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David Griffiths

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy

By Cinema

Lee Cronin's The Mummy

If you don’t like horrific and brutal horror films then stop reading right now because Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is not the film for you. I’ve seen some pretty confronting horror films over the years, some so full-on they have never become general releases in cinema, but I have to admit that I have rarely seen a horror film that has had me looking away from the screen as often as this film did.

Before our deep dive into the film though let’s begin with the questions that most people have asked me about this film. Who the hell is Lee Cronin and why is his name in the title of the movie?

Decent questions because yes that honour is something normally only reserved for the likes of Steven Spielberg or James Cameron. But to answer the first question Lee Cronin is the person that brought us Evil Dead Rise and to answer the second – because Blumhouse Studios who made this film are trying to point out that this is Cronin’s version of The Mummy legend and has nothing to do with the Universal Monsters universe or the films starring Brendan Fraser.

Cronin’s The Mummy centres around an American family living and working in Egypt. The father, Charlie Cannon (Jack Reynor – Midsommar), is working as a television reporter while the mother, Larissa (Laia Costa – Only You), works as a nurse in a local hospital.

Their blissful lives are suddenly thrown into chaos when their daughter is kidnapped by a mysterious woman, known as The Magician (Hayat Kamille – Murder On The Orient Express). Charlie gives chase but a sand storm prevents him from catching up to them. Worse still the Police Unit investigating, which includes Detective Dalia Zaki (May Calamawy – Moon Knight), seems to think that Charlie is the prime suspect.

The story then picks up years later with Charlie, Larrisa and their other children, Sebastian (Shylo Molina – Deadly Illusions) and Maud (Billie Roy – Spirit Halloween) living with Larissa’s mother (Veronica Falcon – Jungle Cruise) back in the USA.

The family are fractured but suddenly receive good news – their missing daughter, Katie (Natalie Grace – Raymar), has been found alive. However, the happiness is short lived because when Katie is returned to them it is easy to see that she is disfigured and disturbed. Something is obviously horrifically wrong because she seems to want to cause pain and even death to all of those around her.

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is one horror film that certainly doesn’t hold back any punches – this film is absolutely savage. Cronin’s screenplay basically uses the character of The Mummy to deliver a brilliantly written possession movie. And while most horror films these days seem to aim for a lower classification to boost audience numbers Cronin throws that playbook right out the window.

Nobody is safe in this film with the demon not caring whether it hurts children or even elderly women. People get hurt or meet grisly ends throughout this film and as you would expect that heightens the suspense that the film generates for the audience. Let’s be honest if they weren’t hiding their eyes behind a popcorn box then they would be sitting right on the edge of their seat.

Yes, there are some pretty gruesome scenes to sit through with his film – especially if you are like my wife and have issues with scenes depicting things like human finger and toenails. But to his credit Cronin hasn’t included those scenes just for the shock factor they do all play important parts when it comes to the plot.

In fact the only fault that I found with this film was that it felt that the suspicion on Charlie petered out fairly quickly – something that doesn’t happen in real life kidnapping cases. The screenplay does try to make up for that by allowing the audience to see scenes where Charlie and Larissa are basically blaming each other for Katie’s death, and while those scenes are well-written and dramatic it is not the same as law enforcement breathing down his neck. In fact the film is arguably stronger when the character of Detective Zaki is around so it is a shame that she goes missing for a huge chunk of the film.

When it comes to the acting performances the intensity of the film also plays a huge part. The child actors – Shylo Molina, Billie Roy and Natalie Grace – are all put through the ringer in their roles and to credit they deliver some truly remarkable performances. The star here though is Jack Reynor who throughout the films more dramatic scenes shows Hollywood that he is ready for leading man status.

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy is not always an easy film to watch but it needs to be praised for the fact that it is a horror film that doesn’t hold back. Cronin’s work here is creative and while the film is savage you do have to say that this is one of the most possession horrors to have surfaced in the last decade.

May 19, 2026

Dani Filth The Hellfire Coven Interview

By Interview

When British extreme metal legends CRADLE OF FILTH and American metal titans DEVILDRIVER, two of heavy music’s most iconic and ferocious bands – each with a stellar reputation for incredible live shows – joined forces for a North American tour in 2023 the results were predictably amazing and the synergy undeniable.

Now Australia will  finally experience this much lauded team-up in July of this year as the two titans bring full headline sets packed with classics, to deliver a night of unrelenting intensity, theatrical horror, and crushing grooves.

