#–A–B–C–D–E–F–G–H–I–J–K–L–M–N-O-P-Q-R–S–T–U-V–W-X-Y-Z

A

A Quiet Place trilogy
Released: 2018-present
Synopsis: Beginning with A Quiet Place, in which we follow a family’s experience in a world that has come to a standstill due to the invasion of an alien species, the franchise follows the Abbotts to their discovery of the aliens’ weakness in A Quiet Place Part II, and a prequel, A Quiet Place: Day One, which gives a bigger overview of the day the aliens came to Earth.
Verdict: A solid trilogy (thus-far) that puts a unique swing on the alien invasion trope, with plenty of humanity injected into an otherwise frightening world of silence and scares.
Read the full A Quiet Place, A Quiet Place Part II, A Quiet Place: Day One reviews.

Alien series
Released: 1979-present
Synopsis: Over the course of multiple films, space crews are hunted by Xenomorphs, parasitic alien creatures that rely on other lifeforms for their procreation. Anchored mostly by the character Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), the films delve into different stories about how characters survive, or succumb to, the Xenomorphs’ reign of terror.
Verdict: One of the longest-running series in cinema, Alien has its ups and downs as it progresses through prequels and sequels, but there’s a reason it keeps on going, and that is our innate addiction to the unknown, and the fear of it.
Check out DOTT’s Film Club – Alien and the full Alien: Romulus review.

An American Werewolf in London
Released: 1981
Director: John Landis
Synopsis: While on a trip to England, two American tourists are attacked on the moors of Yorkshire. While convalescing at the home of a nurse, one of the tourists soon begins to experience strange changes in his body and mind.
Verdict: Coming soon

An American Werewolf in Paris
Released: 1997
Director: Anthony Waller
Synopsis: A tourist sight-seeing in Paris finds himself unwittingly caught up with the werewolves of the city, though this time they have found a way to transform at will.
Verdict: Coming soon

Anaconda
Released: 1997
Director: Luis Llosa
Synopsis: A film crew stumble upon an apparently lost man in the Amazon rainforest, but they soon come to find that man is there for a reason: to catch the giant anaconda, and he will need all the help he can (forcefully) get.
Verdict: Watching this film as a kid was quite scary, but as an adult? Definitely not, especially not now we’ve come to expect top notch graphics. However, it’s still a relatively average thriller with entirely average performances (Jennifer Lopez? Owen Wilson?? Ice Cube??? #90s). 3/5

Arcadian
Released: 2024
Director: Benjamin Brewer
Synopsis: Paul (Nicolas Cage) and his two teenage boys live in a fortified house that is built to withstand attack from creatures that only come out at night. When one of his boys goes missing one night, Paul sets out to find him, and their lives begin to unravel as a result.
Verdict: Arcadian relies a lot on well-used tropes to create a dystopian and frightful world, but the performances of Cage, Jaeden Martell and Maxwell Jenkins as a tight-knit, if fractious, family gives it some depth. The creature design is bizarre (apparently based on Goofy) but it is used to creepy effect in some scenes. 3/5
Read the Tiny Tapes Arcadian review.

B

Bambi: The Reckoning
Released: 2025
Director: Dan Allen
Synopsis: A mutated version of the eponymous deer seeks revenge after his mate is killed and his fawn goes missing.
Verdict: It’s not the worst premise for a horror film based on a well-known children’s character, and it’s not badly made either. The performances are also pretty average, but there’s too much going on in an attempt to add some unecessary depth to the characters. 2.5/5
Read the Tiny Tapes Bambi: The Reckoning review.

The Blob
Released: 1958
Director: Irvin Yeaworth
Synopsis: In Steve McQueen’s leading role debut, a small gelatinous blob comes down to Earth and slowly begins to attack people, appearing to consume them. As it does, it dramatically grows in size. Two teenagers attempt to warn people, but struggle to get anyone to believe them before it’s too late.
Verdict: As a kid, this film was terrifying. As an adult, it still holds up pretty well, with great performances and quiet moments of suspense balanced well with shock and horror. Most of the terror happens in the final 20 minutes, but taking its time isn’t necessarily a bad thing. 4/5

The Blob
Released: 1988
Director: Chuck Russell
Synopsis:When a military satellite comes crashing down to Earth, it brings with it an organism that quickly begins to devour everything in its path. However, it is soon discovered that perhaps this mysterious “blob” has a stronger connection to Earth than it appears.
Verdict: Coming soon

C

Cloverfield series
Released: 2008-present
Synopsis: Over the course of three films, Manhattan is attacked by a huge monster and smaller, much more lethal creatures; some people attempt to hide while lying to others about what is really going on; and we are presented with the origin of the creatures.
Verdict: The series begins strong with the found-footage style Cloverfield, continues to impress with the more psychologically disturbing 10 Cloverfield Lane, but then takes a nosedive with The Cloverfield Paradox. The premise is good but has not been the strongest in execution. There is a chance for that to change in the upcoming fourth instalment.

