News

Plot: A mother embarks on a perilous quest to rescue her son from a demonic children’s show host who is kidnapping kids.

Review: Hulu has been making a concentrated effort to give the Horror genre it’s due with plenty of low-budget films with interesting concepts releasing every October as part of their Huluween initiative. While not all have landed, I appreciate the fact that they’re trying something different. Shudder can’t do everything for the horror world. And I was intrigued by the idea of a kid’s television host coming out of the television to murder parents and kidnap children. It’s a terrifying idea with so many possibilities to get under your skin. It comes from an episode of Bite Size Halloween which has now been expanded into a full-length feature film. So how exactly does Mr. Crocket fare? Better than you would think.

Mr....

1980s nostalgia is out and 1990s nostalgia is in, with the horror genre doling out films like I Saw the TV Glow (review) and now Mr. Crocket, an adaptation of Brandon Espy’s 2022 short of the same name (itself a part of Hulu’s Bite Size Halloween series). Espy’s feature debut sadly sees the filmmaker struggling to find inspiration, working with a pedestrian script despite some impressive gore effects and puppetry.

It’s 1994 in the town of Shurry Bottom, Pa, and Summer has recently been widowed following the tragic death of her husband. She’s left to raise their son Major (Ayden Gavin) on her own, but finds herself struggling to deal with his public outbursts and temper tantrums as he attempts to process his own grief. Following a particularly nasty fight between the two of them, a magic mailbox suddenly appears in their front yard, delivering a VHS...

It’s been too damn long since we last had an evil videotape horror, amiright? Well good news, Mr. Crocket is here to help haunt your VCRs once more and poison the well of your favorite childhood programming. This freaky very-n0t-kid-friendly flick is surprisingly dark, despite its retro public access aesthetic, and its villain is an unstoppable supernatural monster. Imagine Pennywise The Clown in Mr. Rogers drag and you’re pretty much there.

Adapted from a short by the same name for Hulu’s Bite-Size Halloween, Mr. Crocket is directed by Brandon Espy from a screenplay co-written with Carl Reid. Mr. Crocket himself is the host of retro kid’s TV show and a boogeyman for parents he deems unworthy of their child’s love. If you’re shooting up heroin while your daughter’s in the other room, he’s gonna get ya. If you’re trying to...

Back in 2022, Brandon Espy wrote a short horror film called Mr. Crocket for the Hulu streaming service’s Bite Size Halloween series. Now the Mr. Crocket concept has been expanded into a feature length film that is set to be released through Hulu on October 11th, and a trailer for the film has arrived online. You can check it out in the embed above.

Scripted by Espy and Carl Reid, this longer take on Mr. Crocket has the following synopsis: In 1993, a mysterious children’s show host, Mr. Crocket, magically emerges from television sets to kidnap young children, brutally slaying their parents in the process. After Mr. Crocket snatches her son, one determined mother embarks on a perilous quest to track down the demonic entertainer and rescue her boy.

Jerrika Hinton (Grey’s Anatomy), Elvis Nolasco (Godfather of Harlem), Ayden Gavin (Big George Foreman), Kristolyn Lloyd (The Bold and the Beautiful...

"This is my house now... Take a deep breath." Whoa this looks bonkers! Hulu has revealed an official trailer for one of their next Huluween offerings coming up this horror season. Mr. Crocket is an original horror film (based on a short from their own Bite Size Halloween series) about a demonic children's show host who is kidnapping kids. From director Brandon Espy, this freaky creation will arrive streaming on Hulu to watch in just a few weeks. "Your kids best friend. Your worst nightmare." After Mr. Crocket snatches her son, one determined mother embarks on a perilous quest to track down the demonic entertainer and rescue her boy. Starring Jerrika Hinton as Summer, Elvis Nolasco as Mr. Crocket (holy!!), Ayden Gavin, Kristolyn Lloyd, and Alex Akpobome. This looks super creepy and freaky and weird! Almost like It mashed up with Death to Smoochy or something like that. It might really be worth a watch!

Exclusive: Kelly Marie Tran and Miles Robbins will star in Shal Ngo’s Control Freak, a psychological thriller from WorthenBrooks for Hulu Originals. The feature film has wrapped production and will premiere in early 2025.

