(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters.  If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment.  If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
 
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Follows Sloane and four other students who take shelter in their high school during a zombie outbreak.”
 
Someone once wrote that zombie movies – across all of their iterations – say more about us as a people – i.e. how we deal with chaos, how we cope with loss, what we’re willing to do to survive – and I suppose that’s true.  Though I haven’t spent a great deal of time invested in planning how I and mine might approach the inevitable Zombie Apocalypse, I’ve certainly watched enough movies to give me a respectable range of alternatives with which to eke out a modest attempt at seeing another sunrise.  Mind you: I’m no spring chicken, but I do like to think that I’m only as old as I feel, and presently I’m feeling like I’d have a serviceable chance so long as I paired up with like-minded folks who were equally intent on dishing out more shots to the head than they’re willing to receive.  That always seems to do the trick … so long as real zombies follow the rules laid down in film.
 
From what I’ve read, 2025’s This Is Not A Test is actually adapted from a 2012 Young Adult novel by Courtney Summers; and – on one level – that’s painfully obvious.  There are no mature voices anywhere across the story’s spectrum; and any who are hinted at are done so more as expressions of oppression and/or deception, a common thread that unites a great deal of YA literature.  An absent mother.  An abusive father.  Why, even the high school English teacher – Mr. Baxter (played Luke Macfarlane) – exists here entirely as a voice of authority who shouldn’t be trusted nor taken into the confidences of the – ahem – all-knowing students (about whom Test is consumed).  He’s even painted as a kinda/sorta closeted predator who stays in the shadows so that he might keep his lustful eyes on one of his pupils; it’s only the Apocalypse who brought him out of his shell, and he’s eventually left for dead (though “payback is a bitch”) when push comes to shove in this teenage-heavy End Times struggle.
 
After a clunky and protracted set-up which has flashbacks unfolding within flashbacks, Sloane Price (Olivia Holt) and her fellow students sequester themselves safely inside Cortez High School not long after civilization collapses.  Inside, they fortify their position by securing the doors and windows as best they can; and – trusting they’ll need to last for some time before rescue – they gather as much food, water, and ‘lost and found’ clothing as the institution can provide.  Only then do they feel safe enough to begin engaging in the usual teenage rituals of sitting around, talking about their feelings, reflecting upon how their lives have been unfair up to this point, and succumbing to their hormones.  At this point, Test tries very hard to adapt the tenor of one of the better John Hughes’ movies, but these paper-thin creations don’t quite have enough of the right stuff to make writer/director Adam MacDonald’s effort feel like much more than a cautionary After School Special.
 
Structurally, Test has a good foundation. 
 
2004’s Dawn Of The Dead (from Zack Snyder) made great use of the quintessential shopping mall as its setting for a great deal of the action and intrigue.  Test rather smartly swaps that out in favor of a school gymnasium and then allows its players to make their way about the dimly lit hallways and classrooms for most of its 100+-minutes run time; but MacDonald’s script never quite finds much good symbolic use of a place committed for higher education serving as a survivor’s camp at the end of the world.  Instead, he invests in great deal of teen-level exchanges – i.e. constant quibbles over who’s in charge, why didn’t daddy love me enough, etc. – leaving what could’ve minimally been an efficient chiller to have little-to-no momentum.  The best moments are those infused with zombie-contact, but there’s so little of that in here that one wonders what audience might ultimately show up and take notice.
 
Where Dawn Of The Dead differs significantly, however, is with its various characters.  The Snyder film benefits from folks whose motivations range from good to borderline nefarious, and a great deal of audience investment gets derived from altercations between these conflicting mindsets being isolated but attempting to collaborate if only for survival’s sake.  MacDonald’s Test has little-to-none of this, instead choosing to exploit mild ‘power trips’ between the script’s small handful of males attempting at various times to be the sole ‘alpha.’  Given the fact that none of them really have any notable life experience with which to back up their respective opinions, there just isn’t anything worth latching on to in the mix.  In contrast, Test ends up making just random noise – the kind that anyone trapped in extended quarantine might make, much less those with zombies howling at the front door – and that’s a whole lot of nothing special.
 
