Accursed (2026) | Accursed isn't the worst #Shocktober movie I've seen, but between the predictable plot and cardboard characters, that 3.4 feels pretty generous. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 3.4/10. I saw Danny Trejo in the cast, and being a fan of the man, I figured I’d give Accursed a shot. Of course, being a Danny Trejo fan also means knowing the man has appeared in some absolute shoddy shit over the years. Surely, this couldn’t be another one of those occasions. Well, let’s just say my expectations weren’t exactly rewarded.

We open with a home video from 2002 featuring a nun giving birth while another nun handles the nursing duties and a priest looks on in prayer. Things take a lovely turn when the first nun snatches the baby from its screaming mother and sacrifices it. Happy birthday, kid! The credits roll with some additional ritual footage, just in case anyone was still under the impression they’d accidentally put on a wholesome religious drama.

Fast-forward to the present, where Emma (Vivien Soraya) is being collected by her friends for a weekend getaway to celebrate her 21st birthday. There’s some nice scenery as the gang drives towards their destination, although someone is following them. Ooooh, mysterious! I’m sure that bit of pointless drama will become important later. Surely a movie wouldn’t waste our time with something that goes absolutely nowhere.

The group eventually arrives at some property that Daddy apparently arranged for them, although exactly what the place is or why they’re there isn’t particularly clear. At least he left Emma a birthday cake. Priorities, people. There’s also a slow-motion bikini reveal under a T-shirt that would have made considerably more sense if we hadn’t literally seen her wearing the bikini seconds earlier. Nice work, directors. Brains clearly wasn't on the budget.

From there, we get the usual collection of suspicious behavior, questionable decisions, cult shenanigans and characters who apparently believe hearing is an optional feature. Fortunately, the film does deliver some practical blood effects, which is always appreciated. Unfortunately, blood splatter alone does not a good horror movie make. LOL.

It's the combination of the characters, their relationships, the setting, and the plot that makes Accursed look like a mundane and uninspired attempt that is closer to hitting the word count for a script than an actual film. Nevertheless, it includes everything one could expect - the cursed secret, the dark prophecy, and the midnight ritual.

Then Danny Trejo turns up for a brief appearance during the climax, and a twist arrives hoping to salvage the whole sorry affair. Neither can save a movie that has done virtually nothing to earn either its dramatic finale or its revelations.

Thankfully, Accursed is only 78 minutes long. The sequel tease is actually a little creative, which is more than I can say for most of what preceded it. Still, creative or not, I won't be volunteering for another round.

Accursed (2026)

https://jackmeat.com/accursed-2026/

Onslaught (2026) | Three genetically engineered killing machines, one pissed-off sniper, and a whole lot of government stupidity. My kind of #Shocktober evening. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 6.1/10. When a rogue squad of genetically engineered super soldiers breaks loose in the desert, a badass Army sniper must unleash hell to protect her young daughter. Sounds simple enough. And thankfully, Onslaught mostly understands that sometimes simple is exactly what you want.

We begin with gunfire in the middle of nowhere before getting a look at Celeste (Adria Arjona) blasting jack-o'-lanterns into smithereens with a shotgun. It's 7:04 a.m., minus about 11 hours and counting down. And this woman doesn't just have a boomstick. She has a damn arsenal. Along with some PTSD, naturally. Flashbacks give us a brief idea why.

Then we hit the credits, backed by some suitably industrial music from Matthew Pusti, before cutting to some weird foot-licking German dude named Hans hopping onto a helicopter. We're getting exact times now - 7:52 a.m. and meeting more characters. I like the dismal, grainy look Adam Wingard has given the film. He has already shown a keen eye behind the lens with You're Next and a couple of Godzilla flicks, among others.

I assume we're briefly meeting all these people living in this makeshift trailer park for a reason. This countdown must be leading to some serious shit, and surely the weird dude has to be the ringleader. Hans Kimler (Dan Stevens), by the way. 9:51 a.m. Time for some surgery. 11:52 and more copter hopping, along with a warning. This is a real-world exercise, and injuries should be expected. Hopefully you were paying attention during the credits, because that's where you get a clue about what the hell is going on.

