Panic Fest 2025: The Only Ones (2024) Review

Director: Jordan Miller

Notable Cast: Tatiana Nya Ford, Emily Classen, Zach Ruchkin, Paul Cottman, Cayla Berejikian, Christopher Inlow, Jeb Aufiero, Nancy Anne Ridder, Jim Krut, Matt Burns

 

First, there was the meta-slasher. Scream and Wes Craven’s New Nightmare took the slasher blueprint, spun it just a smidge, and then let it run for a new era built on an audience - and its characters - knowing how a slasher trope works. But now we’re in a new era that goes beyond self-referencing slashers, like the previously mentioned Craven efforts. We’re in the meta-meta-slasher era. 

 

Although dissecting how the meta-meta-slasher works would reveal some surprises and spoilers for newer films, such as Bodies Bodies Bodies from A24, it's the most apt way to express the experience of The Only Ones. At its core, this indie horror film flirts with dark comedy and other horror subgenres as it progresses, but it owes its soul to the slasher genre through and through. For fans of the slice ‘em and dice ‘em horror genre, The Only Ones ought to carry enough kills and spins to earn a viewing, but it does require some insight into the genre to be fully effective. 

 

Panic Fest 2025: Beyond the Drumlins (2025) Review

 

Director: Daniel W. Bowhers

Notable Cast: Michael Kowalski, Emma Jessop, Dan Titmuss, Goodfella Mike G, Julia Kerr, Braford Selby, Ed Contini, Simone Boone

A few years ago, one of the prominent thematic trends in horror centered on “nature horror” or “earth horror.” Films like Gaia and In the Earth focused on how people caught in rural settings confronted the horrors of nature (sometimes with a slightly supernatural twist). So, when Beyond the Drumlins, the debut feature film from writer/director Daniel W. Bowhers, began down that path, it reminded us just how fleeting that trend was and how effective it can still be.

 

Beyond the Drumlins' conceptual horrors linger with its audience after the film ends. An archaeological professor, Dr. Rust, and his team venture into a rural area deep in the woods to find a spot for his future class to test their skills. Upon reaching their destination, they discover that the area has a sinister effect on them. Surrealist horror unfolds as members fall under the influence of the surrounding forest. Classic.

 

Panic Fest 2025: Stalkers (2025) Review

Director: Paul Thompson

Notable Cast: Olivia Stadler, Scarlett DiCaro, Hannah Mae Beatty, Allisha Pelletier, Same Wexler, Abbas Wahab, Marlo Aquilina

 

Far be it from me to have too many expectations going into a film festival, but I certainly did not expect what I got from Stalkers. On paper, Stalkers sounds like the classic slasher. Littered with exploitative elements, like having the lead character be a porn star, and then powering its horror elements with a whodunnit style narrative, the film felt like it was going to be cheesy, slashery entertaining through and through. Yet, as Stalkers plays out, it often rejects leaning into any exploitation elements and aims for something far more dramatic and, dare I say, better, for its material. 

 

Stalkers has something to say with its themes within the slasher premise, and never truly embraces the genre until its final act. It’s a surprisingly reflective and character-driven drama at its heart that just so happens to end up being a slasher. It’s perhaps one of the biggest surprises at Panic Fest 2025 already. 

 

Poetic Horror Justice: The Ghost of Yotsuya (1959) Review

Director: Kenji Misumi

Notable Cast: Kazuo Hasegawa, Yasuko Nakada, Yoko Uraji, Mieko Kondo, Joji Tsurumi, Naritoshi Hayashi, Hideo Takamatsu

 

Although the story that The Ghost of Yotsuya is based on has been around for what feels like since the beginning of time, of which there is a nice little documentary on that subject on the Radiance release of this film, it’s this 1959 version that really perked my interested. Why? What could make this version stand out against the slew of other adaptions? Director Kenji Misumi. The notable director had crafted some of the greatest samurai and action films of all time - working on notable franchises like Lone Wolf and Cub, Zatoichi, and Sleepy Eyes of Death just to name some of the biggest ones - but he rarely dabbled in the horror realm.

Thus, I needed to add Radiance’s Daiei Gothic box set to my collection, which featured this adaption of The Ghost of Yotsuya. It was worth it, too, because this version is a lush and often haunting film, complete with a wild third act, an impressive build of tension, and some gorgeous visuals to go with it. Although, at times, this feels like Misumi at some of his most restrained, it’s such a well-crafted film that showcases his understanding of build and atmosphere that any Japanese horror fan will want to watch it. 

 

Objection Sustained: The Prosecutor (2025) Review

Director: Donnie Yen

Notable Cast: Donnie Yen, Julian Cheung Chi Lam, Michael Hui, Francis Ng Chun Yu, Cheung Tin Fu

 

Although Donnie Yen has been the face of Hong Kong cinema since his career went astronomical with the Ip Man franchise, his return to the director’s chair with 2023’s Sakra elevated him to the next level. While the wuxia film was met with many mixed reactions from fans (I felt the film was a massively underrated modern classic, but I digress), it created many new avenues for the action icon to follow for the next part of his career.

The Prosecutor, his directorial follow-up and a wholly different action film than its predecessor, proves that not only does Donnie Yen have the goods as an action star at 60 years old, but his directorial career is very, very bright. Sporting a mixture of dramatic legal thrills and vicious action beatdowns, The Prosecutor balances Yen’s penchant for punching someone as hard as a shotgun blast with a more mature dramatic angle. The modern sensibilities will appeal to a larger demographic than Sakra, particularly those who love Yen’s cops n’ robbers flicks like Raging Fire, Flashpoint, or SPL. Yeah, that’s absolutely a great thing. Case dismissed. 

