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  • Hold the Fort Is the Horror Comedy You Need This Summer (And It's Finally on VOD)

    Hold the Fort Is the Horror Comedy You Need This Summer (And It's Finally on VOD)
    Jun 22 2026

    Arthur and Meaghan dig into William Bagley's Hold the Fort (2025), now available on VOD. They saw it first at its world premiere at the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, loved it enough to re-watch it the second it hit digital, and they're still laughing. This is that kind of movie.

    HOLD THE FORT — EPISODE SHOWNOTES

    ABOUT THE FILM

    ▸ Hold the Fort (2025): written and directed by William Bagley, co-written by Scott Hawkins

    ▸ Distributed by Sunrise Films (North America); available on Digital HD via Apple TV, Prime Video, and Fandango at Home as of June 23, 2026

    ▸ Runtime: 74 minutes · Genre: Horror Comedy

    ▸ World premiere: Fantasia International Film Festival, Montreal, July 2025, also screened at FrightFest London, Sitges, Beyond Fest, and Toronto After Dark

    THE CAST

    ▸ Chris Mayers (Ozark) as Lucas, the new homeowner who definitely did not read the HOA contract

    ▸ Haley Leary as Jenny, the more sensible half of the couple, and yes, also a nurse

    ▸ Julian Smith (social media comedian and producer) as Jerry, HOA president, keeper of the lore, cheese stick casualty

    ▸ Levi Burdick as Ted and Michelle Lamb as Annette, the neighborhood veterans who've been doing this for years

    ▸ Tordy Clark as Leslie, the neighborhood's better-living-through-chemistry advocate

    ▸ Hamid-Reza Benjamin Thompson as McScruffy, the hired weapons expert who gets taken out of commission early

    ▸ Luke Michael Williams as Marcus, the mechanic who changes everyone's oil for free (this is genuinely nice)

    THE MONSTERS

    ▸ Witches, recurring annual visitors; killable with bullets (magic doesn't stop bullets — remember that)

    ▸ Spirit Ninjas, possession-based entities that reanimate corpses as kung fu experts; require a peachwood sword to kill

    ▸ Kamikaze Bats, bats that fly into people and explode. Yes, really. Arthur loves these the most.

    ▸ The Werewolf, big, campy, old-school practical suit. Excellent snout.

    ▸ The Stick Man, the final boss. Blue. Gooey. Genuinely unsettling.

    THE SHARED UNIVERSE

    ▸ Hold the Fort is the second feature from William Bagley, following The Murder Podcast (2021)

    ▸ The films share a universe: a character from The Murder Podcast appears at the very end of Hold the Fort, moving into the neighborhood

    ▸ The line 'magic doesn't stop bullets' originates in The Murder Podcast as a TV commercial gag; it becomes a recurring rule in Hold the Fort

    ▸ Arthur and Meaghan watched both films back-to-back, recommended viewing order: Hold the Fort first, then The Murder Podcast

    WHAT WE LIKED / WHAT WE DIDN'T

    ▸ The creature variety is unlike most horror comedies; you're never dealing with just one type of monster

    ▸ Fight choreography is clean and well-shot for a crowdfunded indie production

    ▸ Jerry is the MVP, and Julian Smith plays the character with incredible comic timing

    ▸ The film has genuine emotional moments you won't expect, given how goofy everything else is

    ▸ McScruffy lands slightly over-the-top compared to the rest of the cast, the writing for that character pushed just past the line

    ▸ Final ratings: both Arthur and Meaghan sitting around 6.5/10, fun, not perfect, absolutely worth watching

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    30 Min.
  • Leviticus Review: Queer Horror Has Never Hit This Hard

