Unk's Look Back at 2025
As far as favorite theatrical films go, it’s damn hard for me to choose between Ryan Coogler’s sensational SINNERS and Zach Cregger’s wonderful WEAPONS. Both are irrefutable instant classics. SINNERS delivered an awe inspiring old school cinematic experience while stoking enduring issues and themes and its reverence for the power of music is perfectly and memorably expressed. The performances (particularly Michael B.Jordan in a duel role) are top notch, the visuals stunning and the air of paranoia it is able to conjure is daunting and sadly all too relatable.
WEAPONS has an ace (or perhaps a joker) up its sleeve that gives it a bit of an edge in my heart and that kooky card is Aunt Gladys (phenomenal Amy Madigan). Fresh horror icons are few and far between and the road to hell is paved by a legion of failed attempts. So bizarre and out of place and yet so recognizable and familiar, boomer boogey-gal Gladys seems to represent every evil obstacle against contentment known to man and yet stands brazenly as a strangely lovable eccentric trickster. Josh Brolin and Julia Garner are exceptional as opposing forces searching for the same answers, the eerie atmosphere and haunting audio cues are exceptional throughout but clearly at the end of the day, it’s Aunt Glady’s nightmare world and we’re all just serving soup and living in it.
You’d be forgiven for thinking both the decades long running PREDATOR and FINAL DESTINATION franchises were out of steam and ready to be put out to pasture but both FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES and PREDATOR: BADLANDS somehow become the most successful and critically lauded of their respective series. Instead of dusting off the usual playbook and attempting to mimic the past, both entries focused on fresh environments, deepening characterization and diligently crafting interpersonal relationships worthy of caring about. The end result was two thrilling, audience pleasing juggernauts that respected the past (Tony Todd’s final appearance in BLOODLINES was pure gold) while paving the way toward a future with limitless possibilities.
Like most horror fans I’ve long enjoyed Guillermo Del Toro’s dark aesthetic and stalwart commitment to the horror genre but I’ve kind of gotten used to him leaving me wanting a little bit more. Finally, (and with a perfect cast) he delivered on all fronts with his vision of FRANKENSTEIN, a beautiful looking and shockingly emotionally satisfying take on Mary Shelley's classic tale.
What a banner year for a dyed in the wool ‘80s slasher horror fan like myself. I was so smitten with Josh Ruben’s HEART EYES that I had to see it in the theater twice. It’s not every day you get a slash-a-thon so perfectly married to a romantic comedy and even more rare was its stars (Olivia Holt & Mason Gooding) sharp comedic timing and genuine romantic chemistry.
It doesn’t get more ‘80s than BLACK PHONE 2. Scott (SINISTER) Derrickson did us all a true solid by scrambling together working elements of his 2021 hit, THE BLACK PHONE and plunging them into an icy realm of supernatural surrealism akin to the THE NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET series. Even better, his bleak, chillingly otherworldly canvas is occupied by some easy to root for sibling characters (Mason Thames & Madeline McGraw) and an always alarmingly freaky antagonist (Ethan Hawk).
On a lesser note, HELL OF A SUMMER was disappointingly bloodless but at least dispensed some potent ‘80s summer slasher vibes and an amusing comic performance by Fred Hechinger (The FEAR STREET trilogy). CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD’s "Friendo" mask design was a bit generic (possibly the point) and a tad too unthreatening (especially considering contemporary killer clown activity) but it delivered some genuinely surprising twists and an exceptional performance by the always reliable Kevin Durand (ABIGAIL, KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES).
“Feel bad” horror was everywhere this year and as much as I appreciated the artistry involved I definitely felt like forwarding therapy bills to a few culprits that beat me up psychologically and dumped me on the side of the road. 25 YEARS LATER was deliciously weird and unsuspected but was no slouch in the department of agitating parental loss grief and THE LONG WALK’s bleak and hopeless examination of abuse of power and the exploitation of the vulnerable resembled my daily doom-scrolling a little to much for my comfort. Michael & Danny Philippou's excellent BRING HER BACK through brilliant and boasting (perhaps too) convincing performances (looking at you Sally Hawkins) made me pretty much want to jump off the nearest bridge & had me in a depressed chokehold for days.
