Alam Nyo Ba?

The upcoming Halloween video game is expanding Haddonfield with a new map that takes players beyond the familiar suburban streets of the town. IllFonic has unveiled the East Haddonfield map, giving Michael Myers and the survivors a more open, rural environment to stalk and explore. Check out the video tour at the bottom of this article!

Last year, it was officially announced that IllFonic, the makers of horror-centric video games like Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game, and Predator: Hunting Grounds, are teaming with Gun Media, the studio behind The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Friday the 13th: The Game, Layers of Fear 2, and Breach & Clear, for a new video game based on the Halloween franchise. The game launches on September 8, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, with the physical edition following on October 6. We’ve previously gotten looks at maps including Haddonfield Heights, Haddonfield Town Center, and Orange Grove Estates. Now, we’re heading to the eastern outskirts of town.

What is the East Haddonfield map like?

While several of the maps in Halloween: The Game are based on locations we’ve seen throughout the movies, East Haddonfield gives IllFonic an opportunity to explore a side of the fictional Illinois town that wasn’t seen as much in the original 1978 film. According to design director Jordan Mathewson, the developers wanted to create spaces that could fill in some of the gaps in the movie’s depiction of Haddonfield.

East Haddonfield moves away from the rows of homes and instead features large industrial structures, small businesses, farmlands, highways, and train tracks. The center of the map is a huge grain mill surrounded by silos, storage areas, and plenty of nooks and crannies where players can attempt to hide or make their escape.

The grain mill itself features both interior and exterior areas, creating opportunities for unexpected confrontations between Michael and the survivors. Around the buildings are wrap-around porches, farm equipment, dirt parking lots, and other details designed to make East Haddonfield feel like the outskirts of a Midwestern town.

The map also features the Rabbit in Red Lounge and Phelps Garage, locations that should be familiar to fans of the Halloween franchise.

Rather than the more orderly suburban layouts found elsewhere in the game, East Haddonfield has a more chaotic design, with uneven fence configurations, obstructed sight lines, and buildings packed together in unusual ways. The more open environment provides potential escape routes, but those routes can also leave survivors dangerously exposed to Michael Myers.

Michael Myers is still the biggest threat

Of course, no matter where you are in Haddonfield, Michael Myers is never far away. Mathewson says the developers wanted to capture the feeling of the original Halloween, where Michael’s presence turns a seemingly safe neighborhood into a place of unimaginable danger. In the game, Michael can appear when players least expect him, keep pursuing them when they think they’ve escaped, and kill in unexpected ways.

That’s particularly important in the game’s 1v4 asymmetrical multiplayer format. One player takes control of Michael Myers while four others play as survivors trying to save as many people as possible while staying alive themselves. Michael becomes increasingly powerful as a match progresses, turning him into an increasingly dominant killing force. For the survivors, every passing minute brings the possibility of an encounter with the Shape.

The original Halloween remains the blueprint

IllFonic has clearly gone to great lengths to make Halloween: The Game feel authentic to John Carpenter’s 1978 classic. The development team studied the original film’s camera work, lenses, color grading, and 1970s setting while researching the era to make the game world feel authentic. They also had access to some of the people who helped make the original movie.

Nick Castle, who played Michael Myers in the 1978 film, provided motion-capture work for the game’s version of the character and shared his knowledge about how Michael’s kills should be performed. The developers have also spoken with Malek Akkad of Compass International Pictures and John Carpenter himself about the film and its legacy.

The game will include a story mode with chapters, one of which takes place on the East Haddonfield map. With the September 8 release date rapidly approaching, we’re not going to have to wait much longer to see how these different versions of Haddonfield play when Michael Myers is actually on the hunt.

Are you looking forward to playing Halloween: The Game and exploring the new East Haddonfield map? Let us know in the comments.

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Another classic horror movie is getting a new life, and this one comes with a filmmaker who seems like a good fit for the material. Deadline reports that Dave Boyle, the director of the upcoming supernatural horror movie Never After Dark, is attached to direct a new reimagining of Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s 2001 J-horror classic Pulse. Sony’s Screen Gems and Spyglass are developing the project, with Parker Finn and Jonathan Fass producing through Finn’s Bad Feeling banner. Boyle will also take a pass at a screenplay written by Luke Piotrowski, whose credits include The Night House and Hellraiser.

Boyle might not be the most obvious name to some horror fans, but his filmography makes him an intriguing choice for Pulse. The filmmaker has repeatedly told stories set in Japan or involving Japanese characters, including Big Dreams Little Tokyo, Tokyo Cowboy, and the Netflix series House of Ninjas. His upcoming Never After Dark is also a supernatural horror movie with a Japanese cast.

