Movies
Case 39
“Alvart clearly favours scares over tension and loads the film with the former while completely ignoring the latter. There are countless jumps to be had, but most are delivered through actions inconsequential to the story (an alarm clock charms unexpectedly, a loud knock at the door) with little suspense generated even as Lillith becomes ever more unpredictable and threatening. “
Supernatural horror Case 39, director Christian Alvart’s English language debut, has had a chequered route to the big screen and sat in limbo for some time before a release was firmed up, so much so that his follow up film, Pandorum, beats it into theatres. For star Renee Zellweger though, who has a number of horror credits to her name from earlier in her career, it has not been a particularly successful return to the genre.
The Oscar winner stars as Emily Jenkins, a dedicated social worker who, for all intents and purposes, is married to the job. The children she sees on a daily basis are abused, unloved and living a life of pain and misery, especially little Lillith Sullivan (Ferland), a seemingly precocious young girl, damaged at the hands of her parents who want to ‘send her to hell.’ In steps Emily who rescues the young girl and signs up to be her foster mother, to provide her with the safe and supportive environment she needs. Only once the little sprog moves in things don’t go exactly to plan; people start dying in the most mysterious and violent of ways and Lillith’s now sectioned parents proclaim it to be the work of their delightful daughter.
Scary little girls with dark hair have become something of a perennial horror staple in recent years. The US penchant for adapting J-horror success stories such as The Ring and The Grudge for subtitle-fearing audiences brought all manner of dark-haired pale-skinned nightmares to our screens, and the similarly themed Orphan and the home grown The Children saw the younger generation visiting a whole load of anguish, shall we say, upon their elders. Case 39 then has ample company with its work cut out to distinguish itself from the pack, and it does so, but in the worst possible ways.
The secret behind little Lillith’s malevolence is, sadly, really quite apparent from the get-go, especially to genre-aficionados and Zellweger and the rest of the cast aren’t done any favours by Ray Wright’s overbearingly perfunctory script, with the dialogue offering up more than a few instances of cringe-worthy jibber-jabber. It is the execution though, which undermines the film’s integrity most.
Alvart clearly favours scares over tension and loads the film with the former while completely ignoring the latter. There are countless jumps to be had, but most are delivered through actions inconsequential to the story (an alarm clock charms unexpectedly, a loud knock at the door) with little suspense generated even as Lillith becomes ever more unpredictable and threatening. Ferland is utterly convincing as the troublesome young girl at the centre of the mayhem, and there are a handful of effective scenes (Emily’s social worker colleague has a particularly memorable encounter with a bathroom full of hornets) but the film mishandles its premise, playing genre cliches as if they were new, and a lack of wit, invention or self-awareness sees the whole shebang descend into farce. But of the entertaining variety, you see?
Check out Screenjabber.com for full coverage of FrightFest 2009.
The holiday weekend means a light week for new horror releases, but it does bring the return of Dark Castle Entertainment to select theaters. It’s being joined by 6 new horror movies.
Here’s all the new horror releasing June 29, 2026 – July 3, 2026!
For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.
You wished for it. The highest-grossing horror movie of the year (so far), Curry Barker’s Obsession, arrived on Digital on June 30.
In Curry Barker’s theatrical debut Obsession, after breaking the mysterious One Wish Willow to win his crush’s heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.
Michael Johnston (“Teen Wolf”), Inde Navarette (“Superman & Lois”), Cooper Tomlinson (“That’s a Bad Idea,” Milk & Serial), Megan Lawless (The Death That Awaits), and Emmy Award-nominee Andy Richter (“Conan,” Elf) star.
Based on a story by director James Kondelik (Behind The Walls) and a screenplay by Canadian writer Victor Rose, survival thriller Pitfall headed home to Digital on June 30. Family is murder in this Cineverse release.
In Pitfall, a young man becomes separated from his friends in the woods and plunges into a ten-foot pit lined with spikes, impaling his leg and leaving him helpless. As reality sinks in and his situation grows dire, he realizes the fall wasn’t an accident.
