Alam Nyo Ba?

You author Caroline Kepnes is stepping behind the camera for the first time with The Attentionist, a psychological thriller project based on her own “incredibly creepy” short story, which originally appeared in Tor Nightfire’s horror anthology Dark Stars. Kepnes, whose first You novel was recently named one of the best thrillers of the 21st century by the New York Times, will write and direct The Attentionist.

The eight-episode first season of this premium short-form project will be set in the ‘90s in a Cape Cod neighborhood where year-round working locals live alongside part-time summer residents. The story follows an awkward 14-year-old named Maeve and her older sister. As the girls ache for a way into the glittering world of the waterfront elite, a secret phone romance with a boy from the local boat club finally makes that dream feel possible. But when the voice on the line begins to reveal something monstrous, Maeve doesn’t hang up, drawing her family deeper into the dark.

According to Variety, the series will launch on YouTube “as part of a significant slate effort from a media venture to be announced in the coming days.”

“Sometimes it feels like a lakeside slasher, and sometimes it feels like a boy-meets-girl oceanside summer romance,” Kepnes told Variety. “I wrote The Attentionist as a mashup of genres and being at the helm of the adaptation is quite literally a dream come true. I wanted to combine my love of emotional creepy horror with my affection for small town family drama, and set it in the veiled, insular world of the Cape where I grew up.”

The Attentionist is produced by Mark Roberts of Roberts Media and Lorena David. The project will shoot on location in Cape Cod and is currently casting key roles.

“During our first scouting trip on the Cape for The Attentionist, I found out You made the New York Times best thrillers list while at one of my favorite local haunts with the production team. It feels like my mom is looking down on all of it and smiling, my dad too,” said Kepnes, whose late parents Monica and Harold Kepnes were fixtures in the seaside haven. “And this is one of those sick short stories that really disturbed her, so I hope they have YouTube in heaven.”

Kepnes wrote about serial killer Joe Goldberg in a series of five novels, starting with You, which also spawned the five-season Netflix series starring Penn Badgley, although the show drifted away from Kepnes’ stories. Kepnes has also worked as a pop culture journalist for Entertainment Weekly and wrote for television, including the shows 7th Heaven and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. She received a Shirley Jackson Award nomination for her short story Room 24, which was published in The End of the World as We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King’s The Stand.

For fans of You and psychological horror, The Attentionist is an intriguing new chapter for Kepnes, putting the author directly in control of a story that combines creepy horror, small-town family drama, and a sinister summer romance. Does this project sound interesting to you? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Hitchcock fans, this one should be on your radar. HitchCon ’26, an online celebration of Alfred Hitchcock and his cinematic legacy, is set to take place October 3 and 4, 2026, with this year’s event promising a suitably strange trip into “Myth, Magic & the Macabre.” Hosted by MacGuffin Media, HitchCon brings together Hitchcock enthusiasts, scholars, filmmakers, and film lovers for a weekend of screenings, conversations, and deep dives into the work of the Master of Suspense. And while Hitchcock is obviously the main attraction, this year’s lineup also takes a detour into the films of another master of the uncanny: David Lynch.

HitchCon ’26 explores the weird side of Hitchcock

The theme of this year’s event is Hitchcockian Wizardry: Myth, Magic & the Macabre, examining the strange and dreamlike elements that run through Hitchcock’s filmography. That’s a fitting subject for a filmmaker whose movies frequently blur the line between reality and nightmare. From doubles and mistaken identities to bizarre coincidences, supernatural suggestions, strange obsessions, and seemingly impossible events, Hitchcock was always interested in the idea that there might be something lurking just beneath the surface of ordinary life.

The event will also shine a spotlight on Hitchcock’s final feature film, Family Plot, his 1976 black comedy thriller starring Karen Black, Bruce Dern, Barbara Harris, and William Devane.

And if you’re a fan of Hitchcock’s classic The 39 Steps, there’s another intriguing conversation on the schedule. Victoria Nelson, author of The Secret Life of Puppets and Gothicka, will join HitchCon host Joel Gunz for a discussion of The 39 Steps and the world of early 20th century spy fiction.

