Let me know if you want a bonus episode of true scary stories!! Find us on Instagram or email me at chloesnotscared@gmail.com.

00:00-13:00- Intro / T’s Horror History / How We First Saw Bride of Frankenstein & Universal Monster Movies

13:00- 31:00- Brief Synopsis / Horror Sequel Tropes / Hays Code

31:00-1:04:00- Pretorius / Blind Man Scene / The Bride

1:04:00-1:21:00 - Remakes, Sequels & Double Features / Legacy / Outro

Please note, timestamps are estimates.

References:

• All things by TT Madden

• Crossness Pumping Station (mentioned by Chloe, apparently where they filmed the new Frankenstein according to a bloke on the train?!)

• Evolution of Horror podcast- Man Made Monsters Ep. 4 on Bride of Frankenstein (mentioned by Chloe)

• “We Don’t Belong Dead! A Definitive Reclamation of James Whale’s Bride of Frankenstein” Jason Lake on Gayly Dreadful

• Poor Things by Alasdair Gray (mentioned by Chloe)

• The Lady from the Black Lagoon by Mallory O’Meara (mentioned by TT)

• Thou Shalt Not picture (mentioned by TT)

• The Mummy Bumper Sticker (mentioned by TT)

Find Us:

• Visit TT Madden’s website.

• Follow TT on Instagram and Patreon.

• Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.

• Find other great film pods on the Now Playing Network.

The music and clips used in this episode are from Bride of Frankenstein (1935) trailer and film, used for educational purposes.

Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to get new reviews and special features, please subscribe to my Substack. Thank you for listening!

Also, we recorded a bunch of scary stories –including one about a haunted clothes hanger– and then it all deleted mysteriously so, let me know if you want a bonus episode telling our true scary stories!! Find us on Instagram or email me at chloesnotscared@gmail.com.

00:00-14:00- Intro / Bree’s Horror History / How We First Saw The Descent

14:00- 42:00- Brief Synopsis / Nature is Scary / Characters including Crawlers

42:00-55:00- Behind the Scenes / Fight Scenes / Ending

55:00-01:18:00- Sequels / Double Features / Outro

Please note, timestamps are estimates.

References:

• Beneath the Scenes Featurette (Bree mentioned)

• Cinephilia Beyond- “Neil Marshall’s The Descent at 20”

• Final Scene (the UK version)

• House of Ashes game (Bree mentioned)

• Into the maelstrom- Roger Ebert Review- August 3, 2006 (Chloe mentioned)

• The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King (Chloe mentioned)

• Bree & I also talked about Rose Red last year (listen here)

Find Us:

• Find Bree watching horror movies at my house.

• Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.

• Find other great film pods on the Now Playing Network.

The clips used in this episode is from The Descent (2005) trailer and film, used for educational purposes.

Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to get new reviews and special features, please subscribe to my Substack. Thank you for listening!

00:00-28:00- Intro / IFF Boston Recap / Matt’s Horror (and Hitch) History / How We First Saw The Birds

28:00-54:00- Brief Synopsis / Script / Characters (mostly Melanie, Lydia, & Annie)

54:00-01:07:00- Building Tension / Special Effects

01:07:00-01:25:00- Short Story / Sequels / Double Feature Ideas / Score / Outro

Please note, timestamps are estimates.

References:

• Alfred Hitchcock: The Complete Films ed. by Paul Duncan (mentioned by Chloe)

• All About the Birds documentary (in part on YouTube)

• Daphne DuMaurier’s The Birds (short story)

• Dial P for Podcast on Director’s Club (Patrick Ripoll’s podcast)

• Evolution of Horror episode from Nature Bites Back series (Roar & Grizzly Man)

• Horror Queers Podcast (episode about The Birds)

• Joe Dante/ John Carpenter in a documentary about The Birds (mentioned by Matt, on his DVD)

• Read Chloe’s piece in 5 Years about The Birds

• Sequel to The Birds and The Birdemic Trilogy

• Trailer for The Birds (1963)

• Trautonium (early synthesizer used in The Birds)

Matt and I talked about Hooptober back in 2025 (listen here) and we also talked about Suspiria with the wonderful Jenni Schofield last summer (listen here).

Find Us:

• Follow Matt on Letterboxd and visit Independent Film Festival Boston.

• Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.

• Find other great film pods on the Now Playing Network.

The sound and clips used in this episode is from The Birds (1963) trailer and film, used for educational purposes.

Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to get new reviews and special features, please subscribe to my Substack. Thank you for listening!

Please note that child death is a major plot point in The Orphanage (2007) so we do talk about child death throughout.

00:00-18:00- Intro / How Brittany Got Into Horror / How We First Saw The Orphanage

18:00- 32:00- Brief Synopsis / The Haunted House Genre

32:00-56:00- Scariest Scenes (The Games, Bathroom, Medium) / The Devastating Ending

56:00-01:22:00- Double Feature Ideas / Readalikes / Outro

Please note, timestamps are estimates.