Cradle of Filth, led by the inimitable Dani Filth, continue to reign as the most influential and enduring name in extreme metal. Their reputation as a singular artistic force and as one of the most insanely entertaining live acts metal has ever produced remains unchallenged. Fresh off the success of their acclaimed 14th studio album The Screaming of the Valkyries, the band is ready to unleash their signature blend of blackened gothic metal, orchestral grandeur, and venomous lyricism on Australian fans who in turn rewarded the band with a fully sold-out tour on their last visit.

This week I was lucky enough to be able to sit down and talk to Dani about the upcoming tour – I started by asking him about how his friendship with DevilDriver frontman Dez Fafera first started.

“Well, we met ages ago when he was in Coal Chamber at various awards and shows and stuff – back in the early 90s, maybe late 90s sorry,” Dani explains. “And then more recently we were on tour in America and we had Jinjer in support and he was managing Jinjer at the time and came to the show expressed an interest in managing us. At that time we had this interim manager that was just utter shit so yeah that’s how it came about and yeah, we just hit it off.”

“Plus we liked what he had to offer,” he continues. “It was cool that as a management team him being a musician as well meant that it just sort of cut all the red tape when it comes to things that just should be obvious to a manager on how to look after a band. So, yeah, never looked back since then and it’s been a good now, what, six, seven years?”

That led me to ask what is it that Dani feels makes DevilDriver and Cradle Of Filth such a formidable force when they take to the stage together.

“Well, because we’re not a million miles apart,” he says after thinking for a moment. “You know, maybe different kinds of genres, but it’s not a million miles apart. It’s not like reggae and, you know, the Swedish House Mafia. It’s metal. They may be sort of groove-laden, meat and potatoes metal, and we may be the exotic dessert, but it works very well and the track record has proved that.”

Of course the other thing that has made those shows so special has been the music that Cradle Of Filth has been playing recently. Their last album, The Screaming Of The Valkyries, was an absolute masterpiece and Dani says adding tracks from it to the setlist has been amazing… and there is more to come.

“Well, it’s been great. The audience reactions have been amazing. We did a very busy year last year – touring South America, America, Europe, summer festivals, and yeah, it’s just been overwhelming really. And on the current trajectory, we’ve actually finished writing, well, about to finish writing. We’ve got another day to go and then soon myself and the producer will sit down at my house and go through which tracks we think are working toward the new record and then we’ll be in the studio by the end of this month.”

“That being said the album won’t be released until next year because we’ve got a busy year this year as well,” he quickly adds. “So we’re just continuing on our current upward climb I guess.”

So with such a crazy, busy year how did the band find time to sit down and write new material?

“Well, we’ve done a bit of everything. We’ve specifically finished touring mid-December and I was involved in a movie and more recently than that a duet that I’ve done with another large female artist – but essentially we set these few months since coming back off tour and we had ideas, obviously fledgling ideas already circulating amongst the band. But yeah, we just make time. We’re constantly busy but, you know, you need to work when the devil drives.”

Now to finish it all off Cradle Of Filth are coming to Australia and that is something that Dani cannot wait for.

“Well, it’s gonna be an incredible experience, you know obviously us and Devil Driver. They’ll be local supports as well and they’re going to be an amazing, it’s going to be an amazing experience. Whether you bought tickets or whether you’re planning to buy tickets – I already believe the majority of the shows are way over half sold out already so by my estimates they will sell out. Touring Australia you only generally do five or six shows, unless of course you’re that big that you can like book an extra night, so maybe if they do sell out that may happen but I’m not sure because we are booked in to arrive on a certain day and fly out on another day.”

“But I am very much looking forward to meeting people,” he continues. “I think there’s meet and greets. If there are, we always love meeting people, it’s as much an experience for the band as it is for the audience. So we are kind of in the same uncharted waters of what to expect. I mean, we know the parameters of what we’re doing, what’s going on and whatever, but you know you never can tell. And we always really look forward to it because obviously, you know, logistically we’re based on the other side of the world and it’s not often that we do get to Australia. So it’s a big deal for us as well.”

Cradle Of Filth and DevilDriver hit Australian shores in July.

