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I am always looking for a new, good horror-comedy. For me, a movie that toes the line between disturbing and hilarious makes the jokes funnier and the scary parts even more horrifying. Hulu advertises Ghost Team as an energetic comedy about a group of amateur paranormal investigators. The movie actually is a lowkey indie ensemble drama about friendship and escaping the drudgery of everyday life. 

The Plot

From the title, you can probably guess the basic premise of Ghost Team. Louis is a thirtysomething owner of a print and copy shop, who feels like he is wasting his life. Living on Louis’s couch is his best friend Stan, who was left at the altar by his fiancée and truly believes that she was abducted by aliens. When Louis’s favorite paranormal investigation show, Ghost Getters, has a contest that gives whoever submits the best paranormal footage a permanent spot on the team, Louis knows he has to try. He gets his opening once an old man comes in asking for no trespassing signs because he keeps hearing strange, inexplicable noises in his house. Determined to win the competition, Louis gathers Stan for backup, his nephew and electronics store clerk Zak, for equipment, his work friend who he has a crush on, Ellie, for research, TV psychic Victoria for communing with the ghosts, and overzealous mall cop Ross for security. Once they get to the old man’s remote house, chaos ensues. One by one, team members go missing. It’s up to Louis and Ellie to save their team. 

False Advertising

Based on the trailer, I thought this movie would have a lot of jokes. I also kind of assumed that it would have the same absurdist comedic tone of the lead actor’s best known movie, Napoleon Dynamite. Instead, the movie took on a pretty serious tone. I could count on one hand the number of times I laughed while watching this movie. Furthermore, the start of the movie actually made me pretty sad. I felt bad for Louis, who clearly wants more from his life, and for Stan, who is now living out of his car. None of the jokes were over-the-top (except for those regarding Ross, Justin Long’s character), so it was really clear how dissatisfied every character was with their life. In my opinion, this also added to the heart of the movie. Each character had realistic motivations, and it made sense how they all interacted with each other. I just wish that the ads for the movie marketed it less as a straight-up comedy. 

Good Things About It

To me, the funniest actor in this movie was Justin Long. Even so, every single actor gave a fantastic performance. I mean, David Krumholtz made me feel empathy for a delusional conspiracy theorist (and you cannot convince me that he and Jake Johnson aren’t long lost twin brothers). I also thought that Melonie Diaz, playing Ellie, was a standout. Another thing I liked about this movie was the aesthetic. The film is very stylized, which is best highlighted by a montage at the beginning that shows how boring Louis’s life is. The scenes in the house during the investigation were just nice to look at. I found myself taking a lot of screenshots during this movie, which I don’t usually do. I wish more ghost movies took this route, rather than being very dark and poorly lit. Finally, I think the ending is extremely clever. 

Final Thoughts

Ghost Team had a lot of heart. It had a great aesthetic, solid performances, and a unique twist ending. Unfortunately, this movie just did not live up to my horror comedy expectations. It was never too funny or too scary, which overall made for a pretty lackluster film. Still, if you have Hulu and are looking to kill some time, maybe give Ghost Team a shot. 

3 out of 5 stars (3 / 5)

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Things get gory in Dexter Original Sin, Business and Pleasure

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As we near the end of the series, Dexter Original Sin is heating up. Emotions are running high, and the blood is pouring. But is the story keeping up with the gore? Let’s discuss.

As a warning, I found it impossible to review this episode without a few spoilers. You’ll see why. But if you haven’t yet seen this episode, proceed with caution.

The story

We begin our story with Dexter and Harry in the kitchen after a hard night of work for each of them. Dexter tries to tell Harry that he suspects Captain Spencer killed Jimmy Powell and kidnapped his own son. But Harry doesn’t want to hear it. He’s more concerned that Deb never came home from Gio’s apartment.

The reason she didn’t come home is because Gio invited her on a day trip. He says he has to go for work, but she can come along for the fun.

And fun she has, until she finds something on his boat she wasn’t supposed to see.

Patrick Gibson and Molly Brown in Dexter Original Sin.

Meanwhile, Dexter is following Captain Spencer around. He eventually gives up to go rescue Deb, only to be called onto a SWAT call. One that turns deadly, and was orchestrated by the captain.