References/Books Mentioned:

• The Orphanage- DVD Special Features

• My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen (Brittany mentioned)

• Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman (Chloe mentioned)

• Let Them In by William Friend (Brittany mentioned)

• Out There Screaming (anthology mentioned by Chloe mentioned)

• On the Calculation of Volume I by Solvej Balle (Chloe mentioned, time loop)

• Such Lovely Skin by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne (Brittany mentioned)

• This Cursed House by Del Sandeen (Brittany mentioned)

• The Salvage by Anbara Salam (Chloe mentioned for main character similarities only)

• Lupita Nyong’o and her cat (Hollywood Reporter, June 4, 2024)

Find Us:

• Follow Brittany on Instagram and read along with The Diverse Baseline on Storygraph.

• Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.

• Find other great film pods on the Now Playing Network.

The sound and clips used in this episode is from The Orphanage (2007) trailer and film, used for educational purposes.

Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to get new reviews and special features, please subscribe to my Substack. Thank you for listening!

Lee Cronin’s The Mummy:

Hokum:

Scary Movie 6:

Backrooms:

Obsession:

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma:

Mother Mary:

Exit 8:

Disclosure Day:

The release dates are US-based and could change.

What new horror movies are you most excited about? See you back here in a few weeks with a fabulous guest who you may recognize!

Find Me:

• Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.

• Find other great film pods on the Now Playing Network.

Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to get new reviews and special features, please subscribe to my Substack. Thank you for listening!

If you watch before you listen, please note that Poltergeist (1982) contains heavy strobe lights.

00:00-19:00- Intro / How Kathy Got Into Horror / How We First Saw Poltergeist / Our Own Paranormal Investigations

19:00-36:00- Brief Synopsis / Domestic Horror Elements

36:00-50:00- Paranormal Investigation Elements / Special Effects

50:00-01:07:00- Ending(s) / Sequels & Remakes / Score / Reception

01:07:00-01:19:30- Showing Your Kids Poltergeist / Double Feature Ideas / Outro

Please note, timestamps are estimates.

References:

• Granger House Museum (where Chloe went ghost hunting)

• Horror Writers Association- Chicagoland Chapter (where we met!)

• The Little Girl Lost S3E26 (1962)- Twilight Zone episode

• Poltergeist- S1E2 (2020)- Cursed Films episode

• Scariest Places on Earth (paranormal reality show from the early 2000’s in which Zelda Rubinstein does the voiceover)

• Snopes on Poltergeist using real skeletons

Find Us:

• Follow Kathy on her website and buy The Nowhere Series.

• Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.

• Find other great film pods on the Now Playing Network.

The sound and music used in this episode is from Poltergeist (1982) trailer, film and soundtrack by Jerry Goldsmith, used for educational purposes.

Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to get new reviews and special features, please subscribe to my Substack. Thank you for listening!

And listeners from across the pond: please forgive our terrible British accents. We love you!

00:00-17:16- Intro / How Anna Got Into Horror / How They First Saw An American Werewolf in London / Our Opinions on Werewolf Movies

17:16-53:00- Brief Synopsis / Dreams / Werewolf Rules / The Brits v. Americans / Genre Hybridity

53:00-01:14:00- Effects & Thriller Music Video / Double Feature Ideas / Outro

Please note, timestamps are estimates.

References:

• Horror Queers Podcast- An American Werewolf in London episode (mentioned by Anna)

• How “American Werewolf in London” Transformed Horror Comedy- Joshua Rothkopf, August 19th 2016, Rolling Stone

• In Black & White by Jan Mark (kids book mentioned by Chloe)

• Jenny Agutter Interview with David Childs (1981)

• John Landis reveals his original plan for An American Werewolf in London sequel- Gary Collison, December 3rd 2017, Flickering Myth

• Michael Jackson’s The Making of Thriller

• Rick Baker’s Makeup Behind-the-Scenes clip

• “Thriller” Music Video- Michael Jackson

Find Us:

Follow Anna’s Letterboxd and Bluesky.

Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.

Find other great film pods on the Now Playing Network.

The sound and music used in this episode is from An American Werewolf in London (1981) trailer and film, used for educational purposes. I could’ve added SO many clips— each line is classic and hilarious— but it’s better to watch the movie and experience for yourself!

Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to get new reviews and special features, please subscribe to my Substack. Thank you for listening!

The Wolf House (2018)- dir. Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña

La casa lobo or The Wolf House (2018) is a Chilean stop motion film by debut directors Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña. The animation used in this film is a mixture of drawn and stop motion, in the style of the Brothers Quay. The Wolf House follows a young girl named Maria who is attacked and flees to a house with two pigs, Ana and Pedro. Taking inspiration from fairy tales like The Three Little Pigs and the real life Colonia Dignidad, The Wolf House is truly uncanny and was called “the darkest animated film ever made” by Indie Wire.

Perfect Blue (1997)- dir. Satoshi Kon

Perfect Blue (1997) is one of my favorite horror thrillers, perhaps because I saw its twin Black Swan at a formative time in my life. Perfect Blue did it first and best, though, by renowned filmmaker Satoshi Kon. Mimi decides to leave her J-pop group to be a full time actress, but she is being stalked and people close to her keep ending up dead. Is it her committing the murders? Made by Madhouse (the same studio who produced Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust), this anime is dark as hell and gorgeously shot, gaining a well-deserved cult status. Seek it out, if you haven’t yet seen it.