May 19, 2026
Return To Silent Hill

Return To Silent Hill

By Cinema

Return To Silent Hill

In 2006 we saw the release of Silent Hill – a film based on a horror themed video game that had a legion of fans. While the reviews of the film were lukewarm the film quickly became a cult favourite and to this day is still listed on a lot of ‘Must See’ horror lists.

Like was so often the case in the early 2000s a sequel was quickly put into production but something happened behind the scenes and director Christophe Gans exited the project. Eventually it was released under the title Silent Hill: Revelation with a different filmmaking team behind it. The film wasn’t well received and the Silent Hill franchise seemed to have been put to bed.

But now it has re-spawned with a new film and once again Gans has returned to the fold with the latest film in the franchise Return To Silent Hill. But don’t worry if you haven’t seen the previous films because this one is a stand-alone film that is loosely based on the Silent Hill 2 video game.

The film opens with young artist James Sunderland (Jeremy Irvine – War Horse) almost running over Mary Crane (Hannah Emily Anderson – X:Men – Dark Phoenix) while she waits for a bus high on a cliff top above her home town, Silent Hill.

He goes to help her and the chemistry between them is instant. A relationship starts and then years later James finds himself apart from her but finds a letter from Mary asking him to come back and find her.

He travels back to Silent Hill and discovers that it is very different place. It looks like an apocalypse has happened. Ash falls from the sky nearly constantly while mutated creatures walk through the streets. Humans are scarce and the ones he does come across seem both physically and mentally damaged.

Still James continues to search for Mary but there are also many questions that need to be answered. Who is the mysterious psychiatrist, known only as M (Nicola Alexis – Dune: Prophecy), who constantly tells James that Mary is dead, and how does the mysterious cult from Jame’s memories of Mary factor into her disappearance.

Whether you love or hate Return To Silent Hill is going to come down to how you feel about films that are a ‘little different’. While most will look at the film and think that it will be a piece of commercial pulp style wise it takes on all the artistic traits of an European arthouse film as Gans lets the audience explore this decimated city just as James is.

As the plot slowly meanders on with very little dialogue in patches and we are introduced to a myriad of creatures and mutants that now call Silent Hill home you could be excused for thinking you are watching an art installation or that Christophe Gans is auditioning to start directing black metal band’s video clips.

While that style might confuse and alienate some of the audience is does match with the game play of the original video game. I do have to admit though that the film itself does seem to work better during its flash-backs and really only comes to life during the present day scenes with the introduction of Maria as a character.

Still the boring parts of the film are largely over-shadowed by the audience’s curiosity. Once you begin this journey with James you will find that you want to stick with it to the end. You simply must have the answers to the all the questions and to the credit while it is done in a roundabout way every question is answered and I must admit the film’s ending is fairly fulfilling.

The various creatures that are revealed in Silent Hill are also amazingly creative but it does feel that they are never fully utilised throughout the film – to the point that I don’t think I ever felt like they posed a threat to James as well.

What does hold up throughout the film though is the performance of Jeremy Irvine. He basically carries this film from start to finish with a performance that actually makes him one of the most memorable things about the film. At times he has to portray his emotions to the audience without dialogue and he does that with ease – something that would have been made harder by the fact that most of the time he would have been reacting to a green screen.

Some may feel that Return To Silent Hill just looks like a creepy screensaver while others may choose to embrace the films artistic side. Either way I get the feeling this will become a cult classic that is very likely to divide audiences over its merit.

May 4, 2026
Ready Or Not 2

Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come

By Cinema

In the 2019 a horror film landed that had fans of the genre in raptures. While it wasn’t expected to be one of the big hits of the year the arrival of Ready Or Not had people raving. Finally there was a horror film that had everything – twists, turns, action, gore and a few laughs along the way.

What is surprising is the fact that it has taken 7 years for the next film in the franchise to hit cinemas. But thankfully directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin (Abigail) and Tyler Gillett (Scream VI) have returned back to the franchise that everybody wants to see them working in and delivered a film that is certainly not going to disappoint those that loved the first film.

Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come literally begins where the last film finished. Grace MacCaullay (Samara Weaving – Guns Akimbo) collapses onto the ground having just survived the ‘game’ that saw her new in-laws try to kill her to appease their Dark Lord.

However, when she wakes up in hospital she finds out that things are not exactly how she expected them to be. First of all her sister, Faith (Kathryn Newton – Freaky), is there ready to remind Grace how much she hates her and then she finds herself being hunted by a man she has never met before.

