Samara Weaving tribute 👸🏼, Ray Nicholson delivers in 'Borderline' 🫨, 'Black Mirror' teases its return 📳, & more!

The Horrorverse Newsletter is read by over 2,600 people. Do you want to reach them with your latest news, giveaways, releases, subscriptions and more? We have both partnership and sponsorship opportunities available. ✉️ [email protected] + [email protected]

How Samara Weaving Changed My Life

I first “met” Samara Weaving during The Babysitter. The moment she paraded onscreen was like a shooting star cascading across a star-strewn sky. She was a sapphire, bedazzling and flaming blue. As gorgeous as she was (and is), with hair woven like gold and her skin as smooth as porcelain, it was her presence and how her eyes pierced through the TV screen – real superstar stuff. She could transmit an emotion with a simple flick of her eyes darting from one target to another, a gentle tremble of her lip, or curling her face into a playfully sinister grin. It was all magnetizing.

Starring opposite Judah Lewis, who’s grown into a tremendous actor himself, Samara took on the persona of Bee – Cole’s babysitter and undercover coven leader. She concealed her real intentions in her friendship with Cole, as they bonded over their favorite pop-rock tunes and sci-fi movie protagonists. Writer Brian Duffield (No One Will Save You, Spontaneous) sculpted such an adorably endearing relationship that when “what the fuck?!” hits the fan, you care deeply about both Cole and Bee. Despite being the villain, Bee emerged as the kind of character you might actually root for. Director McG and cinematographer Shane Hurlbut filled the space with pure cinematic colors and framing, bringing Duffield’s world to pulsating and delicious visual life. The characters lived in a heightened world, and paired with Samara’s particularly electrifying performance, it meant something much more to me than your average viewer.

I could witness myself contextualized onscreen – I mean, I’m not a killer or anything – but I immediately gravitated toward Bee’s essence. A cruel, man’s world begat a woman taking control of her circumstances and initiating a blood sacrifice to gain more power. And it didn’t seem as bad. It felt as though she had been manipulated, deceived, and savagely crushed to the point that a wicked path made the most sense. Sometimes, you've just got to fuck shit up to make a splash. Even within the context of the film, I knew Bee, almost on a personal level. Identifying as non-binary, it’s as though I’ve been brutally packaged to fit the masculine archetype – but casually discarded when I didn’t properly exhibit the proper qualities. So, I floated around, pinging from one gender type to another, always seeking that perfect mold.

And that’s when Bee entered the picture.

Her love for film, music, and art seemed uncanny. It was as if I had bee stripped away at birth and put in storage for the right moment to escape from my cage. I initially didn’t know what was happening, as I watched The Babysitter wiggle from celluloid into my cellular being. Years before I legally changed my name and exposed the fibers that were my most authentic self, I found, in Bee, a way to live and breathe as this other person. I could picture it all; a life well lived is being honest. Bee was honest (well, to a point) in being unapologetically herself. Much like another transformative film, the much-maligned Eddie Redmayne-starring The Danish Girl, I underwent a distinct emotional and psychological shift. It’s a process, that’s to be sure, and The Babysitter was the final piece of the puzzle.

Six years would pass before I decided to make it all legal. To make Bee legal. To make Bee officially me. I can’t tell you exactly how gratifying that was and still is. With The Babysitter closing in on its eighth anniversary, I look back fondly on that first viewing – and that flood of emotions comes crashing back every single time. I revisited it recently, and I was once again struck by its deeper theme, a notion built on womanhood and the strain to be heard pulsating at its core. It might be hard to fathom or comprehend to most others, but I rediscover what it means to be a victim of a culture that adheres to such strict definitions of the binary. As it turns out, Bee shatters conventions in every conceivable way that means something to me. She defies the norms, rearranges the shards, and creates a magnificent mosaic of beauty, feminine rage, and strength.

Naturally, Samara Weaving continues to be an integral part of my horror cinematic experience and personal evolution. Mayhem, Ready or Not, The Babysitter: Killer Queen, Scream VI, Azrael, Borderline. Each performance serves as an important cog in her acting machine. From expressing sheer mania to opting for a largely silent role, she’s mastered the craft necessary for horror storytelling. She literally can do anything, and she has. As excited as I am for her to get out-of-genre roles, I sure hope she never stops doing horror. The genre is far better for her in it.

