Book Review - Echo by Thomas Olde Heuvelt

Title: Echo
Author: Thomas Olde Heuvelt
Genre: Horror/ Thriller
Published: 2019

Description: Nick Grevers and his climbing partner Augustin are drawn to the Maudit, a remote mountain in the Swiss Alps. Documentation about the mountain is scarce, it is unusually quiet there, and as they enter the valley, they are overcome by the ominous feeling that they are not alone. Not long after, Augustin is dead and Nick awakens from a coma. He is maimed and his face is damaged. A difficult rehabilitation awaits, but Nick soon realizes that it is not just the trauma of the accident that haunts him. Something has been awakened within him…

Review: Following the international success of “Hex”, expectations for “Echo” were sky-high. With this book Thomas Olde Heuvelt proves again that he is a master at creating a suffocating, eerie atmosphere.
 
Nick Grevers wakes up mutilated and in a coma after a mysterious climbing accident in the Swiss Alps, his partner Sam is overjoyed that he is still alive. However, Nick has not returned from Mount Maudit alone. A dark, ancient presence lurks within him, slowly terrorizing those around him.
 
The way the Maudit is portrayed as a living, malevolent character is brilliant. The icy atmosphere and isolation get under you skin. The book has psychological depth. The story is largely told from the perspective of Sam. His struggle between his love for Nick and the sheer terror of what Nick has become is painfully palpable. Olde Heuvelt also manages to blend classic folk horror with modern elements, resulting in some terrifying scenes.
 
At over 600 pages, the book is simple too long. Some diary excerpt and repetitions completely slow down the pace of the story. And it takes a while for the story to really get going. This is not a fast-paced action story, you need a lot more patience.
 
“Echo” is a fascinating, literary horror novel that perfectly illustrates how trauma and possession go hand in hand. It’s psychologically more powerful than “Hex”, but lacks the same taut sense of suspense. For fans of slow-burn, atmospheric horror, this is definitely a must-read. Just keep in mind the substantial length. I never had the ambition to go mountain climbing, and because of this book I definitely never doing it.
 
Rating: 3,5/ 5

 

Movie Review - Masters of the Universe

Director: Travis Knight
Genre: Fantasy/ Science Fiction/ Adventure/ Action
Runtime: 140 minutes
Year: 2026
Starring: Nicholas Galitzine, Camila Mendes, Idris Elba, Alison Brie, Jared Leto
 
Description: A young man (Nicholas Galitzine) on Earth discovers a fabulous secret legacy as the prince of an alien planet, and must recover a magic sword and return home to protect his kingdom.
 
Review: “Masters of the Universe”, a movie that every 80s (and early 90s) kid was looking forward too. And it has turned out to be a wonderfully nostalgic movie that the people who grew up with the cartoon will appreciate to the fullest, because it’s a love letter to the show.

It’s abundantly clear that director Travis Knight is a fan himself. He consciously chooses to take the mythology surrounding Eternia and He-Man seriously, rather than reducing it to a cynical parody. The iconic characters, the colorful costumes, and the epic Sword of Power have been brought to the live-action screen with immense love. I did miss some characters, because the TV show has so many iconic characters. And most side characters that were in this film, don’t get enough time to really shine.

This movie was made for the fans and probably not for today’s youth. Although the action scenes are spectacular, this isn’t a movie that will win over everyone. The film relies heavily on nostalgia. People who didn’t grow up with the original animated series from the 80s, may find the specific tone, the wacky creatures and the campy humor a bit harder to appreciate. To them it might sometimes feel like a somewhat absurd action movie. But for the children of the era, it’s a wonderful, emotional reunion.

The cast is really good. Nicholas Galtzine is a convincing He-Man, Camila Mendes shines as Teela and Alison Brie is delightfully overacting as Evil-Lyn. But all points go to Jared Leto as Skeletor.

What is probably the strongest part of the film, is its soundtrack by Daniel Pemberton and Brian may. It transforms this film from an entertaining trip down memory lane into an epic spectacle. It combines bombastic orchestrations with thick 80s synths and Queen-like melodies. With Brian May on the guitar, who co-wrote the score and weaves his iconic guitar solos throughout. The result is strongly reminiscent of the legendary sound of “Flash Gordon”, but with a modern, powerful dynamic. The music elevates the action scenes to a much higher level and guaranteed to give you goosebumps. I think this soundtrack is an absolute highlight of 2026

“Masters of the Universe”  is not a perfect movie for the average moviegoer, but definitely the ultimate dream for anyone who used to shout “I have the power!”

