Talk Horror The Mouth of Madness
2025’s New Horror Movies – Part 4
Okay, so I take a one week break from reviewing trailers for the new horror movies of 2025, and to my surprise even more films start to surface for our consideration. Am I going to be wowed? Or am I just a glutton for punishment? You be the judge my dear Horror Fam. Without further adieu… Let’s get started.
Strange Harvest
“He isn’t hiding. He’s waiting!” That is the tagline for the upcoming mokumentary-style supernatural slasher film, Strange Harvest. Strangely, it currently holds a 94% fresh rating amongst critics on Rotten Tomatoes. But we’re all about judging the trailer for ourselves around here! And that’s where it gets interesting for me…
We start out with a young woman giving a make up tutorial on a video sharing site when a loud bang compels her to check on her mother. Fast forward through a lot of screaming and pleading, and I cannot understate just how effective the young actress is in this scene in the trailer. Her terror seems almost too real, which made me feel more than little uncomfortable. That is the trick with found footage: convincing the audience that what we’re watching is real, even when we know otherwise.
But will it Keepsie?
The story follows an elusive serial killer named Mr. Shiny—a frightening character who terrorized Southern California decades earlier—and the pair of detectives investigating his crimes to put an end to his carnage. The format of the film relies on the same rough, investigative recording which first appeared in the In Search of… series from the mid 70’s, and received its resurgence with The Blair Witch Project from 1999. That said, this serial killer, mokumentary-style film, and its use of found footage seems more reminiscent of a movie like The Poughkeepsie Tapes.
Of course, The Poughkeepsie Tapes never received a theatrical run. Assuming Strange Harvest isn’t similarly shelved, it’s due to be released in theaters in the USA on August 8th.
My Verdict: Though the film looks as basic as you might expect, the trailer does feel eerie. The Poughkeepsie Tapes still creeps me out, so I’ll smash my money down to see it in theaters, if it plays here. Matinée anyone?
Shaman
From the executive producer of Talk to Me comes Shaman. A family of Christian missionaries begin work in a remote community in Ecuador, spreading the word of God, building a Church and working to provide clean drinking water, only to be confronted with a clash of faiths when their son Elliot disappears inside a dormant volcano.
After an exhaustive search they find the boy, but when a local Amerindian Shaman tries to ward them off by telling them their “God has no power here,” and Elliot begins to demonstrate some bizarre physical manifestations, it becomes apparent that he has been changed, possibly through the actions of the Shaman himself.
Ring any bells?
The Exorcist is the story of a young girl who is possessed by the ancient Mesopotamian diety, Pazuzu, requiring the intervention of a pair of Catholic Priests to overcome the horror afflicting her. In Shaman, the film makers are working off of a similar template. Don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t look like a rip off of The Exorcist. It simply shares elements that make it feel familiar. Hopefully, it will wind up being a worthy addition to the possession genre.
My Verdict: This one could be good! I will smash my money down to see it. But, I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn’t follow The Ruins in giving us some of the most annoying characters captured on film!
Never Blink
I don’t really have much to say about Never Blink. I think the premise seems pretty silly: Did you know that over the course of a day, the time you spend blinking means that you’re effectively blind for like 48 minutes? Now just imagine the things you don’t see while you’re blinking.
I mean… I could counter by saying: “What about what happens when you’re sleeping? Isn’t sleep essentially an extended blink? What about visually impaired individuals? Or comatose individuals?”
Of course, when people in this movie are outfitted with a special helmet that prevents them from blinking, they see all kinds of horrific goings-on. But I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s similar to the effects of sleep deprivation. After all, if you can’t blink, you can’t sleep either, can you? Of course, some of the visuals in the trailer are haunting, and it seems there’s plenty of gore and jump scares to be had.
My Verdict: I’m going to pass on this one! It just seems way too silly and gimmicky to me. Maybe the filmmakers figured they could create a technological version of The Conjuring, where the helmet invites the monsters to interact or something. This one might have the atmosphere, and that eye with two pupils gives me the creeps, but the premise just seems weak.
