Episode S07E09: Cure

It's Halloween and we wanted to have some fun, so we're talking about the new cult classic, 2007's Trick 'r Treat. Sure, we discuss the history of horror anthologies and manifestations of modern folklore—but also playful gore and why Sam is adorable even if he kills people. Happy Halloween!

We thought it was time we dove into those liminal spaces all the kids are talking about with 2026's Exit 8. Topics include: video game adaptations, the horror of the everyday, and why are we so scared of normal places with no one in them or tiny little things wrong with them (seriously, let us know, we haven't quite figured it out yet).

Today we have guests Angel Luna and Nash Flynn from the Death and Friends podcast with two of their picks to discuss: Obsession and The Witch. There's plenty to say about the somewhat divisive Obsession, including what we wish it did a little more of, and then we revisit the topic of our very first podcast episode, The Witch, with fresh input and historical context.

We're thrilled to return to the work of one of our favorite working horror directors, Natalie Erika James, who directed one of our favorites in recent years, Relic. Her newest film, Saccharine, is another surreal story deeply rooted in the lived experience of women, blurring the lines between what haunts us and what shapes us. We discuss it all, plus the importance of supporting women telling these type of stories.

We revisit one of the new horror classics of the 2010s, David Robert Mitchell's It Follows. Tangents include, but are not limited to: good cinematography, twisted coming-of-age stories, suburban horror, and. of course, where is our damn clamshell e-reader already?

Irish director Damian McCarthy's first two films, Caveat and Oddity, have popped up in side discussions and recommendations before around here, but we've never devoted a full episode to one of his films and it seems like it's about time. Hokum is his most sophisticated film yet, and Jessi and Jen each had slightly different experiences with it—but there's a lot here to like and discuss.

Sometimes even we want a break from the unrelenting horrors. We decided to mix it up just a bit and have some fun with the slapstick supernatural noir/horror comedy that is 1992's Death Becomes Her. Don't worry, it's still got plenty of darkness to dissect. But it also has a bunch of amazing women we love to watch and also a herd of manservants, so that's nice.

The "woman trapped in 70s psychological horror" well never runs dry for us. We go back for a low-key classic of the genre, 1971's Let's Scare Jessica to Death. We cover: folk horror, vampires, lesbians, and the weirdest instrument case ever made.

When you're up for a bad time, Kiyoshi Kurosawa always comes through. We discuss the "tortured detective pursues a serial killer and finds an existential crisis" tale that is Kurosawa's 1997 masterpiece Cure.

Strap in, there's a lot to cover in director Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride! We like its moxie, but are mixed on its results. Highlights include: the modern depiction of Frankie, Jessie Buckley's ferocity, and the unequivocal support for messy and mad women.