After a short burst of freedom Grace finds herself captured once again. This time she and Faith find themselves trapped on a luxurious estate run by the Danforth family. Here they are told by a mysterious lawyer (Elija Wood – Lord Of The Rings) that are once again prey. This time the game is a little different – the family that kills them will take control of a powerful Order that pretty much gives them all the power in the world.

Desperate to take the mantle that once belonged to their father are twins Titus (Shawn Hatosy – The Faculty) and Ursula Danforth (Sarah Michelle Gellar – I Know What You Did Last Summer) but in order to do so they are going to have to beat all the other families to killing Grace and she certainly is not going to go down without a fight.

The fact that the game in Here I Come mirrors the one in the first one so much leaves me in two minds. On one hand I would have liked to have seen the screenwriters come up with something new and original but on the other hand at least they manage to find new ways to kill characters while still being able to mix horror, comedy and action all together brilliantly well.

One of the most intriguing parts of Here I Come are the characters themselves. No two characters are the same and the writers have even managed to avoid cliches by giving them actual characterisation outside of the particular sets of skills that they may possess as part of the game. Sure some of the characters have been purposefully made annoying, which makes you as an audience member want to see them bumped off by Grace, but at least they are different enough so they don’t all bled in together.

The two most interesting characters when it comes to the villains are certainly Titus and Ursula. While Ursula is conniving and calculating Titus is a pure psychopath. As soon as it is established that Titus will kill anyone that gets in his way that adds to the suspense of the film. Some of his dealings with Faith are particularly violent which not only adds to his character but also has you praying for the moment that he finally comes up against Grace.

Likewise, some of the most memorable scenes here are between Sarah Michelle Gellar and Samara Weaving. The witty lines written for Gellar are reminiscent of what she got to play with during her Buffy The Vampire Slayer days and she absolutely shines when she gets to deliver them.

Of course, what most are wanting to see here though is the horror element of the film. Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett certainly deliver there. The horror aspect of the film is intense and lifted to a whole new level as the pair device new and gory ways to kill off most of the players in the game. The only thing that perhaps lets the film down a little is the over-the-top ending that seems to be mainly played for laughs. It works but true horror fans maybe expecting something very different.

If you enjoyed the first Ready Or Not film then there is a good chance that you are going to love Here I Come. Once again the film mixes genres amazingly well while the acting performances of Weaving, Gellar and Wood are priceless. While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea this is a sequel for the ages.

Synopsis

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come picks up immediately after the original film, with Grace once again dragged into a deadly satanic game after surviving the massacre of the Le Domas family. This time, rival elite bloodlines hunt her and her estranged sister Faith in a brutal battle for power, forcing Grace into another night of violence, betrayal, and blood-soaked survival.

April 24, 2026

Whistle

By Cinema

Do you remember back in the 90s and the early 2000s where there were a bunch of horror movies hitting cinemas that were made for teenagers and younger horror fans? Even if you were older they were still enjoyable films.

Films like The Faculty, Disturbing Behavior and Valentine – they were simple horrors with some great mystery and no political agendas. Now you flash forward to 2026 and most horror films either see directors trying to be all artistic and different which often gets in the way of the plot and tripping up the film badly. They throw in a supernatural horror that makes no sense in the end and worse still the characters are so unlikable you don’t really care when the killing starts.

Sometimes that’s all you really need from a horror film – relatable characters that you don’t want to see fall victim to the killer next. That is exactly what director Corin Hardy (The Nun) and screenwriter Owen Egerton (Mercy Black) have achieved with Whistle – a basic horror but with characters you actually care about.

Whistle centres around a High School student named Chrysanthemum (Dafne Keen – Deadpool & Wolverine). After the death of her father, who was her only parent, she has to move to another town and live with her cousin, Rel (Sky Yang – Last Days)l who is a bit of a misfit like her.

On her first day at the new school she finds an Aztec Death Whistle in her locker and quickly discovers that it belonged to a student who recently died in a horrific way.  She also learns that his best friend, jock Dean (Jhaleil Swaby – White Dog), is not happy that she has been given the locker. The resulting fight results in teacher Mr Craven (Nick Frost – Paul) giving Chrys, Rel, Dean, Dean’s girlfriend – Grace (Ali Skovbye – Breakthrough) and her friend Ellie Gains (Sophie Nelisse – The Book Thief).