Mad God (2021)- dir. Phil Tippett

American animator Phil Tippett has been working on Mad God for over 30 years, when it was finally released on Shudder in 2021. In this stop-motion hellscape, a man in a gas mask travels through the underworld with a map and a suitcase. Like some of the movies on this list, this avant-garde surrealist film is best enjoyed as a showcase of animation talent rather than a straightforward beginning-middle-end narrative. Tippett, who worked as an animator and visual effects artist on films such as Jurassic Park and Starship Troopers, is truly the master of his craft.

Felidae (1994)- dir. Michael Schaack

Felidae (1994) is a grisly German detective story about a housecat named Francis who is investigating a series of murders in his neighborhood. Directed by Michael Schaack and based on a novel by Akif Pirinçci, the film is apparently the most expensive German animated film ever produced. Felidae was recently mentioned on my podcast from Genre Grinder’s Gabe Powers (it was released as a BluRay in early 2025). This movie is like a Don Bluth film with a gritty gruesome noir at its core– truly unlike anything you’ll ever see.

Seoul Station (2016)- dir. Yeon Sang-ho

As another installment in the Train to Busan series, Seoul Station (2016) directed by Yeon Sang-ho is a prequel to the 2016 live-action Korean film. The movie features Hye-Sun, a woman who runs away from her life at a brothel and gets wrapped up in a zombie apocalypse. An animated zombie movie is quite rare, especially when the original film was live-action, but Seoul Station does not disappoint.

The House (2022)- dir. Emma de Swaef, Marc James Roels, Niki Lindroth von Bahr, Paloma Baeza

I’ve been seeing advertisements for this next movie and thought “that can’t be a horror movie, can it?” The House (2022) is a British stop-motion anthology horror series on Netflix, all stories within the same house featuring various critters and creatures. The first story follows humans, the second follows rodents and the third follows cats in a post-apocalyptic landscape. With voice acting from Mia Goth, Jarvis Cocker and Miranda Richardson (amongst others), The House is a creepy little gem inspired in part by the graphic novel Here by Richard McGuire (now it’s own feature film).

Fear(s) of the Dark (2007)- dir. Christian “Blutch” Hincker, Charles Burns, Marie Caillou, Pierre di Sciullo, Lorenzo Mattotti, Richard McGuire

Fear(s) of the Dark (2007), is a French anthology film animated in various styles, drawn animation, and both 2D and 3D computer animation, all in black and white. Ranging from nightmares to dog attacks to possessions, this 5-part anthology film has diversely imagined tales of terror. Speaking of Richard McGuire, comic book artists direct these segments including McGuire himself, and Charles Burns of Black Hole (also talked about on this blog). If you’re at all squeamish about animal stuff (violence against animals, metamorphosing into insects), steer clear. For everyone else, check this one out!

Spirited Away (2001)- dir. Hayao Miyazaki

Spirited Away (2001) is one of my favorite horror movies, one of my favorite Studio Ghibli movies, one of my favorite Hayao Miyazaki movies… I could go on. When moving to the countryside, Chihiro and her family make a pit-stop at an abandoned resort. Her parents get greedy and thusly, are turned into pigs. In order to save them, Chihiro must get a job at a bathhouse in the spirit world. While this movie features a cast of mainly ghosts and other supernatural kami, it’s not a scary movie (despite a few scary scenes).

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)- dir. Henry Selick

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) is a classic must-see Halloween/Christmas mashup. Many people refer to this as a Tim Burton film, but it was directed by Henry Selick, produced by Burton with many creative efforts from Burton’s other films such as writer Michael McDowell, composer Danny Elfman, and actor Catherine O’Hara. The film follows Jack Skellington of Halloweentown as he discovers Christmastown and tries to reconcile the two cultures. While the film is a Gothic comedy, there are very scary moments (remember when horror for kids used to be actually scary?).

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1949)- dir. Jack Kinney, Clyde Geronimi

Okay… The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1949) is more of a short, but it has some unforgettable shots of the Headless Horseman and it’s a classic Disney flick so I’m counting it. Originally billed alongside The Wind in the Willows as “The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad,” this short film is narrated by Bing Crosby and based on the horror story by Washington Irving. Icabod Crane is a superstitious schoolmaster who is caught up in a scheme to impress a woman, Katrina. It’s classic gateway horror that you can watch with your kids or on your lunch break.

There’s just something magical about an animated film, whether you’re old or young, and horror animation is no different. What is your favorite animated horror movie?

Please note that suicide is a major plot point of this film so we do discuss suicide throughout. In a less serious production note, Kevin the Cat makes an appearance and meows around 25-30 min and at around the hour mark. Apologies!

00:00-14:30- Intro / How Tom Got Into Movies & Horror / How We First Got Into J-Horror & Pulse

14:30-39:00- Brief Synopsis / Themes of Ghosts, Tech & Loneliness

39:00-01:01:00- Score & Sound Design / Special Effects / The End

01:01:00-01:19:00- The American Remake / Video Game Playalikes / Double Feature Ideas / Outro

Please note, timestamps are estimates.