    Leviticus Review: Queer Horror Has Never Hit This Hard
    Jun 19 2026
    Leviticus review: the queer Australian horror film Joe Bird stars in just opened, and we saw it opening night. Here's our raw reaction. Leviticus (2026) — written and directed by Adrian Chiarella — is one of the best horror films of this year so far. It's sitting at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and the praise is not overstated. This is a queer coming-of-age horror film that follows Naim (Joe Bird, Talk to Me) and Ryan (Stacy Clausen) — two teenage boys in a small, deeply religious town in rural Australia whose emerging feelings for each other trigger a supernatural entity that stalks anyone who's had a conversion ritual performed on them. About the film Leviticus (2026) — written and directed by Adrian Chiarella in his feature debut. Released June 18, 2026 in Australia; June 19, 2026 in the US via Neon. Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2026 (Midnight section).Produced by Causeway Films (also behind Talk to Me, The Babadook, Bring Her Back). Distributed internationally by Neon, acquired in a reported seven-figure deal post-Sundance.Running time: 88 minutes. Currently sitting at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and 84 on Metacritic. Nominated for an audience award at SXSW. Cast and Crew Joe Bird as Naim — best known as Riley in Talk to Me (2022). AACTA Young Stars Award 2025 winner. Leviticus is his first leading film role.Stacy Clausen as Ryan — praised by critics for conveying warmth beneath Ryan's guarded exterior.Mia Wasikowska as Arlene, Naim's mother — widely known for Crimson Peak, Alice in Wonderland. Plays the film's quiet, devastating antagonist.Nicholas Hope as the deliverance healer. Jeremy Blewitt as Hunter. Ewen Leslie as Rod. The Queer Horror Conversation Leviticus sits within a larger queer horror tradition — the film draws deliberate comparisons to It Follows (2014) in its use of a supernatural entity as social metaphor.The film's central metaphor: a post-exorcism entity that takes the form of whoever the victim desires most. It follows them. It adapts. It doesn't stop. The implication — that sexuality cannot be prayed away — is embedded in the film's rules.Meaghan also draws a comparison to Grave Tone's coverage of At the Place of Ghosts, another recent queer horror film dealing with queerness and small community dynamics.The book of Leviticus (specifically Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13) provides the film's title — and its central indictment of religious doctrine used to justify violence against queer people. Australian Horror's Moment Causeway Films has quietly built one of horror's most consistent track records: The Babadook (2014), Talk to Me (2022), The Moogai (2024), Bring Her Back (2025), Leviticus (2026).Arthur and Meaghan discuss what makes Australian horror feel distinctively raw and stripped-back — less Hollywood gloss, more visceral grounding in real places and real dread.Director Adrian Chiarella filmed across Victorian regional towns including Geelong and Bacchus Marsh — specific locations chosen to reinforce the film's claustrophobic, isolated atmosphere. Production Details Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen completed two weeks of pre-production bonding exercises — including a shopping complex improvisation (staying in character while buying each other gifts as their characters).Director Chiarella drove both leads around the filming locations before production began to build atmosphere and connection. A significant portion of the film's dialogue and movement was improvised on set.Production designer chosen specifically for her subdued, drab color palette — a deliberate visual choice to reinforce the emotional bleakness of the setting.Score composed by Jed Kurzel. Cinematography by Tyson Perkins. Follow us & Subscribe:SpotifyApple PodcastTikTokInstagramThreadsGrave Tone Horror Podcast Website Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    37 Min.
  • Summerween 2026: Horror Movie, Book & TV Recommendations