We meet the three test subjects: Crybaby, Cockroach, and Butcher (Alex Pereira for the UFC fans), because genetically engineered super-soldier nicknames were running low. They feel no pain, can control their heart rates, and won't stop killing until shutdown or mission complete. Basically, human heat-seeking missiles with anger-management issues.

3:38 p.m. Time for the experiment. The government contact, Baylor (Michael Biehn), naturally wants results. They have glowing eyes. I can't wait. And, unsurprisingly, that doesn't go particularly well for the military or scientists.

By 6:45 p.m., it's about time things stop going well for everyone else too. I'm digging the music, the video-game-like camera shots during the carnage, and, most importantly, the plentiful blood. The military calls in professional cleaner Cyrus (Drew Starkey) to clean up after the warehouse experiment, and from here Onslaught settles into what it does best. People getting violently murdered in increasingly unpleasant ways.

Sometimes I'm perfectly happy with three dudes who are going to kill anyone they see until somebody manages to kill them. There's something refreshing about that simplicity. The confined-space action works, Arjona holds her own nicely, and there's plenty of blood and a few wonderfully nasty severed body parts.

And you can blame the government. Of course you can.

My only real drawback? For a movie that clearly wants to lean into the mayhem and brutality, I wanted more of it. When you've created genetically engineered killing machines with glowing eyes and zero regard for human life, don't be shy about letting the bastards loose.

Still, Onslaught delivers a solid action/horror romp with enough blood and bullets to make the countdown worthwhile.

Onslaught (2026)

https://jackmeat.com/onslaught-2026/

Infirmary (2026) | Apparently the footage left investigators baffled, but I was more baffled by how they made an abandoned psych hospital this damn boring. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 3.3/10. Not only do we get the Shudder logo, which the poster already clued us in on, but we also get a stern warning: “March 23rd, 2023, authorities responded to an unknown disturbance call at the Wilshire Infirmary. Officers found two dead and are looking for persons of interest.” Apparently, a guard vanished on his first night at an old psych hospital, and his bodycam footage contains “unexplainable incidents” that continue to baffle investigators.

Oh good. Found footage. Bodycam footage. Yay, my favorite. NOT.

We start with rookie guard Edward (Paul Syre Lee) getting hazed by his superior, Lester (Mark Anthony Williams). Edward is given his bodycam and sent off to work, knowing that Ms. Downey (Danielle Kennedy) will be staying late to do some paperwork. Considering the cast list only has four people (3 we see), I may as well give everyone their credit before the ghosts inevitably start eating into the remaining payroll.

For the first half hour, we get the usual first-person shots. Doors creaking, empty hallways, Edward getting terrified by the slightest sound, and lots of walking around an abandoned mental hospital while the movie desperately tries to convince us something is about to happen. To be fair, the place is creepy. It is basically empty, looks suitably miserable, and has exactly the sort of atmosphere you'd expect from a building where absolutely nobody should be working the night shift.

While Edward and Lester are trying to locate an intruder, we also get the story about a scary hallway that Lester claims scared his dog to death. Apparently even the dog had the good sense to nope the fuck out of there. Edward starts wondering if the place might be haunted. I am actually impressed these two manage to stay together for as long as they do.

Until they split up, that is. I laughed a bit. I should've known better.

You would think after all the hazing and ridicule from Lester, Edward might try to prove himself by making sensible decisions. Nope. Knowing full well there are cameras everywhere, including the one strapped to his chest, he starts crawling around on the ground like he is storming Normandy. Why? Who knows. Maybe Edward has watched too many war movies. Maybe he simply forgot he was a security guard and not Rambo.

And that is only one example of his silliness.

Once the movie finally gets going, it settles into the usual found-footage greatest hits. Lots of running, plenty of static and artifacts, unexplained lights going off, camera glitches, and the obligatory “HOLY SHIT WHAT WAS THAT?” moments. Apparently this is the sort of footage that has investigators completely baffled. I'm not sure why. I was mostly baffled by how long it was taking to get anywhere.