I’m seeing both UNTIL DAWN and the I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER revamp on many a “Worst of the Year” list which is isn’t too surprising but it’s not going to stop yours truly from defending both. UNTIL DAWN, for better or worse, ignores its video game source material and it is admittedly unfocused and over the place but it still delivers a gruesome, lively time. I personally dig its CABIN IN THE WOODS meets TOURIST TRAP set-up, its likable enough young cast and its overall slick, early 2000’s DARK CASTLE (I’m thinking of THIRTEEN GHOSTS particularly) vibes. It sometimes feels more like a collage of half baked ideas rather than an actual film but it moves along at a good pace and its got some highly memorable kills (last time I laughed so hard at people exploding I was watching SCTV’S “Farm- Film Celebrity Blow-up”).
I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER may be a bloated, sometimes sloppy mess but it delivers on the slashing front, has genuine affection for the previous films in the franchise, and takes real risks with its legacy characters. It’s hard to tell how much of the campy hysterics were meant to be funny but it's hilarious just the same and if nothing else, provides not one but two of the best surprise cameos to ever grace the screen. As silly and disposable as these two films may be they’re dumb fun keepers in my book that I’ve already revisited & enjoyed again.
Aw, and why is everyone so harsh and dismissive of THE CONJURING: LAST RITES? I get that it’s not on par with the first two films but it’s better than the third and I think it’s always a privilege to hang with horror’s greatest parental units, The Warrens as portrayed by charisma tsunamis Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson. O.K., the spinning mirror was kinda lame but the eighties tunes (particularly Romeo Void) made it all worthwhile and copacetic.
On the other hand, I’ve seen TOGETHER listed on several best of the year lists and I’ve gotta say it really didn’t work for me at all. Maybe I was in a mood the day I saw it but it just seemed like a rather smug, sluggish, by-the-numbers codependent body horror tale that offered zero surprises and rather unlikable characters. One positive thing I can say about it though, is that at least its not as disappointing as MEGAN 2.O, or THE WOLF MAN. I had much, much, higher expectations for those two and now I just want to pretend they don’t exist. In the on the fence middle ground lies Osgood Perkin’s loose adaption of Stephen King’s THE MONKEY which starts off strong and wonderfully weird but eventually betrays its well earned creepy tone. I’m all for the blackest of humor but this particular punch drunk chimp gets a little too silly and downright Wile E. Coyote cartoonish for his own good.
As far as surprises out of nowhere go, I’ve got to hand it to Tubi Original MATCH, a great, gross, gooey monster movie throwback. I also stan Steven Sodenberg’s quiet haunter THE PRESENCE whose voyeuristic ghost-view take on a traditional haunted house tale gets under the skin. Its thoughtful surprisingly tragic final twist stayed with me long after the film was over.
How’s about some Horror Television? With the eight part series WELCOME TO DERRY, Andy Muschietti not only outdid his own theatrical interpretations of Stephen King’s classic novel IT, he may have outdid the master himself. There’s an ongoing joke that King (who has acknowledge the criticism himself) on occasion has difficulty coming up with satisfying conclusions to his work. As someone who finished a re-read of the book IT on the same day that the final episode of DERRY aired, I can confirm that IT’s finale (especially that infamously disturbing scene) pales when compared to the near-religious experience that DERRY delivers. Gotta give the horror master author infinite credit for supplying the sand box but Muschietti pretty much pulled off the impossible by supplying not only the scares and world building that was expected, but an emotional power punch of sterling rarity.
