Movies
[Review] ‘The Pack’ Delivers a Weak Attack
Oh, those wacky Aussies. The people from The Land Down Under have gifted the world of horror with the likes of Rogue, Snowtown, The Babadook and Wolf Creek, to name a few. Speaking of wolves, after years of directing commercials and shorts, Nick Robertson has gifted horror fans with The Pack (no relation to the 1977 film of the same name). The idea of a group of killer dogs always gets people going, and is far more believable than the oft-quoted stereotype of dingoes running away with your baby. It’s even scarier when they start doing it for fun, rather than sustenance. And this pack doesn’t mess around.
At a remote farm in rural Australia, Carla and Adam Wilson (Anna Lise Phillips and Jack Campbell) are finding life a bit rough. While Carla’s animal clinic is faring well, an increasing number of Adam’s livestock are being munched on. Throw in the bank becoming more insistent with money and their 18-year-old daughter Sophie (Katie Moore) resenting their decision to live out in the country, things aren’t so great. The sole member of the family who doesn’t mind is Henry (Hamish Phillips), who spends much of his time wandering around the property. However, the same pack of dogs that have been going after Adam’s livestock have decided that humans are much more tempting.
Atmosphere is always a key thing for films like this, and The Pack brings it in spades. Getting the expected night attacks in a pitch-black barn with only a flashlight out of the way, the film’s isolated and picturesque setting gets things off to a good start. Countless films have demonstrated that an isolated area is not only beautiful, but also leaves you stranded if things go south. From the establishing aerial shots at the start of the film and the various ground shots of Adam patrolling the property, it’s almost a no-brainer for Robertson to have this easy of a time communicating that to the viewer. Of course, things dramatically change once the sun goes down, and the tension and feeling of dread is increased. It helps that we don’t get a good look at the dogs when they attack (which seems odd given that everyone knows what a dog looks like), leaving the mind to fill in the blanks in its oh-so-devious ways. Purists will be happy that there’s little in the way of CGI, but at the same time, many attacks are suggested with quick shots of blood and snarling teeth. It’s not gratuitous, and does leave the mind to do its thing, but at the same time, you want to see the goods. Oh well.
As far as the cast goes, there’s nothing offensive about the performances here. Anna Lise Phillips and Jack Campbell turn in adequate performances, and the film gives us time to actually grow to like them. Thankfully, newcomers Hamish Phillips and Katie Moore don’t fall into the trap of annoying young actors, whose sole existence is to be one-note plot vehicles. Really, they too turn in appropriate performances. While the performances do well, the script starts to lead The Pack astray with some questionable happenings.
Getting the whole predictability of The Pack out of the way (quiet establishing first act, family bands together to fend off the siege for the rest of the film), the problems occur start with some rather unbelievable things, starting with the dogs themselves. While it’s established that the dogs are to the point of killing just for fun, apparently they also take joy in toying with the family. Prior to descending upon the farmhouse, the pack is seen to simply scare Adam while he’s out in the woods, rather than ripping him apart. Once they do reach the farmhouse, one dog is particularly keen to sneak past Carla and the kids rather than outright attacking them. Even the humans aren’t immune to the script. When an officer shows up at the house looking around for the dogs, Carla decides to just watch him instead of opening the window and yelling at him to get back in the car. Then you have Adam being attacked in his truck and surviving as the dog runs off, leaving Adam bloodied and vulnerable instead of dead. Oh, did I mention that for plot’s sake, Adam runs his truck into the cop car, effectively leaving the group no working vehicles to escape? Then you have Carla putting the kids in the cupboard to hide, forgetting that dogs can smell better than humans. Seems the script thought it was dealing with a human antagonist…
By this point, you’re probably thinking that The Pack is a throwaway waste of time. Well, it kind of is, but it’s at least somewhat entertaining. Getting the lame plot devices and nonsensical script elements out of the way, it’s a decent way to spend an evening if your expectations aren’t too high. The atmosphere and locale were definitely the highlights, and the acting by everyone involved won’t insult your intelligence if you don’t think beyond the individual characters. It’s not going to replace Cujo as one of the best “killer animal” movies, but you could do a lot worse.