The movie is insanely boring for much of its runtime and eventually delivers a mediocre payoff. Even worse, it wastes what should have been its biggest asset: the location. The abandoned hospital looks fantastic, and cinematographer Donald Nam does a good job framing it. The creepy old infirmary is easily the highlight.

Yes, I loathe this style of filmmaking, but there are good examples of how found footage can be used effectively. Infirmary just isn't one of them. It takes a fantastic creepy location, straps a camera to someone's chest, throws in some static, and somehow manages to make an abandoned psych hospital boring.

That might be the most baffling incident of all.

Infirmary (2026)

https://jackmeat.com/infirmary-2026/

Pay to Die (2026) | Pay to Die spends more time mocking crowdfunding and B-movie filmmaking than actually fitting into #Shocktober. At least a few jokes work. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 4.0/10. Pay to Die starts with some obnoxiously upbeat music playing over the credits, which is our first warning that subtlety has left the building. We quickly cut to a starlet in a bikini and some, um, guy (trying very hard not to be judgmental here) shooting a commercial for some lube. It is a pretty simple setup for a joke, and whether you find it funny or not will probably tell you a lot about what you're in for.

Charles (Jeff Richards) is the guy who screws things up, then promptly breaks the fourth wall to explain how he always gets kicked around in this messed-up world. Naturally, he decides he needs a change. We're only a few characters in at this point, and I can already report that the acting is…well, horrendous.

Back at his mom's house, Charles decides he is going to make a slasher movie based on his own nightmares. So he and his friends launch a crowdfunding campaign, because the easiest way to make your horror-movie dreams come true is to beg strangers on the internet for money. Things don't go quite as smoothly as planned.

They bring in Jess (Lauren Francesca) to help pimp the project, which is also a convenient excuse for her to hang around in a bikini. Considering she also wrote and directed the movie, I'm sure that is definitely part of the joke here. Absolutely no ulterior motives whatsoever. She does have a nice body, but don't worry, she is fully aware.

I also spotted Teddy, played by and one of the directors, Shawn C. Phillips, whom I recognized from my recent abomination of a movie marathon thanks to Amityville Karen. They manage to lure in Harrison (Robert Miano), who apparently enjoys these B-budget productions, because I had just seen him in Sunset Strip Killers.

And that is really where Pay to Die finds its groove. The movie takes some pretty serious jabs at the crowdfunding process, the actors, the filmmakers, and basically everyone involved in trying to get a low-budget horror movie made. There are plenty of cameos, including some recognizable names, and the whole thing is essentially one long roast of the filmmaking process.

When the killer finally starts knocking people off, at least the kills are practical. One death involving acid is actually pretty damn ambitious and looked surprisingly good considering the budget. Most of the movie, though, is much more interested in making fun of the crowdfunding crew than delivering genuine horror.

The humor is juvenile, and plenty of it doesn't work. Some of it does. When the first body is discovered and the cops arrive, Officer Don is played by the late Robert Carradine, who gets to play a fanboy cop, which is pretty damn funny.

Oh, hey, Bai Ling! After The Crow, I have always adored her, so seeing her pop up was a nice surprise.

Ultimately, Pay to Die is much more a comedy about making a crowdfunded horror flick than a horror/comedy itself. The premise is fun, the filmmakers clearly know exactly what they're mocking, and the best joke may be that they completely embrace the crowdfunding nonsense while simultaneously taking part in it.

The special thanks section of the credits is also ridiculously long. LOL.

Pay to Die (2026)

A fun idea with some genuinely funny moments, even if the juvenile humor doesn't always land. And considering the movie is basically about the whole “pay to be in a flick” problem, maybe Pay to Die is the most honest crowdfunding horror movie ever made.

Side note: I really hate when the trailer picture is identical to the movie poster.

https://jackmeat.com/pay-to-die-2026/

Appendage (2023) | Apparently, anxiety wasn't terrifying enough, so Appendage decided to turn it into a disgusting little creature. Fitting #Shocktober fun. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 5.5/10. Here is a horror flick for Huluween that popped up, so naturally, I figured we may as well check it out before it disappears into the streaming abyss. Appendage starts off like it is going to take itself very seriously, and then, seemingly out of nowhere, decides that maybe a little comedy would be fun. Well, okay then. Let’s see where this goes.

