Movies
Fear Itself Review: Episode 1.6 ‘New Year’s Day’
This afternoon B-D writer Tex sent in his latest review of NBC’s Fear Itself (all reviews), which continues every Thursday at 10/9C. Inside you’ll find a review of Darren Lynn Bousman’s “New Year’s Day.” In the episode, a young woman wakes up in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by horrifying zombies.
Fear Itself Review: Episode 1.6 `New Year’s Day’
After a week of hiatus, NBC’s fledgling genre series FEAR ITSELF returns with what promises to be one of the most anticipated episodes of the inaugural season, REPO Director Darren Lynn Bousman’s NEW YEAR’S DAY–a post-apocalyptic zombie thriller scripted by 30 DAYS OF NIGHT guru Steve Niles’ from a short story by Paul Kane. NEW YEAR’S DAY is one of only a handful of episodes this season that doesn’t sport alumni from Showtime’s defunct MASTERS OF HORROR series. But with Bousman’s successful track record and Niles cult following can the episode live up to the hype? The answer is…most of the time.
Helen (Briana Evigan) has just awoken on a New Year’s Day to remember–if only she could remember the night before. It seems that Helen had a little too much merriment at last night’s “End of the World” New Year’s Eve party. And what a prophetic party it must have been, because outside Helen’s window it appears that that time has come. After an explosion at Compton Chemical unleashes an unexplained toxin, the dead are returning to life and wreaking havoc all over the city. Once she discovers her roommate Eddie (Niall Matter–doing his best Darren Bousman impersonation) and all of her neighbors are among the victims, Helen bolts out into the anarchic morning in a desperate attempt to reach her boyfriend James’ apartment.
This week’s episode is the first one that really captures the feel of a full-blown feature film for a television audience. A great deal of that success comes from the stark cinematography (courtesy of John Spooner) and the jump-cut editing (by Marshall Harvey). But, as both Spooner and Harvey have prior FEAR ITSELF credentials (FAMILY MAN and EATER respectively) the onus for the episodes ultimate feel must be placed on Bousman. In fact, NEW YEAR’S DAY contains all the gritty, grimy, desaturated lighting and whip-pans that you’d expect to see from the man who helmed most of the SAW franchise. But, despite the grandiose look of the film, the production is saddled with one major problem.
This episode is about a journey. The journey that Helen takes through a war-torn cityscape in search of the man she loves. That journey is paralleled by the one that Helen’s mind takes as it pieces together the events of the night before. The closer Helen moves toward the end of her physical journey the more complete the past picture becomes. The problem here doesn’t exist in the stories that are unfolding–both are interesting in their own way. The problem lies in the fact that the immediate story is urgent and frantic, with bodies and blood and the kind of post-28 DAYS LATER electricity that has been powering the new zombie revolution. The other story is necessary in order to provide the viewers a complete character arc and to qualify the ending of the film. But that story is plodding and it keeps breaking up the action. Couple those constant breaks in the momentum with the commercial breaks necessitated by the network and what you’re left with is a film that keeps stopping itself just as it’s getting good. These elements only start to come together at the very end of the film, working in unison to propel the plot forward. And the reason it starts to work at the end is because the clips are kept much shorter and come in a more rapid succession, keeping barreling along toward the conclusion. The pacing–as it exists right now–is fine for a feature-length production that can pad out its running time for an hour and a half. But, with only 45-minutes to spare and commercials breaking the whole mess up NEW YEAR’S DAY could have sustained a much higher level of intensity for a much greater span of the story then it currently exhibits. As it stands right now, this episode seems to be the one that’s suffering most from its “stay tuned for a word from our sponsors” primetime fate.
Still, with the exception of the uneven pacing and an impossible to justify appearance by one of the zombies in the final moments of the film, NEW YEAR’S DAY offers a respectable ending with a nice twist, a solid performance from its lead actress, and an interesting new idea to consider adding to the lexicon of zombie lore. With that in mind, NEW YEAR’S DAY is definitely one of the better episodes of this season and one that I hope–and partially suspect–will play better when it makes its way to DVD.
7/10
This week’s big new horror release is of course Evil Dead Burn in theaters later in the week, but you don’t have to wait until this weekend to inject fresh nightmares into your eyeballs.
Five brand new horror movies have already released at home this week.
Here’s all the new horror that released on Tuesday, July 7, 2026!
Director André Øvredal’s (The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, The Last Voyage of the Demeter) new movie Passenger is now available on Digital at home.
Here’s the synopsis for Passenger: “A few weeks into their van life adventure, a young couple witnesses a horrific accident that leaves the driver dead. Soon they’re being pursued by a demonic stalker who’s impossible to outrun and follows them wherever they go.”
