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Review by Adam Donato  October is the perfect time of year for scary movies to be coming out and it’s hard to think of a scarier situation than being stuck inside a whale. Brian Duffield, director of a Hulu movie No One Will Save You, helms this book adaptation of Whalefall. The movie stars Austin Abrams, who has made a name for himself with his Zach Cregger pairings in Weapons and Resident Evil. The interesting connection being that Duffield is currently lined up to direct the Siren Head movie that’s being produced by Cregger. Whalefall has an advantage in that the first two weekends of the October box office have been absolutely pathetic and competing scary movies like Other Mommy and Verity are enduring terrible reviews. Can Abrams lead his own non franchise movie and come out the other side alive? Nobody has been put through the wringer lately as much as Abrams has. Whether it’s witches, police, or zombies, this quirked up white boy is doing everything he can to survive these days and surviving the belly of a whale may be his most impressive feat yet. The concept alone is sure to get some morbidly curious audiences into the theater. It does appear to be a labor of love for Abrams as he performed all his own stunts in the film. He became advanced certified in scuba diving and even went diving with some sperm whales in the Caribbean. His performance here is much less verbal as he’s got nobody to act opposite inside the whale, but his frenetic panic is enough to have the audience's stomachs squirming the whole movie. This is a very heavy dramatic role at times as the movie explores the character’s rocky relationship with his father and Abrams handles it with ease.  Despite the setting of the movie being the inside of a whale, the supporting cast gets a good amount of screen time. The story begins with the passing away of Abrams’ father, played by Josh Brolin. This performance is equal parts eccentric and aggressive. His passing inspires Abrams to go diving to find the father’s corpse before getting caught in the belly of a whale. The family and friends of Abrams are played by John Ortiz, Elisabeth Shue, Jane Levy, and Allison Rudd. The standouts being Ortiz and Levy who are given one on one opportunities with Abrams to talk about the trauma of losing a father.
The real appeal of a movie like this is the setting in the belly of a whale. After reading up on it, it’s surprising how much of the movie was practical. All the different parts of the whale that our hero endures come with their own challenges and distinct visuals. Hearing how practical the inside of the whale was made to be is quite impressive. It’s surprising to see how serious the movie is since the marketing is all about how silly the concept is inherently. There’s a larger connection being made between the whale and Abrams’ relationship with his late father so a great focus on the movie is on dealing with the trauma of that situation. There’s another world where this movie is a tight, under ninety minute romp, but the flashbacks of the father son relationship prolong this movie to over a hundred minute runtime. The added emotional weight does bear fruit and makes this more of a substantial film to watch. Whalefall has a nuts concept and a surprising emotional core that makes for a good time at the movies this spooky season. A very claustrophobic and disgusting experience that those with stronger stomachs are sure to enjoy. Chalk this up as another win for Abrams as his horrific streak continues. While being reminiscent of a notable Bible story, Whalefall finds a way to feel unique in today’s horror landscape and deliver a wet and wild ride. Whalefall swims into theaters October 16th! Rating: 3/5
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Review by Steve Barton II  The rise of professionally shot Broadway shows finding their way to the big screen has had a major impact on the popularity of stage shows. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton had pop culture in its palm and broke down the theater door for more productions like Hadestown and SIX to fill seats and share the magic with new audiences. Annette Jolles has directed a few professionally shot stage productions, but Fallen Angels is her first big show and she teamed up with TV director Scott Ellis to get it done. Fallen Angels is a comedic show that was originally created in 1925 and follows two rich ladies who are home alone in their fancy apartment bored and drinking while their husbands play golf for the weekend. Toward the bottom of their champagne glasses, they realize the French lover they both had an affair with is in town and they want to see him. Will their old rivalry over the same man get in the way of their friendship and their marriages? It can’t be easy to decide how to shoot a live performance and plan where cameras will be, especially with their never being a second take. The major luxury of modern narrative filmmaking are digital memory cards, but that has no bearing when it’s a live show with an audience. The production team must’ve rehearsed and got the timing down, because the cinematography here places you in the theater audience and never feels like a movie. Even if you haven’t heard of Fallen Angels and its storied history prior to seeing this, by the end you’ll be kicking yourself that you didn’t buy a ticket for it live on Broadway. Another large part of why it’s so encapsulating is the incredible set designs, especially the one of the apartment. Many stage shows only have a little space and they often only move within a foot or two, but the characters in Fallen Angels have staircases, pianos and moving lights that makes the apartment feel like a character in itself.  The ladies leading this show are Rose Byrne as Jane Banbury and Kelli O’Hara as Julia Steroll and they’re both incredible in their respective roles! Rose and Kelli both play eccentric, out-of-touch rich socialites extremely well and completely disappear into the roles. Knowing Rose Byrne from Insidious, Bridesmaids and countless other films won’t be as distracting as you may think due to her commitment to playing Jane with her quirks and all. It’s not always easy to drop your guard and get super silly, but Rose and Kelli make it look easy, especially once the bubbles get flowing. Tracee Chimo has a musical number as the maid and steals the spotlight for her limited screen time. Mark Consuelos is charming as the Frenchman Maurice, but Aasif Mandvi is the best of the men in this show. His screen presence is large and vociferous and it works especially well for the stage and the big screen.