References:

• Arrow Video Release of Pulse (mentioned by Tom; Kurosawa interview)

• Chris’ Guide to Understanding Japanese Horror (6/12/2011)

• Emerging Cinema Master- Kiyoshi Kurosawa on DVDTalk

• J-Horror- Guide to the Unknown podcast episode (4/29/2020) (they also recently did an episode on the American remake of Pulse)

• Lost Decades (Wikipedia)

• The Psychosocial Dread at the Heart of Japanese Horror by Michael Atkinson (10/29/2024)

• Whistle and I’ll Come to You movie (mentioned by Chloe re: sound design)

Books mentioned:

• Asian Horror by Andy Richards (mentioned by Chloe)

• White Noise by Don DeLillo (the first book Tom & I read together and it shares some similarities with the end of Pulse, actually!)

Follow Tom on Letterboxd and Instagram.

Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.

Find other great film pods on the Now Playing Network.

The sound used in this episode is from the Pulse (2001) trailer and film, used for educational purposes.

Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you’d like to meet a ghost and get new reviews and special features, please subscribe to my Substack. Thank you for listening!

Read more

00:00-21:00- Intro / How Ashley Got Into Horror & Stephen King / How We First Saw (& Read) The Shining

21:00-33:00- Brief Synopsis / Is It a Good Adaptation?

33:00-01:09:00- The Hotel / The Iconic Imagery / Characters (mostly Dick & Danny)

01:09:00-01:28:00- Score / Double Feature Ideas / Outro

Please note, timestamps are estimates.

References:

• Director’s Club: Mike Flanagan podcast (Chloe was on this pod talking about Doctor Sleep)

• Gen(d)erations: Wendy Carlos’ Life and Work Show the Beauty (and Trauma) of Being Openly Trans on Them Magazine by Samantha Reidel (10/10/2019)

• The Institute- Loser’s Club podcast (mentioned by Ashley)

• Making of the Shining documentary directed by Vivian Kubrick (mentioned by Chloe)

• Room 237 (documentary Ashley mentioned)

• Stephen King on Letterman talking about The Shining film (8/18/1980)

• Timberline Lodge- Overlook Hotel from The Shining article on Oregon Live

Books mentioned:

• The Bloomsbury Guide to Stanley Kubrick (mentioned by Chloe)

• Doctor Sleep by Stephen King (sequel to The Shining)

• The Institute by Stephen King (another entry in the “shine” canon)

• The Shining by Stephen King

• Why We Love Horror: Essays on Horror Literature (mentioned by Chloe)

Follow Ashley on Instagram.

Listen to The Losers Club: A Stephen King Podcast and Keep It Weird (listen or watch).

Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.

Find other great film pods on the Now Playing Network.

The sound used in this episode is from The Shining (1980) and an 1980’s Stephen King interview on the David Letterman show (linked above) used for educational purposes.

To contribute to my Danny’s Apollo sweater fund, please subscribe to my Substack. Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you for listening!

Read more

Carnival of Souls (1962) is very easy to find online, so please give it a watch before listening. We spoil this movie and other movies with a similar twist (movies more than 20 years old). We also briefly mention depression including suicidal ideation, anxiety, and trauma.

00:00-19:00- Intro / How Patrick Got Into Horror / How We First Saw Carnival of Souls

19:00-36:00- Brief Synopsis / The History of Carnival of Souls

36:00-01:07:00- Performances / Themes of Gender, Mental Health and Alienation

01:07:00-01:22:00 The Hitch Hiker / Double Feature Ideas / Outro

Please note, timestamps are estimates.

References:

• An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce (the short story Carnival of Souls was based on)

• Dance Little Children (1961)- one of Herk Harvey’s educational film on STI’s

• Interview with Carnival of Souls’ Director Herk Harvey

• The Hitch Hiker Radio Play- Suspense, Episode 11

• The Hitchhiker S1E16 (1960)- Twilight Zone Episode

• The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act- Isaac Butler (book mentioned by Chloe)

• Too Many Cooks & Great Choice (unsettling shorts mentioned by Patrick)

• Watch Carnival of Souls (1962)

Find Us:

• Follow Patrick’s podcasts (96 Greers, Tracks of the Damned, Wizard Jail)

• Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.

• Not Playing Network

The sound bites used in this episode are from the trailer and clips from Carnival of Souls (1962) and audio from Dance Little Children (1961) is used for educational purposes.

Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. For exclusive episodes, subscribe at a paying level to my Substack. If you enjoy my work, this is the best way to financially support me! Thank you for listening!

In this episode, we talk to:

• Author TT Madden (Ep. 11- Tales from the Hood)

• Gabe Powers from Genre Grinder (Ep. 10- Zombi 2)

• Matt Epp (Ep. 3- Suspiria 2018)

• Jim Laszkowski from Director’s Club (Ep. 9- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre)

• Paige Sechrest (Ep. 7- Us)

• Chad Evans (Ep. 8- Halloween III: Season of the Witch)

• Betsy Tomszak from Books with Betsy (Ep. 5- The Evil Dead)

• Bree Tighe (Ep. 2- Rose Red)

• Luther Moss (Ep. 1- Bram Stoker’s Dracula)

• Actor Ben Tracy (Ep. 4- Red Eye)

• Jenni Schofield (Ep. 3- Suspiria 2018)

Thank you to every single guest who appeared or recorded with me on Not Scared this year.