The film stars Richard Harmon (Final Destination: Bloodlines), Alexandra Essoe (The Pope’s Exorcist), and UFC champion Randy Couture (The Expendables) as the ruthless killer who stalks his prey in the woods. Marshall Williams (The Ice Road), Jordan Claire Robbins (The Umbrella Academy), and Matt Hamilton (Murder for Sale) also star.
The Amityville IP leans into Jaws with Amityville Shark House, just in time for the Fourth of July holiday too, as it released on Digital June 30.
Will Collazo Jr. (Amityville Thanksgiving) and Shawn C. Phillips (Amityville Karen) co-direct from a script they wrote with Julie Anne Prescott.
In the movie, after discovering an ominous shark idol hidden beneath the decaying floorboards, Richard unknowingly awakens an ancient and savage force. As the entity begins to merge with him, a quiet coastal town descends into blood-soaked chaos.
With each victim claimed, the monstrous predator grows stronger, fueling a cult’s belief that their dark god has been reborn. Now, the race is on to stop the carnage before evil consumes everything in its path.
Phillips and Prescott also star alongside Tasha Tacosa, Maritza Brikisak, Gigi Gustin (The Retaliators), Adam Marino, and Carl Solomon.
Available on Digital, Blu-ray, and DVD as of June 30 is Jacked, directed by John Fucile from a script he co-wrote with Simon Fraser.
The synopsis: “Set in the summer of 1987, JACKED follows two small-town teenagers whose day at the lake turns into a fight for survival after their car breaks down and they encounter a violent stalker.”
Marla Jean Robison, Tom Koch, Anthony Cipriani, Wynn Reichert, Kam Perez and Bella Marie star.
Get ready to work up a killer sweat and maybe spill some blood with Slashercise, a workout meets slasher hybrid that arrived exclusively on Bloodstream on July 1.
Written and directed by Ama Lea (Deathcember), the retro-styled feature follows “a masked killer known only as Meathead as he stalks the fitness clubs of Los Angeles, turning workout sessions into blood-soaked nightmares. As the city’s top trainers are picked off one by one, a group of determined fitness fanatics must fight back before they become the next bodies on the mat.”
Vanessa Decker (Stiletto), John Bloom (The Last Drive-In With Joe Bob Briggs), Spencer Charnas (Ice Nine Kills), Sarah French (Blind), Kelli Maroney (Night of the Comet), Sarah Nicklin (V/H/S/Halloween), Diana Prince (The Last Drive-In With Joe Bob Briggs), Jared Rivet (The Once and Future Smash), Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp), Tiffany Shepis (Victor Crowley), and Lisa Wilcox (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master) star.
After a record-breaking box office run, A24 and director Kane Parsons’ feature debut is heading back to theaters with bonus footage. AMC Theatres is unleashing Backrooms: Everything Must Go Editiontoday, July 3.
In the film written by Will Soodik, the owner of Cap’n Clark’s Ottoman Empire discovers a strange doorway in the basement of the furniture showroom. He sets out to explore the mysterious, liminal space, walking headfirst into a creepypasta nightmare.
Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsvestar.
AMC describes this release as a “theatrically exclusive post-credit” with additional footage from Kane Parsons. Expect 16 minutes of bonus footage, with the new version clocking in at 2 hours and 6 minutes.
The Last Exorcism director Daniel Stamm and Dark Castle Entertainment are back with Lockbox, in select theaters July 3. It adapts Soren Narnia‘s Knifepoint Horror Podcast story “Winthrop” by Emmy-winning playwright Justin Yoffe.
In Lockbox, “Seeking peace after her mother’s death, Ellen retreats to a rural town and takes in her severely traumatized cousin Winthrop. Their fragile domestic balance shatters when an erratic neighbor warns that Winthrop is dangerous. As strange phenomena escalate, Ellen must put everything on the line to defend Winthrop from a dangerous otherworldly entity determined to track him down.”
Lou Taylor Pucci (Touch Me, Evil Dead), Carla Gugino (The Haunting of Hill House, Gerald’s Game, The Fall of the House of Usher) and Katharine Isabelle (Ginger Snaps, Backrooms) star.
This week’s new release roundups are presented by Lockbox.
Be careful who you let in. Carla Gugino and Lou Taylor Pucci star in Lockbox, only in select theaters this Friday. Get tickets.
You must be logged in to post a comment.