Imagine that on a rainy day you’re sitting in a dark movie theater, anticipating the next eerie scene in Jacob Chase’s Insidious: Out of the Further (2026) when the power goes out leaving your surroundings completely pitch black. How spooky is that? This is the bizarre experience I had while watching this movie. For a split second, I thought the power outage was a part of the horror film. That was my first time ever experiencing something like that at a theater, and I was able to finish viewing the film a day later when the power was restored.

Now for the film synopsis . . .

In this sequel, dental hygienist Gemma (played by Ameila Eve) learns she is a “courier” with the ability to bring tangible objects back and forth between the real world of the living and the realm called The Further, which exists between the living and the final destination of the dead. She encounters an evil and powerful entity called Cyrus (played by Sam Spruell). Cyrus’s mission is to wreak havoc by using Gemma to transport as many of the dead back to the world of the living. I thought the movie was creepy, yet not as scary as the very first Insidious (2010, dir. James Wan).

Although, there are several elements and scenes that work very well in contributing to the fear factor. Isolation, darkness, silence, and the sudden appearance of figures, like the pair of pale legs Gemma sees when she is reaching for her flashlight under the bed, equally create terror in the film. The scene where Gemma is inside of her daughter’s “fort” made of sofa cushions is one of the scariest. This tiny make believe fort is transformed into a long, dark tunnel that goes in a couple of different directions like a maze. She is trapped inside of it and taunted by the Acolytes (played by Joseph Lopez, Robina Beard, and Susan Gray), who are the living helpers of Cyrus. These evil helpers also have the ability to go in between the realm of the living and The Further; however, they do not have Gemma’s ability to transport items. Besides giving claustrophobia, this scene is also frightening because each of the three Acolytes’ heads are positioned in random areas in the cushion tunnel and stare at Gemma with evil eyes. After a long staredown, she is chased by one of them before she manages to slide through a crack in the cushion. During this part where Gemma squeezes her body through the cushion crack, it becomes a little like a scene from The Blair Witch Project (1999, dirs. Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez), where the camera shots and lighting give a real-life-home-video type effect. Once Gemma gets through, she is met by another Acolyte who gives her a creepy message. The whole scene is very sinister.

Another very scary scene is the one where Gemma is in The Further version of a dental office. She is surrounded by several members of the dead who look like desperate, evil, creepy ghouls ready to pounce on her. This is also where she makes her first known contact with Cyrus, who has a strong dominance over the other members of the dead. This is reminiscent of his former life as a crazy cult leader who convinced his followers to readily embrace death so they could reach a higher level. The darkness in the scene, the ghouls, Gemma’s isolation among them, Cyrus’s presence, and his extra deep voice all make the scene very eerie.

Something that I found fascinating about this film is the stressed importance of spirituality, the connection between the living and the dead, and the communication between both realms. Personally, I do believe in the spiritual realm, and that there are good spirits and bad ones. Two members of the deceased–Gemma’s mom, Ingrid (played by Laura Gordon), and Elise (played by Lin Shaye), the medium from the previous Insidious films, are representations of good spirits, while Cyrus and the others of the dead are evil spirits. Like in the film, there are mediums and others who can see and communicate with the dead in real life. A living body of a medium can be used as a “conduit” by which spirits can enter and communicate with the living. This is seen in several scenes throughout the film. Paired with the communication through body and energy is the clasping of the hands between the living and the dead in the film. Ingrid, Gemma and Maya (played by Island Austin), Gemma’s daughter, all have the hereditary “gift” of being couriers. There are scenes in the film where each one is forced to join hands with a member of the dead which allows them to be used to transport the dead from The Further to the world of the living. The same action of the clasping of the hands between the living and the dead is also found in the 2022 film Talk to Me (dirs. Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou). In Talk to Me a group of friends come upon an embalmed hand that when held forces the person holding it to conjure spirits and to have contact with the dead. This channeling of spirits through touching and joining energies of the living and dead and/or supernatural is highlighted in both films. Also in both movies is the representation of doors or portals being open in the spiritual realm which allows dark supernatural entities to crossover to the realm of the living.

Another bit of interesting symbolism in Insidious: Out of the Further is found between the result of being a courier and living with depression. After her contact with the dead, Gemma displays feelings of extreme fatigue, loss of interest in fun activities, a lost sense of time, and a complete change in attitude, mood, and personality. These symptoms are also common in depression. Depression is very real and experienced by many around the world. Gemma saw the same pattern in Ingrid. If this were not a horror movie, both characters would probably receive diagnoses of depression. Overall, I enjoyed the movie and I think it is worth checking out.

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The Call to Witchery (2026) is by a brand new author, Lorraine Johnston. She brings this adult fantasy with such an interesting plot. Abigail is a 35-year-old professional and single woman who has not embraced a part of her family’s heritage—witchcraft. Decades after the death of her parents, Abigail finally decides to unlock the magic she has been rejecting for so long, which flips her life from “boring” to one now filled with adventure. With help from an interesting array of characters including her family members, talking animals and elves, Abigail steps into her call to witchery.

I found The Call to Witchery to be a good fantasy novel. It kept me intrigued where I did not want to put it down. What I find sets it apart from YA fantasy are the bits like the normalcy of witchcraft, adult conversations over wine and bruschetta, and a certain level of maturity that allows a character’s taking responsibility and accountability for their actions. The magical realism found in the worldbuilding from the characters to each adventurous subplot is awesome.

What is most interesting is Johnston’s development of the protagonist, Abigail, in relation to an important theme within the book. Abigail rejects her magic in continuing to refuse activating her amulet. She also does not trust her magic which causes others around her to not trust it as well. This is parallel to her not believing in herself and not having any self-confidence, which is something that many people experience. If one does not have confidence, others can tell and sense their weakness. Once Abigail does activate her amulet and decides to step into her magic, every event afterwards allows her to grow and to become stronger and brings her closer to her purpose and who she is meant to become. The other characters around Abigail support her in working towards being the best and true version of herself. This is the journey of building the confidence needed to believe in oneself enough to trust they are doing everything necessary to become who they are meant to be for their predestined purpose. Not only does Abigail transform into a confident, powerful witch, but she also gains a new eye color. Her development in this story makes this novel more than just a fantasy, but also a psychological coming of age.

The Call to Witchery is bound to have a sequel because the end left me curious about a few pieces of unfinished business. Also, Abigail’s transformation by the end has to be the beginning of more to come. I enjoyed reading this novel. I rate it a 4 out of 5.

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Ring a ding ding

Ring a ding dong

Ring a ding ding

Is the ice cream song

–Ice Cream Song, Ice Cream Man (2026)

After enjoying a delicious milkshake just before entering the movie theater, I decided to watch Ice Cream Man (2026) (no joke, I really did have a milkshake before this movie). Eli Roth brings a bit of nostalgia to the screen with this horror slasher film except this ice cream turns the children into sinister beings. The power and control the Ice Cream Man’s ice cream has over the children is comparable to that of Gladys’s spell over the kids in Weapons (2025, dir. Zach Cregger). The kids in Children of the Corn (1984, dir. Fritz Kiersch) ain’t got nothin’ on these kiddos. In Ice Cream Man almost all of the children consume the ice cream man’s ice cream and it makes them turn on all of the adults in town. Teenagers who eat the ice cream become paralyzed. I still do not understand how Lizzie (played by Sarah Abbott), Jared’s teenaged older sister, is able to roll herself out of bed if she cannot feel her body. It makes me think of the “Wiggle your big toe” command that The Bride (played by Uma Thurman) gives herself to quickly transition out of a temporary paraplegic state in Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003, dir. Quentin Tarantino).

What I thought worked in this film is the addition of a realistic backstory given to the Ice Cream Man (played by Ari Millen). Here, an ice cream man is no longer an anonymous neighborhood provider of sweet treats. Long before the Ice Cream Man becomes a bearer of evil, he is an innocent man falsely accused of being a pedophile and used as a scapegoat, lied upon to take the fall for a priest’s crime of sexually violating the children in the town. While imprisoned, the Ice Cream Man makes a deal with a necromancer—his soul in exchange for revenge on the townspeople. He gets his bargain met as his ice cream causes the kids to go on a killing spree, targeting all of the adults. Those who have turned into zombie-like killing machines entice the surviving kids who have not consumed the ice cream—Jared (played by Charlie Zeltzer), Tommy (played by Shiloh O’Reilly), and Mia (played Kiori Mirza Waldman)---to eat it and become like them. The presence of an eeriness throughout the film equally worked well.

