By: KiMiya Eason and Ci’Niyah Taylor
Tag Archives: horror
Movie review: ‘The Black Phone’
By: Marina Yang
*Warning: This review contains spoilers
The movie ‘The Black Phone’ was made on June 24, 2022. It was directed by Scott Derrickson and co-written with C. Robert Cargill, based on the short story of the same name by Joe Hill.
‘The Black Phone’ is a thriller and supernatural horror movie that revolves around our protagonist Finney Blake, Gwen Blake (sister of the main character), the antagonist/kidnapper being called the ‘Grabber’, the 5 other victims (Bruce Yamada, Billy Showalter, Robin Arellano, etc.), and others.
The movie starts off with missing posters of kids, indicating that the kidnappings have been going on for a while already. Our main characters’ family, as others are, are more wary and scared about this situation as the disappearances pile up with no lead. Then, one day, when Finney is walking back home after going separate paths from his sister (context: Finney’s sister sleeps over at her friend’s house every Friday night), he sees an odd black van with a man coming out of it. The man drops his groceries, and as most people who pass by in this kind of situation, Finney helps the man. Then the stranger pops up a question, “You wanna see a magic trick?” which Finney as a kid is easily fantasized by and answers, sure/yes. The strange man opens his door, revealing several black balloons, and then snatching him into his truck to his house. Finney then has to survive the next few days in an enclosed basement room as the mysterious, broken-like, black phone rings with advice from the past victims to help him escape. Meanwhile Gwen desperately is trying to find an answer from her dreams to draw a conclusion of where her brother may be located or a hint on the killer’s identity.
The story mentions the undetermined/unrevealed details of missing cases. Throughout the movie, we never really know what the killer’s true intentions were with these kids and why he hinted at creepy things. It greatly speaks about the terror and how scary it is being in the position of the kidnapped victims (children in this case), and the strategic thinking you need to plan an escape in a confinement-like area. This is heightened by switching the perspectives between the worried families trying to search for their lost family member(s) to the kidnapped person struggling to reach back home safely.
I’d rate it a 4/5 because I thought it was a pretty good storyline, even if it had been based off of something else, the plot is interesting. Though I’d by lying if I said that I wouldn’t feel some kind of emotion if the killer was never caught in the movie. Especially if Gwen never had this psychological dream-reading trait of hers because she was so helpful throughout the movie, helping the officers make leads and get a step closer to solving the case.
You can watch this movie through a subscription on Peacock or renting/buying it from other services (Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, etc.).
‘Weapons’ movie review
By: Seng Nhkum
There are many horror movies, and this 2025 horror movie called ‘Weapons’ is very different from the rest.
Summary
‘Weapons’ is about one 3rd grade classroom where almost all the kids mysteriously go missing at 2:17 in the morning except for one child named Alex. This mysterious situation puts the small town into chaos.
The movie ‘Weapons’ shows many different perspectives of the characters in the situation, either how they were influenced, experienced, or how they were affected by the disappearance of the kids. The perspectives are a homeless person, the principal, the child Alex, the teacher of the class, a father, and a police officer. The ones who try to unravel the mystery of the disappearance are the teacher, a father, and a police officer.
Review
Overall, I rate’ Weapons’ an 8/10. I really liked how this movie showed multiple perspectives of the characters because this was the first horror movie that showed this, and it really shows details of the characters. Alex’s perspective really stood out to me because it showed his influence in the movie. For example we learn about how he ended up being the only kid that doesn’t disappear. How this happened was a twist that surprised me.
Also, I liked the suspenseful build up which made me scream because I didn’t expect things that were going to happen. I didn’t expect the jump scares.
You should definitely watch ‘Weapons’. The plot is very intriguing, and I also think you’ll like this horror movie too!
You can watch it on HBO Max and it is rated R.
My review on ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’
By: Kendra Shanklin
*Warning: this review contains spoilers
‘The Recap’
‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ is a horror movie that was released on September 5th, 2025. It’s about a married couple named Ed and Lorraine Warren who were paranormal investigators and also help families get evil spirits out of their homes. The movie is rated ‘R’ for its bloody images, violent content, and terror.
In previous movie’s investigations, they have had bad entities but nothing ever experienced like this before. This movie’s investigation is one of the worst they had and is what brought their careers to an end.
In the first half of the movie there’s a flashback of Ed and Lorraine as they had investigated a haunted antique mirror. Lorraine goes up to the mirror and says to it that she can feel the spirit. When Lorraine touches the mirror she is sent into early labor, and out of nowhere she sees a vision of a demonic entity and her unborn child. She gives birth to her daughter Judy, who is a stillborn child but survives.
