The Punisher: One Last Kill (2026) | Jon Bernthal returns as Frank Castle, and Disney somehow approved a level of violence that definitely skipped the HR review. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 8.3/10. I have thoroughly enjoyed both seasons of The Punisher on Netflix (now on Disney+), but I am also a huge fan, going all the way back to the comic books and every cinematic attempt to bring Frank Castle to life. Didn’t matter if it was Dolph Lundgren or Thomas Jane taking a crack at the role, I was there for it. So when The Punisher: One Last Kill rolled around as a one-shot TV special starring Jon Bernthal, this thing was basically custom-made for me. His occasional appearances in Daredevil have been entertaining enough, but eventually, there comes a time to stop politely visiting somebody else’s show and let Frank Castle start breaking furniture in his own house again.

The Punisher: One Last Kill follows Frank Castle, a PTSD-ridden veteran trying to survive after his mission is over, only to be dragged back into chaos when wheelchair-bound crime matriarch Ma Gnucci wants revenge after Frank killed her son. If that setup sounds unhinged, congratulations, you understand Punisher comics. And yes, Ma Gnucci popping up instantly made the comic nerd in me grin because she is exactly the kind of wonderfully over-the-top character that belongs in Frank Castle’s miserable orbit. Judith Light plays her with enough menace and weird charm that you can see Who's the Boss.

The special wastes absolutely no time setting the tone. The second Mother by Danzig kicks in, you know Disney forgot where it parked the family-friendly filter. The opening scene on the streets of New York throws us right into Frank dealing with some thugs who, without getting into specifics, definitely picked the wrong city block to act stupid in. And seriously, Frank Castle handing out consequences feels like comfort food at this point.

But One Last Kill also leans hard into Frank’s fractured mental state. He can be seen spiraling, going to his dead wife’s grave, confronting horrific dreams and flashbacks that drive him towards the abyss. It is quite clear that this film revolves around trauma and mental instability, and it actually lands emotionally instead of just using sadness as wallpaper between gunshots. Even Deborah Ann Woll returns briefly as Karen Page, offering Frank motivation in a way that longtime fans will appreciate.

Then comes the action, and wow, this thing remembers exactly what franchise it belongs to. The violence is brutal, hard-hitting, and hilariously not what you expect from Disney. After the initial barrage of beatings, Hatebreed kicks in, and suddenly Frank goes from “sad man with trauma” to “walking natural disaster.” Somewhere in the middle of all this mayhem, Frank even finds time to save an innocent family caught in the crossfire because, beneath all the rage and tactical skull imagery, there is still humanity buried in there.

More than anything, this 48-minute special felt like a reintroduction to the Punisher. A reminder that Frank Castle works best when he is broken, brutal, but still clinging to some reason to keep moving forward. Bernthal absolutely crushes it here, delivering a raw performance that feels angry and hanging on by a thread.

The Punisher: One Last Kill (2026)

Very enjoyable special that has me seriously pumped to see what Frank Castle might get up to when Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters at the end of July. Because if One Last Kill proves anything, it is that Frank Castle is very, very bad at retirement. My only complaint? I wish it were longer.

https://jackmeat.com/the-punisher-one-last-kill-2026/

Cabin Girl (2023) | An indie thriller that takes a predictable trip into the supernatural with mediocre results. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 4.3/10. Cabin Girl looked like it had the ingredients for a fun little supernatural mystery. We've got the creepy isolated cabin. Strange small-town vibes. Check. And a lead character poking around where she probably shouldn’t. You know, the kind of setup where common sense packs its bags and has left the building before the opening credits. Unfortunately, while the movie starts with some promise, I ended up guessing the big reveal way too early. Once that happened, a lot of the mystery fizzled out faster than cheap cabin Wi-Fi.

The story follows Ava Robbins (Rose Lane Sanfilippo), a young woman retreating to an isolated cabin under some rather strange circumstances. Naturally, things begin getting weird almost immediately because apparently, horror movie leases come with complimentary supernatural disturbances. The problem is, Cabin Girl rushes headfirst into the strange events without taking much time to build atmosphere or let the tension simmer. Before Ava has really unpacked emotionally, or probably even found where the good coffee mugs are, things are already spiraling into mystery territory.

One of the biggest hurdles is how predictable it becomes. Once Ava’s fascination with the supernatural and the odd local town is introduced, it becomes pretty obvious where this train is heading. And sadly, it’s hard to stay fully invested in a mystery when you feel like you solved the puzzle before the movie has even poured the foundation. There’s also the constant presence of a man watching Ava, which may have been intentional misdirection or atmosphere-building, but it mostly highlighted how underdeveloped everyone else feels. Aside from Ava, most of the supporting characters barely register beyond “person who exists to say suspicious things.”