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Review - The Rip

Director: Joe Carnahan
Genre: Crime/ Action/ Thriller
Runtime: 113 minutes
Year: 2026
Starring: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, Catalina Sandano Moreno, Sasha Calle, Kyle Chandler
 
Description: A group of Miami cops discover a stash of millions in cash, leading to distrust as outsiders learn about the huge seizure, making them question who to rely on.
 
Review: The film follows a Miami police narcotics squad that stumbles upon a massive drug haul and millions of dollars in cash in an abandoned warehouse. What follows is a psychological game of cat and mouse: the officers must count the money on the spot, but the temptation, greed, and mutual distrust soon take hold. As the walls close in on them and dangerous outsiders get wins of the loot, loyalty within the team crumbles at record speed.

What makes this film so good is the chemistry between Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, who carry this film effortlessly. Their decades-long real-life friendship gives their characters a tangible history and depth. They way their mutual trust slowly begins to crack is a joy to watch. Strong performances across the board, with Steven Yeun and Sasha Calle in particular delivering memorable performances that keep the group’s dynamic constantly sharp.

There is constant underlying tension. Director Joe Carnahan creates an intense, claustrophobic atmosphere. And as soon as the situation spirals out of control, the film treats you to raw, explosive actions scenes with fantastic sound design.

The moral dilemma is built up brilliantly in the first half, the film leans a bit too heavily on familiar Hollywood action clichés as it approaches the finale. Although the plot twists are really good.

“The Rip” is a must-watch for fans of intense crime thrillers in the style of “Heat” and “Training Day”. It’s one of the better and most ambitious action movies Netflix has released recently.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Review - Cold Storage

Director: Jonny Campbell
Genre: Horror/ Comedy
Runtime: 99 minutes
Year: 2026
Starring: Joe Keery, Georgina Campbell, Sosie Bacon, Liam Neeson, Vanessa Redgrave, Leslie Manville,
 
Description: When a highly dangerous fungus escapes from a secret laboratory, a former bioterrorism agent (Liam Neeson) is called back into action. Alongside two young employees (Joe Keery, Georgina Campbell), he must confront an invisible and out-of-control threat.
 
Review: With “Cold Storage”, director Jonny Campbell delivers a delightfully nostalgic yet spot-on genre blend that strikes a balance between gory body horror and deadpan comedy. The screenplay was written by David Koepp, who based it on his own novel of the same name. It doesn’t shine in terms of originality, but more than makes up for it with the pace and a healthy dose of self-aware humor.

The story starts simple and effectively: the young, somewhat laconic night guards Travis “Teacake” Meacham and Naomi Williams are expecting a dead-boring shift at a large-scale storage complex. What they don’t know, however, is that this complex was built right on top of a sealed-off, underground military base. Due to a sudden rise in temperature, a decades-old parasitic fungus escapes from its containment chamber. This microorganism multiplies at lightning speed, takes control of the human brain, and causes bodies to explode in spectacularly gruesome ways.

Two prevent the inevitable apocalypse, the two twenty-somethings are forced to team up with Robert Quinn, a seasoned and cynical former bioterrorism expert who tries to contain the situation. The film’s true strength lies in its outstanding cast. The chemistry between Joe Keery and Georgina Campbell practically jumps off the screen. They are the perfect level-headed counterparts to the chaos surrounding them.

But it’s Liam Neeson who steals the show portraying his familiar, tough persona with a delightful wink and deadpan comic timing. The visual effects and the over-the-top gore immediately bring to mind classic 1980 B-horror films, giving the movie a fun, tangible atmosphere that never gets too pretentious or terrifying. Still “Cold Storage” stumbles here and there.

“Cold Storage” is a slightly predictable yet extremely entertaining rollercoaster ride, that fully delivers on the promise of a wacky, bloody night at the movies. For fans of sci-fi and horror comedy, this film is definitely worth watching.

Rating: 3/ 5

Book Review - What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

Title: What Moves the Dead (Sworn Soldier # 1)
Author: T. Kingfisher
Genre: Horror/ Fantasy
Published: 2022
 
Description: When Alex Easton, a retired soldier, receives word that their childhood friend Madeline Usher is dying, they race to the ancestral home of the Ushers in the remote countryside of Ruravia.
 
What they find there is a nightmare of fungal growth and possessed wildlife, surrounding a dark, pulsing lake. Madeline sleepwalks and speaks in strange voices at night, and her brother Roderick is consumed with a mysterious malady of the nerves.
 
Aided by a redoubtable British mycologist and a baffled American doctor, Alex must unravel the secret of the House of the Usher before it consumes them all.
 
Review: “What Moves the Dead” is an atmospheric and eerie retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic “The Fall of the House of Usher”, which excels in world-building but ultimately falls just short of true depth.
 
