparisons between “The Substance” and “Cinderella” as part of the fairy tale lore.

The romanticized notion of the cowboy, of ranchers who live by their own rules and represent the very idea of freedom, is something shared between Americans and Australians. Around the middle of the 19th century, both countries had an untamed "wild west" that spanned as far as the eye could see, and cattle ranching became a way to "settle" those wild lands. There's a reason why there are so many great Australian westerns, from Jennifer Kent's "The Nightingale" to John Hillcoat's "The Proposition," and those cowboy stories have turned into ranching stories. So of course the land Down Under is getting in on the latest and greatest cowboy-flavored fad, with a Netflix miniseries that clearly looks to be Australia's answer to the Taylor Sheridan juggernaut "Yellowstone." 

That show is the six-episode miniseries "Territory," created by Australian outback drama experts Timothy Lee (the writer behind "Mystery Road") and Ben Davies,...

A streaming TV viewer watches an Amazon Prime Video show on a tablet. (Courtesy image)

For the third consecutive year, Amazon’s Prime Video has outranked its competitors as the most-used streaming service in the United States, according to a report released by Parks Associates on Tuesday.

The report is part of the research firm’s Streaming Video Tracker, which will be detailed at the company’s Future of Video conference in Southern California later this month.

Prime Video has topped Parks Associates’ report of the most-used streaming service since 2022, when it leapfrogged former first place contender Netflix, which has been in second place ever since. This year, Disney took third place, a title previously held by its general entertainment service Hulu, which slipped to fourth place. Comcast-owned Peacock came in fifth place.

The top subscription-based streaming services, as reported by Parks Associates.

The Streaming Video Tracker utilizes data...

They had US$2m and six weeks. Everyone hated the name. Test audiences hated the film. Here’s the oral history of how Jennifer Kent’s debut got made – despite the odds

Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email

His eyes are depthless pools, his mouth a taut rictus. His fingers taper to blade-like claws and he looms like a scarecrow. In the dark you might only make out his cheeks, a shock of bone-white puncturing the night. He is furry, hairy, a little scary. Or maybe he’s just misunderstood?

You know the Babadook even if you haven’t seen the film: Australian director Jennifer Kent’s ornate, expressionistic horror that premiered at Sundance in 2014 before becoming a household meme a few years later. The creature leaps from a menacing picture book to torment a single mother, Amelia (Essie Davis), and her son Sam (Noah Wiseman). The pair’s...

Writer/director Jennifer Kent’s horror film The Babadook is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year – and in the midst of the celebration, we might have just found out what her next genre movie is going to be. Back in September, Kent told Gizmodo that she’s developing an adaptation of “a very well-known horror book,” and now World of Reel reports the Rumor that the book in question is Clive Barker’s 1992 novel The Thief of Always!

According to World of Reel, Kent’s take on The Thief of Always is “currently in the advanced stages of development. You can expect this one to be officially announced very soon.”

Barker’s novel has the following description: Mr. Hood’s Holiday House has stood for a thousand years, welcoming countless children into its embrace. It is a place of miracles where every childhood whim may be satisfied. There is a price to be paid,...

The Babadook director Jennifer Kent is turning her attention to Clive Barker’s The Thief Of Always for her next movie.

It’s been six years since Jennifer Kent made 2018’s The Nightingale, a follow-up to her incredible 2014 debut horror feature The Babadook. Considering that The Nightingale also met with positive reviews, it seems surprising that Kent hasn’t returned to feature filmmaking before now – but that’s about to change.

Kent herself recently revealed that an official announcement regarding her next project would soon be made, and World Of Reel seems to have landed the news on this one.

The outlet reports that Kent’s next feature will be an adaptation of Clive Barker’s The Thief Of Always. The 1992 novel, written and illustrated by Barker, is about a boy who visits a mysterious house owned by a villain who zaps the lifeforce out of his victims. A bit like that 1985 film,...

Jennifer Kent made one hell of an impression on the horror genre ten years ago with The Babadook, and Kent went on to direct 2018’s The Nightingale as well as an episode of “Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities” for Netflix. What’s next from Kent, you ask?

Kent revealed in a recent chat with Gizmodo that her next project will bring her back to the horror genre. But she’s not ready to spill the beans just yet, only offering up a tease for now.