During the detention Mr Craven confiscates the whistle and makes the mistake of blowing it. Later in the night the teens steal the whistle back and Grace blows it where all can hear. That sets the wheels in motion and soon all ‘their deaths’ are coming for them.

The plot for Whistle sounds pretty basic but to the credit of Hardy and Egerton have found a way to bring some pretty intense horror and suspense to the film. Some of the teen’s death are creative and have been brought to the screen with the same amazing special effects that Hardy got to work with on The Nun. One of the deaths is actually so creative that it is likely to stay etched in the audience’s mind for a long time.

Egerton’s screenplay is also something special. It feels like he is constantly a few scenes ahead of the audience and nothing has been placed in this film to be filler. For awhile I was wondering about why they had introduced a drug dealing Youth Pastor, named Noah Haggerty (Percy Hynes White – My Old Ass), had been introduced into the mix. But as the plot plays out he becomes an important part of Egerton’s jigsaw puzzle – and when all those pieces fall into place you realise that nothing in this film happens by chance.

While the characters of this film do remain relatable to anyone that has been through High School it also delves into some deep topics and themes. Chrys is actually a recovering drug addict who is proud of the fact that she has got herself sober so when she sees her ‘death’ coming for her is depicted with a syringe in her arm the screenplay explores what it is like for a recovering addict to face the fear of relapsing. At the same time she is battling her feelings for Ellie which sees her exploring her sexuality – something many teens find themselves facing these days.

That’s why this film is so relatable. As I watched Whistle I found myself thinking things like – I had friends like that at High School or I’ve found myself in that situation. That relatability is what makes this film such a great watch – you love the characters and you don’t want anything to happen to them.

Whistle is one of the best horror films to surface over the past few years. It reveals Corin Hardy as a director to watch while transporting its audience back to the good old days of 90s horror – it is a must see for all horror fans.

Whistle is currently screening in cinemas.

Synopsis

Whistle follows a group of high school students who discover an ancient Aztec Death Whistle hidden inside a locker. After blowing it, they become cursed and are hunted by terrifying manifestations of their own future deaths. As the body count rises, the group races to uncover the whistle’s dark origins before their gruesome fates catch up with them.

April 14, 2026

They Will Kill You

By Cinema

They Will Kill You

Every now and then a movie comes along that is so difficult to write about that I actually find myself procrastinating about it when I sit down to write about it. I have certainly found that that is the case for the brand new film from director Kirill Sokolov (Why Don’t You Just Die) – They Will Kill You.

One the surface this isn’t such a bad film – in fact if you like violent action films with a tinge of horror you will probably quite enjoy watching it. The issue here is that while you are watching it you begin to release that there is nothing new or different about the film. In fact it feels like nearly every scene is playing homage to another film or a famous director. Even the entire premise of the film feels like he has taken two Keanu Reeves films – Constantine and John Wick – and blended them together.

The film itself begins with Asia Reaves (Zazie Beetz – Deadpool 2) trying to escape the clutches of her abusive father alongside her sister Maria (Myha’la – Dead Man’s Wire). As the pair are confronted by their father and his friend Asia opens fire shooting her father. The result of that is Maria being forced to go back to her father while Asia goes on the run. 

Years later Asia turns up to work at an exclusive high-rise apartment building known at The Virgil. When she arrives she is welcomed by building manager, Lily Woodhouse (Patricia Arquette – Stigmata), but soon she begins to realise that things aren’t as they seem.

First of all the staff seem to be acting weird, then when she steps out of the shower someone has left a cryptic message on her bathroom mirror – “THEY WILL KILL YOU!” Then while she sleeps a group of The Virgil’s residents, led by Sharon (Heather Graham – Boogie Nights) and Kevin (Tom Felton – Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows), break into her room and attack her.

As she fights for her life Asia asks them a serious question – where is her sister Maria? That is when the fight really starts. Asia fights for her life while scouring The Virgil for her sister while trying to outrun those who want her dead.

So far in his career Sokolov has famously emulated his filmmaking heroes with his work but with They Will Kill You it feels like he has gone too far or possibly flown too close to the sun with this one. No matter how much I was enjoying the great battle sequences and creative deaths during the film I just couldn’t get Kill Bill out of my head. As if to cement my suspicions about this being a Quentin Tarantino homage the film even contains a ‘women’s foot close-up shot’ – something that has become somewhat of a trademark with Tarantino’s films over the years.