As if there wasn’t enough going on in this episode, LaGuerta and Harry are hunting the NHI killer. And we realize who the killer is just as Harry finds out as well. At least, we’re really supposed to think we know who it is.

What worked

At this point, we know that Captain Spencer abducted and murdered Jimmy Powell, and has now abducted his own son Nicky.

So, we already know the killer. And that’s always the big reveal, right?

Sarah Michelle Gellar, Patrick Gibson and Alex Shimizu in Dexter Original Sin.

Well, no. We might know that Spencer is the killer. But what we don’t know is why. What is he after? What does he want so much that he’s willing to not just kill innocent children, but his own son? These are the questions that will drive me to watch the next episode, and the one after that.

This was a great way to answer a question, but leave more questions in the wake of that answer. It’s the perfect way to keep up the momentum of a season.

I was also shocked and impressed by the demise of Laura Moser. No, that isn’t the spoiler, we all knew that was going to happen. We knew it since the first season of the original series. What I didn’t expect was how emotionally invested I was in this. By this time we’ve seen Laura in a way we’ve never seen her before. She is a loving mother and brave as hell. So now, for the first time, we can mourn her. It honestly reminded me strongly of when Dexter lost Rita in the original series. I am crushed.

What didn’t work

Now, we’ve got to talk about Harry. Or more specifically, we’ve got to talk about Christian Slater. Because he just wasn’t good in this episode. He was chewing the scenery so hard I’m surprised they didn’t need to replace the kitchen table. I know he’s a better actor than this, so it makes me wonder what the hell was happening. He was overly emotional. And not in a way a man stressed out might be, but in an overacting kind of way. The whole performance just felt off.

Finally, we’ve made it to the spoiler part. At least, I think we do. Given the events of this episode either we know that the NHI killer is Brian, Dexter’s older brother, or we’re really supposed to think it’s him.

I don’t like this either way. If it’s him, then this feels like a repeat of the first season of the original show in which he was revealed to be the Ice Truck Killer. We’ve done this before. But we know it can’t end with Dexter finding out who it is. He’d never heard the name Brian Moser before as an adult.

Dexter: The Complete Series + Dexter: New Blood
  • Michael C. Hall (Actor)
  • Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)

Last update on 2025-01-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

If it isn’t Brian, though, it feels like overkill. Showing him painting Laura’s nails with that same distinct color pattern. His therapist and nurse were among the victims. If it’s all misdirection, it’s too much misdirection. I honestly thought it was Brian as soon as I heard one of the victims was a therapist specializing in traumatized teens. We’re not dumb. We didn’t need to be beaten over the head with this.

Slater’s acting and the Brian storyline aside, I thought this was a great episode. I know the series could still disappoint me, but I’m holding onto hope. At least, like I said before, they can’t kill Dexter this time.

Right?

4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

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Review: ‘COMPANION’ – Do not watch the trailer! (2025)

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Okay, Mr. Drew Hancock, writer of Fred: the TV Show and Fred 3: Camp Fred. I hear you have a new, little horror film – COMPANION. Let’s give it a go.

And I am going to try as hard as possible not to spoil a goddamn thing since its marketing did the complete opposite.

PLOT OF COMPANION (SPOILER-FREE)

Iris (Sophie Thatcher) and boyfriend, Josh (Jack Quaid) travel to upstate New York to have a friends get-away with Josh’s best friends: Eli, (Harvey Guillén), Patrick (Lukas Gage), Kat (Megan Suri) and Kat’s boyfriend, Sergey (Rupert Friend).

However, trying to fit in, Iris starts to discover a terrifying secret within this tight-knit group of friends. A deadly secret…

THOUGHTS ON COMPANION (SPOILER-FREE)

Never would I have thought I would be saying that a writer of ‘Fred: the TV Show’ and ‘Fred 3: Camp Fred’ wrote a damn fine film. But here we are.

Writer/director, Drew Hancock, created a funny, clever and interesting gem of a horror film. COMPANION is a great adventure film in the horror genre, focusing on the ideas of identity, self-preservation, the cogito, ergo sum of life, and women’s rights.

And, trust me, I know that sounds like a lot, but that’s pulled off by the superb writing and the acting – it flows together really well. It’s an incredibly precarious job to balance humor, horror and drama. If you go too hard with humor and it’s cringey. You give too much drama and it’s tonal dissonance. If there’s too much horror…well, that’s okay, actually.

