Messed Up Movies

Loud soundtracks. Wild colors. Outrageous gore. Movies that grab you and refuse to let go. This Friday, we're drafting "Sugar Rush" movies: cinema with every dial cranked up to 11.

Griffey, Heath, Sam and Sophia each build a four-film lineup of sensory overload, from the relentless action of Mad Max: Fury Road and Run Lola Run to the splatter insanity of Braindead and Re-Animator. Add Mandy's psychedelic nightmare, Suspiria's colors and Goblin score, and the anything-goes madness of House, and subtlety is officially off the table.

Of course, agreeing on the category turns out to be...

Today we hop in the way back machine as Griffey and Dandino have 7 Days to discover what made The Ring on of the best horror remakes of all time. This is an old recording we offered as a Patreon Exclusive we wanted to share this spooky season as the Adult Life monster tried to keep us down. Neigh monster! They discuss how the film works with and builds upon the original Ringu film, the nightmarish cursed tape video, and the films unforgetable finale. 

Synopsis: A journalist must investigate a mysterious videotape which seems to cause the death o...

Griffey, Heath, Sam and Sophia break down the latest V/H/S installment, segment by segment. Heath embraces its punk rock energy and early MTV spirit, while Griffey struggles with the constant sensory assault. Sophia finds plenty to love in the puppet mayhem, and Sam returns with strong opinions of his own.

We dig into the claustrophobic terror of "Heartbeat," the cosmic horror of "The Music of Mr. Z," and the gruesome sound collection in "Death Tone," Griffey's standout segment. Plus, we debate Barbara Crampton's performance, Flying Lotus' animated nightmare and whether GWAR's wraparound adds to the...

What went wrong? This New Movie Monday, Griffey and Heath tear into Other Mommy, and Griffey makes his case for the worst horror movie of the year.

We discuss the jump scares that never landed, the family drama that left us cold, and why the movie's biggest moments felt spoiled before we bought a ticket. Heath sees flashes of Chastain's talent and director Rob Savage's visual ambition, while Griffey sees a movie that never gives either of them a compelling story to tell.

We also get into the ball pit sequence, the muddled ending, Karen...

From the nightmare foster mother in Bring Her Back to Darth Vader's version of father-son bonding, we're drafting the most messed-up parents in movie history.

Griffey, Heath and Sophia each build a four-film lineup of terrible moms, monstrous dads and families you'd never want to join. With The Shining, Hereditary and Carrie off the board, the picks range from Sinister and The People Under the Stairs to Chinatown, Coraline and some unexpected contenders.

But what actually makes a bad movie parent? Does demonic possession count? Is Coraline's Other Mother eligible? And how much danger can...

Today Griffey and Dandino return to the town of Abaddon but this they to ball our in a MANOR, in Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor. They unravel how the new setting and story breathes new life into the rich mythology of Hell House, the terrifying new heights that the fear hits in this sequel, and discuss how much new life could pour out of this franchise's Hell Mouth. It is rare for a horror franchise to make it's Messed Up Masterpiece in the fouth entry, but that is exacty what Hell House LLC achieved. 

Synopsis: A...

Today Griffey and Dandino attempt to close the Gates of Hell in Hell House LLC III : Lake of Fire. They dip their toes into the ever expanding mythology and discuss if the franchise is getting to dense, the use of dinner theater and a benevolent billionaire as our new narrative focal point, and what the addition of a suddenly helpful God and company means to the overall story. Lake of Fire is an odd medley of Hell House goods and bads, but still scratches that Messed Up itch you don't get anywhere else. 

Synopsis: The Abaddon Hotel w...

Today Griffey and Dandino return to the Abaddon by way of Morning Show in Hell House LLC 2: The Abaddon Hotel. They uncover how the film deepens the mythology of the Abaddon Hotel and it's Satanic Cult, how the movie finds even more terrifying examples of the Hotel's nightmarish powers, and how much mileage a Morning Show provides for a horror sequel. This Messed Up Sequel deepens the franchise, while enhancing it's predecessor, the sign of all great sequels. 

Synopsis: It's been eight years since the opening night tragedy of Hell House, LLC and still many unanswered questions r...

