Movie Review - Ready or Not 2: Here I Come

Director: Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Genre: Horror/ Comedy
Runtime: 108 minutes
Year: 2026
Starring: Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, Elijah Wood
 
Description: Grace MacCaullay (Samara Weaving) battles old wounds with her estranged sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) while rival occult dynasties hunt them through a deadly contest that promises power, survival and betrayal before dawn.
 
Review: “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come” is a louder and more grotesque sequel to the 2019 surprise hit. While the original has a small-scale, claustrophobic atmosphere, the second installments opts for more chaos, blood and action, complete with an excellent cast.

The film picks up exactly where “Ready or Not” left us. Grace has just survived her in-laws during a deadly game of hide and seek. With the house burned down, the police is questioning Grace, since there were also human remains found in the house. And the blood on her dress is not hers. While she is being escorted to the police station, she is being hunted again. This time her estranged sister Faith is with her, while rival occult dynasties will hunt them down in a deadly contest for the ultimate power.

Samara Weaving was already the highlight of the first film and there is no difference for the sequel. As the indestructible Grace you are constantly rooting for her and this is the ultimate “good-for-her” story.

The sequel is so unhinged, it’s very fast paced, brutally violent and very gory. If you loved the first movie, you will not automatically like this one. But if you loved the first and appreciated the dark humor from the first, and don’t mind adding gallons of blood and over-the-top action, you will definitely have a good time. But it’s missing the suspense and simple structure from the first installment, and that might be a reason you wouldn’t like it. For that reason I believe the first movie was better, but I highly enjoyed “Ready or Not 2: Here I Come”.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

Book Review - The Babysitter Lives by Stephen Graham Jones

Title: The Babysitter Lives
Author: Stephen Graham jones
Genre: Horror
Published: 2022
 
Description: When high school senior Charlotte agrees to babysit the Wilbanks twins, she plans to put the six-year-olds to bed early and spend a quiet night studying: the SATs are tomorrow, and checking the Native American/ Alaskan Native box on all the forms won’t help if she chokes on test day. But tomorrow is also Halloween, and the twins are eager to show off their costumes.
 
Charlotte’s last babysitting gig almost ended in tragedy when her young charge sleepwalked unnoticed into the middle of the street, only to be found unharmed by Charlotte’s mother. Charlotte vows to be extra careful this time. But the house is filled with mysterious noises and secrets that only the twins understand, echoes of horror that Charlotte gradually realizes took place in the house eleven years ago. Charlotte has to admit that every babysitter’s worse nightmare has come true: they’re not alone in the house.
 
Review: “The Babysitter Lives” is an atmospheric and psychological horror novella that keeps the reader in a stranglehold from the first page.
 
Charlotte is babysitting the Wilbanks twins and plana on studying for the SATs once the kids are in bed. What was supposed to be a quiet babysitting gig, turns into a claustrophobic nightmare. She discovers that a gruesome murder took place in the house years ago. As the evening progresses, the house literally begins to change and the children are behaving strangely.
 
Author Stephen Graham Jones is known for his ability to delve deep into the human psyche, and in this shorter novel, he uses the well-worn horror cliché of the babysitter in a creepy house to create something very modern and unique. The way the story builds atmosphere is definitely the strongest point. Jones creates a claustrophobic and feverish atmosphere in which the line between reality and paranoia constantly blurs.
 
Although the story excels in suspense and atmosphere, due to the novels length the plot doesn’t always get the space it deserves. As the story approaches its climax, the pace accelerates drastically that the finale feels rushed. And much of the interesting mythology and the background of the supernatural elements remain superficial.  
 
“The Babysitter Lives” is a clever, terrifying ride that ends just a little too soon, but is still worth the time due the original and creepy plot and strong ending.
 
Rating: 3,5/ 5

20s Movie Review - Zootopia 2

Director: Jared Bush, Byron Howard
Genre: Animation/ Family/ Adventure
Runtime: 118 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Ke Huy Quan, Fortune Feimster, Andy Samberg, David Strathairn, Shakira, Patrick Warburton, Danny Trejo, Bonnie Hunt

Description: Brave rabbit cop Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and her friend, the fox Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), team up again to crack a new case, the most perilous and intricate of their careers.

Review: “Zootopia 2” is a fantastic, fast-paced, and socially relevant sequel that lives up to the high expectations set by the first film.

The detective duo Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are back. This time, they dive into a mystery that takes them to a whole new part of their city where the reptiles used to live.

Like its predecessor, the film dares to tackle bold social themes. Topics such as gentrification, abuse of power, and historical segregation are cleverly woven into the plot. Despite the heavy themes, the story remains manageable and understandable for the whole family thanks to its humor.

