This week Nikki and Kate watched Us and discussed duality, the range required when playing two versions of yourself, and the unblinking horror of rabbits. Content warnings: Death of a child, stalking, kidnapping, blood, gore, audio gore, animal death, spiders, finger/toe mutilation, broken bones, strangling, someone struggling to breathe, someone i…

This week Nikki and Kate watched Jeepers Creepers and discussed the true crime origins of the opening scene, lore inconsistency, and wispy monster hair choices. Rated R for terror violence/gore, language, and brief nudity Content warnings: Discussions of crimes against children, blood, gore, body horror, intimate partner violence, stalking, kidnapp…

This week Nikki and Kate watched Frogman and discussed the differences between folklore and cryptids, humanizing characters through found footage, and first name last names. Content warnings: Body horror, blood, gore, audio gore, stalking, kidnapping, gun violence, forced pregnancy, sexual assault (not depicted) You can check out all of the past ep…

This week Nikki and Kate watched As Above, So Below and discussed the creation of the Paris catacombs, realism in found footage style films, and the right time to ask if you’re dead Rated R for bloody violence/terror, and language throughout Content warnings: Blood, gore, audio gore, death by suicide, a head is squashed, claustrophobia, someone str…

This week Nikki and Kate watched Suspiria (2018) and discussed showing your work, compared the muted color palette of the remake to the original, and also asked ghosts for their opinions. Rated R Content warnings: Gaslighting, blood, gore, audio gore, stalking, child abuse, sexual assault, death by suicide, self harm, finger/toe mutilation, decapit…

This week Nikki and Kate watched Suspiria (1977) and discussed Technicolor’s three dye transfer process, dubbing a multilingual production, and maggot hair. Rated Content warnings: Blood, gore, audio gore, flashing lights/images, someone is hanged, death of a child, jump scares You can check out all of the past episodes as well as our extended epis…

This week Nikki and Kate watched Aliens and discussed the elements of the perfect sequel, brood mothers, and undercarriages. Rated R Content warnings: Gaslighting, blood, gore, someone struggling to breathe, bugs, gun violence, someone is burned alive, body horror, amputation, death of a child, kidnapping, jump scares, audiogore, hospital scene, PT…

This week Nikki and Kate watched The Hallow and discussed the use of practical effects in creature features, effective jump scares, and undercover Aussies. Content warnings: Blood, gore, audio gore, animal death, eye mutilation, holes (so many holes), finger mutilation, intimate partner violence, needles/syringes, claustrophobia, car crash, gun vio…

This week Nikki and Kate watched A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and discussed Spaghetti Westerns, immersive soundtracks, and an abandoned hacky sack. Content warnings: Blood, gore, audio gore, stalking, drug abuse, addiction, someone is drugged, someone is restrained, sexual assault, amputation, finger mutilation, needles/syringes, shaky cam, fla…

This week Nikki and Kate watched The Lodge (2019) and discussed the trope Everyone is Jesus in Purgatory, the difficulty in locating a villain in the family drama, and turkey hats. Rated R for disturbing violence, some bloody images, language and brief nudity. Content warnings: Death by suicide, gun violence, child death, gaslighting, death of an a…

This week Nikki and Kate watched Dead of Winter (1987) and discussed the filmic origins of gaslighting, film perspective and claustrophobia, and the ideal speed of a chase scene. Rated R Content warnings: Death by suicide (mentioned), blood, gore, audio gore, animal death, gaslighting, instititutionalization (mentioned), finger mutilation, someone …

This week Nikki and Kate watched Crimson Peak and discussed color schemes, stylized smoky ghosts, and ambiguous curd. Content warnings: Child abuse, intimate partner violence, child sexual abuse, blood, gore, audio gore, gaslighting, jump scares, death of a dog, insects, animal abuse, sexual assault, finger mutilation, someone struggling to breathe…

This week Nikki and Kate watched The Witch and discussed immersion and historical accuracy, framing and isolation, and living deliciously. Rated R for disturbing violent content and graphic nudity Content warnings: Blood, gore, audio gore, child abuse, death of an infant and child, gaslighting, animal death, animal abuse, child sexual abuse, cuttin…