In the present day of 1986, Ed and Lorraine are now older and now already thinking about retiring from paranormal investigations. But they get a call from a family about how their daughter, named Heather, is getting haunted by a mirror that she was gifted from her grandparents.
A little while later Heather is about to blow the candles off her cake but magically it blows out by itself. Instantly she blames her sister Dawn. They start bickering but then they brush it off. Then, out of nowhere, the light from above Heather comes down and hits her in the head and she falls to the ground and starts bleeding.
A little while later Heather and Dawn are in the room together and Heather says that she feels weird about the mirror and hates how creepy it is. So they make a plan to take it out to the trash, The next morning everyone is eating breakfast and Dawn says she doesn’t feel good. She starts gagging and throwing up blood; everyone is shocked and screaming.
‘My Review’
When I saw the trailer of the movie I already knew I wanted to watch it because I always loved ‘The Conjuring’, and just scary movies in general.
But one thing I love about this movie is that it shows all the backstories leading up to what happened and even sometimes other backstories from the previous Conjuring movies. But I do wish it has a little more jump scares and things to make the movie more scary like how it is in the other Conjuring movies because it’s mostly just a lot of talking.
But either way the movie was pretty good and it’s based on a true story so that’s what makes it already kinda creepy.
If you like horror movies that are based on a true story and that scare you, I’d recommend this movie for you.
Remember that this movie is rated R because of the blood and terror, so if you’re watching this around children be careful. But overall, I give this movie a 9/10 rating
Thank you a lot for reading this review I really hope you’re willing to watch this movie after seeing my review 🤍You can watch ‘The Conjuring: Last Rites’ on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, or in theaters.
The tale and tour of Annabelle
By: Jooney Freddieson & Aalovely Lor
In paranormal history, there are many haunted objects around the world, but Annabelle the doll is the most captivating worldwide. Her legend included real-life investigations, movies, and as of recently, public appearances.
Behind the movies of Annabelle lie a backstory rooted deeply into Ed and Lorraine Warren’s paranormal research.
Ed and Lorraine have investigated over 10,000 cases of paranormal activities and originally presented their findings in Catholic schools. Ed was a self-taught demonologist and Lorraine was a medium. Together, they founded the New England Society for Psychic Research (NESPR) in 1952.
Annabelle, originally an innocent Raggedy Ann doll, was gifted to a nursing student named Donna, by her mother in the 70s. Donna and her roommate started to mess with the doll, leaving it in different positions and even making it a tradition to scare each other.
However, their fun came to an end when they began noticing strange occurrences around her living area: the doll would change positions, move to different rooms, and leave notes behind, none of which Donna or her roommate had any knowledge of causing.
Donna and her roommate concluded that it was just their vivid imagination and dismissed the occurrences but questions started to arise when the doll’s movement became more pronounced—like shifting its arm entirely or relocating more often.
Donna, believing that she was targeted by demonic forces, flew to a renowned medium. They soon discovered that the doll was inhabited by the spirit of a young girl. Donna allowed the young girl to stay and even started to treat the doll like an actual child, often buying the doll clothes, toys, jewelry, and candy.
The haunting soon turned malevolent after attacking multiple times through paralyzations and scratches appearing over the chest.
After realizing the spirit was more than just an innocent child, Donna contacted Ed and Lorraine Warren—the paranormal investigators.
The Warren’s determined that the doll was in fact taken over by a demonic entity and its goal wasn’t to haunt people but to possess a human host.
They took Annabelle to their Occult Museum in Monroe, Connecticut, preventing further harm. She was placed in a glass case with warnings not to touch, and it quickly became one of the most dangerous items in their museum.
The story of Annabelle gained popularity after its feature in ‘The Conjuring’, leading it to have its own spin-off series that begins with ‘Annabelle’.
The movie versions featured a porcelain doll, but the real Annabelle is a soft stitched Raggedy Ann. Despite the difference in visuals, the legacy remains the same.
After Lorraine’s death, the museum closed, and Annabelle remained inside. But as of 2025, Annabelle has begun going on tour as part of the traveling exhibit called “Devil’s On The Run Tour”, visiting various cities throughout the U.S.
The tour began in May and is scheduled to be on tour throughout the summer, allowing horror movie enthusiasts to meet the real Annabelle.
According to NESPR, the Annabelle tour was created in response to those with questions and in hope of funding the museum.
The tour brought concern to religious figures saying they shouldn’t treat the doll like a “novelty”, stating that it was disrespectful to provoke the doll after knowing the risks. But organizers of the tour have claimed that all participants were careful and all events were handled with caution.