We mention the films (in no particular order):

• Sinners (2025)

• Bring Her Back (2025)

• Night of the Eagle (1962)

• It Ends (2025)

• Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025)

• Nosferatu (2024)

• Harvest Brood (2025)

• Felidae (1994)

• 28 Years Later (2025)

• Hex (1980)

• Best Wishes to All (2022)

• A Hyena in the Safe (1960)

• Weapons (2025)

And we also briefly mention the new movie Father Mother Sister Brother (info about IFF Boston screening here)

Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.

Find other great film pods on the Now Playing Network.

Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. For exclusive episodes, subscribe at a paying level to my Substack. If you enjoy my work, this is the best way to financially support me! Thank you for listening!

Please note, the audio is not up to my standards— I edited it the best that I could and Julia sounds great and that’s what matters! Thank you Julia for bearing with me and we’ll have to have you back for another episode with better audio. But moreover, thank you for showing me this amazing film!

00:00-16:00 Intro / Haunted House Attractions / How Julia Got Into Horror / How We First Saw Vampire Hunter D / Discussions on Anime and Manga

16:00-29:00- Brief Synopsis / Aesthetics

29:00-45:00- Characters / Settings / Directing Animation

45:00-1:01:00- Double Feature Ideas / Themes of Immortality and Forbidden Love / Outro

Please note, timestamps are estimates.

References:

Ghosted by Roz Hernandez (podcast mentioned by Chloe)

Weird Illinois (weird state series mentioned by Julia)

“The Western Eastern: Decoding Hybridity and CyberZen Goth(ic) in Vampire Hunter D (1985)” by John Edgar Stein in their book Draculas, Vampires and Other Undead Forms (2009) (mentioned by Chloe)

Find Us:

Follow Julia’s Instagram.

Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.

Find other great film pods on the Now Playing Network.

The sound used in this episode is from the trailer and clips from Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust (2000) used for educational purposes.

Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. For exclusive episodes, subscribe at a paying level to my Substack. If you enjoy my work, this is the best way to financially support me! Thank you for listening!

10. Mansect- Koga Shinichi

Read Mansect here.

Mansect was first published in 1975, but it’s reissued again by Smudge and it’s new to me so I’m counting it! Translated by Ryan Holmberg, Koga Shinichi’s horror manga follows Hideo, a reclusive man who befriends insects and takes them home. Pretty soon, he turns into one. This is a transformation tale almost akin to a werewolf, where the book explores where the man stops and the insect begins. I highly recommend this for Junji Ito fans, but also fans of Roger Corman and monster movies from the 1960’s, which undoubtedly influenced Mansect.

9. Sick Houses: Haunted Homes and the Architecture of Dread by Leila Taylor

Read Sick Houses here.

I joke with my friends that the only nonfiction that I read are books about ghosts, but sometimes its true. This book talks about how real haunted houses influence our famous haunted houses in media, and visa versa. I admired how author Leila Taylor stretches the definition of a haunted house to dollhouses, serial killers’ houses, the Winchester Mystery House and more. It also makes connections about how we think about ghosts and hauntings in the United States. It made me want to read her other book, too!

8. The Possession of Alba Díaz- Isabel Cañas

Read Alba Díaz here.

Isabel Cañas is so good at melding a romance story with a horrific backdrop. Though The Possession of Alba Díaz is one of her scariest (and most adventurous) books, I would recommend it for the scaredy cats out there. To avoid a plague, Alba, her parents, and her fiancé Carlos flee to a silver mine. Alba meets Carlos’ cousin Elías, a broody (hot) alchemist. But something is lurking deep within the mine. I especially liked how Alba’s consciousness was written during moments of possession; it helped humanize her even when she was acting as the demon within her. A Gothic girl’s dream, perfect for readers who want to yearn a little in their historical horror.

7. The Salvage by Anbara Salam

Read The Salvage here.

It’s 1962, Scotland. Marta is commissioned to dive and retrieve Captain Purdie’s remains as well as all valuables from a shipwreck. But the townsfolk are cliquey and Marta isn’t sure who to trust. In this fun underwater folk horror, The Salvage explores themes of otherness in the threat of nuclear disaster. This is a definite slow burn, but I really liked the queer themes and the isolation of an insular Scottish town. I read this during a snowstorm and it was completely perfect conditions.

6. Why I Love Horror- Edited by Becky Spratford

Read Why I Love Horror here.

Eighteen essays from the world’s biggest horror writers about what draws them to this morbid genre. Many cite aspects that also drew me into the genre, such as Stephen King; thoughts of quicksand, spontaneous human combustion, and crop circles; small town urban legends and more. Others gravitate towards horror due to the darkness in their upbringing or society. I especially recommend Alma Katsu, Grady Hendrix, Cina Pelayo, Victor LaValle’s stories, though all are spectacular. Before this book, many of the authors rarely (or never) shared their horror origin story… but they did for Becky Spratford. Full disclosure: I know Becky and Sadie (who wrote the prologue to this book) but even so, I was delighted to read about why these horror writers love the genre.

