Horror Movie Challenge of 2026 | July Wrap-Up
This month has been such a blur for me sadly. XD I really feel like I started the month a little consistent with movie watching in general but then work's ended up being a bit insane since my team keeps losing people, so I've been tired a lot. Which means there was one whole week where I didn't watch anything at all, and yet, I still ended up with 7 total horrors watched in July, so not too bad considering last month it was only 3. Still haven't gotten around to Leviticus or Evil Dead Burn but that's coming next month for sure. Anyway, getting to what I did watch.
Monthly Movie Count: 7
Total So Far This Year: 45
The Movies:
1. Host (2020)
“Haley, honestly, if I die, I'm going to haunt you myself.”
Directed By: Rob Savage
Plot: Six friends hire a medium to hold a seance via Zoom during lockdown, but they get far more than they bargained for as things quickly go wrong.
Starring: Haley Bishop, Radina Drandova, Jemma Moore, Caroline Ward, Emma Webb & Edward Linard
I finally watched this one!! And honestly, it did exceed my expectations, and I admired what they were able to accomplish with the little that they had to work with. They actually filmed this in quarantine. It's a screenlife concept, so it won't be for everyone since I know those can test people's patience, but I thought it was really well-done. The smartest thing they did was make it almost 60 minutes exactly so that we were experiencing the Zoom call with them and it was able to not overstay its welcome. It gets pretty spooky tbh. Nothing too surprising (tho there was one image that got burned in my head) but when the execution is sharp, it works. Solid little movie that I'm glad I finally watched. A win for Shudder.
2. Ouija (2014)
“I just want to stop whatever is happening. My friends are dying.”
Directed By: Stiles White
Plot: Terror awaits five friends who unwittingly awaken a dark power by using an antique Ouija board.
Starring: Olivia Cooke, Ana Coto, Daren Kagasoff, Douglas Smith, Bianca Santos & Shelley Hennig (with an appearance from horror icon Lin Shaye)
So, me and this movie... lol Let's just say I've irrationally hated this one because I've tried to watch it a couple times over the years but never finished it, and it just never sat right with me to hate it so strongly without ever getting past the first 15/20 minutes. So I finally sucked it up and watched it so I can continue hating it peacefully. XD The only reason I ever wanted to watch it in the first place was cuz girl crush Olivia Cooke was the lead, but honestly there's only so much that girl could do to save this for me (as in, not at all) I do remember when this came out that it was when Teen Wolf had just hit its peak and I couldn't look at poor Shelley Hennig the same way because of my annoyance towards Malia, so I do think that was another petty reason why I kept putting off watching since she was so central to the plot. Honestly, the cast isn't so much the problem here. They're all doing a serviceable job. It's that the execution is so generic and ultimately pretty boring. There are a couple notable death scenes, but having seen the FAR superior prequel (directed by one of the modern GOATs, Mr. Mike Flanagan, no less), it pales so much in comparison. Hearing that it tested so badly and had way too many reshoots in result, honestly, doesn't surprise me at all. You can tell that they knew this was a complete misstep. But then... if it hadn't happened, we wouldn't have Ouija: Origin of Evil, so it was a necessary evil of sorts I guess?? lol
3. The Devil's Backbone (2001)
“What is a ghost? A tragedy condemned to repeat itself time and again? An instant of pain, perhaps. Something dead which still seems to be alive. An emotion suspended in time. Like a blurred photograph. Like an insect trapped in amber.”
Directed By: Guillermo del Toro
Plot: After Carlos - a 12-year-old whose father has died in the Spanish Civil War - arrives at an ominous boys' orphanage, he discovers the school is haunted and has many dark secrets, which he must uncover.
Starring: Marisa Paredes, Eduardo Noriega, Federico Luppi, Irene Visedo, Fernando Tielve & Íñigo Garcés
Some pre-Pan's Labyrinth del Toro!! I've been really meaning to watch his earlier stuff, and I'm determined to make this be the year that I actually do it because I genuinely think he's one of the best out there. I thought this one ended up being really solid. I can see where this and Pan's Labyrinth could feel like companion pieces in a way. As always with his movies, it's hauntingly beautiful to watch. Some very cool visuals in there. It's not so much about the scares, but it does still have an eerie atmosphere, and it makes you feel all the feels. Really glad I checked this one out. I wish I had more to say since I feel like I'm underselling it, but I thought it was really good.
4. 2LDK (2003)
“We'll regret this.”
Directed By: Yukihiko Tsutsumi
Plot: Two actresses who have auditioned for one part, sharing the same apartment with opposite personalities equals a night, which neither of them will forget - if they survive!
