The lovely Javid Rezai and Stella Talpo, Director and Producer and star of new “psycho-glitter” short The Belladonna joined me for a chat. We talked about Javid and Stella making movies together from the age of 7, a shared love of Paris Hilton (HONESTLY, the venn diagram of horror fans and Paris lovers is wild!) and ensuring a production remains authentic.
A female-led, queer, indie horror film will always get my attention and it’s a genuinely beautiful, moving short. Keep an eye out for it at a film festival near you!
It’s always bloody lovely to guest on a podcast, but even bloody lovelier when it’s on one of your favourite podcasts. I chatted about the incredibly under-rated Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, after the long-awaited sequel was announced. Hurrah!
I love chatting with Ben and Andy. They are both such good eggs and it’s always a laugh hanging out with them :)
Itās the second week of January and, somehow, Iāve only watched four movies so far this year. 2025 had a bloody brilliant start, with me going to see Nosferatu on New Yearās Day – 2026 hasnāt 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 Iād write a round-up of my year in horror. I fully planned to do this last January, wrapping up 2024ās movies. I mapped it out, got as far as February or March, got overwhelmed and ditched it. So this year, Iām 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 wonāt bloody remember anything. As I go month by month, Iāll 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 logā¦), covered 7 film festivals as press and got so many brilliant review opportunities. Iām a bit proud of myself, even if I donāt 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, Iād 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 donāt 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. Iād 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 Iād really love to see again. It doesnāt seem to have been released in the UK yet, but Iām 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 donāt recall any of them particularly standing out to me, as I didnāt rate or review any of them. But Iām 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 Iām 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 Iām obsessed, or anythingā¦
And furthering my attempt to watch movies outside of the horror genre, I watched Transformers the Movie with my friend Kev for Speshul Features. Iāve 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 Schraderās 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!)
Rabbit Trap is an incredibly beautiful folk horror fromĀ Bryn ChaineyĀ andĀ SpectrevisionĀ and I absolutely loved it. I still feel under its spell, even after itās finished.
Set in Wales, Rabbit Trap follows a married couple who are recording an album in a remote house. Daphne is a musician, Darcy is a sound engineer and Darcy happens upon a neighbour, while out recording in nature. Credited as āthe childā, the neighbour seems to be a genderless, ageless being who knows a lot about the area and the local folklore. The tiny, but perfect, cast of Dev Patel,Ā Rosy McEwenĀ andĀ Jade CrootĀ really grounded the fantastical story.
While it was filmed in Yorkshire, Rabbit Trap really captures the magic and beauty of Wales. The scenery, the language and the rich history of myths and legends. I felt very emotional hearing Welsh words and Welsh song in a film thatās been produced outside of Wales (by Spectrevision, no less!) And to hear ābe there now in a minuteā in a film that will be seen all around the world (starting at bloody Sundance!) was magical in itself.
Sound is so integral to this film and by a happy accident, I watched it with headphones on. The sound design is absolutely incredible and so engrossing. While the plot of film is entirely different, the soundscape reminded me a lot of In the Earth by Ben Wheatley – capturing something ancient, otherworldly and unknowable. For the first time in ages (I know, for shame!) I sat through the entirety of the credits at home, so I could bask in the sound for as long as possible. I really need to see Rabbit Trap on the big screen, not only for the visuals, but to appreciate the sound on huge speakers.
Rabbit Trap is just a glorious film and itās especially impressive that this is Bryn Chaineyās debut feature. I truly hope that this gets a wide release so I can see it again and more people can experience a little bit of Welsh magic.
Rabbit Trap had it’s European premiere at Grimmfest on 11th October and a UK release date has not yet been announced. Rabbit Trap is available to watch online in the US.
āIf you go looking for monstersā¦youāll find themā
Foxhollow is the brilliant debut feature film from Tom Hughes of Ritual Video. Tom has directed, written, edited and starred in Foxhollow and this genuinely tense and scary found footage movie had me making little whimpers of fear!
Set in the South Wales Valleys, Foxhollow follows Tom, a struggling filmmaker that is hired to make a nature documentary by a local eccentric. But once the pair get deep into the woods, their film devolves into a desperate fight for survival. Found footage will always be scary to me, because I forget Iām watching a film. I watch a lot of vlogs, so my brain naturally goes into āletās watch a nice vlogā mode. Add in the fact that Iām from the valleys and the accents made me feel right at home, and Iām totally immersed and scared for Tomās survival. Even though he was playing a character and Iāve spoken to him since!