From the very first page, author T. Kingfisher establishes a gloomy atmosphere that immediately gets under the reader’s skin. The greatest strength of this novella lies in the protagonist, Alex Easton, whose down-to-earth perspective serves as a fascinating guide through all the misery. Easton also brings a healthy dose of dry humor, allowing Kingfisher to perfectly break the dark tension through sharp, cynical dialogue. The addition of a bizarre natural phenomena and terrifying fungi gives the familiar basic story a unique and modern body horror twist.
 
At barely 170 pages, the build-up towards the end feels rushed. As a result, the supporting characters unfortunately remain one-dimensional and are given little chance to truly come to life for the reader. The plot was interesting, yet I was not as invested as I hoped I would be.
 
It’s a delightfully creepy book, that I enjoyed for the most part. But the lack of depth in most characters, due to the shorter format, made that I didn’t fall in love with this book. I am still interested in other work from T. Kingfisher, because her writer is beautiful.
 
Rating: 3/ 5

Book Review - The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones

Title: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter
Author: Stephen Graham Jones
Genre: Horror/ Historical Fiction
Published: 2025
 
Description: This chilling historical novel is set in the nascent days of the state of Montana, following a Blackfeet Indian named Good Stab as he haunts the fields of the Blackfeet Nation looking for justice.
 
It begins when a diary written in 1912 by a Lutheran pastor is discover within a wall in 2012. What is unveiled is a slow massacre, a nearly forgotten chain of events that goes back to 217 Blackfeet dead in the snow, told in the transcribed interviews with Good Stab, who shares the narrative of his peculiar and unnaturally long life over a series of confessional visits.
 
Review: The book begins in the year 2012. An academic finds an old diary hidden in a wall. This diary was written in 1912 by a minister named Arthur Beaucarne. The diary contains interviews with Good Stab, a Native American man from the Blackfeet tribe. He is also a vampire who cannot die. He hunts the men who killed the buffalo and his people. The story revolves around a real, horrific event in history: the Marias Massacre of 1870.
 
I love vampire stories, especially when they are a bit unusual. This one is original, wild, raw and connected to nature. But the real horror isn’t the blood-sucking, but the grim history of colonization. Stephan Graham Jones writes about this with great respect and cultural sensitivity.
 
Be prepared that this is a very bloody, gory book, with lots of violence and death. Jones does not shy away from it, but it somehow is necessary to depict the real horror of these events.
 
“The Buffalo Hunter Hunter” does require a lot of patience though. It’s a very slow book and given the almost 500 pages it takes some time to get through it. But trust me, it’s absolutely worth it. Once you get through the first 100 pages, you will thank me.
 
This is a heavy and dark book. It’s not a lighthearted story to read or one you pick up just for fun. If you love deep horror and history, you should definitely read this book. It’s a bloody but beautiful history lesson with strong horror elements. My favorite Stephen Graham Jones so far.
 
Rating: 4/ 5
 

Movie Review - The Mandalorian and Grogu

Director: Jon Favreau
Genre: Science Fiction/ Adventure/ Action
Runtime: 132 minutes
Year: 2026
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Jeremy Allan White, Sigourney Weaver, Martin Scorcese, Steve Blum
 
Description: Once a lone bounty hunter, Mandalorian Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and his apprentice Grogu embark on an exciting new Star Wars adventure.
 
Review: It’s always a dangerous thing to say, but when you have a most anticipated film of the year, it often doesn’t meet your expectations. Luckily “The Mandalorian and Grogu” did not disappoint and was the epic space adventure I was hoping for.
The film’s atmosphere is spot-on from the very first minute. Director Jon Favreau knows exactly what the fans want to see. You get stunning planets, epic battles, lots of action and many cute Grogu moments that will make you go “aaaw” constantly. The film is pure fun and entertainment for all ages. You don’t even need to have seen the series to follow the story.

The bond between Din Djarin and little Grogu is still the beating heart of the story. Grogu is cuter than ever. Thankfully, he still feels like a real character. His funny moments and his bond with Mando constantly put a smile on your face.

The action really pops off the big screen. The film really comes into its own, especially in an IMAX theater. Ludwig Göransson’s soundtrack is an absolute banger (not me immediately ordering the vinyl).  The music really amps up the energy during every action scene.

The film is great and everything I could have hoped for, but as a story, it sometimes feels more like a series of separate side missions than a cohesive story.

For fans of the “Star Wars” franchise and specifically the show “The Mandalorian”, this movie is a feast for the eyes. And I will definitely be rewatching this many times. Loved it!

Rating: 4,5/ 5