REVIEW: Evil Dead Burn (2026 Film) Starring Souheila Yacoub

Review by Jon Donnis

The Evil Dead series has built its reputation on relentless gore, inventive horror and unforgettable practical effects. Evil Dead Burn continues that tradition with absolute confidence, delivering the sixth entry in the franchise and a direct sequel to Evil Dead Rise. Directed by Sébastien Vaniček, the film wastes very little time before plunging viewers into another nightmare fuelled by the Necronomicon, Deadites and enough blood to satisfy even the most hardened horror fan.

The story centres on Alice Price, played by Souheila Yacoub, who reunites with her late husband's family following his death. What should have been a sombre family gathering quickly descends into chaos as Deadite possession spreads through the household, turning relatives into monstrous killers. Hidden family tensions, buried secrets and supernatural terror combine to create a brutal battle for survival that becomes increasingly desperate as the body count rises.

What immediately stands out is just how expertly staged the horror sequences are. Every major kill feels carefully crafted rather than repetitive, with each attack finding a fresh way to shock the audience. The violence never becomes predictable because the film constantly introduces new ways for the Deadites to terrorise their victims. Whether it is savage hand to hand encounters, grisly dismemberments or horrifying creature attacks, the film maintains an impressive level of creativity throughout.

Sébastien Vaniček proves himself to be an outstanding horror director with an exceptional visual eye. He understands how to build tension before unleashing absolute carnage, while ensuring every gruesome moment remains memorable. The pacing within each individual set piece is excellent, allowing suspense to build naturally before exploding into scenes of complete chaos. His direction gives the film a distinctive personality while remaining faithful to the savage spirit that fans expect.

Fans looking for extreme horror will certainly not be disappointed. Evil Dead Burn is unapologetically violent from beginning to end, offering very little respite once the blood starts flowing. The opening sequence immediately establishes the brutal tone, and from that point onwards the film barely slows down. Severed limbs, torrents of blood, mangled bodies and grotesque Deadite transformations arrive with remarkable frequency. Even the family dog becomes part of the nightmare, ensuring almost nothing is off limits.

Souheila Yacoub delivers a convincing lead performance, carrying the emotional weight of the story while remaining believable as an increasingly desperate survivor. Alice's difficult relationship with her in-laws adds another layer to the horror, while her determination to fight back prevents her from becoming another helpless victim. The supporting cast also commit fully to their increasingly disturbing transformations, helping the possessed family members become genuinely unsettling threats.

Despite its strengths, the film is not without problems. One aspect that proves difficult to ignore is what feels like an obvious attempt to push a feminist message. Rather than allowing these themes to develop naturally through the story and characters, they often feel overly deliberate and forced, occasionally distracting from the horror itself. The franchise has always been strongest when it lets the terror speak for itself, and these moments interrupt that balance.

The absence of Bruce Campbell is another issue that longtime fans may struggle with. Although his iconic Ash Williams does receive a small cameo through a photograph, it feels more like an acknowledgement than a meaningful appearance. Ash has long been the heart of the Evil Dead franchise, bringing a unique mix of horror, humour and charisma that helped define the series. Without him, Evil Dead Burn often feels like a very good supernatural horror film rather than a true Evil Dead film. With only a handful of changes, it could easily have existed as a standalone story outside the franchise.

The running time also works against the film. At 110 minutes, it stretches the material further than necessary. Horror often benefits from tighter pacing, and trimming around twenty minutes would have resulted in a far more intense experience. There are sections where the momentum briefly slows before another spectacular horror sequence gets things moving again.

Even so, Evil Dead Burn succeeds where it matters most. It delivers spectacular gore, inventive scares and some genuinely unforgettable moments of carnage. It may not fully capture the magic that Bruce Campbell brought to previous entries, but it still offers an entertaining and uncompromising horror experience for those who simply want to watch Deadites unleash absolute mayhem.

Evil Dead without Ash never feels quite right, and this instalment highlights just how important that character has been to the franchise's identity. Nevertheless, if you can accept it on its own terms, there is plenty to enjoy. It is savage, relentless and visually impressive, making it a worthy watch for horror fans who appreciate unapologetic gore.

