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Horror movie reviews/ Watchlog/ Follow along, if you like

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Smile 2 (2024)

**Rating:3.5/5**

Going into this film, I was aware of the hype surrounding this movie and I could see why. This movie had budget, and it's very clear to see that the original installment (had to google this phrase to remind myself) made enough of a splash to generate more investment into the sequel.

Naomi Scott was the absolute perfect casting for Skye Riley. I was impressed by her singing, dancing, and acting. I hope to see her in more projects in the future. The film itself had its pros and cons to me. At a certain point, I didn't really like the expository explanation of the demon or curse. There's a known fear in the unknown nature of things and I felt like it just watered down that fear. The scares increased in this film and I absolutely loved it. I think I might prefer the first installment to the sequel, but just by a bit. Highly recommend but prepare yourself for cringe horror.

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Backrooms (2026)

**Rating:4/5**

I was really excited for this movie since I kept seeing the meme of drake and josh standing in front of a door outline... LOL. Let me start off by saying, the sets were amazing and everything was so visually interesting to the eye. I wasn't really in the know about "liminal spaces" until my wife informed me during the movie. What a cool concept to work with.

Chiwetel Ejiofor is an excellent actor whenever I luckily stumble up on him in a film.

This movie would be a 4.5 or maybe a 5 if they continued with the found footage style of filming and kept it a straight horror flick. Highly recommend.

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Smile (2022) **Rating:3.5/5** I really enjoyed this one. The premise of the curse was really interesting but felt a little under utilized. There was a lack of scares in this film which made me drop the score a bit. The acting was great and I heard great things about the sequel.

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Obsession (2025) **Rating:4.5/5** This was a really fun movie to go watch in theaters with an audience. I'd highly recommend going into this film without knowing too much. The writing was fun and definitely kept me on my toes during the more intense sequences. It balances tension and humor really well, which made it even better to experience with a crowd. I think women would really love this movie, because my wife and her friend were dying of laughter during some scenes. For the men reading this, this movie gets pretty real. I recommend seeing this in a group, because the movie can lead to some fun conversations after it ends.

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Men (2022) **Rating:2.8/5** My rating might be a bit harsh on this movie but I want it to be known that the filming and scenery of the film was beautiful. This can be expected with an A24 production. The story is a bit lacking in draw for me. This is a film that you are meant to dissect the little things in order to form a bigger picture of the plot or message. I usually like this style of film, but I felt like the writing didn't lure me in enough to actually want to do research and deep dive on every little detail. If you plan to watch this film, be prepared for some body horror. It didn't really scare me but I was giggling at the choice to go that route.

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Host (2020) **Rating:5/5** I went into this film expecting that it might be a pretty mid experience. I mean, when you read that the plot revolves around a Zoom seance in the middle of the pandemic? LOL But this was an awesome film. I don’t know if it hit because I watched it at the right time, during a wave of horror films that favored depth in writing over jump scares, or if the tension crafted here was just peak. It nailed it. Props to Jemma Moore's performance in the film, she was massively unlikable but grew on me towards the end. The quirky zoom features/setup situations were pretty jarring but in hindsight maybe the familiarity of these mid-call tech situations really grounded everything and made it more believable. Highly recommend, I yelped during a scare and had a blast.

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Introduction to Asian Horror 101 (This is a retroactive batch review so this review will be optimized for the people that don't like to read a lot). Let me start by stating that if you are brand new to this region of horror, these films do not usually lean into jump scare tactics. They are more about psychological fear and suspense or even sometimes just concepts or ideas that are so odd that they become scary. You'll get it after you watch a few. I'll group the films by countries for easier viewing. Japanese

House / Hausu (1977) Rating: 5/5 Funky, fun, artsy, and not exactly scary.

Cure (1997) Rating: 4/5 Interesting plot and deeply unsettling.

Pulse / Kairo (2001) Rating: 4/5 A really cool horror concept involving technology.

Marebito (2004) Rating: 3.5/5 Weird and memorable.

Dark Water (2002) Rating: 4/5 Water is scary. Not much else to say.

Korean

The Wailing (2016) Rating: 5/5 Tight writing, very rewatchable, but LONG.

Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum (2018) Rating: 5/5 Iconic scene. You’ll know the one.

I’ll try not to batch review too often in the future, but I’ve seen so many movies that I felt these would make a good entry point into Asian horror without only recommending the most obvious picks. The Korean movies listed are extremely popular though, oops.

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Bring Her Back (2025) **Rating:3.5/5* This movie was good, but it was how do I say... heavy? I'm not sure if I'm slowly falling out of love with these kinds of stories but I definitely needed that bathroom break in the middle to continue. The acting was amazing, and the budget was budgeting but would I watch this film again? Nah. And that's okay. Would I recommend to people? Sure. I can definitely see why people enjoy these kinds of stories, but I'm getting older now and I don't know sometimes I just want to see people chasing people with a knife.

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Caveat(2020), Oddity(2024), Hokum(2026) **This is a Damian McCarthy appreciation post**

Since this is a special kind of post, I will save the ratings for the end. I was randomly invited to the movies by my wife and her friend to check out a film called Hokum and decided to half-heartedly attend the cinemas in a long while. I was greeted by a charming horror movie that I would recommend to most horror lovers. The funniest part of my experience is that it made me really want to travel to Ireland. Hokum was tense and had a great sequence revolving around a honeymoon suite. There was a baby crying during my viewing which also increased the tension of some scenes (this was the wrong kind of tension expected). I further delved into McCarthy's prior work and it was really consistent in a great way. You could definitely see that there was experimentation with budget increases but the main essence of the storytelling was consistently McCarthy. I'll keep the rest of this long post short and just deliver the ratings.. My ranking would be Caveat, Hokum, Oddity (from best to least best). Caveat 5/5 *Great set, the filming was very nice, sound engineering a little lacking* Hokum 4/5 *Great entry film to McCarthy, Adam Scott was an excellent asshole and a surprise to see in a horror setting. The horror vibes were a little lessened due to the film looking so high budget? (If that makes sense) Oddity 3.5/5 *GREAT SET.. the intro sequence involving the wife was great but I feel that the movie wasn't that thrilling. It feels like the middle child ( I can say this because I am one).

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The Others (2001)

**Rating:4.5/5...5/5?* This movie was amazing. My taste might be a bit subjective here, but I really enjoyed this movie and the performance from the cast. The children were really good! Nothing needs to be said about Nicole Kidman. The writing was tight and it definitely delivered. The only slight downside is it could've been a tad more scary? If it was a bit spicier, I would be more content with a 5 rating..but I definitely think the story carried. I watched this twice, highly recommend.

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Creep (2004)

**Rating: 3/5** I think I watched the wrong movie LOL... I was looking up a bunch of horror movie recommendations and people were really into a movie named "Creep" but I think I watched the wrong one. Oh well! This was actually a lot of fun. It's a slasher flick and once again I am captivated by the set location. The backstory for the antagonist was unsettling and maybe a bit on the unnecessary side but it definitely added a sense of depth to this flick. Would I recommend this movie? Probably not but if you're running out of films like I am, why not?

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Hell House LLC (2015)

**Rating: 4/5** This movie is a good bar for what I believe "found footage" should be. The setting is one of its biggest strengths. The haunted house layout helps the narrative develop while also making it easier to keep track of what is happening and where things are happening. Some of its setups for scares can be a tad telegraphed and the glitch effect editing might not be everyone's cup of tea (not mine). On completion, I wasn't too sure how to feel about this movie and I wasn't exactly sure how to rate it but while I was getting ready to go to sleep, the film did simmer in my mind a bit and delayed a late night bathroom trip! If you're a fan of the found footage genre, I highly recommend Hell House LLC. Will possibly be checking out the sequel installments in the future.

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Introduction

Greetings to the strangers that have ended up on my blog, I'm a horror movie enthusiast and needed a way to keep track of the films that I've watched and enjoyed and maybe not enjoyed... I'm not a professional reviewer. I judge mostly by comparison, personal taste, atmosphere, and vibes. If you like the way I feel or think, consider following and reach out. Recommendations and strange horror opinions are appreciated!