The Shock Doctors Podcast

In this abbreviated bonus episode, Matt and Jim discuss Markiplier’s surprise hit. While Jim enjoyed it rather less than his co-host, they both think Mr. Fischbach might have a future as a director. That said, the film does have fairly serious pacing issues, and certain elements remain underdeveloped. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

With a mind-numbing, wishy-washy finale that seems perpetually at war with itself, this ill-advised Strangers trilogy finally grinds to a close. Lore-brained to a fault, the filmmakers completely fail to understand what made the original film work: The Strangers had no backstory, and no motive. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

It’s not quite prime Raimi, but with both Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien in top form, it’s nice to have the old splatterhound back in action. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Starting with uncanny Sora lighting, then slipping into a Godsmack music video aesthetic, Christophe Gans’s second go-around in Silent Hill pales in comparison both to his first film and to Silent Hill 2, the game on which this film is largely (albeit loosely) based. Returning to Silent Hill was a mistake. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’Connell make for a great pair, even if it sometimes feels like Kelson and Jimmy Crystal were made for different movies. Still, this is a worthy addition to the franchise. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Not having much to offer aside from some satisfyingly gooshy gore effects, Primate is nevertheless the best film in Johannes Roberts’s decidedly dubious filmography. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

A breakout performance from Jai Courtney, and the exact right balance of tension, gore, and goofiness, make this a return to form for director Sean Byrne. One of the few good shark movies. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

While not without its pitfalls, this remake of the 80s slasher is still quite entertaining, and continues the franchise’s improbably strong record. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Are they ghosts? Are they robots? Both? Neither? This frustrating conundrum marred the first film, but it reaches new lows this time around thanks to “The Marionette” and its possession of several human beings. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

We watched the last four Friday the 13th sequels, and it went about as poorly as you’d expect. They started out bad, and just got steadily worse. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Possibly the weakest of Oz Perkins’ films, Keeper is nevertheless a creepy good time, featuring strong performances from Rossif Sutherland and especially Tatiana Maslany. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Chris Stuckmann’s debut feature is a dreadful amalgam of a dozen other movies – some good, some bad – with an unintentional howler of an ending. Woeful. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Guillermo del Toro’s love of monsters means he saps The Creature of any real sense of menace. It’s a shame, because it’s a gorgeous movie, with top-notch performances from its two leads. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Another go-around with Ethan Hawke’s Grabber is bound to be at least a little fun, but there’s not enough of him, and Derrickson can’t fully commit to the protagonist switch he’s stumbled into. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

The eighth installment in the found footage anthology franchise is a half-step up from the period-piece trilogy, but until they extricate themselves from this splatstick rut, these films will never live up to the promise of the first two. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

The saggy midsection of a trilogy that should only have been one movie – or none at all – this latest installment is shapeless, bottom-of-the-barrel stuff. Just woeful. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Not as much of a trainwreck as The Devil Made Me Do It, the final(?) installment in The Conjuring series still suffers from the same storytelling pitfalls and overall churchiness as the rest. The first remains really the only one worth watching. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

If you were trying to create the world’s most generic, lifeless, bog standard exorcism film, you’d be hard pressed to do better than The Ritual. Al Pacino and Dan Stevens deserved better. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

While Zach Cregger shows a deft hand at nurturing intrigue and creeping dread, he is once again hamstrung by his penchant for hard left turns into comedy. The climax is fun, but left us wanting. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

This latest lifeless rehash of a 90s slasher is a little less self-serious than Screams V and VI, but probably also dumber. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

The Shock Doctors were already the farthest thing from M3GAN stans, but this needlessly convoluted sequel seals the deal. It’s given up on horror, and it’s an action comedy with no action and bad jokes. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Despite being kind of an odd mash-up of two movies in one, neither of which strongly resembles the series’ standout first entry, 28 Years Later is another win for Danny Boyle and Alex Garland. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

The sophomore feature from the Philippou Brothers underwhelmed us about as much as their debut, Talk to Me. What’s worse is that the flashes of originality in that film are almost entirely absent here, in a borrowed hodgepodge indebted most obviously to Hereditary. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Eli Craig’s latest feature is another disappointment from the filmmaker behind Tucker and Dale vs. Evil – just bland YA claptrap with scattershot humor that mostly doesn’t land. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