ALIEN EARTH got off to an exciting and fascinating start that culminated in a fifth episode (“In Space No One…”) so riveting that it rivaled the best of the theatrical series. Unfortunately that’s where it peaked and in what seemed like a stubborn attempt to thwart audience expectations, it limped toward a truly ho-hum climax that easily could have been outstanding if they’d only taken the more obvious and cathartic path. It’s been picked up for a second season, and I’ll definitely be tuning in again (If only for breakout star T. Ocellus), so here’s hoping in the future they don’t make the same easily avoidable mistake twice.
It’s a wrap on STRANGER THINGS and not a moment too soon. I suppose the last thing the internet needs is yet another critique of the final season so I’ll just quickly concur with all those who note that the writing was subpar, perplexing and wildly inconsistent. I will admit to enjoying spending time with (most of) the characters again and appreciating the wise advice delivered by Hopper that when faced with choosing between the roads of stalling bitterness and mobile acceptance, it’s always best to go with the latter. That’s pretty much exactly the words of wisdom I needed going into 2026! Happy New Year to all (and especially lil' T. Ocellus)!
Name That Trauma:: J Lee on a Vampire PSA
I grew up in southern California and one of the local stations used to show a PSA. I don't remember what it was even about because I would literally leave the house when it was on. All I remember is a voiceover introducing "Count Alucard." So he's standing there perfectly normal but in the end he changed into (duh) a vampire. Does anyone else remember this?
Traumafession:: Bdwilcox on Chronicle (2012)
While not a true kindertrauma, more like an middle-age trauma, a trauma it was nonetheless. When I first started watching the movie Chronicle (2012), I was expecting a fun, science-fiction coming of age story. Basically, a fantasy what-if narrative, the musings of sleep-overs and camp discussions of what superheroes were the coolest, what superpower would you choose to have if you could have one and what you would do with it.
(Spoilers ahead) But as the movie progressed, the wonderment subsided and was steadily replaced by deepening layers of dread and horror as primordial fears we unearthed. As the main character Andrew slips slowly into madness and his new-found superpowers are used to enact his insanity, feelings long buried and subconsciously neglected came to fro. I placed myself into Andrew’s shoes and contemplated my greatest fear in life, that I would become mentally ill myself and hurt those around me without realizing what I was doing. The insane are often given a pass for the horrific acts they commit because their own volition isn’t there, but that doesn’t relieve the horror witnessed or experienced by the sane around them. What if I had the power to inflict such suffering without realizing what I was doing? What agony it would be to snap back into reality and realize it was your own hand that destroyed those you loved? Would I have a small window of sanity to destroy myself to protect others from my descent into madness? Would my sense of morality be enough to override a twisted, urgent desire to commit acts of evil? If I was able to snap back into reality, could I live with myself knowing I had hurt others? These are incredibly difficult questions to confront yourself with, things most people push aside and pretend like it never happens to otherwise good people who become ill through no fault of their own.
While not a true horror story in the classical sense, it was the purest form of horror to me. Personal, disturbing, abrasive, exposing fears long buried and leaving a residue of lingering dread. It was a good movie and I would recommend it to anyone who loves science-fiction as it put a new spin on an old fable. But know that the movie is much more profound in its message than it seems at first and may leave you with questions you may not want to contemplate or deal with.
-bdwilcox
Recently Viewed:: Frankenstein (2025), Match & Predator: Badlands
Dark fantasy horror meister Guillermo del Toro’s epic dream project FRANKENSTEIN is a glorious sight to behold. It’s got the lush goth visuals you’d expect (on par with Coppola’s BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA ('92) and Robert Eggers’ recent NOSFERATU) and easily stands as the freshest and most earnest modern take on Mary Shelley’s classic novel in memory (the less said about Keneth Branagh’s 1994 misfire the better). Besides having a genuine heartfelt love and understanding of the material, what del Toro really nails here is the fine art of flawless casting. Oscar Isaac as Victor Frankenstein is exemplary and is basically born to play a mad scientist ( sorry for the nerdy aside but Disney needs to do a remake of THE BLACK HOLE (’79) pronto and pay Isaac anything he wants to portray Dr Hans Reinhart) and Jacob Elordi is such an inspired choice to play the skulking, otherworldly, monstrous yet beguiling creature. And of course, as the emotional, ethereal sympathetic heart of the tale, Mia Goth is a no-brainer whose name alone basically underlines her automatic invite to the party. Heck, even Christoph Waltz seems to have sprouted organically out of the stunning sets. There’s enough liberties taken to keep things interesting, and enough loving salutes to honor the timelessness of the work and it’s just a fine piece of art and possibly the best thing del Toro has done (barring possibly PAN’S LABYRINTH; I’m kinda shruggy on SHAPE OF WATER and I saw DEVIL’S BACKBONE in a theater with no air-conditioning and I’m still grouchy about it). Here’s hoping his long gestating adaption of H. P. LOVECRAFT’s SHADOW OVER INNSMOUTH is not far behind.