David Lynch gets his own HitchCon spotlight

One of the coolest additions to HitchCon ’26 is a special session devoted to David Lynch, the late filmmaker whose surreal, nightmarish style made him one of Hitchcock’s most interesting cinematic heirs. Lynch’s influence on modern suspense and psychological horror can’t be overstated, and the connection between his work and Hitchcock’s films offers strange territory to explore.

So, yes, Hitchcock fans will be getting Hitchcock. But they’ll also have an opportunity to follow that cinematic rabbit hole into the weird world of Lynch.

You can join HitchCon from home

HitchCon ’26 takes place online October 3 and 4, 2026, meaning you don’t have to travel anywhere to spend a weekend immersed in Hitchcock’s movies and their many mysteries. The event is also part of a larger series of online film conversations hosted by MacGuffin Media. Previous HitchCon events have explored everything from Hitchcock’s approach to love and relationships to his work during times of crisis and the ways modern filmmakers can reinterpret his storytelling techniques.

And the conversation doesn’t have to wait until October. MacGuffin Media’s online film club currently has Brian De Palma’s Body Double scheduled for August 24, followed by Pedro Almodóvar’s Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown on August 26. For Hitchcock fans, Body Double in particular should be an especially tempting warm-up, given De Palma’s long-established fascination with Hitchcock.

HitchCon ’26

Hitchcockian Wizardry: Myth, Magic & the Macabre
October 3 & 4, 2026
Online

Registration is currently open, and there’s an early-bird discount available. Use the code MAGIC26 to receive 20% off registration. For more information and registration details, visit the official HitchCon website.

If you’re the kind of movie fan who can spend hours talking about Vertigo, Psycho, Rear Window, The Birds, Notorious, or The 39 Steps, a weekend devoted to Hitchcock’s cinematic universe sounds like a pretty good way to spend a weekend in October.

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Variety reports that Netflix has officially started production on Black Mirror Season 8, with Charlie Brooker returning to write and executive produce the next installment of the hit sci-fi anthology series. The new season started shooting this summer, although Netflix has not yet announced a release date for Black Mirror Season 8.

The production news comes several months after Brooker confirmed that Black Mirror would return for another season. At the time, the creator teased that the next batch of episodes would hopefully be “more Black Mirror than ever.”

Brooker is writing and executive producing Season 8 alongside Bisha K. Ali. Jessica Rhoades, Annabel Jones, and Louise Sutton are also executive producers, with Mark Kinsella serving as co-executive producer. The series is licensed by Banijay Rights.

What to Expect From Black Mirror Season 8

As with previous seasons, specific story details for Black Mirror Season 8 remain under wraps. The series is an anthology, so its individual episodes typically tell separate stories with different characters and settings.

Since its debut, Black Mirror has become known for exploring the darker consequences of technology and modern society, frequently using science fiction to examine subjects like artificial intelligence, social media, surveillance, virtual reality, and humanity’s increasingly complicated relationship with technology. That approach is expected to continue in Season 8.

Brooker previously described creating a season of Black Mirror as being similar to putting together a music album, explaining that he considers what stories and tones the show has not explored before and how each episode fits into the overall season.

When Will Black Mirror Season 8 Be Released?

Netflix has not announced a release date for Black Mirror Season 8. Production is now underway, however, so additional information about the cast, episodes, storylines, and eventual premiere date could emerge as filming continues.

The latest season, Black Mirror Season 7, premiered on Netflix in April 2025 and featured six episodes, including the long-awaited sequel to the fan-favorite “USS Callister.”

For now, fans know one thing for certain: Black Mirror is coming back, and Season 8 is officially being made. Are you a fan of the show, and are you glad to hear that a new batch of episodes are in production? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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Tyler

This week saw the release of the sixth entry in the Insidious franchise, Insidious: Out of the Further. It’s always been a horror franchise that is scary while still being palatable for younger generations, bearing the PG-13 rating. While it may not have gotten the spinoffs that The Conjuring did (because I’m not sure Thread: An Insidious Tale is ever going to be made), this James Wan franchise has still managed to persevere through the years. It’s earned over $700 million at the worldwide box office, and that number could easily reach $800 million with this latest entry. With every new film, new rules are added, and the world is made all the richer. Or more convoluted, depending on who you ask.