Adults will revel in the countless pop culture reference and clever puns and there are some new characters like Gary De’Snake and Nibbles Maplestick, bringing a fresh, dynamic energy to the film.

The film is an absolute must-see for Disney fans and people who loved the first “Zootopia” film. Rock-solid humor, stunning animations and a layered message.

Rating: 4/ 5

Movie Review - Voicemails for Isabelle

Director: Leah McKendrick
Genre: Drama/ Romance/ Comedy
Runtime: 118 minutes
Year: 2026
Starring: Zoey Deutch, Nick Robinson, Harry Schum Jr. Leah McKednrick, Nick Offerman, Lukas Cage, Ciara Bravo, Gil Bellows, Tanis Dolman, Toby Sandeman
 
Description: Jill (Zoey Deutch) leaves voice messages to her deceased sister telling her about her chaotic life in San Francisco. Unwittingly, a mysterious Austin TX real estate agent (Nick Robinson) begins to receive their confessions..
 
Review: “Voicemails for Isabelle” is a beautiful, bittersweet drama that leaves a deep impression from the very first minute.

To cope with the sudden loss of her younger sister, aspiring pastry chef Jill begins leaving long, hilariously candid voicemails on her late sister’s phone number. Unbeknownst to her, the number has been reassigned to Wes, a real estate agent living across the country. As Wes listens to Jill’s vulnerable, stream-of-consciousness confessions about her grief, her chaotic dating life, and her demanding boss, he slowly starts to fall in love with her voice from afar.

The film excels thanks to its intimate atmosphere and original concept, in which grief and unrequited love ar made tangible through abandoned voicemails. This emotional foundation is supported by rock-solid performances from both Zoey Deutch and Nick Robinson, who deliver authentic portrayals that never feel forced or overly melodramatic.

Romance is not my go-to genre, but I can really fall in love with one if the characters are ones I can relate to and the story has emotional depth. And that is exactly what “Voicemails for Isabelle” has and why I loved it so much.

I will be recommending this movie to everyone, it makes for an absolute must-see.  

Rating: 4,5/ 5

20s Movie Review - The Long Walk

Director: Francis Lawrence
Genre: Horror/ Drama/ Thriller
Runtime: 108 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Cooper Hoffman, David Jonnson, Garrett Wareing, Tut Nyuot, Charlie Plummer, Ben Wang, Jordan Gonzalez, Joshua Odjick, Mark Hamill, Judy Greer Josh Hamilton

Description: A group of teenage boys compete in an annual contest known as “The Long Walk”, in which they must maintain a certain walking speed or get shot.

Review: “The Long Walk” is based on the book by Stephen King. Director Francis Lawrence delivers an intense, psychological battle of attrition that keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat from start to finish.

The concept is as simple as it is terrifying. In a totalitarian America, fifty teenage boys compete in an annual, live-broadcast walking race. There’s only one rule: keep walking at a minimum speed of about 5 km per hour. If your pace drops, you’ll receive a warning. After three warnings, the penalty is death. Only one can win. The prize? A massive sum of money and the fulfillment of all your wishes.

The film excels thanks to its raw atmosphere and fantastic acting performances. Cooper Hoffman (son of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman) and David Jonnson, who play Ray and Peter, carry the film with their fragile, soulful performances. Their growing friendship forms the emotional heart of the film.
Although the characters are outdoors, the film feels oppressive, and escape is impossible. Mark Hamill as “The Major” shines as the cold-blooded, terrifying dictator overseeing the race.

The film is fast paces and just under two hours long. I wouldn’t have mind it to be a little longer. Some of the characters fade into the background before you really get to know them.

“The Long Walk” is a brutal, emotional rollercoaster that will stay with you for a long time. It’s one of the best Stephen King adaptations of recent years. An absolute must-see for fans of pitch-black survival thrillers.

Rating: 4/ 5

Book Review - Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Title: Yesteryear
Author: Caro Claire Burke
Genre: Fiction/ Historical Fiction
Published: 2026
 
Description: My name was Natalie heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive.
 
Nathalie lives a traditional lifestyle. Her charming farmhouse is rustic, her husband a handsome cowboy, her six children each more delightful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers behind the scenes, her kitchen hiding industrial-grade fridges and ovens, her husband the heir to a political dynasty? What Natalie’s followers – all 8 million of them – don’t know won’t hurt them. And the Angry Women? The privileged, Ivy League, coastal elite haters who call her an antifeminist iconoclast? They’re sick with jealousy. Because Natalie isn’t simply living the good life, she’s living the ideal. And just so happens to be building an empire from it.
 