I noticed Tubi original MATCH getting some positive feedback online but didn’t take it seriously until I saw it was directed by Danishka Esterhazy who delivered the surprisingly good SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE (2021) remake and the more amusing than expected THE BANANA SPLITS MOVIE (2019). I’m glad I checked it out and I’d like to spoil something for anyone who might be sitting on the fence about giving it a go. MATCH, which has the set up of a “date from hell” movie is also secretly a mutant monster movie in the same vein as my eighties faves THE FUNHOUSE (’81), THE UNSEEN (’81) and HUMONGOUS (’82). I give that semi-spoiler fact away because I know I would have run to the flick a lot sooner if I myself had known that. MATCH is pretty gross, kinda nauseating, semi-sleazy, hard to swallow, borderline ridiculous and downright agitating at times (due to a wide array of bad decisions made by its frustrating characters) but it's also a highly entertaining grindhouse throwback with some goofy, off the wall BARBARIAN (2022)-like charm. You might want to bring a barf bag but you could certainly do a lot worse and the Tubi price of zero dollars is impossible to beat.
Dan Trachtenberg injected much needed new life into the PREDATOR franchise in 2022 with the outstanding PREY, continued his upgrading with the animated PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS earlier this year and has now somehow raised the bar even higher with PREDATOR BADLANDS. This wild world building sci-fi horror hybrid offers all the kinetic action and pulse pounding suspense of Jon McTiernan’s 1987 classic and then ices the fresh take cake with characters that grow and deepen, wondrous vistas and habitation never witnessed before, amiable humor and gratifying comradery. Baked right in are meaningful themes regarding the value of chosen family, the power of rejecting inherited identity, the advantage of cooperation over division, and it's all tied with a bow of earned honor, redemption and self fulfillment. I’m guessing not everyone is going to go along with the franchise’s newfound sense of soul and willful leaning toward the benefits of empathy but for me, this too scarce element takes an already entertaining series and makes it all the richer and more satisfying.
Dimitrius koloamatangi portrays Dek, a broken fang-faced black sheep Yautja who is fierce as hell and yet still hasn’t earned his stripes according to his ruthless, code obsessed clan. In order to prove his meddle, he goes on a WIZARD OF OZ-like journey to an eye-popping, perilous planet in search of an indomitable trophy and in a nutshell, reluctantly learns that the real trophy is the legless synthetics, bug eyed hobgoblins and helpful shoulder space eels we meet along the way. Elle Fanning is ditzy discarded rag doll perfection as abandoned Weyland Yutoni skin job "Thei" whose knowledge of the surroundings Dek uses as a “tool” and whose rose-colored misconception of her missing allies nearly leads to their ruin. It’s incredible how much expression (both determined and exasperated) Koloamatangi is able to convey through his crustacean visage and Fanning is an ideal idealistic comic foil yin to his stringent Yautja yang. It is said there are exactly zero human characters in this movie and boy, did I not miss them one bit. I also heard that some fans were opposed to the movies PG-13 rating and I have to say, I never even thought about or noticed that. It seemed plenty violent and gore strewn to me.
