Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Heretic (2024) While HereticTaco Bell’s opening line may seem like a throwaway joke, but it’s surprisingly pivotal to the film’s plot. A24 Horror Movie Heretic It’s impressively unpredictable. For the first half of its running time, the psychological thriller plays like a deftly written two-hander in which Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton, two Mormon missionaries played by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East, attempt to convert the affable and cynical Mr. However, things take a dark turn when the women attempt to leave Reed’s labyrinthine home and soon discover that he has a dark plan…
Author: Cathal Gunning
Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Smile 2 Although Smile 2The twist ending is ingenious, but it also creates a big problem for Smile 3. Smile 2 manages to take director Parker Finn’s 2022 hit and expand on the twisty psychological horror in a number of ways. While Smile focused on a mental health professional who was cursed after witnessing the death of her patient, Smile 2 centers on Naomi Scott’s glamorous pop star Skye Riley as she battles the franchise’s demonic villain. Smile 2Skye is based on real-life musicians, but fortunately her ultimate fate is not shared by any…
While Terrifying 3The box office success was already impressive, the horror sequel’s latest record-breaking achievement could substantially reshape the genre for years to come. Terrifying 3The company’s success is, by any metric, surprising. The $2M Horror Sequel That Features No A-List Stars Dethroned Joker 2 during its opening weekend to become the number one film in America. In the weeks that followed, Terrifying 3Box office performance was increasingly strong. By early November, the sequel had grossed more than $63 million, despite Terrifying 3The brutal deaths risk alienating casual viewers. Although Terrifying 3The controversial opening scene made viewers vomit and faint,…
Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Heretic (2024) The butterfly that appears in HereticThe ending of may seem like a relatively small detail, but this animal’s appearance is central to the film’s symbolic story. The religious horror of A24 Heretic is a densely packed film, which is quite a feat considering the story only has three named characters. For most of its running time, the unbearably tense Heretic follows Mormon missionaries Sister Barnes and Sister Paxton, played by Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East, as they try to convert the seemingly sweet Mr. Once the pair try to leave the Reed…
Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Heretic (2024) Although Mr. Reed’s plan in Heretic It may seem confusing, the scheme makes sense, and the ways it falls apart make sense upon further observation. Heretic is an A24 horror film about two Mormon missionaries, Sophie Thatcher’s Sister Barnes and Chloe East’s Sister Paxton, who find themselves trapped when a seemingly friendly man invites them inside to discuss religion. As the conversation turns sour and the weather outside worsens, the two frightened women ask to leave. Hugh Grant’s previously charming Mr. Reed informs them that they can’t leave and begins a psychological…
Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Simpsons Season 36, Episode 5, “Treehouse of Horror XXXV” While The Simpsons Season 36’s Treehouse of Horror special wasn’t perfect, the episode brought back a welcome trope from previous Halloween outings. The Simpsons produced 38 Treehouse of Horror Halloween specials and these varied in quality over the decades. Some, like Season 6 Episode 6, “Treehouse of Horror V,” are among the best episodes of The Simpsons. Others could reasonably be called examples of the program’s nadir. Still others, like episode 1 of season 16, “Treehouse of Horror XV”, represent the moment The Simpsons…
Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Abbott Elementary, season 4, episode 4, ‘Dad Fight’ Although Abbott Elementary rarely draws attention to its mockumentary setup, the sitcom poked fun at this framing device and used it to facilitate a plot point in season 4. Just a few years ago, mockumentary sitcoms were common on network television. After precursors like Arrested development and 30 rock experimented with handheld cameras and breaking the fourth wall, the American version of The office, Parks and Recreationand Modern Family has made mockumentary sitcoms some of the most commercially and critically acclaimed comedy programs on television. Recently,…
Although Rick and Morty Season 7 introduced one of the best twists the series has ever delivered, that doesn’t necessarily mean Season 8 should double down on that reveal. Rick and Morty Season 8 has a lot of hype to deal with. Not only was it Rick and Morty: the anime a big disappointment, but Rick and MortyThe season 7 finale was one of the best episodes of the series in years. Rick and MortyThe season 7 finale, episode 10, “Fear No Mort,” earned a 9.4 rating on IMDBthe show’s highest rating in years. This isn’t particularly surprising, as the…
Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Simpsons Season 36, Episode 5, “Treehouse of Horror XXXV” While The Simpsons loves silly jokes, even the series itself made fun of this style of comedy in the Season 36 Treehouse of Horror Halloween special. The Simpsons does not hesitate to mock its own formula. The show has been on the air for over three decades, and thanks to that longevity, the animated family comedy has inevitably developed some reliable jokes that The Simpsons revisit frequently. For example, many The Simpsons38 Treehouse of Horror’s Halloween specials made fun of their own tendency to…
Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Ghosts, season 4, episode 3, “Halloween IV: The Witch” Although the CBS ghosts Ghosts have always had some powers, season 4 improved the sitcom’s setup, upping the ante on those abilities. Ghosts Season 4’s cast of characters includes Mary Holland’s Patience the Puritan, who kidnapped Isaac after he left Nigel at the altar in the Season 3 finale. Ghosts Season 4’s new character Patience seemed destined to become a regular at Woostone Manor when Isaac and the ghosts teamed up to drag her out of “The dirt” in the premiere, but she finally returned…