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Time of India
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
10 new horror films that are almost terrifying
Do you like horror movies that turn out great? Let's look at 10 recent horror movies that were so close to being amazing. 1. Heart Eyes This movie mixes horror with romantic comedy. The chemistry between Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding is great. The killer looks scary but the ending is very predictable; it feels like an old horror movie from the early 2000s. Started strong, but ended too safe and basic. 2. Companion A girl finds out she's actually a robot built for her boyfriend. Sophie Thatcher gives a great performance. The movie is full of surprises and crazy twists. But it doesn't always make sense if you think too much. Characters act weird just to push the story forward. Fun ride, but very messy and silly in logic. 3. Drop A mom gets scary messages through AirDrop while on a date. The first hour is super suspenseful and fun. Meghann Fahy acts really well. But the ending goes full silly mode with weird action. The villain reveal is boring and obvious. It starts stylish, but ends like a goofy TV show. 4. The Monkey A killer monkey toy causes crazy deaths. The death scenes are brutal and creative. Theo James plays two brothers and does a great job, but the ending gets way too confusing and messy. Some bad CGI ruins the vibe but overall great build-up, but poor and strange wrap-up. Live Events 5. Azrael Set in a silent post-apocalyptic world. No talking, just action and tension. Samara Weaving kills it with her expressions, but there's no deep story or strong characters. The ending feels empty and sudden. Cool concept, but lacks full emotional impact. 6. Final Destination: Bloodlines A fresh entry in the famous death-trap horror series. First two-thirds are fun, gross, and shocking. Tony Todd appears and adds weight. But the ending copies older films in the series. The twists are super obvious if you know biology. Seems like the studio messed with the final act. 7. In a Violent Nature A slow, artsy take on slasher films. The camera follows the killer, not the victims. Some death scenes are unforgettable, but the ending drags too long. Final 15 minutes are talky and lose focus. Almost genius, but falls asleep at the finish line. 8. Your Monster A woman meets a literal monster who helps her find herself. Mixes horror, comedy, and romance really well. Melissa Barrera is amazing. But the ending twist is weird and disappointing. It changes the whole story in a not-fun way. Great mix of genres, just wish it ended better. 9. Don't Move A woman is paralyzed slowly after being attacked. Super tense in the beginning and acting from Kelsey Asbille and Finn Wittrock, but they stretched the story too long. Plot twists feel fake just to keep it going. 'Don't Move' could have made a better short film. 10. Borderline A pop star is stalked by a crazy fan in the '90s. Ray Nicholson is wild and amazing as the villain. Alba Baptista also shines in a twisted role, but Samara's role feels too basic. The movie doesn't show enough '90s vibes despite the setting. Fun and weird, but not fully developed. FAQs Q1. Suggest a horror movie with no dialogue? Azrael is set in a silent world and has no talking at all. Q2. Are these new horror movies worth watching? Yes, many are fun and creative, but some have weak or silly endings.
Otago Daily Times
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Splatter that splits the sides
Photo: Shauna Townley/IFC Films/TNS Director: Eli Craig Cast: Katie Douglas, Aaron Abrams, Carson MacCormac, Kevin Durand, Will Sasso Rating: (R16) ★★★+ REVIEWED BY AMASIO JUTEL Despite the very silly title, Clown in a Cornfield (Reading) has the feel of a Texas Chainsaw slasher paired with the slapstick sentiment of Terrifier's ridiculously costumed clowns who, without fail, wear size 100, squeaky clown shoes at every killing. A fire in Kettle Spring's maple syrup factory has relegated it to "flyover country" and the town's older residents suspect a group of troublesome teens are guilty of the arson. A masked killer dressed as "Frendo", the maple syrup mascot, has it in for the teens, who've cried wolf too many times for anyone to believe their story. Clown in a Cornfield is a solid entrant into the revitalised contemporary horror/slasher canon of equal parts fright and laughter — think Terrifier and Heart Eyes. Like Texas Chainsaw, highly aesthetic, filmic quality is not lost on the director — like the sunrise-orange horizon shots that scream Days of Heaven. The film is formally innovative (marking its singularity from the first title card) and cinematically creative (maybe my favourite was the long "oner" camera shot kill sequence), but where the film particularly shines is its narrative sophistication — even the "mean girl blonde" has some solid characterisation as a creepypasta horror YouTube director. Although slightly sanitised for an R16 rating, the horror and kill sequences are ferocious and fun. And while the speechifying villain felt extraneous, the formalist flair, narrative excellence, and slapstick humour packed into the short, sweet runtime means one can hardly complain.