Control Freak follows a motivational speaker plagued by an uncontrollable itch on her head, who becomes infected with a parasitic demon from her homeland. Tran stars as “Valerie,” alongside Robbins who plays her husband, “Robbie.”

Additional cast includes Toan Le (The Sympathizer) as Valerie’s father, “Sang” and Kieu Chinh (The Joy Luck Club) as her “Aunt Thuy.”

Toan Le and Kieu Chinh

Ngo was tapped to direct Control Freak based on the short film Control. He also wrote and directed for Season 2 of Hulu’s Bite Size Halloween. WorthenBrooks developed Control Freak for Hulu Originals with David Brooks,...

Hello, and welcome to the Scene 2 Seen Podcast. I am Valerie Complex, associate editor and film writer at Deadline. Today’s guest is writer-director Anna Zlokovic, here to talk about her feature-length debut Appendage. The body horror comedy starring Hadley Robinson had its world premiere at this year’s SXSW and debuted October 2 on Hulu.

Robinson plays Hannah, a young fashion designer who seems fine on the surface but secretly struggles with debilitating self-doubt. Soon these buried feelings begin to make Hannah physically sick and sprout into a ferocious growth on her body: The Appendage. As Hannah’s health declines, The Appendage grows more powerful and begins to fuel her anxieties – her perceived lack of talent at work, her deteriorating relationships with her boyfriend and best friend, and her parents’ lack of love and understanding. At her breaking point, Hannah makes a shocking discovery: there are others out there like her.

The concept of turning successful short films into full-length features is quite popular. Although, for the horror genre, it fails to work in most cases. While the short may be riveting enough and deserving of rounds of applause, the film that comes out of it seems stretched out and vapid. The most prominent example of this happening has to be the 2016 downer Lights Out, which was based on a three-minute long short that scared the hell out of even the bravest of the brave. Hulu’s latest film, Appendage, happens to be a similar case, but in reverse.

Not only does the film version work, it actually upgrades the short that was released two years ago in the very popular “Bite Size Halloween” segment. Rachel Sennott, then a relatively new face and now a breakout star, has been replaced with Hadley Robinson. Although fans of the shorts might miss Sennott in the lead role,...

Following his extensive cinematic adventures in Vietnam, Ken Ochiai returned to filmmaking in Japan in the last few years. After an omnibus (Angel Sign) and a feature (Bite Size Halloween) he has now come up with a short that deals with issues of LGBT and the concept of following your dreams.

Strange is screening at Short Shorts Film Festival and Asia

Odeko is a young student who is struggling in his life, particularly since his conservative mother cannot understand that he is different that the norm, although, surprisingly, what he wants is to deal with numbers and calculus, instead of doing extracurricular activities. One evening, the shy high school student stumbles upon Kuma, who is dressed in drag, in a park. The two connect immediately, starting to share their dreams and communicating in a way neither seems to have experienced before. Gradually, Odeko manages to overcome his timidity and talk to his mother,...

Exclusive: Film Independent has named Law Chen, Raven Jackson, Erin Li, Miguel Nuñez, Victoria Rivera and Claudia Sparrow as the filmmakers set for its second annual Episodic Directing Intensive.

Each of the six is an alum of Film Independent Artist Development programs including the Directing Lab, Documentary Lab, Screenwriting Lab, Fast Track finance market and Project Involve, which collectively celebrate their 30th anniversary this year. Over the course of the three-day program, the accomplished up-and-comers will learn from veterans of the episodic landscape, taking in the wisdom and experience of a group of directors, showrunners, actors and cinematographers.

Among those set as industry participants are Hikari, Johnson Cheng, Aurora Guerrero, Rachel Goldberg, Michelle Lawler, Glen Mazzara, Leonardo Nam, Jeremy Podeswa, James Ponsoldt, Angel Kristi Williams, Daniel Willis and more.

Said Film Independent’s Associate Director of Fiction Programs, Dea Vazquez, “As we celebrate the 30th year of our Artist Development programs,...

Plot: Billie is plagued by blackouts and strange visions that lead her to discover she’s stuck in a series of time loops, possibly related to her mysterious new girlfriend.

