Demons at Dawn (2022) | I spent so long waiting for Demons at Dawn to become a horror movie that I nearly forgot I was watching one. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 3.3/10. I don't think I've ever seen a backhand slap knock someone completely unconscious before. LOL. Apparently these Demons At Dawn have been training their victims in professional wrestling.

This is one of those movies where I could see what they were trying to do, but unfortunately, what they were trying to do and what ended up on the screen are wildly different things. The biggest problem is that the movie takes itself far too seriously, especially considering how little it actually has going for it.

The premise isn't bad. A retired hitman gets dragged back into the game and ends up taking on a Satanic cult, which sounds like it should have at least some potential for bloody, supernatural fun. Instead, the movie takes an absolute age to get anywhere near the horror or supernatural elements. By the time things finally start happening, I had already spent a good chunk of the movie wondering when the actual Demons At Dawn part was going to show up.

Under the direction of Randy Kent, the movie seems like it is trying its hardest to become a dark and mature crime/horror movie, but it falls flat. The dialogue, directing, special effects, make-up, and presentation took me out of the movie too many times to count. While there are some good concepts hiding in there, they are overshadowed by the ridiculousness of the rest of it.

I don't even think the budget is the biggest problem.

Yes, this is clearly a low-budget film, but there are some films out there with next to no budget that actually entertain because they know what they can do. It appears that Demons At Dawn feels that it should just treat everything at face value despite the fact that it should know better. Films like these don’t require any extra funding. It needs more ideas.

The special effects and makeup are probably where I had the biggest problem. Some of the effects look like they came straight out of a collection of software plugins, and the makeup occasionally has the unfortunate effect of making what should be disturbing look unintentionally hilarious. When I'm supposed to be thinking “Holy shit, that's terrifying,” and instead I'm thinking “Well... that's certainly some makeup.” Something has gone wrong.

I will give the cast and crew credit, though. There is clearly some passion behind this movie. Nobody involved seems like they didn't care. It is obvious that they wanted to do something unique and have poured their effort into its creation. The problem with passion is that it can take a movie so far if the screenplay, special effects, and directing cannot follow suit.

There are a few defenders of this one, and hey, more power to them. Movies are subjective. But for me, this is a 3.3/10, and that might even be generous. That makes it an easy skip. This is barely passable as entertainment and spends far too much time flirting with stupidity without ever quite figuring out how to have fun with it.

Demons at Dawn (2022)

https://jackmeat.com/demons-at-dawn-2022/

The Whisper Man (2026) | The Whisper Man has a great cast, decent camerawork, and plenty of creepy potential, but somehow I ended up only mildly entertained. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating -  5.9/10. The cast caught my attention for The Whisper Man. Adam Scott, Robert De Niro, Michelle Monaghan, and Michael Keaton? That is a pretty impressive collection of people to assemble for a movie about a missing kid and a creepy serial killer. Surely these people know what they’re doing.

The movie opens with an overhead shot of a suspiciously quiet little town, where a police search party is combing through the woods. Michelle Monaghan appears to be leading the operation as they uncover a body. Unfortunately, it isn't the eight-year-old boy, Neil Spencer, they’re looking for. So, you know, things are going great.

When his son is abducted, widowed crime writer Tom (Scott) turns to his estranged father, retired police detective Peter Willis (De Niro), for help. Their investigation eventually connects the disappearance to a decades-old case involving convicted serial killer Frank Carter, aka “The Whisper Man,” played by Michael Keaton. And what a great choice Keaton is for that role. Also, not a spoiler. He is already in prison. The movie tells you this pretty much immediately, so we're not exactly blowing the lid off the mystery here.

There is some nice camerawork throughout. The movie has a habit of putting important things just out of focus or partially obscured in the frame, allowing you to catch little details without someone standing there yelling, “HEY, LOOK AT THIS IMPORTANT THING!” I caught and immediately appreciated it.

Unfortunately, the story itself is pretty straightforward. There aren't many twists trying to outsmart you, and that's perfectly fine. Not every mystery needs to perform gymnastics just to make the audience feel stupid. The problem is that some of the things the movie does introduce aren't given enough attention.

The whole storyline involving the girl in the blue sweater was particularly frustrating. It's introduced, barely utilized, and never adequately explained. Thanks, movie. Very helpful.

Then there are the connections between the characters, the house, the murders, and the eventual final confrontation. Getting all those pieces to fit together requires a generous suspension of disbelief. Maybe Alex North's novel explains some of this better, because the movie certainly doesn't seem interested in stopping to fill in the gaps.

I don't like second-guessing characters in situations I've obviously never experienced, but there were moments where the pieces were sitting right there for a much smoother conclusion, only for the movie to basically shrug and walk past them.