While I like the concept, I felt the execution was not that great. It was like watching a 1980s cheesy slasher film with subpar acting, corny dialogue, and constant exposure to blood and guts. Yes, I can stand a lot of blood in horror, but there is too much blood and guts in this one. Even the way in which the kids kill the adults and what they do with the remains is extremely bizarre. They jump rope with intestines, scoop brains out onto a cone and force feed a dead victim, and even carry around decapitated heads as if they are stuffed animals. The way in which the kids intensely go after the adults for the purpose of completely wiping them out is much like what the kids do to a couple (who happen to be parents to be) on a remote island in Come Out and Play (2012, dir. Makinov). In both films, the children are absolutely demonic.

There were moments where I was mortified and others where I was giggling which also makes Ice Cream Man a dark comedy. For some, the antics performed by the children might be “goofy”, but for me what I found funny was Tommy. There is a scene where he, Jared and Mia are hidden from the other kids and locked in the walk-in freezer of the church. While Jared and Mia are scared they may never escape, Tommy adds a bit of comic relief by saying, “At least we’re going to heaven”. Besides the clever necromancer, Tommy is also the smartest character in the entire movie.

Roth also directed Thanksgiving (2023) which is a horror slasher mystery about a crazed mystery killer murdering almost everyone in town during Thanksgiving. The film has just as much blood as Ice Cream Man, yet I feel it does a better job than Ice Cream Man. Thanksgiving gets the point across without being as bizarre and the addition of the mystery element where I am trying to figure out who the killer is makes it more interesting. Other films in which Roth does a great job include Hostel (2005), Grindhouse (2007), and The Green Inferno (2013). He also produced the television series Eli Roth Presents: A Ghost Ruined My Life (2021-2022) which is a collection of episodes about real people’s encounters with supernatural entities that had me shaking in my boots. Roth has done good work in the past, but I did not think Ice Cream Man did as well as the others. Instead of buying a movie ticket to see Ice Cream Man, you should save your money and wait for it to become available for streaming.

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The Netflix crime drama series Nemesis (2026) is brilliant. In this “cat and mouse” story, Los Angeles Detective Isaiah Stiles (played by Matthew Law) is in constant pursuit of real estate mogul and master thief Coltrane Wilder (played by Y’lan Noel). Wilder and his team manage to pull off million dollar heist after million dollar heist, while Stiles puts together the pieces of the puzzle, yet arrives too late each time to catch his nemesis.

I think it is genius that the level of robbery that Wilder does is possible in this day and age with the amount and advancement of modern day technology. With the number of cameras monitoring the public, including my own phone, I would not dare steal a candy bar, let alone millions of dollars or millions in diamonds, yet Wilder and his guys have a whole system in place to make it look so easy. The action-packed scenes in this series are awesome. My favorite is the big shoot out between Wilder and his men versus Stiles and the L.A. police. The amount of ammunition that each side unleashes is probably equivalent to that of World War II, and everything and almost everyone gets shot up.

Major spoilers beyond this point.

The most profound theme that I find relevant in Nemesis is loyalty which is present among three sets of important relationships. One is the relationship between Wilder and his wife, Ebony (played by Cleopatra Coleman). A person might think that a criminal who has committed violent acts would surely be sinister towards their significant other or loved ones, but Wilder proves this theory to be wrong. While he is committing theft, Wilder is faithful and loving to Ebony, who is also involved in the crimes. As Wilder continues pulling heists, Ebony decides to walk away from the criminal side of things, although she remains at Wilder’s side and is fully aware of everything illegal that he is still involved in. The fact that Wilder does not leave Ebony and she, in turn, does not leave him nor “rat” him out to the police after she quits thieving is a great example of true loyalty and a tight bond.

Another deep tie is between Ebony and her big sister, Charlie (played by Sophina Brown). Charlie is the mastermind behind all of the heists. While managing to stay hidden in plain sight, Charlie scopes and coordinates the “jobs”. Wilder and his guys execute them. Charlie is a boss babe, leave-my-feelings-at-the-doorstep-right-now-til-I-do-what-I-gotta-do-because-I-gotta-get-this-bag-(even by illegal means)-and-no-one-will-stop-me-and-yes-I’m-that-damn-good type of chick. (I love her character even though she is a “bad guy”!!!) Yet she is putty in Ebony’s hands because big sis will do anything for lil’ sis, like facilitating an extremely clever escape for Ebony out of police custody. Ebony whole-heartedly trusts Charlie and applies every bit of guidance she receives from her. When forced by the police to put Charlie on speaker phone for a request to save a life, Ebony still remains loyal by speaking in “code” so that she does not give away her sister’s identity. Although Charlie is disappointed in Ebony for the exposure to the police, she is still right there at Ebony’s side, continuing to help her out of trouble. That is love and true sisterhood.

Finally, there is the relationship between Stiles and his family which consists of his wife, Candace (played by Gabrielle Dennis), and his son, Noah (played by Cedric Joe). Stiles may be the “good guy” in the streets of L.A.; however, he is the “bad guy” at home. He and Candace are separated. She is in the house with their son, while he is in the guest house alone. Stiles does not follow through on his promises which sets him and Candace further apart. Each time Stiles tries to connect with Noah, he (Stiles) messes something up which pushes his son away. Unlike the great examples of relationships in Wilder’s family, Stiles’s relationships with his family members are the result of his being neglectful to them and more loyal to his career. I like how Stiles’s character is supposed to be an archetype for good, yet he is actually bad in what I think matters most. At the same time, Wilder’s character is proving to be “the model example” in comparison to Stiles though he is supposed to be a “bad guy”. All of this is essential to the core of the plot—nemesis against nemesis. Though Stiles and Wilder are in opposition, the both of them are loyal to their desire to take each other down.

I enjoyed watching season one of Nemesis. It is a wonderful series. There will be a second season which I look forward to viewing.

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Franck Khalfoun’s Night of the Hunted (2023) is an intense thriller about a woman, Alice (played by Camille Rowe), who becomes the target of a sociopathic sniper (played by Stasa Stanic) at a remote gas station in the middle of the night. The entire film is centered around whether this woman will be able to survive making it out of this gas station while someone else is playing Call of Duty with her life.

My experience watching this film was similar to that of when I saw Speed (1994, dir. Jan de Bont). Speed is about a sociopathic bomber who plants a bomb on a bus. The only way to keep it from exploding and killing a bunch of innocent people is by continuing to move it along the city of Los Angeles above a certain speed limit without stopping. In both of these films exist people who are disgruntled to the point that they have taken rein over the lives of others so they can seek their own personal “retributions”. While these deranged people are playing God by deciding who they think should “go” or be spared, flawed yet innocent lives are being tampered with. (More importantly is how both films highlight how essential the need is for mental health in society.) The whole time I am at the edge of my seat worried for them, shouting at the television to run, fight, etc.

During the first portion of the time that Alice is in the store and after the first gunshot, I found myself wondering where exactly the shooter is positioned. I assumed it was a robbery that Alice walked into and that the shooter was probably standing behind the counter near the cash register. Of course, I was wrong and found out midway that it is a sniper aiming from the top of a billboard, which ironically reads “GODISNOWHERE”, across the street. I thought the placement of the sniper and the mystery of where the gunshots were actually coming from was a great idea in this film.

Alice is flawed because she is cheating on her husband with a colleague accompanying her on a roadtrip from a convention, yet I do not believe this warrants anyone (with the exception of her husband…lol) trying to take her life. Yes, her colleague and lover, John (played by Jeremy Scippio), is killed by the sniper. I bring all this up to say that what I find interesting is that the sniper knows everything about Alice, including her infidelity. He communicates with her through a walkie talkie he has left in the store. He tells her things that he would not know about her which had me wondering . . . Did the husband set this up? I also thought the sniper could have very well been her husband. It is not confirmed in the film nor is the sniper’s identification ever revealed.

I enjoyed this thriller film. The interesting plot is very entertaining and makes the film a great choice for a Friday night flick.

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I finally finished watching the AMC Series NOS4A2 (2019 - 2020), based on the horror novel by one of my favorite authors, Joe Hill. After reading the book and watching the series, you will never view Christmas the same ever again. The story centers around two important characters. Charlie Manx (played by Zachary Quinto) is a vampire and owner of a 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith who is on the hunt for as many children as he can take to Christmasland, a place he has manifested. When a child rides in the backseat of Manx’s Wraith, they become vampires like him as he absorbs their youthfulness, so he can remain a young version of himself. The protagonist is Victoria “Vic” McQueen (played by Ashleigh Cummings), a motorcycle riding teenage rebel with a gift in art. In her mind, Vic conjures up an old bridge called “The Shorter Way”, which is another one of her gifts that she takes her motorcycle on which leads her to Manx and the only way she can destroy him. When she becomes a mother, Vic stops at nothing to save her son, Bruce “Wayne” McQueen (What a name, right?) (played by Jason David), from Manx’s grip. She receives help from folks like Maggie (played by Jahkara Smith), another creative with a gift for reading into the future and finding out information from her bag of tiles.