Robert Pattinson asks us to have a seat, but should you? This New Movie Monday, Griffey, Heath and Sam discuss Lance Oppenheim's stylish satire and the messy relationship between justice, exploitation and ratings.

We dig into Pattinson's larger-than-life performance, why Decoy Dan became the character we wanted more of, and whether the movie's moral ambiguity gives us something to wrestle with or leaves its strongest ideas unexplored. Heath finds more beneath the surface on a second viewing, Griffey wants the film to dig deeper, and Sam struggles to get invested at all.

Drawing on our...

Nosferatu. Prey. The Devils. The Lighthouse. We're drafting the best historical horror and messed-up period movies into competing four-film festivals. Unfortunately, our grasp of history may be the scariest thing here.

Griffey, Heath, Sam and Sophia battle over gothic nightmares, religious fanaticism, brutal revenge and whether Poor Things even belongs in the draft. Picks get rejected, favorites get stolen, and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter somehow becomes a serious electoral strategy.

Along the way, we debate Robert Eggers' command of period horror, revisit the madness of Ken Russell's The Devils, argue about Sweeney Todd and stretch...

Today Griffey and Dandino launch October Halloween Season by returning to the start of one of our favorite franchises, Hell House LLC. They unpack how the movie masterfully achieves more with less, the shockingly haunting scare moments, and the beautiful fake true crime skeleton which bolsters what could have been just another found footage film. You could tell from this first film that there was so much lore and horror within the Abbadon Hotel. We are delighted to sift through it all with this Messed Up Franchise. 

Synopsis: In 2009, a Halloween haunted house tour in the small t...

Today Griffey and Dandino seek hot, sweaty revenge down under in Razorback! They discuss the legendary Russell Mulcahy's maximum effort approach to film making, the absolutely gorgeous landscapes captured by the film's cinematography, and the use of monsters both pig and man in the film to create unease in every frame. This film is a tusked nightmare, making it an Australian MESSED UP Classic. Hide your grandkids and grab you kangaroo gun, cause the Razorback is on a rampage!

Synpopsis: As a vicious wild boar terrorizes the Australian outback, the husband of one of the victims is...

Today on New Movie Monday, we are unearthing a previously unaired episode as we travel home from Fantastic Fest. There is a hidden gem out there that has not gotten the attention it deserves. So, we are releasing it from our basement chains to share with you!

A family kidnaps a troubled young man, chains him in their basement and insists they're helping him. Welcome to HEEL, a disturbing psychological thriller starring Stephen Graham and Andrea Riseborough that gave us plenty to argue about.

Griffey, Heath and Sam dig into the film's unsettling mix of...

Ghostbusters. Gremlins. The Terminator. A Nightmare on Elm Street. 1984 gave us an absurd lineup of movies, and we're fighting over who gets the best four.

For this Friday draft, we lift the banned list and revisit the birth year of most of the crew. Sam takes over hosting, Griffey attempts to impersonate Sam, and Sophia teams up with Griffey as "Sophie's Choice." Heath somehow has to draft between all of that.

We debate the horror hiding inside Ghostbusters and The Terminator, the childhood trauma of The NeverEnding Story, the nastiness of The Toxic Avenger and...

Today Griffey and Dandino find love, dirty scrolls and money in The Handmaiden. They unravel a tale told multiple times from different POV's and the rich tapestry it creates, the use of steamy romance to add much needed flesh to the victorian story, and the films many shocking reveals. This is truly one of the finest movies ever made. A true masterclass in filmmaking that would be MESSED UP to ignore. 

Synopsis: In 1930s Korea, a girl is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress who lives a secluded life on a countryside estate. But the m...

Zach Cregger's Resident Evil drops Austin Abrams into a nightmare, and we can't agree on when the laughs start getting in the way of the scares.

Recording from Austin during Fantastic Fest, the Messed Up Movies crew breaks down Resident Evil (2026), from its vicious opening and brilliantly staged jump scares to a bigger, louder finale that doesn't land equally for everyone.

We get into Abrams' panicked everyman performance, Paul Walter Hauser, the chaos of Raccoon City and whether this reboot captures the feeling of playing survival horror. Plus: the difference between a resourceful survivor and...

