Frightening Strikes

The Wretched opens with a terrifying scene as a babysitter arrives at a house for what should be a routine job, only to stumble into something far more sinister, witnessing an unspeakable act that traps her in a hellish nightmare. It sets the scene for a witch-in-the-woods horror film that blends teen thriller elements with folk horror. Thirty-five years on, we’re introduced to Ben, who is staying with his dad for the summer after his parents’ divorce. Already battered emotionally and physically - his broken arm the result of a bungled attempt to steal from a neighbour - Ben arrives as a defensive, chippy teenager, testing the boundaries of his newfound adulthood, but still young enough to need a guiding hand. So Far, So Beverly Hills 90210 Next door, a young family has moved in for the summer, and mum Abby and her son, Dillon, unwittingly have a brush with a ghoulish witch in the woods as she tries to tempt Dillon into her lair. Although thwarted, the creature isn’t put off easily...

Body Cam is the latest film from director Brandon Christensen, whose early work greatly enjoyed. His more recent outings ( Puppet Master , Night of the Reaper ) didn’t quite have the same impact, but putting that aside, I waslooking forward to see what he would do with this new story of two police officers responding to a domestic disturbance that spirals into something far darker than either of them is prepared for. A Nightmare With no Escape When officers Bryce and Jackson arrive at a rundown property to attend to a routine domestic distubance, a volatile confrontation escalates into a tragic shooting. Faced with the consequences, the pair agree—after heavy persuasion from Bryce—to manipulate their body‑cam footage and engineer a cover-up. But as the night unfolds, something far more unsettling is revealed and what starts as a desperate attempt to hide the truth quickly descends into a nightmare, as the officers realise that whatever they’ve tried to bury may not stay hidden—and may...