Tom Hughes
Tom does a brilliant job playing “himself” and Paul Black as Trapper Harding is an intimidating presence. Sarah-Louise Tyler and Andrew Lennon both give solid supporting roles, as the Foxhollow park ranger and investigator. Each character felt natural, with relatable dialogue and decisions made – which doesnāt often happen in found footage movies! A character who is skeptical from the off is a breath of fresh, non-infuriating air.
Shot on GoPros and a vlogging camera, the footage is believable and it doesnāt have that āshot on a good camera and made to look shitty in postā feeling. The whole film feels plausible and like fuck am I ever going into the woods in South Wales!Ā Itās real, itās relatable and itās made with love and a DIY, punk rock attitude.
Paul Black
Tomās shorts and music videos are also brilliant and if Foxhollow is anything to go by, Tom has a very bright future in film.
Foxhollow will be released on Halloween and Tom is currently crowd-funding for a physical release. If youād like to support indie cinema and get yourself a cool AF limited edition DVD to boot, visit Foxhollow on Indiegogo. I’ve backed the crowfunder myself and can’t wait to get my hands on the DVD!
Tom is also planning a screening for local horror fans and cast and crew. Follow Ritual Video on Instagram for updates!
If going to hell is this much fun, let the sinning begin! šš„ Go to Hell is the debut short film from hot sauce maestro and, now, filmmaker Dean of the Dead. A 28 minute comedy horror, Go To Hell is a funny, campy romp and is hopefully coming to a festival near you, soon!
After a fatal fall, Robert wakes up in Hell – a bizarre, nightmarish underworld where demons drink, deals are struck, and revenge is just a ritual away. Guided by a sly barfly named Sid, Robert seeks out a powerful entity capable of sending darkness back to the living world. But in Hell, nothing comes without a costā¦ and some pasts refuse to stay buried!
Gary Amos as Robert Cummings and Tiff Griffiths as Medical Nurse Demon
While this is a very low budget indie production, itās a perfect example of why I love the horror community so much. Dean has utilised his favourite scare parks as sets, their scare-actors as extras and friends from the small business and horror community as actors. Everyone involved is clearly here for their love of horror and look to be having as much fun as I had watching. Stand-out performances came from James Hamer-Morton as cheeky scamp of a demon Sid and Cadaverous Black as the truly haunting Mr Black.
Cadaverous Black as Mr Black
While thereās room for growth for Dean as a writer (a positive!), he shows real promise as a director, clearly influenced by schlocky 80ās horror gems. If youāve ever met Dean at a convention or a festival, Go to Hell is exactly the funny, cheeky good time youād expect him to deliver. Iām really looking forward to seeing what Dean of the Dead creates next š„š¤š»š„
Lou Jones as Divine Sparks
Keep your eyes peeled – Iāll be chatting with Dean soon, talking all about Go To Hell on Horror Hyperfixations.
Update – 24th June
Since publishing this, Dean shared some exciting news that he’s officially been selected for the Rhyller Thriller film festival in August! I’m going to be at Rhyller Thriller and I’m so excited to see the film again with an audience! Congrats, Dean!
Scared to Death is SO much fun! When I saw Lin Shaye and Bill Moseley in the cast list, I immediately moved Scared to Death to the top of my FrightFest Glasgow watchlist.
This film is everything I wanted it to be. It was fun, silly and gory and I loved it. I was so pleased that Auntie Lin and Billās roles were far bigger than I expected. I feared they would be token cameos, but they both have really meaty roles and are fantastic, as always. The rest of the cast are great too – I enjoyed the character of The Grog, who Iām sure was inspired by Kane Hodder. It felt like a lovely little hat tip. The story was pretty predictable, but I feel like thatās the beauty of a fun horror like this. Youāre know exactly what youāre getting and sometimes thatās just what you need. Blood, horror icons, some snacks and (ideally!) cats and a good time.
I canāt wait to see Scared to Death again and Iām sure itāll be on Shudder or Prime soon š¤š»
In typical me fashion, I’m excited by something new and have entirely cast everything else I should be doing aside. Scrolling Instagram this morning, I saw that ZooTime Productions have made their short “One Night Only” available on Vimeo.