Overall, this adaptation of the classic story of Fallen Angels will be an entry point into the classics and for people getting into Broadway and stage shows. Folks that don’t love musicals won’t have to worry because the songs are limited, but the laughs are plentiful. The leading ladies have so much fun on the stage letting loose and acting drunk and navigate a plethora of emotions. The apartment set and the performance transfer the audience back the roaring twenties and opens the doors further for movie goers to Broadway. If you enjoy a silly story about two ladies struggling with their ages, relationships and reflecting on how their lives turned out, Fallen Angels is the show for you. Fallen Angels opens in theaters starting October 22nd! Rating: 4/5 Review by Steve Barton II  Have you ever felt spoiled by a trailer, seeing all the best moments before even buying your ticket? In the last 10 years, many films have fallen victim to this act and it has soured many fans to even consider supporting the theatrical release due to being burned with all the best scenes in the promos. No genre is completely absolved of this act, but no one does it worse and more often than studio horror movies. Often the studio has no idea how to market the project and have no faith in audiences so they shove every thrilling and creative moment in the trailers with no regard for spoiling surprises or ruining scares. Rob Savage’s past films have fallen victim to this and Other Mommy almost does the same. Other Mommy follows an 8 year old girl named Bela (Arabella Olivia Clark) as her parents (Jessica Chastain and Jay Duplass) are having outward martial troubles and making Bela nervous. While trying to find comfort, she’s greeted by a mysterious being in her bedroom that she calls “Other Mommy” that looks nearly identical to her real mother and claims she can fix Bela’s family. Other Mommy does reveal a bit too much in its trailer, but it holds back just enough to keep you engaged. Anyone who has seen a movie about marital spats can connect the “deeper” meaning about how these situations affect a child’s mind and the long term emotional impact it has. The dream-like sequences that Other Mommy takes Bela through have a surreal nature to them with effects that will make the arm hairs stand at attention. The makeup and digital effects done for Other Mommy herself gives Chastain an unsettling look with the wide smile and the subtle differences that make Bela be hesitant to trust the monster.  Chastain’s performance as Other Mommy may be criticized for being too big and silly, possibly being compared to Smile, but it’s more than that. Jessica has a physical presence with her uneasy smile and silent stare mixed with the body horror and contorting that her stunt double pulls off creepily. Her chemistry with Jay Duplass as a couple who attempt to act happy in front of their daughter, but they give subtle hints from early on through body language and subtle expressions of their troubles. Jay’s performance as a dad who tries to fix everything with humor and silliness will strike a familiar cord with anyone who has dealt with a sad kid. Arabella as Bela plays the role of this young girl who is desperate for her family to be happy again and is easily influenced by the monster’s lies. You often become annoyed with child actors in movies and television because they either don’t act well yet or they’re poorly written, but Bela’s character has so much emotional intelligence and goes through horrific situations and you feel for her. The Coraline fans may find similarities with this Other Mom, but this Mommy makes the creepy button eyes look like gum drops.
Other Mommy may not be the next big horror icon, but her movie was silly and fun. It certainly doesn’t come close to the heights of Host, but it’s got more to say than Dashcam and The Boogeyman with how relationship problems bleed into the well being of the children and how they can be taken advantage of. The surrealistic alternate realities that Other Mommy creates for Bela start out harmless and fun only to become horrific nightmare scapes with brilliant designs. Many of the best moments from Other Mommy did get spoiled by the trailers, but the experience isn’t completely ruined due to the surprises with how violent it gets. They may have achieved a higher box office with cutting the gore down to get a PG-13 rating, but I respect the choice to keep the carnage candy. The editing is hit and miss, especially with the odd choices made with the opening title sequence, but it sets the tone for the strange little ride with Other Mommy behind the wheel! Other Mommy is in theaters starting October 9th! Rating: 3/5 Review by Steve Barton II  Is losing your private personal life worth having a career as a public figure? Many people on the outside looking in may think so and some may even have a jaded view on anyone with celebrity status or wealth due to class division and other factors. In an age of social media and other sources tracking your presence digitally and physically at all times, it’s difficult to even know what’s truly private anymore. At a time where someone has particular secrets or information of yours and threatening to reveal it to the masses, what lengths would you go to keep it confidential? Writer/Director Ben Affleck’s new film for Netflix titled Animals poses this question while also being a political thriller with added drama mixed in. While running a campaign to become Los Angeles Mayor, Mark Kimball (Ben Affleck) gets a call demanding a ransom payment for $7 million dollars to return Mark’s son. While deciding how he and his wife Abigail (Kerry Washington) can get their son safely, they uncover dark secrets that could change their lives forever. Animals' main premise being centered around a kidnapping of a high profile person’s child and threatening power isn’t original or inventive in any way. The concept was popularized in Akira Kurosawa’s High and Low in 1963 and was even re-imagined in 2025’s Highest 2 Lowest by Spike Lee. Both Lee and Kurosawa’s films have much more interesting elements with unique voices, where Ben’s Animals feels like an uninspired re-hashing of better movies. From the trailer or even 15-20 minutes into the movie, you can predict all the major story beats and save yourself the time.  The cast Ben gathered for Animals is remarkably strong given the script itself. With Ben making incredible films in the past both in front of and behind the camera, it’s not shocking that he has this much pull in Hollywood in 2026. Ben and Kerry lead the film as a couple who are obviously struggling with commitments and honesty with one another and it’s played believably by both parties. Some of their arguments felt a bit too melodramatic and cartoonish, but their disagreements are ones that many couples encounter just maybe not on the same scale. Ben plays a politician trying to manipulate his family and staff during the chaos well, but he’s walking through some of the scenes that needed more emotional depth. Steven Yeun and Gillian Anderson round out the rest of the main cast and they both bring their respective talents to their roles. Yeun is great in the role of Mark’s campaign manager who puts his own personal life in jeopardy to help Mark win and keep his status. Gillian plays the hostage strategist who digs into the couple’s dirt to see what the kidnappers may uncover and she does so with the subtle intensity that only Gillian Anderson can pull off.
