Movies
TV: ‘The Walking Dead’ S02E05 Recap and Review
After last week’s big pregnancy reveal, this episode naturally focused a lot on Lori and her baby drama. Actually, not really. The best way to sum up 2×5 is this: Daryl Dixon is a badass.
Shane and Rick team up to look for Sophia. Though their casual conversation, you get a small glimpse into the details of their increasingly intense bromance. It fills in the gaps a little bit in terms of why their friendship is so strong, and how their relationships with Lori have complicated things so much for Shane. Since killing Otis, Shane has dramatically changed, and if the cracks weren’t showing in his persona last week, they definitely are this week. Shane has gained a new lease on life to justify his actions which generally revolves around putting survival before empathy. In the context of “The Walking Dead”, he is made out to be a bit of an ass for this, but in the wake of a zombie apocalypse, there is probably a lot to be said for keeping a stone heart. He has more or less given up on Sophia, and thinks that the group would have been better off if they would have moved on. 
Then there is Daryl. Idealistic, sweet, dirt caked Daryl. He has put more effort than anyone into finding the girl, but his “I work better alone” motto is finally getting the better of him. By “get the better of him”, I mean that he is thrown off a cliff after falling off his horse and falls on one of his arrows, getting punctured in the process. He is then forced to climb up said cliff with that arrow still in his side. After falling for a second time, he is knocked out, and wakes up with his allegedly dead brother Merle at his side. Being a figment of his imagination doesn’t make him any less of a dick than he was in person. He immediately comes at Daryl with a mixture of “brotherly love” and a rant about how he will never fit in or be loved. Thanks, bro.
The phenomenal things about Daryl is that this is a character who doesn’t interact much with the group, but still manages to make more strides in character development than the rest of them. It’s sometimes hard to tell what Daryl is thinking, but his conversation with his brother seemed to prove that he feels a lot more guilt about Merle than he lets on. This is accompanied by a lot of self loathing, and even more guilt about befriending the people who left his brother to die.
This “tender” brotherly hallucination is interrupted by a pair of walkers. It’s a good thing that already half delirious and morality wounded Daryl Dixon is such a badass. He takes out not one, but both walkers. One with a stick, and the other with the very arrow that had impaled him earlier. Once the walkers are dead, he eats a raw squirrel with his fingers before cutting of the walker’s ears and adding them to his necklace of what appears to be a walker ear collection. Then he climbs up the cliff again. It’s that kind of classiness that i’d like to take home to my parents. An ear necklace, survival instincts, and the appearance of looking as though he is constantly working on a car. This guy has everything.
So let me just reiterate this point. Daryl Dixon is a badass. I’ve said it three times so you know I am serious.
He he hobbles back over to the camp, the group mistakes him for a walker and goes into a frenzy, leading Andrea to disobey orders and shoot him. You know if you can count on Andrea for anything, it’s to completely screw up. Daryl is only grazed by Andrea’s bullet and manages to survive, but his doubts about being accepted by the group resurface.
Hershel is less than pleased with how the group has handled his hospitality, and advises his people to avoid getting attached to them. Dale also offers the same advice to Glenn once he finds out that slept with Maggie. After the incident with Daryl, the Hershel farmstead is becoming increasingly unwelcoming and cold to the survivors. The tension is felt strongly between the two camps between just about everybody besides Maggie and Glenn, who still fully intend to maintain their relationship. Glenn plans on meeting Maggie in the barn, and once inside, he learns a horrible secret about his “Safe” new camp. The Hershel family is keeping dozens of walkers in the barn.
This was “The Walking Dead’s” most focused episode since the second season began. Without the plot jumping around as much as it normally does, we were able to take a good hard look at an already great character and get inside his head. The show has also done a good job giving depth to an original character who had no place in the comics and allowing him to come into his own without dismantling the rest of the story.
