Movies
The Thaw (V)
“In the end, The Thaw has a hard time getting past the been there, done that feeling that the film emits…”
What hath global warming wrought? The Prius? Leonardo DiCaprio? Recycled toilet paper that itches? Maybe a melting glacier in the Yukon unveils the carcass of a Mammoth whose body is infested with a prehistoric parasite that spells destruction for the whole human race. And to think, I was worried about saving the earth and my electric bill by switching to CFL bulbs.
Val Kilmer plays renowned scientist Dr. David Kruipen. Kruipen has discovered a mammoth body and is trying desperately to contain the outbreak lying under its flesh and, keep his estranged daughter Evelyn (Last House on the Left’s Martha MacIssac) from coming to the remote dig site. But thanks to Evelyn’s daddy issues, she’s headed up to the arctic with a batch of fresh-faced college kids to face pop’s head on. But, when they all arrive at the research station it begins to look like this lonesome desolate facility might just be their final resting place.
Sci-fi/Horror disguised as an eco-terrorism morality tale is really just a variation on The Thing. Only this time the thing(s) are tiny bugs that looks like a cross between a cockroach and an earwig. They get under your skin literally, lay a bunch of eggs, and pretty soon, you’re puking up your guts before they consume every inch of your flesh and leave you a slimy pile of bones and bloody guts.
In spite of all the grue, the film has a very clean, made-for-tv-movie look about it. The sets are sparse and the scenery is even more Spartan (they are in the middle of nowhere after all). It’s all pretty straightforward, with some passable characterizations from Kilmer (sorta phoning-in a standard pensive performance, we know he can do in his sleep) and MacIssac (who was much more effortlessly naturalistic in Last House on the Left). The rest of the gang are your standard issue cabin-in-the-woods horror movie types—the oversexed couple, the loaner and the stir-crazy lunatic who might just kill them all to save himself. It’s a set ’em up and knock ’em down thriller that offers only the most mildly distracting of modern twists to offset the textbook traumas that befall these kids.
In the end, The Thaw has a hard time getting past the been there, done that feeling that the film emits. It’s got lofty goals but like the characters suspect motivations in the script, they are problematic to pull off. Would it be worse if the film was preachy about its designs? Absolutely. But, by not making them terribly compelling it also fails to connect the view to the characters in the film. We don’t really feel a loss for MacIssac because it’s not really clear that she has lost anything in the film. Her big revelatory moment doesn’t carry the weight that it needs to make the narrative succeed. In fact, a lesser moment in the film where MacIssac is forced to strip in front of the others in order to prove she is not infected (a scene, I might add, that has been done many times before in other productions) is much more immediate and harrowing than anything in the films epic climax. Perhaps the filmmakers should have taken a cue from this scene and stripped their story down to a more raw and emotional place. Maybe then the audience could react with a little more human understanding and empathy to the tale they chose to tell.
A very hungry hippopotamus leads the charge for this week’s brand new horror releases, with Hungry now available at home along with four other new genre movies on Digital outlets.
Here’s all the new horror that released on Tuesday, June 23, 2026!
After a limited theatrical run, hippo horror movie Hungry is now available at home.
From writer and director James Nunn (Shark Bait, One Shot), 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.
Rob Hunter wrote in his review for Bloody Disgusting, “When all is said and done, Hungry is a genuinely solid animal attack film that succeeds in making its creature threat thrilling, entertaining, and, dare I say, educational?” Rob’s review continues, “Characters are grounded and engaging, the film moves well between suspense, character beats, and action, and the effects used to bring the hippo to life are highly effective and never feel like distractions.”
William Bagley‘s horror comedy Hold the Fort is now available on Digital.
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.”
Vertigo Releasing promises, “The horror-comedy takes the timely concern of home-ownership and wraps this up in an entertaining action-packed thrill ride.“
Chris Mayers (Adult Swim Yule Log), Haley Leary (“The Walking Dead”), Levi Burdick, and Julian Smith star in Hold the Fort, written and directed by William Bagley.
The latest from filmmaker Alex Noyer, Love Is the Monster is now available on Digital.
Madeline Zima (“Doom Patrol,” “Twin Peaks”) and Leonardo Nam (Werewolf by Night, “Westworld”) star as the unlucky couple discovering romance’s malevolent side.
“Following their marriage being rocked by infidelity, Ana and Justin attend an exclusive couples retreat in Finland, under the golden rays of the summer’s midnight sun. They join other international couples to experience the transformative teachings of the shaman and healer, Tiina, inspired by the ancient Finnish goddess of love and fertility, Lempo.
“Despite her doubts and some ominous first experiences, Ana gives the retreat a chance, but the thrill is quickly replaced by a battle for survival, as the influence of the divinity and the pagan rituals turn deadly. Couples’ problems lead to calamity, while Ana learns about the peculiar role she unwittingly plays in Tiina’s plans.”
Kimberly Sue-Murray (“The Boys”), Moe Jeudy-Lamour (“Ted Lasso”), Kristina Tonteri-Young (“Warrior Nun“), Milla Puolakanaho (Attack on Helsinki), and Sheila McCarthy (Women Talking) also star in Love Is the Monster.
Alex Noyer co-wrote the script with his Sound of Violence collaborator Hannu Aukia and Blair Bathory. Laurence Gendron joins Noyer and Aukia as a producer.
Samara Weaving (Ready or Not 2: Here I Come) and Kyle Gallner (Strange Darling) come together in Carolina Caroline, a sexy crime thriller now available at home.
It’s not a horror movie, mind you, but it’s worth a mention here all the same.
Kyra Sedgwick (Family Movie) and Jon Gries also star in the romantic crime thriller.
Director Adam Carter Rehmeier’s film stars Samara Weaving as Caroline Daniels, whose desire to leave her small Texas town brings her into the orbit of a charismatic con man (Kyle Gallner), and together they weave a path of crime and passion across the American Southeast.
Adam Rehmeier previously directed the films Dinner in America and Snack Shack.
Tom Dean wrote the screenplay for Carolina Caroline.
Described as a mash-up between Pumpkinhead and Cube, Round the Decay offers a fresh take on the monster movie formula with roots extending into psychological and folk horror.
The film is now available on VOD outlets at home.
Written and directed by Adam Newman (Everwinter Night), indie monster movie Round the Decay follows a young woman as she returns to the sleepy town of Newport’s Valley two years after a devastating tragedy and uncovers an all-consuming secret.
Victoria Mirrer leads a cast that includes Damian Maffei (The Strangers: Prey At Night), Sienna Hubert-Ross (Terrifier 3), Melody Kay (The NeverEnding Story III), Phil Duran (Breaking Bad), Sarah Nicklin (The Black Mass), Rachel Pizzolato (Mythbusters Jr.), and Roger Clark (Red Dead Redemption II).
Round the Decay boasts a practical creature designed by veteran special effects artist Greg McDougall (The Haunting of Hill House, Stranger Things, War of the Worlds).
This week’s new release roundups are presented by HUNGRY.
All aboard the swamp tour from hell – this hippo isn’t playing games…
HUNGRY is now available on Digital. Watch it now!
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