Sam Munster

Horror on Sea – A Stranger in the Woods

January 17th, 2025

Hungary/USA, 1 hour 24 minutes, Directed by Józef Gallai

A young film student is about to make a documentary about an elderly man who has been hiding from the world for many years. But as secrets from his past come to light, their strange relationship takes a fateful turn. Starring cult-classic horror film legends Bill Oberst and Lynn Lowry.

A Stranger in the Woods is a really interesting found footage movie. I had no idea where it was going and it kept me guessing throughout. Edith is a film student, who goes to interview a recluse living in the woods for her final uni project. The subject of her documentary is mysterious and unpredictable and wonderfully played by Bill Oberst Jr.

While it didn’t have any standout moments of horror for me, I spent the entire duration of the film incredibly tense as found footage films scare the heck out of me. A combination of camera footage, police body cams, 911 call recordings and night vision had me on edge – each of those alone are guaranteed to make me feel uncomfortable. The small, remote location is claustrophobic, adding further tension. We rarely venture outside of the house and when we do, it’s inside a car – trapped with someone who is increasingly erratic. This film will have you shouting “just leave! Why wouldn’t you just leave?!” at the screen, while also enjoying the entirely stupid decisions made by Edith.

If you like found footage horror in the vein of The Visit, Creep and Speak No Evil then you’ll love this!
Speshul Features – Transformers the Movie (1986)

January 13th, 2025

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!)

Listen now!
Horror on Sea – Protein

January 12th, 2025

UK, 1 hr 40 mins, Directed by Tony Burke

A gym-obsessed serial killer murders and eats a local drug dealer (for their protein), inadvertently sparking a brutal and bloodthirsty turf war between rival gangs.

Dw i ddim yn hoffi cig, ond roeddwn i’n caru Protein 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

If you don’t speak Welsh, or aren’t learning on Duolingo like me, that means “I don’t like meat, but I loved Protein”. Ex-soldier Sion escapes to South Wales and inadvertently finds himself in the middle of a turf war between drug dealers. And he eats people. Lush. I hesitate to refer to this film as cosy, ‘cos cannibalism, but there’s something incredibly comforting about watching films and tv set in the valleys. The cast are excellent, with lots of familiar faces from Welsh and British film and TV.

Writer and director Tony Burke is English, (coincidentally from Southend, also the home of Horror on Sea) but has perfectly captured the valleys on film. As much as I’d love portrayals of Wales to be all about green valleys, lush waterfalls and male voice choirs, there ARE grotty towns, scummy people and drug problems. I live an hour away from Swansea and Llanelli, where Protein was filmed, and I have encountered many of these characters. It’s so real and grounded in reality, even during the scenes of cannibalism and gore. It’s not sensational, it’s not gratuitous, it’s a depiction that almost feels like you’re watching a documentary. The script is perfect – nothing feels hyperbolic, or a caricature of valleys people. I hear people speak like this every day. It’s probably how I sound, too. I especially relate to the mum in bed, shouting that she needs crisps. What a queen.

I was gutted to have missed this film at FrightFest last year, so was super excited and grateful when Tony got in touch to share the movie. It’s darkly funny, bleak and exciting and I loved every minute. Protein is based on the 2014 short of the same name, which I’ll have to track down and watch. This is Tony’s first feature as writer and director and I think it’s an incredible debut film. Da iawn, Tony!

Protein is screening at Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff on Sunday 16th February, at 3 pm.
Horror on Sea – The Mill Killers

January 12th, 2025

UK, 1 hr 40 mins, Directed by Aled Owen

Four girls enter an abandoned factory to retrieve stolen money. Locked inside and hunted, the secret that binds them will be what tears them apart.

“This town is haunted. Not by ghosts. By ghost stories.”

The Mill Killers (originally reviewed as Scopophobia) is an absolute rollercoaster of a film, with tension aplenty. Friends Rhiannon, Mia, Sam and Erin return home to their small Valleys town, haunted by their past. A secret keeps their friendship going, but resentment bubbles under the surface.