So now let’s enter The Further and figure out which films work and which films don’t as we Rank the Insidious Franchise.

6. Insidious: Out of the Further (2026)

I was genuinely pretty shocked at how bad the latest entry ended up being. The series has always struggled when following anyone except the Lambert Family, but this was an exceptional level of nonsense. This time, the concept of “couriers” is introduced; these people can bring things in and out of The Further. Gemma is a courier, and she finds herself targeted, as ghosts want to cross over into our world through her. It gets so convoluted and silly, treating Lin Shaye like she’s Captain America coming back to hold Mjölnir. It doesn’t help that the main villain looks like homeless Marilyn Manson. This was bad character decision after bad character decision and a very frustrating experience overall. Here’s hoping this will serve as the final entry in the franchise.

5. Insidious: The Last Key (2018)

Yet another prequel, this film finally gives us a backstory for Lin Shaye’s Elise Rainier, as she’s forced to confront her past, by visiting her childhood home. I actually really like the design of the main villain, Keyface, and his ability to lock people’s voices away. It’s a chilling visual. I also liked that Leigh Whannell and Angus Sampson’s Specs and Tucker were given more to do, while still providing much of the levity. It’s connections with the first film feel tacked on and the entire story feels more generic.

4. Insidious: Chapter 3 (2015)

Our first film following someone other than the Lambert Family actually takes place before those events. This is where the series shifts to Lin Shaye and Leigh Whannell being our connection between films, and it made me realize how much I need the Lambert family to make these films work. That personal connection was built with those two films. Switching it up gets rid of the stakes and makes it more generic horror where we’re simply waiting for someone to get spooked/killed by a ghost. It simply feels like it follows too closely to the first film This is also the feature directorial debut of series writer Leigh Whannell.

3. Insidious: The Red Door (2023)

This movie came out before I got entirely sick of the Legacy Sequel gimmick, and this one actually has some interesting ideas. Dalton is really more of a victim in the first two films, so it’s cool to see him take more of a proactive role here. Plus, it’s always great to see Rose Byrne and Patrick Wilson back together. I actually think I like them together as much as Vera Farmiga and Wilson as The Warrens. This also served as Wilson’s directorial debut, and he proves more than competent.

2. Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)

The first two Insidious films are practically a Part 1 and Part 2, telling one half of the story each. We get to see the effect of Josh being possessed at the end of the first film. Some of the mystery is gone, and the impact of the series lessens as they try to explain more and more with each film. There’s a bit of an Amityville Horror edge with Evil Josh trying to murder his family. This one has some great horror visuals and feels less formulaic than what would come later. Given how the first film ends up, the tensions are high, as it the Lambert’s don’t feel safe.

1. Insidious (2011)

As is often the case with franchises, the first one set the standard and wasn’t eclipsed by any of its sequels. James Wan and Leigh Whannell moved past the idea of a haunted house and introduced the idea of haunted person. A house, you can leave, but if it’s attached to a person, it will follow where they go. It’s a fun concept, only improved by the coupling of Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne. The Lambert’s will do whatever they can to save their son, Dalton. Even bringing in a very eclectic group of ghost hunters. This has some genuinely unnerving scares and some truly creepy designs. Wan also flexes his technical prowess, with such control of the camera at all times. And let’s be honest, it’s really ballsy to end your film with such a massive cliffhanger. It’s also absolutely hilarious that Lin Shaye was murdered in this one and is the main star of the franchise.

What’s your Ranking for the Insidious Franchise? Do you hope that the series continues? Are there any you could do without entirely? Let us know in the comments!

Related

Late Night with the Devil’s Laura Gordon cast in Insidious 6

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You can’t pick your family

This ain’t the kind of family that Vin Diesel constantly talks about. This family is seemingly possessed by something dark. Fifth Season has just released the trailer for the upcoming horror film, Family. It brings a new meaning to the phrase that parents tell their children that goes, “This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you.” As a young girl starts to suspect her parents are inhabited by some invisible force that are now targeting her.