    Summerween 2026: Horror Movie, Book & TV Recommendations
    Jun 12 2026
    Summerween is a real thing (Gravity Falls coined the term back in 2012, and it has only picked up steam since), and this episode is our full lineup of summer horror movie recommendations, vampire picks, slasher books, and the horror TV shows we cannot stop talking about. On the movie side: The Final Girls, The Vast of Night, the new survival horror film Pitfall, The Lost Boys, Joyride, Sean Byrne's shark thriller Dangerous Animals, the live-action Scooby-Doo, the horror sequel Influencers, The Gift, and The Ruins. For summer horror books, we cover Breathe In, Bleed Out by Brian McAuley, You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron, The Last Astronaut by David Wellington, I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones, Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan, and Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare. And for horror TV, we get into Widow's Bay (just renewed for season two), Midnight Mass, Eerie Indiana, and True Blood. Use the chapter markers below to jump straight to whichever category you're after, movies, books, or TV, and check the full shownotes for links to everything we mention. If even one of these sends you down a rabbit hole this summer, our job here is done. Stay scared, stay tuned. Please vote for us for the Rising Star category at the Sacred Crypt Awards. What Even Is Summerween? Summerween comes from Gravity Falls (2012-2016), which had an actual episode by that name about a town that celebrates Halloween twice a year, and the term has stuck around as its own horror content category ever since. New Horror Releases for Summerween 2026 Pitfall (2025): survival horror slasher from director James Kondelik, starring Richard Harmon, Randy Couture, and Alexandra Essoe, about a hike that turns into a hunt.Dangerous Animals (2025): Sean Byrne's shark horror, starring Jai Courtney as a fisherman who feeds victims to sharks for no reason other than that he likes it.Influencers (2025): the Fantasia Festival sequel starring Cassandra Naud as CW, now hiding out in the south of France until another influencer catches her eye. Vampire and Slasher Throwbacks The Lost Boys (1987): Joel Schumacher's California-pier vampire classic, queer-coded and iconic, perfect for Pride Month too.Joyride (2001): Paul Walker, Steve Zahn, and Leelee Sobieski in a cross-country road trip gone very wrong.The Final Girls (2015): a meta horror comedy where friends get sucked into the slasher Camp Bloodbath, starring Taissa Farmiga, Nina Dobrev, and Adam DeVine.Scooby-Doo (2002): the definitive live-action take on these characters, with Matthew Lillard as Shaggy. Sci-Fi and Southern Gothic Throwbacks The Vast of Night (2019): 1950s New Mexico sci-fi horror loosely based on the Kecksburg UFO incident and the Foss Lake disappearances.The Gift (2000): Cate Blanchett, Keanu Reeves, and Katie Holmes in a Southern psychic thriller.The Ruins (2008): friends trapped on a Mexican pyramid by something far worse than they expected, based on the Scott Smith novel. Summer Horror Books for Your TBR Breathe In, Bleed Out by Brian McAuley: a wellness retreat slasher whodunit set in Joshua Tree.You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron: a full-contact summer camp terror experience, final girl included.I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones: small-town Texas, summer 1989, told from the killer's side.Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan: Texas funeral-home women vs. rising vampires, with serious Southern charm.Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare: Frendo the killer clown, now four books deep.The Last Astronaut by David Wellington: space horror that'll give you chills no matter how hot it is outside. TV to Binge This Summerween Widow's Bay: just renewed for season two, with the season one finale dropping next week.Midnight Mass shares Hamish Linklater with Widow's Bay, and is still one of the best vampire stories around.Eerie, Indiana (1991-1993): Omri Katz (Hocus Pocus' Max) investigates the weird stuff in his new town, a great horror gateway show.True Blood: Louisiana, heat, accents, vampires, and vibes that carry the whole series. Housekeeping: Awards, Anniversary and Where to Find Us We're up for Rising Star at the Sacred Crypt Awards, nominations open through July 12.Our one-year anniversary as a podcast is right around the corner.Ad-free listening is only on Spotify, that's the one platform where we run without ads.Take our horror movie picker quiz at gravetonepod.com if you need help deciding what to watch tonight. Follow us & Subscribe:SpotifyApple PodcastTikTokInstagramThreadsGrave Tone Horror Podcast Website Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    46 Min.
  • In a Violent Nature 2: Ry Barrett on Johnny's Kills, Prep & the Sequel