That movie could be an interesting preview of what Boyle might bring to Pulse. Never After Dark follows a wandering psychic medium who investigates a supernatural entity in an isolated house, and the film won the Midnighter Audience Award at this year’s SXSW Film Festival. It will be released theatrically in the United States by Magnolia Pictures on September 25.

What Is the New Pulse Movie About?

That’s the part we don’t know yet. The new movie is being described as a reimagining, rather than a straight remake, and the story details are currently being kept secret. All we know for certain is that it will take place in the modern era and feature a new set of characters.

The original Pulse was released in 2001 and was written and directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. The techno-horror movie follows young people who begin encountering strange phenomena connected to missing friends and coworkers, technological breakdowns, and a mysterious website. The film premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival and went on to become one of the most acclaimed and influential J-horror movies of its era.

Yes, Pulse Has Already Been Remade

If you’re thinking, “Wait, wasn’t Pulse already remade?”, you’re absolutely right. There was already an American Pulse released in 2006. Directed by Jim Sonzero and co-written by Sonzero and Wes Craven, the English-language adaptation starred Kristen Bell, Ian Somerhalder, and Christina Milian.

The 2006 movie was followed by two direct-to-video sequels, Pulse 2: Afterlife and Pulse 3, both released in 2008.

So this new project is actually the second attempt to bring Pulse to English-language audiences.

Parker Finn Is Producing the Pulse Reimagining

The new Pulse is also another horror project coming from Parker Finn, the filmmaker behind the Smile movies. Finn and Jonathan Fass will produce through Bad Feeling, the production company behind the Smile franchise and the upcoming reimagining of Andrzej Żuławski’s Possession.

The timing is particularly interesting for Boyle. His Never After Dark is about to arrive in theaters, giving horror fans a chance to see what the filmmaker can do with supernatural material before he takes on Kurosawa’s Pulse. And if Never After Dark lives up to the praise it has already received, Boyle could be arriving at Pulse with some serious horror momentum.

There’s currently no release date or casting information for the new Pulse. Are you interested in seeing another take on Pulse, or should Hollywood leave Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s classic alone? Let us know in the comments.

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It’s probably a little strange to be sharing reactions to the first 30 minutes of a movie. After all, we’ve all seen the skepticism that can surround early reactions to entire movies, so what are we supposed to make of reactions to less than half of one? Well, we’re about to find out.

Sony Pictures has screened the first 30 minutes of Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil for members of the press, and some very enthusiastic reactions are already making their way online. The footage is reportedly delivering the kind of creepy, violent, atmospheric survival horror that fans have been hoping to see from Cregger’s take on the video game franchise.

And, yes, it’s worth keeping that 30-minute caveat in mind. Nobody has seen the entire movie yet. A fantastic opening half hour doesn’t necessarily mean the remaining hour will deliver. But considering Cregger has already promised that Resident Evil is the most violent movie he has ever made, these early impressions are certainly encouraging.

Resident Evil’s First 30 Minutes Are Getting Positive Reactions

JoBlo’s own JimmyO was among those who got to see the footage, and his reaction was extremely positive:

“I just saw the first half hour of Zach Creggers Resident Evil! It was fantastic!”

JimmyO acknowledged the obvious limitation of judging an entire movie from its opening 30 minutes, but said the footage was “f*cking great,” praising both Cregger’s direction and the performance of Austin Abrams as Bryan. According to JimmyO, Abrams brings a grounded quality to the character and makes Bryan an immediately likable protagonist. He also praised the actor’s ability to balance the movie’s scares and humor.

“He carries this film so beautifully. I was rooting for that dude 100%. It’s a funny performance and he handles the scares with perfection.”

That combination of horror and humor appears to be one of the movie’s biggest strengths so far. JimmyO went on to call the opening half hour “one of the best set ups to a horror flick I’ve seen in a while,” praising the balance of “horror with laughs and chills and thrills.” He also had high praise for Cregger’s visual approach, describing the footage as “moody, creepy, atmospheric, and funny.”

That’s quite a promising first impression – and here are a few more:

Resident Evil Has Been Rated R for Gore and Violence

The MPA has officially given Resident Evil an R rating for “strong bloody violence, gore and language throughout.” That rating should come as little surprise to anyone who has been following Cregger’s comments about the movie. The filmmaker previously described Resident Evil as “definitely the most violent thing I’ve done,” promising that he wanted to go “all the way” with the gore.

Cregger has also stressed that the movie isn’t simply interested in checking off pieces of Resident Evil lore. Instead, he wants to deliver a fast-moving survival story about an ordinary person thrown into an extraordinary nightmare.

That protagonist is Bryan, played by Austin Abrams. He’s a medical courier who finds himself caught in the middle of a biohazard outbreak, embarking on a desperate fight for survival as his night gets progressively worse.

And if these first reactions are any indication, Cregger may have found a pretty effective way to throw audiences into that nightmare.

