Editorials
Time to Revisit… ‘From Beyond’
In the second installment of my series shedding a spotlight on lesser-known genre entries in relation to their more attention-getting contemporaries, I take a look at two early-period Stuart Gordon films: the popular 1985 Lovecraft adaptation Re-Animator, and the considerably less-popular but also-excellent 1986 Lovecraft adaptation From Beyond.
Given that both films are highly successful in merging the splatter with the side-splitting, why is it that Re-Animator is held in such high regard while From Beyond has largely been relegated to “second-banana” status? Inside, you can check out my argument for why the former could stand to share a little more recognition with its redheaded step-sibling.
Beloved Favorite: Re-Animator (1985)
Number of votes on IMDB: 14,340
The Plot: A medical student gets in over his head when he begins assisting his odd-duck roommate in experiments focused on reanimating dead tissue.
Why it’s so celebrated: Still widely considered director Stuart Gordon’s greatest work to date, Re-Animator was not an enormous hit on its initial theatrical release but has developed a considerable and devoted cult following in subsequent years. It went on to spawn two sequels (neither of which the director returned for) and more recently Gordon’s extremely well-received L.A. stage adaptation Re-Animator: The Musical, which has been enjoying sold-out performances and a boatload of rave reviews since it opened. Continued fan interest in the property isn’t exactly surprising at this point; over 25 years since its debut, Re-Animator is regularly cited as one of the greatest independent horror films ever made, and one of the few that managed to successfully capture the spirit of H.P. Lovecraft’s body of work.
Why it’s time to back-burner it for awhile: Though Re-Animator is absolutely deserving of the praise it’s received over the last couple dozen years, it also seems to suck up almost all the attention from the rest of the films in Gordon’s oeuvre. This is a shame, as the director has helmed several other top-notch works of horror that also deserve recognition but nevertheless consistently reside in Re-Animator‘s shadow. It’s about time we re-focused some of that love onto one of Gordon’s other, less-celebrated genre entries for a change. In fact, I’m gonna go ahead and recommend…
Underappreciated Also-Ran: From Beyond (1986)
Number of votes on IMDB: 4,748
The Plot: Two scientists get in over their heads when they develop the “Resonator”, a machine with the power to open the gates to another dimension by stimulating the human pineal gland.
Why it’s not so celebrated: While From Beyond is one of Gordon’s better-known efforts, the amount of audience appreciation it receives still pales in comparison with that of Re-Animator. Perhaps part of the reason for this is that although the former film proved a minor success at the box-office (grossing about twice its production budget on initial release), From Beyond made back less than a third of its $4.5 million price tag theatrically. In addition, though it was generally well-received by critics, it nevertheless failed to garner the level of praise enjoyed by its predecessor.
Why it deserves a revisiting: Not only is From Beyond almost as good as Re-Animator (and arguably equal to it), it’s also a superb companion piece to that film. Released only a year apart, both movies take the works of H.P. Lovecraft and gleefully update them into modern-day settings, all while imbuing their outlandish concepts with a blackly comic sensibility. Both also enjoy the benefits of a game cast (Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton star in both movies), phenomenal practical effects work, and several gruesome sequences of over-the-top gore that are often ladled with sexual overtones (particularly those featuring the sex kitten-ish Crampton).
None of this is to say that From Beyond is an exact replica of Re-Animator, for while it’s tonally similar it’s also perhaps even more outlandish in both concept and execution. For one thing, it ventures much further into the realm of “body-horror” than the latter film ever did, featuring as it does some of the most exuberantly disgusting “human-to-what-the-fuck-am-I-looking-at” transformations ever committed to celluloid. Indeed, in many ways the film actually one-ups its forebear for pure wall-to-wall outrageousness; though Gordon will likely never top the infamous “severed-head cunnilingus” scene in his previous film (a tough act to follow if there ever was one), From Beyond features perhaps an even more bountiful supply of sheer gross-out horror moments. Also, if you straight dudes thought Crampton was foxy in Re-Animator, just wait `til you get a look at her in bondage gear.
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A new month means a new guide as titles are added (and dropped) from streaming services. Let’s unpack the most exciting titles that are available to watch on Tubi in July 2026.
New to Tubi July Horror Films
Deep Blue Sea (1999)
- Premise: Searching for a cure to Alzheimer’s disease, a group of scientists on an isolated research facility become the prey as a trio of intelligent sharks fight back.
- Why Watch It? Let’s be frank: Director Renny Harlin has made some absolute dogs in the last few years (the less said about The Strangers trilogy the better, though this year’s Deep Water was actually ok). Deep Blue Sea remains one of the Finnish director’s best contemporary efforts, though. Between the great cast (Samuel L. Jackson, Saffron Burrows, Stellan Skarsgård, Michael Rapaport, LL Cool J, Thomas Jane, and Jane’s sleeveless wetsuit), the ridiculous premise, and that damn/dumb song (“My hat is like a shark’s fin”), you basically can’t go wrong with Deep Blue Sea. It’s one of two great shark films gliding onto Tubi this month, so why not stay out of the water and watch this instead?