Cocaine Bear
Released: 2023
Director: Elizabeth Banks
Synopsis: When a wild bear accidentally ingests a whole lot of cocaine, it goes on a rampage about the forest, threatening the lives of all the people who happen to be there.
Verdict: Based very loosely on a true story, this weird and wacky film has such a truth-is-stranger-than-fiction premise that you can’t help but enjoy it. There isn’t much of a story to it, and the character’s aren’t all that interesting, but the strangeness of the story has to be seen to be believed. 3/5

Crawl
Released: 2019
Director: Alexandra Aja
Synopsis: During a hurricane, a father and daughter are trapped in their home that quickly floods, and soon they are joined by alligators.
Verdict: Coming soon

Creature From the Black Lagoon
Released: 1954
Director: Jack Arnold
Synopsis: On an expedition to the Amazon, scientists come across a violent amphibious humanoid creature – dubbed “Gill-man” – in the waters. As they try to make their way back home, the creature becomes more violent and seeks to abduct one of them.
Verdict: Arnold does a fantastic job of keeping things interesting with the various settings and use of light to enhance the picture (possibly in part due to the fact it was originally released in 3D, which at the time it was just falling out of popularity in the 50s). The costuming, while a little dated now, still works to make the creature a figure of terror, particularly with brief shots of its hand creeping out of the water or through a window. A classic that is absolutely worth your time. 4/5

D

Dangerous Animals
Released: 2025
Director: Sean Byrne
Synopsis: Zeph (Hassie Harrison), an American drifting and surfing around Aus, is kidnapped by boat captain/shark enthusiast Tucker (Jai Courtney), and she has to find a way to escape before she becomes shark food.
Verdict: Courtney puts in a decent performance (dare I say that something about it is reminiscent of Jack Nicholson in The Shining), and the main duo are a solid (if a little cliche) pairing. It’s the performances that make this film somewhat good, as the story itself is lacking. 3/5
Read the Tiny Tapes Dangerous Animals review.

Death of a Unicorn
Released: 2025
Director: Alex Scharfman
Synopsis: Elliot (Paul Rudd) tries to connect with his emotionall distant daughter Ridley (Jenna Ortega). On the way, they hit a unicorn with their car, and soon after arriving at their destination, they are hunted by the unicorn’s family.
Verdict: This film doesn’t amount to much more than an average B-movie style horror comedy, with Rudd and Ortega essentially typecast and Will Poulter not offering up anything we haven’t seen before. Leoni and Grant are a strange couple but somehow that’s about one of the only things in this film that works. 2/5
Read the Tiny Tapes Death of a Unicorn review.

The Descent duology
Released: 2005/2009
Director: Neil Marshall
Synopsis: After the death of one of their closest friends, a group of women decide to go spelunking in North Carolina to honour their thrill-seeking friend. They soon find themselves trapped in the cave, and it’s not long before they realise they are not alone. In the sequel, a lone survivor suffers with amnesia, and so a group are sent to find out what happened in the cave.
Verdict: The first film is not for the claustrophobic amongst us, as the cave setting really makes you want to breathe deeply. Add being hunted down by strange cave-dwelling creatures and deteriorating friendships amongst a group of women and you’ve got yourself a horror movie indeed (3/5). A review for the sequel is coming soon.