Until one morning she wakes up in a life that isn’t hers. Her home, her husband, her children – they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Her kitchen is warmed by a sputtering fire rather than electricity, her children are dirty and strange, and her soft-handed husband is suddenly a competent farmer. Just yesterday Natalie was curating photos of homemade jam for her Instagram, and snow she’s expected to haul firewood and handwash clothes until her fingers bleed. Has she become the unwitting star of a ruthless reality show? Could it really be time travel? Is she being tested by God? By Satan? When Natalie suffers a brutal injury in the woods, she realizes two things: This is not her beautiful life, and she must escape by any means possible.
 
Review: “Yesteryear” is without a doubt one of the most talked-about books and most fascinating debuts of the year so far. The book takes the popular social media trend of tradwives and brilliantly takes it to the extreme. What begins as sharp social commentary quickly turns into a gripping psychological thriller with elements of social horror.
 
We meet Natalie Heller Mills, a highly successful influencer who, at her Yesteryear Ranch, puts on the perfect Christian pioneer life for her millions of followers. Behind the scenes, however, her reality is a fabrication of nannies, exorbitantly paid producers, a lazy husband, and pure pretense.
 
But then the unthinkable happens: One morning, Nathalie wakes up and suddenly finds herself in the harsh, filthy reality of the actual year 1855. Without ring lights, without modern luxuries, and facing the brutal hardship of the nineteenth century, she must find a wat to survive and figure out whether she has landed in a bizarre reality show, a timeless nightmare, or a test of God.
 
Natalie is calculating, hypocritical, and remarkably lacking in self-awareness, but her razor-sharp, cynical inner voice makes her as intriguing as she is reprehensible. With her she has created a sort of MAGA version of Amy Dunne (“Gone Girl”).
 
The humor in the book is dark. The way Natalie dissects her own marriage and modern culture is, at times, painfully funny. The book tackles deep, timely questions about the gap between online identity and lived reality, the commercialization of motherhood and the dangerous romanticization of a violent past.
 
By shifting between Natalie’s past at Harvard, her life as an influencer and the raw struggle for survival in 1855, the tension remains palpable throughout.
 
The big plot twist is unpredictable and dark, but the end felt a bit rushed. That was my only complaint. Because overall, because it’s a fast-paced book you just can’t put down. “Yesteryear” is definitely worth the hype.
 
Rating: 4,5/ 5

Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag 2026

We are half-way through the year already, time goes by way too fast. And so far, I have finished 27 books (out of the 60 book I try to read in 2026). I’m pretty certain I will meet my goal. But now is the perfect time to see how my reading has been going this year and to look back at the first six months of my reading year, by doing this tag.  I just simply answer some bookish questions about all the books I read in the first half of 2026.
 

Best book you’ve read so far in 2026?

Normally this is a difficult question, but this time I already know. “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt is my definite favorite. I loved this book so much, that it’s safe to say that this is my new favorite book of all-time. This book is everything to me now and people are actually telling me stop talking about it at this point. And I never will. 
 

Best sequel you've read so far in 2026?
I’m not a big series reader and I only read one sequel so far this year: Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler. I read the first book, “Parable of the Sower”, last year and absolutely loved it. Its sequel was also amazing. This duology is one everyone needs to read, it’s important literature.
 

New release you haven’t read yet, but want to?
I really want to read the newest Abby Jimenez, “The Night We Met”, which is the second book in the “Say You’ll Remember Me” series. Her romance novels are my favorites, because of the emotional load they carry. I’m currently in the middle of “Yesteryear” by Caro Claire Burke, which is all over Bookstagram right now. And “Molka” by Monika Kim is a book I bought earlier this year and I read a lot of great things about it as well.
 

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year?
I haven’t given up on Riley Sager yet, even though I DNF’ed “With a Vengeance” last year and rated “Middle of the Night” 2 stars the year before. In August he will be releasing “The Unknown” and it’s about five woman who disappeared in 1926 from a remote island in Vermont. And now, one hundred years later, its happening again. Sager has written two of my all-time favorite thrillers. I still have faith that this will be another good one.
 

Biggest disappointment?
I was very disappointed in “Penpal” by Dathan Auerbach. I just found it very boring and confusing. The gaps in logic and  fragmented style left me dissatisfied. And “Fantasticland” by Mike Bockoven was a DNF for me, which was also, just like “Penpal”, a book that I had on my TBR for a long time and had high expectations for.
 