I score Evil Dead Burn 7.5 out of 10.

Out in Cinemas Now

REVIEW: Scream 7 (2026 Film) - Starring Neve Campbell, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, David Arquette, Matthew Lillard and Courteney Cox

Review by Jon Donnis

The long running slasher saga returns with Scream 7, a direct follow up to Scream VI and the seventh entry in the famous horror franchise. This time the story pulls the focus back toward Sidney Prescott, placing her once again at the centre of a new Ghostface killing spree. The result is a film that feels very familiar, sometimes almost deliberately so, but it still delivers an entertaining and suitably violent experience for fans who know exactly what they are signing up for.

The film opens with a classic style prologue set in Woodsboro. Two Stab obsessed fans decide to visit the old home of Stu Macher after hearing rumours that he might have survived the events of the original killings. It is a curiosity that ends in brutal fashion when Ghostface appears and murders the pair before setting the house on fire. The sequence feels like a clear nod to the history of the series and immediately sets the tone for the film. It is violent, tense and unapologetically tied to the past.

The story then moves to Pine Grove, Indiana, where Sidney Prescott has attempted to build a quiet life far away from the horrors that once defined her. She runs a coffeehouse, is married to police officer Mark Evans, and spends her days raising her children. Among them is her teenage daughter Tatum, named after Sidney's late best friend Tatum Riley. For a brief moment the film allows Sidney the illusion of peace, though anyone familiar with the franchise will know that it cannot last.

The return of Ghostface shatters that calm. Sidney receives a chilling call from the killer who claims to be an older and scarred Stu Macher. Whether that claim is genuine or not becomes part of the mystery, but the threat is immediate. The killer reveals that he is standing outside a theatre where Sidney's daughter and her classmates are rehearsing. Sidney races there with the police, but the attack has already begun. Two students are murdered before Ghostface disappears into the night.

From that point onward the story unfolds in the familiar rhythm of suspicion and escalating violence that the series is known for. Tatum becomes the central target of the new attacks, which creates a strong emotional hook for the story. Sidney is no longer just protecting herself. She is trying to prevent her daughter from experiencing the same trauma that shaped her own life.

The biggest strength of the film is the return of Neve Campbell as Sidney Prescott. Campbell remains the heart of the series and her presence instantly grounds the story. She plays Sidney with the calm determination of someone who has endured years of violence yet refuses to be defined by it. Even when the plot becomes chaotic, her performance keeps the emotional focus intact.

The supporting cast provides solid backup throughout the film. Isabel May takes on the role of Tatum and carries much of the tension once the attacks begin to circle around her group of friends. Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding return as the Meeks Martin twins, survivors of previous Ghostface attacks who once again find themselves caught in the middle of the carnage. Meanwhile Courteney Cox appears once more as Gale Weathers, the determined reporter who has spent years documenting the bloody history of these murders.

The film does not hold back when it comes to violence. Several of the kill scenes are particularly intense, with Ghostface stalking characters through houses, streets and dimly lit interiors before striking with brutal efficiency. The gore is present and the tension is handled well during these moments, reminding audiences why the Ghostface killer remains such a memorable horror figure.

Where the film struggles slightly is in its lack of originality. Scream 7 clearly understands what its audience expects and it rarely attempts to move beyond that formula. The structure of the story, the suspects and even the eventual revelations follow patterns that long time fans of the series will recognise almost immediately. Nothing here feels wildly new or experimental.

That cautious approach makes the film feel safe at times. The story relies heavily on nostalgia and familiar franchise ideas rather than taking bold risks. For devoted fans that nostalgia can be enjoyable. Seeing the story circle back toward earlier events in Woodsboro gives the film a sense of continuity. At the same time it also highlights how little the formula has changed.

The running time of one hour and fifty minutes occasionally stretches the pacing as well. Some scenes linger longer than necessary while the characters attempt to figure out who might be behind the mask. The tension eventually builds towards a violent and chaotic final confrontation, but the middle portion of the film can feel slightly drawn out.

Despite those issues, Scream 7 remains an entertaining slasher film. It delivers the suspense, the gore and the returning characters that audiences expect from the series. The emotional core provided by Sidney's relationship with her daughter adds weight to the story, and Neve Campbell's performance reminds viewers why Sidney Prescott remains one of horror cinema's most enduring survivors.

