Martin Kemp might have been swatting bugs on I'm A Celeb recently, but his latest screen role plunges him into something far more sinister. Doctor Plague is a new horror thriller that casts the pop icon into a grim chase across London, where a masked figure prowls the streets with a taste for blood. Miracle Media releases the film in the UK on 12 January, and the first trailer already sets a chilling tone.
Kemp plays John Verney, a weary detective who has seen too much yet is unprepared for this nightmare. A killer dressed as a seventeenth-century plague doctor is picking off victims across the city, leaving Verney to question whether the threat is human or something far stranger. The Hollywood News describes the film as a unique horror thriller with echoes of The Wicker Man, perfectly matching the uneasy atmosphere that lingers over every scene.
It is a world away from the jungle camp. Instead of completing trials, Kemp races through shadowed alleys, the plague doctor’s mask catching every glint of light. The suspense revolves around whether Verney can survive long enough to uncover the truth, and, given Kemp’s celebrity status, there is a natural hope he makes it through.
The trailer is now online and promises a chilling start to 2026.
Doctor Plague is available on UK digital from Miracle Media on 12 January.
Guillermo del Toro’s 2025 Frankenstein is a film that clearly comes from the heart, a labour of love for a story he has cherished for years. From the opening shots on the icebound Horisont Navy Ship, the film settles into a steady, assured rhythm. It frames Victor recounting his sins while the shadow of his creation looms, tapping into the soul of Mary Shelley’s novel with a devotion that feels lived-in rather than rigid. Tender moments sit alongside profound sorrow, giving the story an emotional depth that lingers.
Oscar Isaac delivers Victor with a cold, precise brilliance, capturing both his inflated sense of purpose and the weight of his descent from promising surgeon to broken fugitive. Every stage of the film is supported by extraordinary design work. Del Toro fills each frame with towering sets, rich colour, and layered textures that make even the bleakest landscapes strangely inviting. The world surrounding Victor and the Creature glows with a painterly, gothic beauty. When the story shifts to the Creature’s memories, the mood changes gently but powerfully: the forest scenes, the warmth of the blind man’s home, the eerie stillness of the Arctic, all staged with the confidence that has long cemented del Toro as a master of monsters.
Jacob Elordi’s Creature is a highlight, capturing pain, confusion, and fleeting hope with striking subtlety. His moments of learning and companionship are among the film’s most affecting. Physically, he never quite embodies the towering presence of the classic Frankenstein monster, which stands out during scenes emphasising the Creature’s terrifying strength, but it is a minor issue in an otherwise compelling performance.
At around two and a half hours, the film demands patience, though it never drags. The emotional weight accumulates steadily, and by the time Victor and the Creature reunite in the present, the journey resonates fully. Their final encounter is quiet, heart-wrenching, and entirely earned.
What impresses most is how del Toro reshapes a familiar tale without losing its essence. Life, death, grief, and responsibility remain at the core, but forgiveness takes a more central focus here. Some viewers might miss a touch of the Creature’s original fury, yet the sincerity behind this version is undeniable. Every frame feels crafted with care and love.
Among the many adaptations of Frankenstein, this stands out as perhaps the finest. It looks breathtaking, feels profoundly human, and marks a triumphant return for del Toro. A confident, resonant masterpiece, earning a 9 out of 10.
Jess Varley's The Astronaut is a compact and effective slice of sci-fi horror, shining brightest when it leans into mood and mystery. At first it feels familiar, but just when you think you have it figured out, the film pulls the rug from under you.
Kate Mara is the standout, giving Sam Walker real emotional depth. She captures both the resilience of an astronaut and the fragility of someone slowly unraveling. As Sam begins seeing impossible things and her body changes, Mara keeps it understated, letting the fear simmer quietly beneath the surface, which makes it all the more unsettling.
The story moves briskly. Clocking in at just under ninety minutes, it never outstays its welcome. From the moment Sam wakes in quarantine, the tension steadily builds, sliding from oddity to genuine terror. The twist lands perfectly, catching even seasoned viewers off guard in the most satisfying way.
Laurence Fishburne brings authority as General Harris, though it is a shame he appears so late. His presence adds weight and steadies the film where the early scenes feel slightly light. Gabriel Luna and Ivana Miličević provide solid support, but this is very much Mara’s story.
The title can be misleading. Despite being called The Astronaut, the film never leaves Earth, unfolding almost entirely around the isolated house where Sam is monitored. The confined setting heightens the tension but also makes the story feel smaller. Budget limitations show occasionally, with some effects and creature moments falling short.