- Streaming: July 1
Exorcist II: Heretic (1977)
- Premise: Reagan (Linda Blair), a girl once possessed by a demon, finds that it still lurks within her. Meanwhile, Father Lamont (Richard Burton) investigates the death of the priest who performed her exorcism.
- Why Watch It? August sees the release of documentary Boorman and the Devil, which is about the troubled production of this sequel. The notoriety surrounding Heretic has undoubtedly kept plenty of horror fans away from the sequel, but this truly is a “seeing is believing” kind of film. Real talk: it’s undeniably a disaster, but the John Boorman film has also become a minor cult film. Don’t you want to see it to make up your own mind?
- Streaming: July 1
Hostel: Part III (2011)
- Premise: Four men attending a bachelor party in Las Vegas fall prey to the Elite Hunting Club, who are hosting a gruesome game show of torture.
- Why Watch It? What does Hostel look like without Eli Roth? Part III kinda answers the question. Technically Roth is still a writer, but he hands over the directorial reins to Scott Spiegel (best known for acting in Evil Dead films). The result is a film with a terrible pedigree; it’s also the first (and last) entry to skip theatres before the franchise was permanently shelved (until that TV show with Paul Giamatti shows up?). For some horror fans, however, there’s something exciting about a bad low-budget sequel. Just bear in mind that the Hostel: Part III‘s biggest star is Kip Pardue…so adjust your expectations accordingly before hitting play.
- Streaming: July 1
Insidious 1-3 (2010/2013/2015)
- Premise: A family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further.
- Why Watch It? It’s hard to believe that the sixth (!) Insidious movie is coming out in a month and a half, but James Wan and Leigh Whannell‘s other horror franchise has been steadily chugging along for sixteen years. It’s a shame that Tubi doesn’t have all five films available to watch, but in terms of quality, you can do far worse than the original trio. The first film is iconic, and the second is basically an extended coda (with some admittedly problematic stuff going on). I’ll go to bat for Whannell’s 2015 directorial debut, though: there’s a few banger sequences in that film that people slept on.
- Streaming: July 1
Man Finds Tape (2025)
- Premise: After finding mysterious video clips, siblings investigate the strange recordings and uncover a disturbing secret spreading through their Texas town.
- Why Watch It? Writer/directors Paul Gandersman and Peter S. Hall‘s well-received found footage film did an extensive tour of the festival circuit, so now is a great time to check out one of the most contemporary titles debuting on Tubi this month. Surely a title that hails from producers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (Spring and The Endless) is worth a free look?
- Streaming: July 2
Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)
- Premise: A depressed musician Adam (Tom Hiddleston) reunites with his lover Eve (Tilda Swinton). However, their romance, which has already endured several centuries, is disrupted by the arrival of her uncontrollable younger sister Ava (Mia Wasikowska).
- Why Watch It? This beautiful, melancholy vampire film is courtesy of writer/director Jim Jarmusch, who doesn’t often dabble in genre fare. As always, some will quibble if this artsy drama qualifies as horror, but the existential ennui of an eternal life certainly qualifies (bonus: there’s also something inherently sexy about watching Hiddleston and Swinton just lay about). Plus: if Leviticus has you hankering for more Wasikowska, this is an under the radar pick.
- Streaming: July 1
The Shallows (2016)
- Premise:A mere 200 yards from shore, surfer Nancy (Blake Lively) is attacked by a great white shark, with her short journey to safety becoming the ultimate contest of wills.
- Why Watch It? What better time to watch a shark movie than July? The temperatures are soaring and the idea of escaping into the water is so tantalizing. This tight, contained thriller features a great performance by Lively (and that damn seagull!), but it’s the direction from genre fave Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan; the House of Wax remake) that keeps the movie clicking along like clockwork. At 86 minutes, this is a perfect summer flick.
- Streaming: July 1
Vacancy (2007)
- Premise: Stranded in an isolated motel, a couple (Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale) become the unsuspecting subjects of a snuff film.
- Why Watch It? I’m not going to pretend that this Nimród Antal-directed home invasion film is high art, but it is a good time. You’ll likely wish there were deeper characterizations for Wilson and Beckinsale’s David and Amy in Mark L. Smith‘s screenplay, but this mid-aughts thriller is tense, exciting, and just the right amount of grimy. Plus: another short runtime, clocking in at an expeditious 85 minutes!
- Streaming: July 1
July Tubi Originals
The One Next Door (2026)
- Premise: When a mysterious stranger moves in next door to Robert and Tabitha, boundaries are tested, loyalty is questioned, and danger comes for all.
- Streaming: July 10
I Know Where You Live (2026)
- Premise: Sarah thinks she’s found “the one” until his flaws emerge. When she pulls away, chilling threats suggest he’s watching her from inside her own home.
- Streaming: July 24
What’s your favorite from the list above? Will you check out the new Original? Sound off in the comments below
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