Major Spoiler Alert Beyond This Point

I remember when I first read NOS4A2 (2013), which happens to be a 600 page book, I loved it. I could not put it down, and it was such a quick read (believe it or not). I was just as pleased and impressed with the series. Yes, there are some changes in the translation from book to series, yet they enhance the development of the plot and characters. Some of these changes include: the order of some of the events, more involvement from Vic’s parents who are distant from her in the book, the addition of a new character called “The Hourglass Man” who can control people with his little hourglass, and the development of Manx’s backstory.

What I found worked really excellent in both the book and the series is the development of the main characters. In Hill’s work, he creates realistic characters who are “rough around the edges” and not perfect by any means, but they all have the desire to do what is right no matter what. In NOS4A2 (2013 and 2019 - 2020), Hill also illustrates human desire to dream and to have aspirations, only to be challenged by life’s unsuspecting circumstances. Besides her battles with Manx and witnessing the end of her parents’ marriage, Vic is offered a scholarship for her excellence in creating amazing sketch art. The trajectory of her life changes when she finds out she is pregnant by her close friend who dies during an attempt to kill Manx. All of these events cause Vic to give up her dream of becoming a great artist by scrapping her scholarship to raise her son and to build a life with her husband Lou Carmody (played by Jonathan Langdon). Vic does not feel fit for the job of being a good partner and mother, so she is neglectful, turns to alcoholism and carelessly sets the house on fire, nearly killing Wayne. The series does a great job of visually bringing to life Vic’s character from the book. She had high hopes which were shot down by life’s circumstances, yet she still gets up and fights. As I watched the series, I was rooting for Vic the entire time. From her downs to the moment she chooses sobriety and her family to the moment she saves Wayne and finally defeats Manx for good.

The other example of characterization that I thoroughly enjoyed in this series is that of Charlie Manx. In the book, Manx is presented as this odd villain who is intriguing, yet very maniacal. However, the series helps in better understanding his character in a way that represents a full and very effective development of a character. I got to experience a range of emotions as I observed Manx as a character. It allowed me to understand him and relate to him as a human being outside of his being a villain. Manx is more than an extremely old bad guy who kidnaps kids so he can stay young looking. He is also a father who loves his daughter, Millie (played by Mattea Conforti), and is committed to providing for her and protecting her. Manx grew up in poverty as the son of a prostitute. He was sexually violated as a boy and he murdered his mother because she did not protect him. When he became a man, he married into a wealthy family. His father-in-law despised him and disrespected him because he felt Manx was not worthy to be called a man due to the fact that he had no way to support his family. However, Manx had a dream to be a good husband, father and provider. He bought his Wraith with the dream of owning a fleet of vehicles in his chauffeur business which never took off. With his dream down the drain and a broken family, Manx never gave up on his daughter, which is who gave him the inspiration to create Christmasland. I feel like the series made up for what was missing in the book regarding Manx’s character. I found myself feeling sorry for Manx at certain points in the series. To take an antagonist and make them relatable and to show their human side is excellent characterization. Though Manx is a villain, I have much respect for him. The series allowed me to develop a liking to his character that I did not feel in the book.

Other elements and techniques that I thought really worked well both in the book and in the series are the interesting plot, the unique spin on the vampire trope, Manx’s Wraith, and Christmasland. I had the same feeling of enjoyment with both the book and the series. I think Manx’s Wraith and his connection to it is super cool. Manx is the Wraith and the Wraith is Manx. The series gives the visuals of each time the Wraith breaks down, Manx becomes weak and old and if it is destroyed he dies. When it is repaired, he is strengthened and when it is restored, he comes back to life, young, handsome and stronger.

The makeup is great. Manx and the children he has brought to Christmasland all have evidence of vampireism through their rows of pointy teeth and hunger for human flesh and blood. Although, Manx feeds off of the youthfulness of every child, which is a brilliant part of the story. What is so catchy to me about Christmasland are both the idea of Christmas every day, all day forever and the idea to turn such a joyful holiday like Christmas dark.

The end of the series is different from how the book ends. In the series, Wayne desires to return to Christmasland and Millie has escaped Christmasland and wreaks havoc. NOS4A2 is a wonderful horror novel and series. To my fellow horror fans, I highly recommend both the book and the series (also available on Netflix).

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If you haven’t read parts 1 and 2 or if you need a refresher, here they are:

Part I

Part II

Beth was fascinated with the lesson she learned about the Salem Witch Trials of the 17th century. When she arrived home from school, she opened her book and continued reading. Beth gasped at the sight of the picture of the young woman from her dream the night before. The caption read Raven Sullivan, accused witch, who after a one-day trial was found guilty and sentenced to death.

October 31,1692 - Salem Village, Massachusetts Bay Colony

“Aaaaah! Aaaaah! Let me go!”

Raven struggled to free herself from the two men as they wrapped the rope around her body. They secured her in place against a tall, wooden torture stake. Just below her was a pile of wood.

One of the men yanked the pentagram pendant from around Raven’s neck.

“Give it back!” Raven demanded.

The man laughed and threw the pendant on the ground as he followed his partner down from the torture stake and into the crowd.

Under the grey clouds of the night sky, Raven scanned the crowd that had gathered around her. The fire from the torches the people held illuminated the narrowed eyes, flared nostrils and clenched jaws on the faces of the men, women and children of Salem Village. A cold breeze of the autumn air caused Raven to shiver.

“Help me!” she screamed.

“Shut up, Witch!” yelled a man from the crowd.

Raven could barely move any inch of her body as she was so tightly bound to the stake.

“Get me down from here! You have no right to do this to me.”

A village woman waved her arms in the air as if to conjure up something magical. “Why don’t you use your sorcery to free yourself?”

The crowd burst into laughter.

Raven cried out, “Stop it! All of you.”

A boy picked up a rock and threw it at her, hitting her on her cheek. More rocks and twigs flew in her direction.

The villagers continued laughing.

Raven put her head down and wept.

“Enough!” yelled a man in a white barrister wig and long black robe.

The crowd went silent.

The man made his way to the torture stake, accompanied by a very large man holding a flamed torch.

“Raven Sullivan, you are being put to death this 31st day of October for the crime of witchcraft. Have you any last words?” asked the man in the wig.

Raven raised her head. With narrowed eyes and pursed lips, she looked at the man and then to the people of the village.

“Judge, my body you may kill, but my soul is eternal. And I will haunt and destroy you all!”

The crowd yelled insults and profanities. Some laughed.

The judge nodded to the large man.

The large man lit the pile of wood at the base of the stake.

“Aaaaah!” Raven’s eyes grew wide.

The villagers continued their yelling, screaming and laughter. A melody from a violin and clapping hands could be heard.

Raven peered downward at the fire rising just beneath her bare feet. The heat made her sweat. She shook her head and rapidly blinked her eyes.

Please let it rain, she thought.

She watched the crowd dancing and celebrating. A toddler picked up Raven’s pendant and threw it in the fire.

“Eeeeek!” The fire consumed her feet and was moving up her legs.

A clap of thunder filled the air.

With clenched teeth, Raven shifted her head toward the sky.

Beneath the heat of the fire, Raven felt something moving within her gut. Her face tightened. The rumble in her stomach mixed with the hot flames was too much for her to bear. The crowd’s cheering drowned her own thoughts. Whatever it was had moved up her throat and to her mouth. A lion’s roar was her scream. Astaroth’s snout poked out of Raven’s mouth.

The villagers paused their activities of excitement.

The fire was up to Raven’s neck. Smoke rose high into the sky. Her eyes turned from green to black and two horns grew from her head.

Everyone screamed. People scrambled, pushed and trampled over one another to escape.

The snout turned into fire that shot from Raven’s mouth to the man who told her to shut up.

“She really is a witch,” yelled the woman from earlier.

Raven shot a ball of fire into the woman’s mouth. There was more thunder and still no rain.

Totally engulfed in the fire, Raven laughed a deep, grotesque snicker.

With her fire, she burned the wig atop the judge’s head. She continued hitting people with fire. Some laid dead, others got away and some continued dodging the fire.

A girl in tattered clothing, a village slave, watched the entire event from behind a tree. She held black tourmaline beads up to her lips and kissed them. She ran up to Raven’s burning body and pitched the beads into the fire.

A thunderous roar came from the flames. Within a blink of an eye, Raven’s orange flaming figure descended into the ground and shook the earth. Rain came down and extinguished the empty torture stake.

The slave girl searched within the embers at the bottom of the stake. She saw that the beads were undestroyed. She picked them up and put them around her neck.

To be continued…

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I Will Follow (2024) by Eireann Corrigan is a thriller about Shea Davison, a popular 15-year-old dancing TikTok influencer, who is kidnapped by Nora, a 17-year-old crazed fan. At such a young age, Nora has devised a plan to hold Shea against her will at her stepfather’s remote cabin in the woods of Tacoma, Washington. Reading this book reminded me of Stephen King’s Misery (1987) and the 1990 film version of the story, directed by Rob Reiner and starring Kathy Bates and James Caan. In Misery, a famous author is rescued from a car crash by a fan who, similar to Nora, is obsessed with him, deranged, and keeps him against his will while torturing him. In I Will Follow, Shea thinks of ways to escape and tries to find Nora’s weakness to manipulate her to let her go. At the same time, Nora’s demented actions and personality are further explored.