No matter how you slice and dice it, Trachtenberg is heroically saving the long running series from chasing its own tail in circles and broadening it in commendable ways few could have ever predicted. Here’s hoping Dek, Thia and company have many more adventures ahead and you can count me to gleefully follow them wherever they may go.
Kindertrauma Funhouse
Horror Inspirations:: By Author Matt Forgit
Hello, beautiful, awesome, and brilliant Kindertrauma people!
My name is Matt Forgit. I’m the author of It’s Always Halloween Here, How to be a Professional Mourner, The Felicitous, and You Better Watch Out. I am also a longtime fan and reader of this amazing website, as well as a lifelong horror geek. In honor of my newest release, It’s Always Halloween Here, my friends here have graciously allowed me to write about the influences and inspirations for my writing.
Truth be told, although I write horror novels that feature slashers, ghosts, gore, and gruesome events, I am a giant chicken. I love horror and love to be scared, until it’s 3 a.m. I hear every noise in the house, convinced a serial killer or angry spirit has come to take me away! Yet there has always been something about the feeling of fear, dread, and fright that is exciting and inspiring to me. Horror explores many themes, whether it be emotional, mental, physical, or psychological, as well as allows us to release some of our fears.
I was a lonely, nerdy, uncool kid growing up. I did not have any friends, nor did I have an interest in typical “boy” things like sports or hunting (which is a crime as a boy in a small town). I was relentlessly bullied daily and felt like I didn’t fit in anywhere. (Note: Don’t get out your Kleenex for my sob story. I turned out okay. I have lots of love and support, and a good therapist, in my adulthood). Horror became home, and provided me comfort, catharsis, and excitement. Horror fueled my imagination, gave me trailblazing final girls to look up to, and a well of endless stories tied to mythology, folklore, urban legends, and campfire tales. Many of the things that influenced my writing share similar concepts and ideologies. I was really drawn to that terrible/wonderful feeling of fear, uncovering a mystery, learning how to be strong and fight back against enemies and evildoers, and characters who have friends, family, and a community. It was, quite earnestly, a savior to me as a young person, and my love for horror has only grown.
I like to call my books “B-movie schlock,” but I hope they’re also scary, nostalgic, distinctive, and heartfelt. With that, here’s what gives me inspiration!
Nancy Drew Mysteries. As a kid, I received The Mystery of the Glowing Eye as a gift, and that was all it took. Mystery, intrigue, the search for truth and justice, and a smart, capable, resourceful heroine? I was sold. Nancy broke the restraints of her time period and emerged as a resilient, inquisitive, and indefatigable sleuth, just like I wanted to be. I wanted people to call me and ask for my help in finding lost treasures, missing people, and to investigate haunted houses and spooky locales. I longed to be known as Matt Forgit, Boy Sleuth, but unfortunately, I was more Boy Dork, who loved pop divas, reading, and snacks.
Christopher Pike, R.L. Stine, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Choose Your Own Adventures, and YA thrillers. I grew up during a magical time when I could go to my local bookstore, B. Dalton Booksellers, and find so many treasures, filled with terror, creepy locales, and events from the past that come back to haunt us in the present. Christopher Pike wrote teenaged characters who were taken seriously and had real feelings, thoughts, and personalities. R.L. Stine’s Fear Street kept me captivated with tales of young people in jeopardy and a cursed town. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark not only had terrifying, vivid pictures that scare me to this day, like the ghastly visage of the woman in the haunted house, but the stories themselves were total nightmare fuel. Point and Scholastic steadily churned out new thrillers for young adults, turning everything from prom dresses, letters, lifeguards, and Jack-O-Lanterns into possessed, deadly foes. Choose Your Own Adventure would actually have endings where you, the reader, were killed. In one of the stories, my scuba companions and I were surrounded by tiger sharks, and, well, I did not appreciate that one bit.