5. Killer on the Road- Stephen Graham Jones

Read Killer on the Road here.

The book opens to a hitchhiker getting picked up by a trucker. They’re both bantering, trying to figure out if the other is a serial killer a la Scream. Spoiler: one of them is definitely the titular killer. Killer on the Road is half of a book that also holds the novella The Babysitter Lives, which is absent from this list. To me, Killer embodies SGJ’s masterful talent to blend horror, quick wit and loveable characters across the backdrop of the quintessential American setting: a highway with a teenage hitchhiker beside it.

4. Victorian Psycho- Virginia Feito

Read Victorian Psycho here.

The titular “Psycho” is Winifred “Fred” Notty, a young governess hired by the Pounds family, who “coincidentally” comes from the town where all the babies end up dead. Fred isn’t like other governesses– she doesn’t really care about her pupils and likes to sink her teeth into raw meat. But don’t worry, the kids don’t care much for her either. Quirkiness is given tenfold in this darkly comedic horror thriller (your mileage may vary on the blood and/or jokes). In the same vein as horror staples such as Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist, Victorian Psycho- which already has an A24 film in the works- is destined to be a freaky little classic.

3. The Hounding- Xenobe Purvis

Read The Hounding here.

Is The Hounding a horror novel? It’s mysterious magical realism and about witches, so guess what, we are counting it as a slow-burn horror with a literary fiction vibe. The Hounding begins in 18th century Little Nettlebed, an English town with a creek running through town, as the town prepares for the ferryman’s wedding. The five Mansfield sisters, grandchildren of a wealthy blind man, are simultaneously under attack as the ferryman (a notorious drunkard) said that he saw them turn into dogs. I believe the negative reviews of this book are a case of mismatched expectations. If you want to read a book about women turning into dogs, you won’t get that. Instead, you get (in my opinion) a much more unique perspective of the girls, told by the outsiders looking in and in turn, an examination of how information is disseminated. It is also a very terse novel– not a word wasted. Debut author Xenobe Purvis is a talent to watch.

2. Strange Pictures- Uketsu

Read Strange Pictures here.

Strange Pictures is a Japanese mystery horror novel that took me completely by surprise this year. Written by popular Youtuber Uketsu (whose real identity is unknown as he wears a creepy mask in his videos), Strange Pictures uncovers nine drawings and the macabre backstories behind each one. A paranormal club discovers a random blog with unsettling drawings posted. A dead body of an art teacher has a single sketch on his person during the time of his death. While it was originally published in 2022 in Japanese, Strange Pictures and its companion, the not-as-great Strange Houses, were translated into English by Jim Rion for the first time this year. For a scary fun time, pick up Strange Pictures!

1. The Buffalo Hunter Hunter- Stephen Graham Jones

Read Buffalo Hunter here.

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter was not only my favorite horror book of the year, but my favorite books of the year period. The novel begins with workers, who are demolishing a wall in an old church, finding a manuscript from 1912. The manuscript, a diary written by Lutheran pastor Arthur Beaucarne, ends up in the hands of Professor Etsy Beaucarne who hopes the pages within will illuminate her ancestors and lead to her tenure. Pastor Beaucarne’s account of a Blackfeet Indian named Good Stab, who has lived a long and interesting life and may be seeking more than just your average confession.

It’s no secret that Stephen Graham Jones is my favorite author, but I do think this book is very different from his others. The Buffalo Hunter Hunter is definitely more somber in tone, and while his signature wit and humor is throughout, it’s less in-your-face. While some of the horror is the gnarliest that I’ve ever read from Jones, it’s nothing out of the ordinary from a typical Western. It’s a book that I would recommend both for general book clubs who read historical fiction, and also horror-specific book lovers, similar to Tananarive Due’s The Reformatory. And much like that book, The Buffalo Hunter Hunter explores the idea that it’s not enough to be against racism, but you must be actively anti-racist (thank you, Ibram X. Kendi!). This is Dr. Jones’ masterpiece.

Honorable mentions: Listen to Your Sister by Neena Viel, Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle, Student Bodies by TT Madden

What is your favorite 2025 horror book?

00:00-11:30- Intro / How Isabel Got Into Horror / Discussion of Horror for Kids / How We Saw The Watcher in the Woods

11:30-20:00- Brief Synopsis / Differences Between Movie and Book / Scary Moments

20:00- Acting / Music / Characters

42:00- The Watcher / Alternative Endings / Themes of Mothers and Isolation

57:00-1:03:00- Double Feature Ideas / Outro

Please note: timestamps are estimates.

We forgot to mention that there’s also a remake of this movie from 2017 starring Anjelica Huston made for the Lifetime Channel. To me, it doesn’t have the same type of movie magic, but it exists.

References:

Evolution of Horror Podcast (our mutual fave!)

The Watcher in the Woods by Florence Engel Randall

The Watcher in the Woods is Smart Gateway Horror- Certified Forgotten article written by your’s truly (support their podcast too!)

Find Us:

Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.