    In a Violent Nature 2: Ry Barrett on Johnny's Kills, Prep & the Sequel
    Jun 4 2026
    In a Violent Nature 2 is coming, and we got to sit down with the man who makes Johnny tick. Ry Barrett — actor, stuntman, and the face (well, mask) of one of the most talked-about slasher characters in recent horror memory — joins Arthur and Meaghan for a full conversation about what it takes to play a silent killer, how he prepared for the sequel, and what fans should expect when Johnny hits a summer camp. We get into the physicality of playing Johnny: the shoulder-first movement system, the checklist Ry ran through before every take, and the work cinematographer Pierce Derks put in just to keep pace. The bear attack videos that shaped how Ry moved through the first film. The shark attack footage he watched for the sequel — and what that hints at for Johnny's energy in In a Violent Nature 2. Ry talks about the moment of humanity he fought to keep in the original, the Steven Kostanski makeup that made it possible, and why he thinks Johnny works as a slasher villain in a way that stands alongside the classics. We compare notes on Canadian horror icons — Black Christmas, My Bloody Valentine, Ginger Snaps — and what it means to have Johnny take his place in that lineage. There's a panel story involving Kane Hodder, Lee Waddell, and Tom Morga that you'll want to hear. Plus: the plan for a third film, the possibility of a Fantasia premiere, and Ry's personal zombie apocalypse survival strategy (it involves duct tape). The Physicality of Playing a Silent Slasher Ry Barrett built Johnny's movement from a checklist — specific posture elements he ran through mentally before every single take to keep the character consistent across shooting days.The shoulder-first movement was a collaborative system developed with cinematographer Pierce Derks, who hand-held and followed Barrett through every scene — a physical cue system so Derks could frame correctly without verbal communication on a live take.Barrett studied bear attack footage to shape Johnny's baseline energy in the first film: smooth and territorial until the moment it becomes an attack, at which point the animal shifts completely. [LINK: In a Violent Nature (2024)]For In a Violent Nature 2, he switched to shark attack footage — which he hints connects directly to the sequel's tone and pacing, though he's deliberately cagey about the specifics. In a Violent Nature 2: What to Expect The sequel picks up directly after the events of the first film — no time jump — and moves Johnny into a summer camp setting, leaning further into the Friday the 13th tradition while doing something genuinely different with it.Barrett describes the sequel's Johnny as already operating at the heightened viciousness of the end of the first film, sustained throughout. He estimates there are at least three kills on the level of the yoga scene — and then more.The script, written by Chris Nash and directed by Nathaniel Wilson, still preserves the mystery around Johnny — the unreliable narration of the mythology remains intact — while adding new angles on the character.A tentative late summer/early fall 2026 window is discussed; Barrett also floated the possibility of a Fantasia Film Festival premiere without confirming anything. [CONFIRM: release window with IFC Films/Shudder before publishing] Canadian Horror and the Slasher Icon Question Arthur and Meaghan make the case for Barrett's Johnny as the Canadian answer to Kane Hodder's Jason — a comparison Barrett takes seriously given Hodder's status as the definitive physical performer behind a masked slasher.Barrett has met Kane Hodder multiple times — including once at a Nashville convention where he found himself on a panel alongside Hodder, Lee Waddell (original Ghostface in Scream), and Tom Morga (the only actor to play Jason Voorhees, Leatherface, and Michael Myers on screen) and describes mostly just listening in awe the entire time.The episode touches on the deep bench of Canadian horror films that tend to get absorbed into the general horror canon without their origins being noted: Black Christmas, My Bloody Valentine, Ginger Snaps — and now In a Violent Nature. [LINK: Canadian Horror Film Recommendations] The Horror Community and Making Indie Film Barrett traces his career in indie horror back to a micro-budget film made with friends in 2002 — which ended up being distributed worldwide through Lions Gate/Alliance Atlantis and basically set the course for everything after.He talks about the horror community as a self-sustaining ecosystem of fans, filmmakers, and convention culture — more accessible and more genuinely welcoming than most other genre communities he's encountered.The practical demands of the role: months of physical preparation, the reality of working in the Ontario wilderness near Sault Ste. Marie, and — most memorable for Barrett — the black flies targeting his eyes through the mask. Follow us & Subscribe:SpotifyApple PodcastTikTokInstagramThreadsGrave Tone Horror ...
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    42 Min.
  • Backrooms (2026) Review: Kane Parsons Delivers One of the Year's Best Horror Films