In the end Scream 7 feels very much like a film made for fans of the franchise. It does not attempt to reinvent the series and it rarely pushes the story into new territory. What it does offer is a familiar and bloody return to the world of Ghostface, packed with nostalgia and anchored by a strong central performance.

It may not reach the heights of the very best entries in the saga, but it is still a solid and enjoyable addition to the series. I would score Scream 7 a respectable 7 out of 10.

Out in cinemas now

PREVIEW: The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge (2025 Film) - A Bloody Good Christmas

Preview by Jon Donnis

It's beginning to look a lot like murder. The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge is here to turn Christmas cheer into festive fear, bringing a sinister twist to Dickens' classic tale. The film arrives on UK digital platforms on 3 November, just in time to kick off the season with something far more chilling than tinsel and eggnog.

Written, directed and produced by Jake Helgren (Dashing in December, Bad Connection), this gruesome holiday slasher takes a group of old college friends and traps them in a snow-dusted nightmare. Their cosy reunion turns macabre when memories of a friend's death a decade earlier resurface. The mood darkens further with the arrival of an uninvited guest wearing an Ebenezer Scrooge mask and a taste for vengeance.

What follows is a wild mix of festive nostalgia and blood-soaked terror, as the killer methodically crosses each victim off his "naughty list". The film balances knowing wit with grisly creativity, leaning into its Christmas setting with twinkling lights, dark humour and enough jump scares to make even the hardiest horror fan flinch.

Early praise from genre outlets hints at a cult hit in the making. Hysteria Lives calls it "a future Christmas slasher classic", while Macabre Daily describes it as "a present you definitely want to open". Between the sharp script, stylish cinematography and committed performances, The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge looks set to become a must-watch for horror fans who prefer their Christmas stories blood-red.

So, pour the mulled wine, lock the doors and prepare for a frightfully festive night in. The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge is one Christmas gift that bites back.

The Naughty List of Mr. Scrooge on digital 3 November from Miracle Media

PREVIEW: Delivery Run (2025 Film) Races onto UK Digital with a Deadly Winter Chase

Preview by Jon Donnis

A desperate night drive turns into a fight for survival in Delivery Run, a tense new horror starring Alexander Arnold and arriving on UK digital platforms on 6 October 2025 through Plaion Pictures. Directed and co-written by Joey Palmroos, the film made waves at Grimmfest 2024 and is already earning praise for its mix of brutal tension and sly humour. Horror Fuel calls Arnold "terrific as a likeable loser we can't help but cheer for," while Screen Sphere hails it as "a bloody and fun rollercoaster of a horror film" that delivers both thrills and a few dark laughs.

The story follows Lee, a down-on-his-luck delivery driver with gambling debts and dangerous enemies closing in. Played with weary charm and raw energy by Arnold, Lee takes on a late-night shift in the icy backroads of Minnesota, hoping to scrape together the money he needs. But a seemingly minor road-rage encounter with a menacing snow plough spirals into a deadly cat-and-mouse chase. What begins as petty intimidation turns into a relentless pursuit across frozen rivers, deserted truck stops and endless winter highways, with each turn tightening the grip of danger.

Armed with nothing more than his battered car, a dying phone and a stubborn will to survive, Lee must outwit a relentless driver who seems intent on grinding him into the snow. The result is a nerve-shredding road-trip from hell that blends survival horror with the adrenaline rush of a high-speed thriller. With strong performances from Liam James Collins, Arthur Sylense, Jussi Lampi and Nadine Higgin rounding out the cast, Delivery Run promises a sharp, chilling ride that keeps its foot on the accelerator right to the final frame.

On UK digital platforms 6 October 2025

https://apple.co/4pZ9dZM

PREVIEW: The Summoning of Baby Blue (2025 Film) - Starring Valeria San Martín

Preview By Jon Donnis

Black Mandala is back with another nightmare, this time in the form of The Summoning of Baby Blue. The film makes its world premiere at Sinistro Fest and comes from the same creative circle that delivered The 100 Candles Game and The Red Book Ritual. Once again, they draw on folklore, but here it's the viral world of creepypasta that takes centre stage.