“We’re about to announce something that’s going ahead, a film based on a book,” Kent previews. “A very well-known horror book. But I can’t really say more than that at this point.”

This interview took place back in September, and the website World of Reel claims to have cracked the mystery this week. According to the site, Jennifer Kent’s...

A decade has passed since the release of Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook, and the titular boogeyman has since become an icon of the genre. To celebrate, Bloody Disgusting is giving away three (3) copies of the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray, which contains over two hours of bonus content.

Here are all the special features…

This Is My House: Interview with Actor Essie Davis The Sister: Interview with Actor Hayley McElhinney Don’t Let It In: Interview with Producer Kristina Ceyton Conjuring Nightmares: Interview Producer Kristian Moliere Shaping Darkness: Interview with Editor Simon Njoo If It’s in a Name or in a Look: Interview with Production Designer Alex Holmes The Bookmaker: Interview with the Book Designer Alexander Juhasz Ba-Ba-Ba…Dook!: Interview with Composer Jed Kurzel

In The Babadook, “Six years after the violent death of her husband, Amelia (Essie Davis) is at a loss. She struggles...

There’s something about The Babadook that makes it one of those rare films capable of leaving you restless long after the screen fades to black. It’s not the kind of horror that jumps out at you in a moment of fleeting terror; it’s the kind that digs its claws deep into your mind, pulling you into its eerie psychological maze. Jennifer Kent’s directorial debut is a masterclass in horror, weaving together psychological torment, raw emotion, and an unforgettable creature that feels less like a villain and more like the manifestation of deeply buried fears. If you’re looking for a horror film that truly terrifies, The Babadook delivers on every level—and then some.

Unlike many contemporary horror films that rely on shock value or gore, The Babadook taps into something far more insidious: the psychological horrors of grief and motherhood. At the core of the film is Amelia,...

When you purchase through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The much-awaited sequel of the brilliant 2022 psychological mystery horror thriller film Smile is finally here and thankfully it doesn’t suck. Written and directed by Parker Finn, the 2024 film follows a young pop star who begins to experience a series of disturbing events while on tour. Overwhelmed by the horrors she must face her dark past to regain her sanity. Smile 2 stars Naomi Scott in the lead role with Kyle Gallner, Lukas Gage, Ray Nicholson, Dylan Gelula, and Rosemarie Dewitt starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the psychological horror, thrilling story, and compelling characters in Smile 2 here are some similar movies you should check out next.

It Follows Credit – Northern Lights Films

It Follows is a supernatural horror thriller film written and directed by David Robert Mitchell. The 2014 film follows the story of a teenager...

For over 100 years, the movie industry has continuously pushed the boundaries of what is likely to scare audiences with horror movies. From the depiction of eerie supernatural forces, demonic possession, cults, and masked killers, the best horror movies have the unique ability to terrify, unnerve, and linger in the minds of viewers long after the credits roll. The experimentation with fear in these movies is what makes them so compelling, and has contributed to them being cemented in cinematic history.

What makes these movies so scary is not just the use of blood, gore, and violence, but the deeply unsettling atmosphere that they can create. Through sound design and dark visuals, a movie may be able to create a greater atmosphere of fear than the goriest of movies. This list has been compiled by looking at how scary these movies are by contemporary standards (as some controversial movies in their...

Not Him, a short film directed by Sarah Young has made a huge splash at the festival circuit. While Young’s film puts the extremely sensitive subject of domestic violence in focus, it approaches the story with an exciting, genre-film making style. The result of that is a very entertaining short film start to finish, which is also very relevant if we go by the context. We sat down with director Young and had quite a chat about how she conceived the film, what inspired her and her future plans about turning Not Him into a full-length feature. Here’s what she shared with us.

Congratulations on making ‘Not Him.‘ Can you tell me how you conceived the film? What was the motivation behind it?

Thank you! I have been a director for a long time but with Not Him, it was my first time when I decided to direct my own script.

While in New York City to celebrate the 10th anniversary of her monster international hit “The Babadook,” Australian writer/director Jennifer Kent took a stop over at the Criterion Closet and proved that she not only enjoys making spooky movies — she likes watching them too. Her first pick of the shelf was one of the first films of the horror genre, the 1922 silent essay piece “Haxän: Witchcraft Through the Ages.” Kent described the film as “a huge inspiration for ‘Babadook.'”