That said, Rose Lane Sanfilippo does a solid job carrying the film. She gives Ava enough curiosity and unease to make her feel believable, even when the script isn’t doing her many favors. Sanfilippo is clearly putting in the work, and if it weren’t for her, the movie Cabin Girl would definitely not have held my interest. The cinematography also deserves some credit. It works well with the movie’s setting, and it adds to the creepy mood of the film.

Unfortunately, the dialogue doesn’t help matters much. The conversations are quite stiff, the characters always respond in an expected manner, and some of the scenes border on becoming clichés. Rather than having the unusual occurrences seem scary or intriguing, the film seems to be ticking all the boxes of the supernatural thriller genre, like it found a “How To Make A Creepy Cabin Movie” checklist online.

Still, for a Tubi original indie flick, Cabin Girl isn’t completely without merit. There are glimpses of something more intriguing buried underneath the familiar tropes, and it’s made well enough to avoid being a total write-off. It just never fully commits to being surprising. Or memorable. If predictable supernatural stories don’t bother you, there’s enough here for a casual watch, but for me, this cabin came with way too much déjà vu.

Cabin Girl (2023)

https://jackmeat.com/cabin-girl-2023/

Werewolf Massacre: Carnage of the Night Creatures (2025) | I’ve sat through a lot of trash over the years, but this one had me checking the runtime like it owed me money. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 1.3/10. Werewolf Massacre: Carnage of the Night Creatures lured me in with a poster that overshot the movie and made me think, “Maybe this will be some goofy low-budget fun.” Instead, what followed felt less like a movie and more like evidence submitted in a court case against independent filmmaking.

Right from the start, the warning signs are impossible to ignore. A black-and-white introduction features a guy who looks genuinely surprised a camera was suddenly pointed at him, warning us that tonight’s feature may have gone too far and will terrify us. Terrify? No. Confuse? Absolutely. Maybe emotionally scar in the sense that you realize 101 minutes of your life are about to vanish into the void.

The opening scene immediately tells you everything you need to know about the production quality. Two girls talk while cicadas scream louder than the actual dialogue, forcing you into a guessing game of what anyone is saying. Meanwhile, the camera brightness constantly adjusts like someone accidentally left auto-exposure on their phone. Toss in fake rain filters and a “werewolf” mask that looks like it escaped from the clearance bin of a Halloween store, and I started questioning every choice that brought me here.

Then comes the dreaded credit combo. Written, produced, directed by, and starring the same person, James Baack. Sometimes that works. This is not one of those times.

Trying to explain the plot of Werewolf Massacre: Carnage of the Night Creatures feels like explaining a dream you cannot remember to someone you have never met. An undead Pope, a mysterious Chadakoo capable of ending humanity, cowboy thieves for hire, she-wolves wanting domination, and an eccentric adult filmmaker, somehow tangled into the mess. It feels like someone pitched twelve unrelated movie ideas at a bar and yelled, “Perfect!”

To the film’s credit, there are occasional text cards explaining what’s happening, which honestly become essential survival tools because there is almost zero chance you would otherwise know what in the actual hell is going on.

The werewolf rave sequence somehow exists, loaded with random phone effects for no reason whatsoever. Later, a werewolf transformation basically amounts to stepping offscreen, slapping on a mask, and returning while someone experiments with filters from Pika Labs and After Effects. Also, when did werewolves start beating people with sticks? Somewhere, actual werewolf movies are filing defamation lawsuits.

By the final showdown, toy guns are firing at literal toy werewolves being knocked over on camera. I am not exaggerating. You might even recognize some suspiciously dinosaur and Godzilla-looking creatures sneaking into battle like a rejected toy bin crossover event.

Werewolf Massacre: Carnage of the Night Creatures (2025)

By the time the bizarre opening creature finally gets explained, I simply did not care anymore. It has been a while since I’ve seen a movie this catastrophically bad. Werewolf Massacre: Carnage of the Night Creatures isn’t so-bad-it’s-good. It’s “check runtime in disbelief because there are still 37 minutes left” bad. If you survive this one, you’ve earned a medal.

https://jackmeat.com/werewolf-massacre-carnage-of-the-night-creatures-2025/

The Serpent's Skin (2026) | I was on board with the demon tattoo premise, but this felt like three spooky campfire stories awkwardly sharing an apartment. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 4.3/10. The Serpent’s Skin is an artsy indie horror film that appears much more interesting when read about than when actually seen. The setup had me. Supernatural powers, goth tattoo artists, demons accidentally conjured through ink, romance entangled within it all? Sounds like somebody threw a handful of cool ideas into a blender and hit “puree.” Except now, instead of the mixture, you get the components.