That would be a brick. That is all I’m saying. It'll make sense when you watch it.

The Whisper Man (2026)

Ultimately, The Whisper Man is a quality production with solid acting and some good visual work. But with this cast, I expected to be wowed. Instead, I was mildly entertained, somewhat intrigued, and repeatedly wondering why he didn't use the very obvious thing sitting right in front of him. Duh.

https://jackmeat.com/the-whisper-man-2026/

Pinocchio: Unstrung (2026) | The public-domain Twisted Childhood universe continues, and this time Pinocchio is butchering people because being a real boy wasn't enough. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 5.8/10. I guess the strategy of patiently waiting until the copyrights on beloved childhood characters expire, then turning those peaceful, wholesome figures into homicidal maniacs, is officially paying dividends. Winnie the Pooh has already gone off the rails, and now it’s Pinocchio: Unstrung's turn to make lying, friendship, and brutally murdering people part of the same wholesome package.

We follow James (Cameron Bell), whose grandfather Geppetto (Richard Brake, which is pretty much perfect casting for this particular version of Geppetto) introduces him to a seemingly magical wooden doll that is supposed to become his new best friend. After some narrated exposition about James' tragic backstory, his parents dying, and him going to live with his grandfather, we get the story of Geppetto creating Pinocchio specifically for him.

And seriously, I'd be a little concerned about the giant hole in the basement wall.

There are also some wonderfully creepy noises coming from the wooden little bastard, although Pinocchio himself actually looks pretty damn cool. Once James starts introducing him to the world, however, Pinocchio decides to take it upon himself to eliminate everything he considers "bad." And by "eliminate," I mean murder the absolute shit out of people.

The practical gore is impressively brutal, and there is enough blood flying around to make you forget that pretty much none of what Pinocchio does makes logical sense. Apparently the little wooden detective can locate the homes of random kids without knowing their names, faces, addresses, or seemingly anything else about them. No brain, yet somehow possessing the investigative skills of Sherlock Holmes.

I also loved the random appearance of a kid watching Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey on his phone. Nothing says Twisted Childhood universe like casually watching another murderous public-domain childhood icon before being hunted down by this one.

And then there's Cricket. No, you aren't dreaming, Cricket. Voiced by the infamous Robert Englund, he isn't exactly here to teach Pinocchio about morality. In fact, he's about as homicidal as his wooden friend, which is probably not the life lesson Geppetto had in mind.

There's also a neat sequence from Pinocchio's point of view, complete with his wooden eye sockets, which is a surprisingly cool touch.

Pinocchio: Unstrung isn't particularly interested in making sense, and that's probably for the best. The pacing is quick, the makeup effects are nicely extreme, and the gratuitous blood and violence arrive frequently enough that you don't have much time to stop and question the increasingly ridiculous plot.

Rhys Frake-Waterfield seems to be getting the hang of these movies, too. They're progressively becoming more entertaining, and Pinocchio: Unstrung delivers enough practical gore, stupidity, and murderous puppet mayhem for about an hour and a half of pure, brain-off fun.

Pinocchio Unstrung (2026)

And stick around through the credits for some of the puppetry magic. Turns out Pinocchio isn't the only one doing some impressive string work.

https://jackmeat.com/pinocchio-unstrung-2026/

Batman Knightfall Part 1 (2026) | Arkham blows up, everyone gets loose, Batman gets his ass kicked, and now I have to wait for the rest of the damn story. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 7.3/10. Batman Knightfall Part 1 wastes little time getting things moving. It opens with some of Gotham's animated scumbags trafficking a truckload of women and children. Then Azrael (Pablo Schreiber) arrives to dispense his own extremely violent version of justice. Batman isn't far behind, naturally, and before long the two are throwing down while the credits roll. It's a pretty effective way to say, “Yeah, we're not screwing around this time.”

Arkham Asylum has been destroyed, because apparently, Gotham's worst criminals weren't already causing Batman enough headaches. Now every inmate is loose in the city, and Bruce Wayne (Anson Mount) has the unenviable task of rounding them all up while simultaneously dealing with a brand-new problem named Bane. Because when your life already consists of being punched by supervillains every night, what you really need is a gigantic man who looks like he was assembled from nothing but protein powder and sewer snacks.

It is safe to say that I entered into this movie with absolutely no knowledge of the Knightfall story. While I have not been a big DC comics guy, I usually have some idea about the main stories to be able to recognize the names and key events. This made it rather fun to enter into the film with this lack of knowledge.

And, so far, I'm interested.