This tour brought attention to social media, especially Tik Tok and Instagram. Many videos and post made about the tour gained millions of views, with people sharing everything from selfies to behind the scenes.
For more information, please visit:
Review on the movie ‘MA’
By: Sasha Deans
‘Ma’, directed by Tate Taylor and starring Octavia Spencer, is a psychological thriller that blends teenage rebellion with creeping dread in a small-town setting. At first glance, the movie seems like a typical teen drama: new girl in town trying to fit in, high school parties, and awkward crushes. But it quickly takes a sharp left turn into something much darker and more disturbing.
The story follows Maggie, a seemingly sweet and well-behaved girl who’s just moved to a small town with her single mom. She’s adjusting to a new school, new friends, and the usual teenage awkwardness. Maggie is introduced to a group of classmates who are more outgoing and party-oriented. At first, she turns down an invite to hang out, choosing to stick with her mom instead. But when her plans fall through, she decides to give it a shot and go out with them just once.
That one night quickly snowballs into something much bigger when the group crosses paths with Sue Ann, a middle-aged woman who at first seems like any other local. They meet her outside a liquor store and, after some hesitation, she agrees to buy them alcohol. What starts off as a random favor turns into an open invitation to party at her house, in the basement, to be exact. She gives them rules: stay in the basement, don’t go upstairs, and one person stays sober. At first, the teens think they’ve hit the jackpot. A cool adult who’s not only letting them drink but giving them a place to do it safely? What could go wrong?
Well, a lot, as it turns out.
One of the strongest parts of ‘Ma’ is Octavia Spencer’s performance. She’s known for playing warm, empathetic characters, so seeing her take on such a twisted and unpredictable role adds an extra layer of tension. She plays Ma with such complexity you can sense there’s pain and trauma behind her actions, but that doesn’t make her any less terrifying. She shifts between friendly and frightening so fast that you never really feel safe when she’s on screen.
Visually, the movie does a great job of creating contrast. The bright, energetic scenes of teens partying clash with the dark, confined space of Ma’s basement. The further the teens fall into Ma’s world, the more unsettling everything becomes. The film uses silence and music effectively to build suspense, and there are moments that genuinely make your skin crawl not from jump scares, but from the slow, psychological unraveling of the situation.
Personally, I found ‘Ma’ to be a unique take on the thriller genre. It’s not your typical horror movie, it’s more about mood and tension than blood and gore. It plays with your expectations, especially with how it sets up Ma as a kind, slightly awkward woman and then peels back the layers to reveal something much darker. It also makes you think about how people carry emotional scars and how dangerous it can be when those scars are left untreated.
I do agree it kinda has it’s more cheesy parts though the movie is slow and the gore/scary stuff doesn’t happen to the very very end which gets kind of annoying if your a frequent horror movie watcher.
If you’re looking for a thriller with a strong lead performance, unexpected turns, and a creepy atmosphere that sticks with you after the credits roll, ‘Ma’ is definitely worth watching. Just be warned you may never look at a friendly stranger the same way again. I rate it a 3/5
You can watch on Netflix!
Book recommendation: ‘Tender is the Flesh’
By: Munira Ahmadad
*Warning: This book contains graphic descriptions of violence, includes depictions of sexual assault, and contains characters that may be considered to represent anti-semitic stereotypes.
‘Tender is the Flesh’ is a horror novel by Agustina Bazterrica. The story takes place in a dystopian society where a disease causes humans to be unable to consume animal products or flesh anymore. Not that long after the event, the human population turned to cannibalism for an industrialized replacement of animal meat. This is referred to as “the Transition”.
Humans are bred for consumption identical to how animals were and are referred to as “heads”. The majority of the human product in first world countries is advertised as “special meat”, and the Transition is easier on those who have the privilege to not have to think about where and how they got their meat.
The protagonist is a man named Marcos who works directly in the industry who struggles with his relationship with his wife after the death of their baby. At his job, Marcos was given a first generation pure female head as a gift.
The novel aims to comment on the bleakness of real life society with how the Transition impacted marginalized groups first and the hardest. The message wasn’t that eating meat is bad, but it prompts the readers to consider their own internal ethical conflict and how we oftentimes think around discomforting knowledge and try to disregard it.
The story parallels the real life horrendous aspects in the meat processing industry. Not only do slaughterhouse workers operate in physically dangerous environments, the mental toll of having to constantly disconnect with what they are doing leads to emotional dissonance, and the abusive workplace causes slaughterhouse workers to often turn to maladaptive coping mechanisms according to the National Library of Medicine. The majority of slaughterhouse workers are people of color both in the book and in real life. Slaughterhouse employees are mostly migrants in real life, making up 70% of the workforce in the UK.