This Is Not A Test (2025) was produced by Anova Pictures, Blue Fox Entertainment, BondIt Media Capital, North Avenue Pictures, and WorldOne Entertainment.  The publicity materials provided to me suggests that the picture is chiefly available for streaming on Shudder.  As for the technical specifications?  While I’m no trained video expert, I can assure readers that the provided sights and sounds are quite good: MacDonald is no slouch at constructing the action sequences, but there really needed to be more of them in order to elevate this one beyond a one-timer.  Lastly, if you’re looking for special features?  As I viewed this one via streaming, there were no special features to consider.
 
Alas … only Mildly Recommended.
 
The truth is that there really are no bad zombie movies, provided that there are zombies in it; and that’s where This Is Not A Test (2025) fails to meet minimal standards.  With only handfuls of the walking dead and only even a handful of furious encounters between the living and the deceased there’s a decided lack of theatrical tension between all involved; and writer/director MacDonald fills that void barely enough teen angst and tween-ish melodrama to make this one feel more like 1985’s The Breakfast Club than it does Dawn Of The Dead (2004), which, at least, it structurally resembles.  Though I wanted to care about the characters, there just isn’t any compelling reason to hope that they can avoid being turned into zombie chow; and that will always – always – hurt the end result.
 
In the interest of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Shudder provided me with complimentary streaming access to This Is Not A Test (2025) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review.  Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.

-- EZ
​

(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters.  If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment.  If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
 
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A young woman takes a new weight-loss pill and the fat she sheds returns in the form of her blood-thirsty doppelgänger.”
 
How far one’s willing to go in pursuit of the ‘perfect you’ is the central subject of screenwriter Avra Fox-Lerner and director Nathan Hertz’s interesting THINestra (2025), a deliciously cautionary Horror/SciFi entry that fundamentally dabbles in the somewhat overexposed social commentary over being careful what one wishes for.  What starts out as just another day in the life of mildly overweight video editor Penny (played winningly and evilly by twin sisters Michelle and Melissa Macedo, respectively) quickly evolves into the tale of science-gone-awry when the latest ‘get thin quick’ drug – THINestra – induces side effects which might include homicidal tendences, split personalities, metastasized doppelgangers, and even cannibalism (though it never explains why). 
 
And here you thought that the uncomfortable bloating was bad?  Just wait until you develop a hankering for your snooty boss’s second chin!
 
It’s the holiday season.  Rather than wait until the New Year to lose a few unwanted pounds, Penny swears off anything remotely fattening over the next few weeks so that she can once again fit into her preferred outfits.  Naturally, this means skipping just about every sugary concoction that makes the silly season worth celebrating.  But a chance encounter with a Russian model on her latest photo assignment swings open doors unimagined when the lovely lady drops a packet of THINestra into Penny’s chubby fingers, warning her that not everyone has the stomach for the potential side effects.  (Egad, will we never listen?!?!)  For a time, common sense prevails, and Penny sticks to her gameplan of trying to trim her girth with diet and the local spin class.  However, the young urban professional eventually reaches a breaking point; and she succumbs to the temptation of chemical intervention.  After a single pill produces noticeable results overnight, she realizes she’s found a way to both eat what she wants – literally anything she wants – and still drop more than a few pounds.  Because this is Horror (after all), complications arise once she uncovers a latent desire for – you guessed it – human flesh.
 
Like so many didactic thrillers of late, THINestra’s script suffers from the fact that Penny really has no positive male role models in her life.  Hollywood hates the supportive man and all they’ve done to society, so – by design – the film layers on more than a few irresponsible ones who contribute to our protagonist’s jilted perspective.  While her mother admirably does all she can to prop up her daughter’s flailing self-esteem, the underlying reality of Penny’s day job – namely that size (or lack thereof) matters most in modeling – continually shifts the woman’s psyche into overdrive; and she can’t escape the desire to perhaps look better than she feels.  Naturally, our lead character is already trapped in a world of Body Horror – albeit one of her own psychological design – so her road to ruin can and will only be paved with her own best intentions.  Despite some positive attention from Josh (Gavin Stenhouse) – her attractive and already desirous neighbor who already accepts her as she is – Penny can’t help but push herself to the limits of what a safe weight-loss program would be.
 