The Craft. Suspiria. The Witch. We're drafting the best witch movies, and apparently agreeing on what counts as a witch movie is half the battle.

Griffey, Heath and the combined forces of Sam and Sophia compete to build the ultimate four-movie witch lineup. With Weapons, The Blair Witch Project and other favorites off the board, things get competitive fast.

We get into the childhood trauma of The Witches, the nasty magic of Sleepy Hollow, the contained horror of The Autopsy of Jane Doe and the pure chaos of Drag Me to Hell. Meanwhile, Griffey fights...

Today Griffey and Dandino bang the drum and face the zombie apocalypse in The Night Eats the World. They crack open the more somber/introspective tone of the film which makes it such a rewardind film in a watered down genre, the small moments of human truth in this lonely apartment, and unpack the true horror of at the root of the zombie story that this film brings back beautifully. This movie should be a modern Messed Up classic, which has criminally fallen between the cracks. So pull up a drum stool and join us in celebrating a zombie...

Everyone seems to be dunking on Hope for claims of poor CGI. We don't care how messed up the VFX look as long as the movie messes up our minds! Luckily, Hope mostly delivers!

On this New Movie Monday, Griffey, Heath and Sam get into HOPE's incredible opening, chaotic creature attacks, surprisingly hilarious characters and an ending that leaves plenty to argue about. Griffey makes the case for its sheer filmmaking ambition. Heath questions the plot armor and repeated action beats. Sam thinks the whole thing might work better as a series.

FULL SPOILERS, including...

One actor. One director. One existing franchise. One wild card. Who can build the Messed Up Movie you'd most want to see?

We're practicing our best Hollywood pitch for our dream movies we'd love to make real. In this new kind of draft, Griffey, Heath, Sam and Sophia draft battle over who's movie would make the best blockbuster.

On the imaginary release calendar:
• Yorgos Lanthimos tackles Batman: The Killing Joke.
• Guillermo del Toro reinvents A Nightmare on Elm Street with Robert Pattinson as Freddy.
• Nicolas Cage and Willem Dafoe enter Lars von Trier...

Today Griffey and Dandino fight to save what little we have from a Mutant Fish Creature in The Host. They dive deep into the film's incredible Monster introduction set piece, how Bong Joon Ho uses everyday life to sink his fangs into the audience more than the monster, and the film's suprisingly funny tonality. This movie was an early harbinger of the amazing work we all had in store from a now master of Modern Messed Up cinema. 

Synopsis: A monster emerges from Seoul's Han River and begins attacking people. One victim's loving family does what it c...

What happens when one ridiculous movie idea grows into a genuine cult phenomenon?

On this episode of the Messed Up Movies Podcast, we sit down with Costa Dillon, the creator and co-writer of Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!, to discuss the story behind one of the most recognizable cult movies ever made.

Costa takes us inside the creation of Killer Tomatoes, the independent filmmaking spirit behind the original movie, and the unexpected life the franchise developed after its release. We talk about its famously absurd premise, its lasting reputation, and what it is like to...

How super should super soldiers behave?

That's the burning question for Griffey and Sam as Heath does his best to fend off this onslaught of critiques against his favorite movie of the year.

This week on the Messed Up Movies Podcast, we're digging into Adam Wingard's ONSLAUGHT, a slick, violent collision of military conspiracy, Nazi super soldiers, trailer-park survival horror and pure Rule of Cool filmmaking.

Adam Wingard is back in the bloody, stripped-down genre territory that gave us YOU'RE NEXT and THE GUEST. So is ONSLAUGHT the return horror fans have been...

Stephen King has given us some of the greatest horror stories ever written and some of them even became great movies!

This week on our Messed Up Movies Draft, Griffey, Heath, Sam and Sophia go head-to-head to build the ultimate four-movie Stephen King lineup.

There is, however, one problem:

THE SHINING and CARRIE are BANNED. We've picked them too many times, so we are locking them in Room 237 until further notice.

That leaves everything else on the board, from The Mist, Misery, The Shawshank Redemption, Pet Sematary and Creepshow to IT...