What Sokolov does have working in his favour though is the skills of Zazie Beetz. With so many similarities to other films Beetz is what makes They Will Kill You memorable. Whether it be the deeply emotional sequences of her begging for the life of her sister or her brilliant ‘combat’ sequences as she goes to war with whatever The Virgil throws at her Beetz (excuse the pun) never misses a beat. Long after you left the cinema it is Beetz’s performance that you will remember whenever someone mentions the film.

Sadly, though she is let down by the screenplay (or lack of) here. Written by Alex Litvak (Predators) the screenplay itself is one of the reasons why They Will Kill You is reminiscent of so many other films. The supernatural element is very similar to Constantine while it feels like some important elements of the ‘realm’ itself are never fully explained. 

Then there is the ridiculously over-the-top pig’s head finale which just takes the film into a new level of craziness. When you compare that to how the Satanic worship storyline was  resolved in Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come you see just how badly Litvak’s screenplay handled things here.

While there is some creativity with the fight sequences of They Will Kill You largely this feels like a film you have seen many times in the past. While the one-person army revenge flick is the in-thing in Hollywood at the moment they only work if the filmmaker and screenwriter involved have an idea that separates their film from the rest.

Synopsis

They Will Kill You follows Asia Reaves, an ex-convict who takes a housekeeping job inside a mysterious New York high-rise while searching for her missing sister. Once inside the building known as The Virgil, she discovers its wealthy residents are part of a violent satanic cult that uses human sacrifice to maintain its dark power, forcing her into a brutal fight for survival.

April 9, 2026

The Bride

By Cinema

The Bride

Here is a little bit of a cinematic receipt. Take a little bit of Gothic literature and then blend in some musical and dance sequences that would make Baz Luhrmann extremely proud, Then add a Bonnie & Clyde storyline and for good measure introduce one of the world’s most talented actresses, Jessie Buckley (Hamnet) into the mix. What do you get?

You get director Maggie Gyllenhaal’s (The Lost Daughter) brand new film The Bride! – which is pretty much a re-telling of the 1935 film Bride Of Frankenstein with her own slant on it.

The concept of a bride for Frankenstein’s monster is not a new one. Even the 1935 film didn’t create it. Author Mary Shelley actually briefly mentioned the character in her original Frankenstein novel,. It was a brief idea mentioned by the monster himself but quickly squashed by Dr. Frankenstein himself. Just as director James Whale did in the 30s Maggie Gyllenhaal takes that original concept and lets her mind run wild. And that is something that she does magically well.

Gyllenhaal’s story begins with the monster himself, now known as Frank (Christian Bale – Batman Begins), finding himself alive in the 1930s after over a century of being ‘alive.’ Overcome with loneliness he tracks down a doctor in America, named Dr Euphronius (Annette Bening – American Beauty), who has made a name for herself for re-animating animals. He tells her his woes and after some convincing she agrees to re-animate a ‘bride’ for him in return for being allowed to study his body.

They soon find the perfect body for the procedure. It is that of Ida (Jessie Buckley), a woman who was killed after making allegations against a mobster during an outburst in a crowded restaurant.

After her re-animation Ida has no memory of her past and is lied to by Frank who tells her that they were previously engaged. To celebrate her recovery from her ‘accident’ they head out to a nightclub where the two of them are hassled by two men. In a fit of rage Frank kills them both and it soon becomes public knowledge that two monsters are on the loose.

As they begin a journey across America, following in the footsteps of Frank’s favourite actor Ronnie Reed (Jake Gyllenhaal – Nightcrawler) they are pursued by two Detectives. One is Jake Wiles (Peter Sarsgaard – September 5) who has a connection to Ida’s murder while the other is Myrna Mallow (Penelope Cruz – Vicky Cristina Barcelona) who due to being female has to introduce herself as his assistant.

To describe The Bride! is actually quite difficult. As I mentioned before it is part Bonnie & Clyde crime story, part musical and dance (which are scenes that Christian Bale, Jessie Buckley and Jake Gyllenhaal seem to lap up but on the other hand it is an ode to 1930s cinema. There are nods to many classic films throughout the film while Gyllenhaal’s screenplay places the monster into the 1930s exceptionally well. Some how taking him out of 1800s Europe and placing him amongst Rat Pack parties and jazz music works exceptionally well. Even a scene with the ‘monsters’ being chased by men with torches and pitchforks doesn’t seem out of place in the 1930s setting.