She added, “It’s about the devil and about witchcraft, it’s also about women going nuts. Fantastic.”

Kent’s next selection was from her home country, Peter Weir’s 1977 mystery “The Last Wave,” which she’d initially avoided watching because she misconstrued the title.

“I’m embarrassed to say, I thought it was a film about surfing. It’s not a film about surfing,” said Kent. “It’s...

Horror fans, brace yourselves: Shout! Factory’s Shocktober Sale has returned, bringing with it monstrous discounts of up to 67% on some of the most iconic titles in the Scream Factory collection. Running until October 17, 2024, this is the perfect opportunity to grab everything from cult classics to modern horror gems at unbeatable prices. With Halloween around the corner, there’s no better time to dive into the world of terror and suspense. Here are some of the spine-chilling highlights that you can pick up before time runs out.

Seasonal tricks and treats

No Halloween collection is complete without Trick ‘r Treat, Michael Dougherty’s 2007 anthology that has become a staple of the spooky season. Following multiple interconnected stories that unfold on Halloween night, from a sinister child in a pumpkin mask to a deadly prank gone wrong, the film perfectly captures the eerie magic of the holiday. With a Collector’s Edition loaded with special features,...

It’s that special time of year again, folks. A time when pumpkins come out, ghouls are prone to haunt, and streamers of all variety load their platforms with terrifying selections aimed at attracting horror fans and casual viewers alike. This year, those selections are quite exceptional, with loads of franchises like “Saw” and “The Omen” to keep people glued to their TV all the way up to Halloween. Not interested in violence or gore? Put away your fears, as there are plenty of options for the more tame and easily frightened. From classic Stephen King adaptations like “Salem’s Lot” (1979) to recent theatrical releases that are now streaming, such as “Late Night with the Devil,” if you’re looking for a good scare, you can probably find a few on one or more of the apps you subscribe to.

There are so many terrific terrors that we actually weren’t...

Globetrotting festival, markets, film development and training veteran Marten Rabarts is joining the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) team to lead its industry activities as Head Of IFFR Pro.

The New Zealand-born film professional already has strong connections with the Netherlands. He was artistic director of development hub the Binger Filmlab in Amsterdam for 12 years, followed by a four-year stint as Head of Eye International (now SeeNL), promoting Dutch film and film culture worldwide.

Rabarts left the latter position in 2019 to take on the role of festival director at the Whanau Marama – New Zealand International Film Festival for two years. Most recently he worked as a script mentor on the inaugural edition of Jane Campion’s A Wave In The Ocean Lab, among other activities on the international film circuit.

In his new role, Rabarts will work closely with IFFR’s Festival Director, Vanja Kaludjercic, and report into Chief of Content,...

Held at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, TX, Fantastic Fest is known as the largest genre film festival in the United States. From horror to action, wacky comedy, and everything in between, Fantastic Fest offers something for every genre film fanatic. At this year’s Fantastic Fest, we at FandomWire saw 34 feature films, and we have decided what we think are the five best films we saw — from restorations to new releases.

After we share our top five films of Fantastic Fest with you, we will also share our thoughts on some of the other films we saw at the festival, so be sure to keep reading!

Related Terrifier 3 Fantastic Fest Review — Bloody Threequel Attempts to Overexplain Its Mythos FandomWire’s Top 5 Films of Fantastic Fest 2024 5. The Guest Dan Stevens stars in the action thriller The Guest, opening in September.

Okay, this might be cheating because we knew...

Mubi has unveiled next month’s streaming lineup, including an exciting lineup of notable new releases: Bertrand Bonello’s Coma (along with Nocturama), Julia Loktev’s The Loneliest Planet (as her newest film premieres at the New York Film Festival), Martin Rejtman’s The Practice alongside his previous features, Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person, and more.

As David Katz said in his review from 2022’s Berlinale, “Coma is anything but a navel-gazing work, and more one of imaginative empathy. It is not Being Bertrand Bonello, but addressed to and concerning a person of a far-removed generation and gender: his teenage daughter Anna. Some amusing early interactions with pop culture, especially music, come from this cross-generational conversation: ‘turn that garbage off’ et al. But Bonello looks at the Zoomer state of mind, as he does for much else of importance, and has cutting, perceptive and troubling things to say.”