Today Griffey and Dandino parachute in on a war torn nightmare in Overlord. They discuss the spectacle of seeing a horror film of this scale set in an actual war, how the film utilizes its setting to make the real world even more terrifying that the eventual Nazi Science Monsters, and if the political reality of the moment has changed the way we follow the journey of this film. Overlord is long and oppressive, but damn does it drops some of the most spectacular set pieces on the audience. 

Synopsis: A small group of American soldiers find h...

What if Barney was actually a child-eating demon?

This week on the Messed Up Movies Podcast, we're diving headfirst into BUDDY, Casper Kelly's completely deranged horror-comedy about a magical children's-show unicorn whose wholesome world of songs, friendship and life lessons rapidly descends into murder, mutilation and absolute chaos.

And we are VERY divided on this one.

For Griffey, BUDDY is the most fun he's had in a theater all year and his favorite movie of 2026. For Heath and Sam? A hilarious idea stretched into a gimmicky feature that never quite finds the characters...

Is Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma a slasher movie, an art film, a psychosexual fever dream, a two-hour therapy session about making movies... or one of the best films of 2026?

Jane Schoenbrun's follow-up to I Saw the TV Glow takes the bones of an '80s summer-camp slasher and uses them to dig into sex, death, nostalgia, identity, fandom, filmmaking and our increasingly complicated relationship with the movies that shaped us.

And blissfully, Gillian Anderson is at the center of all of it giving one of our favorite performances of the year. 

We've been holding back on this one for awhile, but the time has finally come... we are drafting the greatest, the raddest, the most totally Messed Up Movies from the decade DEFINED by horror - THE 1980s!

It's the decade that gave us Freddy Kreuger, Jason Vorhees, Tony Montana, Marty McFly, and on and on and on! Join Griffey, Heath, Sam and Sophia as they travel back to the most iconic era in horror and battle it out to pick the ultimate list of Messed Up 80s flicks.

Vote for the winner on Instragram and...

Today Griffey and Dandino return to Camp Bloodbath in The Final Girls. They cut open the movies blend of 80's sleepaway camp horror riffs and powerful emotional core, the dynamics of horror fans entering their favorite slasher flick, and if the movie would have been served better by attempting to further deconstruct the genre. This movie is so funny and had an enomrous heart that fills this comedic riff into much more than it's peers. 

Synopsis: A young woman grieving the loss of her mother, a famous scream queen from the 1980s, finds herself pulled into the w...

We thought the Insidious franchise was dead. Turns out The Further had other plans.

This week on New Movie Monday, we're diving into INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER, the sixth entry in a franchise that has spent years desperately trying to recapture the nightmare fuel of James Wan's original.

And somehow... this one almost pulls it off.

We're talking grotesque dental horror, nightmare pillow forts, creepy old cultists, some surprisingly effective scares, an absolutely bonkers expansion of The Further's mythology and a third act that threatens to undo almost everything the movie gets...

Relax, this episode if fully spoken in English... and whatever language Sam speaks. No subtitles necessary (looking at you, Sophia)! But if you don't like subtitles, you're missing out on some of the most Messed Up Movies ever made!

That's why Griffey, Heath and Sopha-Sam are going to Google translate to find the best movies from around the globe! We're going J-Horror, Mexican-horror, even French-Canadian! As long as the majority of the movie is spoken in a foreign language, it's getting picked.

So grab your baguettes, your sushi or your poutine and enjoy a messed...

Today Griffey and Dandino clock in for the final time with Last Shift. They discuss the film's abilty to generate dread on such a small budget, the haunted ghost that fill this police station and rookie cop's heart, and the wild Manson Family wanna be cult. This film achieves a lot with a little making it a MESSED UP movie to watch. 

Synopsis: A rookie cop is tasked with taking the last shift at a police station before it is permanently closed, but it turns into a living nightmare.

Starring: Juliana Harkavy, Josh Mikel, Hank S...

This week, Griffey, Heath and Sam review the new dinosaur thriller from It Follows director David Robert Mitchell, starring Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor. It is a big, dumb, expensive throwback packed with plenty of violence, dinosaurs with feathers and a sex scene you have to see to believe.