July may not be as densely packed with horror releases as May, but it brings one of the year’s most anticipated titles along with a few new surprises and a long-awaited return of a visionary director.
It’s also the month of sharks. July brings the return of Shark Week, and horror is following suit accordingly with new shark horror.
Here are five new horror movies releasing in July 2026.
Lockbox – In Theaters July 3
The Last Exorcism director Daniel Stamm and Dark Castle Entertainment are back with Lockbox, adapting Soren Narnia‘s Knifepoint Horror Podcast story “Winthrop” by Emmy-winning playwright Justin Yoffe.
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.
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.”
Watch the official trailer for Lockbox below.
Evil Dead Burn – In Theaters July 10
After shattering nerves with spider creature feature Infested, director Sébastien Vaniček will unleash Deadite carnage in what might be a continuation of Evil Dead Rise. The filmmaker co-wrote the screenplay with Florent Bernard.
Evil Dead Burn is said to “unleash the franchise’s most savage and terrifying ride to date, blazing onto big screens with an all-new chapter of carnage and demonic mayhem.”
Souheila Yacoub, Tandi Wright, and Hunter Doohan lead the cast of the brand new Evil Dead movie alongside Luciane Buchanan, Errol Shand and Maude Davey.
In the film, “After the loss of her husband, a woman seeks solace with her in-laws in their secluded family home. As one by one they are transformed into Deadites—turning the gathering into a family reunion from hell—she comes to discover that the vows she took in life… live on even in death.”
Watch the official trailer for Evil Dead Burn below.
The Bay – In Theaters and on VOD July 17
Thanks to Jaws, July belongs to shark horror and the next shark attack horror movie swimming our way this summer features an animatronic shark that’s been created by SFX and animatronics company Bischoff’s.
“I’m delighted with the scale and performances we’ve delivered onscreen,” writer/director Phil Volken said. “The Bay’s going to completely immerse and terrify audiences worldwide!”
Francesca Eastwood (M.F.A., Clawfoot), Alexander Wraith, Dani Oliveros, and Ta’imua star.
In The Bay, “When their tour boat sinks in a shark sanctuary, two best friends must fight for survival to escape the shark-infested waters.”
Watch the official trailer for The Bay below.
Pinocchio Unstrung – In Theaters July 24
The “Poohniverse” continues to expand, this time with a gory reimagining of a certain little wooden puppet. Rhys Frake-Waterfield (Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey) writes and directs the fifth entry in the Twisted Childhood Universe, following Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey and its sequel, Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare, and Bambi: The Reckoning.
Richard Brake (Barbarian) stars in Pinocchio Unstrung as the obsessive Geppetto, with horror icon Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street) as the voice of Cricket.
Pinocchio is voiced by Jude Evan Lloyd and brought to life via a practical animatronic created by Todd Masters (“Tales from the Crypt,” Slither). Cameron Bell, Jessica Balmer, Jack Art Gray, and Peter De Souza-Feighoney round out the horror movie’s cast.
Pinocchio Unstrung unfolds “inside an elite London prep school. Created by Geppetto and influenced by a sinister Cricket, Pinocchio launches a violent crusade to carve himself into a real boy like his brother, one piece at a time…”
Watch the official trailer for Pinocchio Unstrung below.
Her Private Hell – In Theaters July 24
The Neon Demon director Nicolas Winding Refn gives his visionary spin on giallo film with his first feature in a decade, co-written with Esti Giordani (“Vida”). Pino Donaggio (Carrie, Don’t Look Now) composed the score. Expect vibrant style here.
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).
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.”
Watch the official teaser for Her Private Hell below.
Which of these July 2026 horror movies are you most excited for?
Other new nightmares this month include the psychological thriller Night Nurse releasing in select theaters on July 10 and dark fable Nightborn debuting on Shudder on July 31. Throwback horror Dead Media arrives in theaters on July 16 ahead of its Digital release on July 28, while Kathryn Newton kickstarts July with YA shark horror The Devil’s Mouth on Prime Video.
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.
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