Check out the lineup below,...

Monsters as metaphors are nothing new to the world of fiction, allowing creators to find novel ways to explore the unknown through horror tropes. The genre has seen a surplus of films using this device in the 10 years since Jennifer Kent’s The Babadook was released to critical and commercial success, and we can now add Spider One‘s Little Bites to the list. It’s a well-intentioned film, with the musician-turned-filmmaker delivering a visually striking parental horror film that boasts a strong lead performance, but it suffers from a transparent script and some severe pacing issues.

Widowed mother Mindy is in the middle of a depressive episode. She sends her daughter Alice (Elizabeth Phoenix Caro) to stay with her mother while attending to a hideous creature (Jon Sklaroff) that lives in her basement closet. “Attending,” in this case, means allowing the creature to bite Mindy all over her body...

It can’t be said enough how difficult it is to create a successful movie. But to create one in the horror landscape that perseveres and gets theatrically re-released 10 years later? Practically unheard of. We find ourselves in a time where there’s almost too much content, requiring a bit of luck to even catch on with audiences. Yet back in 2014 it was hard to find anyone who wasn’t smitten with The Babadook. Having created a brand new horror icon and doing so amongst some very messed up moments, writer/director Jennifer Kent created one of the greatest horror films of the last decade.

It was my absolute pleasure to talk with Kent about her experience with the film. We touched on the film being released a decade later as well as the very controversial ending that potential financial backers wanted changed. And anyone who’s seen the film knows that the boy,...

As spooky season approaches consider what streamer Mubi has to offer this October, starting with their collection The New Coven: A Female Horror Renaissance. The collection includes breakout hits Revenge from Coralie Fargeat and Jennifer Reeder's Knives And Skin, perennial favorites of Anarchists.    Three more films should fall under the spooky season banner, romantic thriller The Blue Room (caution on the scroll down to the provided bare bum image), thriller The Lonliest Planet and mystery thriller Coma.    A new wave of female directors is reshaping the horror genre, continuing a tradition that began with Alice Guy-Blaché in the early 1900s. Directors like Jennifer Kent, Coralie Fargeat, and Susanne Deeken are leading a renaissance, reclaiming female agency and addressing themes such as gender roles, sexuality,...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Jennifer Kent has revealed a sequel to ‘The Babadook’ is unlikely.The beloved horror movie - which stars Essie Davis, Daniel Henshall and Hayley McElhinney - is celebrating its 10th anniversary but its 55-year-old director has admitted there probably won’t be a follow-up flick because she is "too involved" with other projects.When Screen Rant asked Kent if a sequel was on the table, she said: "No, I think I'm too involved in other films that I'm trying to get made. "I mean, if there suddenly became some desperate urge to tell a story related to that, I would probably say, ‘Okay, all bets are off. I'm going to go and make the sequel.’ But I just can’t see that happening. I feel that the idea has really been explored."‘The Nightingale’ director then teased she was currently working on some horror projects for both the big and small screen.

Although it may be hard to believe, this autumn marks one decade since the release of Jennifer Kent's The Babadook, and IFC Films is teaming up with Iconic Events Releasing to celebrate the film's 10th anniversary with a theatrical re-release beginning September 19th, complete with a new Q&a between Jennifer and Academy Award winner Alfonso Cuarón.

To celebrate The Babadook's return to the big screen, Daily Dead caught up with writer/director Jennifer Kent to reflect on making her beloved movie one decade ago, the cinematic influences behind The Babadook, and the film's enduring legacy and rising popularity ten years after its initial release.

Below, you can watch our video interview with Jennifer, and we also have a look at the amazing 10th anniversary poster (designed by Mutant and artist Sara Deck) and trailer for The Babadook. To learn more about purchasing tickets to the theatrical re-release of The Babadook,...

Jennifer Kent got quite a scare when “The Babadook” premiered at Sundance in 2014.

The writer/director made her feature debut with the horror film, which IndieWire recently ranked as the ninth best horror movie of the 21st century. However, first reactions to the feature were mixed at first, at least according to Kent.