Review: Dementia is one of the scariest things I can think of. Losing the ability to access your own memories and being unable to recognize your loved ones is downright awful. So I was really interested when they brought up the concept and seemed like that would be the main idea at play Jagged Mind. I feel silly being so wrong. What starts as an interesting idea with our lead Billy seeing her death over and over, unable to properly comprehend time, swiftly devolves into a near Lifetime movie. Or maybe that was just the lighting.

Knowing that this started as a short film, First Date, (as part of Hulu’s Bite Size Halloween) I can see elements that carried over here.

Hulu got a taste of great things to come with 20th Digital Studio’s “Bite Size Halloween,” and now, one of the first films in their nine-horror feature partnership is here: “Jagged Mind,” a queer psychological thriller starring Maisie Richardson-Sellers and Shannon Woodward. While the film has its world premiere at the American Black Film Festival on June 14–June 18 in Miami Beach, viewers all across the U.S. will be able to watch it on Hulu on Thursday, June 15. You can watch Jagged Mind with a 30-Day Free Trial of Hulu.

How to Watch ‘Jagged Mind’ When: Wednesday, June 14, 2023 Where: Hulu Stream: Watch with a 30-Day Free Trial of Hulu. 30-Day Free Trial$7.99+ / month hulu.com About ‘Jagged Mind’

Maisie Richardson-Sellers and Shannon Woodward lead the cast of “Jagged Mind,” the latest horror collaboration between 20th Digital Studio and Hulu Originals.

Written by Allyson Morgan and helmed by “I’m...

Hulu is bringing another original horror movie to the table this year with Jagged Mind, a queer psychological thriller that has unleashed its mind-bending official trailer today.

Jagged Mind will premiere on Hulu on June 15, 2023.

Maisie Richardson-Sellers (“Legends of Tomorrow”) and Shannon Woodward (“Westworld”) star in Jagged Mind. Here’s the official plot synopsis…

“When Billie starts dating a mysterious new girlfriend, she suffers blackouts and strange visions that feel like she’s living the same moments of her life over and over.”

Kelley Kali directed for 20th Digital Studio and Hulu. The feature film is based on Kali’s short for Hulu’s “Bite Size Halloween” initiative, which was titled First Date.

Allyson Morgan (“Sitting”) wrote the script.

Jagged Mind was developed by 20th Digital Studio with David Worthen Brooks, Arbi Pedrossian, and Jenna Cavelle as executive producers. Production services were carried out by the film’s producer Daniela Ruiz through her company,...

Hulu is bringing another original horror movie to the table this year with Jagged Mind, which is first premiering at the American Black Film Festival this coming June.

Variety reports that the film will then premiere on Hulu on June 15, 2023.

Maisie Richardson-Sellers (“Legends of Tomorrow”) and Shannon Woodward (“Westworld”) star in Jagged Mind. Here’s the official plot synopsis…

“A woman is plagued by blackouts and strange visions that lead her to discover she’s stuck in a series of time loops, possibly related to her mysterious new girlfriend.”

Kelley Kali directed for 20th Digital Studio and Hulu. The feature film is based on Kali’s short for Hulu’s “Bite Size Halloween” initiative, which was titled First Date.

Allyson Morgan (“Sitting”) wrote the script.

The post ‘Jagged Mind’ – Hulu’s Time Loop Horror Movie Premieres in June appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The horror film “Jagged Mind,” starring Maisie Richardson-Sellers and Shannon Woodward, from 20th Digital Studio and Hulu Originals will world premiere at the American Black Film Festival in Miami Beach.

The festival runs June 14 to June 18. The film will debut exclusively on Hulu on June 15 and on Disney+ (via Star) internationally at a later date.

Directed by Kelley Kali (“I’m Fine (Thanks for Asking)”), “Jagged Mind” is about a woman plagued by blackouts and strange visions that lead her to discover she’s stuck in a series of time loops, possibly related to her mysterious new girlfriend. Richardson-Sellers stars as “Billie,” alongside Woodward as her girlfriend “Alex”.

Kali was tapped to direct this feature based off the short film “First Date,” which was included in the first season of 20th Digital Studio’s “Bite Size Halloween.” The feature, now titled “Jagged Mind,” is written by Allyson Morgan (“Sitting”). “Jagged Mind...