Find other great film pods on the Now Playing Network.

The music used in this episode is from the trailer and clips from The Watcher in the Woods (1980) used for educational purposes.

Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. For exclusive episodes, subscribe at a paying level to my Substack. If you enjoy my work, this is the best way to financially support me! Thank you for listening!

10. Good Boy- dir. Ben Leonberg

Todd (Shane Jensen) and his dog Indy move into Shane’s late grandfather’s cabin as Todd battles an unknown disease. The story, primarily told through Indy’s point-of-view, is a haunted house story at its heart. A few good jump scares and some incredible animal acting, Good Boy is an indie horror that is a little sad and a little scary in tandem. Don’t worry, the dog is only in very minor peril and is ok at the end. And if I, a cat person, enjoyed this film, so will you.

9. 40 Acres- dir. R.T. Thorne

In this post-apocalyptic family drama, director R.T. Thorne imagines a collective run by an African American and Native American family against a zombie outbreak in his film 40 Acres. Matriarch Hailey (Danielle Deadwyler) runs a tight ship and she has to: the outbreak threatens her family’s daily life. But when her teenage son develops a crush on an outsider, the dynamic threatens her family in ways she could never imagine. Deadwyler is a joy to watch in any role, and it was a blessing to see her star both in this and The Women in the Yard this year.

Read more: Chicago Critics Film Festival 2025 Roundup

8. Den Stygge Stesøsteren (The Ugly Stepsister)- dir. Emilie Blichfeldt

This takes the cake for being one of the most disgusting movies of the year (complementary). Written and directed by Norwegian filmmaker Emilie Blichfeldt, The Ugly Stepsister stars Lea Myren as Elvira, one of the stepsisters of Cinderella. Elvira longs to be beautiful and with toxic encouragement from her mother (Ane Dal Torp), she begins to take drastic measures to make herself palatable for the prince’s ball. Fans of body horror will rejoice in this gross satire on the beauty industry and fairy tales.

Read more: 11 Excellent Fairy Tale Horror Films

7. Opus- dir. Mark Anthony Green

Pop star Alfred Moretti (John Malkovich) announces his newest album in 30 years, exclusively inviting some of the biggest names in podcasts, social media, talk shows and more, plus mysteriously inviting a burgeoning young print journalist Ariel (Ayo Edbiri). This culty movie has some of the most gorgeous shots in any movie this year. And despite middling reviews, I’m firmly in the camp that Opus is just misunderstood. Knowing that director Mark Anthony Green used to work in journalism makes so much sense, as the backdrop of this horror is a cynical cautionary take on new media.

6. Mārama- dir. Taratoa Stappard

In this anti-colonial Gothic revenge horror by director Taratoa Stappard, Mārama follows a Māori woman (Ariāna Osborne) in the year 1859 as she attempts to gain information about her birth parents in North Yorkshire, England. While there are an exorbitant amount of jump scares, the slow burn dread and the color palette makes up for it. I hope this movie receives the wide release that it deserves ASAP because Osborne truly blew me away with one of the most powerful horror performances of the year– her haka was legendary. For fans of the book Mexican Gothic who don’t look away from violence of all kinds.

5. 28 Years Later- dir. Danny Boyle & Alex Garland

I’m not usually a Danny Boyle or Alex Garland fan but I really loved what they did with the new film 28 Years Later in the post-apocalyptic franchise. Spike (Alfie Williams), a 12 year old living safely on an island, accompanies his father Jamie (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) into the mainland to hunt zombies and scavenge. When they return, Spike hears rumors of a doctor on the mainland and becomes more confident to take his mother (Jodie Comer) to get medical help. A powerful and bleak commentary on masculinity and violence, 28 Years Later really resituates the franchise at the top of the horror game. With a score by Young Fathers, what’s not to love?!

4. Weapons- dir. Zach Cregger

Everyone has Weapons fever and the success of the sophomore feature from director Zach Cregger (Barbarian) speaks for itself. The movie, presented from several POV’s in a nonlinear style, explores the event in which teacher Justine Tandy’s (Julia Garner) class disappears all on the same night… all except one child. With some notable jump scares from Amy Madigan, this film ratchets up the tension until its terrifying conclusion. Cregger’s movies are crowd-pleasers and guarantee to make you jump, even if you’re just watching it on Halloween with your friends.

Read about Cregger’s Barbarian: Best Horror Movies of 2022

3. みなに幸あれ (Best Wishes to All)- dir. Yuta Shimotsu

I saw Best Wishes to All in a midnight screening and perhaps I was enchanted by the magic of that experience, but I also found that it was simply just a well-made J-horror film. Mentored by director of The Grudge Takashi Shimizu (who is ultimately a producer on this film), debut director Yuta Shimotsu shows his surrealist horror chops by following a young nursing student (Kotone Furukawa) who travels back to her grandparents’ house in the country only to discover a shocking unpleasant truth about her family’s success. The theme of familial sacrifice has permeated the horror scene in 2025, but in my opinion, Best Wishes to All does it best.