The filmmaker told Variety as part of the film’s 10-year anniversary that the Sundance debut led her to worry that she “made a big turkey” of a movie after one audience member deemed it “crap.”

“It [was] a hyper-aware moment for me, ‘Why is that woman coughing? Why is there so much silence?,'” Kent recalled of sitting in the theater during the film’s first screening. “Like, what do I want them to talk through the film? Then when the film ended, the woman in front of me said, ‘Well, that was crap.’ I remember completely shutting down and thinking,...

While the original movie remains one of the most acclaimed horror titles of the past decade, Jennifer Kent is still not keen on The Babadook 2. The 2014 horror drama served as Kent's feature directorial debut, adapting her short film Monster and following a single mother and her troubled son as they become the target of the titular entity while still grieving the death of the son's father six years earlier. Despite garnering rave reviews from critics and strong international box office returns at the time, no sequel to The Babadook has been produced, with Kent and another producer holding the rights to prevent one.

During a recent interview with Screen Rant for the upcoming Babadook 10th Anniversary Re-Release, Kent was asked whether she had softened on her thoughts of a sequel in the years since. Though the writer/director remained firm she's still not interested in a follow-up, she hasn't closed the door off entirely,...

Noah Wiseman in The Babadook

“If it's in a word or it's in a look, you can't get rid of the Babadook.” So the story goes, and indeed, this sinister being has proven to have remarkable staying power. It’s now ten years since The Babadook was first released, and he’s returning to cinemas all over the world in celebration. Though he had his origins in highly successful 2005 short The Monster, his creator, Jennifer Kent, tells me that she never had an inkling of how her film would be received.

“I genuinely didn't. You always hope as a filmmaker that you're going to make something that people see and, you know, most films then come and go, but for it to have this afterlife has been so exciting. I'm quite a private person, so to be honest I had to be coaxed into celebrating its ten year anniversary, but...

The Babadook director Jennifer Kent has teased her next project, confirming it originates from a horror author who isn't Stephen King. Released in 2014, The Babadook was highly praised for its use of a terrifying creature to represent the depression that can be brought upon by grief. After the film was released, Kent went on to write and direct 2018's The Nightingale, and later wrote and directed the episode "The Murmuring" for Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities. The exact nature of her next project, however, remains up in the air.

Speaking with Screen Rant, however, Kent confirmed her next movie is going to be adapted from a horror author, teasing the author isn't King despite her love for his work. However, she did praise the author whose book she'll be adapting, saying an announcement is likely to be made in the coming weeks following a forthcoming deal. She hopes...

The Babadook's director reflects on the main monster's status as an LGBTQ+ icon. The Babadook is a 2014 psychological horror film written and directed by Jennifer Kent. It stars Essie Davis as a woman named Amelia, a widowed single mother who becomes paranoid when an eerie children's picture book called "Mister Babadook" randomly appears in her home. In addition to Davis, The Babadook features a leading cast including Noah Wiseman, Daniel Henshall and Hayley McElhinney.

In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Kent reacts to the Babadook character becoming an LGBTQ+ icon. When asked to speak on The Babadook film and character's status as an LGBTQ+ icon, Kent started by trying to explain the phenomenon, which started as a joke and then "people just went with it." Kent personally says she "love[s] hearing drag queens talk about The Babadook." To the director it feels like she has "made it," because...

Consequences of Grief: Kent’s Stunning Debut Wades Through Primordial Fears

Satisfying genre films are generally few and far between these days, so it’s with absolute delight to discover something as genuinely impressive as Jennifer Kent’s directorial debut, The Babadook. Expanded from her 2005 short film, “Monster,” it’s not so much that Kent’s premise is anything revolutionary, but her ability to tap into base human fears and without the aid of cheap or excessive frills only makes this simplistic narrative all the more potent. Additionally, Kent’s built her scares around a strong, emotional core, examining the frazzled relationship between a single mother and her son as they struggle to come together after a terrible tragedy.…...