It’s about family

The film stars Ruth Wilson, Ben Chaplin, Cameron Dawson Gray and Allan Corduner. The official plot synopsis reads,
“Ten-year-old Johanna and her parents Naomi (Ruth Wilson) and Harry (Ben Chaplin) have moved back to Naomi’s childhood home in the suburbs of Philadelphia. When Johanna hangs a magic birdhouse to protect her ailing father, his illness worsens, dark visions creep in, and her beloved dog vanishes without a trace. Convinced a sinister spirit is to blame, Johanna spirals into a haunting fantasy world that mirrors her deepest fears.”

Benjamin Finkel directs the film from a screenplay he also wrote. Jewerl Keats Ross and Ruth Wilson are on board, serving as executive producers. Meanwhile, Lynette Howell Taylor, Samantha Housman and Benjamin Finkel are the producers on the project.

Two Years Out

The film looks to finally get a release after being completed back in 2024 and screening at the SXSW Film Festival as a Midnighter movie. The Hollywood Reporter got to screen the film and gave it a favorable reaction, saying, “The film has an affinity with Ari Aster’s Hereditary, using horror as a metaphor for dark family dynamics, as the blunt title Family suggests. But it is so obvious early on that the terrifying apparitions and her parents’ evil behavior come from Johanna’s mind that the jump scares are less jump-y than they might have been. Finkel directs the actors and camera with impressive precision, though, and the horror scenes are beautifully crafted, even when they are standard tropes: lights shining eerily from the isolated family house, surrounded by dark woods; a tracking shot down a narrow, empty hallway toward a glowing room; Harry as Johanna imagines him, crawling down the stairs to the basement. Throughout, Gray convincingly displays Johanna’s pain.”

Family hits theaters and on demand starting FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25.

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Der Fan 4K

Ken Russell’s The Devils isn’t the only rare controversial piece of film that is getting a re-release this year.

Metrograph Press has just announced that, beginning Friday, August 28, Der Fan, West German provocateur Eckhart Schmidt’s previously hard-to-see feature, opens for an exclusive one-week NY theatrical screening in-theater at the Metrograph. It will be screened in a new 4K restoration. The restoration in 4K is sourced from its original 35mm camera negative by Fun City Editions. The film is set to be presented with its original stereo soundtrack for the first time since its initial German theatrical release back in 1982.

Der Fan Details

The official synopsis reads,
“Teen runaway Simone (Désirée Nosbusch, entrancingly opaque) loves the Neue Deutsche Welle pop singer known only as “R” (Bodo Staiger)… loves him so much, in fact, that she could just about eat him alive. And when she finally meets her idol—only to be callously treated by him as a disposable sex object—well, Simone gets the chance to really become one with her beloved forever. A hard, cool-to-the-touch, and utterly riveting slow-burn psychological thriller that, newly restored for its first ever US theatrical release, speaks to our age of parasocial obsession, featuring a sinister synth-pop soundtrack by Staiger’s own band, Rheingold, and a last act that’s finger-lickin’ good.”

Melissa Anderson of 4Columns states, “Der Fan fascinates with its icy elegance and dilatory sense of time.” Stephanie Monohan of Screen Slate also said, “It’s the final third act that makes Der Fan notorious, but it’s the slow-burn of what precedes that makes it truly effective horror.” Imran Khan of PopMatters says, “Nosbusch’s brave, subtle, and perspicacious performance […] not only saves the film from the grindhouse floor, but elevates it to a perspective of insight and understanding.”

Filmmaker Jacqueline Castel will be present at the opening night screening to give an introduction to the film. According to the press release, ​“Accompanying the run of Der Fan, presents That Most Taboo of Red Meats, a series of films about women cannibals, running August 21 to August 30. Titles include House, In My Skin, Jennifer’s Body, Raw, and Spider Baby.”

Have you ever heard of Der Fan or has this flown under your radar? Let us know in the comments.