André Øvredal told Bloody Disgusting in an exclusive chat, “It’s a road movie, which is what I really fell in love with. It’s totally unique for me as a horror movie. Bridging the road movie with a haunting, essentially, on the road. I think it’s the scariest movie I’ve made.”
The cast includes Jacob Scipio, Lou Llobell, Melissa Leo, Tony Doupe, Bonni Dichone, Devielle Johnson, Jessica Cruz, Miles Fowler, and Alan Trong.
The screenplay is written by Zachary Donohue (The Den) and T.W. Burgess (Mister Howl). Former Warner Bros production executive Walter Hamada, who steered the Conjuring and It franchises, is producing via his 18hz as part of his first-look deal with Paramount. It screenwriter Gary Dauberman is also producing via Coin Operated.
Supernatural horror, psychological suspense, and an eye-catching creature take center stage in The Leaching, now available on Digital from Dark Star Pictures and Uncork’d Entertainment.
“After waking up in a grave on her father’s isolated forest property with no idea of who she is or how she got there, Vivian must use her limited memory to piece together the nightmarish truth, all the while being tormented by the undead, a giant leech monster, and her ‘father.’
“Over the next few days, she will uncover the framework of a truly nefarious supernatural scheme, but will it be too late?”
The Leaching is written and directed by Evan Showalter (Ante Mortem, Bad Music Terry).
“The Leaching is an exploration of faith, the loss of self, and the monsters (literally) that emerge when people surrender themselves to something greater than they can understand,” says Showalter. “It’s an isolating horror film that plays with a very uncomfortable question.”
A film student finds herself trapped in a giallo nightmare in lo-fi horror movie City Wide Fever, which is now streaming exclusively on the Midnight Pulp streaming service.
The meta horror movie is from debut writer/director Josh Heaps.
In City Wide Fever, “Sam, a young film student, discovers a USB detailing the life and career of forgotten Italian horror director Saturnino Barresi.
“As she begins to investigate his mysterious disappearance, Sam finds herself pulled into a violent conspiracy eerily similar to those of the films she adores.”
Diletta Guglielmi, Angelica Kim, and Nancy Kimball star with Onur Tukel (Summer of Blood), Larry Fessenden (You’re Next), Carolyn Farina, and comedian Ian Fidance.
Paul Lê wrote in his review for Bloody Disgusting, “This isn’t just a case of throwback filmmaking that’s been achieved with contemporary technology; the director used era-authentic equipment to help create this striking and nostalgic piece of modern horror. The end result is a movie… teeming with enough verve and style to make it feel fresh.”
A Gen Z slasher that pays homage to ’90s teen slasher movies, You’re Dead to Me is now available on Digital outlets at home courtesy of distributor Dark Star Pictures.
In the slasher film, “Three high school seniors skip prom for a secluded weekend party free from parents, school, and responsibility, but their escape turns terrifying when they learn one of their classmates has been brutally murdered.”
Denise Richards (Valentine) stars alongside Siena Agudong (Sidelined: The QB and Me, Sidelined 2: Intercepted), Jessica Belkin (“Baywatch” ), Ella Anderson (“Henry Danger,” Song Sung Blue), and Conor Husting (“Boo, Bitch”, Hollywood Stargirl).
The film was directed by Juan Pablo Arias Munoz.
You’re Dead to Me was co-written by Sarah Howard and Terry Castle, the daughter of the legendary producer and filmmaker William Castle (House on Haunted Hill, The Tingler).
Steven Quale (Into the Storm, Final Destination 5) directed the supernatural thriller Black Box, which has now taken flight on Digital outlets courtesy of Aura Entertainment.
The film is based on the short film The Vessel, and an original screenplay from horror writer Stephen Susco (The Grudge, The Grudge 2, Texas Chainsaw 3D, Hell Fest).
Black Box (Flight 298) follows the supernatural events surrounding Vero Airlines 298 from New Orleans to Seattle.
Tom Brittney, Holly Leena White, Betsy Blue English, Dane Whyte O’Hara, Kaja Chan, Asa Ali, Boadicea Ricketts, Ceallach Spellman, Georgina Leonidas, Molly Belle Wright, Hanneke Talbot, Danny Mack, and Weronika Rosati star in Black Box.
Hammerstone Studios’ Alex Lebovici (Barbarian, Boy Kills World) and Jon Oakes (Drive, The Guilty) will produce alongside Capstone’s Christian Mercuri and David Haring (Bill & Ted Face the Music), Warren Zide (The Final Destination, American Pie), and Susco. Ruzanna Kegeyan and Roman Viaris of Capstone, and Clark Baker (Vessel) will executive produce.
What happened to Flight 298? Find out on Digital outlets now.
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