    Backrooms (2026) Review: Kane Parsons Delivers One of the Year's Best Horror Films
    May 29 2026
    Backrooms is here, and we went on opening night. Kane Parsons, the 20-year-old who built the Backrooms universe on YouTube as Kane Pixels and became A24's youngest feature director in the process, delivers something that genuinely holds up. This is slow-burning psychological horror with real atmosphere, a committed lead performance from Chiwetel Ejiofor, and a level of visual dread that stays with you well after you leave the theater. In this episode, Arthur and Meaghan break down the film in full, including the creepypasta and Kane Pixels YouTube lore that started it all, what it means for the story (and why catching up on the shorts adds a whole other layer), and why the 30,000-square-foot practical set makes such a difference. We get into the cast — Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve carry this thing on their backs — plus some fun horror Easter eggs scattered through the supporting cast, including a Ginger Snaps scream queen sighting and a Tucker & Dale vs. Evil deep cut. We also talk about the "ghost directing" controversy, why Kane Parsons absolutely directed this film, and why the YouTube-to-Hollywood pipeline is producing some of the most interesting horror of the decade. Backrooms scored an 8.5 from both of us — and that number might go up on a rewatch. The Origin: Creepypasta, 4chan, and Kane Pixels The Backrooms began as a single liminal space image posted to 4chan, which spawned creepypasta lore and a wave of community-built content.Kane Parsons — now known as Kane Pixels — launched his YouTube series The Backrooms (Found Footage) in January 2022 at age 16, built entirely in Blender and Adobe After Effects.The YouTube series has amassed over 190 million views across roughly 15–20 episodes and developed a massive cult following, with dedicated lore breakdown videos clocking in at 90+ minutes.The core lore: a company called Async accidentally created a pocket universe through particle acceleration experiments; that universe began collapsing into our own, trapping people inside — timeline distortions, entities, and all. The Film: Psychological Horror & Liminal Dread Directed by Kane Parsons (his feature directorial debut), written by Will Soodik, and produced by A24 with executive producers James Wan, Shawn Levy, and Osgood Perkins.Set in 1990 California; Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a furniture store owner and failed architect, discovers an entry point into the Backrooms in his store's basement through unexplained electrical failures.The film leans into slow burn psychological horror over conventional scares — eerie atmosphere sustained throughout, with brief moments of levity that land because of how well they're placed.A 30,000-square-foot practical set was built for production; crew members reportedly got lost in it during filming, which tells you everything about the level of commitment to the physical environment.The period setting is fully realized — costume design, furniture, the aesthetic of late-eighties elements bleeding into 1990, Clark's pirate-themed furniture commercials — all of it feels deliberate. The Cast: Who's in It and Why It Works Chiwetel Ejiofor as Clark delivers one of the year's best horror performances — a fully formed, deeply flawed human being whose descent across two very different timelines is completely believable.Renate Reinsve as Dr. Mary Kline (fresh off her Oscar-nominated turn in The Worst Person in the World and her role in Sentimental Value) brings emotional grounding to the film's second half.Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett (Targaryen fans will clock him immediately), Lukita Maxwell, and Avan Jogia round out the supporting cast. Duplass went on record defending Parsons' directing publicly when the ghost-directing rumors started.Horror Easter eggs buried in the supporting cast: Katharine Isabelle (Ginger Snaps, Freddy vs. Jason) appears briefly as a character named Robin; Philip Granger (the sheriff in Tucker & Dale vs. Evil) plays an electrician; Sawyer Fraser, recently seen as Jude in Netflix's Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, appears in a scene at Phil's house.Originally, Cristin Milioti was in negotiations for the role of Mary before Renate Reinsve was cast. What We Actually Thought (Mild Spoilers) Both Arthur and Meaghan landed at 8.5/10 — with both acknowledging the score might move higher on a rewatch once you can catch the Easter eggs and lore callbacks you missed the first time.The atmosphere is relentlessly maintained; the practical sets mean the actors are physically inside the space, and it shows. You can basically smell the carpet.Kane Parsons co-scored the film alongside Edo van Breemen. The sound design does more heavy lifting than any traditional score, pulling from what Arthur mentions is a genre called "647" — liminal ambient music that already existed within the Backrooms community.The scares are quiet and effective, particularly a bulldozer sequence in a childhood flashback and a moment when Mary first finds ...
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    47 Min.
  • Passenger (2026) Review: Is Øvredal's Road Trip Demon Worth Seeing?