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Jason Voorhees is stepping out of the movies and into the real world this Halloween. Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group (13FEG) has partnered with Horror, Inc. to bring the Jason Universe to life through two new immersive experiences: Jason Universe: Survive the Night and the extremely limited Jason Universe: Director’s Cut. The attractions will be available at select 13FEG locations across the United States this Halloween season.

The collaboration combines the Friday the 13th franchise with 13FEG’s elaborate haunted house experiences. More importantly for Jason fans, the new attractions aren’t simply putting guests inside a familiar slasher scenario: in Director’s Cut, guests will actually get to decide how Jason attacks.

“This partnership came together through a mutual connection and evolved into conversations about how we could bring the Jason Universe to life in a way fans have never experienced before,” Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group CEO and founding partner Chris Stafford said. “We found an opportunity not only to bring the Jason Universe brand to guests across our attractions, but to create a first-of-its-kind licensed Jason Universe attraction that gives fans the opportunity to partake in an additional experience and choose their ending.”

Jason Universe: Survive the Night

The main attraction, Jason Universe: Survive the Night, puts guests directly in the path of Jason Voorhees. The officially licensed walkthrough haunted attraction promises a night of trying to survive the infamous killer. Guests will move through Jason’s world as he stalks them from the darkness, with the familiar hockey mask, machete, and unmistakable presence waiting around every corner.

The premise is simple: keep moving and survive until morning. According to the official description, Jason can seemingly anticipate the group’s every move. Hiding won’t necessarily save anyone, and once Jason appears, it may already be too late.

The attraction is designed to make guests feel as though they’ve stepped directly into a Friday the 13th movie, but with one major difference: this time, you’re the one being hunted.

Jason Universe: Director’s Cut Lets Fans Control Jason

The more unusual experience is Jason Universe: Director’s Cut, a limited-capacity interactive add-on that gives guests the opportunity to become the directors of their own Jason Voorhees sequence.

A camp counselor leads the group into a rustic cabin, where they initially believe they’ve gained the upper hand. The counselors have supposedly been tracking Jason and know what’s coming next. Then the group is given control. A screen lights up, revealing four buttons labeled “Panic,” “Slash,” “Strike” and “Stalk.” Each choice determines how Jason will attack his victims in the next scene. In other words, you get to decide what Jason does next.

The experience gives each group a brief opportunity to sit in the director’s chair and determine the fate of the characters inside the cabin. Of course, there’s an important catch: Jason still controls the rest of the night.

Availability will be extremely limited each night, and participants will receive a limited-edition Jason Universe: Director’s Cut collectible patch.

Horror, Inc. executive vice president Robbie Barsamian said the company is “constantly looking for fresh ways to bring Jason into the wild,” whether through games, online projects or real-world experiences.

“Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group helped us bring an in-maze VIP experience to life, so partnering with them was an easy call,” Barsamian added. “We can’t wait for fans to step inside and face Jason in real life.”

Where Can You Experience Jason Universe: Survive the Night?

The two Jason Universe attractions will be available this Halloween season at select Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group locations in:

• Denver, Colorado
• Austin, Texas
• Houston, Texas
• San Antonio, Texas
• Phoenix, Arizona
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
• Minneapolis, Minnesota
• New Orleans, Louisiana
• Nashville, Tennessee

Additional information about dates, tickets and availability will be announced through Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group.

The partnership comes as Horror, Inc. continues expanding the Jason Universe, the brand launched in 2024 as a way of bringing Jason Voorhees and Friday the 13th into new forms of entertainment.

The franchise began with the original Friday the 13th in 1980 and has since expanded across 12 films, television, video games, comic books, collectibles, apparel, and more. Jason Voorhees remains one of horror’s most recognizable characters, and the upcoming A24 Friday the 13th prequel series Crystal Lake is set to continue that expansion.

For fans who have spent decades watching Jason hunt down unsuspecting campers on screen, Jason Universe: Survive the Night offers a chance to finally experience what it’s like to be inside the movie. And for those brave enough to try Director’s Cut, there’s an even more dangerous proposition: deciding exactly how Jason will come for the victims. This Halloween, Jason Voorhees isn’t just waiting at Camp Crystal Lake. He’s coming for you.

Will you be checking out these immersive experiences? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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