It also triggered something a little disturbing in me that I have been trying to avoid mentioning for a long time. As the show drags on, I am starting to realize more and more that this show is no concept of female characters at all. Save Maggie, almost every single one of them has devolved to the point of being insufferable, selfish, immature, or just crazy. The episode this week was fantastic, but the show itself would be much more enjoyable if there was one relatable woman in the main cast that I didn’t want to see eaten. Glenn and Dale’s conversation about the women in the camp was enough to push me over the edge. They really have been all acting crazy. I don’t want to go on a rant about TV and feminism, but “The Walking Dead” can do better. It had the makings of a lot of badass ladies and it shouldn’t waste them.
Now the meat of it? Aside from an increasing dislike of both Lori and Andrea, I really loved this episode. Great stories that come though a TV medium need to take time every so often to dissect a major character in a less than subtle way. The more you beat up on them and break them down to a completely helpless level, the more you can get a sense of introspection from them. American media is often centered around a character that appears average and builds them into someone great. That can be fun, but the really interesting stuff (in my opinion) comes from when you have a strong, tough character, and break him down this way.
As for the rest of the cast, the little we saw of them was entertaining enough. The survivors are in a sort of transition period where not much is happening at their base because they assume that they are safe. It looks like that is all about to change.
Reflection Notes
– Shane or Rick, who is right, or is there an answer?
– What possible purpose could keeping a small army of zombies in such close proximity to the farmstead serve?
– Have we seen the end of the glorious ear necklace?
Summer isn’t even in full swing yet but the horror onslaught continues. If you thought May was a massive month for brand new horror movies, June 2026 also comes loaded with a dense slate of new horror releases.
Save for one reboot, this month brings a ton of original new genre offerings like Leviticus, I Am Frankelda, and Kraken. Also look for new films from visionaries Steven Spielberg and Nicolas Winding Refn to arrive in theaters in June.
Here are eleven new horror movies releasing in June 2026.
Scary Movie – In Theaters Today
Out in theaters today, June 5, is the sixth installment of the popular horror parody film series, marking the Wayans’ return to the franchise they started. Expect spoofs of anything and everything, from Scream (2022) to The Substance (our review).
Michael Tiddes (A Haunted House) directs from a script by Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, original Scary Movie director Keenen Ivory Wayans, Craig Wayans (Scary Movie 2), and Rick Alvarez (A Haunted House).
Marlon Wayans (“Shorty”), Shawn Wayans (“Ray”), Anna Faris (“Cindy”), and Regina Hall (“Brenda”) reunite alongside returning favorites and fresh faces to slash through reboots, remakes, requels, prequels, sequels, spin-offs, elevated horror, origin stories, and anything with the word legacy in it.
The core four are joined by franchise favorites Dave Sheridan, Lochlyn Munro, Cheri Oteri, Chris Elliott, and Jon Abrahams in the legacy sequel.
The ensemble cast also includes Damon Wayans Jr., Gregg Wayans, Kim Wayans, Benny Zielke, Cameron Scott Roberts, Heidi Gardner, Olivia Rose Keegan, Ruby Snowber, Savannah Lee Nassif, Sydney Park, and Felissa Rose.
Watch the official trailer for Scary Movie below.
Disclosure Day – In Theaters June 12
DISCLOSURE DAY, directed by Steven Spielberg.
Legendary director Steven Spielberg is a believer, and he wants to make you one too when his latest invades theaters and IMAX next week. Spielberg revisits the idea of extraterrestrials once more; he previously delivered a trio of sci-fi greats with Close Encounters of the Third Kind in 1977, E.T. in 1982, and War of the Worlds in 2005.
The vague synopsis for Disclosure Day reads: “If you found out we weren’t alone, if someone showed you, proved it to you, would that frighten you? This summer, the truth belongs to seven billion people. We are coming close to Disclosure Day.”
Based on a story by Spielberg, the screenplay is by David Koepp.
Emily Blunt (Oppenheimer, A Quiet Place), Josh O’Connor (Wake Up Dead Man, The Crown), Oscar® winner Colin Firth (The King’s Speech, Kingsman franchise), Eve Hewson (Bad Sisters, The Perfect Couple), and two-time Oscar® nominee Colman Domingo (Sing Sing, Rustin).
Watch the official trailer for Disclosure Day below.
Find Your Friends – On Shudder June 12
An all girls trip into the desert descends into violence in intense thriller Find Your Friends, set to make its Shudder debut on a very crowded June 12.