The Criterion Channel’s at its best when October rolls around, consistently engaging in the strongest horror line-ups of any streamer. 2024 will bring more than a few iterations of their spooky programming: “Horror F/X” highlights the best effects-based scares through the likes of Romero, Cronenberg, Lynch, Tobe Hooper, James Whale; “Witches” does what it says on the tin (and inside the tin is the underrated Italian anthology film featuring Clint Eastwood cuckolded by Batman); “Japanese Horror” runs the gamut of classics; a Stephen King series puts John Carpenter and The Lawnmower Man on equal playing ground; October’s Criterion Editions are Rosemary’s Baby, Night of the Hunter, Häxan; a made-for-tv duo includes Carpenter’s underrated Someone’s Watching Me!; meanwhile, The Wailing and The Babadook stream alongside a collection of Cronenberg and Stephanie Rothman titles.

Otherwise, Winona Ryder and Raúl Juliá are given retrospectives, as are filmmakers Arthur J. Bressan Jr. and Lionel Rogosin.

One of the most iconic horror movies of the past decade is coming back to theaters with The Babadook's 10th anniversary re-release. The 2014 film served as the feature directorial debut of Australian filmmaker Jennifer Kent, based on her 2005 short film Monster. In the years since, Kent has steadily built a filmography of acclaimed projects, including the 2018 historical psychological thriller The Nightingale and an episode of Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities, which reunited her with Babadook star Essie Davis.

The Babadook centered on Davis' Amelia Vanek and her son, Samuel, both of whom are still grieving the sudden death of her husband and his father, Oskar, in a car accident while driving Amelia to the hospital to give birth to Samuel. Amelia, already exhausted by the extra attention her son requires amid growing behavioral problems, finds her life thrown into turmoil after reading a mysterious pop-up book, Mister Babadook,...

A 30-minute filmed conversation between Mexican auteur Alfonso Cuarón and Australian writer-director Jennifer Kent will follow each screening of the 10th anniversary re-release of the latter’s cult, modern horror classic “The Babadook.”

In a recent masterclass at the Locarno Film Festival Cuarón had expressed his interest in exploring the horror genre and name-checked “The Babadook,” praising how the film is grounded in reality and character. Following this, IFC Films – which released Cuarón’s “Y Tu Mamá También” in 2002 – reached out to Cuarón to moderate an in-theaters-only Q&a with Kent, and their filmed 30-minute conversation will play in theaters following every screening across the U.S.

During the conversation, which is a cinephile’s delight, Cuarón says that when he watched the film for the first time, he was “absolutely impressed by the thematic approach,” and was also “impressed by how cinematically it was assured. It was like it was a very confident film.

Poster for the 2024 Beyond Fest

82 feature films will screen during the 2024 Beyond Fest, taking place September 25 through October 9 in Los Angeles. Among the offerings will be the West Coast premieres of Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist, Sean Baker’s Anora, Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice, Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch, and Damien Leone’s Terrifier 3.

The 12th edition of the festival kicks off with the world premiere of Salem’s Lot, directed by Gary Dauberman and based on Stephen King’s bestselling novel. Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Cloud is this year’s closing night film. Plus, the genre festival hosts a reunion of Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, and director Jan de Bont in honor of the 30th anniversary of Speed.

“Combining a celebration of cinema whilst firmly focusing our gaze on the next generation of filmmakers has always been at the heart of the Beyond Fest,” stated Head of Programming Evrim Ersoy. “And...

Beyond Fest, the massive genre film festival out of Los Angeles has announced the program for this year's festival. As expected, it is a bounty of world premieres, festival hits and classic favorites.    Gary Dauberman's Salem's Lot will premiere at the festival, as will Joe Begos' Jimmy and Stiggs. A 50th anniversary screening of The Texas Chainsaw Massacare will be followed by a screening of Alexandre O Philippe's Venice-winning documentary Chain Reactions.    The festival also boasts more double and triple bills than a presidential legal team with presentations of films by Sam Raimi, Jennifer Kent, Shane Black, and Tarsem Singh. There will be a special double bill of two desaturated Godzilla films, Shin Godzilla: Orthochromatic and Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color. Kyle MacLachlan will...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

"Beyond Fest announces its 2024 festival slate including the World Premiere of Salem’S Lot, a Very Special Screening of Devara: Part 1, International Premiere of Toho’s My Hero Academia: You’Re Next, West Coast Premieres of The Brutalist in 70mm with Brady Corbet, Palme d’Or winner Anora with Sean Baker and Mikey Madison, Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice, Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch, Damien Leone’s Terrifier 3 and in-person event screenings with filmmakers Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Sam Raimi, Tarsem Singh, Jennifer Kent, Guy Maddin, Shane Black, icons Al Pacino, Kyle MacLachlan, Sarah Paulson, Ron Perlman, and a 30th Anniversary Speed reunion with stars Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock and director Jan de Bont."