Dog Soldiers
Released: 2002
Director: Neil Marshall
Synopsis: A group of soldiers head to the Scottish Highlands for a training exercise. As they are hunted by unknowns attackers, they comes to realise the training area contains more than they were training for: werewolves.
Verdict: A super fun horror film with great performances, excellent visual effects/costuming/animatronics and a wonderfully dark atmosphere. Possibly one of the greatest horror films of the final era of true VFX. 4/5

F

The Faculty
Released: 1998
Director: Robert Rodriguez
Synopsis: A group of teenagers begin seeing weird things happening at their high school, and they come to the realisation that their teachers are being taken over by an alien parasite.
Verdict: This film was certainly one of the favoured teen movies of the late 90s/early 00s, soon becoming a cult classic. The performances of many pre-stardom actors proved their upcoming talent, even if the story and some dialogue is quite cliche and a little cringe at times. 3/5

The Fly
Released: 1958
Director: Kurt Neumann
Synopsis: A newly widowed woman, Hélène (Patricia Owens), makes a phone call to tell a family friend that she has just murdered her husband. As the police investigate and interview the woman, they come to find that her husband was a scientist in the process of inventing a transporter, and when he tried to experiment with it, something went terribly wrong.
Verdict: Who knew a 1950s film about a man turning into a fly could be so good? The story is paced very well, the build-up done nicely to culiminate in a shocking and twisted end, and the performances are very good, played as seriously as Michael Caine with Muppets. 4/5

The Fly
Released: 1986
Director: David Cronenberg
Synopsis: Eccentric scientist Seth (Jeff Goldblum) invents telepods to transport live things. Growing impatient, Seth uses himself as a test subject after successfully transporting a live baboon. However, unbeknownst to Seth (but knownst to us), a common housefly also transports with Seth, causing serious repercussions.
Verdict: Another excellent film from Cronenberg that is further renowned for Goldblum’s balanced tongue-in-cheek yet engaging performance. The Fly fully embodies Cronenberg’s penchant for body horror and a fictional story that is fully rooted in realistic themes. Entertaining, shocking and very well designed, this film is truly special in the body horror and sci-fi genres. 4/5

Frankenstein
Released: 1931
Director: James Whale
Synopsis: Dr. Frankenstein decides to play god and reanimate a body thrown together with multiple body parts from different corpses in order to create the Monster. Without someone to guide him, the misunderstood Monster terrorises the locals until they set out to hunt him down.
Verdict: A horror classic that stands the test of time, if only for its brutal nature and dark tones (in both its visuals and its story) and the famous make-up on Boris Karloff. Staying more or less true to Mary Shelley’s famous novel, there’s a lot to be terrified of in this movie, and a lot to enjoy in its 1930s style. 4/5

Frankenstein (Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein)
Released: 1994
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Synopsis: Victor Frankenstein (Kenneth Branagh) is hounded by the Creature (Robert DeNiro) he created and abandoned, discovering that playing God isn’t what he thought it would be.
Verdict: An excellent adaptation of the classic story with terrific performances and stunning (though at times horrifying) imagery, set designs, visual effects and make up. Almost like a stage play at times, it’s incredibly immersive and will leave you with more existential questions than answers. 4/5

Frankenstein
Released: 2025
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Synopsis: Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) becomes infamous for his work in reanimation, to the point where he is commissioned by arms dealer Henrich Harlander (Christoph Waltz) to speed up the process and reanimate a full body, resulting in the ‘birth’ of his Creature (Jacob Elordi). Victor comes to see his creation as an imperfect specimen, an abomination that must not be allowed to live.
Verdict: Fantastical but grounded in reality, subtle in some respects, overt in others, del Toro’s career has led up to this film, and it has totally been worth the wait, with astounding performances, terrifying visuals and incredible emotional depth. Pure gothic brilliance. 4.5/5
Read the full Frankenstein (2025) review.

G

Ginger Snaps
Released: 2000
Director: John Fawcett
Synopsis: Two sisters, Ginger (Katharine Isabelle) and Brigitte (Emily Perkins) are unusually close, going so far as to promise to live together or die together. On the same day that Ginger finally gets her period at an unusually late age, she is attacked by a werewolf. As her body begins to change, as does her relationship with Brigitte, with the latter racing against time to find a cure for her sister.
Verdict: Being a clear commentary on the changes a girl experiences when starting her period and moving through puberty, Ginger Snaps works well to use hyperbole to describe the changes and make for a decent werewolf horror movie. It also makes good use of prosthetics to make some interesting-looking werewolves. 3/5

Godzilla
Released: 1954
Director: Ishirō Honda
Synopsis: The arrival of a giant dinosaur-like creature sends post-war Japan into chaos as it rampages through the country to Tokyo.
Verdict: Coming soon