The animation is very good, and the voice cast does solid work across the board. While there are lots of action sequences, the film manages to develop the bigger picture of the story and doesn't just turn Gotham into a two-hour punching bag. My one real complaint is Azrael. It's obvious that there is much more to his character, yet at this stage it seems like they give us enough information to realize that he is important, but not enough to fully understand him. I have no idea how much of that was explained in the comics, so comic fans, yell away.

And yes, I'm sure one complaint is going to be echoed across the internet. WE NEED ALL THE PARTS.

This thing ends with me wanting the next chapter, which is exactly what a first installment should accomplish. But it also means we're now stuck waiting around for the rest of the story. Just like Gotham civilians waiting for Batman to finish brooding on a gargoyle.

It's also nice seeing DC animation firing on all cylinders again. For years, DC had Marvel decisively beaten in the animated-movie department. Then X-Men '97 showed up and reminded everyone Marvel hadn't completely forgotten how cartoons work.

Knightfall – Part 1 isn't reinventing Batman, but it's a damn entertaining start to a story I somehow missed the first time around. The animation is sharp, the action delivers, the voice work is strong, and there's enough here to make me genuinely interested in where this goes.

Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall (2026)

Now give me the other parts before I forget what happened. And if you are wondering about the full title, some sites are going with Batman: Knightfall - Part 1: Knightfall. Repetitive much?

https://jackmeat.com/batman-knightfall-part-1-2026/

It Hunts (2026) | It Hunts turns recurring murder nightmares, depression, and grief into supernatural horror. Because apparently therapy wasn't creepy enough. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 4.7/10. It Hunts starts with what seems like a perfectly ordinary street scene, accompanied by some surprisingly soothing music. Someone walks along with a bottle, takes a swig, gets into their car, and is promptly stabbed repeatedly by someone hiding in the backseat. A lovely way to start the evening.

Thankfully, it was only a nightmare. Casey (Izzy Martinez) has been having recurring dreams about murders, though the details change each time. His already mundane life isn't exactly helping, either. He's a lazy nightcrawler with a diet almost as bad as his dead-end job, while his girlfriend Alex (Katlin Svadbik) is getting understandably tired of carrying everything while Casey mostly settles into his routine.

As the dreams and visions become more intense, Casey starts trying to figure out what's actually happening. Gabriel Black handles all of the camera work, and there are some nice choices throughout. A good variety of angles makes even the mundane scenes visually interesting, while the increasingly unsettling imagery helps blur the line between what Casey is experiencing and what might actually be happening.

The performances are a little more inconsistent. Both leads have scenes where they work really well, followed by moments that the actors may have been looking for cue cards. Still, there's an interesting story underneath the supernatural elements.

One way to tell a story about mental illness is to disguise it as a supernatural horror movie, and that's what It Hunts feels like it's doing. Beneath the nightmares is a story about grief, along with guilt, depression, and learning to accept consequences. There are plenty of metaphors throughout, with the supernatural elements representing Casey's internal struggles.

And if you have to kill yourself and somehow come back from it, apparently the next logical step is to consult the Internet. LOL.

I was on board with what the movie was building until the ending. The setup takes its time and works on you psychologically, giving the story details to think about. Then the final act feels rushed. One late-arriving character makes a dramatic shift from wanting to tear Casey apart to deciding to do the right thing incredibly quickly, and it doesn't quite land for me.

I'm also a fan of endings that leave you wondering, and I think the idea works here. Unfortunately, I found the answer, or at least my guess at it, pretty obvious. Either way, any ending that makes you think ultimately keeps you talking about it.

Still, It Hunts is a solid indie horror movie using supernatural elements to explore mental illness rather than relying on jump scares. That isn't a new approach, but there is enough of a spin on it to make it worthwhile. I've apparently been finding quite a few of these deeper horror movies lately, like Cruel Hands, that are more interested in getting inside your head than making you jump out of your chair. I'm not complaining. I like seeing directors try creative things.

It Hunts (2026)

https://jackmeat.com/it-hunts-2026/

Bury the Devil (2026) | A hospice nurse realizes dementia might not be the only thing wrong with her patient, and suddenly work gets VERY complicated. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 4.8/10. We open on what appears to be a lakeside mansion slowly smoldering away, accompanied by the faint sound of a woman's scream. So, yeah, things seem to have gone slightly off the rails. Then Bury the Devil jumps back 75 minutes to find out exactly how we got there.

Evelyn (Dawn Ford) is an elderly woman being cared for by Sarah (Isabella Gonzalez), a hospice nurse looking after her during a rather unpleasant thunderstorm. Evelyn brushes her hair while Sarah tends to her, and before long it becomes apparent that dementia may not be the only thing Sarah has to worry about.