Biggest surprise?
I was surprised by how much I loved “Natural Beauty” by Ling Ling Huang. It’s a slow burn, which I usually struggle with, but it worked in its favor for this one. I also really loved “Best Offer Wins” by Marisa Kashino. I picked it up because  people kept recommending it on Instagram. This turned out to be a page turner that I just couldn’t put down.  
 

Favorite new author (debut or new to you)?
Authors I will definitely be reading more from, because I loved the first books I read by them this year: Shelby Van Pelt, Ling Ling Huang, Gerardo Sámano Córdova, Nat Cassidy and Kylie Lee Baker. I would also love to read more from T. Kingfisher, even though “What Moves the Dead” was not a book I loved, but just enjoyed. Her writing has so much potential.
 

Newest favorite character?
Tova and Marcellus from “Remarkably Bright Creatures”, obviously. Their friendship is everything to me. I really liked Jamie from “How to Kill a Guy in Ten Dates”. I related to her movie knowledge a lot.
 

Book that made you cry?
“Monstrilio” by Gerardo Sámano Córdova had me sobbing at the end, that book was really emotional for me. Same goes for “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby van Pelt, but cried for different reasons.  “Life of Chuck” by Stephen King touched me and “Twee Prinsen” by Splinter Chabot also made me ugly cry.  
 

Book that made you happy?
“Remarkably Bright Creatures” again. That book did a lot with all of my emotions. It’s such a hopeful story, about new beginnings and unlikely friendships. 
 

Favorite book to movie adaptation?
I reread “The Body” by Stephen King this year and the movie “Stand By Me” is based on this novella. It’s a movie that has been in my top 10 for years, and I have rewatched it many times. Since I have seen this movie before and the book was also a reread, I will pick another. I loved the adaptations for “Hamnet” and “The Life of Chuck”, but I will again have to go for “Remarkably Bright Creatures”.  All these movie adaptations got it right and I just loved how they all stayed true to their source material. “Project Hail Mary” I absolutely loved and was better than the book in my opinion. I saw some great movie adaptation this year already.
 

Most beautiful book you’ve bought this year?
I got this really beautiful edition of “Animal Farm” by George Orwell. I have read this book before and I’m really looking forward to reading it again. I could not leave the bookstore without this gorgeous edition.
 

What books do you need to read by the end of the year?
I still need to catch up on the “Thursday Murder Club” series and read last year’s “The Impossible Fortune” by Richard Osman. I want to read the last horror book by Thomas Olde Heuvelt that I haven’t read yet, “Orakel”. And the two Janice Hallet books, “A Box Full of Murders” and “The Killer Question”. I also want to try and read “The Odyssey” before the movie comes out, but that’s a big fat maybe.

20s Movie Review - Shelby Oaks

Director: Chris Stuckmann
Genre: Horror
Runtime: 91 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Camille Sullivan, Brendon Sextan III, Michael Beach, Sarah Durn, Keith David

Description: A woman's (Camille Sullivan) obsessive search for her missing sister (Sarah Durn) leads her into a terrifying mystery at the hands of an unknown evil.

Review: “Shelby Oaks” is a solid and atmospheric debut film, in which the well-known YouTube film critic Chris Stuckmann proves he’s more than capable of making the transition from reviewer to filmmaker. The film excels particularly in its intense atmosphere.

The film combines found footage with a traditional mystery thriller. We follow Mia on her obsessive search for her sister Riley. Riley disappeared without a trace twelve years earlier while filming for a paranormal YouTube channel, “Paranormal Paranoids”. When new video footage surfaces, Mia becomes entangled in a dark mystery filled with occult elements.

Stuckmann excels at creating an ominous, oppressive atmosphere. The excellent sound design keeps the viewer constantly on the edge of their seat. With the help of producer Mike Flanaga, the film looks cinematographically impressive despite the modest budget. The mix of grainy faux-documentary footage and sleek Hollywood shots works surprisingly well.

Camille Sullivan carries the film and is completely convincing as the protagonist driven by the grief and despair. She reminded me of Essie Davis in “The Babadook”.

Stuckmann’s love for the genre is palpable, but the film leans just a bit too heavily on its sources of inspiration, such as “The Blair Witch Project” and “Lake Mungo”. And the finale feels rushed, even though I really loved the ending. But it does leave to many questions unanswered.

“Shelby Oaks” is not a revolutionary masterpiece, but it is a very good horror movie. I seriously don’t understand the low rating on IMDb. Stuckmann proves he has an eye for suspense and effective jump scares (not the cheap ones that are often used in modern horror). The film is a must-see for hardcore horror fans.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

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