Tom's Guide
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
2025's most romantic horror movie just crashed the Netflix top 10 — and it's a frontrunner for my favorite film of the year
As much as I love the brand of cerebral horror coming from trailblazers like Jordan Peele and Ari Aster, I grew up watching schlocky slashers, and it's sad to see them become a dying breed these days. Recent twists on the sub-genre like "M3GAN" or "X," while fantastic in their own right, never fail to remind me how much I miss the camp, the morbid one-liners, and the equally creative and gruesome kills. So when I saw "Heart Eyes," the rare Valentine's Day slasher movie, landed on Netflix this week, it shot to the top of my must-watch list. And I'm happy to say it did not disappoint. I'm not alone in thinking that, either. "Heart Eyes" has already shot to the #4 spot in Netflix's top 10 list, and it's currently sitting at a respectable 81% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, a rare feat for a horror movie. Packed with dark humor, over-the-top kills, and sizzling chemistry between its leads, "Heart Eyes" is a wildly entertaining watch. The biggest jump scare came at the end, though, when I saw Josh Ruben listed as the director. My husband and I are huge fans of Dropout, and we both spotted his brief cameo in the movie's third act but had no idea one of the Noise Boys was in the director's chair. In retrospect, that totally tracks with the movie's sense of humor — and I will be watching it again to listen out for seagull noises. Wondering whether "Heart Eyes" deserves a spot on your watchlist? Here's everything you need to know about this campy rom-com slasher, and why it should be on your radar. For the past two years, a masked killer known as Heart Eyes has been terrorizing couples on Valentine's Day, leaving a grisly trail of bodies in his wake. This year, he arrives in Seattle, spreading panic across the city as everyone wonders who's next. But this time, he's picked the wrong targets. For one thing, they're not even a couple. Not yet, at any rate, though it won't be long given all the meet-cute romcom movie magic relentlessly propelling them into each other's orbit. After fumbling her shot with a handsome stranger on her morning coffee run, ad designer Ally (Olivia Holt) finds herself in hot water at work. She's channeled all her bitterness over a recent breakup into an ill-timed campaign about doomed lovers. Her boss forces her to team up with famed designer Jay Simmons, who, naturally, turns out to be the very same dreamboat from that morning. However, when Heart Eyes marks them as his next victims, the duo's burgeoning chemistry takes a backseat to a pulse-pounding chase throughout the city where love might be their only way out alive. Based on the trailer, I wasn't sure whether "Heart Eyes" would have much going on beyond its hokey premise, but there's plenty to love about this rom-com slasher. Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding have impeccable chemistry as Ally and Jay, which carries a lot of the movie. Their relationship follows typical rom-com trajectory. Constant bickering as they race to pull together an ad campaign to save Ally's job quickly melts away as they get to know each other. Each is a hapless romantic who can't help but get in their own way, Ally with her obsession with her ex and Jay with coming on too strong from the jump. Of course, the twist is that all this bonding comes as they run for their lives on Valentine's Day. Though their more heartfelt moments of connection drag the movie's third act too much for my liking, it does lead to some really fun moments that feel genuine. Like when their banter turns to heckling the serial killer's technique for hackin' and slashin'. Every character feels like they know they're in a campy slasher movie, and that's part of what I found so charming about "Heart Eyes." It reminded me of the "Scary Movie" franchise back in its heyday. For instance, one of the cops tracking Heart Eyes is a full-blown incel bitter over the fact that he's single on Valentine's Day. Naturally, he gets stabbed in the crotch. I cracked up during a shopping montage when it cut to Ally's friend Monica (Gigi Zumbado) giving her outfit a thumbs down with a full bottle of Hennessy in hand. That same friend delivers one of my favorite moments later on when she gives a pep talk to Ally that namedrops an impressive number of rom-com movie titles. (My husband didn't catch a single one and was confused why I was laughing