Movies
[BD Review] Dutch Thriller ‘App’ Is A Fun, Interactive Experience
I’m happy to report that App is a kick ass thriller on its own and becomes more engrossing at times when the “second screen” tech is used. Of course there are some drawbacks and pointless moments of the experience. And I really hope the tech doesn’t catch on for major releases because it would be frustrating beyond belief to be in a theater of people constantly checking their cellphones. But for some home watching, this “second screen” stuff is pretty damn fun.
App stars Hannah Hoekstra as Anna, a young college student who one night shirks her studies to go to a new tenant’s welcoming party in her building. There she runs into her ex-boyfriend Tim (Robert de Hoog) and proceeds to get shitfaced on memory lane and copious amounts of tequila. But the hangover that greets her the following morning is the least of her problems.
Someone at the party downloaded a mysterious app on her phone: IRIS. At first it performs simple tasks, like searches and intuitively setting alarms for Anna. It’s like Siri, but with an eerie face that pops up onscreen during use. But soon IRIS starts tormenting Anna and those close to her in progressively more damaging ways. IRIS becomes a straight up app anarchist – one that won’t bow down when sim cards are changed out. As Anna struggles to stop IRIS’ reign of smartphone terrorism, she finds herself at the heart of a deadly conspiracy.
The plot is pretty straightforward and most viewers will see the twists coming a mile away. Still, App is a really solid thriller anchored by Hannah Hoekstra’s engaging performance as the hard-nosed, but vulnerable, Anna. The entire cast is really strong, including Isis Cabolet as Anna’s best friend and Alex Hendrickx as her brother. App is a sharp looking film too, with keen directing from Bobby Boermans. The man knows how to construct a thriller without having to over stylize – a crime lots of techno-thrillers are guilty of nowadays.
Does the “second screen technology” actually make the film more entertaining? In some regards it definitely adds weight to the suspense. There are a few moments when off-screen characters text each other and that works really well. Their text conversation comes up on your phone, which raises the tension as you see them scheme in real time. The text messages were definitely the best part of the “second” experience, but the video messages and real time recording of certain events work pretty well too.
Other times the tech is completely superfluous. Alternate angles are the best example of the experience at its worst. These extra shots add nothing to the narrative and felt like they served only to fluff out periods when the tech couldn’t be used for something more interesting. Wisely, Boermans matches up the “second screen” parts to shots in the film that aren’t crucial, so you won’t feel cheated when you look away. An alternate angle on your phone might appear during a long shot of Anna riding her motorcycle, for instance. The “second screen” doesn’t add anything to the narrative, but you won’t miss anything if you peek at it.
For better or worse, App is a big leap forward in the continuing merging of film and technology. Thankfully the filmmakers didn’t sacrifice a good film for the sake of a cheap gimmick. The “second screen technology” isn’t necessary to enjoy the film, but if you’re just kicking it a home, you might as well utilize it. I was genuinely surprised with how much fun I had with it.
App drops on May 9 on all digital platforms (and in select theaters, I think). To download the IRIS app for your iPhone or Android, text “IRIS” to 97000. It reacts to the film’s soundtrack, so make sure you’re not wearing headphones. The IRIS app also includes exclusive character bios and film stills.
This week brings the next installment in the M3GAN Universe, plus a critically acclaimed queer horror movie, two new shark attack movies, and even a Lifetime Original clown thriller.
Here are the new horror movies that released July 27 – August 2, 2026!
Fresh out of theaters, queer supernatural horror film Leviticus is now available on Digital from NEON. Writer-director Adrian Chiarella makes his feature debut with Leviticus.
Joe Bird (Talk to Me) and Stacy Clausen star as 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) co-stars alongside Jeremy Blewitt, Ewen Leslie (The Nightingale), and Davida McKenzie (Silent Night).
“Leviticus is a strong debut with an incisive voice at the helm,” Meagan Navarro wrote in her review out of Sundance. “We care deeply about Naim and Ryan’s survival, making Leviticus a tense, atmospheric, and claustrophobic vision of young love in a hateful world.”
Just in time for the annual Shark Week festivities, brand new shark attack horror movie The Devil’s Mouth debuted globally on Amazon Prime Video this past Wednesday.
Kathryn Newton (Abigail, Lisa Frankenstein, Ready or Not 2), Lana Condor (Pretty Lethal), Nico Hiraga, Gavin Casalegno, Tommi Rose, and Tayme Thapthimthong star.
In the film, “Five friends set out on one last adventure along Thailand’s stunning coast, eager for a final thrill before life in the real world begins. They sign up for a guided swim through a remote cave system known as The Devil’s Mouth, a natural wonder that’s as breathtaking as it is unforgiving. Deep inside the labyrinth of narrow waterways, their journey takes a terrifying turn when they discover that a freak storm the week before flooded the caves with sea life.
“The creatures died in the fresh water, but something survived… and it’s hunting them now— fast, silent, and deadly. Every corridor they round is overflowing with anxiety, and every wrong turn becomes a deadly encounter. As panic spreads and their sense of direction slips away, the group begins to fracture.