Still, there is much to admire. Varley focuses on atmosphere rather than spectacle, using silence, shadows and suggestion to craft unease. The tone is pleasantly old-fashioned, leaning more towards The X-Files than Alien.
The Astronaut won’t redefine sci-fi horror, but it is a confident, tightly crafted film with a clever twist and a remarkable lead performance. A smart, tense, and surprisingly gripping story, earning a solid 7 out of 10.
A new horror villain is spawned as a terrifying, toothless ruthless killer wipes the smile off a quiet English town that holds a dark connection to his mysterious past, bringing brutal Brit slasher mayhem
Read your last rites as The R.I.P Man introduces a sinister new horror villain who drills onto the silver screen all gums blazing.
From award-winning actor and filmmaker Jamie Langlands (The Cellar), comes a new nail-biting slasher in the vein of Scream meets One Missed Call. Following its award-winning run on the festival circuit, The R.I.P Man is set to haunt UK digital on 5 January 2026, courtesy of Reel2Reel Films.
Rest In Pain as The R.I.P Man brings a new lease of terror to British horror and with a sequel on the way, horror fans are guaranteed to be mouthing off about this tormented tooth fairy feature.
On digital 5 January from Reel2Reel Films
THE VINDICTAOR
An infamous serial killer disrupts a true crime podcast, challenging the curious hosts to deadly tasks that expose their darkest secrets in the pursuit of exposing the killer’s identity in a twisted new horror
The Vindicator, from directors Luca Patruno and Brandon Sherrill in their feature debut, pushes the pursuit of truth and justice to the very edge with deadly consequences in darkly disturbing new horror. Following its recent release in the US, the film is set to arrive on UK digital 19 January, courtesy of Miracle Media.
Tune in to The Vindicator for a grisly and gruesome horror where justice is deadly.
On digital 19 January from Miracle Media
INHABITANTS
Punished for living in sin, a young man and his girlfriend are haunted by a malevolent paranormal entity from his past in spine-chilling new possession horror staring Josh Rivera and Anna Jacoby-Heron
‘Matt McClung manages to weave a riveting and terrifying story that finds a way to still feel original’ 7/10 Horror Buzz
‘A carefully orchestrated dose of religious horror… presents a unique vision of atmospheric horror’ Josh at the Movies
Say your prayers as Inhabitants is set to possess you when it arrives on UK digital 26 January 2026, courtesy of Miracle Media.
Exploring religious trauma through the haunted house horror sub-genre, Inhabitants is a suspenseful thriller from director Matt McClung (The Mad Whale) with a stellar cast including rising Hollywood star Josh Rivera (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, West Side Story), Anna Jacoby-Heron (Stranger Things, Contagion), Ana Auther (Sunset Beach, Days of Our Lives) and comedy icon Kevin Nealon (Saturday Night Live, Weeds).
Repent for your sins and invite Inhabitants in for a tense, spine-tingling supernatural chiller.
Back in 2010, the Ford Brothers released The Dead and stirred up the zombie scene in a big way. They filmed in some genuinely risky parts of West Africa and brought back that slow, creeping style of zombie that builds tension in a quiet, unsettling way. It struck a chord with viewers across the world. They pushed things even further in 2013 with The Dead 2: India, taking their global collapse to a wider canvas.
Now, fifteen years on from the start, Jon and Howard Ford are stepping in once more for the final chapter of their trilogy. They are setting out to make it the most fierce and unflinching of the lot. It will arrive with a fresh angle while still keeping hold of the old school feel that made the series stand out in the first place.
Synopsis:
With the world in chaos, a man, torn apart by the murder of his family, uncovers a global conspiracy which has brought the flesh hungry dead back to life. He will stop at nothing to battle his way across a deadly landscape to unleash a blood soaked, violent, revenge on the greedy, corporate, super rich, hiding in paradise, in secure island fortresses, waiting to inherit what remains, as the world burns in a fire of their own creation.
Jon Ford said today: "I wrote The Dead 3 with more terror, anger and rage coursing through my veins than any "sane" human being should ever know! This, the final and most important film of the trilogy is going to shock, outrage, and please, in equal measure ! It's been a long time coming..."
Howard Ford added: "I get asked almost every day if we are ever going to make The Dead 3 and given the challenges and real life near-death of both 1 and 2 on the incredibly arduous productions we've not yet jumped at it, but with Jon's fiery inspirations to dive back in with a killer script I feel 2026 is the now-or never for the third and final chapter!"