Not unlike 2024’s The Substance (the Demi Moore led chiller) and perhaps even a bit derivative of the idea, THINestra’s magic relies on its magic pill, science be damned.  While The Substance effectively turned the ‘old you’ into a ‘younger you,’ the entire sordid affair was a biting commentary on our society’s unhealthy fixation on beauty standards.  Both scripts here still conveniently ignore the fact that, eventually, it is the individual who makes the bad choice to risk life and limb on unproven medicine.  Heck, in THINestra it’s even a woman – the model – who irresponsibly shares her pills with Penny; but call me an insensitive male for reminding everyone involved that momma always said not to take drugs from strangers.  These ladies would rather be squeegeeing the sweating and oozing fat off their bodies with wash cloths (in stomach-churning sequences, so be warned), so there’s something still to be said about personal responsibility.
 
Essentially, THINestra’s own fascination with body image kinda/sorta derails the narrative to the point wherein it gets difficult to distinguish between what’s really happening and what could be transpiring between Penny and her kinda/sorta evil twin.  At one point, the film clearly suggests that Evil Penny is a being grown from the fat cells she from the host body; but the remainder of the film includes scenes and sequences which imply there’s really only one Penny after all.  This constant back-and-forth of what’s authentically taking place muddies too much of an otherwise interesting psychological thriller, one which has its own Dr. Frankenstein turning himself (or herself) into her own monster; and a bit of clarity – instead of so much visual trickery – could’ve gone quite a ways toward clearing up the confusion.  As it stands, what remains isn’t bad … just bloody confusing.
 
THINestra (2025) was produced by Dogplayer, Hitmakers Media, Mary Ellen Moffat, and Stay Lucky Studios.  The included press materials inform me that the film will be available for streaming effective April 14, 2026.  As for the technical specifications?  While I’m no trained video expert, I can assure readers that the provided sights and sounds are quite good throughout, though (as mentioned) I did find it a bit difficult to distinguish between fantasy and the story’s intended reality in a few spots.  Lastly, if you’re looking for special features?  As I viewed this one entirely via streaming, there were no special features under consideration.
 
Mildly Recommended.
 
While imperfect, THINestra (2025) gets decent enough mileage out of the Body Horror conceit of what impact the pursuit of the perfect you might unintentionally lead a woman to do.  The problem lies chiefly with the execution as director Hertz never quite comes clean over what precisely is happening with Penny: is she simply developing a craving for human flesh, or has her shed fat somehow metastasized into a living, breathing, eating being that wishes for a life of its own?  A bit more clarity – and a bit less visual symbolism – might’ve better positioned this cautionary tale for its time in the spotlight.  Still, it’ll always be instructive and ironic that a flick about weight loss suffered from a little narrative bloat, no?
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Breaking Glass Pictures provided me with complimentary streaming access to THINestra (2025) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review.  Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.

-- EZ
​

(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters.  If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment.  If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
 
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A young woman is abducted by a monstrous figure intent on raising her as their own child.”
 
It’s often been said that Horror – as a type of storytelling all of its own – only works because its characters are fundamentally stupid.
 
Now, there’s really no reason to discount that reality.  While some of the players who find themselves wrapped up in these dark and sometimes sordid tales aren’t clinically stupid, they’re still apt to – ahem – do stupid things: this is the very nature of dealing with heightened and life-threatening circumstances which interrupt the logical thought processes which comprise much of our living experience.  When we have time, we think – we mull over the opportunities – and only then fashion a game plan or attack strategy to overcome obstacles.  In horrific situations, we’re largely left to our instinct and impulses – maybe even muscle memory – and we just don’t have the kind of time required to develop an effective mission statement.
 