Read more: Chicago Critics Film Festival 2025 Roundup

2. Frankenstein- dir. Guillermo del Toro

Frankenstein is the movie that Guillermo del Toro has been itching to make for years. Hell, I’d argue that he’s already made it a few times over. Oscar Issaac stars as the titular Victor Frankenstein, whose experiments yield The Creature (Jacob Elordi). GDT knows how to make a lavish Gothic wonderland and while some of the green-tinting is less-than-desired in my opinion, I still marvel at the near-Steampunk aesthetic of the sets and gorgeous garments, especially the dresses on Elizabeth (Mia Goth). The music by Alexandre Desplat is a match made in heaven. Mary Shelley would’ve been very happy to see her work portrayed like this (until that quote by Lord Byron at the end).

Read more about GDT’s other films: Guillermo del Toro Filmography Ranked

1. Sinners- dir. Ryan Coogler

Of course Sinners is going to be the best movie of the year. It may be the best movie of the decade so far. The story follows two brothers, Smoke and Stack (both played by Michael B. Jordan), as they return to their hometown in Mississippi from Chicago to open a juke joint. The sly businessmen enlist their cousin Sammy (Miles Caton) to play the blues. That’s really all I’m going to tell you because if you haven’t seen it yet and you’ve avoided spoilers this far into the year, then I’m not going to be the one to take that fun moment away from you. But yes, it is a horror movie. It’s also a musical, a drama, a comedy at times, and everything in between.

I wrote this in my Letterboxd review, but Sinners reminds me of the sprawling nature of a John Steinbeck novel. You immediately get endeared to the cast of characters (even the evil ones) and you get treated to some beautiful dialogue about the nature of humanity against the backdrop of hard working conditions of, in this case, the American South. Music owes so much to Black Americans and director Ryan Coogler shows this in an intricate cinematic language, infused with action and horror elements. To me, it’s just the perfect film, full stop.

Read more (spoilers ahead): 20 Books to Read If You Liked Sinners

Honorable mentions: Hell of a Summer, Him, It Ends, Rabbit Trap, The Running Man, Shelby Oaks

TW: discussions of violence and racism (throughout), domestic abuse (Boys Do Get Bruised) and lynching (Hard Core Convert)

If you watch before you listen, please note these content warnings especially the section Hard Core Convert which has archival footage of images from lynchings and heavy strobe lights.

00:00-10:00- Intro / How TT Got Into Horror / How We First Saw Tales from the Hood

10:00-19:00- Brief Synopsis / Discussions on Short Form Storytelling

19:00-39:00- Welcome to My Mortuary (Wrap-Around) / Rouge Cop Revelation / Boys Do Get Bruised

39:00-50:00- KKK Comeuppance

50:00-1:05:00- Hard Core Convert / Themes of Systemic Racism / Performances

1:05:00-1:17:00- Watchalikes / Where to Buy TT’s Books / Outro

Please note: timestamps are estimates.

References:

Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror (documentary mentioned by TT, can be streamed on Shudder)

Horror Noire anthology tv show (mentioned by TT)

‘Tales from the Hood’ Director Rusty Cundieff: Why It Took 20 Years to Make a Sequel to His Black Horror Anthology, by Eric Kohn, Indie Wire, July 13, 2018

Twenty-Five Years Later and Still Haunted in the ‘Hood’- Pod of Madness

Books mentioned:

Dark Paths: A Queer Horror Romance Collection by TT Madden

The Neon Revelation by TT Madden

Out There Screaming: An Anthology of New Black Horror edited by Jordan Peele (mentioned by Chloe)

When the Reckoning Comes by LaTanya McQueen (mentioned by Chloe)

Visit TT Madden’s website, and follow them on Instagram and Patreon.

Follow Chloe’s Letterboxd and Instagram.

Find other great film podcasts on the Now Playing Network.

Listen to Guide to the Unknown podcast!

The music used in this episode is from the soundtrack and clips from Tales from the Hood (1995) used for educational purposes.

Listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. For exclusive episodes, subscribe at a paying level to my Substack. If you enjoy my work, this is the best way to financially support me! Thank you for listening!

Then, we pop over to the Yautja territory to discuss Predator: Badlands (18:00-24:00), to Finland to talk Sisu: Road to Revenge (24:00-29:00) and finally wrap up in the dystopian world of Edgar Wright’s The Running Man (29:00- 36:00). We also talk about the new The Bride! (2026) and Wuthering Heights (2026) trailers, Speed Racer (2008), and a discussion on how there should be a Best Animal Actor category for the Academy Awards. The only spoiler is that we liked (and recommend!) all of these films.

Please note: timestamps are estimates.

The clips used in this episode were from the trailer for Frankenstein (2025) and “Yautja Prime” from the soundtrack of Predator: Badlands (2025) used for educational purposes. I was lucky enough to see an advanced screening of the first three movies— thank you Allied for the opportunity.

Follow me on Instagram or Letterboxd if you want more horror hot takes.

Thank you SO MUCH for subscribing! Be sure to tell your friends to listen to “Not Scared: A Horror Movie Podcast” on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

If you’re thinking “oh wow, I wish I could listen to this episode,” go ahead and subscribe on Substack. If you enjoy my work, this is the best way to financially support me! Thank you for listening!

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