Midnight Prowlers

Director - Samspicolli

Starring - Lola Nevarez, Katie Stephens, and Cat Cutlass

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Be careful what you prey for"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) 

Rating (out of 5):

     I'm become a big fan of Blood Sick Productions recently.  I've collected all their releases by this point but I haven't had the time to review everything up to this point.  A few weeks back I had a Blood Sick and Donald Farmer double feature when I reviewed Little Bo Creep and Blood Bitch Baby.  I love their raw no budget style and how it mixes so well with the stories they release.  Sometime ago I bought a copy of their release Midnight Prowlers but never found the time to check it out until now.  I decided to work it into my October horror binge and finally check it out.  I'm glad I did.

     The film follows a new girl and her group of female friends who head out for a girls night.  They go out once a month when the moon is full to have a good time but as the night rages on, things take a bloody turn for the men that are unlucky enough to cross their paths.  

     I knew absolutely nothing about this film besides what little bit of the story was given away by the artwork.  I had no idea that the movie was a monster movie that had a run time of around 20 minutes.  I was expecting a feature length film but that is entirely my fault for not taking the time to read the entire description when I bought the film.  The acting in this one is pretty fucking solid.  The cast, from what I can find, had no prior screen experience yet they absolutely killed it in this one.  There was a few instances where the dialogue was a bit flat and awkward but the overall film was very well done.  The story for this one did throw me off a bit.  I was expecting a female gang style film with some fight scenes and a lot of attitude.  However, a 20 minute movie that switches it up at the end was a lot of fun especially for genre fans.  With that being said, I would have loved more of the ending with more of it being explored.  Maybe a sequel or a feature length remake could expand on this.  Finally, the film has some blood and minimal effects but nothing that would stand out among horror fans.  Character development and story was more important than memorable deaths.  Overall, Midnight Prowlers is a solid half hour for horror.  The cast really impressed me with how little experience they have and the story is enjoyable.  Check it out.  

M3GAN 2.0

Director - Gerard Johnstone (M3GAN, Housebound) 

Starring - Allison Williams (Get Out, Erased: The Murder of Elma Sands), Violet McGraw (M3GAN, The Haunting of Hill House), and Amie Donald (Sweettooth, M3GAN)

Release Date - 2025

Genre - Horror/Sci-Fi

Tagline - "Miss me?"

Format - Streaming (Online Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Blumhouse is often hit or miss with me.  Movies like Freaky, Happy Death Day, The Purge, and The Black Phone are just a few that I like.  However, it's not often that I cross paths with a Blumhouse flick that I actually enjoy.  They are known for doing quick cash grabs with bold titles from even bolder filmmakers.  Their films tend to fizzle out fairly early and extremely predictable.  A few years back they made waves among pop horror fans when they released M3GAN.  I was on the fence about the film but found myself actually enjoying it.  Hell, it was one of the few horror titles that my children actually enjoyed (they are kind of lame).  I was actually excited when news of a sequel broke and was looking forward to checking it out.  As soon as I could I hit play on it for review!

     The film once again follows Gemma (Williams) and her niece Cady (McGraw).  M3GAN had been destroyed and Gemma became an advocate for the usage of A.I. Cady is struggling with everything that has happened and no longer having M3GAN to help her cope with the loss of her parents.  When the military accidentally unleashes a trained assassin modeled after M3GAN, they both find themselves turning to M3GAN to save them when the new model has become self aware and Gemma could be her next target to destroy.

     M3GAN 2.0 abandons what made the first film so much fun for a more modern and sleek sci-fi feel that doesn't work.  Fans went into this one expecting more M3GAN with horror and was greeted with something completely different that not only disappoints but leaves a bad taste in the viewer's mouth.  The acting in this one is solid for the most part.  We are back with more unlikable characters especially the film's dual protagonists.  I found myself wanting the new sentient robot to take out Gemma and Cady through most of the film.  Don't get me wrong, I loved the cast but these characters are poorly written in my opinion and extremely unlikable.  I would much rather seen the film follow Cole and Tess over Gemma and Cady.  The story for this one abandons the horror element and goes for a more pop sci-fi vibe with some espionage scattered throughout.  The tone and style of the first film is what made it so much fun while the sci-fi aspect and predictability of the story makes this one a tough one to finish.  I'm always honest my reviews and this one is extremely tough to finish.  Finally, those looking for some blood and great effects will be very disappointed.  We get a lot of visual effects and a small body count but we don't get memorable deaths.  I went into this one expecting more fun kills and was very much let down.  Overall, M3GAN 2.0 feels almost like a joke played on the fans of the first film.  We have returning characters but nothing that made the first film so enjoyable returns in the sequel.  This is one I would highly recommend skipping.