Nora thinks that her taking Shea is beneficial for both of them. In the book, she says, “One day, you and I will both look back on this time and think of it as a rescue, Shea. I truly believe that.” (Corrigan 162). Nora thinks she can help Shea improve her dance moves and that they will be bosom buddies. This reminds me of how some pathological liars actually believe their own lies. Nora tells Shea, “But you know, there are dangerous people roaming around.” (Corrigan 159). Shea had to have been thinking the same as me, “Like you, Nora.”

Not only did Nora plan this entire scheme, but she has also built an apparatus to keep Shea bound while also allowing her to be able to do her dance moves on her TikTok channel to make viewers think that all is well and that she is not being kept against her will. In reading this book, I found that the teenagers were more intelligent than the adults. Though what Nora did was cruel, how she planned it, and the skill she applied in creating the apparatus and the backdrops for the dance videos, in which she was also in while disguised, were impressive. If only she had channeled that energy into something positive. It was also smart of Shea to think of subtle, yet effective clues, like selecting songs by Alice In Chains, to include in the videos that would lead her followers and her best friend to find out what was really happening to her. Too bad for Nora that the followers who nicknamed her “Othergirl” were not as impressed with her as they were with Shea. This further lowers Nora’s self-esteem, pushes her over the edge, and makes her jealous of Shea, which makes her hurt her even more.

Corrigan not only tells an interesting story in this novel, but she also exposes how much social media can have an effect on people and their mental health, especially the youth. We currently live in a social media-driven society where both dreams and nightmares can exist. Some people are addicted to engaging in social media so much that they forget the real world exists. They don’t know how to put their devices down and enjoy nature or the company of someone else while at dinner. In some cases, social media has been a place where children, even adults, have experienced bullying and other attacks that have led some to depression, violence, suicide, and other harmful things. I’m not speaking against social media because I engage in it, I enjoy it, and it is a great resource. However, I also know that it should be used for positivity, and there should be a healthy balance.

Shea does get out alive, but I can’t say the same for Nora. Also noteworthy is Corrigan’s reference to Go Ask Alice (Anonymous, 1971), one of my favorite books. I Will Follow was an enjoyable, quick read. I rate it a 4 out of 5.

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If you are looking for a quick read filled with bits and pieces of our society’s recent events, yet still light and entertaining, you will want to read Haili Blassingame’s They All Fall in Love at the End. The story follows Cat, short for Catherine, who is a struggling server and creative writing MFA student in Washington, D.C., and has an “interesting” love life. Cat is a member of the polyamory community and has persuaded her boyfriend, Jay, that an open relationship is what works best for them. There are so many instances of exploration that occur in Cat’s love life. A couple of those occurrences happen between Cat and Tristan, Jay’s best friend, as well as Tristan’s girlfriend, Nia. With the addition of a backdrop of true events that have occurred since the second Trump administration, Cat gets involved in so many situations that are both political and personal which affect her life in so many ways.

Although so much occurs in this book, it is not too much that the reader cannot keep up. In fact, this story kept my attention the entire time as I read. Each little event made the story even more interesting. For example, the part where Cat’s mother questions Cat about her polyamorous lifestyle after her aunt who promised not to tell yet spills the beans is very hilarious. It is also symbolic of the views on alternative sexual preferences that vary among different generations. I did want more of a focus on the relationships, situationships and the polyamorous lifestyle experience and less of the politically driven events. On a lighter note, I like how Tristan shares my same appreciation for the flat portion of a chicken wing. LOL.

While I like how unique each character is written, surprisingly, there is no character that I would consider to be my favorite. During my reading of the story, I wanted Cat to succeed in every challenging situation she encountered, yet I did not like her. I feel she is selfish in wanting her way of having an open relationship. Though Jay agrees, he really does not want it. Jay is the good guy and the kind of man most women desire: kind, patient, and thoughtful, but Cat takes him for granted. I wanted to hit Cat upside her head for that. However, I cannot blame her for being true to herself and pursuing what she feels is right for her through exploring polyamory.

The tone is appropriate for this novel. The first person point of view allows me to see the world through Cat’s eyes. It is very realistic of a young adult woman trying to find her way in the world while facing challenges that some her age would face. In terms of style, the mix of the standard manuscript format with the screenplay format does work and adds a unique element to the story. Although I am not entirely sure why Blassingame chose to write a few of the chapters in screenplay format, I believe it represents how Cat may see her life as a movie. Blassingame does a wonderful job of describing the experience of living with depression through Tristan’s lenses. “You have lots of friends, you want things…Then one day, you’re just tired. Not sleepy, tired. You don’t want anything” (Blassingame 144). Blassingame gives a visual of depression and how it is a descent from happiness and a desire for life to sadness and no desire at all just from this excerpt alone.

What I believe is the overarching theme in this book is the search for identity. Cat is trying to figure out who she is through writing, sexuality, her thoughts on polygamy versus monogamy, and her relationships with Jay, Tristan and Nia. Cat’s mother, Dorinda, leaves her old life with Cat’s father, Joel, and steps into a fresh, new life.

I give Haili Blassingame’s They All Fall in Love at the End a 4 out of 5.

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WOW! Women On Writing Tour of They All Fall in Love at the End Themed Prompt Question & Response:

What has been your most romantic experience?

My most romantic experience occurred during Valentine’s Day 2015 with my boyfriend at the time. We spent the entire cozy day at home together. It was a romantic day filled with hugs, kisses, gift exchanging, a delicious take out steak dinner, and romcom movie watching. Some might ask what makes that particular Valentine’s Day special? Well, it is special to me because we intentionally made more time for each other than what we usually had on a regular basis amidst our busy work schedules to actually spend real quality time together.

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The circus has arrived in town. Nope. It’s Johnny Knoxville and the crew from MTV’s Jackass. In Jackass: Best and Last (2026) we are taken on another wacky rollercoaster ride of comedy and stunts performed by the members of the Jackass crew. The MTV produced show first aired in 2000 and presented a group of young, White males doing stunts, tricks, skits and jokes both for the entertainment of those in tv land and for the fun of it. After three seasons of the show and five movies, Jackass: Best and Last makes movie number six and what the crew claims to be their last one. There is a combination of archived footage from their younger years with present day performances that works very well and proves that these guys are still up to their usual antics at 50. And everything they do is real!!

In fact, the first scene of the film is never-before-seen footage from 1998 (which proves these guys have been at it since before their television debut) where Johnny Knoxville experiments with a gunshot to his chest by a revolver with one bullet in the chamber and the protection of a bulletproof vest and four pornographic magazines underneath it. While pointing the gun towards his chest and with each click, Johnny is asked to give up the stunt. However, he is determined to make it to the bullet. There is the shot, he falls back, and survives. He comments on how scared he was, but how much he would like to do the stunt again. If that isn’t crazy….

Alongside the dangerous stunts are comic relief through many skits. One in particular, which I thought was the funniest, is from the archived footage. Please note that what I am about to describe is in no way meant to harm the little person community. In a bar, there is a woman who is cheating on her boyfriend with Jackass crew member Jason “Wee Man” Acuña. Both of them happen to belong to the little person community. In comes the woman’s angry boyfriend who is also a member of the same community. He leaves and comes back with his friends who are all also little people and they start a ruckus with Wee Man and the girlfriend. The police, who are little people, come to break up the fight. Paramedics, also being members of the little person community, arrive on the scene. They struggle to get the one injured little person onto the gurney. What makes the scene hilarious is that all involved are members of the little person community and everything transpires similar to a scene from The Three Stooges in just a matter of minutes. Please note that while the scene is for pure entertainment, I do not condone discriminating against the little person community.

Jackass is like the “O.G.” of today’s social media memes. However, the “O.G.s” to Jackass include classics during and after the era of vaudeville like actor Charlie Chaplin (acting career: 1897-1967), who brought his style of pantomime and comedy to silent films, and shows like Laurel and Hardy (acting careers together: 1921-1955) and The Three Stooges (combined acting careers: 1922-1970) who began stretching the parameters of slapstick comedy. The earliest stunt performers were members of the traveling circus in the late 18th century. Since then, stunt performers have been stand-ins for many famous film stars who dare risk their lives doing death defying feats. Besides the Jackass crew, there is one actor among some who has done his own stunts in his films–Jackie Chan. He combines martial arts and acrobatics in performing incredible stunts in his action-packed movies.