Animals had potential to be an entertaining political thriller, but it takes the wrong turn at nearly every crossroad. The use of generative A.I. by Mr. Affleck is extremely unfortunate, because we all know he’s capable of delivering a great movie with real people and decent digital and practical effects. In Animals, the most obvious and unnecessary use of it was in the climax of the film when they encounter the kidnappers and it’s blatantly obvious and ugly. Between the A.I. images and the paint-by-numbers script, Animals has so much bad that’s hard to praise the good. The drone shots and editing gives the film some visual appeal, but the experience feels hollow in the end. If you’re cooking dinner, folding laundry or just looking for background noise at a party, Animals will get the job done, but don’t expect a thrilling experience. Animals is streaming on Netflix starting October 9th! Rating: 2/5 Review by Steve Barton II  Anthology movies and shows have become one of the most popular subgenres in horror. Since the first widely popular anthology film in 1945 titled Dead of Night, many filmmakers have echoed the sentiment and made this style of storytelling huge. The comedy and drama genres have dabbled in anthologies, but no genre does it more frequently or of the same quality as horror. Shows like The Twilight Zone and American Horror Story have made it popular on our television sets while movies like Trick r’ Treat, Tales from the Hood and Creepshow did so on the big screen. In 2012, the anthology film V/H/S/ film released to mixed reviews but people vibed with the use of the found footage style and how they gave free reign to a bunch of up and coming filmmakers. The series had two sequels in theaters and then moved to DVD and digital producing 5 more sequels and a sixth that’s all about music! V/H/S/ Mixtape is a collection of 6 short films centered around music hosted by the band GWAR like an episode of Headbanger’s Ball from Hell! One of the hallmarks of the V/H/S/ series is gathering a unique group of filmmakers who can bring their own unique ideas and perspectives and the crew gathered for V/H/S/ Mixtape understood the assignment. The film got a few familiar faces with the legendary Ernest Dickerson along with musician/directors like Flying Lotus (returning from V/H/S/ 99), Tobias Forge from Ghost and Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA along with other directors David Moreau and Renee Zhan. Each film brought a unique style and story centered around the art of sound and music while still bringing the scares and the gore. Whether it’s a stop-motion animation from Flying Lotus or a literal music video from Tobias Forge, V/H/S Mixtape captures the feeling of a crazy variety show hosted by demon rockstars! They all vary in quality of visuals and message, but they all manage to be disturbing and entertaining and arrive at the perfect time for audiences celebrating Halloween and all things spooky.  The strongest segments of V/H/S/ Mixtape are both Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance by Renee Zhan and Death Tone by RZA. Renee’s segment uses the trend of using mascots/puppets that are normally cute, but in horrific situations and uses an ear worm of a song to hypnotize the audience like a siren. The puppets were also crafted by the Henson company, so you can’t help but reel in the nostalgia until the violence ensues and your left jaw agape. While the trend has become a bit over-saturated, Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance has enough originality and a great cast like the horror legend Barbara Crampton and Josh Willis giving a disturbing performance as George. Death Tone is centered around an artist’s obsession with finding success and their commitment to do anything to achieve success, no matter the cost. Using that general idea to create such a bizarrely profound bloodbath wasn’t the expectation from looking at RZA’s previous work, but it’s an interesting approach. Neela Jolene as the main character gives a dark and disturbing performance while also injecting some humor into the chaos.
V/H/S/ Mixtape is a solid new entry into the V/H/S/ series of films and delivers on both creative storytelling around music and gore candy. Seeing an established name like Ernest Dickerson lending his talents to an installment this late into the series speaks to how influential and powerful the V/H/S/ movies are. Unlike many of the other films in this series, V/H/S/ Mixtape truly doesn’t have a weak link in the whole bunch with each one tackling their own unique stories, characters and meanings and gnarly kills. If you haven’t enjoyed the V/H/S/ movies prior to Mixtape, it’s doubtful that this one changes your entire outlook on it, but you’ll never know unless you give it a chance and DANCE! V/H/S/ Mixtape will release EXCLUSIVELY on Shudder starting October 9th! Rating: 3.5/5 |