She’s not just a scream queen; she’s a voice of a generation. We need her now more than ever.

(P.S. Ready or Not continues to be the perfect Eat the Rich and Good for Her film – it’s about as perfect a film can be)

(P.P.S Here's a ranked Letterboxd list of Samara's horror-specific roles)

A Cloverfield sequel is still in the works, according to its director, Babak Anvari. [Video]

Can we go at least one day without any new Scream VII announcements? According to JoBlo, Michelle Randolph and Jimmy Tatro have joined the cast (no word on if Jamie Kennedy or Rose McGowan have received any calls...).

The Chattanooga Film Festival announced its first full wave of films and events. The festival, being held on June 20-28, 2025, is both an in-person and/or virtual event, so be sure to snag a badge or five.

Black Mirror’s new season arrives on Netflix on April 10th! Check out the trailer on The Hollywood Report’s site.

Clown in a Cornfield premiered at SXSW and the reviews on X (formerly known as Twitter) are coming in. Check out a few here: 1 2 3 4

It's uncanny how much Ray Nicholson looks like his father in full-blown terror. Portraying a delusional superfan in a clingy para-social relationship with his favorite popstar (Samara Weaving), Ray ascends to his father's throne with a performance nearly as unhinged as Jack in either The Shining or One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. After Jack's breakout role in Smile 2, Borderline is the perfect launching pad for Ray's superstar career. And he couldn't have found a better onscreen playmate than Samara, whose career has been built on knockout roles after another. When Jack's obsessive fanboy breaks into a popstar's luscious estate, a cat and mouse game ensues - with each actor delivering the necessary electricity to super-charge the other. Borderline is a sly performance piece that both continues Samara's career homestretch and fortifies Ray's star status. They're an unstoppable duo. [written by Bee]

While Lifeline may not be a horror movie in general, it reminded me of one of my favorite films, Frequency (2000), and features one of my favorite (and underrated) actors, Josh Stewart (The Collector) as a suicide hotline operator who receives an all too familiar call from someone who shares the same name and family upbringing. It’s a predictable plot that has been done before, but the actors (incl. Judah Lewis, who was great in Joe Lynch’s Suitable Flesh) really pull it together. Don’t hang up on this one. [written by Brett]

I'm always game for a twisty knot that distorts perceptions of people and places. Color me intrigued with the cryptic teaser of Voices Carry. The film, which makes its premiere this Saturday at Cinequest, stars Jeremy Holm in a delicious sinister performance, opposite Gia Crovatin and Jeff Ayers. There's just enough to chew on, and those always make the best teasers. Watch the teaser trailer. [written by Bee]

As time went on, each Hellraiser film became a laughable mess. However, Hellraiser: Bloodline, the fourth Hellraiser film, remains one of my favorites, even though it's one of the least-liked films in the franchise. Why do I love it? For starters, we get a back story as to how the box (Lagment Configuration) was created, and how it has affected the creator's family from generation to generation over hundreds of years. For the first four films, Pinhead's dialog was engaging, suspenseful, and downright menacing, but Doug Bradley delivered it with pure heart and soul. In this film, Bradley's presence is minimal, giving time to a few other characters (including a very young Adam Scott) and Cenobites to wreak havoc across timelines. Fan of the franchise? Add it to your watchlist. Watch the trailer. [written by Brett]

The Life of Chuck promises it's not a typical horror film but rather a "surrealist and existential" experience, according to NEON. That sounds right up my alley, as I'm always in a floating existential state of being myself. And the cast is absolutely stacked - names like Tom Hiddleston, Matthew Lillard, Kate Siegel, and Nick Offerman are just a few among the cast. Wowza! The basic set-up is exposing three different times in a characters life. I haven't read the story, but that idea has greatly piqued my interest. Watch the trailer. [written by Bee]

Black Mirror is finally back! While most recent seasons have been hit or miss with the episodes, season seven will break your brain - apparently. Seamlessly stitching six episodes together, the season configures various mind-altering scenarios, if you can piece them together. There's something about building a following, changing your identity, and other general high-tech possibilities. Consider me sign up! Watch the trailer. [written by Bee]

Samara Weaving 😍. When she appears on screens, you know you're in for a real treat. Her smile and quirky behavior lights up the screen (and our hearts). She also has quite a scream! For our Samara-themed issue, we are sharing our favorite Samara Weaving films, which you can find on Letterboxd here.