I recommend Bazterrica’s novel to anyone who enjoys splatterpunk horror in particular, but I would say that it’s relatively grotesque with its descriptions, and some readers might find it excessive enough for the book to be put down.
MOVIE REVIEW: ‘SEVEN’
By: Charlotte Bistodeau
The movie ‘Seven’ (sometimes seen as ‘Se7en’), is a 1995 R-rated, crime/horror film directed by David Fincher (who also directed 1999’s ‘Fight Club’, 2011’s ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’, and 2023’s ‘The Killer’) and written by Andrew Kevin Walker (who also wrote 1999’s ‘Sleepy Hollow’, 2010’s ‘Wolfman’, and 2023’s ‘The Killer’).
The film follows two police detectives, William Somerset and David Mills, as they hunt down the serial killer who kills their victims based on the seven deadly sins. It’s hard to give any more information on the story of the movie because you pretty much know about as much as the two detectives at the beginning and learn along with them. This makes the movie interesting. Instead of knowing things that the main characters don’t, you know only what they know, making you invested in each scene.
I would say that there aren’t a lot of horror aspects except a few dead body’s. Instead, there is a sense of dread making you feel like something bad could happen at any moment throughout the film. The ending of the movie though, is perfect. There couldn’t be a better ending to it.
I enjoyed the main characters thoroughly. Many horror movies throughout the 1980’s and 90’s have an incredibly stupid amount of main characters. Many times you end up being annoyed with these stupid characters and even end up rooting for the killer (or being extremely disappointed in the killer for not having killed them by now). But ‘Se7en’ is not that movie. William Somerset is incredibly smart, to the point that he’s able to figure out by the first two murders that they were done by the same person. Even David Mills, who is not as smart as Somerset, still has a personality that is able to put two and two together. These things make you root for them. It also helps that the actors of William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and David Mills (Brad Pitt) do a great job at playing their characters.
The background music is something else. You don’t notice it. Or at least I didn’t. It wasn’t bad, in fact it was great, it was just that you get so invested into the story that the background music doesn’t stand out. It adds feeling without making it noticeable.
You can buy the DVD for about 25$ on Amazon or you can watch it on HBO or YouTube Premium.
I’ve watched a lot of horror movies from the 1980’s-90’s and this one is definitely my favorite. Even compared to horror movies today, it’s still my favorite. So, I would have to rate it a 10/10. If you really like psychological horror or crime horror, I would definitely recommend this movie to watch.
MEET ME UNDER THE COTTONWOOD
By: Charlotte Bistodeau
*Warning: this story contains, depictions of violence, including suicide, and some vulgar language.
I had to hurry if I wanted to make it.
I stumbled down the street watching as the sun began to rise, just peeking over the overgrown forest, trying my hardest to go the slightest bit faster than a saunter, but I was tired from running. Not only that, the pain in my arm kept violently shooting throughout my body, making me wince each time. I could feel the bite’s poison slowly move through my veins. Hot and burning, it was creeping up to my elbow. Once it reached my heart, it would kill me. I should’ve been more careful. I was too cocky. Walkers are slow, but strong, so when I tried to push a walker twice my size off me, the walker unsurprisingly overpowered me and tore a grotesque chunk of flesh from my arm. I could barely grab my knife in time. If I hadn’t, I would’ve been turned by now. But I couldn’t let that happen. That’s why I was rushing. Trying my very hardest to get to the only place worth something before I turned. I wouldn’t allow myself to turn. I couldn’t become one of them. That was my only fear, to die and turn, then to kill and kill and kill, until I spread this curse to someone else. It was disgusting. I hated the people who were too cowardly to put down the turned. It was disgraceful to watch as a cannibalistic beast took over their bodies. I couldn’t do that to myself. So I decided to go to the only place that reminded me of a better time, before the world went to shit. A place where a smile was an everyday occurrence. Where nothing could shatter our hopes and dreams. The place I met him.
That place lay nearby; three miles, to be exact. For a slow and sickly human it felt like 20. I kept on walking, hoping I would make it before my body gave up. Just then, as I looked up, I saw it. The place I was searching for. I hadn’t noticed how close I had gotten because I was too busy trying to keep myself from being overcome by pain.
It also didn’t help that as far as I could see there were trees. Only the road, cracked and crumbling, was an exception to the surrounding greenery. Yet, the place I was searching for was intact. The high school.