“Trust erodes, fear takes over, and survival becomes a savage game. In the suffocating darkness, every choice could be their last as they learn that to make it out alive, sacrifices must be made.”
Jeff Wadlow (Truth or Dare, Imaginary) directs the shark attack movie from a script he revised from Aja Gabel (“Sunny”) and Myung Joh Wesner (“Star Wars: Skeleton Crew”).
And speaking of new shark attack movies, Aura Entertainment brought director Jesse V. Johnson’s Above & Below to select theaters beginning Wednesday. Check local listings.
30 feet below. 10 minutes of oxygen. 1 apex predator.
In shark attack horror movie Above & Below, “Friends embark on a dream vacation of parties and diving, but their trip takes a terrifying turn when criminals attack them at sea.”
This one looks like every other shark movie that’s been released in the last several years, but it’s armed with something that puts it a fin above the competition. Oscar nominated actor Antonio Banderas stars in Above & Below, with the cast also including Christina Ochoa, Laura Marano, Timothy V. Murphy, Louis Mandylor, Jess Liaudin, Ryan Bertroche, Ramiro Alonso, Diego Llinás, Rodrigo Poisón, Mario Tardón, and Donncha Tynan.
Anthony Steven Giordano wrote the screenplay.
Pregnancy nightmare Son of Sara aims to be the next generation’s take on the horror classic Rosemary’s Baby, and it’s now available on Digital at home from Saban Films.
In Son of Sara, “A pregnant woman’s cravings turn sinister as her estranged boyfriend’s return coincides with a terrifying secret about the life growing inside her.”
The film stars Chloe Van Landschoot, Tymika Tafari, Garret Hnatiuk and Jane Moffat.
Canadian filmmaker Houston Bone directed Son of Sara.
There’s something seriously wrong with the newborn in dark fable Nightborn, the new horror movie from Hatching filmmaker Hanna Bergholm. It’s now streaming on Shudder.
In Nightborn, “With dreams of starting a perfect family, Saga and her British husband Jon move to the isolated house where she spent much of her childhood, deep in the Finnish forest. But as soon as their baby is born, despite the reassurance of all around her, Saga knows there’s something terribly wrong with her son. As their marriage starts to crack, Jon struggles to support his wife, but only Saga suspects the terrible truth about her newborn.”
Seidi Haarla (Compartment No. 6) and Rupert Grint (Knock at the Cabin, “Servant”) star in the Shudder horror film that’s been described as “a visceral, gripping and terrifying dark fable about motherhood and unconditional maternal love.” The movie’s cast also includes Pamela Tola, Pirkko Saisio, Rebecca Lacey and John Thomson.
Nightborn is inspired by Nordic folklore.
“Hanna Bergholm’s audacious sophomore follow up to Hatching delivers tension and shocking moments surrounding parenthood and self discovery — with a touch of humor,” said Shudder’s Emily Gotto. “We are thrilled to share Nightborn with audiences.”
Every so often, Lifetime premieres an original thriller that grabs hold of our attention and forces us to tune in. And they’ve got another one headed our way this weekend: Killer Clown.
Inspired by real stories, Killer Clown is a psychological thriller that explores trauma, memory, and gaslighting through the lens of a woman confronting the truth about her mother’s murder.
Premiering Saturday, August 1 at 8pm ET on Lifetime, Killer Clown stars Sara Paxton (The Innkeepers, The Last House on the Left, Weapons)! Watch the official trailer below.
Here’s the full plot synopsis: “Decades after witnessing her mother’s brutal murder at the hands of the Killer Clown, Elizabeth Helmer (Sara Paxton) remains haunted by the crime that shattered her childhood. When she begins investigating the long-unsolved cold case, Elizabeth becomes the target of a terrifying copycat stalker, forcing her to confront painful memories she has spent a lifetime trying to escape.
“As she searches for answers alongside her father Reed (David Cubitt) and husband Dan (Hamza Haq), Elizabeth uncovers a tangled web of family betrayal and long-buried secrets.
“As she closes in on the truth, Elizabeth must separate fact from manipulation and fight to survive before history repeats itself.”
Following Saturday night’s premiere, Killer Clown streams next day on the Lifetime app.
Killer Clown is directed by Annie Bradley and written by Katie Boland.
After multiple delays, Blumhouse Atomic Monster finally launches M3GAN Universe spinoff movie SOULM8TE directly onto Digital platforms this Saturday, August 1.
Lily Sullivan (Evil Dead Rise, Monolith) stars alongside Claudia Doumit (“The Boys”). The spinoff is described as a ’90s-style erotic thriller with a “new technological twist.”
David Rysdahl also stars in SOULM8TE.
The film follows a man (Rysdahl) who acquires an Artificially Intelligent android (Sullivan) to help him cope with the recent loss of his wife. In an attempt to create a truly sentient partner, the man inadvertently turns a harmless lovebot into a deadly soulmate.
Kate Dolan (You Are Not My Mother) directs. The filmmaker rewrote an original draft from Rafael Jordan (Salvage Marines), based on a story by James Wan, Ingrid Bisu and Jordan.
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