Godzilla
Released: 1998
Director: Roland Emmerich
Synopsis: A scientist is thrown into a dangerous situation when a monster arises from the sea and begins to attack New York City.
Verdict: Coming soon

Godzilla
Released: 2014
Director: Gareth Edwards
Synopsis: US Navy officer Ford (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) joins his estranged father in Japan where two incredible creatures are awoken and begin to wreak havoc on the world.
Verdict: Coming soon

Gremlins duology
Released: 1984, 1990
Synopsis: Small creatures known as Mogwai are cute little pets, that is until breaking one of the rules of their care causes them to turn into evil little Gremlins.
Verdict: Coming soon

H

The Host (Korean: 괴물 )
Released: 2006
Director: Bong Joon-ho
Synopsis: When some chemicals are leaked into the Han River, it affects the fish and animals, resulting in some monstrous abominations rising and attacking people. When Gang-du’s (Song Kang-ho) daughter is taken by a creature, he resolves to find her, while avoiding the authorities that want to silence him.
Verdict: A superb monster film that has some excellent cinematography and creature design. Strong performances and eerie set designs also make for a decent horror viewing. 4/5

The Howling series
Released: 1981-2011
Synopsis: Based on the books by Gary Phil Brandner, this series sees packs of werewolves grow, evolve, and even try for world domination, ranging through countries and centuries. Each film works as a standalone but with vague continuity between them.
Verdict: Coming soon

I

Independence Day duology
Released: 1996/2016
Director: Roland Emmerich
Synopsis: Aliens arrive to threaten all life on Earth in the lead-up to the United States’ Independence Day, and technician David (Jeff Goldblum), Captain Steven (Will Smith) and President Whitmore (Bill Pullman) are pulled together to hatch a plan to defeat the invaders. When Earth is once again threatened twenty years later, a similar group come together to thwart another invasion.
Verdict: Frankly, the first film stands perfectly fine alone, proving to be a terrifying and entertaining movie with a great cast and performances (5/5). While the sequel does have an interesting premise in that humanity are working toward a global defence program, it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the ’96 film (2.5/5).

Infested (French: Vermines)
Released: 2023
Director: Sébastien Vanicek
Synopsis: When a particularly poisonous spider finds its way from the deserts of the Middle East to an illegal seller in Paris, France, it is purchased by Kaleb (Christine), a collector of exotic creatures and dealer of sneakers. It’s not long before the spider escapes, multiplies, and causes panic and pandomonium in Kaleb’s apartment building.
Verdict: The whole thing has deeper messaging around the suburban communities and the way they’re treated, is shot spectacularly and has fantastic performances. The ending is a little soft compared to the tension of the rest of the film, but like them or not, spiders can be terrifying. 4/5
Read the Tiny Tapes Infested review.

It duology
Released: 2017/2019
Director: Andy Muschietti, based on the book by Stephen King
Synopsis: Chapter One follows a group of kids in Derry, Maine, as they encounter and resolve to get rid of Pennywise, a murderous clown who comes around once every 27 years to kidnap and kill children. Chapter Two follows the same group as adults, as they continue their quest to face and destroy Pennywise.
Verdict: Both films are paced very well so as to keep audiences on their toes, with great performances from Skarsgård  and the young actors. The themes go beyond the obvious horror and into child and domestic abuse, homophobia and suicide. Overall, the horror is excellent and could leave you checking under your bed before you go to sleep.
Read the full It Chapter 2 review.

J

Jaws
Released: 1975
Director: Steven Spielberg
Synopsis: Three men come together to rid the local beach of a great white shark terrorising and attacking swimmers.
Verdict: Whether or not you’ve seen this film, you know John Williams’s famously terrifying score. Perhaps that’s what gives this film half of its horror, but the scenes featuring the shark itself are also quite scary. Jaws has given sharks such an unfair reputation, but the film is well-made and is a landmark in cinema for a reason (even if its fear factor hasn’t become as timeless as its score). 4/5

Jurassic Park/Jurassic World series
Released: 1993-present
Synopsis: After reviving dinosaurs and creating a park to make money to further fund ‘research’, humanity soon suffers the consequences of ‘playing god’, but, funnily enough, nobody learns from it.
Verdict: A series that starts off strong then has a few wobbles on its journey through ‘parks’ and ‘worlds’, but one thing’s for sure: the ‘saurs never get any less terrifying (at least, not the carniverous ones).
Check out DOTT’s Film Club – Jurassic Park.

