The Bloody Disgusting-powered SCREAMBOX is home to a variety of unique horror content, from originals and exclusives to cult classics and documentaries. With such a rapidly-growing library, there are many hidden gems waiting to be discovered.
Here are five recommendations you can stream on SCREAMBOX right now.
Mix up your January Giallo viewing with Evil Dead Trap. Although its title invokes Evil Dead – and there’s a bit of Sam Raimi-esque kineticism in the camerawork – the 1988 Japanese film shares more in common with the lurid Italian thrillers: a mysterious killer, elaborate murder set pieces, gruesome violence, stylish cinematography, a dreamlike atmosphere, and an infectious synth score.
Upon receiving a graphic snuff film, a late-night TV host (Miyuki Ono) rallies a small production crew to investigate its origins at an abandoned military base. The story plays out in a manner that could be considered a slasher, but the big swing taken in the final act gives the film an otherworldly bend in the vein of James Wan’s Malignant.
Starry Eyes explores the dark side of Hollywood, but jealous so-called friends, sleazy producers, demeaning day jobs, and soul-bearing auditions are merely the beginning for struggling actress Sarah Walker (a tour de force first leading role from Alex Essoe, “Midnight Mass”).
After confessing that she will do whatever it takes to win the role in a new movie from an esteemed production company, she’s tested in more ways than she could ever imagine. The deliberate pace oozes atmosphere, coming to head in the final act as Sarah undergoes a hideous transformation that affects her both physically and mentally.
Influences drawn from David Cronenberg’s grotesque body horrors, the psychological grasp of early Roman Polanski, shades of David Lynch’s hazy reality, and a John Carpenter-esque score by Jonathan Snipes (Room 237) feel fresh when paired with writing-directing duo Kevin Kolsch & Dennis Widmyer’s (Pet Sematary) modern filmmaking approach.
A 2019 Sundance selection, The Wolf Hour is a blend of character drama and psychological thriller. Naomi Watts (The Ring) carries the film as an agoraphobic author struggling to hold onto what’s left of her declining sanity while being harassed by an unseen tormentor. Jennifer Ehle (Contagion) appears as her estranged sister.
Setting the story against the backdrop of the Summer of Sam murders and the New York City blackout of 1977 add an engaging tapestry. Writer-director Alistair Banks Griffin strikes an understated tone of paranoia and suspense, matched by the cinematography by Khalid Mohtaseb (The Pope’s Exorcist) and the score by Danny Bensi & Saunder Jurriaans (“Ozark,” The Autopsy of Jane Doe).
An atypical true crime thriller, The Black Mass follows 24 hours in the life of serial killer Ted Bundy as he stalks and ultimately murders a group of sorority girls. Rather than glorifying him as the handsome charmer he’s often characterized as, Bundy is portrayed as the sick creep we know him to be.
The supporting cast is populated by a number of familiar faces, including Jeremy London (Mallrats), Lisa Wilcox (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master), Susan Lanier (The Hills Have Eyes), Lew Temple (The Devil’s Rejects), Eileen Dietz (The Exorcist), and Kathleen Kinmont (Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers).
Indie horror actress Devanny Pinn’s feature directorial debut lends a voyeuristic perspective to the crimes. The first two thirds feel almost like a hangout movie, which will test the patience of some viewers, but the culminating killing spree is horrific without being gratuitous.
With Ryan Kruger’s Street Trash reboot now on SCREAMBOX, it’s the perfect time to revisit Jim Muro’s 1987 original splatterfest. As the tagline says, “If you’ve never seen a melt movie before… be prepared!” But vibrant, liquefying bodies are just one facet of the madness that is Street Trash.
There’s plenty of fun to be had with the goopy practical effects, but much of the depravity is unexpectedly bleak for what is ostensibly a horror-comedy about contaminated alcohol that reduces vagabonds to piles of neon slime. The social commentary smothered in New York City sleaze is akin to, yet distinct from, contemporaneous output from Troma and Frank Henenlotter.
Visit the SCREAMBOX Hidden Gems archives for more recommendations.
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