Abrams is joined in the cast by Paul Walter Hauser, Zach Cherry, Johnno Wilson, and Kali Reis. The film is directed by Zach Cregger from a screenplay by Cregger and Shay Hatten.

Resident Evil hits theaters on September 18, 2026.

Are you encouraged by these reactions to the first 30 minutes of Resident Evil, or do you need to see the whole movie before getting excited? Let us know in the comments.

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Chris Colfer is making a return to acting with a role unlike anything Glee fans may be expecting. The actor stars alongside horror icon Alice Krige in the Irish gothic horror comedy The Restoration at Grayson Manor, and the first trailer has now been unveiled.

The trailer was first unveiled by our friends at Bloody Disgusting, offering a look at the twisted nightmare that awaits when Colfer’s character loses his hands, only for his mother to replace them with prosthetics wired directly to his subconscious. The result? Hands that act on his most violent urges.

The Restoration at Grayson Manor is set to reach theaters nationwide this October through Chroma before arriving On Demand on December 1, 2026. You can check out the trailer above and the poster below.

What is The Restoration at Grayson Manor about?

Directed by Glenn McQuaid (I Sell the Dead, V/H/S), who co-wrote the screenplay with Clay McLeod Chapman (Wendell & Wild). Here’s the official synopsis:

Chris Colfer stars as Boyd Grayson, “a hedonistic heir who torments his legacy-obsessed mother, played by genre icon Alice Krige (Star Trek: First Contact). When an accident leaves Boyd handless, she rebuilds him with prosthetics wired to his subconscious, hands that act on his most violent urges. Inside their decaying Gothic estate, those hands unleash horrors on Grayson Manor.”

Chris Colfer makes a return to acting

While Colfer is best known for playing Kurt Hummel on Glee, The Restoration at Grayson Manor marks a particularly unusual and daring role for the actor. Chroma VP Ahbra Perry praised both the movie and Colfer’s performance in a statement:

“The Restoration at Grayson Manor is audacious, perverse, and emotionally ferocious. Glenn McQuaid has crafted an unsettling horror story that explores queer identity and repression, and bodily autonomy, in a way that feels both operatic and intimate. We’re thrilled to bring this film to North American audiences, and to showcase Chris Colfer’s powerful return to acting in such a daring, transformative role.”

McQuaid also designed the newly released poster for the film. Colfer and McQuaid are expected to appear at select theatrical screenings for Q&A sessions, with more details on the film’s theatrical rollout expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Deirdre Levins, John McDonnell, and Brendan McCarthy of Dublin-based Fantastic Films (Vivarium, The Hallow) produced the movie alongside Thomas Herbert and Florian Brüning of Vienna-based Horse&Fruit.

What did you think of the trailer for The Restoration at Grayson Manor? Let us know in the comments below.

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In Adam Wingard’s excellent feature, The Guest, he took audiences on an unexpected journey. It was vicious, intense, and offered a fantastic performance from Dan Stevens. The two are back for more. In their latest, Onslaught, a mother desperately attempts to save herself and her daughter from super soldiers on a killing spree. The new feature is a swift 92-minute flick that doesn’t waste time getting to the thrills. It’s a solid and intense ride that also features Michael Biehn, Reginald VelJohnson, and Drew Starkey.

Yesterday, we featured our chat with Mr. Stevens and Mr. Starkey. Next up, we spoke with the man of the hour, Adam Wingard. When I sat down with Adam and his leading lady, Arjona, it was a thrill. She shines as the heroine in danger. And the relationship she shares with Blake Kennedy makes it all the more intense. It’s a smart and lean thriller that may connect to the previously mentioned The Guest.

It’s always nice speaking with Adam. He is incredibly talented, but also quite a nice fellow. He opened up about taking on this story years after Dan Stevens blew us all away as a super soldier himself. As for Adria, she had very nice things to report regarding working with her director. That is one of the things I appreciate about his work; he always brings on a solid cast. If you dig his vision, you’ll probably be on the edge of your seat as Onslaught hits the big screen, and yes, that means IMAX.

Onslaught opens this Friday at a theatre near you.

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A24’s Backrooms, the highest-grossing film in the studio’s history, is coming to HBO Max. The hit horror movie will begin streaming exclusively on the service in the U.S. on September 25, 2026. The film will also make its HBO linear debut the following day, airing Saturday, September 26 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Directed by Kane Parsons and written by Will Soodik, Backrooms has become one of 2026’s biggest horror success stories. The film has earned approximately $367 million worldwide, an impressive result for a movie based on a viral YouTube horror phenomenon and directed by a filmmaker making his feature debut.

What is Backrooms about?

