I love getting to chat to people about movies, so talking horror on Let’s Talk Horror was a good time! We chose Barbarian out of a shortlist of possible choices and I love getting to share my appreciation of Mama. What a sweet baby angel!
I’m always conscious of talking TOO much when it’s not my podcast, so didn’t want to shoehorn in some small business Barbarian merch recommendations! But I’ll share them here, as I love them!
The incredible monster-maker extraordinaire, Tom of The Evil Shed, has sculpted the most gorgeous plaque of Mama. She’s not on the website at the moment, but keep an eye out for Tom at conventions as she’s often on display there. Tom’s work is INSANE and I’d love to own some of his busts, as they are masterpieces!
I had the pleasure of joining the lovely Ben Errington and Andy Conduit-Turner to talk about the atrocious Return to Silent Hill on Horror Hangout. It was lush to have a good natter, after being in the same circles for a while and always missing each other – even if it was about this stinker of a film. But I enjoyed talking about it with them, learning some more about the game and the story that I didn’t get from the movie! Hopefully I’ll join Ben and Andy again soon, to talk about a film I actually DO enjoy!
It’s the second week of January and, somehow, I’ve only watched four movies so far this year. 2025 had a bloody brilliant start, with me going to see Nosferatu on New Year’s Day – 2026 hasn’t started with as majestic a bang! (Although seeing 28 Years Later and The Bone Temple as movies 3 and 4 has helped!)
Last year was absolutely brilliant for horror cinema and I thought I’d write a round-up of my year in horror. I fully planned to do this last January, wrapping up 2024’s movies. I mapped it out, got as far as February or March, got overwhelmed and ditched it. So this year, I’m eating the elephant in chunks (or whatever that weird phrase is) and breaking it down. I want to challenge myself to write more regularly and forcing myself into a 12 month retrospective is hardly the best place to start!
I am relying on love of my life, Letterboxd, to go through my year otherwise I won’t bloody remember anything. As I go month by month, I’ll link to various reviews and videos to mix it up a bit, in an attempt to make this somewhat digestible. I logged 311 films in 2025 (god knows how many I forgot to log…), covered 7 film festivals as press and got so many brilliant review opportunities. I’m a bit proud of myself, even if I don’t know what to do with that feeling.
New movies
Nosferatu was a wonderful way to start the year and I fell in love with how beautiful it was. The cinematography, costumes, score, performances and Orlok himself were all exquisite. In typical me fashion, I’d planned to write or record a full review but after I left this hilarious Letterboxd note I left it as it was. Nosferatu was also my second movie of the year – I went back to watch it again, this time on IMAX which really allowed me to see the glorious depths of the darkness.
After the excitement of Nosferatu, I was really excited for the rest of the year ahead. The first horror festival of the year was Horror on Sea (which is running as I write) which, for me, was a mixed bag of films. A few were awful, but don’t want to name names as I always feel terrible being negative about indie films. Plus, it may just not be my taste and someone else may love it. But there were also some pretty good and some absolutely great films.
My favourites of the festival were The Mill Killers (2024) and Protein (2024), two Welsh movies that I think were just brilliant. Both perfectly captured the feeling of small Welsh towns and I will always love seeing Wales portrayed on film. I’d definitely recommend both – The Mill Killers is available to watch for free on Prime and you can rent Protein on Prime too.
Marginalia (2025) was an absolutely gloriously absurd movie, which I’d really love to see again. It doesn’t seem to have been released in the UK yet, but I’m hopeful for a physical media release.
The other new watches for the month were Books of Blood (2020),A Bay of Blood (1971), Room 6 (2006), Funeral Home/Cries in the Night (1980) and Swamp Thing (1982). I don’t recall any of them particularly standing out to me, as I didn’t rate or review any of them. But I’m always pushing myself to watch new-to-me movies, instead of rewatching, so I think that was pretty good going. I also watched Bottoms (2023) – not a horror movie, but I love queer movies and I’m definitely trying to watch more non-horror movies and push myself out of my comfort zone a little.
Talking of my comfort zone, though, I rewatched Hereditary (2018) and The Monster Squad (1987). Two movies I will always go back to for a dose of comfort and familiarity – just on opposite ends of the wholesome scale!
Podcasts
I put out two podcast episodes in January 2025, both with very different themes. For Horror Hyperfixations, I waxed lyrical about my love of Ghost Stories and talked to myself about my favourite play for over 3 hours. SPOILER – I ended up going to see Ghost Stories 4 times in 2025. Not that I’m obsessed, or anything…
And furthering my attempt to watch movies outside of the horror genre, I watched Transformers the Movie with my friend Kev for Speshul Features. I’ve never been a Transformers girlie, but the soundtrack slapped and there was a dinosaur robot. Sold!
Books
I go into most years with the goals of reading more, writing more, watching more, so reading Schrader’s Chord by Scott Leeds was a good start to inspire me to keep reading in 2025. When you’re late for work because you can’t put your book down, you know it’s good! (Spoiler: I didn’t read anywhere near enough last year, but at least I read!)
The glorious Scary Zara Mary had me back on Reyt Scary to talk about one of my favourite ever films, Pascal Laugier’s Martyrs. I think this movie is a bleak, beautiful masterpiece and if you haven’t seen it yet, watch it before you watch/listen to the episode – it’s exceptional.
I share my love of Ghostwatch with the lovely Emma Arneil of the Beyond the Scream podcast. We talk about our history with Pipes and his glory hole and go on just a few tangents, getting excited about physical media, Psychoville and Inside No. 9
I had the pleasure of being invited on Reyt Scary to chat about one of my faves, Crimson Peak, with the lovely Scary Zara Mary.
I love Crimson Peak, so enjoyed getting to excitedly wang on at Zara about my favourite things in the movie – the incredible costumes, pasty goth boys and the glorious Doug Jones – was a delight. Reyt Scary is a weekly must-listen for me, so a definite recommendation. Zara has been talking all things gothic horror and will soon cover torture in horror. Exciting!
If you’re feeling brave and want to watch my little goblin face, instead of just listening, Reyt Scary is also on Youtube!
My love of Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman’s Ghost Stories has not waned in the last 14 years. *Me singing to a play* – “I’ll never let you goooo, why? Because I love youuuuu!”
I first saw Ghost Stories back in 2011 and I have never been more scared in my entire life. I swear it changed my DNA and I’ve never been the same, since. I went to see it for the fifth time on tour at The Theatre Royal in Bath and a renewed hyperfixation was unleashed, along with an excited post-show ramble and a podcast episode.
This week, Kev introduces me to one of him favourite films Transformers the Movie. I’d never watched any form of Transformers (to my recollection), but did remember the toy adverts from my youth. Did I like it? Who was my favourite robot in disguise and did I love the absolute banger of an 80s soundtrack? (Spoiler: I think we can tell that that’s a given. It slaps!)
Sam Munster 