so hard, so suffice it to say we're getting a divorce.) The killer's design is also one of my favorites in recent memory. Is it practical? Of course not, but it looks cool as hell. The lights on the mask have a low-tech crunchiness to them that I found delightful, and the red especially pops in the dark. I particularly liked one scene shot from the killer's perspective, which felt like a throwback to "The Silence of the Lambs," one of my favorite horror movies of all time. The gorey bits never linger too long either, which was great because I'm a wimp with that stuff. There were a few moments during the final fight that I had to watch through my fingers, but it's far from "Terrifier" territory. Is "Heart Eyes" one of the best horror movies I've ever seen? Eh. But it's a solid popcorn flick that doesn't take itself too seriously and was clearly made with love from fans of both the horror and rom-com genres. It plays into both romcom and slasher tropes with a devilish grin, striking a satisfying balance between scares, laughs, and self-awareness without beating you over the head with it. "Heart Eyes" is a refreshing break from elevated horror that taps into what drew many fans to the genre in the first place. I fully expect to see Heart Eyes masks earn a place on store shelves right alongside Jason and Michael Myers come this Halloween. Still not quite sold on "Heart Eyes?" For even more streaming recommendations, be sure to check out our round-up of the top new movies to stream on Netflix, Max, Hulu, and more this weekend.
Forbes
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Netflix's Best New Horror Movie Is One Of The Highest-Scored Of 2025
Heart Eyes We are nearly halfway through the year, and despite that, we only have a couple good mainstream horror movies that have been released thus far. As such, when Netflix has snagged one that has gotten rather high scores, it's worth highlighting. That movie is Heart Eyes, what looked like a goofy slasher film, and…is a goofy slasher film, but one that's a throwback to schlocky classics in a way that's actually quite fun. It's not a cerebral A24 flick by any means, but it's something we don't see too often these days and not everything needs to be 'elevated' horror. Here's the synopsis: Heart Eyes has a solid 81% on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, which believe it or not is one of the highest-scored of the year so far. It also has a decently good (for horror) 77% audience score. Here's a breakdown of the list of more major entries of 2025, with perhaps a few missing: Heart Eyes So you get the idea, it's just been a rough year overall so far, but Heart Eyes is more or less in third place. Second, if you remove Sinners because it's way more than just a vampire film. But either way, you should watch Sinners. This will probably not be the case for long. There are a large number of big-name horror movies coming out soon, Bring Her Back, Fear Street: Prom Queen, 28 Years Later, M3GAN 2.0, I Know What You Did Last Summer (remake) and Weapons, which I assume may be the best of the bunch as that's from the director of Barbarian. But all of those are not out until later this month to August of this year, so in the meantime, your options are kind of few and far between. Is Heart Eyes one of the best horror movies I've ever seen? Not even close. Is it a fun revisiting of a classic slasher? Certainly, and Olivia Holt gives a great performance in particular. The villain himself is pretty cool with a slate of terrifying weapons. There's a good amount of gore here but we're not in full Terrifier territory, though few things are. Besides this film, I would recommend Companion without question, but I've focused on Heart Eyes here because it's free ('free') on Netflix as of this week. Enjoy. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
USA Today
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
From 'Black Bag' to 'Nonnas,' 10 movies you need to stream right now