A.I. makes an appearance in a present day scene in Jackass: Best and Last through the introduction of 1W-Larry (voiced by comedian Adam Ray), the crew’s new robot member. 1W-Larry performs a funny and disgusting stunt with Steve-O. It involves 1W-Larry performing a prostate exam on Steve-O using peanut butter as lube. What makes the scene funny is the hilarious dialogue during the “procedure”, like “That’s not a finger…It’s a claw!” and “Let’s let it rip, baby!”.

Equally humorous is an old footage scene where Johnny Knoxville is transformed (which by the way the makeup is incredible in this scene) into an elderly man. He goes to a male strip club and flirts with the young female patrons and even joins the young men strippers on stage. When he strips down to his underwear, his rather long scrotum falls out. He continues shaking and dancing for all to see. Everyone in the club and the audience in the movie theater laugh so much. I laughed just as uncontrollably during this scene as I did with the others. Even the old footage scene where Johnny Knoxville is packaged in a box and pushed down a flight of stairs is dangerous to try at home, yet it is silly.

I also would like to note that there is only one female member of the Jackass crew–Rachel Wolfson, a former stand-up comedian who joined in 2022. Jasper Dolphin is one of the first Black cast members to join the group of Jackass in 2021. Before Jasper joined Jackass, he was a part of a similar comedic antics and stunt-performing group called Loiter Squad (aired on Adult Swim: 2012-2014), which featured an all Black male cast, including rapper and record producer Tyler, the Creator. In Jackass: Best and Last, there is a present day scene featuring Jasper and a couple of the other crew members where they are presenting a cake and gifts to Ron, who they make the audience think is a man having problems with his wife. When the next camera shot goes to the other room, we find out Ron is an aggressive baby ram. The crew’s funny antics cause each of them to get rammed by Ron the ram. Most of the camera time in this scene is focused on Jasper who is knocked around the room by Ron, yet he (Jasper) continues laughing like it is nothing. This was very hilarious.

Of course, Jackass cannot have so much comedy and silly stunts without some very gross and disgusting parts. I won’t focus too much on the gross stunts because I don’t want to send you throwing up, but there are equal parts of this to the comedy. I will talk about one stunt that was performed in the crew’s earlier years and is revisited for a second round in the current footage in Jackass: Best and Last. The stunt is titled “Poo Cocktail Supreme” (I’m sure you’re wondering what’s involved in this one.), featuring Steve-O. Steve-O is securely strapped down inside a porta potty. The porta potty is connected to bungee cords. When the porta potty is suspended high up into the air, the contents inside of it go flying everywhere. The terrified Steve-O is taken for a death defying and shitty ride. Once the porta potty lands, Steve-O exits, covered in feces. Yuck!! But funny at the same time.

Though the level of property damage done with each stunt and the mere thought of insuring the lives of any of the crew members are dangerously and tremendously challenging, I have to admit that I enjoyed Jackass: Best and Last. If you’re into crazy slapstick comedy like I am or if you’re a 14-year-old boy, you will absolutely love this wild movie.

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I absolutely had to do a review of the Netflix series The Polygamist (2026, dir. Akin Omotoso, Rolie Nikiwe, and Nthabi Tau) because something as juicy as this telenovela has to be discussed. Based on the 2012 novel by African author, Sukoluhle “Sue” Nyathi, set in South Africa, present day, The Polygamist focuses on Jonasi Gomora (played by S’Dumo Mtshali). He is a wealthy CEO of a successful company with much influence in the community, a beautiful family, and everything a man could ever wish for. All hell breaks loose when Jonasi’s secret life and every skeleton he has been hiding stumble out to ruin everyone around him, including himself.

Warning: Major spoilers beyond this point!!

Jonasi is married to Joyce Gomora (played by Gugu Gumede) and they have three kids together. Joyce’s world crumbles when she learns Jonasi has been cheating on her with Matipa (played by Kwanele Mthethwa). To make matters worse, Matipa has two twin baby girls by Jonasi. Because Joyce cannot “get rid” of Matipa, who is determined to stay with Jonasi despite everything, she (Joyce) suggests Jonasi take Matipa as his second wife. I was like “OMG! Joyce, have you lost your mind?!” Due to their position in society, the Gomoras have an image to uphold. Though it is Jonasi who has screwed things up, it is Joyce who does what is necessary to keep the family’s reputation clean. The suggestion that Jonasi takes Matipa as his second wife is how Joyce opens the marriage to polygamy and follows with the traditions of their African heritage of the acceptance of a man taking on multiple wives.

It is true that there are different cultures and communities where polygamy is widely accepted. In addition to some African cultures, there are some muslims, mormons and even some Americans as well as others around the world who do not belong to any particular religious community who have adopted the practice of polygamy. To some, the idea of sharing a life with and loving multiple spouses or partners is seen as a concept equally acceptable as monogamy. I think everyone has the right to love how they want to love. However, personally, I am a believer in monogamy, not only because it is reflective of how I was raised, but I could not imagine experiencing the bond and that level of intimacy with multiple partners. Honestly, it would be too much for me. If one person in a polyamory relationship decides to leave, could you imagine how terrible it would be to break more than just one heart?

Well, the selfish and evil Jonasi (With everything he did, I could have sworn I saw a pair of horns poking out from his head.) breaks everyone’s heart in this series. And it gets better. It is discovered later that he, in fact, has three wives. The wife who is his real second wife, Essie (played by Celeste Ntuli) and the one daughter she has with Jonasi, have been the best kept secret right in front of Joyce’s face for the last 20 years. Twenty years prior, Jonasi asked his brother, Magesh Gomora (played by Kenneth Nkosi), to pose as Essie’s “husband” and “father” to his niece to keep the secret “hidden” in plain sight from Joyce and the public. And both Magesh and Essie agreed. WHAT THE F***??!! Sarah (played by Lwazie Keith Mfeka), who is Essie and Jonasi’s daughter, has also been keeping the secret which weighs down hard on her until she spills it.

I was like, “Oh, no he didn’t!!”

Jonasi Gomora was like, “Oh, yes I did!!”

What I love about The Polygamist is how there is a new piece of drama or a shocking twist with every episode. This plot-driven series does not stop with Matipa realizing she is wife number three. Jonasi sleeps with more women, relationships are damaged, everyone is fighting with each other, Joyce makes multiple attempts to kill Jonasi (I would have too), there is the spreading of sexually transmitted diseases, lies, deceit, and domestic abuse. I believe every traumatic event you can think of was included in this series.

And did I mention that Jonasi isn’t even good looking? If he stood at almost seven feet tall with huge biceps and a six pack of steel, then maybe (actually no, not after all the mess he created) I could see him floating around like God’s gift to women and the ladies might be justified in wanting to fight over him. But he is a trifling, unattractive man who only has a lot of money as his way to attract women. And some of the money is actually Joyce’s, earned by her work in her career. I still don’t understand what makes Jonasi such a “stud” for all of these women to lose their minds over him.

The creators of The Polygamist knew what they were doing when they came up with each subplot, twist and turn. This telenovela kept my attention, kept me hooked and wanting more. It’s very entertaining. Just when I thought the events of a drama could get worse, The Polygamist takes it there. And to think, similar events do happen in real life. At one point, I thought, “There is just no way this much drama can occur in one show, yet low and behold, we have this crazy situation of a cheating womanizer who, through his actions and poor choices, causes a domino effect of nightmares for all around him. You know what they say about karma, and Jonasi Gomora definitely gets what is coming to him by the end. This is an excellent series, perfect for a girls’ night over wine and cheese or soda and popcorn or for one’s own enjoyment on either a rainy or a sunny day.

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“People don’t take trips. Trips take people.” - Diana, Passenger (2026)

Øvredal’s Passenger (2026) is a very scary horror movie. I enjoyed every minute of it. A couple decides to live the nomadic life and set out to travel across the United States of America. While on their journey, they stop to help a victim of a car crash where an evil entity latches onto them. For the rest of their journey, they are tormented by an ancient demon of the highway called The Passenger (played by Joseph Lopez).

The building of the horror works so well in this film. One of my favorite scenes displays this excellently and had me quite terrified while viewing. In the scene, Maddie (played by Lou Llobell) is walking alone at night from the gym where both her and her fiance, Tyler (played by Jacob Scipio), workout and rely upon for their daily showers. As she walks, there is silence except for the mysterious running footsteps that approach her. She is full of fear and stops to look around for the owner of the footsteps. The camera does a 360 pan showing no one else in sight except Maddie. After this long camera shot, the van has been positioned further away. This pattern happens a couple of times and frightens both Maddie and me. Here, the idea of being isolated, at night, in darkness (the area lights go out completely at one point in the scene), being followed and the safe haven (vehicle) being far away is quite terrifying. All of these elements, plus the camera panning shot work great in building the horror. Other bone-chilling instances throughout the film, like items going missing, fresh apples completely rotting over night, and the physical manifestations of The Passenger all work equally well. I especially like the addition of mythology and folklore through the “hobo code” which is a collection of secret signs and symbols meant to warn people of danger and how to get out of it. Also within the hobo code are two important rules which Maddie and Tyler break—1) Don’t drive at night and 2) Don’t stop.