Surprisingly, it goes somewhere pretty decent.

Directed by Anna Zlokovic in her feature-film debut, Appendage follows Hannah (Hadley Robinson), a young fashion designer whose already stressful life takes a seriously bizarre turn when her darkest thoughts begin manifesting as a gruesome, living appendage. Yes, an actual appendage. Because apparently regular anxiety wasn't horrifying enough.

The movie initially presents itself as a psychological horror story, and there is some genuinely creepy stuff going on. Then the comedy starts creeping in, and at first, I wasn't entirely sure what to make of it. The shift in tone felt a little out of place, but as the story progressed, I began to understand what the film was trying to do.

At its core, Appendage uses its horror-comedy setup as a not-so-subtle way of visualizing mental illness, anxiety, self-doubt, and the darker thoughts that can consume someone. It isn't exactly the most conventional way to tackle those subjects, but it gives the movie something more interesting to work with than simply having a monster chase people around for 94 minutes.

The story really starts to come together once Hannah meets Claudia (Emily Hampshire) and the bigger picture begins to emerge. Once everything is revealed, I had a pretty good idea where the movie was going, and I actually enjoyed the direction it took. I'm not going to spoil that part because discovering exactly what is going on is key, and I don't like doing that.

What surprised me most was how well the horror and comedy eventually started working together. The humor that initially seemed like it had wandered in from a different movie gradually made more sense within the story. It gives Appendage a strange, quirky personality that keeps it from becoming just another psychological horror movie.

The cast also does a solid job. Robinson carries most of the film as Hannah, and the increasingly bizarre situation she finds herself in gives her plenty to work with. Hampshire's appearance helps push the story in the direction it ultimately needs to go, and the supporting cast adds to the strange little world the movie creates.

My biggest hesitation was the actual Appendage itself. The visual design is certainly...something. I wasn't immediately convinced that this weird fleshy nightmare was going to work, but eventually I just accepted that this was the movie we had been given and went along for the ride.

The closest comparison I could come up with was Malignant, mainly because both movies take what initially appears to be a fairly straightforward horror setup and eventually reveal that there is considerably more going on underneath. Appendage obviously isn't operating on quite the same insane level, but it has that same feeling of, “Okay, I see what you're doing now.”

For Zlokovic's first feature-length film, I was actually pretty impressed. Appendage isn't going to reinvent horror, and the uneven tone won't work for everyone, but it takes some chances and manages to blend horror, comedy, and psychological themes into something considerably more entertaining than I expected.

Appendage (2023)

Appendage is not a perfect horror movie by any stretch, but it is an interesting little horror-comedy that caught me off guard. If you like your horror with a healthy dose of bizarre humor and don't mind a movie taking a few strange turns along the way, this one is worth checking out.

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

The Nice Ones (2026) | The Nice Ones isn't terrible, but it's definitely the kind of #Shocktober movie you'll forget about before the credits finish. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 3.9/10. The Nice Ones starts with a gloomy stretch of farmland, where a man stands staring into the sky while holding a rifle. Because nothing says “welcome to the countryside” quite like a bloke armed and waiting for aliens, demons, or possibly just an unusually aggressive weather forecast. We then cut to a woman indoors watching some sketchy television before our rifle-wielding friend enters and she exits humanity. The credits kick in over some surprisingly upbeat music, because apparently the movie wants to have a little fun before things get weird.

Kate (Joelle Rae) and Dale (Emrhys Cooper) are traveling a considerable distance to meet up with friends at a remote countryside house. And credit where it’s due, at least they aren't staying in a mouldy cabin surrounded by trees. This is a pretty nice house, which immediately makes me suspicious. Horror movies have taught us that nice houses are basically giant targets with mortgages.

During the drive, Kate spots a strange light in the sky, but Dale isn't particularly interested. There are also various posts, flashes of text and other little details during the opening credits suggesting Kate has some history with mental health problems. Did you catch those “not human” articles? If not, don't worry, The Nice Ones will make sure you understand that Kate has things going on. She's also dating her former therapist, which seems like a fantastic decision. Especially for someone who is about to spend a weekend discovering that her friends may no longer be entirely human.