I really enjoyed this movie, which will definitely need a rewatch as it’s fast-paced and exciting and my slow goblin brain probably missed loads. It’s a stunning film, with giallo-inspired use of colour and really lovely cinematography.

The cast were fantastic and were a real, believable group of friends. I loved that the main characters are all women and the film captured how toxic friendships can implode. Flawed characters are always really interesting and the performances made it feel like these girls really have gone through a lot together.

The chemistry between lead actress Catrin Jones and writer/director/producer/casting director and actor (impressive!) Aled Owen was palpable. Rhiannon suffers with Scopophobia, the fear of being stared at, and the anxiety and panic attacks were incredibly stressful and tense. As someone who has had panic attacks most of their life, I thought Catrin Jones did a brilliant job of portraying someone in the clutches of a panic attack and I still feel very stressed now!

There is some excellent SFX work and much more blood and gore than I expected. Always a nice surprise! The soundtrack is also great, with original songs from Welsh singer/songwriter GG Fearn. I’m really looking forward to seeing what Aled does next and what Welsh horror has in store for us.
Horror on Sea – Bring Me a Skin for Dancing In

January 11th, 2025

UK/USA, 1hr 26m, Directed by Randy Kent

After losing her twin sister, Helen goes to an English cottage where locals befriend her. She opens up about her childhood, but they introduce her to witchcraft, paganism, and mythological creatures.

Any film that opens with two women digging up a grave gets automatic points, in my book. Good for them ✨👯‍♀️✨

Bring Me a Skin for Dancing In follows Helen on a much-needed cottage retreat, after the loss of her twin sister. As is often the case, the locals are up to no good and Helen gets dragged into a world of paganism and witchcraft. A countryside holiday and some Satan shit? Sounds like a good time, I’m jealous!

There were a few continuity things that distracted me (the Neurospicy curse 😫), but they didn’t ruin my overall enjoyment. The ending had very weird “Society” vibes, which made me chuckle and I liked where the story ended up. The film is very contained, mostly set in the cottage, but I would loved the story to have delved into the locals a bit more. Really leaning into the folk horror and what goes on in small, rural villages.

Good fun, a great example of the British indie gems you can discover at film festivals like Horror on Sea.
Horror on Sea – Take From Me

January 10th, 2025

USA, 1 hr 55 mins, Directed by West Eldredge

Take From Me is a gripping thriller that follows the life of John, a grieving local man, as he finds solace and intrigue in a mysterious young woman who purchases his old farmhouse… who is much more than she seems.

Take From Me (originally reviewed as Love Dogs) went in a very different direction than I expected it to and I enjoyed it. I don’t want to say too much, as it this movie could be very easily spoiled. It’s very well shot, the performances from the lead actors are compelling and the characters feel real and believable. I wasn’t a huge fan of one of the design choices (deliberately vague!), but it was something different than other movies in the sub-genre. Go watch it – you’ll know what I’m talking about then!

I was genuinely surprised to discover that this is a debut feature from director and writer West Eldredge – I’m looking forward to seeing what he does next!

Take From Me will be available on digital in March.
Horror on Sea – Very Frightening Tales

January 10th, 2025

I love going to film festivals and am planning to attend as many as I can, this year. But I can’t physically get to them all, so was really pleased to be able to remote review for Horror on Sea, an annual horror film festival held in Southend-on-Sea. Hopefully I’ll make it some day, but attending from the comfort of home is a privilege too! I’ll be sharing my thoughts on some of the movies showing at the festival (which runs Friday 10th January – Sunday 12th January, and Friday 17th January – Sunday 19th January) here, along with trailers and artwork, where I can!

USA , 57m, 2024, Directed by Dale Fabrigar

Seven tales of terror that include a ballerina, a retiring hit-man, a mysterious package, a deadly nightmare, an insightful fortune teller and an actor who would kill to get a part.

Horror on Sea opened with Very Frightening Tales, directed by Dale Fabrigar. At just 57 minutes, this anthology movie whizzes through 7 separate tales with a very small cast, some of whom play multiple roles.