In the film, “Amber and her four best friends flee Los Angeles for a girls’ trip in Joshua Tree, only to find themselves unwelcome in a desert town simmering with quiet hostility. As isolation sets in and encounters with aggressive locals grow more threatening, festering resentments within the group begin to surface. What begins as fun and reckless escape spirals into a violent struggle for control and survival, as past wounds and present dangers collide in a night that turns their trip into a revenge-fueled nightmare.”
Bella Thorne (The Babysitter), Chloe Cherry (“Euphoria”), Helena Howard (I Saw the TV Glow), Sophia Ali (Uncharted), Zion Moreno (“Gossip Girl”), and Chris Bauer (“True Blood”) star in the feature debut by writer/director Izabel Pakzad.
Watch the official trailer for Find Your Friends below.
I Am Frankelda – On Netflix June 12
I Am Frankelda. Cr. Netflix © 2026.
Mexico’s first stop-motion animated feature film delivers meticulous, handmade artistry from Arturo Ambriz and Roy Ambriz, protégés of Academy Award-winner Guillermo del Toro, and celebrates a unique world of monsters. It also arrives exclusively on Netflix on June 12 (our review).
Here’s the synopsis: “In 19th-century Mexico, Frankelda is a gifted writer whose dark tales are ignored and dismissed. Forced to suppress her voice, she refuses to give up, even as many try to silence her. But when she is thrust into her subconscious, the very monsters she created come to life.
“Guided by Herneval, a tormented prince trapped between dreams and nightmares, she must restore balance between fiction and reality before both realms collapse. Meanwhile, the sinister writer Procustes and his conspirators plot to seize control. As Frankelda and Herneval grow closer, their bond becomes both a strength and a curse.
“To rewrite their fate, she must confront a love that defies existence and reclaim her power as a storyteller—before dark forces consume her imagination and reveal horrors beyond her creation.”
Mireya Mendoza, Arturo Mercado Jr., and Luis Leonardo Suarez lead the voice cast.
Watch the official trailer for I Am Frankelda below.
Kraken – In Select Theaters & on Digital June 12
A monstrous myth comes to life in Norwegian creature feature Kraken, out in limited theaters and VOD on the busiest day of the month in terms of new horror releases.
Pål Øie (The Tunnel) directs from a script by Vilde Eide, Kjersti Jelen Rasmussen, and Natasha Arthur.
In the film, unnatural behavior in wild salmon, followed by inexplicable deaths in Norway’s deepest fjord, points to the mythical Kraken. The ancient, multi-armed monster has awakened, ready to crush everything that moves or makes a sound.
Sara Khorami, Mikkel Bratt Silset, Øyvind Brandtzæg, Jenny Evensen, Ingvild Holthe Bygdnes, Jon Erik Myre, Hans Morten Hansen, Steinar Klouman Hallert, and Filip Bargee Ramberg star.
Watch the official trailer for Kraken below.
Leviticus – In Theaters June 19
“Leviticus is a strong debut with an incisive voice at the helm,” I wrote in my review of one of this summer’s most anticipated releases that sees a vicious curse wreak havoc on young lovers and their conservative community. The latest from NEON arrives in theaters in the back half of June.
Joe Bird (Talk to Me) and Stacy Clausen play star-crossed teenage boys who must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most — each other.
Mia Wasikowska (Crimson Peak), Jeremy Blewitt, Ewen Leslie (The Nightingale), and Davida McKenzie (Silent Night) round out the cast of horror movie Leviticus.
The film comes from writer-director Adrian Chiarella.
Watch the official trailer for Leviticus below.
Rose of Nevada – In Select Theaters June 19
Enys Men filmmaker Mark Jenkin is back with a new hallucinatory, shot-on-film folk horror nightmare, the time-traveling Rose of Nevada arriving in select theaters.
In the horror film, “Three decades ago, the Rose of Nevada vanished at sea, along with its crew. Now, it has returned. In a remote fishing village, its reappearance is embraced as an auspicious sign, with the local citizens convinced the luck of their economically devastated community may turn, if only the ship sails again. Joining the crew is Nick (George MacKay), desperate to provide for his young family, and Liam (Callum Turner), a mysterious drifter eager to escape his past. After a successful voyage, they return to harbor, only to find that nothing is as they remember it.”