Starring: Maho Nonami & Eiko Koike
Gotta say I was proud of myself for still sticking to movies that were all pre-2026 atp (still in the 2000s but hey, baby steps lol) so I can appreciate some older stuff I hadn't watched yet. This one turned out to be a hidden gem that thankfully Tubi had and I found myself pleasantly surprised with how well this movie worked, despite its limitations. Maybe I'm just easily impressed but this felt pretty notable of a watch to me. Where we start from A to Z in such a short time (70 minutes) is legit crazy. It's a slowburn but once it gets going, there are some major swings imo. Kinda nuts this was filmed in a week but again, color me impressed. lol I was really all in with the chaos that ensued throughout. The leads did a great job.
5. Lamb (2021)
“Don't be such a goddamn child." "It's you guys who are being childish, playing house with that animal.”
Directed By: Valdimar Jóhannsson
Plot: A childless Icelandic couple live with their herd of sheep on a beautiful but remote farm. When they discover a mysterious newborn on their land, they decide to keep it and raise it as their own.
Starring: Noomi Rapace, Hilmir Snær Guðnason, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson & Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson
Well, sadly the rest of the movies I watched this month were kinda duds in my book, starting with this one. Now this was a movie I went in with high hopes though, because I've seen people saying they like this one. Also, it's associated with A24 so there's at least a 50/50 chance it'll be interesting. lol I gotta admit my track record with folk horror is kinda hit-or-miss because it either works for me or it doesn't. It can get strange in a way that doesn't appeal to me sometimes. I actually think I went into this with an open mind since the concept didn't throw me off at all; it just ended up being on the slow side and really staying there for too long while not making much sense to me. Frankly, I was bored too. lol Narratively, I can tell they were going for this big metaphor about parenthood and stuff, but it never quite landed for me. Also, the subplot of the husband's brother persistently trying to fuck the wife kept throwing me off cuz what?? lol Idk this was an odd one. I feel like I'm missing where this was good but hey, it was like watching a beautiful moving painting the whole time, so there's that.
6. Saccharine (2026)
“Whatever shortcut you think you've found, it is a bad path.”
Directed By: Natalie Erika James
Plot: Hana, a lovelorn medical student, becomes terrorized by a sinister force after taking part in an obscure weight loss craze: eating human ashes.
Starring: Midori Francis, Danielle Macdonald, Madeleine Madden & Robert Taylor
Honestly, out of the movies I'm dubbing to be "duds", this one isn't so much as it's really more just mid. It was actually kinda memorable at times with certain scenes. I just think there was a better movie than what we got, because the pieces were all there, but the execution wasn't at full potential. A lot of that is because it drags due to a narrative that definitely didn't deserve the almost 2 hour treatment (90 minutes tops would have been perfect for this!!) and not enough substance to the story. But I gotta give Midori Francis props for giving a very committed performance that carried it the whole way. Having loved her in the show Dash & Lily, it was nice to see her in a different light. Visually, I thought this looked great and worked for the story. Some eeries moments. Again, didn't hate this movie at all. Just frustrated that it wasn't stronger.
7. The Devil's Mouth (2026)
“How did a shark get into a freshwater cave system, did you order a freaking Uber?”
Directed By: Jeff Wadlow (this man has a horrible track record lmao)
Plot: A group of college friends' Thailand adventure turns deadly when they become trapped in submerged caves with a dangerous predator. As oxygen runs low, past conflicts emerge in their desperate fight for survival.
Starring: Kathryn Newton, Lana Candor, Nico Hiraga, Gavin Casalegno, Tommi Rose & Tayme Thapthimthong
Now I went into this one obviously not expecting much. lol I purely checked it out because of me being a fan of both Kathryn and Lana. I almost didn't even plan to watch it, but figured if they were attached and it was hopefully at least fun, I could hang with it. Honestly, it was pretty damn silly, but not nearly as fun as they could have played it with the concept, so it's not even a fun bad situation. It is amusing to see Jeff Wadlow attached to this because I didn't even realize before watching, but if I had known the man who gave us Imaginary was behind this one as well, I would have reminded myself this could have been way worse. lol It was still bad, but at least the cast tries their best (or at least Kathryn in particular along with Lana) to make this as believable as they can. As much as her character truly grated on my nerves, I still love Lana and think she really embodied fear the best out of the group. Kathryn once again gave us a badass scream queen performance so if nothing else, I'm grateful for that. Still, this was definitely a dud to end the month on, but at least I knew that beforehand so that's all on me. lol
Anyway, that's all for the month of July for the challenge. Still did better than last month even with me being so busy and tired so yeah, proud of myself.