This week Nikki and Kate watched Insidious Chapter 2 and discussed astral projection, potentially excessive red lighting, and evil armoires. Rated PG-13 Content warnings: Blood, gore, audio gore, intimate partner violence, child abuse, hospital scene, someone struggling to breathe, body horror, teeth mutilation, torture, kidnapping, jump scares, ne…

This week Nikki and Kate watched Halloween II and discussed the emotional betrayal of retcons, lackluster monster reveals, and the crisp Foley of the 80s. Rated Content warnings: Blood, gore, audio gore, stalking, eye mutilation, someone struggling to breathe, drowning, cutting, death by hanging, someone is burned alive, jump scares, needles/syring…

This week Nikki and Kate watched Scream 2 and discussed the political context of the 90s, mystery-solving stress, and the proper pluralization for sorority girls. Rated R Content warnings: Blood, gore, audio gore, stalking, cutting, eye mutilation, anxiety attacks, someone struggling to breathe, broken bone, torture, jump scares, PTSD, claustrophob…

This week Nikki and Kate watched Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979) and discussed cultural constructions of monstrosity, lighting for effect vs. for realism, and canals. Content warnings: Blood, racial slurs, kidnapping, stalking, possession, anxiety attacks You can check out all of the past episodes as well as our extended episode notes on the Just Ghou…

This week Nikki and Kate watched Nope and discussed spectacle, seamless characterizations, and sphincters. Rated R Content warnings: Animal death, eye mutilation, animal abuse, blood, gore, audio gore, stalking, someone struggling to breathe, death of a child, jump scares, shaky cam, death by suicide, PTSD, anxiety attacks, flashing lights/images, …

This week Nikki and Kate watched V/H/S and discussed analog memory and anxiety, found footage filming styles, and kids falling on roller skates. Rated Content warnings: Sexual assault, stalking, racial slurs/hate speech, gaslighting, intimate partner violence, animal death, broken bones, eye mutilation, cutting, amputation, blood, gore, audio gore,…

This week Nikki and Kate watched What Lies Beneath and discussed subgenre plot structures, disjointed dialogue, and gurgling shhhs. Rated PG-13 Content warnings: Death by suicide, gaslighting, intimate partner violence, stalking, someone struggling to breathe, drowning, claustrophobia, panic attacks, blood, gore, car crash You can check out all of …

This week Nikki and Kate watched Triangle (2009) and discussed grief and guilt, labyrinthine layouts and claustrophobia, and the plight of Heathers in horror. Rated R Content warnings: Child abuse, death of a child, animal death, gaslighting, someone struggling to breathe, blood, gore, cutting, hate speech (ablelist slur), ableism, claustrophobia, …

This week Nikki and Kate watched Sea Fever and discussed dimensions of culture and pandemic response, science vs. superstition, and what to call goo. They also discovered they are both anti gaping maw. Content warnings: Eye mutilation, death by suicide, animal death, finger mutilation, someone falls to their death, blood, gore, audio gore, drowning…

This week Nikki and Kate watched Death Becomes Her and discussed societal expectations, vanity, and the real heroes of practical effects. Rated PG-13 Content warnings: Body horror, fatphobia, stalking, intimate partner violence, gun violence, someone struggling to breathe, someone is burned alive, a head is squashed, eye mutilation, blood, gore, cu…

Rated R Content warnings: Blood, gore, cutting, amputation, finger/toe mutilation, death of a pet, animal death, dead animals, intimate partner violence, sexual assault, broken bones, cannibalism, ableist slurs, kidnapping, jump scares, audio gore, vomit, hospital scene, anxiety/panic attacks, disordered eating, body dysphoria, self harm, claustrop…

This week Nikki and Kate watched The Sixth Sense and discussed the year of our lord 1999 and the impact of DVDs, relationships and changing perspectives, and also jelly shoes. Rated PG-13 Content warnings: Death by suicide, child abuse, intimate partner violence, death of a child, gun violence, blood, gore, cutting, self-harm, someone is hanged, so…

