PREVIEW: Itch! (2026 Film) - Starring Bari Kang

 

Bari Kang makes a striking entrance into horror with Itch!, a grim and tightly wound debut that first caught attention at Grimmfest. Now set for its digital release on 20 April 2026 via Seven Tales, the film arrives carrying strong early buzz and a premise rooted in both fear and human fragility.

Kang takes on multiple roles behind and in front of the camera, writing, directing, producing, and starring as Jay. That central performance gives the story a grounded core. Jay is a man dealing with loss, struggling through grief while the world begins to fall apart around him. It gives the film an emotional weight that runs alongside the horror.

At the centre of the story is a fast moving and deeply disturbing infection known as The Itch. It spreads rapidly, turning those affected into violent, unstable versions of themselves, driven towards destruction. As panic spreads across the city, Jay and his daughter, played by Olivia Kang, search for somewhere safe to hide.

They find temporary shelter in a convenience store, though safety quickly proves to be an illusion. The space becomes increasingly tense as more survivors gather, and suspicion begins to take hold. The threat is not just outside. It builds within the group itself, fuelled by fear and desperation.

As the infection draws closer and tensions rise, the film shifts into a more psychological space. Trust becomes fragile, and every decision carries serious consequences. The real danger begins to feel as though it lies in how people react when survival is on the line.

The relationship between Jay and his daughter remains at the heart of it all. Their bond is pushed to breaking point as they face impossible choices, forcing them to confront not just the situation around them, but each other. The story builds towards a conclusion that aims to challenge ideas of protection, sacrifice, and what people are willing to do for those they love.

With support from a cast that includes Patrick Michael Valley, Ximena Uribe, Mia Ventura Lucas, and Douglas Stirling, Itch! sets itself up as a bleak and intense addition to the outbreak horror space.

The film lands on UK digital platforms on 20 April, with a US release following on 21 April, offering a harsh and gripping experience that stays focused on both terror and the human cost behind it.

REVIEW: Primate (2026 Film) - Starring Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander, and Troy Kotsur

Primate opens with a brutally effective scene that makes its intentions clear. In a remote part of Hawaii, a veterinarian is killed by a pet chimpanzee in a moment of shocking violence. It is a blunt, ugly start, and director Johannes Roberts never really lets the film soften from there.

The story then rewinds to follow Lucy, a college student returning home after years away, bringing friends with her to an isolated cliffside house. The location is instantly striking. Built into rock and surrounded by open space and sheer drops, the house feels impressive but exposed. That sense of vulnerability becomes central once Ben, the family’s unusually intelligent chimpanzee, begins to behave erratically after being bitten by a rabid mongoose.

Ben is the film’s greatest strength. Taught to communicate through a tablet created by Lucy’s late mother, he already feels uncanny before the horror escalates. Once the rabies takes hold, that intelligence turns him into something far more dangerous than a typical animal threat. He is not just violent but calculating, stalking the house and exploiting its layout with alarming ease. Every scene involving Ben crackles with tension, and he dominates the film in a way few creature features manage.

Roberts keeps the storytelling lean and vicious. There is little interest in character development beyond what is strictly necessary. Instead, the film focuses on sustained pressure and escalation. The extended pool sequence is particularly effective, using Ben’s inability to swim to create a cruel stalemate that feels both inventive and nerve shredding. The kills are graphic, efficient, and unapologetic, leaning fully into slasher territory.

The cast largely exists to be placed in danger, but the performances do what is required. Johnny Sequoyah gives Lucy enough presence to anchor the chaos, while Troy Kotsur adds weight as Adam, the deaf father whose delayed understanding of the danger heightens the tension. The film’s final moments, especially the use of Ben’s soundboard in the aftermath, provide a chilling note rather than emotional release.

Primate does rely heavily on familiar horror clichés. Isolated locations, poor decisions, and disposable characters are all present. The film makes no effort to disguise this and seems comfortable with its lack of originality. The narrative is thin, and if the momentum ever slowed, it would quickly unravel.

Thankfully, it never does. At under 90 minutes, Primate moves at a relentless pace that prevents overthinking. It is a straightforward, visceral B movie with a solid budget and a clear focus on delivering tension, gore, and entertainment. There is little depth, but plenty of bite.

Primate is not subtle, clever, or especially original. What it is, however, is sharp, nasty, and highly efficient. For horror fans looking for a fast, brutal thrill, it scratches the itch.

I score Primate a generous 7.5 out of 10.

Out Now - https://apple.co/4pyarJY

PREVIEW: The Boatyard (2025 Film) Starring Susan Lanier and Mike Ferguson

 

The Boatyard surfaces this July with a vicious twist on the classic stranded-at-sea setup, arriving on UK digital from Reel 2 Reel Films. Directed by Dale Stelley (Paradise), this savage new horror promises tension, torment and plenty of blood-soaked chaos, starring Mike Ferguson (The Amityville Rising) and genre icon Susan Lanier (The Hills Have Eyes).

The story follows five college students whose day of partying ends in disaster when their boat suddenly breaks down, leaving them adrift. When a stranger appears offering help, they follow him back to a secluded boatyard, hoping for a quick fix. But instead of safety, they walk into a trap. What follows is a fight for survival as the group are picked off by a gang of cannibalistic killers, each death more brutal than the last.

Ferguson plays the mysterious stranger with Lanier adding an extra layer of dread as part of his savage crew. The film leans into its slasher roots, blending remote horror with grindhouse brutality. For fans of old-school survival horror with a strong stomach, The Boatyard looks set to deliver plenty of twisted energy and gruesome set-pieces.

The Boatyard is on UK digital 22 September (Reel 2 Reel Films)