Sure enough, something starts changing the people around her. They become unnervingly calm, polite, helpful, and, worst of all, nice. It's essentially a body-snatcher story where the alien invasion has apparently discovered customer service training. The glowing eyes are a fun touch, and there's a decent idea buried somewhere in the middle of all this. Unfortunately, the movie never really develops it into anything particularly memorable.

Kate is obviously being set up as the final girl, while Dale spends a good portion of the movie demonstrating why surviving a horror film requires more than simply having functioning legs. The biggest problem, though, is the acting. The dramatic struggles and confrontations frequently feel awkward rather than frightening, making it difficult to care in what should be desperate situations.

There are a few bloody moments, although much of the splatter has a distinctly CGI flavor. And the whole thing is extremely predictable. The script feels like it needed another couple of polishing passes before anyone yelled “Action!”

The Nice Ones isn't terrible. There are much worse horror movies out there, and the basic concept has some potential. Unfortunately, there are also plenty that do this sort of thing considerably better. By the end, the biggest mystery isn't what happened to everyone else. It's how this movie became so aggressively...nice.

The Nice Ones (2026)

https://jackmeat.com/the-nice-ones-2026/

Ghost in the Cell (2026) | Ghost in the Cell mixes brutal practical gore, political jokes, and prisoners dancing. #Shocktober treat in select theaters now. #jackmeatsflix

My quick rating - 7.1/10. I already knew going in that Joko Anwar was behind Ghost in the Cell, and if you know his work, particularly the Satan's Slaves films, you know you're probably in for some quality horror. The opening certainly doesn't disappoint.

Upbeat music plays as the camera swoops around an office before settling on Dimas (Endy Arfian), a writer working on a story about nine workers who have died near the edge of the Nehea Forest. He's under a deadline, which means I should probably get used to reading subtitles instead of taking notes. He submits the article to an angry boss who hates it, and shortly afterward that boss is violently stabbed to death. Then the returning employee gets a rather unpleasant ride on the ceiling fan, complete with dangling entrails. And then the title appears.

Okay, this looks like my kind of #Shocktober fun.

Then we're taken to Labuhan Angsana prison, where the guards quickly demonstrate that "fun" is the last thing these inmates are having. Oppression, violence, and general misery are the daily routine, and things get considerably worse when Dimas arrives and prisoners start dying in increasingly horrific ways.

Eventually, the inmates learn there's a ghost hunting people with the most negative aura or energy. Naturally, the obvious solution is to start doing good deeds and stay positive.

Easy enough, right? Except they're in prison.

Trying to maintain positive energy while being surrounded by injustice, violence, and corrupt officials turns out to be somewhat difficult. Eventually, the inmates realize that staying alive means doing something even more difficult. Uniting against their oppressors. And apparently that includes fighting the supernatural ones too.

The horror here is fantastic. There are some wonderfully creative practical gore effects, and the mutilations can get downright disturbing. But what really surprised me was how well the comedy is woven into all of it. This isn't satire disguised as horror; the story remains firmly in horror territory while occasionally dropping something absolutely ridiculous into the middle of the carnage.

The dance scene is a perfect example. It is hilarious, completely works within the story, and somehow makes sense because the prisoners are literally trying to avoid generating negative energy. And yes, stick around through the credits because apparently the inmates and wardens decided they weren't done dancing yet.

The cast is also excellent across the board, with performances that sell both the disturbing moments and the absurd ones. The result is a surprisingly well-balanced horror comedy that mixes violence, bizarre humor, and some very pointed political jokes.

Underneath all the blood and laughter, Anwar is making a pretty clear critique of a corrupt system that punishes vulnerable people while protecting those with power. Somehow, Ghost in the Cell manages to make that point while also giving us ghosts, exploding bodies, and a prison full of people trying desperately to become nicer.

Ghost in the Cell (2026)

Not exactly your typical self-improvement program.

https://jackmeat.com/ghost-in-the-cell-2026/