This week Nikki and Kate watched Incantation and discussed the fourth wall, Descent Tier lighting, and wormies. I’d say if you’re not into holes, then this is the second worst movie for you to watch. The first being Holes, based on the novel by Louis Sachar. Content warnings: Death by suicide (depicted), body horror, trypophobia, someone falls to t…

This week Nikki and Kate watched Event Horizon and discussed gothic themes and motifs in space, tent scares and sound design, and the ideal movie night pairings. Rated R Content warnings: Sexual assault and rape (shown in flashes), death by suicide (depicted), blood, gore, audio gore, torture, eye mutilation, a head is squashed, cutting, amputation…

This week Nikki and Kate watched Dark Skies and discussed the implications of alien invasion films, developing side characters (or not), and putting your whole butt in it. Rated PG-13 Content warnings: Animal death, child abuse, gaslighting, self-harm, death by suicide, stalking, eye mutilation, sexual assault, someone struggling to breathe, asthma…

This week Nikki and Kate watched The Wicker Man (1973) and discussed folk horror, intent and engagement over the past 50 years, and Christopher Lee’s emo theater kid vibes. Rated R Content warnings: Gaslighting, animal death, stalking, amputation, someone struggling to breathe, someone is burned alive, kidnapping, claustrophobia You can check out a…

This week Nikki and Kate watched The Black Phone and discussed the use of masks in theater and horror, artful misdirection, and scrunchie fires. Rated R for violence, bloody images, language and some drug use Content warnings: Child death, child abuse, kidnapping, alcoholism, child sexual abuse (implied, not shown), torture, death by suicide (menti…

This week Nikki and Kate watched The People Under the Stairs and discussed the importance of focus in satire, crisp and juicy foley, and classic crotch punches. Rated R for terror/violence Content warnings: Racial slurs, child abuse, death of a minor, animal abuse, animal death, blood, gore, audio gore, gun violence, cannibalism, amputation/mutilat…

This week Nikki and Kate watched X (2022) and discussed depictions of sex work in horror films, creating characters with depth, and the source of all blanket stealing. Rated R for strong bloody violence and gore, strong sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use, and language Content warnings: Sexual assault, animal death, blood, gore, audio gore, st…

This week Nikki and Kate watched Fright Night (1985) and discussed subtext, silhouettes, and pocket crosses. Content warnings: Stalking, sexual assault, someone is burned alive, blood, gore, broken bone, child death, kidnapping, jump scares, flashing lights, car crash, gun violence You can check out all of the past episodes as well as our extended …

This week Nikki and Kate watched Devil’s Pass and discussed Dyatlov Pass Incident theories, the right type of awkwardness in a hiking group, and Tinkerbell’s Wormhole(s). Rated R Content warnings: Blood, gore, audio gore, gun violence, someone is buried alive, mutilation, shaky cam, flashing lights/images You can check out all of the past episodes …

This week Nikki and Kate watched Silent Night, Deadly Night and discussed Santa panics, the ambiguity of artistic genius vs. unintentional greatness, and candy cane weapons. Rated R Content warnings: Sexual assault, blood, gore, child abuse, cutting, strangling, gun violence, someone struggling to breathe, PTSD, ableism, jump scares You can check o…

This week Nikki and Kate watched Slumber Party Massacre (1982) and discussed satire, classic slasher camera angles, and putting your best boob forward. Rated R Content warnings: Blood, gore, audio gore, eye mutilation, animal death, stalking, cutting, amputation, ableism, jump scares You can check out all of the past episodes as well as our extende…

This week Nikki and Kate watched Misery and discussed fandom, the stigmatization of mental illness, and GamerGate. Rated R Content warnings: Car crash, suicidal ideation, ableism, PTSD, hate speech, gaslighting, stalking, finger/toe mutilation, eye mutilation, gun violence, blood, gore, torture, someone struggling to breathe, broken bones, kidnappi…