Based on Parsons’ hugely popular Kane Pixels YouTube series, Backrooms follows Clark, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, the owner of a discount furniture store who discovers a strange doorway hidden inside his business. The doorway leads to an endless maze of interconnected rooms where the rules of reality no longer seem to apply. As Clark ventures deeper into the labyrinth, he encounters increasingly disturbing sights and the possibility that something else is lurking inside.

The official synopsis describes the story this way: A strange doorway appears in the basement of a furniture showroom, leading to an endless network of interconnected rooms where time bends and the only thing scarier than getting lost is the sense that something is waiting.

The cast includes Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, and Lukita Maxwell.

Parsons first began releasing Backrooms videos on YouTube in 2022. The series went viral, eventually accumulating more than 190 million views and turning the Backrooms creepypasta into one of the internet’s most recognizable horror concepts. Parsons was only 20 years old when he directed the feature film.

JoBlo’s Backrooms review

Chris Bumbray gave Backrooms a 7/10 in his JoBlo review, calling it an “eerie exercise in liminal horror.” Bumbray praised Parsons’ ability to translate the strange atmosphere of the Backrooms into a feature-length movie, particularly the environments filled with ugly yellow fluorescent lights, seemingly endless corridors, and staircases that lead nowhere.

He also highlighted the performances from Ejiofor and Reinsve, while noting that the Backrooms themselves may be the movie’s biggest stars.

The review’s main criticisms involved the film’s pacing and 105-minute runtime, as well as the fact that Bumbray did not find the movie particularly frightening. Still, he was interested in seeing where a possible sequel could take the mythology.

Backrooms is already available at home

The HBO Max premiere isn’t actually the movie’s first home-video release. Backrooms became available to rent or buy digitally on July 14, allowing viewers to watch the film at home shortly after its theatrical run.

A24 is also releasing exclusive 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray editions through the A24 Shop. The physical releases include nearly three hours of bonus material, including the previously theatrical-exclusive “Everything Must Go” footage. Other extras include an audio commentary featuring Parsons and members of the film’s creative team, a Building the Backrooms featurette, visual-effects breakdowns, a prop walkthrough, and six collectible postcards.

For those who haven’t ventured into the Backrooms yet, the HBO Max premiere provides another chance to see why this internet horror phenomenon became one of the year’s biggest theatrical hits. Will you be watching when Backrooms starts streaming? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

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PLOT: Mining activity stirs up something strange in the tunnels beneath a small Appalachian town.

REVIEW: Written and directed by Daniel Byers, who previously made the nature documentary Wolf or-7 Expedition and the horror thriller Eradication, Dark Hollow boasts some nice visuals, surprisingly impressive production value, and a strong lead performance from June Schreiner, who may be recognized from appearances on the likes of Chicago Med, NCIS, and NCIS: Los Angeles. It’s a low budget movie that occasionally manages to look like a polished studio production. So there are certainly some positive things to say about it… but, unfortunately, I can’t say I enjoyed sitting through the movie.

This is a creature feature, and the marketing will lean hard into that element. The official synopsis tells us the story follows “a young mother who hunts a nightmarish creature emerging from an Appalachian coal mine to save her family from evil.” The poster features this blood-spattered character standing in the mine, wielding a jackhammer, ready for battle. Technically, none of this is inaccurate or misleading. There is “a nightmarish creature” that emerges from a coal mine and a young mother who goes to battle with monsters while holding a jackhammer. The problem is, the viewer has to take a long, slow ride to get to that action.

For most of its running time, Dark Hollow is more focused on being a Southern Gothic character study rather than a monster movie. The story takes place in an Appalachian mining town where the characters, including June Schreiner’s young mother KC, are concerned about how the mining activities are going to disrupt their lives. Their financial, health, and housing concerns are the primary issue, even if we are aware from early on that there is something creepy going on down in the mine tunnels. Byers moves through this mining town drama at an achingly slow pace, filling the movie with scene after scene of people having soft-spoken conversations. The movie is 1 hour and 35 minutes, but it drags along so slowly that it feels more like it’s 135 minutes.

Some audience members may be able to fully lock into the characters and enjoy watching this movie as a dark, slow drama. For me, this was too slow and dull. I couldn’t manage to care about the characters, and the wait for the monster to do something – anything – got painful. If you’re looking forward to the film living up to the synopsis and giving KC a jackhammer, you’re going to have to sit through more than an hour of drama, with just a brief flare-up of thrills along the way to assure you this is a creature feature.

Dark Hollow has enough going for it that it will likely find some appreciative fans, but other viewers are going to find it just as difficult to get through as I did. The pacing tested my patience and frustrated me, and the pay-off in the final 30 minutes was not worth the slow crawl it took to get there. Don’t expect things to suddenly get awesome when KC picks up that jackhammer.

If you’re interested, Brainstorm Media will be giving Dark Hollow a VOD and limited theatrical release on September 4.

movie review

BELOW AVERAGE

5

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