What if an app could tell you when you were going to die? That’s the central conceit of STX Entertainment’s Countdown and it pretty much delivers on that question in the laziest way possible.
A movie about an app?
Yes, the concept is inherently silly, but then again, wasn’t just about nearly every episode of The Twilight Zone? Aren’t most horror films a little silly? While yes, horror, by and large, has its fair number of ridiculous premises, Countdown is certainly among them.
Countdown follows a young nurse named Quinn who downloads the “Countdown” app to her phone after meeting someone who lost his girlfriend who had just downloaded the app. It turns out that for most users, the app is generous, granting bounties of 30 to 50 years of time. Not poor Quinn, however. She discovers that she only has three days to live, and the clock is ticking.
Countdown is an STX Entertainment project. The film is written and directed by Justin Dec in his first full-length feature debut. The film stars Elizabeth Lail, Jordan Calloway, and Talitha Bateman. It also features P. J. Byrne, Tom Segura, and Peter Facinelli. The film clocks in at about 90 minutes, though that is probably twice the length it should have been.
What worked about Countdown?
For fans of movies where people stare at their phones in concern, Countdown has you covered
Countdown does not have a lot going for it. The demonic entity introduced in the narrative is novel enough. It doesn’t seem to be referencing any recorded demons. This isn’t a spoiler, either. The app icon and the trailers clearly give away demonic influence. In truth, the demon isn’t all that creepy, either. It’s more the novelty of a demon learning to code, in Latin of all things, that feels interesting (and again, a little silly).
There is a germ of a good idea in this movie, but not one that supports a 90-minute film. I came out of the theater thinking about how this movie, with some obvious tweaks, would have made for a pretty solid anthology episode. The idea of the devil updating his method of collecting souls seems like fertile enough ground in better hands.
What didn’t work?
The film really isn’t that scary, at all. There are a fair number of percussive jump scares that sent the teenage girls in the theater to screaming fits. But jump scares are easy, they’re the equivalent of a stranger coming up behind you and shouting in your ear. Even then, this film implements them poorly, with nearly every moment telegraphed enough for any casual horror viewer to be aware of their coming.
I can’t really even recommend any performances in the film either. It’s all so very bland. Perhaps with a better story, the actors would have had more to work towards, but as it stands, there isn’t a whole Hell of a lot the performances offer. There are some particularly strange and lazy choices with some side-character, mainly a phone-repair guy and a demon-obsessed priest that come off as one-note gags. It’d be fine if the gags were actually funny.
As a whole, the film just feels lazy. The jump scares are tedious, and the film doesn’t really even present an interesting moral-quandary until the final 15 minutes. Had the film maybe went to that well of trying to cheat death, ala Final Destination, a little earlier, and what that would entail, there could have been some solid social satire.
Alas.
Final verdict?
Countdown is not a great movie though neither is it offensively bad. It’s a movie; it has the structure of elements needed to be a movie, but it does nothing exceptional with them. Worst of all, though, the film is often lazy. It’ll be a decent time-waster on Netflix or Shudder, I suppose.
(2 / 5)
What did you think of Countdown? Share your thoughts with us here at Haunted MTL.
Marvel’s favorite one-man wrecking crew is back, but let’s be real—this isn’t just a Daredevil reboot, it’s a goddamn resurrection. The Netflix show was peak Marvel TV, a brutal, blood-soaked opera of fists and Catholic guilt. And now? Now we see if the Mouse has the stomach for it.
Back at Josie’s – A Familiar Start, No Training Wheels
We open in Josie’s Bar, and thank God for that. None of that “Where has Matt been?” slow-burn nonsense—just straight into the good stuff. It’s him, Foggy, and Jessica..err..Karen, knocking back drinks in the same dive we’ve come to love.
UK DVD Region 2 by Erectogen
Idealistic lawyer Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), along with his long-time friend Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson), uses his newly established firm to tackle the rising levels of criminal activity in New York City
By night however, Murdock – who was blinded by a chemical spill as a young boy – uses his heightened senses to fight crime on the streets as vigilante Daredevil
With the influence of underworld kingpin Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) continuing to grow, Murdock faces a fight on two fronts to keep the city safe
Last update on 2025-03-09 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This is Daredevil as it should be: dark, dirty, and two drinks away from a bar fight. No need for a reintroduction, no awkward exposition dumps—just throw us in and let us swim.
Personal Take: This was the right way to start. No fluff, just boom, back in Hell’s Kitchen. That down-to-earth, street-level grime we loved is still here. But then—
Bullseye’s Ambush – AKA Who the Hell is This Guy?!
Enter Bullseye—except if you don’t already know him, you wouldn’t even know it’s him. In fact, ol’ Jimbo had to Google Reverse Image with ‘who the hell is this guy?’ Maybe I missed the ‘last season recap’ button.
One second, Foggy’s making lawyer jokes. The next? He’s got a bullet where his personality used to be.