None of this changes the fact that Chase (played by Seann William Scott) and Macy (Fabianne Therese) make some incredibly dumb maneuvers in their time trapped and suffering from Dolly aka BabyGirl (Max The Impaler), a rather gargantuan incarnation of the preferred household figure of little girls around the world.  Trapped under a kinda/sorta porcelain doll’s mask with one broken glass eye, Dolly is a living, breathing, hulking nightmare – one that cannot and will not be denied – who will stop at nothing to have a little human figurine to call her very own … even if she has to kill it in the process.  As any potential victims in just about any Horror picture, neither Chase nor Macy know enough to ‘get while the gettin’s good,’ and they suffer some horrible pains as a consequence.  Such is life … and film.
 
Essentially, Dolly works on a narrative level not all that dissimilar to 1974’s groundbreaking The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.  In that Tobe Hooper production, a gang of friends making a road trip to pay their last respects stumble upon a seemingly deserted country home to the strangest band of raving cannibals known to man.  One-by-one, they’re dispatched by Leatherface and friends, leaving Hooper’s final girl Sally (Marilyn Burns) to finally flee for her life with what little remains of her sanity in tatters.  Writer/director Rod Blackhurst does much the same here – Chase and Macy are taking an idyllic backwoods hike when things take their fateful turn – but, structurally, a lot of what unfolds does so formulaically.  The particulars are changed, but the equation remains the same.
 
Where Blackhurst does falter will likely cause problems with sensible thinkers.  In an early sequence, Dolly literally splits Chase’s face in two horizontally when she uses a shovel to viciously separate his jaw from his skull, then places the inert young man prone against a nearby tree as part of her assortment of woodland dolls.  Doing so would likely have had the victim drowning from the flow of blood from an open wound, but – somehow miraculously or because the script required it – Chase survives and can even somehow magically speak and scream sounding reasonably normal.  (Seriously, just try screaming the name ‘Macy’ without using your jaw.  I’ll wait.  It just can’t be done, but it happens here.)  Our loving couple are eventually reunited, but their reunion really serves as little more than a chance for Dolly to finish off the unwanted man in even greater grisliness.
 
Additionally, Blackhurst script mostly spirals into – ahem – tortuous predictability once everyone knows that Dolly emotionally seeks to be a mother figure over those she captures well off the beaten path.  She carries Macy back to the home, dresses her in a baby gown, and places her in an oversized crib.  She tries to feed Macy, first, with chopped up gruel or a baby bottle until ultimately settling on – ahem – breastfeeding her captive.  She longs to have the young woman held and rocked to sleep on her lap.  Eventually, even Macy figures out the rather obvious psychological implications, and she uses this mother/daughter dynamic to turn the tables and make her escape.  When it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it becomes the adage here; and Dolly definitely sticks to the mold, tropes and all.
 
Like a great many efforts that have come to pass in the past few decades, Dolly invests heavily on the physical and psychological torture of its victims; and because there are so few characters in this some might lose interest even though it barely clocks in at 80-minutes running time.  It grows a bit wearisome watching all of this happen on only Chase and Macy – yes, there’s another player mixed into the shuffle, but I’ll leave that little spoiler to those wondering just how ‘family’ figures into it – and that’s a legitimate complaint.  Macy is imbued with the usual endless girl power stamina (while looking all of 90-pounds soaking wet) that percolates throughout a great many thrillers and chillers, but who am I to rock the boat that’s stayed afloat all these years?  At this point, Horror is what it is; and Dolly meets the standards appreciably while not quite rising to the level of being a ‘standard-bearer,’ if you catch my meaning.
 
To the film’s credit, Dolly has earned a wee bit of extra attention from screenings on the film festival circuit; and – for what it’s worth – that comes as no surprise to this viewer.  Festival audiences tend to be a bit more enthusiastic about damn near any and all oddities, and the motion picture rather capably capitalizing on the kinds of tropes that make for acceptable genre entertainment.  The sum total of the pieces may not reach the level of praise required for wider audience adulation – positive curves tend to flatten out when casual viewer impressions are factored in – but it’s still worth mentioning that Horror (unlike other film types) is built on the backs of small audiences because they’re more cheaply produced.  That’s why we see so many of them.
 
