From slasher throwbacks to the year’s biggest indie hits—from a “Strange Darling” to stranger religious propaganda—we cover it all.
In our indie spotlight double feature, we discuss two of the most surprising and buzzed-about indie horror films of 2024.
Strange Darling received rave reviews upon its release. While it didn’t make the same box office impression as some other indie horror films released this year, those who had a chance to see it were impressed. Naturally, we talk about Kyle Gallner’s awesomeness, but how did the rest of the cast do? Was the nonlinear style necessary? And how well did it convey its themes?
The Substance has been wowing audiences since winning the Best Screenplay award at its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. A gross body horror with an odd sense of humor, the film is big and bold. Whether it is disgusting scenes, flagrant nudity, or in-your-face messaging, the film is relentless.
We talk about feminist messaging, when gratuitous nudity is actually necessary, and how to effectively cram a message down the audience’s throat. Does this movie really check off all the boxes for Blake, or was he just set up for a major disappointment? Is this truly Demi Moore’s best performance?
THE LOCK IN (2014)
We have wanted to do a Christian horror movie for a long time, and we finally got around to it with 2014’s The Lock In, which left us with so many questions. Did the film have a script? How many times did people who were not in the movie walk into the shot? Is this an anti-porn or an anti-dumpster diving story? All this is before we even get to the movie itself!
Surprisingly, The Lock In (watch the trailer) is a pretty straightforward horror movie. While that probably improves the overall quality, it was still disappointing to us. We also try to figure out why, out of all the problems that were plaguing the country in 2014, this plot centered around the harm pornography is causing. We also talk about how an awful ending is an awful ending no matter what your message may be.
SLASHER DOUBLE FEATURE: IN A VIOLENT NATURE (2024) AND DIRECTOR’S CUT (2024)
In a Violent Nature is unlike any slasher that has come out since… well, possibly ever. It uses some of the expected tropes – over-the-top kills, friends camping in the woods, a Big Bad who cannot be stopped – but it is the rare film in the subgenre that critics seem to love. But what do audiences think? And, more importantly, what did WE think?
Normally, nostalgia is a good thing. Especially when it allows you to look back on your teenage years. Yeah, there is some embarrassing stuff that will make you shake your head, but coming-of-age stories are popular for a reason. And besides, the stupid stuff you did when you were fifteen is a lot easier to explain than the dumb shit you do in your forties.
Director’s Cut is a reminder of younger days. It is a rare instance when it is not a good thing. Juvenile writing, horrible characters, and writing that is too on the nose are just some of the examples of what went wrong. And those may be its strong points.
ABOUT THIS PODCAST:
Every week AIPT Movie Editor Nathaniel Muir and his cinema partner in crime Blake Heath discuss indie and genre movies you have have never heard of, the ones you cannot hear enough about, and the ones you never want to hear about again.
Episode 370: Mid year recap
Time moves more quickly now than it ever has. It was not that long ago that we were talking about a new show executive produced by the Duffer brothers. About a month later, it is one and done. As someone once reminded us, we are just two guys who watch movies. Production budgets and domestic grosses are only a passing interest to us. Still, there are some things that catch our attention. Were we right to say that Michael would get to $1 billion? And what does the future hold for Obsession?
There was a major change to our humble little podcast this year. We decided it would be in our best interests to be a little more focused. To that end, we went to just covering one movie each show. Despite this, we still managed to cover twenty-three movies over seventeen episodes. And twenty of them were released in 2026.
So, what do we have to talk about? And will we get as worked up as we did last week? The horrors of high school, zombies, musicals, buff nuns, and grindhouse adjacent fun. It may not all have been good, but everything left some sort of impression on us.
Adventures in Movies! is a part of the Morbidly Beautiful Podcast Network. Morbidly Beautiful is your one stop shop for all your horror needs. From the latest news and reviews to interviews and old favorites, it can be found at Morbidly Beautiful.
Adventures in Movies! is hosted by Nathaniel and Blake. You can find Nathaniel on Instagram at nathaninpoortaste. Blake can be found on Twitter @foureyedhorror and on Instagram at foureyedhorror. You can reach us personally or on Twitter @AdventuresinMo1.
Music in the background from https://www.FesliyanStudios.com
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Adventures in Movies! is hosted by Nathaniel and Blake. You can find Nathaniel on Instagram at nathaninpoortaste. Blake can be found on Twitter @foureyedhorror and on Instagram at foureyedhorror.
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