Please Don’t Feed the Children
Please Don’t Feed the Children is about a dystopian future where most of the adult population has been wiped out by a viral outbreak believed to be harmless to children. It was released on Tubi on June 27th, so if you want to check it out that’s where you’ll find it!
A group of teenagers find themselves in the home of a woman whose benevolence masks a darker plan. After feeding them milk and cookies laced with sedatives, she holds them captive in her home, deciding which of them she will “adopt.” Whether they like it or not.
Creepy mothers are not a new phenomenon within the horror genre. Psycho first established the codependency between mother and child, a creepy phenomenon that not even death could break. Other films like Mother’s Day, the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and subsequent sequels like Leatherface gave us domineering maternal figures. The difference, of course, in all of these films is that the maternal figures—while a central component to the carnage that was to follow—were still relegated more to figurative roles. In Please Don’t Feed The Children, the maniac is the maternal figure, which is still largely unique in the horror genre.
My Verdict: The film is already available for viewing on Tubi, and in Canada has also been released on Shudder. I’m not in any rush to see it, but I’m sure I’ll get around to it eventually.
Iconic
The summary for Iconic from the Internet Movie Database is pretty short and sweet: “A beauty influencer living in Los Angeles gradually loses her grip on reality.”
I don’t quite understand this role of “influencer,” but the trailer suggests random bouts of violence, testing beauty supplies that may cause physical injury, and stalkers. That does not seem like a peaceful life. But it does seem like an interesting movie. The problem is, the trailer doesn’t elude to much of a story beyond highlighting the pitfalls of this kind of life.
My Verdict: I’m going to pass on this one.
The Strangers: Chapter Two
I’ll admit it. When The Strangers: Chapter One was first announced, I was excited. The first film, simply titled The Strangers, was supremely creepy and effective. In some ways, the atmosphere created by the antagonists reminded me of the original Halloween, a film I rank amongst the absolute classics of modern horror.
The Strangers: Prey At Night struck a somewhat different tone, with younger protagonists who were able to fight back, alternating between predator and prey! There were holes in the plot for sure, and that truck being able to move after being blown up was darkly humorous, as was the main antagonist being able to swing that ax after being burned to a crisp, but the film was certainly a worthwhile sequel.
When I finally saw The Strangers: Chapter One, the fact that it mirrored the original almost to a tee was just annoying. The acting was fine, but it felt like a giant waste of my time. The title and subsequent trailer should’ve clued me in to the fact that it was by and large a remake, but only after watching it did I feel ripped off. And hearing that there would be a second chapter, I wondered if they would just remake The Strangers: Prey At Night.
So…
Now I have an idea of what to expect! It would appear that The Strangers: Chapter Two is going to have a different setting. Gone is the remote home or trailer. Now the hunting ground is a hospital with no security to be found. Gone is the knocking on the door and asking for Tamara. Why do that when you can ask for Tamara over a hospital intercom? And apparently gone is police anonymity. Why not spill the beans about the fate of the young couple to the woman pouring you a cup of coffee at the diner where the attackers may have hatched the plan in the first place?!
That said, even with the sour taste still in my mouth from the Chapter One, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to at least a little bit of interest. But! Now I’m hearing about a Chapter Three and I’m back to being cynical! It’s enough to make my head spin.
My Verdict: I’m curious about this film, but I’m taking the “wait and see approach.” If I hear good things, I’ll smash down the money to see it. If I don’t… I’ll wait until it’s on streaming.
There you have it!
Six more new horror movies for 2025! I have to admit a couple of them have sparked my interest! The rest are giving a “wait and see” vibe. I’d love to know your thoughts Horror Fam! Drop me a comment and let me know if you’re interested in seeing any of these.
And in case you missed them: Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3
Until next time…
JK away!
