Month: September 2025

Appofeniacs

Appofeniacs was watched as part of Fantastic Fest 2025! It had its showing on Saturday, September 20th as part of the festival, and it was the North American Premiere of this film!

AI! Is it the future? Is it the not-future? Did it write this review?

No, no it did not. The fears about AI are real though. For example, taking peoples jobs, and destroying the arts. But an even bigger thing that people should fear is “Deepfakes”, technology that makes videos of non-real footage. You know, the footage could be used for crime, to trick people, porn, or any number of things. You could now have a video that isn’t real of you saying slurs, beating someone up, or naked. That can get you fired, get you in trouble with the police, and ruin your real life relationships because hey, its on video, it must be real.

But surely, most people don’t worry about this because most people aren’t important so why would they be targeted like politicians and celebrities? Well, the ease of this technology means more and more people holding a grudge, because you cut them off in a restaurant, or didn’t hold open a door, and your life gets ruined.

That is the story of Appofeniacs, and it is truly frightening!

Starring a whole slew of people you mostly will not recognize, but let me sprinkle in a couple you might! his includes Aaron Holliday, Harley Bronwyn, Jermaine Fowler, Paige Searcy, Scarlett DeMeo, Sean Gunn, Simran Jehani, and Will Brandt.

hot tub
Honestly, the only photos for this movie is the hot tub, I was forced to do it.

This is a strange movie, because I had to vaguely describe it, because I truly think this is one of those films where you should just go along the ride, and see where the characters and experiences take you. A lot of scary places, I assure you, and a lot of places where I also would not know how to react in real life should it happen.

This is a film full of dramatic irony and unfortunate circumstances. When the bad guys make good points, and the good guys are kind of dumb, it’s a rollercoaster of emotion.

I do think this is a fun movie, and a bit scary, given how easy it is to imagine this sort of stuff can actually happen.

3 out of 4.

Coyotes

Coyotes was watched as part of Fantastic Fest 2025! It had its showing on Saturday, September 20th as part of the festival, and it was the World Premiere of this film!

Live is swell for people who live in the Hollywood hills! It must be, because you live in the Hollywood Hills. Big houses, big yards, fancy cars, rich people.

Now of course this has some negatives. A man (Justin Long) rarely sees his wife (Kate Bosworth) and daughter (Mila Harris) because he is working all the time. Dreams are being deferred, hours spent climbing the corporate ladder, and for what? A nice house? A dog? Shitty neighbors?

None of that backstory matters too much right, because a big storm hits the area knocking out the power, and they are going to be without it for awhile. On top of that, there are reports of coyote attacks in the area? That is really weird, because coyotes really don’t attack people. Not even if they are hungry and afraid. And yet, these ones do. And when they are stuck in their mansions and hills, with their transportation out failing, surviving a gang of coyotes who seem very pissed off might just be an impossibility.

Also starring Keir O’Donnell, Katherine McNamara, Brittany Allen, Norbert Leo Butz, Norma Nivia, and Kevin Glynn as the exterminator.

stab
Everything I know is allergic to stabbing, so I am sure this work.

There is not much that I can do to describe this movie, its coyotes attacking rich people! Unfortunately, not the CEOs of major tech companies, no, just regular rich people. Well, one of them is kind of suspect, but he is also funny so I forgive him.

The crux of this movie is that these coyotes are out to kill, an animal that any person who knows about coyotes and hears about this plot, will be quick to tell you they don’t do this. And that is okay, it is a fake movie, could have been wolves, foxes, whatever. It is just things that are dog like and wild. Anyways, Coyotes is actually a lot of fun. Justin Long has an inherent goofiness to himself no matter his role, especially in horror films, and in here he has to play a father who definitely cares about his wife and kid, but isn’t a strong hero at the same time.

And you know, then we get comedy. We get some actual scary moments, we get off the wall moments, and we just get some pure comedy. Fun deaths, silly situations, and a little bit of fear. That is what I want in my horror comedies.

This movie doesn’t have underlying commentary, outside of hey, be good to your loved ones. Instead I’d think of it as a what if story. What if coyotes were dicks and attacked people? And what if people are silly?

Have fun, and lock your doors.

3 out of 4.