Gyllenhaal places her creativity throughout the film. While the idea of using Mary Shelley as a character who frames the story is not new (it was also in the 1935 version) Gyllenhaal lets Buckley run with the idea to the extreme of where at times Ida and Shelley almost seem like the same character. Likewise that creativity re-surfaces when she lets some very modern ideas seep into the film.

As Ida stands up for herself and the prostitutes that have been killed by the mobster the revolution that starts is very reminiscent of both the feminism and #MeToo movements which become picturesque centrepieces as the film goes on. The cinematography of these scenes is so powerful that it really stays with you.

Even the topic of depression and loneliness in men is explored thoroughly and to his credit Christian Bale’s performance is one of the reasons why it works so well on the screen. Bale plays pained and tortured exceptionally well and this is one of the best performances that we have ever seen him deliver.

Likewise, Jessie Buckley’s performance here is remarkable. I thought her work on Hamnet was the best of her career but she manages to even eclipse that here. It is a shame this film didn’t come out during the Awards season because she would have found herself being nominated for The Bride! as well.

The Bride! is an absolute masterpiece. At times it feels chaotic but that just makes it a beautiful mess that you want to watch over and over. Bale and Buckley are sensational while Maggie Gyllenhaal has delivered the most Tim Burtonesque film that Burton himself has not directed. This is something magical and special about this film and every lover of serious cinema needs to see it.

Synopsis

The Bride! (2026), written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, is a Gothic romance loosely inspired by Bride of Frankenstein and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Set in 1930s Chicago, the story follows Frankenstein’s monster (Christian Bale), who goes by Frank, as he asks scientist Dr. Euphronius (Annette Bening) to create him a companion. A young woman named Ida (Jessie Buckley) is murdered by criminals, reanimated, and becomes the Bride — and the two fall into a combustible romance.

 

March 5, 2026

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

By Cinema

Very few films being released this year have me as excited as 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. The original 28 Days Later is a cult classic and while 28 Weeks Later was a complete let down the sins of the past were forgotten when director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Alex Garland returned to the helm with 28 Years Later –  a film that stayed true to the franchise while incorporating a modern artistic feel.

Now comes 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple a film that rightfully has fans nervous. Once again Boyle moves to the bench because the person in charge this time around is the surprising choice of Nia DaCosta. DaCosta hasn’t exactly set the world alight so far as they directed the remake of Candyman and then delved into the Marvel universe with the lukewarm received The Marvels. The saving grace with The Bone Temple seems to be the fact that once again the brilliant Alex Garland has penned the screenplay.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple picks up straight after the events of the previous film. After his encounter with Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell – Sinners) Spike (Alfie Williams – 28 Years Later) is literally left fighting for his life.

It turns out that Jimmy believes that he is the son of Lucifer and has managed to convince a group of young teens that it was his father who caused the ‘plague’ to destroy the world. He has given Spike an ultimatum either be killed or successful kill one of his gang in a knife fight.

After miraculously winning the fight Alfie becomes one of Jimmy’s fingers and soon learns that the gang roams the countryside torturing people that Jimmy believes his father wants punished. And while Spike is forced to go along with it he soon learns that another of the fingers, known as Ink (Erin Kellyman – Solo: A Stars Wars Story), is beginning to doubt Sir Jimmy’s story.

In a bid to ‘prove’ his story Jimmy sets a path that will see him go up against Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes – Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows) who has managed to befriend one of the zombies, known as Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry – Gladiator II), and is now experimenting on him.

This is a film that is going to divide audiences. Some will see the deviation from that would consider the main events of this new world a waste of time while others will see the exploration of deep topics such as Satanism as a piece of creative genius from Alex Garland who once again shows why he is currently the world’s best screenwriter with a screenplay that is filled with drama, suspense and tension throughout the film.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is just how much both DaCosta and Garland let the film delve into dark horror. Some of the torture scenes going into the territory that Rob Zombie made famous with films like The Devil Rejects. While some may argue that they are difficult to watch they are also an important element of why this film so different to anything else in cinemas at the moment.

The darker feel of the film also allows the cast to put in some truly memorable performances. Ralph Fiennes is in his element here – whether it be a scene where he is forced to cover himself in blood or dance erratically to Duran Duran he delivers with one of the best performances of his career. Nobody quite plays crazy like Fiennes and it is a bit of a surprise that his performance here didn’t warrant some attention during awards season.