K

King Kong
Released: 1933
Directors: Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack
Synopsis: A film crew head to an island to shoot a film, where their lead actress is taken by a giant gorilla, whom they then capture and take back to New York City.
Verdict: Coming soon

King Kong
Released: 1976
Director: John Guillermin
Synopsis: In a slight variation to the 1933 film, a crew head to an island rumoured to be rich in oil, only to find a huge gorilla that terrifies the natives and whom they capture to take back with them.
Verdict: Coming soon

King Kong
Released: 2005
Director: Peter Jackson
Synopsis: In the same vein as the 1933 original, a film crew head to Skull Island to shoot a film, but when the lead actress is taken by a gigantic gorilla, the crew rescue her and capture the gorilla, taking it back to New York City to showcase it.
Verdict: Coming soon

Krampus
Released: 2015
Director: Michael Dougherty
Synopsis: When Max’s (Emjay Anthony) dysfunctional family get together for Christmas, he quickly becomes disillusioned with the holiday, in spite of his belief in Santa Claus. As a result, he unknowingly awakens the Krampus, demonic entity that appears to punish those who lose their belief in Christmas.
Verdict: It’s always a little odd when another country’s legends end up as American films. The Northern European/Alpine legend of the Krampus is scary yet fun one, and although this film does go to great lengths to keep things creepy and shocking, it does infuse much of that American humour and tropes that take away from the creepiness. Not a bad film, just very Americanised. 3/5

L

The Lair
Released: 2023
Director: Neil Marshall
Synopsis: An RAF pilot is shot down over Afghanistan and soon finds herself teaming up with US soldiers after she discovers a hidden bunker containing creatures developed from human experimentation.
Verdict: In a word: awful. The performances are average to poor, the basic plot pretty much a copy/paste of Marshall’s own Dog Soldiers, and although I appreciate the effort to use practical effects rather than entirely CGI for the monsters, they do not look good. Waste your time at your peril. 2/5

Lake Placid series
Released: 1999-2018
Synopsis: 30-foot-long hungry crocodiles stalk the people of Black Lake, Maine, and every time they believe the have rid their town of the menaces, they return bigger and hungrier (and sometiems more mutated) than ever.
Verdict: Coming soon

Life
Released: 2017
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Synopsis: A space probe returns to Earth’s orbit from a mission to find evidence of life on Mars. On arrival at the International Space Station, the crew discover that the probe brought back a cell that quickly grows into an organism that threatens the crew on the ISS.
Verdict: Basically Alien on a smaller scale, Life has its moments of suspense and surprise and good acting, but it lacks in the way of frights and actual terror, including the claustrophic feeling that usually accompanies a creepshow on a space station. The ending is rather predictable, but no less harrowing at the same time. 3/5

M

Mars Attacks!
Released: 1996
Director: Tim Burton
Synopsis: When Martians arrive on Earth, they intially seem to be peaceful, until they aren’t. They begin to attack and kill humans with ease, and it’s up to the President and some regular people to figure out how to fight the Martians.
Verdict: In typical Tim Burton fashion, there’ are a lot of bizarre characters and events that kind of leave you wondering what exactly is the point of this film, and unlike a typical Tim Burton film, the plot is kind of loose. Nevertheless, the destroying of the humans is actually quite horrifying, and the Martians and some of their antics are quite funny, if also a little shocking. 3/5

The Mean One
Released: 2022
Director: Steven LaMorte
Synopsis: Cindy (Krystle Martin) returns to the site of her childhood trauma and is stalked by a serial killer known as The Mean One (David Howard Thornton).
Verdict: This twist on Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas is, frankly, terrible. There’s nothing much redeemable about it, but if you enjoy these low-budget twists, you might get some enjoyment out of it. It gets an extra .5 on the score due to the commitment of the cast to their questionable roles. 1.5/5

Mimic
Released: 1997
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Synopsis: When entomologist Susan (Mira Sorvino) genetically engineers a bug to eradicate cockroaches in New York City that are spreading a disease that is fatal to children, it is a huge success. But, in spite of engineering the bugs to starve to death, some apparently survive, and have even evolved to become a bigger threat than the cockroaches.
Verdict: Featuring some creepy animatronics and a dark atmosphere and tone, this early del Toro film showcased the famous horror director’s ability to create not just something visually terrifying, but psychologically disturbing, too. 3/5

Monster Island (alternative title: Orang Ikan; Japanese: オラン・イカン)
Released: 2024
Director: Mike Wiluan
Synopsis: A British WWII POW and a Japanese soldier who betrayed his country are stranded on an island after the ship they were on sinks. They have to learn to work together and stay alive when they realise they are being hunted by a strange creature.
Verdict: In spite of some rough editing, empty scenes and a monster costume that’s a little too close to the Creature From the Black Lagoon, the film is paced well with a good relationship built between the main characters, an interesting historical setting and a satisfying ending. 3/5
Read the Tiny Tapes Monster Island review.