Los Angeles, CA 12th September 2024 - Beyond Fest, the biggest and highest-attended genre film festival in the US, is excited to announce its complete slate of 2024 programming comprising 82 features, including 16 World Premieres, 4 International Premieres, 1 North American Premiere,...

Beyond Fest 2024 announced today its complete, insanely packed slate of programming comprising 82 features, including 16 World Premieres, 4 International Premieres, 1 North American Premiere, 3 US Premieres, and 25 West Coast Premieres. Buckle up for 15 days of cinematic mayhem.

The fest returns to Los Angeles for its 12th edition spanning September 25 – October 9. Beyond Fest opens with the World Premiere of Gary Dauberman’s chilling adaptation of Stephen King’s seminal novel Salem’s Lot whilst closing night honors are bestowed upon Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s Cloud with the legendary Japanese auteur joining in-person to launch a 7-film retrospective.

Genre spotlight events include the World Premiere of the brand new, never-before-seen ‘Shush Cut’ of Hush with Mike Flanagan and Kate Siegel in person, who also hosts the International Premiere of the 4K Restoration of Lake Mungo, Tobin Bell, Cary Elwes and Leigh Whannell join to debut the restored and unrated cut of their seminal shocker, Saw, and

the...

Beyond Fest 2024, the genre film festival based in the United States is returning for its 12th presentation with an 82-feature lineup for 15 days of cinematic spectacle! This year’s celebration includes a killer roster of firsts, special screenings, anticipated reunions, and more fan-favorite filmmakers than most cinephiles could handle for one momentous event! This year’s collection of films and creators is better than ever, so prepare yourself for a gauntlet of big-screen wonders, a popcorn diet, and random encounters with celebrities and fans alike.

Per Beyond Fest’s official press release (with some flavor text sprinkled in):

Beyond Fest, the biggest and highest-attended genre film festival in the US is excited to announce its complete slate of 2024 programming comprising 82 features, including 16 World Premieres, 4 International Premieres, 1 North American Premiere, 3 US Premieres, and 25 West Coast Premieres. After entertaining over 25,000 guests in 2023, Beyond Fest returns for its 12th edition, spanning September 25th – October 9th.

The long-awaited unveiling of Gary Dauberman’s Salem’s Lot, the west coast premiere of Terrifier 3, a 30th anniversary Speed reunion with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, and focus on filmmakers Sam Raimi and Shane Black are among the many highlights of the 12th edition of Beyond Fest, which will hit Los Angeles starting Sept. 25.

Other big-name titles include the international premiere of Toho’s My Hero Academia: You’re Next and the west coast premieres of The Brutalist, the immigration thriller that is coming off a Silver Lion award for best director at the Venice Film Festival. Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or winner Anora, Donald Trump origin story The Apprentice, and Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch are also on the docket And there will be the U.S. premiere of Sarah Paulson’s suspense thriller Hold Your Breath.

Billing itself the largest genre film festival in the United States,...

The 2024 Beyond Fest lineup has officially been unveiled, and fans are ready for a spooky good festival.

The genre film festival will open with the highly-anticipated reimagining of Stephen King’s “Salem’s Lot.” The novel was originally brought to the screen in 1979 with a two-part miniseries and a 2004 film.

Now, director Gary Dauberman is giving the horror classic his own twist, with Lewis Pullman starring. The feature had a delayed debut as Warner Bros. pushed its slated September 2022 until Spring 2023 before pulling the film from a U.S. theatrical release all together. “Salem’s Lot” will debut on Max October 3, and will have its world premiere on the big screen for Beyond Fest.

The festival will take place from September 25 to October 9.

Beyond Fest will close with Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s “Cloud.” Kurosawa will be in-person to launch a 7-film retrospective with the festival. A Guy Maddin retrospective will also take place...