Ahead of its World Premiere at the Overlook Film Festival, upcoming psychological thriller Clock from 20th Digital Studio and Hulu Originals debuts its first trailer for the “timely horror feature.”

The film tells the story “of a woman who enrolls in a clinical trial to try and fix her seemingly broken biological clock after friends, family, and society pressures her to have children.”

Dianna Agron (Shiva Baby, I Am Number Four) leads as Ella, with Jay Ali (“Carnival Row,” “Daredevil”) as her husband. Melora Hardin (“The Office,” “Falling Skies”) features as the pioneering doctor managing Ella’s treatment.

Arachnophobes beware. The brand-new trailer for the Hulu Original below introduces Ella as a woman positive that her biological clock is broken, and attempts to “fix” it appears to come with spiders, paranoia, and psychological terror. Is Ella surrounded by people who mean her harm, or is she cracking under the pressure?...

The Overlook Film Festival announced the World Premiere of the upcoming psychological thriller Clock from 20th Digital Studio and Hulu Originals earlier today. Now, we get a first look at what’s described as a “timely horror feature.”

The film tells the story “of a woman who enrolls in a clinical trial to try and fix her seemingly broken biological clock after friends, family, and society pressures her to have children.”

Dianna Agron (Shiva Baby, I Am Number Four) leads as Ella, with Jay Ali (“Carnival Row,” “Daredevil”) as her husband. Melora Hardin (“The Office,” “Falling Skies”) features as the pioneering doctor managing Ella’s treatment.

The first look images below tease a somber tone.

Hulu’s psychological thriller will make its World Premiere at the Overlook Film Festival in New Orleans, La., from March 30 through April 2. The film will debut exclusively on Hulu on April 28, 2023, and on Disney+ internationally at a later date.

Exclusive: Clock, a timely horror feature from 20th Digital Studio and Hulu Originals has dropped new images.

The film will have its World Premiere at the Overlook Film Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana before debuting exclusively on Hulu on April 28. The film will be available on Disney+ internationally at a later date.

Directed and written by Alexis Jacknow, Clock is the story of a woman who enlists in a clinical trial to try and fix her seemingly broken biological clock after friends, family, and society pressures her to have children. Dianna Agron leads as Ella, with Jay Ali as her husband. Melora Hardin features as the pioneering doctor managing Ella’s treatment.

Jacknow was tapped to write and direct two short films (Costume Change and the short Clock) under heavy Covid-19 restrictions in 2020 for the...

Writer/director Shal Ngo’s dystopian coming-of-age thriller The Park was clearly made on a low budget, but it also looks like the kind of film that could earn a solid cult following once XYZ Films gives it a VOD release in North America on March 2nd. To see if this post-apocalyptic story about kids going to war with each other is the sort of movie you’d like to check out, take a look at the trailer embedded above.

Set in a world without adults, The Park is “a tale of apocalyptic adventure and survival set within a long-abandoned amusement park”. Here’s the synopsis: When a mysterious virus starts killing all adults, society is left to be governed by children living on borrowed time. After the adult population is wiped out, rival kids battle for control of an abandoned theme park. Danger lurks around every corner, and they...

20th Digital Studio and Hulu Originals have released first-look images of Appendage, a horror comedy starring Hadley Robinson that will have its world premiere at SXSW next month. Also starring Kausar Mohammed and Emily Hampshire (Schitt’s Creek), the film from writer-director Anna Zlokovic will stream on Hulu later this year.

Check out the new photos above and below.

Related Story SXSW Second Wave Includes Uar’s ‘Bottoms’, Donald Glover’s ‘Swarm’ Series, Michelle Yeoh’s ‘American Born Chinese’ & More Related Story 'Rhobh's Erika Jayne's Estranged Spouse Tom Girardi Indicted For Scamming Clients Out Of Millions Related Story Lil Rel Howery To Topline Hulu Sci-Fi Thriller 'The Mill'; Scoot McNairy, Pat Healy Among Others Set – First Look

Robinson plays Hannah, a young fashion designer, who seems fine on the surface but secretly struggles with debilitating self-doubt.

