There’s something comforting about an Amir Shervan film. The Iranian-born director’s brand of chaotic, sun-drenched Los Angeles action cinema—brimming with mullets, machine guns, and misplaced machismo—has become a cult subgenre of its own. Young Rebels, often overshadowed by Samurai Cop and Killing American Style, may not be Shervan’s crown jewel, but it’s a fascinating entry in his filmography that perfectly captures both his strengths and his many, many weaknesses.
Read MoreA Knife in the Dark (2024)
Joe Sherlock’s A Knife in the Dark aims to be a classy gothic murder mystery wrapped in a low-budget slasher, but what we end up with feels more like two mismatched movies fighting for dominance. Set in a supposedly “luxurious mansion”, the film opens with promise — eerie lighting, a killer in a skeleton mask, and a family hiding a dark secret — before devolving into a jumble of confusing subplots and stilted performances. A wealthy family mourns their recently deceased patriarch as a mysterious killer picks them off one by one.
Read MoreAmerican Scream (2025)
Evan Jacobs’ American Scream is a strange little film — part psychological drama, part sci-fi experiment, and all unmistakably Anhedenia. Set almost entirely inside a warehouse, it tells the story of two would-be killers whose plans unravel when they stumble across dead bodies that shouldn’t be there. As the day drags on, paranoia sets in, reality blurs, and both men begin to suspect that something — or someone — is manipulating them.
Read MorePoison Tree (2025)
Aaron Crocker’s Poison Tree is a small, quietly unsettling psychological thriller about guilt, secrets, and the impossibility of truly starting over. Adam and Nichole Benson move to a sleepy suburban neighborhood hoping to leave behind their troubled pasts—but a disturbing discovery in their new basement suggests that some things refuse to stay buried. At first glance, Poison Tree seems like a familiar domestic horror setup.
Read MoreAmerican Psychopath (2025)
In American Psychopath, writer-director Frank Palangi sets out to craft a grim and mysterious suburban nightmare — the story of a young woman who becomes the target of a serial killer, awakening in a hospital with no memory of who she is or what happened. On paper, this premise sounds like a serviceable setup for a micro-budget psychological thriller, something in the vein of Memento meets Halloween. Unfortunately, despite a few flashes of ambition and sincerity, the execution rarely lives up to the concept.
Read MoreAngels in Retina (2025)
Jamie Grefe's Angels in Retina is a curious blend of psychological thriller and experimental cinema, offering a unique viewing experience that may appeal to fans of avant-garde storytelling. With a minimalist cast and an unconventional narrative, the film delves into the psyche of Violet, a woman experiencing mysterious bodily sensations linked to enigmatic orbs. Seeking help from her therapist Charlotte, the duo embarks on a journey that blurs the lines between reality and the surreal.
Read MoreThe Centipede Strangler (2025)
Jamie Grefe’s The Centipede Strangler is a 2025 thriller that firmly lands in the realm of experimental, fetish-tinged horror. The film follows a psychic investigator drawn into madness while pursuing a killer obsessed with centipedes, but beyond this basic premise, narrative coherence is almost entirely absent. Grefe not only directed and wrote the film but also stars in it, which can often lead to uneven results—and here, it does.
Read MoreBoy of Your Dreams (2025)
Jamie Grefe’s Boy of Your Dreams is a tense, immersive horror-thriller that explores anxiety, trauma, and obsession through the lens of a home invasion nightmare. Set in the quiet town of Moscow, Idaho, the film follows Kate, a college student whose frantic evening takes a horrifying turn when she discovers she is being stalked by Bryan, a reclusive man with a dark past and an unsettling fixation on her. The story, based on true events, skillfully blends psychological terror with a gripping cat-and-mouse narrative, keeping viewers on edge from start to finish.
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