I cannot help but speak briefly about the nomadic community. There are many people throughout America who have opted for a life on the road, free from rent, mortgages, other bills, obligations and responsibilities that come with living a non-nomadic, stationary life. Many adopt this type of lifestyle because of the economy and the inability to keep up with inflation. Another movie that explores this and is worth viewing is Nomadland (2020, dir. Chloé Zhao).

Despite its rollercoaster ride of horror, Passenger actually has a happy ending. This film is the first scary movie I have seen in which all of the main characters actually survive. That is impressive for a horror. Passenger is a great horror flick and worth every penny you pay to go see it.

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I was both pleasantly surprised and quite intrigued by Rebecca Lehmann’s historical fiction The Beheading Game (2026). Set in the 16th century during King Henry VIII’s reign, Anne Boleyn, second wife of the king and mother to Elizabeth I, is beheaded due to false accusations of infidelity. To her surprise, Anne awakes from her death, sews her head back onto her body and wanders incognito among the commoners of England. She meets some interesting people and becomes reacquainted with others from her past life. While she is in her half “alive” and half corpse phase, Anne thinks back to her past with Henry and realizes he never deserved her. She comes up with a plan to murder Henry and to secure a future for her daughter as the next queen of England.

I enjoyed this plot because it is an interesting take on a historical figure. Within the first few pages of the story, I found myself thinking of it as a horror where Anne would enter frightening death realms to save her soul from an eternity of damnation after getting her head chopped off, but the story turned out to be completely different from what I was thinking. Though there is the fantastical element of returning from the dead, the main character’s personality, actions, reactions and emotions are very realistic. The story kept my attention. There are a few delightful parables told throughout the course of the novel. My favorite is the story about the fox who fools three sisters. That particular tale, which is found in the middle of the novel, made me want more.

Lehmann does a great job with the characterization of the main character. Anne starts off dependent, vulnerable to the world outside of royalty and still in love with Henry. Throughout the course of the book, her memories of the good times and bad times she shared with Henry come back to her as she is learning how to be a new version of herself. By the end of the story, she is independent, courageous and ready to stand up to the man she realizes never truly loved her.

My favorite character in the story is Alice, a woman who Anne meets during her life-after-death voyage outside the castle. Alice is clever, down-to-earth and an independent mother who is willing to do whatever she can to support her kids, which during that time meant prostitution. She is generous, and helps and protects Anne. Alice teaches Anne survival skills, like how to read others’ intentions, and how to see her own self worth. Alice proves to be a great friend to her. A character who Anne revisits when she goes back to the castle is Cromwell. Cromwell is the king’s “right hand man” and one of the few who conspired against Anne, conjuring the lies that she was unfaithful to Henry. King Henry is Anne’s husband who orders her death due to false allegations. Through Anne’s flashbacks to the past, we learn that Henry is unfaithful to Anne, chauvinistic, narcissistic, and down right evil. I bring up Cromwell and Henry because Lehmann does excellent in creating characters that I most despise. Both characters represent patriarchy which seeks to trample upon women. Although, I have to say that Cromwell does something noble by the end which shocked my socks off.

The biggest theme throughout this story is betrayal. Through Anne’s thoughts to her past, we learn there is Henry’s betrayal to Anne, Anne’s betrayal to her sister Katherine, Cromwell’s betrayal to Anne, and even Anne’s betrayal to Alice where Anne is not forthcoming with who she really is. Though the story is set during the 16th century, some of the social issues presented in it are still evident today like sexism, ageism, classism, and ignorance to mental health awareness. Overall, this is a great story with impactful characters and a nod to feminism. I give it a 5 out of 5.

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The horror film Backrooms (2026), by director Kane Parsons, is very interesting and clever. Clark (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor), is a furniture store owner who discovers an endless amount of additional rooms within his store. He shares his discovery with his therapist, Mary (played by Renate Reinsve), who is also thrusted into this world of mysteriously odd rooms which resemble reality, yet is far from it.

The backrooms in this film are a metaphor for the mind or the psyche. Clark first discovers these rooms which represent his mind. He can go in and out at any time through the invisible door. This is symbolic of the relationship between reality and irreality, one’s perception or interpretation of things versus what actually is. The backrooms are composed of items similar to what is in the furniture store, like 90’s style furniture and tacky decor, yet everything is distorted. The furniture is stacked up into piles, weird objects like stop signs where stop is spelled backwards are present, and some items are halfway stuck inside the floor. There are edible people of different shapes and sizes with more than two eyes each and a maze-like collection of rooms of different sizes that seem to continue to no end. These backrooms look very similar to the scenes created in Salvador Dali’s paintings. The bizareness of the rooms and the fact that they continue with no exit except for the invisible door in the wall reminds me of another film with a similar concept–Exit 8 (2025, dir. Genki Kawamura). The distortion of these backrooms represent Clark’s trauma. The random, odd objects are mental baggage and the endless backrooms, with their many awkward designs and sizes, are compartmentalization.

Clark invites his two employees, Bobby (played by Finn Bennett) and Kat (played by Lukita Maxwell), to embark upon the journey within the backrooms. Both Kat and Bobby do not escape the backrooms alive. They are killed by the monster that lurks within the backrooms. Eventually, Mary ventures into the backrooms and much is revealed about her relationship to this dark place.

What I find to be incredible about this film is how Parsons builds the fear which is the essence of this particular horror feature. The entire time there is the presence of a mysterious monster, yet we do not see it for the majority of the film. The evidence of its presence is made known through the sound of the loud stomping, growling and the movement of objects. It is the fear of the unknown and the wonder of what will pop up around the corner, through the door, or down the hall while exploring the backrooms. The use of home video footage, jarring camera shots, and jump cuts is another technique that aids in building the fear.

Once Mary entered the backrooms towards the end of the film, I had it all figured out. As Clark’s therapist, Mary takes on his baggage, which is how she can easily enter the realm, but she has unaddressed trauma of her own which explains the familiar things she sees from her childhood in the backrooms. The rooms even expand to more rooms specifically for her which represents what happens when trauma that has not been unpacked and addressed festers and grows into something worse within an individual.

Once the monster in the backrooms is revealed, we learn it is a large, goofy-looking, exaggerated version of Clark in his furniture store’s mascot’s costume. As I viewed this scene, I thought about two things. One is how great the fear factor is in leading up to the reveal, but once this monster appears, it becomes a little humorous. The other thing is how this relates to the mind/psyche. Sometimes human beings fear, worry, or develop anxiety over the unknown only to find out later that what they feared would happen did not actually happen and to realize that all the worrying was for nothing.

Since the backrooms monster is Clark, it is assumed that he is the “monster” who killed Bobby and Kat. The monster kills Clark which represents that Clark commits suicide. This is not far from reality where someone suffering decides to make others suffer and, in turn, inflicts that same pain upon themself.

Mary is left in the backrooms where she has a flashback to her mother who was in a mental health facility. By the end, Mary is in another provider’s care. All of this conveys the message that mental health issues can be hereditary and now Mary is in the same position as her client, Clark, where she must face her fears and address her childhood trauma. Parsons did a great job in creating Backrooms. This film is worth making a trip to the theater to see.

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After viewing Curry Barker’s Obsession (2026), I have a word of advice: Stay away from one-wish willows. In this intense experimental/psychological horror/thriller, Bear (played by Michael Johnston) has a crush on Nikki (played by Inde Navarrette) and makes a decision that he regrets. Bear buys a one-wish willow, makes a wish for Nikki to love him more than anyone else in the world, and soon experiences a nightmare. Nikki becomes obsessed with Bear and displays behavior that is the complete opposite of her own. She cries and pines over Bear, clings to him and even kills for him. Nikki’s outrageous acts of jealousy are witnessed by those around her and some are brutally hurt, destroyed and murdered at her hands.

Nikki made me so scared. I could not believe the level of intensity in her obsession for Bear. As gruesome, sadistic and disgusting as Nikki is, her behavior is not far from that of some real life people in our society. There have been serial killers with obsessions for their targets who have done terrifying things to them. In the news, we have heard of lovers’ quarrels turned to homicide-suicides, evil parents killing their children and children murdering their parents. What is viewed in Obsession is a direct reflection of acting upon emotions, which can be extremely detrimental and deadly. I also found myself thinking about this film as an example of why we need to make mental health a priority.

What is also interesting about Obsession is the idea that life can be made easy if we just made one wish in our favor. Bear thought he knew what would be good for him, but he never thought about the consequences. It is the idea of self-gratification and wanting something so soon, so badly that we do not think it through nor how the decision can affect us (and others around us) in the long run. Bear just wants Nikki to love him, yet his wish comes with a price of Nikki’s obsession and deranged behavior.