The Mummy
Released: 1932
Director: Karl Freund
Synopsis: A dangerous mummified priest is accidentally brought back to life by a group of archaeologists, and he proceeds to hide himself amongst the Egyptian people while he searches for and attempts to ressurect his dead love.
Verdict: Before we had Arnold Vosloo and Brendan Fraser, we had Lon Chaney Jr. and David Manners. Admittedly this original that kicked off many remakes isn’t quite as exciting or adventurous, but it does have its moments. Chaney is excellent in an almost dual role, and makes for a creepy Imhotep. 3/5

The Mummy trilogy
Released: 1999/2001
Director: Stephen Sommers
Synopsis: After they accidentally awaken a long-buried Egyptian priest who then sets about resurrecting his past love and killing anyone in his way, an American treasure hunter, a British librarian and her tag-a-long brother race against time to put the priest back in his sarcophagus before he causes any more havoc.
Verdict: Both The Mummy and The Mummy Returns are excellently fun films, supported by superb performances from Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz and John Hannah. There’s comedy, horror, romance and action, everything you could possibly want, and with more besides (you can acknowledge the existence of the third film, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor if you wish, but we prefer not to).

P

The Pool (Thai: นรก 6 เมตร)
Released: 2018
Director: Ping Lumpraploeng
Synopsis: A couple are trapped in a deep empty pool, and their circumstances become dire when a crocodile appears with them.
Verdict: Coming soon

Predator franchise
Released: 1987-present
Synopsis: The Predators (or ‘Yautja’) are an alien species that enjoy hunting other lifeforms for sport, particularly humans, and also appear in the Alien vs. Predator crossovers.
Verdict: Much like the Alien franchise, Predator began strong, quickly dipped, muddled along for a while, then began an uptick, thus far culminating in 2025’s Predator: Badlands. However, it’s worth sticking with to get to better storylines and character evolution for the Predator race themselves.
Check out DOTT’s Film Club – Predator and the full The Predator and Predator: Badlands reviews.

Pumpkinhead
Released: 1988
Director: Stan Winston
Synopsis: When a group of teenagers accidentally fatally injure a young boy, his widowed father Ed (Lance Henrickson) takes his body to a witch. She cannot bring him back, but she offers Ed revenge, which comes in the form of a demonic creature known locally as ‘Pumpkinhead’.
Verdict: An underrated classic of 80’s B-movie horror that makes great use of animatronics and VFX, even if the story is somewhat lacking and the characters a little weak, the monster more than makes up for much of it. 3/5
Read the Tiny Tapes Pumpkinhead review.

S

Screamboat
Released: 2025
Director: Steven LaMorte
Synopsis: The passengers and crew of a Staten Island ferry are hunted by a mutant rodent.
Verdict: This production doesn’t take itself too seriously at all, and it’s actually quite funny while being simultaneously gory and shocking, so there’s good entertainment to derive from it so long as you don’t take it too seriously either. 3/5
Read the Tiny Tapes Screamboat review.

Signs
Released: 2002
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Synopsis: Former priest Graham (Mel Gibson), who has lost his faith after the death of his wife, discovers crop circles in his cornfield. With the help of his brother Merrill (Joaquin Phoenix) and two children, they come to find that hostile extraterrestrials are the cause of the crop circles.
Verdict: Shyamalan films that are of the horror genre are very hit-and-miss. Fortunately, Signs is at the more successful end of the scale. Although the very end of the movie spoils the illusion somewhat, the glimpses of the aliens and the overall terrifying atmosphere of the film mixed with its themes of mortality and faith go a long way to make this a true horror film. 4/5

Slender Man
Released: 2018
Director: Sylvain White
Synopsis: A group of young friends try to prove that the Slendar Man, and urban legend of a tall skinny man that stalks and kills, does not exist, until one of them goes missing.
Verdict: Coming soon