But with heavy hitters with incredible comedic timing like Harvey Guillén and Jack Quaid, the cast only elevates the writing and story. Quaid and Sophie Thatcher have so much chemistry and work so well together that the drama feels authentic and raw. Thatcher is such an engaging actress, working with what could have been a very flat role. But she portrays Iris with such intelligence, wit and vulnerability, it sells the idea of COMPANION that would usually require more suspension of disbelief.

Harvey Guillen in a dinosaur outfit and it says, "Harvey Guillen is perfect."

I liked the soundtrack by Hrishikesh Hirway. Both the original soundtrack and the songs chosen work well with the tone and plot. Super fun bop. You can tell that the song selections were picked with intent and care, for example, the Goo Goo Dolls’ song playing in Josh’s apartment.

The effects in COMPANION were terrific by being used sparingly but grotesquely, for example, the scene with the slow, tortuous scene with the candle. Most of it is practical, but there are some key scenes with CGI that are really well done.

BRAINROLL JUICE: THIS HAS VAGUE SPOILERS

I love horror films. Yeah, I know, big surprise. But this type of film highlights why horror is such an important and crucial part of our history and culture. Horror is a lens of a society of the times. Looking back, we can see what creatures scared us. What people were afraid of or should be afraid of.

Horror, by large, is a very social and progressive genre. Monster movies and mad scientist movies of the 1950’s were en vogue due to the rising fears of the atomic bomb and the Cold War. The same is true for the rise in space horror as we had the Space Race and landed on the moon.

Movies of the ’60’s and ’70’s had serial killers, delinquents, social rights, and the pearl-clutching fear of losing our innocence as a nation and losing our good, Christian values.

The 70’s and 80’s saw the fear of the faceless stranger, sexual deviance, as well as our growing concern of the expanding powers of corporations.

And so on and so on (this could be an entire article itself).

However, I find this new twist on an old genre interesting – a woman’s story. From the exploitation revenge flicks of the ’70’s to the girl-power vibe of the 90’s and early 2000’s, AFAB stories are getting more attention. More realistic and substantial attention.

Iris messed up and looking pissed while emojis and cutesy weapons are all around her and it says, "living her #girlboss era"

Coralie Fargeat has been exploring this with great success with her most recent film, ‘The Substance‘, but first really dove into this with her fan-favorite, ‘Revenge‘. ‘Freaky‘ and ‘Happy Death Day‘, while comedic, explore girlhood, femininity and social expectations. ‘Don’t Breathe‘ turns the trope on it’s head (in a still gross way). ‘Babadook‘ shows the difficulty with being a mother, and ‘Hereditary‘ is a deep drama on matriarchal generational trauma.

Obviously exploring themes of the AFAB horror experience isn’t a new idea, the exploitation of a woman’s story is starting to feel strained and gross. Currently, women are facing a tremendous push back on their rights. From losing the right to choose in a wild turn of events as Roe v Wade was overturned in 2022, to the most recent (at the time of this review) removal of women in the government, a senseless war on diversity and protections in the workplace, and the guttural shout of, “fuck you!” to transwomen and literally putting them in danger of starring in their very own rape-revenge true story.

Written like a person who understands the nuances of an “adult and juvenile human female” and is definitely not an alien

What does this have to do with horror and COMPANION? Well, pretty much everything. COMPANION is about what it means to be a woman. Her fears are real and reflect the fears of our society currently. Loss of agency. Loss of identity. Loss of her voice and decisions.

Iris from Companion is speaking German while looking beat up

But like all good horror, it will stand the test of time. It will be on the right side of history, as they say. With an incel proxy as the villain and a woman learning about herself, it’s clear what Hancock envisioned for COMPANION. It’s a film about empowerment and reflection of our society right now. And unlike the newest Black Christmas, it doesn’t shove a diva cup down your throat.

And all that from a guy who wrote Fred 3.

Fred 3: Camp Fred
  • Factory sealed DVD
  • Jake Weary, Carlos Knight, Siobhan Fallon Hogan (Actors)
  • Jonathan M Judge (Director) – Robert Zemeckis (Producer)

Last update on 2025-02-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

BOTTOMLINE FOR COMPANION

A funny, terrifying and adventurous romp into what it means to be yourself.