After 200 podcasts, we’ve watched some great movies and a whole lot of crap. Give a listen as we pick out our favorite and least favorite subjects of past episodes. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Not for the first time, Gary Dauberman piles up a bunch of underwhelming monsters in an attempt to scare us by sheer volume, and not for the first time, he fails. A waste of strong source material. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Ryan Coogler’s latest film is a rip-roaring good time, with a surprisingly understated dual performance from Michael B. Jordan surrounded by top-notch work from a deep supporting cast. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

While not up to the standards of Longlegs, with some pacing issues and overly-quirky side characters, overall The Monkey is a rollicking good time, with four rock-solid performances at its center. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Another “horror” “comedy” from the Christopher Landon assembly line, Heart Eyes tries to mash together 90s-style romcoms and slasher movies, and fails on both counts. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Less a true-blue horror movie and more of a supernatural drama, Presence nonetheless packs a wallop and demonstrates the deft touch of both director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter David Koepp. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Seemingly at war with itself and unable to settle on its core themes, Wolf Man is a big step down from Leigh Whannell’s first Universal Monster flick, 2020’s The Invisible Man. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

The seventh installment in the found footage anthology franchise is perhaps a half-step above the period-piece trilogy that preceded it, but as Matt says, it’s getting increasingly hard to care or sit through the undifferentiated stew we’re presented with time and again. The Flanagan-Siegel segment is an exception. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

It may not be Eggers’ best work, but that’s a very high bar to clear. This is a beautifully shot, handsomely mounted reimagining of the landmark silent film, with standout performances all around. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Robert Morgan is a gifted animator, but the stopmotion vignettes that give this film its narrative spine don’t tell enough of a story to keep us fully invested. That said, Aisling Franciosi is terrific. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

This Rosemary’s Baby prequel has visual style and strong performances, but fails to engender the same paranoid dread as the original. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Heretic has some intelligent, though not groundbreaking, things to say about religion and society, and is built around three strong performances, Hugh Grant in particular. Unfortunately, the script’s minimal modulation of his character’s villainy leaves the movie nowhere to go. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Gary Dauberman’s long-delayed Stephen King adaptation is pleasantly old-fashioned and shows flashes of panache, but is ultimately light on scares and pretty disposable. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Bigger and dumber than its predecessor, Smile 2 trudges through an interminable series of foregone conclusions while screaming its themes at the audience as loudly as possible. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Alexandre Aja’s latest film fails to maintain enough ambiguity to sustain its middle hour, and the ending raises more questions than the audience, after 101 minutes, will really feel motivated to answer. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

The Substance is a movie with three standout performances and a lot of panache that is weighted down by its own excesses, and a habit of repeating itself. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

This remake of the 2022 Danish film suffers from a stultifying fidelity to the original – except in two major respects, where there has been a decided downgrade. A waste of a very strong cast. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

The directorial debut of Robert Eggers’ younger brothers Max and Sam is an uneasy mishmash of influences, on top of being a tedious scatological assault on the senses. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

While the Shock Doctors share most of Chris Weitz’s feelings about AI and other facets of modernity, the actual film he’s assembled is a muddled hodgepodge of grievances that never coheres. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Alien: Romulus is not without its merits – set design and visual style in particular – but it suffers from an excess of fanservice callbacks, and the AI revenant of Ian Holm was a serious misstep. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Buoyed by a committed, charismatic lead performance from Josh Harnett, Trap nonetheless suffers from a lack of commitment to its initial single-location conceit. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Given the background of the material and the people involved, The Exorcism qualifies as a serious disappointment. Turgid, incoherent, and riddled with cliches, this film should have stayed on the shelf. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Our first great horror experience in recent memory, Longlegs is a slam-dunk early candidate for our favorite of the year. Oz Perkins, Nicolas Cage, and Maika Monroe have never been better. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].

Marred by the superficiality of its sleazy 80s atmosphere, and the bizarre absence of heft in its central character, Ti West’s third X entry ends this franchise with a whimper. Please follow us on Twitter @ShockDoctorsPod, on Facebook at facebook.com/shockdoctorspod, or check us out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or Tune In. Got an idea for the next movie you’d like us to check out? Feel free to send us a DM on social media, or email us at [email protected].