From 'Black Bag' to 'Nonnas,' 10 movies you need to stream right now Show Caption Hide Caption 'Heart Eyes': Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding run afoul of a killer Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding star as co-workers mistaken for a couple by a masked serial killer on Valentine's Day in slasher rom-com "Heart Eyes." Love movies? Live for TV? USA TODAY's Watch Party newsletter has all the best recommendations, delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now and be one of the cool kids. Streaming movie fans are eating well this month. And we're not just talking about the scrumptious-looking Italian vittles cooked up in "Nonnas," a perfect movie for Mother's Day weekend. The Vince Vaughn Netflix dramedy leads a bunch of new flicks in May that have arrived on your favorite streaming services, from Hulu and Amazon's Prime Video to Peacock and Max. There are theatrical releases finally coming home, including a romantic slasher and a Ke Huy Quan action comedy, if you like to celebrate Valentine's Day all year round. Don't sleep on the original fare, though, such as an Anna Kendrick/Blake Lively sequel and a teen sex comedy starring "Saturday Night Live" regular Chloe Fineman. Here are 10 notable new movies you can stream right now: 'Adult Best Friends' Director Delaney Buffett co-writes and co-stars with Katie Corwin in the indie comedy about two childhood best friends who have their codependence tested. When one gets engaged to her masseuse boyfriend (Mason Gooding), she plans on springing the news on the other during a nostalgic beach trip that goes cringingly off the rails. Where to watch: Max 'Another Simple Favor' In Paul Feig's dark comedy mystery sequel, crime-solving mommy vlogger Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) is shocked when fresh-out-of-jail frenemy Emily (Blake Lively) invites her to be maid of honor at her wedding in Capri. Assorted shenanigans ensue involving Italian mob families, shady relatives, bloody murders and cold martinis. Where to watch: Prime Video 'Black Bag' Steven Soderbergh's whodunit twist on the spy thriller is a bit of a must-see. Michael Fassbender plays a British intelligence officer tasked with finding who leaked a top-secret software program and betrayed their country, and the list of five potentially traitorous suspects includes his own high-profile wife (Cate Blanchett). Where to watch: Peacock 'The Damned' In the freaky psychological horror tale, a 19th-century widow (Odessa Young) heads up a remote fishing village in the Arctic. Her crew comes across a shipwreck and morally wrestles with saving the survivors or leaving them to die and conserve their own depleting supplies, and a dark folkloric creature rises in the aftermath. Where to watch: Hulu 'The End' Need something strange? How about an ambitious post-apocalyptic musical? Tilda Swinton and Michael Shannon play the mom and dad of a wealthy family holed up in a posh bunker in a salt mine, George MacKay plays their son who yearns to know about the inhospitable outside world, and Moses Ingram is the stranger who changes everything. Where to watch: Hulu 'Heart Eyes' The horror rom-com juggles the many tropes of both its genres, but this gory slasher romp also boasts an impressive mean streak, entertaining leads and an excellent hook. A masked psycho hits up a new big city to gut couples every Valentine's Day, and this time targets Seattle co-workers (Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding) mistaken for lovers. Where to watch: Netflix 'Love Hurts' Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan snags his first leading role in the action comedy. He plays a good-natured realtor and ex-hitman whose past comes flying back in his face – as do a lot of punches – when the lawyer (Ariana DeBose) he was supposed to kill years ago returns to town. (He also harbors strong feelings for her, though she doesn't know it.) Where to watch: Peacock 'Nickel Boys' Director RaMell Ross' innovative, Oscar-nominated drama tells its riveting tale from the first-person vantage of its two young protagonists. In 1960s Jim Crow Florida, Black teenager Elwood (Ethan Herisse) is unjustly convicted of car theft and sent to reform school, where he faces abuse and corruption alongside a fellow student (Brandon Wilson). Where to watch: Prime Video 'Nonnas' Vince Vaughn trades the broad comedy for something sweeter and more heartfelt with this dramedy, based on a true story. He stars as a Brooklyn MTA worker who, after the death of his beloved mom, uses the life insurance money to open a restaurant in her honor where the chefs are Italian grandmas who can cook like a kitchen on fire. Where to watch: Netflix 'Summer of 69' In Jillian Bell's directorial debut, high school senior Abby (Sam Morelos) finds out that her crush (Matt Cornett) prefers a certain sexual position. To master it – even though she's totally inexperienced – Abby enlists exotic dancer Santa Monica (Chloe Fineman) to be her "sexual fairy godmother" in the coming-of-age comedy. Where to watch: Hulu