5 out of 5 stars (5 / 5)

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The Formal Introduction of Evil’s “The Demon of Sex”

“The Demon of Sex” is the third episode of Evil’s season 3. The assessors investigate a new marriage that struggles with intimacy.

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“The Demon of Sex” is the third episode of Evil’s season 3, created by Michelle King and Robert King. The central cast includes Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, Aasif Mandvi, Michael Emerson, Christine Lahti, and Andrea Martin. As of this review, it’s available through Netflix and Paramount+ and its add-ons.

The assessors investigate a new marriage that struggles with intimacy. Kristen (Katja Herbers) takes control of her family. Ben (Aasif Mandvi) has an existential crisis after facing plumbing difficulties. Sheryl (Christine Lahti) struggles with the new work culture. Sister Andrea (Andrea Martin) battles a demon.

Evil written in bold, a snake reaches for an apple. Beneath reads Season 3
Evil Season 3 Cover

What I Like about “The Demon of Sex”

Ben usually seems underutilized as a character, especially in personal development, but season 3 works hard to rectify that issue. A skeptic’s disillusionment is an obvious choice for this type of character, but the writing and Aasif Mandvi’s performance drive the execution. It also adds another dynamic to his character referenced throughout the series, if rarely shown again, in the Science League.

“The Demon of Sex” is also a good episode for Sheryl, who struggles and triumphs in her new position. While her character trajectory teeters back and forth, “The Demon of Sex” shows what her development can look like when given the attention it deserves.

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Evil: Season Three [DVD]
  • Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, Aasif Mandvi (Actors)
  • Robert King (Director)
  • Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
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Evil: Season Three [Blu-Ray]
  • Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, Aasif Mandvi (Actors)
  • Robert King (Director)
  • Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)

Last update on 2025-01-31 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

“The Demon of Sex” also furthers the frenemy relationship between Kristen and Sister Andrea, providing ample material for both characters to explore. “The Demon of Sex” shows Kristen’s willingness to compromise and furthers Sister Andrea’s character flaws.

Leland (Michael Emerson) finally finds an attack that might work on Sister Andrea, beginning a plot thread to explore across the season. Commenting on this plot point might give credit to future episodes, but it’s a compelling example of Leland actually being devious and in control.

“The Demon of Sex” leans on Evil’s dark comedic tone, not intending to haunt the viewer but to entertain them. It dives further into the comical nature of corporate evil and marketing, showing a general shallowness in both arenas in which exploitation occurs. It’s dark, troubling, and entertaining without pulling its punches.

White background, rubber stamp with disclaimer pressed against the white background.
Disclaimer Kimberley Web Design

Tired Tropes and Triggers

In an episode titled “The Demon of Sex,” the titular demon seems to hold conflicting motives. First, it grows strong in the married couple’s abstinence, which suggests a different focus. But when acts become carnal, it’s the general kinkiness that makes the demon strong. Considering the couple talks about their troubles with a licensed therapist, it seems to evoke a general kink shame to the execution. However, the therapy also fails to resolve the underlying issues.

A slightly gory moment might unsettle some viewers, but it’s a single moment in an otherwise goreless episode.

A nun smiles at someone not revealed in the image, holding a notebook.
A Nun with a Notebook to Save Your Marriage

What I Dislike about “The Demon of Sex”

As mentioned in a previous review, another demon seems to indicate a more direct concept of “sex,” while the motives of this demon seem more complex. It’s a minor point, but I can’t fathom why they didn’t connect this title with the more literal succubus that’s plagued this season already. Addressing that demon also seems like a more logical entry point as the audience sees what it’s been doing.

“The Demon of Sex” sets the groundwork for future plot points. While not a fault of the episode, it blends in the background, doing what it needs to and little more. I don’t mean to pretend this is a negative, but it doesn’t haunt the viewer like past or future episodes.

A kraken emerges from the sea to devour a ship. A brown tint suggests an old map marking

Final Thoughts

“The Demon of Sex” delivers but remains buried around more memorable episodes with more lasting power. It sets up key points for several characters and allows some to shine, but it doesn’t hold iconic moments to look back on. Ultimately, it functions as intended and keeps the audience eager for future developments.

3 out of 5 stars (3 / 5)

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