 

His Name is Ahn Jung-geun: Harbin (2024) Review

Director: Woo Min-ho

Notable Cast: Hyun Bin, Park Jeong-min, Jeon Yeo-been, Jo Woo-jin, Lee Dong-wook

History is an infinite source of inspiration to the culture at large, shaping civilizations into what they are today; the influence of the past is something that shapes current-day mindsets the world over. South Korea has had a very tumultuous and challenging past like many other nations, and so it is no surprise that various mediums would look back to inspire their own telling of stories from yesteryear. Film is a massive avenue for retelling slices of history, and of course, just like the figureheads explored in these works or the very events being depicted within them, there always comes talks of propaganda or skewing facts to fit personal or political narratives. 

To say that a film, such as Harbin, is subject to finding itself outside of historians or politically fueled conversations from being had would be foolish, but to say that a film with a subject matter like this cannot be entertaining would also be to discredit a film as such. I went into this one with certain expectations, given that I am a huge fan of director Woo Min-ho and his previous works. In fact, his work prior to this, The Man Standing Next, also takes a piece of political history, albeit more modern than the events that unfolded in Harbin station that fateful day; suffice to say, director Woo has really become one who has a knack for telling these stories through cinema. So, how does this stack up to Woo Min-ho's previous works? Honestly, I think it fairs quite well, and of course, with these types of movies in general, I think the mileage will vary from person to person.

The Exorcism of Cha So-mi: Devils Stay (2024) Review

Director: Hyun Moon-Seop

Notable Cast: Park Shin-Yang, Lee Min-Ki, Lee Re

Within the last year or two, Korean cinema has seen a small boom of quality horror films, with the likes of Sleep, Metamorphosis, and even this year's standout in genre, Exhuma, all leaping to mind. Needless to say, quality fluctuates for the genre in South Korea, just as it does with any other country, but horror seems to be making a big comeback that we haven't seen from the region since the early 2000s, and I'm here for it. This year alone, I've seen quite a few Korean horror films, and I've enjoyed my time with each to varying degrees, but where does the latest religious-based themed horror Devils Stay land? Well, I'd say it is a good time, but it certainly has a bit of a bumpy presentation overall as a film, which I hope to express my thoughts on here.

The Action We Knee-d: Striking Rescue (2024) Review

Director: Cheng Siyi

Notable Cast: Tony Jaa, Chen Duo-Yi, Eason Hung, Xing Yu, Philip Keung Ho-Man, Yu Bolin, Mao Fan

 

Although Tony Jaa has seen his fair share of little cameos or more minor secondary roles throughout the years, lately, he’s taken chiefly roles as part of an ensemble or as a second lead to someone else. Were the days of a Tony Jaa lead film already over?

Well, if there’s any industry that can revitalize a career in action with minimal risk and maximum reward, it’s the damn Chinese streaming industry. So, in a strange twist of fate, it’s not flirting with Hollywood that would reignite Jaa’s leading man career, but it’s a straight-to-streaming action flick like Striking Rescue. Not that this one is going to find a ton of new fans, but it’s definitely going to light the fire for a lot of action fans with its blend of baseline action drama, brutal action beatdowns, and a very shouty, darkened performance by our leading hero, the hero of elbows and knees. Striking Rescue is the kind of film his fan base has been asking for - light on plot, heavy on beatdowns.

Brick by Brick: Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (2024) Review

Director: Soi Cheang

Notable Cast: Raymond Lam, Louis Koo, Terrance Lau, Tony Wu, German Cheung, Philip Ng, Richie Jen, Sammo Hung, Kenny Wong Tak-Ban, Aaron Kwok, Fish Liew

 

Director Soi Cheang is on a roll.

After he dropped the long-awaited sequel SPL2: A Time for Consequences almost 10 years ago, renamed Killzone 2 for its US release, Soi Cheang took a wild detour to film two Monkey King movies. Although those films are entertaining, one must wonder if Soi Cheang’s career would be completely derailed by massive blockbuster fantasy.

Yet, he pulled a 180 from that for two films in a row by dropping the award-winning thrillers Limbo and Mad Fate over the last couple of years. It’s a shift that truly indicates just how talented he is as a director. Not only did he direct one of the best modern Hong Kong action films with SPL2, but Limbo was one of the best neo-noirs of recent memory. 

 

Deck The Halls... in Blood and Guts: Terrifier 3 (2024) Review

Directed by: Damien Leone

Notable Cast: David Howard Thornton, Lauren LaVera, Antonella Rose, Elliot Fullam, Samantha Scaffidi, Margaret Anne, Bryce Johnson, Alexa Blair Robertson

The slasher sub-genre of horror is something I've been a huge fan of since morbid curiosity took over as a young boy, sneaking off to my cousin's house to watch the Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street films; I've always enjoyed a good on-screen massacre. What that says about me, who knows, but I do know what I like it and I feel over the decades, this avenue of horror has had many ups and downs. Here in this point in time, Damien Leone and friends are really bringing out the goods with his demented and twisted take on the genre in the form of the Terrifier films. 

I have been digging these since the beginning. I did miss out on All Hallows' Eve, but many Art fans have been visiting those retroactively, and for good reason. Art the Clown, everyone's favorite demonic circus act, has launched himself into the stratosphere alongside the likes of any of the aforementioned horror series' icons. David Howard Thornton, who dons Art's tiny hat, clearly pours his heart and soul (I know, I know) into every frame he is in, and his charismatic killer clown is at a series best here in Terrifier 3, where he takes our good friends from the second film, and give them a nice little Christmas break. Here's to the holidays.