    Passenger (2026) Review: Is Øvredal's Road Trip Demon Worth Seeing?
    May 22 2026
    Passenger (2026) review: André Øvredal returns to horror with a supernatural road trip that looks incredible and scares hard, but leaves questions unanswered. In this episode, we dig into the Autopsy of Jane Doe director's latest film, where a young couple's van life adventure turns into a demonic nightmare after they stop at a fatal highway crash. Lou Llobell and Jacob Scipio play Maddie and Tyler, and we talk about what works (the cinematography by Federico Verardi is genuinely stunning), what surprised us (a few jump scares we did not see coming), and where the story falls apart. The religious mythology around the Passenger entity feels half-baked, the character lore is thin, and the whole thing could have come out a decade ago and felt the same. We get into spoiler territory on the hobo code, the Saint Christopher symbology, and what the film does (and doesn't) answer about its own monster. Plus: where Passenger fits in an absolutely stacked May 2026 for original horror, how it compares to Hokum, Obsession, and At the Place of Ghosts, and why Backrooms is the one we cannot wait for next week. Featuring: André Øvredal, Lou Llobell, Jacob Scipio, Melissa Leo, Joseph Lopez, Federico Verardi, T.W. Burgess, and Zachary Donohue. André Øvredal's Road Horror Legacy Passenger is Øvredal's follow-up to The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023), continuing his pattern of never repeating a sub-genre twice. Previous credits include Trollhunter (2010), The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016), and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (2019). Written by T.W. Burgess and Zachary Donohue, produced by Walter Hamada (18Hz Productions) and Gary Dauberman (Coin Operated), distributed by Paramount Pictures. Cast and Performances in Passenger (2026) Lou Llobell stars as Maddie, bringing depth to a character wrestling with abandonment and stability. Llobell is known for her role in Foundation on Apple TV+. Jacob Scipio plays Tyler, the van life enthusiast with a complicated relationship to home and routine. Academy Award winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter, 2010) plays Diana, the figure who introduces the couple to the road's mythology. Joseph Lopez plays the Passenger entity itself. Cinematography and Visual Craft Cinematographer Federico Verardi delivers standout sequences: the hazard light flat tire scene, the film projector in the forest (with Roman Holiday overlaying onto the trees), and the continuously rotating parking lot shot where the van drifts further away with each turn. The visual work is the strongest element of the film; even mixed reviews acknowledge that Passenger is a gorgeous-looking movie. Supernatural Rules and Road Mythology The Passenger attaches itself to travelers who break the road rules: do not drive at night, and never stop for anything. The hosts dig into the hobo code symbols that appear throughout the film, Saint Christopher as the patron saint of travelers, and the religious symbology that doesn't fully connect to the entity's origins. Both hosts agree the lore is undercooked; the exposition feels rushed or possibly edited down from a longer cut. May 2026: An Insane Month for Original Horror Passenger opens in a month stacked with Hokum (Damien McCarthy / NEON), At the Place of Ghosts, Obsession, and the highly anticipated Backrooms (A24, May 29). The hosts discuss how this scheduling may have hurt Passenger's reception. Grave Tone: Horror Podcast crew previews Backrooms and flags Saccharin and Corporate Retreat as additional titles they're tracking for late May 2026. Ratings and Final Verdict Meaghan: 4.5/10 — effective scares and strong cinematography, but generic writing and unresolved mythology pull it down. Arthur: 5/10 — solid jump scares and cool transitions, likable characters who make smart decisions, but ultimately middle of the road. Follow us & Subscribe:SpotifyApple PodcastTikTokInstagramThreadsGrave Tone Horror Podcast Website Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    45 Min.
  • Obsession Review: The Best Horror Movie of 2026 Just Arrived