Directed by Sergio Gonzalez, Brandon Piskorik, Felipe Vargas, Corey Benson Powers and Brian Sepanzyk, the story digs into an unsettling ritual that has floated around online. Say the words "Baby Blue, Blue Baby" in front of a bathroom mirror and something might answer back. In this case, what appears is far darker than a child's game.

The cast is a mix of rising names and familiar faces. Valeria San Martín, Justina Ceballos, Daniela Flombaum, Xochitl Gomez, Carmela Zumbado and Sara Canning all step into the shadows, joined by Nannu Spannauss, Giovanni Onetti, Agustín Olcese, Nicolás Onetti and Milagros Ribet. The script comes from Camilo Zaffora, who weaves the ritual into a set of eerie short stories that grow and twist into a larger mythology.

At its heart is a babysitting job that spirals out of control. A girl is dared into telling a ghost story in the mirror and what begins as a test of courage becomes a summoning. The bathroom lights flicker, the chant fills the room, and a spirit takes hold. From there the film splinters into multiple tales, all orbiting around the figure of Baby Blue and the wrath of a mother that refuses to rest.

Blending the intimacy of an urban legend with the structure of an a series of short, spine-tingling tales, The Summoning of Baby Blue promises a night of dread that lingers long after the mirror goes dark. It is not just a film about fear, but about the way stories spread, take root, and demand to be told.

Coming Soon

REVIEW: The Death of Snow White (2025 Film) - Starring Sanae Loutsis, Chelsea Edmundson and Tristan Nokes

Review by Jon Donnis

The Death of Snow White takes a story everyone knows and drags it through a swamp of blood, black magic and twisted imagination. Jason Brooks clearly revels in tearing up the Disney-fied version and stitching something far nastier together. From the opening scene, with Chelsea Edmundson's Evil Queen slicing open her own palm during a ritual, you know exactly what sort of ride you're in for. It's theatrical, it's gory, and it isn't pretending to be anything else.

The forest becomes its own character here, a nightmare maze crawling with creatures and shadows. When Snow White, played with surprising grit by Sanae Loutsis, stumbles into it, the film shifts gears. The dwarves aren't miners or comic relief, they're killers, each with a signature that's so over the top it borders on absurd, but in a way that works for the tone. Watching Snow White adapt to their training is oddly satisfying. You can tell Brooks wanted her transformation from innocent fugitive to axe-wielding avenger to feel earned, and it does.

Chelsea Edmundson steals the film as the Queen. She's not just vain or jealous, she's terrifying, like someone who's already crossed every moral line and is now curious what's on the other side. Her castle set design is brilliantly grotesque, and the rituals feel almost tactile, the budget stretching surprisingly far for these moments. Granted, when the CGI does kick in, it's a little rough in places, but that's part of the charm, this is a B-movie that leans into its own excess.

The third act delivers on the promise of all the build-up. The apple scene isn't a quiet poisoning, it's a violent curse, and the fight that follows is a full-on massacre. Brooks isn't afraid to kill off fan favourites mid-battle, and the gore effects are inventive enough to keep you wincing and grinning at the same time. Snow White's final showdown with the Queen is brutal, messy and oddly cathartic. The moment she swings Tiny's axe is exactly the kind of payoff you hope for in a film like this.

It's not flawless. The pacing drags slightly in the middle, and a couple of performances from minor characters wobble a bit. But for what it is, a knowingly trashy, creatively nasty horror reimagining, it's a blast. It's also genuinely one of the most enjoyable takes on Snow White I've seen in years. I walked away smiling, which probably says something worrying about me.

I score The Death of Snow White a solid 8 out of 10.

Out Now

Apple TV - https://apple.co/3Hun5cP

REVIEW: I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) - Starring Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders and Jonah Hauer-King

Review by Jon Donnis

Twenty-seven years after the events in Southport first unfolded, I Know What You Did Last Summer returns with a new generation of guilt-ridden teens, a familiar hook-wielding killer, and just enough blood-soaked nostalgia to keep things afloat. Directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, this fourth entry in the franchise slots itself directly after I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, brushing off the largely forgotten 2006 and 2021 entries and re-establishing continuity with a vengeance.

