The Shock Doctors Podcast

Orphan: First Kill is a wholly unjustified prequel that attempts to top the original’s already ludicrous twist, but is mostly just an inert mess. William Brent Bell is a hack of the first order, and always has been. 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].

They/Them is a poorly scripted, entirely muddled mess, a shallow coming-of-age trauma-bonding teen drama with a vestigial slasher film appendage. 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].

Some promising early sequences are quickly undone by a melange of poorly-differentiated characters and a distinct underuse of the “dark and stormy night” atmosphere. 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 suitably gooshy effects and occasionally inspired mayhem, The Sadness is nonetheless often handicapped by its own excesses, falling awkwardly between being too unpleasant and not unpleasant enough. 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].

Jordan Peele has done it again, building terrific popcorn entertainment around stunning, already iconic new horror imagery, impeccable pacing, and note-perfect performances from Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Brandon Perea, Steven Yeun, and Michael Wincott. 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].

Chloe Okuno’s meticulous direction, an arresting lead performance from Maika Monroe, and a stunner of an ending make this slow burn well worth the watch. 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].

Based on a Joe Hill story, The Black Phone nails a trifecta – strong performances from Ethan Hawke, Madeleine McGraw, and Mason Thames, assured direction by Scott Derrickson, and a smart script from Derrickson and writing partner C. Robert Cargill. It’s a blast. 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].

Meet the new sex… very much NOT the same as the old sex. Crimes of the Future isn’t quite vintage Cronenberg, but it’s still plenty good. 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].

Strong performances by Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear (in his case, several), as well as some interesting ideas, at least make this film deeply watchable, if utterly confounding. 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 flawed but entertaining Stephen King property from the ’80s is turned into dimly lit, poorly written CGI capeshit. 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].

Jane Schoenbrun’s creepypasta opus is driven by an uncanny grasp of what makes the medium so effective, featuring two powerhouse performances and seamless transitions between found footage, Screenlife, and conventional filmmaking. It’s dynamite. 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 lack of a clear primary protagonist, poor integration of witchcraft elements, and a compromised would-be bombshell in the third act combine to limit the impact of the film’s important message and suitably oppressive mood. 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 pair of strong lead performances and a beguiling opening act, tonal issues nonetheless cause the film to stumble a bit as it builds toward and reaches its climax. 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 film tries to grapple with important themes – the cyclical nature of violence and the hardships of the immigrant experience – an utter lack of suspense and a script allergic to subtext leave the whole endeavor dead on arrival. 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 nearly a decade away from the genre, Ti West still builds tension as well as anyone in the business, but old people having sex isn’t quite as repulsive as he wants it to be. 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].

Period creature-feature goodness and an interesting twist on the mechanics of lycanthropy are diminshed by pacing issues, a sometimes-drab color palette, and some questionable choices about the film’s Roma pseudo-antagonists. 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].

Leatherface’s mask not actually being leather is only like the 17th-worst thing about this movie, which gives you an idea of how thumb-fingered it is. 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].

Ben Wheatley’s best film since Kill List is a trippy folk horror nightmare, with strong 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].

The latest entry in the long-running franchise is not entirely without merit, but enduring all of the “requel” discourse is about as much fun as watching Reddit projected onscreen for 114 minutes. 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].

V/H/S/94 is a vast improvement over its immediate predecessor, but lags behind the first two films, providing a goofy, grindhouse atmosphere but forgetting to be frightening. 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].

Mild pacing issues and Dr. Ritter’s impenetrable motives prevent Nightmare Alley from being a slam-dunk, but it’s still a very good time. 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].

Your Masters of Microphoning meander through another Johannes Roberts misfire, albeit one that appears to make some fanboys very excited. 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 sequel mostly dispenses with the series’ customary bag of tricks and replaces them with… well, nothing really. 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].

Last Night in Soho wastes an imperfect but engaging opening stretch by dissolving into a featureless morass of shadow men and a climax that is bone-deep bad. 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].

Antlers is a creepy and effective creature feature that’s sometimes hampered by certain lighting and backstory choices. 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].

Matt and Jim wouldn’t be surprised if Halloween Kills this franchise. Zing! 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].

For this milestone, Matt and Jim have put together a super-sized episode tackling the so-called “Thorn Trilogy” of Halloween sequels. They are… not good. 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 heaping helping of early-aughts action-horror goodness and some unexpected tricks up its sleeve, Malignant is a pleasant surprise – perhaps the biggest in Shock Doctors history. 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 it’s hampered by a muddled climax, strong direction and performances make Nia DaCosta’s film a worthy heir to the Candyman mantle. 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].

David Bruckner’s latest film benefits from a typically strong Rebecca Hall performance, a minimum of spookhouse nonsense, and an oppressive atmosphere – even if the closing line is a bit of a dud. 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 unnecessary sequel makes a hero out of the villain of the original, gives him home field advantage, and thereby drains all suspense from the concept. 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 beach what makes you old. One of us liked this movie, and one did not. Can you guess which is which? 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 better-than-average entry in the haunted hotel genre, The Night is boosted by an understated and compelling ending. 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].

Do you have a friend who’s really bad at handling stress? Imagine cloning them six times, tossing them in a deadly box, and being forced to watch them scream at each other for 88 minutes. 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].

“Well, uh… the Purge is over, but it’s, like, forever now.” That’s it. That’s the post. 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 Ilana Glazer vehicle grapples with some serious real-life issues, and elements of the film have a great deal of merit, but it also has a lot of problems – none more glaring than its WWE-inflected climax that makes a few tone-deaf choices. 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 Warrens’ third (fourth?) entry in the James Wan Expanded Universe in the weakest yet, completely lacking in scares and drowning in jargon. 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].

Now that the creatures have proven to be mortal, some of the tension of the original film has dissipated. But A Quiet Place Part II still has a lot going for it. 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].

Zack Snyder’s return to the zombie genre finds him still plagued by the self-seriousness of his superhero films, even as he tries to recapture the breezy tone of Dawn of the Dead ’04. 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 villain whose voice wouldn’t scare a toddler, and burdened by a neverending parade of cop cliches, Spiral is as tedious as its full title. 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].

Holy Mary Mutherra Gawd, pray foah us sinnahs, until we can be freed from this misbegotten religious horror flick. 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 blatant Body Snatchers knockoff has nothing to contribute to the formula, except an unnecessarily convoluted life cycle for the pod people. 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].

In Ivan Kavanagh’s latest film, a young woman who escaped a cult finds that her idyllic life with her son has an expiration date. 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].

Matt and Jim can’t decide which is more horrifying: Hunter’s marriage, or her rapidly escalating case of pica. Just kidding – it’s definitely her marriage. 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].

Those hoping for dose of vintage Cage Rage from this Five Nights at Freddy’s knockoff will be sorely disappointed. In Matt’s words, “Cage spent too much of the movie faffing about, or should I say, FNAFing about.” 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].

Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum is another eerily effective entry in the venerable traditions of K-horror and “old haunted building movies,” as well as the not-so-venerable tradition of found footage films. 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].

Issa Lopez’s dark fairy tale unsurprisingly shares a lot of DNA with the films of Guillermo del Toro, but it remains an arresting and original film, compelling in its own right. 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].

Peter Strickland’s latest is an appropriately bizarre giallo homage, complete with a score that might as well have been written by Goblin. 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].

At long last, Matt and Jim do a listener-request episode, and it’s a doozy. How fitting that on this Easter Sunday, we release a podcast featuring a villain known as “Easter Gay.” 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 Vigil adds a relatively strong and low-key entry to the decidedly mixed bag of the Jewish demon horror subgenre. 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].