Slither
Released: 2006
Director: James Gunn
Synopsis: When an alien parasite comes to a small town and begins taking over peoples’ bodies, it’s up to Sheriff Bill (Nathan Fillion) to put an end to the infestation.
Verdict: Coming soon

Species
Released: 1995
Director: Roger Donaldson
Synopsis: An alien-human hybrid female named Sil (Natasha Henstridge) escapes a government facility and is hunted down by a ragtag group of scientists and agents. They intend to destroy her before she mates with a human male and produces children with the potential to destroy humanity.
Verdict: Despite being mainly infamous for being based on sex and an abundance of nudity, Species does have its genuine moments of decent gore and action. Not to mention, with the hybrid itself designed by the Xenomorph’s own H.R. Giger, there’s something to be said for this alien creature feature at the end of it all. 3/5

Splice
Released: 2009
Director: Vincenzo Natali
Synopsis: Two young scientists working on the splicing of animal genes decide to experiment by adding in human genes, creating an animal-human hybrid. As the hybrid grows, it starts to become a danger, and even comes inbetween the scientists themselves.
Verdict: Much like the movie Species, which was a likely source of inspiration for Splice, this film derives much of its ‘horror’ from the idea of creating something using human genes, something that becomes a threat to humans. It certainly has its weird and grotesque moments, at times maybe taking things a little too far, but it does a decent enough job of showing the risks and consequences of ‘playing God’. 3/5

Sputnik (Russian: Спутник)
Released: 2020
Director: Egor Abramenko
Synopsis: In 1983, the Soviet military hires a doctor to assess the wellbeing of a cosmonaut who has recently returned to Earth after a strange accident in space, an accident that has left him with a dangerous organism living inside his body.
Verdict: The claustrophobic settings help to make not only the organism feel more intimidating, but being set mainly in a suffocating military compound of some kind makes it also feel like its encroaching on the audience’s comfort. The story itself is a little bland, as are the characters, and the film doesn’t really have much in the way of originality, but it works just fine as a basic horror film. 3/5

Swamp Thing
Released: 1982
Director: Wes Craven
Synopsis: When his lab in a swamp is attacked and he is doused in a chemical he created, Dr. Alec Holland (Ray Wise) becomes the monsterous Swamp Thing. He wishes to exact revenge on the mastermind behind the attack, as well as protect Alice Cable (Adrienne Barbeau).
Verdict: As a film, Swamp Thing has a lot to offer in the way of adventure and intrigue, but as an adaptation of the graphic novels, it falls short of the novels’ depth and the Swamp Thing’s own internal journey, as well as adding odd scenes that don’t really make a lot of sense for either Holland’s or Swamp Thing’s character. 3/5

T

Them!
Released: 1954
Director: Gordan Douglas
Synopsis: Giant mutated ants, possibly from Earth, possibly extraterrestrial, become a threat to the United States when two ant queens are discovered to be establishing colonies to produce their own killer ant army on Earth.
Verdict: If you’re looking for a film to educate you on ants, this is the one for you. If you’re looking for something with a little more terror, this may not be. It starts off well, but tapers off in the second act to dialogue-heavy scenes, opting for constant verbal exposition over action and drama. It’s a good study in classic horror, but also has a few lessons in what not to do to retain the attention of your audience. 3/5

The Thing
Released: 1982
Director: John Carpenter
Synopsis: In Antarctica, a group of scientists are besieged by an alien lifeform that can imitate anyone or anything, leaving the scientist in danger of it, as well as each other.
Verdict: One of the best body horrors ever made, The Thing adeptly uses the claustrophobic and isolated setting to instill fear into the characters and the audience from the off, building to frightful and gruesome transformations caused by the extraterrestrial organism. 4/5

Three Blind Mice
Released: 2023
Director: Pierre B
Synopsis: A family head to a cabin in the woods where they are set upon by the Three Blind Mice.
Verdict: Like many of these warped childhood films, there is a weird mix of accents that makes the setting and relationsips between the characters rather confusing. The story tries and fails to give the characters ‘depth’ by adding issues such as addiction, but it doesn’t really work. There is some fun to be had with the gruesome gore and grostesque creatures, but that’s about all it has going for it. 1.5/5