Fiennes is also well supported by Alfie Williams and Jack O’Connell. As he did in 28 Years Later Williams once again acts well beyond his age and no matter how confronting the scenes are that he is acting in he is a true professional who has a huge career ahead of him. Then there is O’Connell who seems to relish in some of the darker sides of his character. Like Fiennes he is one of the reasons why this film will be long remembered.

I am still a little confused to why Nia DaCosta directed this film when I would have thought that Danny Boyle would have been perfect for the job but I am glad she did. She brings a darker element to the franchise and together with the images created by cinematographer Sean Bobbitt (12 Years A Slave) puts together a near perfect film.

28 Years Later: The Bone Collector is currently available on home entertainment.

Synopsis

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple follows Spike, a young survivor pulled into a violent cult led by the sinister Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal while Britain remains ravaged by the Rage Virus. As Dr. Ian Kelson builds a disturbing memorial known as the Bone Temple, strange discoveries about the infected begin to blur the line between monster and human.

March 4, 2026

Super Happy Fun Clown

By Cinema

One of the things that plagues me about so many horror films these days is that they rely on the supernatural so much that their ‘killers’ end up becoming baffling characters with zero believability.

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January 3, 2026

The Diabolic Interview

By Cinema
With so many horror films going above and beyond these days to try to be different to everything else they often become so artistic that they seem to forget that often the most horrific things are based on realism.

That is certainly the case for new Australian horror film Diabolic which recently premiered to rave reviews at Monster Fest before opening in Australian cinemas.

When I sat down to speak to the film’s director Daniel J. Phillips I soon discovered that while the film can be classed as a ‘witch horror’ its original story came from a true case of religious abuse.

“I’ve always been very aware of what possession can look like as subtext in a horror film,” explains Daniel as we start to talk about the genesis of the film. “Horror is such a big canvas that allows you to tell these big psychological introspective stories and it doesn’t have to be all superficial like it has been in the past. So I was always interested in exploring possession in a different way and see if I could bring something different to that sub-genre of horror.”

“Then I met Mike Harding who a US based writer who lives in Utah,” he continues. “He told me about the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints (FLDS) who are a this kind of cultish offshoot of the Mormon Church. It is a real thing that exists in the United States and they are kind of crazy and they believe in underage marriage and dispelling male youths and they have male alphas for all the women and polygamy where they have 10 or 20 wives each and things like that. And there was this kind of fascinating element that gave it this unique thing that it needed to be. So it became a possession piece mixed with the FLDS story.”

When Mike and Daniel dug more into what was happening within the FLDS they found out a lot of disturbing details that soon became added to Elise’s (the film’s protagonist) story.

“The main thing that the FLDS does is massive oppression of women,” he says. “And I think that really changed the lean of how Elise’s freedom or lack thereof is expressed in the film. We were able to look at the types of PTSD that people who escape cults, situations or churches like that go through. I think it all definitely had an impact because there were so many stories coming out about the FLDS and I feel that every religion has its day in the sun to be scrutnised in media or the public eye and the FLDS has had a few pieces in the last few years but certainly nothing like a major film. So I think when I heard stories about what they had done when women had tried to leave the Church and the types of things that they do to the young girls – the hazing rituals that they have – especially the baptism of the dead ritual that you see in the film a lot of those things did find their way into the movie and affecting the character.”

One of the things that you feel while watching Diabolic is that Elise’s story is realistic and deeply personal and it turns out that is no accident.

“We actually had first hand experience within the film-making team of what happens with the FLDS,” explains Daniel. “Ticia Madsen who is Mike’s wife was actually in the FLDS and she is a contributor to the film as she shared her experiences within the Church and a lot of the real life things that happen to Elise in the film, including the affair she has and some of the reveals and secrets that happen to her, really did happen to Ticia before she was able to escape the Church. And her sister is still in the Church and they are trying to get her out at the moment and it is like trying to break somebody out of prison – it is really, really difficult.”

To finish up Daniel says “I’m really excited about the film being released. I’m looking forward to seeing what an audience thinks of Diabolic. It has been shown in front of some audiences before and the response was really positive, but yeah I am excited about the film being shown in front of new audiences and I want to see if I can scare the shit out of them… and I think I can.”

Diabolic is currently screening in Australian cinemas.

August 31, 2025