The story follows Anna (Alexandra McVicker), who leaves home after an opening sequence of family tension that mostly involves her parents arguing while she quietly spirals. The film frames her departure as escaping a transphobic environment, though honestly, from what’s heard on screen, it felt less like some dramatic breaking point and more like she simply decided she was sick of being called "lazy". She heads to stay with her older sister, Dakota (Charlotte Chimes), immediately hooks up with Danny (Jordan Dulieu), and in this moment, casually drops that Anna is trans. If that detail was going to tie deeply into the larger supernatural story was what I was wondering. Spoiler alert: not really.

But then comes Gen (Avalon Fast), the dark-haired, tattooed artist who embodies everything that would have been considered cool about the coolest section of a nightclub. Gen and Anna relate on the basis of supernatural abilities, although the film takes its sweet time explaining exactly what those powers are. During one scene, when Anna is attacked during a robbery and suddenly appears with glowing eyes to frighten away the robber, I really believed we were headed down the path of a demonic possession plotline. Nope. Powers. Just superpowers. The movie explains things with the confidence of somebody saying, “Trust me, bro.”

There are plenty of moments where The Serpent’s Skin feels aggressively indie in both good and bad ways. Random angel wings costume for reasons the movie never feels obligated to explain. A band apparently exists solely to stand around pretending to play music without us ever actually hearing any of it. Artistic sex scenes happen in separate rooms with enough moody editing to make you wonder if you accidentally clicked into an experimental student film. Somewhere along the line, Danny morphs into what appears to be an energy vampire. Or maybe he already was? Honestly, the horror side involving vampires, demons, or whatever exactly was happening never lands because the film seems oddly allergic to explanations.

That said, writer/director Alice Maio Mackay does keep things watchable. Budget limitations are obvious, but the effects are perfectly serviceable for a smaller indie production, and several scenes are framed surprisingly well. Visually, there is a lot of artistic flair, and the romance between Anna and Gen feels believable enough to keep me watching.

The biggest issue is that The Serpent’s Skin fails to be a cohesive feature-length movie. It feels more like bits and pieces of stories layered on top of one another. More like your friends at a table at the club are trading ghost stories. There was atmosphere and charm enough to make watching worthwhile, but it mostly slithered right out of my memory.

The Serpent's Skin (2026)

https://jackmeat.com/the-serpents-skin-2026/

Sorry, Charlie (2023) | This flick is more of a thriller than a horror, and its uneven pacing keeps it from ever rising above mediocre. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 5.3/10. There’s a version of Sorry, Charlie that probably sounded fantastic on paper. A stalking serial killer, eerie urban-legend vibes, and a ticking clock leading up to childbirth. What I got was a film that spends a little too much time putting you on hold and not in a fun, “something’s about to go horribly wrong” kind of way.

The story centers on Charlie, played by Kathleen Kenny, a call center operator who’s already survived one nightmare encounter with a deeply disturbing killer. This isn’t your average slasher villain either. This guy operates with a horrifying “long game,” stalking victims and waiting until childbirth. It’s grim, it’s uncomfortable. It’s one of the more unique setups you’ll come across in a thriller like this. There’s also this creepy “crying baby” lure angle that feels like it should be nightmare fuel, but ends up being more like a flickering lightbulb. Occasionally effective, but not quite enough to light up the whole room.

Where Sorry, Charlie does find its footing is in the psychological back-and-forth. The killer’s taunting calls and Charlie’s lingering trauma create some genuinely tense moments. When the movie actually locks in, you can feel it. Colton Tran knows how to frame suspense and keep scenes moving once the pieces are in place. There are flashes of a much better movie hiding in here.

But getting to those flashes? That’s the real endurance test.

The first half of the film is bogged down in call center monotony. And look, I respect a good “mundane job turns into horror” setup, but this is just a bit too hard into the mundane part. Charlie talking on the phone, existing within her space, and living a lifestyle that may be realistic but certainly not riveting will occupy much of your time. By the time you feel the need for action, you've used up most of your good will.

Another thing that threw me off was the tone. Despite the heavy subject matter, this isn’t really a slasher. If you’re going in expecting bloodbath and gore, you might walk away a bit pissed. I was. The focus here is on survival rather than outright carnage. Not a bad thing, it just doesn’t commit enough to satisfy me. I prolly was expecting the wrong thing.

There are some clever twists sprinkled throughout, and when the film focuses on its darker, more suspenseful elements, it shows real promise. But uneven pacing and a sluggish first act keep dragging it back down to earth.

In the end, Sorry, Charlie is one of those “almost had it” thrillers. It’s not a disaster by any means. You should find a few moments to enjoy. But it never quite delivers on the creepy, high-stakes premise it sets up. Think of it as a decent late-night watch. Just maybe keep your expectations on hold.