Trick ‘r Treat
Released: 2007
Director: Michael Dougherty
Synopsis: In much the same vein as Love, Actually (though of course of a completely different genre), Trick ‘r Treat is a horror anthology of four separate stories that intertwine and are linked by one creepy (yet somehow cute) little onesie-wearing sack-headed demon named Sam. Each follows some kind of urban legend that has dire consequences, but also features some fun twists and turns to keep audiences on their toes.
Verdict: This movie is Halloween, the ultimate Halloween movie. You have a bunch of different stories, all happening on Halloween night, all intriguing and creepy and gory in their own right, that come together nicely, and it just has that overall feel of spooky season that every creep fan enjoys. 4/5

Troll Hunter (Norwegian: Trolljegeren)
Released: 2010
Director: André Øvredal
Synopsis: When a series of apparent bear killings draws their curiosity, a group of students head to the forest to find out what is going on. While there, they follow a hunter, only to discover that he is hunting something much, much bigger than bears.
Verdict: A great play on the classic Nordic folklore of trolls that features great performances, human and troll alike, with some fun dry humour mixed in with the terror of finding massive trolls out in the Norwegian wilderness. The shaky camera style can make you feel a little motion sick in this one, but if you can get past that, it’s an entertaining thriller. 4/5

W

The War of the Worlds
Released: 1953
Director: Byron Haskin
Synopsis: When hostile aliens come to Earth, Dr. Clayton Forrester (Gene Barry) must figure out their weakness, as well as stay alive, before they destroy all of humanity.
Verdict: Although this movie deviates from the book to modernise it (for the 1950s), it still retains much of its dialogue-heavy scenes, thus making it a little bit of a slog now and then. However, there’s still plenty to be frightened by in this classic, particularly scenes involving the aliens in any capacity. It might not be the most terrifying thing to 21st century audiences, but for fans of classic cinema, this one is a must-see. 3/5

War of the Worlds
Released: 2005
Director: Steven Spielberg
Synopsis: Dead-beat divorced dad-of-two Ray (Tom Cruise) has his young daughter and teenage son staying with him when alien beings come down to Earth and activate ancient buried machines to attack humans. Ray must find a way to keep himself and his kids alive and get them back to their mother.
Verdict: Spielberg has proven himself adept at alien films, and he once again hits the nail on the head with this modernised version of the 1898 H.G. Wells novel and 1953 film (as well as the infamous 1938 radio program). From the design of the alien machines and the creepy sound design to the John Williams score and spot-on performances, this is an excellent film in the pantheon of alien movies. 4/5

Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey trilogy
Released: 2023-2026
Director: Rhys Frake-Waterfield
Synopsis: In part one, after Christopher Robin (Nikolai Leon) leaves for college, Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Owl and Rabbit feel abandoned and are ultimately left to fend for themselves, resulting in them committing some heinous acts. In the second installment, Pooh goes on a revenge rampage through Christopher’s town.
Verdict: The first film hits all the right markers of a standard horror movie, but ultimately it just isn’t a good movie. At no point can it be taken seriously. (2/5). The second installment is significantly better, with a stronger plot, stronger performances and a tighter horror overall. (3/5) A third film is due in 2026.
Read the Tiny Tapes Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey and Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 reviews.

The Wolf Man
Released: 1941
Director: George Waggner
Synopsis: On his return to his family home in Wales after the death of his brother, Larry (Lon Chaney Jr.) falls for an already engaged woman. When they take a walk one night, Larry is bitten by a werewolf, and he begins to experience some deadly changes.
Verdict: Unlike some of its contemporaries, The Wolf Man isn’t bloated with unecessary dialogue or stagnant scenes. The story is strong and well-paced, the performances are engaging, and the sets are quaintly peaceful in the daytime and gothically dark in the nighttime. Also, with a run time of just 70 minutes, it’s good for those looking for something that won’t be too attention-demanding. 4/5

Wolf Man
Released: 2025
Director: Leigh Whannell
Synopsis: A reboot of the 1941 film, Wolf Man sees father and husband Blake (Christopher Abbott) relocate his family to his childhood home after he inherits it. There, he is attacked by a werewolf, and his family find themselves in grave danger.
Verdict: Much of the action happens quite soon in the movie, leaving it to taper off for the rest of the time. The werewolf aspects seem less wolfy and more like a different kind of supernatural entity. It retains the skeleton of The Wolf Man premise, but goes off in its own less entertaining direction. 3/5
Read the Tiny Tapes Wolf Man review.