Ford is the standout here. Her performance as Evelyn basically makes the movie. There is something genuinely unsettling about watching her switch between moments of vulnerability and something more sinister. Gonzalez holds her own alongside her and even manages to sneak in a little humor, which is welcome because this is a very dark movie.

And I mean that literally.

The entire movie takes place inside this enormous mansion during a thunderstorm, so the lighting is appropriately moody and atmospheric. Unfortunately, there were also times when I was wondering what exactly I was looking at. The darkness absolutely fits the movie, but sometimes it feels like the house swallowed the cinematographer.

Writer/director Adam O'Brien doesn't spend much time getting bogged down in mythology or complicated explanations. The basic pitch is essentially - here is a possessed old woman, she's dangerous, and let's see what happens. There are a few ideas tossed into the mix, but they never really come together into anything substantial.

Then, about an hour in, I realized something else. This appears to be playing out as one continuous take. Surprisingly, it works.

Once I noticed it, I started paying more attention to it, but I never found myself trying to pick apart every transition. It felt natural enough that the technique became part of the experience rather than the entire experience. Considering the movie was shot in just six days, I'm guessing there weren't exactly unlimited opportunities for everyone to say, “Let's do that again.”

There are a couple of genuinely cool moments, including that opening shot of the burning mansion and one particularly nasty throat-ripping scene. And yes, that image from the poster? Yep. When it happens, it is every bit as spooky as you were hoping.

Unfortunately, some of the kills happen off-screen, which takes a little of the fun out of things, and the story ultimately doesn't come together as well as I'd hoped.

Bury the Devil (2026)

Still, Bury the Devil gets a lot out of its simple premise, largely because Ford absolutely commits to Evelyn. There isn't a deep supernatural mythology to uncover here. It's mostly a crazed older woman, a nurse trying to survive the night, and a mansion that really needs better lighting.

Ending on the same scene that opened the movie was also a nice touch.

https://jackmeat.com/bury-the-devil-2026/

Land of Wolves (2026) | Four ex-SEALs, an underground death match, and a room full of masked billionaires watching. Sometimes simple really is enough. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 4.9/10. I'll admit it. I threw Land of Wolves on because the plot sounded so simple. Not that my usual horror-movie plots are exactly brain twisters, LOL. Four former Navy SEALs get captured, thrown into an underground death match, and forced to fight for the entertainment of a bunch of depraved billionaires. No weapons, no way out, just military training, brotherhood, and a bunch of rich assholes apparently looking for something to watch after dinner.

Honestly, I've watched movies with far more complicated plots. I've also watched movies about haunted dolls, so my standards aren't exactly unreasonable.

It starts with Marcus (James William Clark) putting in some time with a heavy bag while having the obligatory wartime flashbacks. Briggs (Matthew Gray), part of his platoon, shows up with some good news: Knox is alive. The bad news? He's in Mexico. So they put a team together to rescue him, because apparently "let's contact the authorities" wasn't on the list of options.

Of course, the rescue goes sideways, and before long our four SEALs are participants in an underground death tournament.

Another movie about people livestreaming real violence. You have to think this shit is happening somewhere on the web, just hopefully not quite on this scale. These matches are being watched live by a room full of masked "rich" people, and it all feels very familiar. Squid Game certainly didn't invent the concept, but apparently we've reached the point where "wealthy people watching poor people die for entertainment" is its own cinematic genre.

The fights are actually pretty decent. I haven't seen much CGI blood at this point, which is always a nice surprise. Most of the brutality is practical, with the occasional bloody mess hitting the camera for effect. The bare-knuckle fighting isn't anything flashy, but it's fairly grounded and doesn't have everyone suddenly becoming an MMA superhero.

I wasn't surprised by what happened once they found Knox, although I was a little surprised by where things went afterward.

Then the guns come out. And suddenly, so does the CGI blood. I'm guessing this is a budget limitation, because the practical effects looked considerably better. You can almost hear someone in the effects department say, "Well, that's the last of the money."

Most of the acting is forgettable, and the characters are paper-thin, which doesn't do the talent any favors. Butcher (Felix Alexander) was easily the highlight. His calmness makes him considerably scarier than if he were running around screaming about how evil he is.

For an indie movie with very little money behind it, the effects are solid, and there is clearly genuine talent both in front of and behind the camera. Kudos to Tommy Jackson, because his eye for the scene is definitely there. He really needs to hire some help, though, because this is an ambitious movie that could have been considerably better with the resources to match that ambition.

Understand exactly what you're getting into, and you might have some fun with Land of Wolves. It's got decent brutality, practical effects, and enough ambition to make the rough edges forgivable. Just don't expect the billionaires watching the livestream to have better taste than you do. Less morals, sure.

Land of Wolves (2026)

https://jackmeat.com/land-of-wolves-2026/