In 2022, slasher movies reigned supreme. From the nostalgia-ripping "Scream" sequel to Ti West's bloody "X" trilogy, fans of the genre were treated to a bit of everything. This is especially true with the slasher-comedy "Bodies Bodies Bodies," which saw a new, unlikely horror star emerge. Amandla Stenberg, previously known for their work in YA novel adaptations, has solidified themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the genre. They may have their own "Star Wars" show in the works, but Stenberg is not leaving horror fans behind any time soon, either.

"My Animal" is set to be the next foray into horror for Stenberg, but they will be trading the comedic undertones of "Bodies" for a straight-up monster flick this time around. Although Stenberg will be joined by a familiar face or two on this latest endeavor, "My Animal" features an up-and-coming cast and crew looking to their...

Ben Steiner's Matriarch is now available on Hulu and we got to talk with the writer/director, along with co-stars Kate Dickie and Jemima Rooper, all about this creepy folk horror film!

Kate Dickie, known for her memorable mothering performances in ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘The Witch,’ stars as the titular “Matriarch” in a rural British body horror family drama, the second in a slate of nine feature-length films developed and expanded from 20th Digital Studio’s short film collection “Bite Size Halloween.” The Hulu Original film will hold its world premiere screening at the 2022 Screamfest Horror Film Festival in Hollywood, Calif., on October 11 - opening night - before premiering on the streamer for Huluween on October 21. Check out the full Screamfest lineup here.

UK filmmaker Ben Steiner (“Monsterland 2”) wrote and directed the film, led by Jemima Rooper. At a breaking point after a near-fatal overdose, a woman (Rooper...

20th Digital Studio’s Bite Size Halloween Brings 20 Spooky Shorts from Diverse, Emerging Filmmakers for Huluween: "In celebration of Huluween, 20th Digital Studio’s Bite Size Halloween series of spooky shorts is back for a third season! Twenty new shorts from exciting emerging filmmakers premiere October 1 on Hulu, blending genres like horror, comedy, sci-fi, thriller, and more.

Shot in seven different countries, this season takes on topical issues such as racism, gender, parenthood, sexuality, and identity. Snatched (dir. Michael Schwartz) features Tatiana Maslany (“She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law”) in her first on-screen role with husband Brendan Hines (“Locke & Key”). Misha Osherovich (“Freaky”) stars as their son.

Other shorts feature familiar faces like Brigette Lundy-Paine (“Atypical”), Lin Shaye (“Insidious”), David Costabile (“Breaking Bad”), and former “Glow” co-stars Rebekka Johnson and singer-songwriter Kate Nash who co-wrote/directed/star in a short featuring Nash’s original music.

David Worthen Brooks, 20th Digital Studio head...

Disney’s 20th Digital Studios has been releasing horror shorts as the Bite Size Halloween series on the Hulu streaming service for two seasons now, and a third season of the series is set to premiere on October 1st. Tomorrow! With that date so near, a trailer for Bite Size Halloween season 3 has arrived online and can be seen in the embed above.

Bite Size Halloween season 3 consists of twenty-one shorts that star the likes of Tatiana Maslany (She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law), Brendan Hines (Locke & Key), Misha Osherovich (Freaky), Brigette Lundy-Paine (Atypical), Lin Shaye (Insidious), David Costabile (Breaking Bad), Rebekka Johnson (Glow), and singer-songwriter Kate Nash.

The shorts that make up the season are titled Nian, Ticks, Snatched, Nzu, Bug, Incomplete, Remote, Live Bait, Foreigners Only, Mr. Crocket, Angels, Disposal, The Heritage, Fracture, Bad Rabbit, Sleep Study, Go to Bed Raymond, The Kapre, Alone with Him, Trespassers, and Ride or Die.

In celebration of Huluween, 20th Digital Studio’s series of spooky shorts Bite Size Halloween is back for a third season, Hulu had officially announced a couple weeks back.

A whopping twenty new shorts from exciting emerging filmmakers premiere October 1 on Hulu, blending genres like horror, comedy, sci-fi, thriller, and more.

Watch the official trailer for “Bite Size Halloween” Season 3 below!

“Shot in seven different countries, this season takes on topical issues such as racism, gender, parenthood, sexuality, and identity,” notes the press release.