Lastly, there is a brief – very brief – after credits scene for those who still like and appreciate those bits.  Disappointingly (without spoiling anything), it’s really hardly worth the effort, but it is there if you’re willing to fully go the distance.
 
Dolly (2025) was produced by Gentile Entertainment Group, Mama Bear Productions, Mama Bear Studios, Monarque Entertainment, Set Point Entertainment, and Witchcraft Motion Picture Company.  A quick Google.com search indicates that the film will be available for streaming on Shudder effective April 24, 2026.  As for the technical specifications?  While I’m no trained video expert, I can assure readers that there’s a fair amount of herky-jerky camerawork across the film that occasionally gets in the way of appreciating the weird visuals.  As for aesthetics?  This isn’t the first flick to maximize creepy children’s dolls for set dressing, but it might be the one remembered most for it.  There’s also one sequence where the light levels were clearly not matched up from scene to scene (some obvious blue lighting), and it shows.  Lastly, if you’re looking for special features?  Since I viewed this one via streaming, there were no special features to consider.
 
Recommended.
 
While it’s safe to suggest that Dolly (2025) isn’t going to be to everyone’s like, Horror – unlike other genres – maintains a core audience to generally shows up regardless of how gut-wrenching, exploitative, or downright depraved a project might be; and that almost guarantees that this weirdly fetishistic film might someday earn at least a cult status.  Though it may not break new ground, the film still maintains a pervasive gruesomeness – think ‘torture porn’ – that harkens back to what The Texas Chain Saw Massacre did back in 1974.  Terrorizing the ‘final girl’ is one thing, but dragging her all the way from sane to clinically insane definitely hits that sweet spot for those willing to endure the journey in order to reach the destination.
 
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Shudder provided me with complimentary streaming access to Dolly by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review.  Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.

-- EZ
​

From Google.com:

Meridian (also known as Meridian: Kiss of the Beast) is a 1990 American romantic horror film directed by Charles Band and starring Sherilyn Fenn. Released during the same week that Fenn’s breakout role in Twin Peaks premiered, the film has become a notable entry in the catalog of Full Moon Features.

Plot Summary

The story follows Catherine (Fenn), an American art student who inherits her family's ancestral gothic castle in Italy. After returning with her friend Gina (Charlie Spradling), they encounter a mysterious traveling circus troupe.

• The Invitation: Catherine invites the performers to dinner, only for she and Gina to be drugged.
• The Discovery: Catherine finds herself caught in a supernatural love triangle between two twin brothers: the cruel magician Lawrence and his brother Oliver, who is under a centuries-old curse that transforms him into a beast.
• The Goal: Catherine eventually learns she must find a way to break the family curse and free the "good" brother from his immortal existence.

Film Details
​

• Director/Producer: Charles Band, known for B-movie cult classics.
• Cast: Sherilyn Fenn, Malcolm Jamieson (playing both Lawrence and Oliver), and Charlie Spradling.
• Atmosphere: Reviewers from sites like IMDb often highlight the film's dreamlike, atmospheric quality, bolstered by its beautiful Italian locations and a lush score by Pino Donaggio.
• Trivia: The creature costume used for the beast was later slightly altered and reused for Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992).

Alternative Titles

Depending on the region or release, you may find this film listed as:

• Meridian: Kiss of the Beast
• The Ravaging
• Phantoms

From Google.com:

Love at First Bite is a 1979 American comedy-horror film that parodies the Dracula legend, starring George Hamilton as a suave, comedic Count Dracula who moves to New York City. The film was a surprise blockbuster, earning roughly $44 million against a $3 million budget and revitalizing Hamilton's career. 