There are several elements that I think work well in conveying the overall message in this film. The lighting either goes dim or there is complete darkness around Nikki at the beginning of each of her psychotic episodes. The use of music and sound, in general, separates the normal flow from periods of danger where Nikki’s obsession takes center stage. Nikki isolates Bear from others by either begging him to stay in with her or by hurting or killing those closest to and around him. The amount of blood and other disgusting bodily fluids and organs are exposed in several scenes within the film. Nikki even inflicts pain upon herself and spills the most blood from her own body than anyone else’s in the film.

I will not give away the end, but it definitely is very sad. If you are suffering from depression, the loss of a loved one or any other emotionally- or psychologically-affecting situation, please stay away from this film. While Barker did a great job in visually personifying obsession, it is a very hardcore and frightening film.

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“Get over here!” - Scorpion, Mortal Kombat II (2026)

Simon McQuoid’s Mortal Kombat II (2026) is an excellent, action-packed, fantasy motion picture experience. Derived from the original, fun-filled fighting video game, Mortal Kombat, which was released in arcades in 1992 and later to the Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, Gameboy, and Sega Master video gaming systems in 1993, features a collection of diverse fighters, selected to compete in fighting matches to save both their lives and their realms. In this sequel, one of the original characters from the video game, Johnny Cage (played by Karl Urban), is introduced into the group that fights to defend Earthrealm. Alongside him are Sonya Blade (played by Jessica McNamee), Jax Briggs (played by Mehcad Brooks), Liu Kang (played by Ludi Lin), and Raiden (played by Tadanobu Asano). They each fight one-by-one with members of the opposing realm called Outworld, led by Shao Kahn (played by Martyn Ford). Members of the Netherrealm also join in the battles.

The makeup and costumes are extraordinary. Each character closely resembles their original look from the video game, if not better. The one I think is the most exquisitely done is one of the scariest-looking characters, Baraka (played by CJ Bloomfield). The facial details, razor-sharp teeth, body, and blades that protrude from his Tarkatan arms are amazing.

The sound effects and backgrounds during the fight scenes were magnificent. McQuoid recreates the visuals for this movie much like the video game. The aesthetics in the scene featuring the fight between Liu Kang and Kung Lao (played by Max Huang) are so surreal. There is a setting similar to Raiden’s temple, except there is no evidence of nature surrounding it, only a bold, blue cosmic atmosphere reminiscent of what you would see in the video game. Also, in one of the final fight scenes, Kitana (played by Adeline Rudolph) is chained to a stone wall, which is also the background in one of the setting selections in the video game. Some of the sounds heard in the film are also from the video game. For example, in a couple of scenes, just before one opponent is about to pass out, there is the famous command of “Finish her/him!” One of my favorite sound effects is the iconic gong heard at the beginning of a match, announcing the start of another fight.

The best and my favorite thing about this film, which also happens to be the highlight of it, is the brilliantly choreographed fight scenes. At any given moment, any character can be warped from their realm into another, which looks similar to the video game, to participate in fighting in a match against an opponent. Similar to the video game, these matches can be gender-blind and size disproportionate. The idea is that each fighter has a set of skills and strengths that are unique to them, yet powerful enough to stand up against anyone.

There are a few fight scenes that are among my favorites. One is the match between Liu Kang and Kung Lao. Both characters move with incredible agility and control of their bodies and their moves. Liu Kang brings fire from his palms, while Kung Lao uses his wide, razor-rimmed hat to try to slice his opponent. I love the way Kung Lao controls his weapon, yet Liu Kang outsmarts him by grabbing his opponent and causing him to fall onto his own weapon, which slices him down the middle. It is the best move in the entire movie. Blood is shed just like the graphics featured in the video game. The entire scene is a 10 out of 10.

Another great fight scene is between Scorpion/Hanzo Hasashi (played by Hiroyuki Sanada) and Sub-Zero/Bi-Han (played by Joe Taslim), two very popular characters from the video game. Scorpion pulls Sub-Zero in with his command and chains. The newly reincarnated version of Sub-Zero has traded in his ability to entrap others in freezing icicles. Instead, he clones himself to battle both Scorpion and other opponents at the same time. Sub-Zero can also dissolve into the ground and come back up to sneak up on and fool his opponent. It is absolutely fascinating.

The amount of gore involved in each match is similar to that of the video game. The scene where Kitana slices Shao Kahn’s head with her pair of bladed steel fans is the bloodiest. Earlier in the film, Shao Kahn defeats Cole Young (played by Lewis Tan), Scorpion’s descendant, by smashing his head with the wrath hammer and dragging his body into the pool of acid, where his body disintegrates, just like in the video game. The invincible and immortal Lord Raiden also experiences a sneak attack where his throat is cut, spilling some of his electromagnetic force field of power. All of the fight scenes made up 90% of the film, as they should, and kept my attention with each punch, kick, and killer move.

I love this film, and it is worth going to the movie theater to view. Mortal Kombat II took me back to my childhood days, playing the video game on my Sega Genesis. The only element missing from the film is the “Toasty!” guy, who was featured in the original video game and appeared at the corner of the screen, yelling “Toasty!” after a killer move. Liu Kang mentions bringing Kung Lao back, which alludes to a possible part three. If you are a fan of the Mortal Kombat video game, like I am, and you also love martial arts, you will definitely be in for a treat.

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One Spoon of Chocolate (2026) is quite an interesting, eye-opening, and jaw-dropping film. Created by RZA, a member of the newly Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted rap group Wu-Tang Clan, this film communicates a message about one of the gravest injustices that has happened and still is happening in the United States of America.

Set in the present day in a small town called Karensville, the name of which is ironic in how it is symbolic of the town’s activities, Randy a.k.a. Unique (played by Shameik Moore), an ex-military convict, has just been released from prison and goes to stay in the small town with his cousin, Ramsee (played by RJ Cyler). One day the two are approached by a group of angry, racist White men who pick a fight with them for more than just the use of a public recreational space. The angry mob does not like Black people and will do anything to rid the earth of them. Unique and Ramsee defend themselves by beating up the group of racists, but they are not prepared for the terrifying revenge that the racists lash out at them.

I do not want to give away the film’s ending or too many details leading into it, but I will say that throughout the film, there are many examples of violence, hate crimes, and lynching. There are examples of organ theft by the town’s White coroner, who sells the organs of Black people. This represents two real-life, unlawful acts: theft of organs to be sold on the black market and the countless experiments performed throughout time by White people on Black people in order to use them as guinea pigs for the testing of the effects of various diseases upon the human body. Here are examples of these illegal experiments: Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment & Henrietta Lacks. Even the masks that the members of the racist hate group wear are a representation of the masks worn by the members of the Ku Klux Klan, who hid their cowardly faces as they terrorized Black people throughout history.

I knew when I saw the one scene where another Black male character (unnamed) gets into a car with four White women that he would eventually wind up dead for merely being in their presence. During the Jim Crow era and prior, this would have been considered a crime. In the film, there is a reference made about American slavery and White people’s financial gain from it at the death of a Black character: “That’s money going up in smoke,” says Sheriff McLeoud of Karensville (played by Michael Harney). The N-word is also used by White characters towards Black characters in the film. What is even more bizarre about the town of Karensville is how everything there is owned and controlled by White people. Also, they all know each other. Sheriff McLeoud, the coroner, business owners, the bailbondsman, and the members of the racist hate group are friends, relatives, and all in cahoots with each other. Together, they use their power and resources to gatekeep and to go against the Black people of the town.

While viewing this film, I thought it would have to be against the law for a town such as Karensville to still be in existence. However, this is a representation of a huge part of the history of America. Though the film is set in the present day, many would believe that these examples of overt historical acts of racism no longer occur, yet in some places and spaces, they still do. However, the most prevalent and modern-day form of injustice, which first happened during the time of slavery, is one of the greatest injustices known to mankind, and which is still occurring as I write this critique, is what this film metaphorically represents—An agenda of white supremacy, which is the formation of a huge wealth gap between White people and Black people, where the vast majority of capital and assets are owned by White people, while Black people still struggle for access to capital in order to build generational wealth. Much like in the movie where the White people control everything in Karensville, in America, the control rests in the hands of the wealthiest, who are White. Though more opportunities have come about for Black people since The Civil Rights Movement, the vast majority are still left behind and struggling to gain access to and create systems to allow for the accumulation of capital within their community. There are systems and spaces where Black people are still kept from and locked out of.