Nothing could be more LA than a weekend at the fabulous Forum; the celebrities court-side, the drama(s), and all those players doing it for the love of the game. No we’re not talking about the Winning Time Showtime Lakers, we’re talking the 2024 Film Independent Forum. We’re set for another jampacked year, filled with screenings, panels, workshops, one-on-one meetings and networking receptions. And all of that is jammed into two action packed days. Get your passes right here, right now.

The official schedule can be found here—but we can guarantee another great year of wide-ranging and inclusive conversation about the winning strategies for the art and business of independent film. With panels and networking events like Industry Connect, we’ll help you find the right teammates and creative juices needed to sustain a long-term career in the filmmaking arena.

“This year’s Forum will explore our...

To celebrate its Netflix streaming debut on Friday, September 27, road trip documentary “Will & Harper” will screen at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles and cap off the first day of the 2024 Film Independent Forum.

Organized by Film Independent, the nonprofit arts group responsible for the Independent Spirit Awards, this annual forum will take place over two days (September 27 through 28) and feature topical discussions with over 40 filmmakers from around the world. This event also provides a space for attendees to network with independent filmmakers and content creators from various backgrounds.

“This year’s Forum will explore our evolving industry through a wider perspective, where the definitions of fiction and nonfiction, big screen and small screen, and domestic and international are being redefined,” Maria Raquel Bozzi, Film Independent’s Senior Director of Education and International Initiatives, said. “We are thrilled to see such a large number of our international...

Ten years ago, Jennifer Kent’s “The Babadook” opened a vein by exposing the dark side of motherhood from the mother’s perspective. In its wake, films expressing ambivalence — or even outright hostility — about childbearing have gone from taboo to a subgenre unto themselves. “Nightbitch,” based on the novel of the same name by Rachel Yoder, is very much part of this nascent tradition.

The premise is pure midnight movie: An unnamed woman (Amy Adams), who’s paused her career as an artist for the stay-at-home suburban mom life she thought she wanted for herself, starts experiencing strange symptoms. First, a patch of fur appears on her lower back; then, she grows a tail. Neighborhood dogs start coming up to her at the playground and showing up on her porch, beckoning her out into the night. Transformation is imminent.

But Marielle Heller’s version of the story — Yoder is listed...

IFC Films, Shudder and Rlje Films - the holy genre trinity from AMC Networks - have collectively announced their slate of theatrical and streaming releases over the next four months.    In a couple weeks IFC is re-releasing Jennifer Kent's terrific debut feature film, The Babadook, on its tenth anniversary. Festival fave from SXSW and Fantasia Azrael is coming at the end of the month. We'll also get back to back months of Nick Frost horror flicks with Black Cab in November and Get Away in December.    The gallery below is far more interesting than the concise list that follows. It has trailers where available. As we inch closer and closer to other release dates more information will come as the publicists push for...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Fantastic Fest is bigger and better this year, which is its 19th. For 2024, Fantastic Fest is presenting 28 world premieres, 15 U.S. premieres and 23 international and North American premieres, plus some great events and plenty of special guests.

Ff will take place at the iconic Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, Texas from September 19 through September 26.

The fun begins on opening night with the premiere of The Rule of Jenny Pen, starring Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow. Rush plays a judge who ends up in a nursing home. One of the other residents (Lithogow) is a strange man who takes great pleasure in terrorizing the others who live there.

Anthony B. Jenkins as Samuel, Halle Berry as Momma and Percy Daggs IV as Nolan in Never Let Go. Photo Credit: Liane Hentscher

Also premiering is Alexandre Aja’s new film Never Let Go. Aja will be joined by the film’s...

The eighteenth edition of the genre festival Fantastic Fest is set to be held at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, Texas from September 19th – 26th (badges are available now at FantasticFest.com), and this year the festival is going to feature 28 World Premieres, 23 International and North American Premieres, and 15 U.S. Premieres that are “guaranteed to delight and surprise you, complemented by jaw-dropping events and spectacular special guests.” Among the films in the lineup, which you can look over below, are the Alexandre Aja / Halle Berry horror film Never Let Go, the supernatural slasher sequel Terrifier 3, the Rosemary’s Baby prequel Apartment 7A, and much more.

Festival Director Lisa Dreyer had this to say: “The Fantastic Fest team is absolutely elated about this year’s festival. We can’t wait to share the very best new films from around the world and enjoy our sensational events together this September.