This week Nikki and Kate watched The Invitation (2015) and discussed Karyn Kusama’s career, intentional lighting, and the dangers of wearing white at a dinner party. Content warnings: Death by suicide, self harm, death of a child, animal death, gaslighting, intimate partner violence, blood, gore, audio gore, jump scares, PTSD, gun violence You can …

This week Nikki and Kate watched Ring (1998) and discussed chain letters, the satisfaction of subtle scares, and comically loud bonks. Content warnings: Death of a child, death by suicide, blood, gore, drowning, child abuse, someone is buried alive, finger/toe mutilation, audio gore, claustrophobia, flashing images, fatphobia You can check out all …

This week Nikki and Kate watched The Ghost and Mr. Chicken and discussed the power of leitmotifs, shared spine tingling moments, and did their best Don Knotts impressions. Rated G Content warnings: Jump scares, blood, mentions of death by suicide You can check out all of the past episodes as well as our extended episode notes on the Just Ghoul With…

This week Nikki and Kate watched The Changeling and discussed isolation, the necessary components of a haunted house, and Joseph’s alter ego Joshua. Rated R for …being scary? Content warnings: Child abuse, death of a child, jump scares, death by drowning, someone struggling to breathe, car accident, PTSD, ableism, blood. You can check out all of th…

This week Nikki and Kate watched The Exorcist and discussed cultural upheaval, the rule of thirds, and demonic children trails. Rated R for strong language and disturbing images Content warnings: Blood, gore, audio gore, vomit, death by suicide, seizures, someone struggling to breathe, torture, needles, hospital scene, institutionalization against …

This week Nikki and Kate watched Hereditary and discussed the intersection of Greek tragedy and horror conventions, the trifecta of colors, and B*Witched, for some reason. Rated R for horror violence, disturbing images, language, drug use and brief graphic nudity Content warnings: Child abuse, child death, death by suicide, stalking, gaslighting, i…

This week Nikki and Kate watched The Mist and discussed crowd dynamics in a monster apocalypse, documentary style zooming, and which aisles they’d claim as their own in the event of tentacles. Kate also gets Taylor Swift and The Beatles a little bit mixed up. Just a little bit. Rated R for violence, terror and gore, and language Content warnings: D…

This week Nikki and Kate watched Color Out of Space and discussed cosmic horror, light as both sinister and welcoming, and 90s lip gloss slime kisses. Content warnings: Child abuse, self harm, blood, gore, finger/toe mutilation, amputation, child death, audio gore, vomit, jump scares, possession, cancer, anxiety attacks, flashing lights, homophobic…

This week Nikki and Kate watched [REC] and discussed dubbing, the implications of undiscovered found footage, and how many licks it takes to get to the center of a skull. Rated R for bloody horror, violence, and language Content warnings: Blood, gore, a head is squashed, cannibalism, shaky cam, hate speech (anti-Asian rhetoric) animal death, death …

This week Nikki and Kate watched Eyes Without a Face (Les Yeux Sans Visage) and discussed eye dilation and fear responses, the balance of diegetic dogs and silence, and the texture of eyeballs. Content warnings: Blood, gore, suicidal ideation, kidnapping, animal death, animal abuse, stalking, someone falls to their death, needles/syringes, hospital…

This week Nikki and Kate watched The Host and discussed the balance of dark comedy within horror, the perfect slow-mo shot, and also war crimes…sorry. Rated R for creature violence and language Content warnings: Blood, gore, audio gore, death by suicide, child death, gaslighting, ableism, child abuse/neglect, a head is squashed, eye mutilation, som…

This week Nikki and Kate watched Ju-On: The Grudge and discussed social isolation, dread through slow camera movement, and the pronunciation of Irish names. Also Kate tries to gaslight Nikki into forgetting the existence of the universe. Rated R for some disturbing images Content warnings: Intimate partner violence, child abuse, death of a child, a…

This week Nikki and Kate watched Drag Me to Hell and discussed disgust, bodily fluids, and combat staplers. There was also a squeaking chair to simulate hell for the uninitiated. Rated PG-13 for sequences of horror violence, terror, disturbing images, and language Content warnings: Blood, gore, audio gore, child abuse, death of a child, anxiety att…