The setup is almost charming in its familiarity: a group of friends are involved in a late-night accident and choose to cover it up rather than face the fallout. A year later, they're picked off one by one by a killer who's very much in the know. There's no reinvention here, and the film leans into that deliberately. Robinson aims for the same glossy, lurid tone that made the '90s slashers so watchable, and to her credit, she mostly pulls it off.

Chase Sui Wonders anchors the film well as Ava Brucks, a slightly more grounded and thoughtful protagonist than some of the past franchise leads. She returns to Southport just in time to watch her closest friends unravel, starting with a cryptic note and ending with a series of brutal murders. Madelyn Cline is solid too as Danica, the bride-to-be who takes a particularly bloody journey from carefree party girl to blood-soaked survivor.

The film really earns its keep when it comes to the kills. There's an energy to the violence here that horror fans will appreciate. They're nasty, drawn out, and satisfyingly practical in a way that recalls the heyday of early 2000s horror. A scene in the now-shuttered Shiver's department store is especially strong, both for the way it taps into franchise lore and the way it builds tension before things go full carnage.

The return of Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. could have felt gimmicky, but actually ends up giving the story a bit more texture. Julie James is now a university professor who wants nothing to do with Southport, while Ray, now bitter and quietly disturbed, ends up playing a much larger role in the carnage than initially expected. There's a clever shift here, where nostalgia isn't just used for window dressing but actually woven into the structure of the story. Ray's arc, in particular, brings a level of personal betrayal that lands harder than expected.

Still, for everything the film gets right, there's plenty that doesn't quite land. The dialogue, especially among the younger cast, often sounds like it was filtered through a dozen TikTok scripts and rewritten for maximum cringe. Attempts at humour or sincerity regularly miss the mark, and there's a sense throughout that the film is trying far too hard to be in on the joke.

The nostalgia, too, becomes a bit of a double-edged sword. For fans of the original, there's some enjoyment in the references, the music cues, and the cameos, but it does start to weigh the film down. Rather than carving its own path, it often feels like it's tracing someone else's, hoping we won't notice the repetition.

I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025) is far from groundbreaking, but it knows what it is. It delivers grisly deaths, throws in a few fun twists, and doesn't try to overcomplicate things. It's not going to dethrone the original, and it probably won't stick in anyone's memory for long, but as a late-night slasher with a good-looking cast and plenty of blood, it mostly does the job.

7 out of 10. Not essential, but far from the worst summer trip back to Southport.

In Cinemas Now!

PREVIEW: Eyes of the Abyss (2025 Film) Argentine Thriller Set on a Haunted Warship Debuts Trailer

Preview by Jon Donnis

Black Mandala and Del Toro Films have released the trailer for Eyes of the Abyss, a tense new thriller from Argentine director Daniel de la Vega (On The 3rd Day, White Coffin, Jennifer's Shadow). Set on a warship adrift in the South Atlantic, the film blends supernatural mystery with high-stakes survival.

In a surreal and fragmented narrative, a soldier wakes up alone among the dead. Her memory fractured, she must defend herself against an invading unit with lethal precision. As the mission unfolds, reality blurs. The ship becomes a vessel for vengeance, haunted by war's echoes that refuse to rest.

De la Vega describes the film as a meditation on suffering, caught between life and death. "On a warship laden with corpses and threatening to sink, the film explores the suffering of those caught between life and death," he said. "It defies genre conventions with bold visuals and a non-linear structure."

Eyes of the Abyss is a co-production between Furia Films and Del Toro Films, continuing a partnership that previously delivered genre standouts now available globally on platforms including Shudder. The new feature will premiere at Cannes 2025 during Marché du Film, under the Fantastic Galas banner curated by Fantastic Pavilion.

Uncork'd Entertainment has picked up distribution rights for North America, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

Cast: Verónica Intile, Carolina Alfonsín, Kevin Schiele, Raymond Lee, Cristian Mariani, Pablo Turturiello, Gustavo Pardi
Writers: Luciano Saracino, Gonzalo Ventura, Daniel de la Vega
Director: Daniel de la Vega