For a whole bunch of reasons, I hadn’t actually shared my review of the short anywhere. But now is the time as I loved it and, as small as my platform is, I always want to champion indie film-makers. Especially as ZooTime Productions’ mission statement is “ZooTime is Wales on film. Welsh people and Welsh stories. We’re part of the foundation of Wales’ growing horror-based national cinema movement. Our goal is to celebrate and showcase these stories. To contribute to Sinema Cymru, and take these stories to worldwide audiences.” I’m nothing, if not an excited little gremlin who will shout from the rooftops about anything Welsh. I’m very proud of being Welsh and the history of the arts in Wales, so filmmaker Josh Harris is my people!
Anyway, enough of my rambles – here is the short! Do yourself a favour and cast it to your tv, if you can. It’s beautiful and deserves the biggest screen you can manage!
One Night Only is a brilliant short, achieving something that I find rare with shorts ā really wanting more. I enjoy how stories can be told in a few minutes, creating a little world to be in for a short time. But writer and director, Josh Harris, has done such a good job with One Night Only that I wanted to spend more time with Bex and Rhian and really dig into their relationship. And thatās not a criticism ā the film still feels perfectly contained.
It looks beautiful, with lovely cinematography and editing. Itās moody, dark and atmospheric and I loved it. The cast are fantastic, especially Welsh fave Steve Spiers, who I am always delighted to see.
I really canāt wait to see what Josh directs next, as I think what he can create in feature length will be incredible.
Cara is bleak, dark and fucked up. Written and directed by Hayden Hewitt, this psychological horror is available on digital download today, 17th February.
Caraās world is spiralling out of control. Haunted by her traumatic past, she lives with a mentally unstable roommate and struggles with a failed career as an online sex worker. Her father is unable to communicate, while her well-meaning mother offers little support. But above all, Cara is consumed by a terrifying belief that thereās a conspiracy to send her back to the psychiatric hospital where she suffered horrific abuse.
Cara is brilliantly played by Elle OāHara an unreliable narrator that I canāt decide if Iām terrified of, or rooting for. Perhaps both. The cast are great, with fantastic performances from indie horror faves Lawrence Harvey, Michaela Longden and Johnny Vivash.
I had the chance to have a quick chat with Hayden and talk about his inspiration, his process and how he relaxes after delving into such a dark and bleak world – it’s a spoiler free chat!
Cara premiered at FrightFest last year, to brilliant reviews – catch it yourself on Amazon Prime and Apple TV see why āshe isnāt going backā. Huge thanks to Aim PublicityĀ for the review and interview opportunity.
Darklands follows journalist Frazer Truick as he investigates the mysterious death of the brother of trainee journalist Rachel Morris. Delving deeper, Truick becomes convinced that the tragedy was murder, committed by a bizarre religious cult. But as the evidence unfolds, things take on a more sinister and potentially lethal significance for the reporter, as he becomes embroiled in devil worship, witchcraft and ultimately human sacrifice!
How Iād not seen Darklands before now is beyond me, but Iām so glad I finally watched it! Set in South Wales, Darklands follows Frazer Truick (played by Craig Fairbrass) who gets caught up in mystery, pagan rituals and human sacrifice, while investigating for the local paper.
Released in 1996, Darklands has had a 4K restoration ahead of its 30th anniversary. I was lucky to see the directorās cut, which hopefully means a new, shiny release this year or next! Iāve seen the poster for Darklands over the years, but had someone told me it was set in South Wales, with a recognisable cast of Welsh legends and featured the Welsh language and some cool pagan shit, I would have been straight on it! Director Julian Richards is from Newport, too – just down the road! Iām fully in my āembrace the Welsh language and cultureā era, so Iām grateful I found it at just the right time.
Itās dark and grotty, with great performances, compelling characters and a really cool score and soundtrack. I was 10 when this movie was made and it was the most delightful snapshot of the valleys in the 90s (although we didnāt have ritual sacrifice in my village. I donāt thinkā¦) Itās been hailed as āthe Welsh Wicker Manā, which I think is a fair comparison. I really enjoyed it and itās definitely one Iād add to my collection and watch again.
If you like 90s horror, folk horror, Welsh horrorā¦ or a combination of all three, definitely check Darklands out and keep an eye out for screenings or a release of the restoration and directorās cut! Darklands is currently available to stream on Shudder.
Sam Munster | Horror Hyperfixations 