    Obsession Review: The Best Horror Movie of 2026 Just Arrived
    May 14 2026
    Obsession (2026) review: Curry Barker's horror film is terrifying, hilarious, and emotionally devastating. We rate it 9.5/10. Arthur and Meaghan review Obsession, the new supernatural horror from 26-year-old writer/director Curry Barker. We break down Inde Navarrette's award-worthy performance as Nikki, the be-careful-what-you-wish-for premise powered by the One Wish Willow, Barker's rise from YouTube comedy (That's a Bad Idea, Milk & Serial) to a Focus Features horror classic, and why this might be the best horror movie of 2026. We cover the cast (Michael Johnston, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter), the TIFF premiere and $15M bidding war, comparisons to Get Out and Talk to Me, the comedy-to-horror pipeline, toxic relationship horror, and every scene that had our hands sweating. Discussed in this episode: Obsession (2026): The Horror Event of the Year Written, directed, and edited by Curry Barker; produced by Blumhouse, Tea Shop Productions, Capstone Studios; distributed by Focus Features Premiered at TIFF 2025 (Midnight Madness); screened at SXSW 2026; theatrical release May 15, 2026 Currently holds 96% on Rotten Tomatoes and 83 on Metacritic; sold to Focus Features for over $15 million after a 24-hour bidding war involving A24 and Neon We rate Obsession 9.5 out of 10 digs; one of the highest scores we've ever given on the podcast Curry Barker: The Comedy-to-Horror Pipeline Co-creator of YouTube comedy channel That's a Bad Idea with Cooper Tomlinson; rose to viral fame with the $800-budget short film Milk & Serial (2024), which hit 2.3 million views on YouTube [LINK: Milk & Serial on YouTube] Follows the comedy-to-horror trajectory of Jordan Peele (Get Out), Zach Cregger (Barbarian, Weapons), and the Philippou brothers (Talk to Me) Next project: Anything But Ghosts (Focus Features) starring Aaron Paul, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Violet McGraw; also attached to write and direct a new Texas Chain Saw Massacre The Cast: An Ensemble That Hits Every Note Michael Johnston (Teen Wolf) as Bear (Baron); a performance that keeps you locked into his guilt and desperation the entire runtime Inde Navarrette (Superman & Lois) as Nikki Freeman; a star-making, award-worthy turn that shifts from charming to demonic in a heartbeat; comparisons to Mia Goth in Pearl [LINK: Inde Navarrette Interview Magazine profile] Cooper Tomlinson as Ian, Megan Lawless as Sarah, Andy Richter (Conan) as Carter; the friend group chemistry feels genuinely lived-in Be Careful What You Wish For: The Horror of the One Wish Willow Premise rooted in the monkey's paw trope; Barker cites The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror as direct inspiration Bear's wish ("I wish for her to love me more than anyone in the world") triggers a supernatural curse that strips Nikki of her autonomy and replaces her with something terrifying Comparisons to Get Out (the sunken place), Black Mirror, Bedazzled, and Fatal Attraction Psychological Horror and Toxic Relationship Themes Obsession explores infatuation versus love, codependence, unrequited feelings, and what it means to remove someone's agency for your own comfort Bear's natural chemistry with Sarah's character highlights how forced and artificial his "relationship" with cursed Nikki really is The customer support hotline scene condenses everything great about the movie into two minutes: comedy, horror, and devastating emotional stakes all at once Standout Moments and Horror Craft The corner scene: Nikki standing in the dark at 3 AM with a slow, jerky shuffle; the entire theater shifted in discomfort The duct tape door and lingering Smile-like grin; the demon-eye lighting at the front door; practical effects and a head-smashing scene that was trimmed to avoid an NC-17 rating Barker's editing instincts: knowing when to ramp intensity and when to pull back for quieter character moments is remarkable for a filmmaker this young Follow us & Subscribe:SpotifyApple PodcastTikTokInstagramThreadsGrave Tone Horror Podcast Website Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    44 Min.
  • At the Place of Ghosts Review: TIFF Standout Finally Hits Theatres