Here are the key details about the film:

​Plot Summary

• Exile: Count Dracula is evicted from his Transylvanian castle by the communist government, which turns the castle into a training facility for the Rumanian Gymnastics Team.
• The Move: Dracula and his faithful assistant Renfield (Arte Johnson) move to New York City to find Cindy Sondheim (Susan Saint James), a fashion model whom Dracula believes is the reincarnation of his true love, Mina Harker.
• The Conflict: Dracula wooes Cindy, but her neurotic boyfriend and psychiatrist, Dr. Jeff Rosenberg (Richard Benjamin)—a descendant of Van Helsing—attempts to destroy Dracula.
• Ending: After various comedic misadventures (including disco dancing and a botched stake attempt), Dracula and Cindy fly off to Jamaica together.

​Main Cast and Characters
​​

• Susan Saint James (Cindy Sondheim): A modern, wisecracking fashion model who finds herself charmed by the vampire.
• Richard Benjamin (Dr. Jeff Rosenberg): The frantic, bumbling psychiatrist and descendant of Van Helsing who tries to "stake" Dracula.
• Arte Johnson (Renfield): Dracula’s loyal, frantic servant who provides slapstick humor. 
  IMDb +5
• ​​ George Hamilton (Count Dracula): Known for his "campy" portrayal, often deadpanning in a Bela Lugosi style while being surprisingly suave and tanned.

Key Features and Style
​

• Genre: A "campy" and affectionate spoof of classic Dracula movies, similar in tone to Young Frankenstein.
• Disco Era: The film is a strong product of the late 1970s, featuring disco scenes and 70s-era fashion.
• Famous Lines: The film is known for lines like, "I never drink... wine," and "Children of the night—shut up!".
• Reception: While critics had mixed reviews, audiences embraced the film, making it one of the highest-grossing independent films for years. 

​The film’s success was so significant that George Hamilton subsequently made the sequel-like film Zorro, the Gay Blade (1981).

So many movies ... so much to celebrate!!!

On this day in 2010 (in the U.S.), The Final Storm enjoyed breaking through the noise with its very first home video release.  Directed by Uwe Boll from a story by Tim McGregor, the film starred Lauren Holly, Steve Bacic, Luke Perry, and others. 

According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:

"A blood red moon, dying animals and torrential rain are just some of the catastrophes that are wreaking havoc on the world on a global scale. Even more unsettling is how quiet everything is. Could these events signify Armageddon?"

-- EZ

From Google.com:

The Final Storm (2010) is a low-budget post-apocalyptic thriller directed by Uwe Boll, focusing on a family in the rural Pacific Northwest who take in a mysterious stranger named Silas (Luke Perry) during a severe global storm. The film mixes atmospheric, slow-burn psychological tension with hints of a Biblical apocalypse and features a divisive, abrupt ending.

​Key Details
​

• Plot: Tom (Steve Bacic) and Gillian Grady (Lauren Holly) live in isolation on a farm. As world news shows intense, bizarre catastrophes, a man named Silas Hendershot appears, claiming to need refuge. Tensions rise as Silas seems polite yet unsettling, and Tom begins to mistrust him while the world outside seems to end.
• Cast: The film stars Luke Perry (Beverly Hills, 90210) as Silas, Lauren Holly (NCIS) as Gillian, and Steve Bacic (Andromeda) as Tom.
• Themes: It blends apocalyptic disaster with a psychological "home invasion" style thriller, often focusing more on the tension between the characters than the storm itself.
• Reception: Reviews are generally mixed to poor, often citing a slow pace, though many note it is better produced than some of Boll's more action-oriented work.
• Ending: The film concludes with a dramatic confrontation where the apocalyptic elements seem to be confirmed, followed by a sudden, surreal climax. 

The film is often compared to a less-intense version of Signs and is available to check out on streaming platforms like IMDb. ​

Dark Sky Films together with Watermelon Pictures proudly announce the April 17th theatrical release of festival favorite MÃRAMA, a new genre-bending gothic horror feature from Indigenous Māori writer-director Taratoa Stappard (Taumanu, Emkhatsini). MÃRAMA had its world premiere at TIFF and went on to numerous prestigious festivals including Palm Springs, AFI Fest, Sitges and others. MÃRAMA will be in select theaters on April 17th.