And here’s the problem: If you never watched Daredevil Season 3 which was what? 30 years ago? Or kept up with Marvel’s deep cuts, this fight has zero emotional weight. It’s just some guy attacking some other guy, and a character we liked gets smoked in the process. I honestly didn’t know who the guy was, so I thought it was just some schmuck low level dude. After googling it…I have a VAGUE recollection of who he was.
Personal Take: This should’ve been a gut punch, but it lands like a lukewarm slap. If you know Bullseye, it’s huge. If you don’t? It’s just another action scene with no setup. Also, this dude has more knives than a goddamn Hibachi chef. Where is he even keeping them all?
The Rooftop Fight – Matt, My Guy, What Are You Doing?!
Now, the fight? Brutal. Perfect. This is what we came for. Matt vs. Bullseye, rooftops, fists flying, bodies slamming into brick walls—it’s exactly the kind of fight that made the original series legendary.
But then… Matt takes off his helmet.Maybe the 3897239428374237842397432 knives sticking out of Matt made him a bit woozie. But wouldn’t he keep that on? I mean not like there’s a copy sneaking up on a guy who can hear a heartbeat of a poodle farting 300 miles away.
What in the name of blind Catholic guilt is happening here?! He just lets a cop sneak up on him? This is Daredevil, the guy who can hear a heartbeat through a concrete wall, and he doesn’t notice an entire cop creeping up behind him?
Meanwhile, Bullseye? Still pulling knives out of nowhere like he’s a goddamn magician.
Personal Take: The fight’s phenomenal, but Matt taking his helmet off is some straight-up horror movie logic. Dude, why?!
Wilson Fisk for Mayor – Did We Miss a Memo?
The Kingpin is back—but wait. Didn’t he get shot in the face in Hawkeye? Like RIGHT in the fucking face!??
No scars. No limping. No “Hey, that bullet wound sure sucked” speech. Just fully intact Fisk, now running for mayor like he didn’t just eat a bullet last time we saw him.
Personal Take: This feels like they wanted you to watch Echo for answers, but who actually watched Echo? Also, Fisk running for mayor makes sense, but it’s been done before. If they’re going to keep him as the villain, they need to give him something new.
Matt’s New Love Interest – Who? Why?
Now, Heather Glenn enters the chat.
And listen—nobody cares. Karen worked because she wasn’t just a love interest. We saw her character grow, we invested in her. Heather? She’s just here because Karen isn’t.
Personal Take: It’s forced. No build-up, no intrigue—just, “Here’s a new love interest, enjoy.”
Final Verdict – A Strong Start, But Not Magic Yet
This episode does a lot right— ✔ The fights are still phenomenal. ✔ Charlie Cox is still the perfect Matt Murdock. ✔ Hell’s Kitchen still feels real.
But… ✘ Bullseye is a mystery if you didn’t watch Season 3 YESTERDAY or have a memory like a steel trap. ✘ Foggy’s death feels more like actor scheduling than good storytelling. ✘ Fisk just appears back like nothing happened, and that’s weird.
Final Rating: 4 out of 5 Cthulhus—Good. Not perfect. Cautiously optimistic.
(4 / 5)
Your Turn – What Did You Think?
Did Born Again Episode 1 hit for you? Or did you have that same something-feels-off reaction? Drop your thoughts below, let’s talk Daredevil.
The assessors return to investigate a particle accelerator with a damning history in “How to Split an Atom.” David (Mike Colter) can’t seem to shake off the dire warning of his vision. Kristen (Katja Herbers) reaches her breaking point. Ben (Aasif Mandvi) sees the light and faces some uncomfortable realizations.
“How to Split an Atom” is the first episode of season 4 of Evil, 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.
Evil Season 4 Cover
What I Like about “How to Split an Atom”
While “How to Split an Atom” does start in season 3’s conclusion, it’s still a satisfying introduction through Kristen’s reaction alone. While it’s less effective and necessary in the era of streaming services, it reminds viewers of the last season’s execution to re-establish tension.
“How to Split an Atom” sets Kristen and Ben to face their most personal challenges. While Kristen often gets a good amount of material to explore, Ben receives the least development of the three assessors. Now that the titular scheme suggests a scientific focus, Ben seems to earn more attention.
In the final season, Kristen, David, and Ben continue to assess cases that involve wayward technology, possessed pigs, demonic oppression and infestation, a dance muse conjured by alleged witches, and an evil relic
Throughout, Leland attempts to lure Kristen into raising a baby antichrist who was conceived with her ovum
David is recruited by the Vatican’s secret service to remote view a paranormal ability to see the unseen to detect evil
From creators Robert King and Michelle King (The Good Wife), Evil is a critically acclaimed psychological mystery series that examines the origins of evil along the dividing line between science and religion
A skeptical female psychologist (Katja Herbers) joins a priest-in-training (Mike Colter) and a contractor (Aasif Mandvi) as they investigate the Church’s backlog of unexplained mysteries, including supposed miracles, demonic possessions, and hauntings
This 13-disc collection includes all 50 episodes, along with deleted scenes and more!