Snatched (dir. Michael Schwartz), for starters, features Tatiana Maslany (“She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law”) in her first on-screen role with husband Brendan Hines (“Locke & Key”). Misha Osherovich (“Freaky”) stars as their son.

Other shorts feature familiar faces like Brigette Lundy-Paine (“Atypical”), Lin Shaye (Insidious), David Costabile (“Breaking Bad”), and former “Glow” co-stars Rebekka Johnson and singer-songwriter Kate Nash who co-wrote/directed/star in a short featuring Nash’s original music.

"Solar Opposites" is getting into the Halloween special game with one that looks poised to offer the best spooky season-themed animated fun this side of "The Simpsons" Treehouse of Horror specials. Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan's adult-oriented sitcom about aliens living in the suburbs has always been jam-packed with wild jokes and freaky sci-fi hijinks, but this episode, in particular, looks extra off-the-wall.

A trailer for the episode, which is appropriately titled "A Sinister Halloween Scary Opposites Solar Special," just dropped, and it honestly looks like the kind of thing Halloween-loving TV fans will have on heavy rotation this fall. It starts with Korvo's (Roiland) admission that he hates October, a "spooky-a** month" that's "too haunting and spine-tingling," and ends with a very funny joke I can't describe in print. Check out the trailer below.

Watch The Trailer For A Sinister Halloween Scary Opposites Solar Special

I know a...

It has been announced that Ben Steiner's creepy folk horror film Matriarch will make its premiere at Screamfest ahead of it's release to Hulu this October, and we have a look at the brand new trailer!

Kate Dickie, known for her memorable mothering performances in ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘The Witch,’ stars as the titular “Matriarch” in a rural British body horror family drama, the second in a slate of nine feature-length films developed and expanded from 20th Digital Studio’s short film collection “Bite Size Halloween.” The Hulu Original film will hold its world premiere screening at the 2022 Screamfest Horror Film Festival in Hollywood, Calif., on October 11 - opening night - before premiering on the streamer for Huluween on October 21. Check out the full Screamfest lineup here.

UK filmmaker Ben Steiner (“Monsterland 2”) wrote and directed the film, led by Jemima Rooper. At a breaking point after a near-fatal overdose,...

In celebration of Huluween, 20th Digital Studio’s Bite Size Halloween series of spooky shorts is back for a third season, Bloody Disgusting learned today.

A whopping twenty new shorts from exciting emerging filmmakers premiere October 1 on Hulu, blending genres like horror, comedy, sci-fi, thriller, and more.

Bloody Disgusting has an exclusive first look below.

“Shot in seven different countries, this season takes on topical issues such as racism, gender, parenthood, sexuality, and identity,” notes the press release.

Snatched (dir. Michael Schwartz), pictured above, features Tatiana Maslany (“She-Hulk: Attorney-at-Law”) in her first on-screen role with husband Brendan Hines (“Locke & Key”). Misha Osherovich (“Freaky”) stars as their son.

Other shorts feature familiar faces like Brigette Lundy-Paine (“Atypical”), Lin Shaye (Insidious), David Costabile (“Breaking Bad”), and former “Glow” co-stars Rebekka Johnson and singer-songwriter Kate Nash who co-wrote/directed/star in a short featuring Nash’s original music.

20th Digital Studio’s...

Happy almost Huluween! The streamer has shared its plans for October programming and spooky season. Starting the first of the month, new scary and festive experiences will roll out on Hulu, from classics like “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” to Hulu Originals like the new “Hellraiser” and “Matriarch.” “Huluween Dragstravaganza” hosted by Ginger Minj and Monét X Change will kick off the month dedicated to all things frightening.

Of course, recent releases will be readily available to watch as well like “Prey” and “No Exit.” Other theme-appropriate releases that have gone to Hulu in the past year or so include “Fresh,” “Run,” “Satanic,” “What We Do in the Shadows,” “Sinister 2” and “Annabelle: Creation.” Don’t forget about “American Horror Stories,” “The X-Files” and “Stephen King’s Storm of the Century.” There are also anniversaries to be celebrated for “Hotel Transylvania,” and “The Hand that Rocks the Cradle” (30th anniversary...