    At the Place of Ghosts Review: TIFF Standout Finally Hits Theatres
    May 8 2026
    At the Place of Ghosts is the kind of film that stays with you long after the credits. Bretten Hannam's Mi'kmaq supernatural thriller follows two estranged brothers, Mise'l and Antle, who are forced back together when a malevolent spirit from their shared childhood begins poisoning them from the inside out. Their only option: enter Sk+te'kmujue'katik, the Place of Ghosts, a forest where time folds on itself and the living walk alongside ancestors, future selves, and the traumas they tried to leave behind. Arthur and Meaghan break down everything that makes this Canadian indigenous horror film work so well; the nonlinear storytelling that never loses you, the stunning Nova Scotia cinematography by Guy Godfree, the powerhouse performances from Forrest Goodluck and Blake Alec Miranda, and the way the film explores generational trauma, queerness, two-spirit identity, and Mi'kmaq culture without ever shoving it in your face. Premiering at TIFF 2025 and now hitting Canadian theatres on May 8, 2026 via VVS Films, this is a slow burn supernatural drama wrapped in a ghost story wrapped back into a drama again. Meaghan goes 9/10. Arthur's at a solid 8. Neither of them can find much to complain about, and honestly that almost never happens. In this episode, we cover: • Why the nonlinear storytelling actually works • The film's exploration of generational trauma and two-spirit identity • Stunning cinematography and the technical achievement of shooting in remote forests • How this compares to the current wave of indigenous horror • Red Dress Day, Moose Hide Campaign Day, and indigenous heritage resources • Book recommendations: Highway of Tears, Five Little Indians, Bad Cree, Never Whistle at Night At the Place of Ghosts releases in Canadian theatres May 8, 2026. About the Film At the Place of Ghosts (Sk+te'kmujue'katik) directed and written by Bretten Hannam; a Canada/Belgium co-productionStarring Forrest Goodluck as Antle, Blake Alec Miranda as Mise'l, and Glen Gould as their fatherCinematography by Guy Godfree; score by Jeremy DutcherWorld premiere at TIFF 2025 (Platform Prize program); Canadian theatrical release May 8, 2026 via VVS FilmsHannam's previous feature: Wildhood (2021), also exploring indigenous identity and brotherhood Mi'kmaq Culture, Two-Spirit Identity, and Generational Trauma The Mi'kmaq are indigenous peoples primarily residing in Atlantic Canada (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador) and parts of MaineThe film features dialogue in both English and the Mi'kmaq languageExploration of two-spirit identity and gender fluidity within indigenous communitiesThe impact of residential schools and colonialism on generational trauma, identity, and family dynamics Indigenous Heritage Days and Resources Red Dress Day (May 5): Commemorating missing and murdered indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people; originated from a 2010 art installation by Métis artist Jamie Black [LINK: Amnesty International MMIWG resources]Moose Hide Campaign Day (May 14): Grassroots movement engaging men and boys to end violence against indigenous women and children [LINK: moosehidecampaign.ca]National Day of Truth and Reconciliation (September 30): Also known as Orange Shirt Day Indigenous Literature Recommendations Highway of Tears by Jessica McDiarmid; nonfiction investigating missing and murdered indigenous women along Highway 16 in BCFive Little Indians by Michelle Good; fiction based on real events about children escaping the residential school systemBad Cree by Jessica Johns; supernatural indigenous horror novelNever Whistle at Night edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.; bestselling indigenous dark fiction anthology. Sequel (Back for Blood) coming August 2026 What's Next Next week: Obsession by Curry Barker (in theatres May 15). Barker recently tapped to direct A24's Texas Chainsaw Massacre reimagining Follow us & Subscribe:SpotifyApple PodcastTikTokInstagramThreadsGrave Tone Horror Podcast Website Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    51 Min.