Last update on 2025-03-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
In comparison, David takes a step back, but the performance shows a man haunted by his vision. You see this conflict in his performance as he seems more held back and reserved throughout the episode.
Though far from unique to this episode, I haven’t yet found the opportunity to dive into the opening credits. These credits embody the idea of evil as an intrusive force against the good. It visibly displays the famed “problem of evil,” showing how the darkness intrudes against the light.
“How to Split an Atom” prepares the viewer for a new norm across every character. While that doesn’t evoke a truly haunting experience, it remains effective in building the foundation for the final season of Evil.
Disclaimer Kimberley Web Design
Tired Tropes and Triggers
Andy (Patrick Brammall) spirals in this episode, induced by trauma and manipulation. His interactions with Kristen showcase several toxic behaviors. While these issues hold merit and other forces manipulate him, this might not matter to some.
Though not directly stated, a minor character seems to suffer a psychotic break, leading to their death. “How to Split an Atom” doesn’t confirm if this is a suicide, a demonically assisted act, or a complete accident.
Sister Andrea & Father Acosta
What I Dislike about “How to Split an Atom”
“How to Split an Atom” explores a similar titular scheme as last season, but it doesn’t resonate as well. It feels like it retreads season 3, focusing instead on science but still lingering in a similar design.
There’s a strange scene where Sister Andrea and David speak in a low whisper despite being alone in her room. If “How to Split an Atom” wants to imply that spies listen in, “How to Split an Atom” doesn’t show this idea effectively. However, I think it’s intended to parallel Catholic confession, but it still doesn’t make logical sense in execution.
As streaming shows become standard practice, starting a new season in the prior season’s conclusion makes the episode more dependent and repetitive. While the execution remains effective in “How to Split an Atom,” I can’t help but linger on that thought.
Final Thoughts
“How to Split an Atom” establishes a definitive timeline where all the forces of Evil will collide. It has its strengths but doesn’t haunt the viewer. The ramifications of Ben’s descent and Kristen’s breaking point keep this episode from blending into the background, but only slightly. (3.5 / 5)
We’ve reached the end of Goosebumps, The Vanishing. And after eight episodes of quality going up and down, I’m sad to say that the finale held to that theme.
Through a series of quick thinking and bravery, everyone makes it out of the fort, though. Including Matty, Nicole, Hannah and Sameer.
For a time it looks like everything is going to be alright. Until Anthony tells Jen that they’ve got to do something about the alien ship that’s still trapped within the fort.
By the way, watch this with the caption on. It’s fantastic.
Jen and Anthony go back to Dr. Pamani’s lab in time to realize that no one is safe. Least of all, their kids.
What worked
You might notice that the ‘rescuing Dad from the pod’ part of this episode was over pretty fast. That’s because the actual story of this episode was about what came out of the facility rather than what was going on down there. And that was a surprising misdirect. I enjoyed that I didn’t see this misdirection coming. Well done.
I will also say that this episode was fun to watch. The critters were equal parts creepy and kind of cute. The dialog was fun and there were a lot of laughs.
This ending was also satisfying. All the questions are answered. Everyone gets a happy ending and all the people you want to get together do. It was a solid ending with no loose threads.
What didn’t work
Unfortunately, that’s all the good things I can say about this episode.
Let’s start with the continued superficiality of the whole story. I just didn’t feel much of anything for any of these characters. I had a little twinge of bittersweetness when Matty looked through the box of his old things. But that was about it.
The problem here was that everything was going too fast. We jumped from chaos to chaos so fast that the emotions didn’t have time to sink in. It was like rain on a dry field. No matter how much falls, if it can’t be absorbed it’s not going to do much good.
Here’s the real problem I have with this episode, though.
You’ll recall that in the last episode, I was irritated by how quickly Dr. Pamani decided to help the kids. It should surprise exactly no one that she didn’t decide to help them, but to trap them in the facility to be podded forevermore.
Goosebumps now on Disney+!Jack Archer is convinced something strange is going on at his neighbor’s house
Mr
Fleshman always wears all black, hardly ever leaves his house, and never says hello to anyone
Last update on 2025-02-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
While I’m thrilled that Dr. Pamani didn’t just change her mind, I still think it was dumb as shit that anyone, especially our main characters, thought she did. These teens aren’t dumb. Kids aren’t dumb. We shouldn’t be portraying kids as dumb in a show for kids.
I’m not saying this series was pure garbage. I’m not saying it was dangerous or unwatchable. I’m just saying that, if it didn’t have the name Goosebumps, I probably never would have watched it. This story just doesn’t have the same staying power that the original stories do. It was fine to watch, but in the end, just didn’t have enough substance to warrant a rewatch.