The film’s locations will be revealed at a later date.
Macon Blair’s reboot of The Toxic Avenger delivers the kind of loud, grimy revival fans were hoping for. As the fifth entry in the series and a remake of the 1984 original, it fully embraces its identity as an ultra-violent, black comedy, blending cartoonish gore with broad satire and unexpected moments of heart. It will thrill those seeking shock value while leaving anyone expecting a conventional superhero story unsettled.
Peter Dinklage leads as Winston Gooze, a downtrodden janitor transformed after a disastrous toxic accident. He brings a grounded humanity to the role, making Winston more than a green-faced force of fury. When the film demands pathos, Dinklage delivers it. Jacob Tremblay shines as Wade, Winston’s stepson, providing the emotional core that anchors the chaos.
Taylour Paige brings spark as J.J. Doherty, the whistleblower whose actions drive much of the plot. Kevin Bacon is gleefully sleazy as the corrupt company boss Bob Garbinger, while Elijah Wood injects a twitchy, unpredictable energy as Fritz. Luisa Guerreiro, credited as the suit performer, commits fully to the physical demands of Toxic Avenger.
The story itself is simple, which works in its favour. A corrupt pharmaceutical company, thugs, mob ties, a whistleblower in peril and a threatened community provide the raw material for Blair to craft violent set-pieces, gross-out gags and darkly comic encounters. The film leans into parody rather than sincere reinvention. It is loud, filthy and frequently hilarious, yet punctuated with genuine moments of feeling that stop it from being purely a shock parade.
There are flaws, though. The plot is intentionally thin, and at times the film feels like a string of skits stitched together with blood and bile. Some jokes overstay their welcome, and the middle section occasionally drifts. At around 100 minutes, it feels a touch long for its material. Those seeking tight plotting and subtlety may be disappointed.
Still, these are minor complaints. Blair clearly knows his audience, keeping the tone anarchic while allowing the relationship between Winston and Wade to give the film heart. Some throwaway scenes land brilliantly, others less so, but the energy and commitment on screen maintain momentum. Performances are strong across the board, the satire hits often enough, and beneath the nastiness lies a strange affection.
The Toxic Avenger is not for everyone. It will offend, it will shock, and it revels in its own grotesque humour. For those willing to lean into that world, it is a raucous and surprisingly touching reboot that honours the original while staking its own claim. I give it 8 out of 10.
Federico Zampaglione on location with THE NAMELESS BALLAD
Filming has kicked off in the quiet reaches of Fara, Sabina for The Nameless Ballad, the latest supernatural horror project from Federico Zampaglione. His previous film, The Well, travelled impressively across the globe, so there is a sense of momentum as he returns to the director’s chair to explore a story rooted in a world he knows inside out. Music sits at the heart of this new tale, although the version we see here is soaked in dread and heavy with unease.
Jamie Ward in THE NAMELESS BALLAD
Jamie Ward leads the film as Sam Gallo. He plays a young musician riding the high end of success, yet barely hanging on beneath it. His creative block, personal troubles and various addictions weigh on him, so he slips away to a remote villa in the hope of finding fresh inspiration. The retreat does not bring peace. Instead, the house begins to push against his frailties. Dark shapes seem to circle around him, feeding on his worry and fear. The more he tries to settle, the deeper he sinks into disturbing visions that blur the divide between reality and the stories he carries in his head. His partner Tania, played by Alana Boden, becomes entangled in the same nightmare, pulled along by the destructive tide that grips Sam.
Alana Boden in THE NAMELESS BALLAD
Zampaglione shaped the script with Barbara Baraldi, and together they guide the film along that fine thread that separates imagination from nightmare. The supporting cast is a sizeable one. Giglia Marra, Fabrizio Ferracane, Seumas Sargent, Reed Stokes, Mia Desando, Vincenzo De Michele and Sergio Ceglie all step into the unfolding chaos. Another cast member will be revealed soon, which is being teased as a pleasant surprise for fans of the genre.
Giglia Marra in THE NAMELESS BALLAD
The director has described this as his most personal work to date. The supernatural is firmly in place, although the emotional voltage comes from his lived experience as a musician. He hints at a world where every note can stir a ghost, and certain melodies seem to demand a price before they fade. It gives the film a slightly feverish musical pulse that runs beneath the horror.
The Nameless Ballad is produced by SOMIC FILM. Federico Zampaglione directs, with cinematography by Yuri Santurri. The film is heading towards a 2026 launch at major festivals, which leaves plenty of time for the anticipation to build.
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