Rose of Nevada was written, directed, edited, and scored by Jenkin, who shot the film on a 16mm Bolex camera.
George MacKay and Callum Turner star.
Watch the official trailer for Rose of Nevada below.
Hold the Fort – On Digital June 23
Those in the mood for a scrappy indie horror comedy that rails against the insanity of HOAs should find much to revel in when Hold the Fort arrives on VOD on June 23. Witches, werewolves, and mayhem ensue.
In the film, “Lucas and Jenny think their life is finally coming together when the couple become homeowners. Little do they know that their new house comes with a big catch. Lucas and Jenny soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when they become trapped in a battle between their Homeowners Association and an onslaught of monsters from hell. The horror-comedy takes the timely concern of home-ownership and wraps this up in an entertaining action-packed thrill ride.“
William Bagley writes and directs the film starring Chris Mayers (Adult Swim Yule Log), Haley Leary (“The Walking Dead”), Levi Burdick, and Julian Smith.
Watch the official trailer for Hold the Fort below.
Hungry – On Digital June 23
The wildly unofficial adaptation of Hungry Hungry Hippos comes home to VOD after an extremely limited theatrical run. Rob Hunter called the animal attack flick “a terrific little survival thriller about an angry, angry hippo instead” in his review.
Hungry follows thrill-seeking tourists on a riverboat tour through the treacherous Louisiana swamplands. Lured off the beaten path by the promise of an exclusive adventure, they soon find themselves fighting for survival against a ravenous hippopotamus lurking beneath the bayou’s murky waters.
Madison Davenport (It’s What’s Inside), Tracey Bonner (Greenland), Michel Curiel (“She-Hulk: Attorney at Law”), Jim Meskimen (“Parks and Recreation”), Samantha Coughlan (Arcadian), Olivia Bernstone (Fighting with My Family), River Codack (“Happy Face”), and Joaquim de Almeida (Desperado) star.
James Nunn (Shark Bait, One Shot) wrote and directed.
Watch the official trailer for Hungry below.
Her Private Hell – In Theaters June 24
Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, The Neon Demon) is back with his first film in a decade, and it’s all but sure to be a conversation starter. Dreamy folklore, cryptic storytelling, and a stunning Giallo-esque vibe haunts the first teaser revealed so far since the film’s Cannes premiere.
In the film, “when a mysterious mist engulfs a futuristic metropolis, unleashing a deadly and elusive entity, a troubled young woman searches for her father. Her quest collides with an American GI on a harrowing odyssey to rescue his daughter from Hell.”
Sophie Thatcher (“Yellowjackets”), Charles Melton (“Riverdale”), Kristine Froseth (How to Blow Up a Pipeline), Havana Rose Liu (No Exit), and Diego Calva (Babylon) star.
The ensemble also includes Dougray Scott (Hitman), Aoi Yamada (Perfect Days), Shioli Kutsuna (Deadpool & Wolverine), and Hidetoshi Nishijima (Shin Ultraman).
Watch the official teaser for Her Private Hell below.
Strung – On Peacock June 24
Producers Tyler Perry and Jason Blum have joined forces on this Peacock original, promising all sorts of twisty psychological turns.
In the film, “A talented violinist takes a prestigious job as a music tutor for the gifted daughter of an influential and enigmatic family. As she becomes entangled in their opulent world, unsettling secrets begin to surface, forcing her to question her safety, her dreams, and even her sanity.”
Malcolm D. Lee (Scary Movie 5, Space Jam: A New Legacy) directs from a script written by Alan B. McElroy (Wrong Turn, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers).
Chloe Bailey (“Swarm“), Lynn Whitfield (Jaws: The Revenge), Lucien Laviscount (“Scream Queens”), Anna Diop (Us), Coco Jones (Vampires vs. the Bronx), Langley Kirkwood (“Banshee”), and Romy Woods star.
Watch the official trailer for Strung below.
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