In the film, Ramsee informs Unique that he has put his name on the deed to the house, so that they both are owners of an asset. This shows how Black people can come together as a community to pull what little resources they do have together to try to build systems of their own within their community within the larger system that seeks to exploit them. Within history there has been a real-life example of this type of system-building within the Black community—Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which was unfortunately destroyed by the White community. In the film, Unique has to put up the house as collateral to bail Ramsee, who is wrongfully arrested, out of jail. It is unfortunate that they wind up losing their only family asset. However, if they did not have this resource, it would not have saved Ramsee. This also shows how the moment Black people build something, it is immediately torn down, like what happened with Black Wall Street.

There are scenes in the film where RZA does a great job of building the tension. The best example is the scene where the racist mob goes after Unique, Ramsee, and their female friends by taking bats and beating the vehicle while the four are in the car. It is such an intense scene. This also invokes the fear of humanity. This is also felt in the scenes where the same hate group gang up on and beat up Black male characters in the film. Another grotesque example of the hate the racists have is the “trophy room” where there are displays showcasing the suffering of Black people.

One Spoon of Chocolate is a film that makes one think about the ills of society. I suggest that people of every background see this film as an awareness of the disadvantages that have been placed upon Black people in America. Change for the better starts with education and making oneself aware of what is really going on in society.

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According to Google, Hokum is a noun that describes nonsense or exaggerated material designed to appeal to an audience. This definition falls in line with what I observed about Damian McCarthy’s horror film Hokum (2026). Hokum is about Ohm Bauman (played by Adam Scott) who is a horror writer who ventures to an Irish inn after the death of his parents. While during his stay at the inn, Ohm finds out the property is haunted by a witch.

What drives the horror element within this film and embodies the meaning of hokum are the stories and the recounts told by the locals and the employees of the inn of their encounters with the witch that haunts the inn. With each telling, there is a scene featuring that character and their haunting experience with the witch. I like this technique because each story told is a different horror scene within the setting of the inn in the film and each one is uniquely spooky, yet not very scary. From the use of darkness to isolation to creepy entities, I was definitely a bit spooked while viewing the film, yet not to the degree of scared I experienced when I watched The Conjuring (2013) or Annabelle (2014), for example, for the first time. In Hokum, there is an element related to witchcraft found in a book of Irish folk tales where instructions on how to keep safe from a witch are outlined. The horror gets a little better towards the end where Ohm finds himself in the honeymoon suite which is said to be where the witch dwells. He later descends, via a dumbwaiter, to a strange, deep, dungeonous underground area where the frightening experience is like hell. Ohm experiences the haunting for himself where he is convinced that the recounts told to him are indeed true and the witch does exist. I also appreciated that there is the addition of an interesting murder mystery subplot in the film.

Though the film included decent horror elements, I did not find it to be as terrifying as the advertisements pumped it up to be which was a bit disappointing. I also did not like the amount of times the bell to summon a bellhop to the honeymoon suite rang throughout the film. It became a little annoying. I would suggest waiting until the film moves to Netflix or whichever other platform in order to view it instead of making a trip to the movie theater to see it.

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When I heard of the horror novel The Demonologist (2013) by Andrew Pyper, I immediately thought about Ed and Lorraine Warren and I got excited. In this novel, David Ullman, a professor at Columbia University and expert in the study of demonic literature, is chosen to make an observation for a secret client. An all-expenses-paid trip to Venice, Italy brings David in contact with a demon, who he refers to as the Unnamed. The Unnamed takes David’s daughter, Tess, and sends David back to the United States where he must figure out the demon’s name, so he can get Tess back. David goes on a wild goose hunt across the country where he is followed by an employee of the secret client, tormented by the Unnamed, which takes different forms, and he grows closer to his colleague and friend, O’Brien, who joins him on his journey. During his scavenger hunt, David realizes that what he thought was merely imagination is reality.

I like how the story kept my attention and had a good pace, especially with the action-packed scenes, but I did not find it very frightening. I found it to be more adventurous and fantastical than scary. I felt that the typical horror build up where the audience is set up for something spine-tingling terrifying was not there. However, the presence of the demon and how it took on human form several times throughout the story was a great horror element.

Pyper’s use of the references made from John Milton’s Paradise Lost (1667) throughout the story was very interesting. David, who is well-versed in this piece, quotes it, discusses it, and must use it in deciphering the clues left by the Unnamed. This tied everything together and made me think about the encounters between Jesus and Satan (and his demons) in the Bible. Several times a line from Paradise Lost is mentioned among David and the Unnamed where more insight is gained and allows David to get closer to solving the mystery which also turns him from a skeptic to a believer. In the Bible, for every time Satan tempted Jesus, Jesus had a word of truth in which to invalidate his enemy.

There were a few items that I felt did not work in this novel. During some of the lengthy dialogue parts, I found myself confused as to who was saying what. Though a major part of the story was David’s hunt for the demon’s name, I did not feel it was necessary to have him literally travel across the United States (approximately 7,000 miles) only to end up in Canada. For every state line crossed, hotel stay, meal, and mile driven, I was adding up how much it would have cost him. I will not give away the ending, but I did find it to be rather vague and almost left up to the reader’s interpretation/imagination. Overall, I would rate The Demonologist at a 3 out of 5 stars.

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Antoine Fuqua’s Michael (2026) is such a wonderful, phenomenal film. It tells the story of the King of Pop and the greatest entertainer to ever live, Michael Jackson (played by Jaafar Jackson), and the challenges he faced as a man trying to break away from the tight grasp of his father, Joseph “Joe” Jackson (played by Colman Domingo).

Jackson’s career in music and entertainment allowed him to be called a king and to build a kingdom not only for himself, but for his family as well. What Michael and his family did is an example of community coming together to build a system in order to generate generational wealth. It started with Michael’s childhood in Gary, Indiana, where, amidst poverty and during the age of the Civil Rights Movement, he and his family began building a powerful legacy that would soon reach nations. As both a father and a manager, Joe Jackson was hard on his sons, and even harder on Michael. He wanted a better life for his children and pushed hard work and discipline with late night rehearsals in the living room of their tiny home and performances at different local events, while they were still kids in school. The extreme amount of discipline that Joe expected from his kids at such young ages and the physical abuse that Michael received at the hands of his father were harsh and inexcusable. Joe’s way of parenting was not ideal, his being abusive to his family was very wrong, and he was not perfect, but one good thing he did was pre-design a plan that gave his kids a lucrative career. I wonder if The Jackson 5 or Michael Jackson, the King of Pop, would have come into existence had Joe not been in the home at all?

If someone were to view Michael without having known anything about the legendary Michael Jackson, his background and story, they would easily identify the protagonist, Michael, the antagonist, Joe, and the conflict between the two. Fuqua does a great job of laying out the story of the battle between the son who fears his father for years of abuse, yet is victorious in the end, and the father who continues to control his son instead of allowing him to make decisions for his own life. This conflict also allows viewers to get more of an in-depth observation of Michael’s character. He starts off, fearful of making any moves that go against what Joe wants for him and his career, allowing others to fight his battles with Joe for him. During the course of the film and by the end, as Michael grows both as a man and within his creativity, he gains the courage to tell his father no and to take control of his music career.

In this film, I also saw Michael in a very positive light through his creativity, hard work within his craft and his acts of humanitarianism, which is different from how the media used to portray him in some instances when he was alive. I feel that because he was different, which most creatives are set apart from others, and a Black man who was very successful in the entertainment industry with much power and influence, the media painted him in a very negative light with the scandals, etc. out of jealousy and to target him and what he had accomplished. This is my personal opinion which some might debate.

Jaafar Jackson, Michael Jackson’s nephew, did an excellent job in acting like his late uncle. Jackson’s spitting image of Jackson was like Michael Jackson reincarnated. He got the voice, the clothing and the overall look, the dance moves and mannerisms spot on, especially during the scene where he performs Billie Jean (1983) on stage. His uncle would have been proud. The acting further led to understanding Michael’s true character in an intimate way. Throughout the film, there are scenes where Michael converses with his many pets, eats ice cream and watches movies with his mother, Katherine Jackson (played by Nia Long), and goes to his private studio at random times whenever he feels inspired to work on his music. I like this portrayal of Michael which is so human and shows how unique a person he was.

From a film technical aspect, the cinematography and choreography in this film are spectacular. The scenes where they are filming the Beat It (1983) and Thriller (1983) music videos are the absolute best and my favorite scenes in the entire movie. From the costumes and details to every coordinated dance move, each scene is a replica of the original music videos. Learning where Michael’s inspiration derived for each song was also interesting and told of how much he loved horror films and his desire to unify people through his music. And of course, music is the main attraction of the film. I was jamming in the theater, bobbing my head and tapping my feet to classics by Michael and by The Jackson 5.

The 1992 miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream has nothing on Michael. Hands down, Michael is a must-see and an excellent presentation of who Michael Jackson was as an artist and as a human being. Kudos to Fuqua for telling such a great story about one of the greatest to ever live who touched many generations around the world. After I saw the film, I left feeling very happy, motivated and inspired. You have to see this movie!

Rest in peace, Michael.

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