Anchored by a powerful Indigenous perspective, MÃRAMA features Māori actor Ariāna Osborne (Madam, In A Flash) in a breakout lead role. She stars alongside British actors Toby Stephens (Black Sails, Die Another Day, Percy Jackson And The Olympians) and Umi Myers (Bob Marley: One Love, Dope Girls), as well as New Zealanders Erroll Shand (Savage, The Luminaries) and Jordan Mooney (The Bluff, Pike River).

MĀRAMA marks the first co-release between acclaimed genre distributor Dark Sky Films and Watermelon Pictures, a bold new force in independent film. United under the banner of parent company MPI Media Group, the two companies bring together a shared vision for fearless, boundary-pushing storytelling.

Set in North Yorkshire, Victorian England, 1859, MĀRAMA is the story of a young Māori woman’s fight to reclaim her identity and indigenous culture. When a young Māori woman is summoned from New Zealand to North Yorkshire, she uncovers her horrific colonial heritage and is compelled to confront and destroy the titled Englishman who devastated her family.

MĀRAMA is produced by Sharlene George (Taumanu, Testify, Birds Eye View), co-CEO and Founding Partner of international production company The Sweetshop. The film’s other producers are Rickylee Russell-Waipuka (Taumanu, The Untold Tales of Tūteremoana), Rouzie Hassanova (Radiogram, Song for Serbia) with Paraone Gloyne as Pou Tiaki Reo & Tikanga (Māori Language & Culture Producer). Executive Producers include Victoria Dabbs, Gal Greenspan for Sweetshop Entertainment, Jill Macnab and Phil Bremner for Vendetta Films and Badie Ali, Hamza Ali and Greg Newman for MPI Media. ​

From Google.com:​

Meat Kills (originally titled Vleesdag) is a 2025 Dutch extreme horror film that gained notoriety as the first film from the Netherlands to receive an NC-17 rating. Directed by Martijn Smits, it is a brutal, nihilistic slasher that explores the violent escalation between animal rights activists and a farming family.

Plot Overview

The story follows Mirthe, a young woman seeking to join a radical activist group called the "Animal Army". To prove her worth, she secretly films animal cruelty at a local pig farm. However, when the group returns to the farm at night to liberate the animals, they find the cages empty—the pigs have already been slaughtered.

Enraged by the discovery, the group's leader, Nasha, shifts the mission from rescue to revenge, targeting the farmer's children. When the farmer, Jonas, returns to defend his property and family, the farm transforms into a bloody battleground where Mirthe must navigate the extreme violence of both sides to survive.

Key Features

• Extreme Violence: The film is noted for its "hardcore" and "visceral" gore, utilizing practical makeup effects rather than digital ones. Critics have compared its intensity to the "New French Extremity" movement, including films like High Tension and Frontier(s).
• Thematic Depth: Beyond the carnage, the film serves as a satirical critique of political and moral extremism. It presents a world where "no one is entirely good or bad," forcing the audience to grapple with the dehumanization inherent in radical activism and traditionalist defense.
• Visual Style: The cinematography features a bleak, clinical, and grimy aesthetic, heavily inspired by early 2000s horror like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003 remake) and Hostel.

Release Information
​

• Premiere: It had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest in September 2025.
• Streaming: The film is available to watch on platforms like Screambox and Amazon Prime.

Philadelphia, PA – April 10, 2026 – Breaking Glass Pictures is proud to announce the North American release of the highly anticipated horror film Thinestra, set to premiere on streaming platforms on April 14, 2026. Directed by Nathan Hertz and produced by Alexandra Lubenova and Kelly Parker, the film has already made waves on the international festival circuit, including screenings at Sitges International Film Festival, Raindance, Screamfest, Boston SciFi Film Festival, and more, earning the VORTEX Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Award Grand Prize along the way.

Producer Alexandra Lubenova shared her excitement for the release:

"We're thrilled to partner with Breaking Glass Pictures on the North American release of Thinestra. They're a trusted home for elevated genre titles and immediately understood the film's place within a new wave of body horror centered on appetite, desire, and costly physical transformation. Their release strategy is thoughtful and ambitious, and we can't wait for audiences to devour the film when it premieres this April."