The film opens strong, with a very fun and silly intro (“Show Open”), which I’d hoped would set the tone for the rest of the movie. I love anthologies and appreciate the mix of stories and visuals, but was disappointed each tale didn’t have the same campy vibe as the opening. That said, though, there were some effective stories, a stand-out being “Fortune”.

Two women visit a fortune teller, played by Sally Struthers (one of two more recognisable faces), who warns them if one of them doesn’t admit to a terrible secret, they will die that night. The story was well-paced and had some great creature and prop design – definitely my favourite of the tales. The others either had an interesting story that I feel wasn’t explored fully in the short run time, or went on for a little long for the amount of plot. There were definitely some really interesting ideas (especially with “The Delivery” and “Brave”) that I think could have been more effective with a longer run time. But that’s the nature of shorts, sometimes, I guess.

Overall, it was a fun watch that I’d recommend to fans of indie anthologies.

Very Frightening Tales is available to watch for free on Amazon Prime, or you can rent for 99p.
In Search of Darkness 1990-1994

December 22nd, 2024

The latest In Search of Darkness installment, 1990-1994, is 6 hours of nostalgia, fascinating interviews and iconic movies. It’s an absolute delight and I loved every nerdy second 🖤📼🔪🩸

I could listen to people like Mike Flanagan, Mick Garris, Heather Langankamp, Frank Henenlotter and Brian Yuzna talk all day. Six hours just isn’t long enough! Everyone is super interesting and I have so many movies I need to check out.

In Search of Darkness 1990-1994 is available now (Affiliate link). The digital bundle is $29.99 and includes the soundtrack by New Retro Wave, score by Dream Invaders and a rad PDF mini-booklet. Treat yourself and spend the Christmas holidays in a beautiful little bubble of 90s horror nostalgia. Thank you so much to Creator VC for the screener and link 🖤
Nosferatu – The Real Story

December 16th, 2024

Nosferatu – The Real Story is a new documentary from Robin Bextor and Reel 2 Reel Films available for digital download today. This fascinating documentary got me even more excited for Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu and I learned so much about the history of Count Orlok in film.

I had no idea Aleister Crowley was a “major contributor to the philosophy behind Nosferatu”, nor did I know the fact that we nearly never got to see Nosferatu as Bram Stoker’s widow, Florence Balcombe, ordered all copies be destroyed. It’s hard to imagine what horror cinema would be today, without the influence of Murnau’s masterpiece. I also really appreciated that FW Murnau’s queerness wasn’t shied away from, or omitted.

The documentary has an atmospheric score, beautiful visuals and interesting interviews and if you love documentaries and learning your horror history, like me, I really recommend it. Thank you to Aim Publicity for sending me a preview.

Nosferatu – The Real Story on digital 16 December from Reel 2 Reel Films.

Nosferatu – The Real Story on Amazon Prime
The Haunted Season – To Fire You Come at Last

December 9th, 2024

The Haunted Season is a new annual series on Shudder from Severin Films and Kier-La Janisse. I absolutely love the tradition of ghost stories at Christmas time, so I’m really excited to be treated to a new ghost story every December.

To Fire You Come at Last is the first short film, a beautiful black and white story set in a rural 17th century village. Squire Marlow’s son has died and he hires 3 men from the local village to carry his coffin to the graveyard. It’s dark, it’s atmospheric and it’s wonderfully creepy. There’s just something about period ghost stories that is incredibly cosy and so perfectly suited to Christmas and the winter months.

I missed To Fire You Come at Last at FrightFest 2023, so I’m really pleased it’s found a home on Shudder and is also part of an ongoing series. Folk horror has a rich history in British film (and culture!), which Kier-La has lovingly explored in Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror (which is incredible, if you haven’t seen it!) I really enjoyed this tale and now I want to lose myself in folk horror and ghost stories, for the foreseeable.

It’s wonderful to see James Swanton in another classic British ghost story and this time, not hidden under creature makeup. A truly standout performance that both made me chuckle and unsettled me.

To Fire You Come at Last is on Shudder now – a perfect cosy watch for Christmas Eve.