Five years ago I was here; though it seemed abandoned for at least fifteen. Standing in front of the building, I could tell it had been unkempt for years. Much like most buildings now, the concrete that covered the building was cracking. The trees surrounding were so overgrown that the shrubs underneath looked frail and pathetic from not getting enough sunlight. The building itself was the same as any other, dull, square, and beige, but now looked alive with ivy and moss. But the building wasn’t where I wanted to go, it was the garden.
The garden was located behind the school, so I mustered all my strength to make my way there. As I arrived at the far end of the school, I was shocked to see a field once plain and bare, brimming with flowers nestled within the surrounding forest. And, in the middle of the field, was a giant cottonwood tree on a small hill. The cottonwood was in full bloom, letting its seeds gracefully drift to the ground, making it look like freshly fallen snow. It was beautiful.
I let myself slowly stagger through the field, adorned with daisies and tulips, taking each step with deliberate care. I cared more for those flowers than anything in a long time. I couldn’t bear to break them. I could see him standing there in the field, smiling at me as he plucked the prettiest flower he could find. My heart hurt. I kept taking slow steps, searching for a fleeting memory, one where we were together. As I stepped underneath the cottonwood, I felt the warmth of the sun shining through the branches, making it feel as though he was there with me. Holding me. We promised to be together forever, but that was nothing but a dream.
It was the day he told me he loved me. It was the day he took my hands and smiled. It was the day I ran. I ran away with him. Running as fast as we could, away from the screams. We ran for years. Then he left. He grabbed my hands and smiled at me. All I could see was him. Yet in an instant, it all vanished as his lifeless body slumped to the ground. He was beautiful and so was his death. I chose to bury him beneath the cottonwood tree that we cherished so dearly. Now, flowers grow where he lay, where I long to lay.
I could feel the poison seeping deeper and deeper. I slumped against the tree, sliding down the rough bark, my dress getting caught on each crack. Sitting beneath the cottonwood, in snow that felt like clouds, on a hill amidst a field, with the sun gently touching my face, I couldn’t help but think there was no better place. I reached into my dress pocket and found the cold, hard piece of steel, fumbling the loose bullets. I struggled to lift it up beneath my jaw, aiming it toward my brain. I knew I was on the brink of turning, but that thought didn’t bother me. I could only find myself thinking of him. His warmth brought a smile to my face. I closed my eyes, embracing his warmth, filling me with peace. Then, as I felt a tear roll down my cheek, I took one final breath and pulled the trigger.
Slit-mouth woman (Kuchisake-onna)
By: Seng Yang
Growing up in a small town in Japan, I always found comfort in the familiar routine of my life. My name is Emi, and I’ve lived in this quiet village for as long as I can remember. My parents owned a quaint little bookstore, and I spent most of my childhood lost in the pages of countless novels. The stories I read were my escape, my way of exploring the world beyond our serene surroundings.
As I grew older, I took a part-time job at a local convenience store to help with college expenses. The job was mostly uneventful, stocking shelves, ringing up customers, and occasionally dealing with the odd late-night shopper. But it was on one of these late shifts that my life took a turn into the surreal.
It was a chilly autumn evening, and the air had a bite to it that made me pull my jacket tighter around me. The streets were eerily quiet, the only sound being the rustle of leaves in the wind. I had just finished my shift and was walking home, lost in thoughts about an upcoming exam, when I saw her, a woman standing under a flickering streetlight, her face partially obscured by a surgical mask.
“Am I beautiful?” she asked, her voice soft yet chilling.
I hesitated, recalling the stories I’d heard from my grandmother about Kuchisake-onna, the slit-mouthed woman. “Yes,” I replied cautiously.
She removed her mask, revealing a grotesque, gaping wound that stretched from ear to ear. “How about now?”
My heart pounded in my chest. I knew the wrong answer could be deadly. Frozen in place, my grandmother had told me, “If she ever approaches you asking that, describe her appearances as average. It will then confuse her and she’ll leave you alone.”
“You’re average looking,” I managed to say, trying to keep my voice steady.
She stared at me for what felt like an eternity before slowly putting the mask back on. Without another word, she turned and disappeared into the shadows, leaving me standing there, trembling and breathless.
Since that night, I have never walked alone after dark. The legend of Kuchisake-onna is no longer just a story to me, it’s a terrifying reality I will never forget. Now, every time I pass that flickering streetlight, I can’t help but quicken my pace, my mind replaying that chilling encounter. The boundaries between legend and reality have blurred, and I live with the constant reminder that some stories are more than just tales. They are warnings.
Plaid Line + PRIZM + Scottie News 