A New Wave of Body Horror

Thinestra tells the story of Penny (Michelle Macedo), a young woman tormented by body dysmorphia and relentless societal pressures around perfection. When Penny impulsively takes a mysterious, Ozempic-esque weight-loss drug, she experiences a horrifyingly literal transformation. The fat she sheds returns as her ravenous doppelgänger, Penelope (Melissa Macedo), and chaos ensues.

Set against a sweltering Los Angeles Christmas, the film explores obsession, shame, and appetite—transforming Penny’s internal struggle into a grotesque, darkly comedic horror spectacle.

Director Nathan Hertz explains:

"Body-image anxiety becomes a literal monster in this story. Penelope isn’t the villain—she’s the symptom. The real antagonist is the voice in Penny’s head that tells her she’s not enough. The film exaggerates these anxieties to grotesque levels but the feelings are incredibly common."

Critics Are Taking Notice

The film has already garnered strong praise from critics.

In a 4/5 star review for UpcomingOnScreen.com, Scott Gilliland writes:

"Obsession with perfection is a cruel thing that humans suffer with, and in Thinestra, we are given a tragedy, a blood soaked terrific tragedy. See this at the first opportunity."

Gilliland particularly highlighted the performances of twin actresses and , calling them “difficult to manage, yet both are able to do so, and by ensuring that we always feel sympathy for Penny, they more than succeed in their performances.”

Streaming Release

Thinestra will premiere on North American streaming platforms on April 14, 2026. Prepare for a film that is equal parts grotesque horror, dark comedy, and psychological insight—one that will linger long after the credits roll.

A Talented Ensemble Cast:
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• Michelle Macedo (Penny) – Known for her work in High Potential, Goliath & Girlboss, Michelle brings both vulnerability and grit to Penny, grounding the film’s fantastical horror in emotional authenticity.
• Melissa Macedo (Penelope) – Michelle’s identical twin, Melissa embodies the grotesque and chaotic counterpart to Penny, making the doppelgänger dynamic truly uncanny.
• Gavin Stenhouse (Josh) – Recognized for roles in Black Mirror, The Oval and 9-1-1, Stenhouse brings depth and tension to the film’s supporting narrative.
• Shannon Dang (Chaela) – Known for her work in Kung Fu & Jump Scare, Dang provides both warmth and intensity as Penny’s friend navigating the unfolding horror.
• Norma Maldonado (Amanda) – With a career spanning stage and screen, Maldonado delivers a compelling presence that heightens the film’s stakes.
• Brian Huskey (Neils) – Beloved for roles in Another Period, Vice Principals & Childrens Hospital, Huskey adds both comedic timing and sharp social commentary.
• Annie Ilonzeh (Demetria) – From Chicago Med & SWAT to indie features, Ilonzeh brings poise and subtle tension to her role.
• Mary Beth Barone (Mariah) – Barone’s nuanced performance complements the chaos that Penny and Penelope unleash. Best known for performances in series such as Black Mirror & Overcompensating.

Festival Accolades:

• Sitges International Film Festival
• Raindance Film Festival
• Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival
• Screamfest Film Festival
• Yellowstone International Film Festival
• Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente
• Boston SciFi Film Festival
• Festival do Rio
• FREAK SHOW Horror Film Festival
• VORTEX Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Award Grand Prize

Press Details:

• Official Trailer: Watch Trailer Here
• IMDb Page: Thinestra IMDb

Production Details:
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• Production Year: 2025
• Genre: Horror
• Language: English
• Production Country: US
• Production Company: Dogplayer, Hitmakers Media, Mary Ellen Moffat, Stay Lucky Studio
• Runtime: 1:27:41

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About Breaking Glass Pictures:
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Founded in 2009 and based in Philadelphia, Breaking Glass Pictures is a leading independent film distribution company focused on delivering thought-provoking, inclusive, and impactful films to audiences worldwide. With a strong history of championing LGBTQ+ cinema, documentaries, and bold independent features, Breaking Glass proudly supports visionary storytellers who challenge convention and spotlight underrepresented voices.