Frightening Strikes

The Woods is a psychological thriller from first-time director, Sarah Lyons. It follows four friends - Kate, Amy, Sam, and Lucas - who, having just graduated from college, decide to commemorate their friendship by recreating a childhood camping trip. But what begins as a nostalgic reunion soon takes a darker turn. The Only Survivor Fast-forward several years and the film opens with Kate (the only one of the four who makes it back) recounting her version of events on a true crime podcast. Kate’s desire to set the record straight after a traumatic experience drives the story forward, challenged by sceptical questioning from the podcast host, and we sense she may be an unreliable narrator. The group’s journey starts brightly enough, but it’s clear early on that the trip is a passion project of Kate's rather than the joint venture that she insists it is during the interview. At a motel stop on the first night, the eerie tone is set when Amy is found sleepwalking and caught in the m...

June might not be bursting at the seams with horror releases, but there are still a few creeping onto screens this month. The summer season tends to favour blockbusters over bloodbaths but horror fans aren’t entirely left in the cold. June 2025 offers slim pickings but there's still a handful of unsettling stories worth keeping an eye on, with survival horror, an anthology and the return of some old favourites on the cards. Here’s the pick of what’s haunting cinemas and streaming platforms this month. Dangerous Animals Free-spirited surfer Zephyr aims to escape her troubled past by taking time out on Australia's Gold Coast but her peaceful retreat turns into a nightmare when she's abducted by Tucker, a shark-obsessed serial killer who records his gruesome acts for his own twisted pleasure. Held captive on his boat, Zephyr realises she must outwit Tucker to survive and summon all her strength to confront the real monster before time runs out. Described as “A lean, nasty sur...

Fréwaka is a slow-burning Irish-language folk horror that deftly weaves ancient fairy folklore and family trauma with part of Ireland's past that haunts to this day. At its centre is Shoo, a woman caught between her personal history and the unseen forces that still command respect in remote corners of the country. As the narrative unfolds, it becomes clear that Shoo is not just visiting a haunted place - she is part of its story. From Celebration to Tragedy The film opens with a wedding celebration in rural 1970s Ireland, gate-crashed by masked strangers. The bride, unsettled by their appearance, mysteriously vanishes without trace, setting an eerie tone for the strange tale that follows. Fast-forward to the present and we are introduced to Shoo and her fiancée, Mila, arriving at Shoo’s late mother’s flat to clear it out after her suicide. There is tension between them: Shoo is short-tempered and pragmatic, keen to dispose of the contents of the flat without sentiment, while Mila ...

I love a good found-footage film and Butterfly Kisses ticks all the boxes with the added bonus that the narrative unfolds using documentary-style storytelling combined with supernatural horror, making for a suspenseful and unsettling experience. Gavin York is a struggling filmmaker who stumbles upon a collection of old video tapes shot by student filmmakers Sophia and Feldman in 2004. The tapes chronicle their investigation into the urban legend of "Peeping Tom," a sinister entity said to haunt an abandoned train tunnel. According to the lore, staring down the tunnel without blinking for an hour will summon Peeping Tom, who draws ever closer each time you blink until he's up-close and personal - and not in a good way. Gavin is fascinated by the tapes and becomes obsessed with proving their authenticity, seeing a chance to become the filmmaker he's always wanted to be as well as securing financial stability along the way. However, his determination soon spirals into ...

Richard Walters writes, directs and stars in  Distort,  a found footage horror film that taps into familiar themes while crafting its own unique experience. Drawing inspiration from classics like The Blair Witch Project , it manages to pay homage without becoming a mere impersonator. Richard is a musician who ventures into the remote forests of County Wicklow, Ireland, to rekindle his creativity. Set against the backdrop of the pandemic lockdown, his solitary journey begins as an artistic escape - camping in the wilderness and recording an album, stripped of digital conveniences. But his retreat soon takes a sinister turn. Growing Unease A restless first night filled with strange sounds and the sense that a stray dog is nearby, gives way to an eerie discovery the next morning - an old cassette tape hidden beneath a pile of leaves. Intrigued but not alarmed, Richard decants to a nearby ruin to continue recording, only to be interrupted again by the sound of stones being throw...

The Possession is a 2012 supernatural horror that treads familiar ground but does so with enough heart to make it worth your while. It tells the story of the Brenek family whose lives are torn apart when the younger daughter, Emily, buys a curious, old wooden box at a yard sale. Unbeknown to them it contains a dybbuk - a malicious spirit drawn from Jewish folklore, who has intentions to live through Emma, destroying her in the process. A Sinister Force The parents, Clyde and Stephanie, have separated but remain on reasonably good terms, as they re-build their lives and co-parent their two daughters. But everything changes when younger daughter Emily, opens the ancient, sealed box and the sinister force within starts to exert its control over her causing her to behave in ways previously unimaginable. From there, the film dives into darker territory. when Clyde becomes increasingly convinced that the box is at the root of the change in Emily and starts to investigate as she is consumed ...