Sorry, Charlie (2023)

https://jackmeat.com/sorry-charlie-2023/

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026) | The story is simple, but the movie moves fast enough that I barely noticed as another colorful disaster happened onscreen. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 6.4/10. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie pleasantly surprised me again. After enjoying The Super Mario Bros. Movie way more than I expected, I was keen to watch this sequel. And my horror-filled brain needed a break from Cheerleader Camp, Protanopia, and people making stupid decisions. Usually in the dark. Sometimes colorful mushrooms and screaming Italian plumbers are exactly the getaway I need.

The film begins with a beautiful, sweeping view of the fantasy world landscape, before introducing Princess Rosalina (voiced by Brie Larson), reading bedtime stories to her radiant star children. As expected, peace doesn’t last even five seconds before a huge mechanical beast comes and kidnaps Princess Rosalina, giving us our new enemy – Bowser Jr (Benny Safdie). From there, the movie wastes no time throwing Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) into another adventure.

Watching the Mario Bros. cruise motorcycles through the desert somehow feels both ridiculous and completely fitting. The film continues blending classic 8-bit sound effects into the modern animation style, and that nostalgia factor still works like magic. Every little coin sound instantly transported me back to my old-school Nintendo days.

The character Yoshi (Donald Glover) receives his very own introduction through his own montage. Princess Peach discovers that Rosalina has been kidnapped, and she wastes no time setting out for a rescue alongside Toad. At the same time, Bowser Jr. tries invading the Mushroom Kingdom to save his father. Of course, Bowser, voiced once again by Jack Black, being “rehabilitated” lasts about as long as you would expect.

The animation during the action scenes looks fantastic. The directing team once again brings this colorful Nintendo world to life perfectly, and there are plenty of fun easter eggs for us gamer fans. The cameo from R.O.B. genuinely cracked me up because I completely forgot that weird little Nintendo accessory even existed. Then somehow, writer Matthew Fogel gets even nerdier by bringing in Fox McCloud (Glen Powell) from Star Fox. There is also a really fun sequence involving Bowser Jr. using classic Super Mario game traps against Mario and Peach inside the animated world itself.

While I still had a great time with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, it does fall into the common sequel trap of going bigger and louder instead of simply tighter. The first movie had a little more charm and humor woven naturally into the story. This one occasionally feels more focused on nonstop spectacle. Still, it remains a fun family adventure packed with Nintendo nostalgia, gorgeous animation, and enough humor to keep things entertaining. And yes, stick around after the credits for the inevitable tease of what is coming next.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026)

https://jackmeat.com/the-super-mario-galaxy-movie-2026/

Perpetrator (2023) | Aesthetically appealing indie flick that has a hard time explaining what it was trying to accomplish. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 4.2/10. Perpetrator just tried way too hard to be artsy. And the school culture they attempted to emulate just wanted to be Heathers mixed with The Craft so badly (Forbidden Fruits, anyone?). This might have worked in their favor had it been done well, and it was NOT. Writer/Director Jennifer Reeder does show a keen eye behind the camera for the proper angles and flow of scenes, but she missed the mark in the story.

A teen named Jonny, played by Kiah McKirnan, is shown more or less fending for herself in a home where she seems unwanted. I also have to add that McKirnan very much seemed bored in her performance throughout Perpetrator. I don't know if that was by design or if she just didn't have any enthusiasm for the movie as a whole.

Moving on, she is sent to live with her Aunt, and I was glad to see Alicia Silverstone pop up in a role that suited her fine, even if she overacted it a bit. There are plenty of strange visions and dialogue going on that is meant to draw you in; however, I found it like fluff, as I mentioned, trying to add artistic flair. Like the entire story, this is all just kind of swept under the rug and not explained at all. But the general idea is that on Jonny's 18th birthday, she goes through some form of transformation, which is called the Forevering.

A catchy title describing, well, you aren't really sure. Mimicking others' appearance, sort of, I don't know exactly what they were going for in these new "powers" that are bestowed upon her. The ending will not help at all in explaining them either, more or less adding to the confusion. But when a kid from school goes missing, she puts her Sherlock Holmes foot forward and vows to find the culprit.

From there, it is just scenes that don't seem connected very well to the whole mystery of the young adults' disappearances and who may be behind it all. Perpetrator is just stuck trying to be too many things at once and not excelling in any of them. Is it about female maturation during childhood abandonment, or is this a revenge-type flick against male oppression?

I may be reaching on that or any of the many other things you could pick out as potential underlying themes here. It may just be a very mediocre fantasy flick about a supernatural sect of humans that come of age right around the time they can vote. And while it doesn't fail as many horror flix hitting the streaming bus have lately, it still just left me shrugging. Oh well, it did look aesthetically nice, but not something I would recommend. I am sure there is an audience for it, though, just not me.

Perpetrator (2023)

https://jackmeat.com/perpetrator-2023/