USA’s Up All Night and Saturday Nightmares. Once upon a time, there was an incredible channel called the USA Network, which played B-movies on Friday and Saturday nights. Every weekend, I would stay up late to watch every terrible and amazing film they would play, many of which are classics in my heart. Spookies? I love you forever. Demon Wind? I would watch ten sequels to that. Doom Asylum? I could watch on repeat. Neon Maniacs? I want the backstory and trading card for every one of them. Dracula’s Dog? I want Dracula’s cat, hamster, zebra, and koala. I looked forward to every movie. These were made with no budgets to speak of, but with sheer ambition, determination, and passion, which is exactly what it’s like as an indie horror author. I’m not diving into my cellar filled with gold coins like Scrooge McDuck, though I can dream.
Friday the 13th Part 3. This was the movie that hit it all home. I begged my Dad to let me watch this on Fox Channel 5, a local station. It changed everything for me. I went from the light, kid-friendly horrors into the deep end of it all. A hulking, mute killer with no mercy or sympathy, an isolated location, and a very brave, determined final girl in the great Chris Higgins. Horror staples, that I didn’t know were staples back then, that are now time-honored traditions.
Friday the 13th: The Series, Monsters, She-Wolf of London, Tales from the Darkside, Freddy’s Nightmares, and Sightings. Syndicated series with small budgets but big imaginations and creativity, relying on unconventional methods of storytelling and talented writers, directors, and actors to tell their tales. Sightings, while the outlier on this list because it was presented as fact, filled my mind with “true” stories and mustachioed psychics, and I never questioned its validity. Horror was everywhere, from the mundane to the supernatural, and I loved it all. Cursed antiques, werewolves, killer dreams, aliens, cryptids, and more. My imagination sparked every time I saw a new story idea, folktale come to life, and clever way to tell a story to an audience despite limited resources.
April Fool’s Day and Chopping Mall. The first two horror movies I ever rented on VHS, and the first ones I ever saw that weren’t edited for television viewings. Likable, fun characters and groovy settings, threats lurking around every corner, and memorable dialogue and stalking scenes. Not to mention the great Amy Steel and Kelli Maroney, two women who have earned their place in the Final Girls Hall of Fame™.
Halloween, Killer Party, The Fog, Night of the Demons, and Black Christmas. Thanks to my local Mom-and-Pop video stores, I spent many hours perusing the eye-catching covers to so many videocassettes. However, some of the movies have stayed with me for many reasons. Halloween and Black Christmas showed me that horror doesn’t have to be loud or aggressive. Sometimes, it’s quiet, patient, and peeking around the corner. Night of the Demons is raucous, fun, and had no loftier goals than to showcase incredible, practical special effects. The Fog is moody, atmospheric, contemplative, and filled with creeping dread. Killer Party is three movies in one, featuring three engaging leads, especially my nerd queen Vivia. They all share one thing in common, though. They have style. They were made by people who cared about what they were making and put real effort into what they created. That is exactly what I want readers to feel when they read one of my books. Even if you don’t enjoy my work (though, in the words of Stephanie Tanner, “How rude!”), I hope it comes through that on each page, I put thought, effort, and care into every word and scenario.
I hope I didn’t lose everyone! There are probably about another two hundred movies, television shows, and books I could go on about, but I’ll simply give an “honorable mention” here to some of them. A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Strangers, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Popcorn, Prom Night 4: Deliver Us from Evil, Session 9, Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer, My Bloody Valentine, The Changeling, Alien, The Others, Jaws, Insidious, Beetlejuice, Night of the Comet, The Conjuring, Clue, The Goonies, Gremlins, MST3K, Unsolved Mysteries, Twin Peaks, The X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Jan Harold Brunvand’s urban legends series, and Weird N.J. have had great impacts on my work, for various reasons. Oh, and the Sleestaks from Land of the Lost. Those screeching, lumbering, green humanoids of horror. They showed me what true terror was, and I still hate them, but love them.
Thank you, Kindertrauma, for having me. And thank you, everybody, for reading! My new book, It’s Always Halloween Here, is available on Amazon, as are my other novels. Wishing everyone good health, love, happiness, success, and lots of spooky, creepy fun!
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