Is this the dinosaur movie we've been waiting for, or a Spielberg imitation powered entirely by human idiocy? We debate Anne Hathaway carrying the movie on her back, Ewan McGregor swinging a sledgehammer at a T. rex, a gigantic prehistoric snake, and mountains of dinosaur shit.

...

What makes the perfect gateway horror movie? Is it a family-friendly introduction to the genre, the movie that personally traumatized you as a kid, or simply something so fun that it leaves you craving another scare?

Griffey, Sam, Heath and Sophia draft the movies they believe create lifelong horror fans. The picks range from The Lost Boys, The Monster Squad and Hocus Pocus to Pinocchio, Beetlejuice and Poltergeist. Along the way, they debate whether Disney movies count as horror, revisit the VHS covers and childhood nightmares that warped their young minds, and discover that Sam may only...

Today Griffey and Dandino witness a gargantuan battle in Frankenstein vs Baragon. They discuss the bizarre Nazi origin story of this massive nuclear Frankenstein Monster, the added benefit of having a more human Kaiju battling the rubber monster suited beast, and the incredible miniature work in this film. This is a classic MESSED UP Kaiju battle that we can't wait to share with you!

Synposis: An American scientist and his Japanese colleagues study a feral boy born from the radiated heart of Frankenstein's monster, while a subterranean dinosaur ravages the Japanese countryside.

Starring: Nick Adams...

Eli Roth's Ice Cream Man promised an unrated throwback packed with gore, mayhem and ice cream-fueled murder. What arrived is one of the most baffling and creatively bankrupt horror releases we have seen in years.

On New Movie Monday, Griffey, Heath and Sam dig into a movie apparently made for children, yet far too grotesque for children to watch. We discuss its personality-free villain, juvenile humor, incoherent characters, recycled horror imagery and a finale involving a basement freezer, a necromancer and one extremely convenient grave.

Then the debate gets heated as we confront the movie's...

What makes a great remake? Faithfully honoring the original, completely reinventing it, or improving it so dramatically that the first movie becomes obsolete?

This week, Griffey, Heath, Sam and Sophia draft the most messed-up movie remakes of all time. With The Thing and The Ring banned from competition, the board is wide open for body horror, slashers, alien invasions, vampires, psychosexual thrillers and one deeply disturbing Lindsay Lohan family comedy.

Expect heated arguments over The Fly, Evil Dead, The Hills Have Eyes, Rob Zombie's Halloween, Nosferatu, Dredd, Friday the 13th and Invasion of the Body...

Today Griffey and Dandino clock in and punch out rats in Graveyard Shift. They discuss this interesting era in Stephen King on screen adaptaions, the pure insanity of the cast that chews scenery more than rats do wool, and what in the name of nightmare evolution is the Rat King at the end of the film. This is an often over-looked Messed Up Movie. 

Synopsis: The owner of an ancient mill hires a drifter to rid the basement of rats.

Starring: David Andrews, Kelly Wolf, Stephen Macht, Andrew Divoff, Brad Dourif

Directed by R...

Shudder's new original horror film SACCHARINE left us feeling overfed, bloated and ultimately malnurished.

After medical student Hannah begins making her own diet pills from a cadaver, she rapidly loses weight while developing an uncontrollable hunger. Unfortunately, she also attracts the attention of the very large, very angry ghost whose remains she has been consuming.

On this New Movie Monday, Griffey, Heath, Sam and Sophia dig into Natalie Erika James' ambitious body-horror movie. We discuss its grotesque eating sequences, striking direction, body-image themes, Midori Francis' lead performance and an absolutely baffling final scene.

...

The 1990s gave us meta-slashers, satanic spaceships, exploding hookers, body-swapping action heroes, teenage witches and enough Nicolas Cage insanity to sustain an entire decade.

Griffey, Heath, Sam, Sophia and Nick battle to assemble the ultimate team of messed up movies from the '90s. Scream, Event Horizon, Frankenhooker, The Silence of the Lambs, Fight Club, The Craft, Candyman, Face/Off, 12 Monkeys and Hocus Pocus are only the beginning.

Was the '90s actually an underrated horror decade? Is Event Horizon secretly a Warhammer movie? Does Hocus Pocus belong beside Fight Club? And which combatant walks...