Intro by Bee Delores | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd
We need to celebrate Black Horror now more than ever. And it's not just for Black History Month but all year long. The 2019 documentary, Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror, is a good place to start in understanding horror's relationship to and treatment of Black men and women. Horror scholar, professor, and author Tananarive Due says it best: “We've always loved horror. It's just that horror hasn't always loved us.” For our Black Horror issue, we honor the many great Black filmmakers who've truly delivered with films that'll stand the test of time. Now, get to watching!
RIYL: CANDYMAN (2021)
Did you love Nia DaCosta's entry into the Candyman franchise? The team has more movies you might enjoy! Check out the list on Letterboxd.
Established in 2020, Macabre Daily is your home for the dark side of pop culture on the internet providing news, reviews, interviews, and opinions about the world of horror, sci-fi, fantasy, and cult films! Macabre Daily serves over 11,000 visitors per month to our website and over 13,7000 followers on our social media platforms. Our team of contributors covers a wide array of media such as movies, television, and physical media. Visit macabredaily.com for more.
IN THE NEWS
Brett Petersel | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd & Sarah Stubbs | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd
After the success of his 2025 film Heart Eyes, Josh Ruben has handed the studio a draft for its sequel, Heart Eyes 2. While there are no details at the moment, according to Fangoria, we’re curious as to how this film (sequel?) will follow the first film’s events, especially with that ending.
Just in time for Friday the 13th, which is next Friday, Pluto TV will be streaming (for FREE!) the first eight films in the franchise. Sorry, folks, but Jason Goes to Hell, Jason X, and the 2009’s Friday the 13th won’t be part of the mix.
Our friends at Vinegar Syndrome are throwing a Valentine’s bash. The Love Massacre Sale (2026) kicks off on Friday, February 13th at 12:01pm EST. This is a great tie to snag those titles, especially slashers, you’ve been dying for!
The Chattanooga Film Festival is back and in its 13th year! They have also dropped their first wave announcement! Highlights include a live podcast of A Couple of Old Fashioneds with Joe Lynch and Becca Howard, an anti-AI filmmaking challenge, and more! Visit their site to read more and grab tickets!
CREATORS CORNER
Bee Delores | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd
If you're not following horror writer and critic Vanessa Maki, what are you even doing with your life? A brand new writer for Macabre Daily, she has a way of driving to the core of horror. In whatever format she writes, from lists to reviews, she possesses a real talent for capturing a film's essence and diving deep into a rich thematic expedition. Her most recent MD pieces include 5 Misunderstood Horror Movies You Should Revisit and "THE MORRIGAN" (2025) Struggles With Its Folkloric Intentions.
Maki also has bylines in Vulture, Fangoria, Flickering Myth, Dread Central, and Daily Dead, among others.
TRAILERVILLE
Crazy Old Lady, which hits Shudder on 2/27, is exactly what you might imagine it to be. The trailer is gloriously unhinged, and I'm totally here for it [written by Bee]
I live for horror set in one location that feels like a Rubik's Cube. Exit 8 looks like it'll scratch that itch. Trapped in a subway system looking for anomalies that'll instruct you where to go next? I'M SOLD. [written by Bee]
A new mystery thriller by Yeon Sang-ho, the man behind Train to Busan, has me immediately sat. The Ugly appears to be hella twisty, and I'm most excited for the film's emotional core. You know how Yeon loves to hit you where it hurts. [written by Bee]
Dead Lover is such an oddball film. While it didn't work for me much when I saw it at Brooklyn Horror last year, I remained invested. It's worth a good look, at the very least. And the trailer doesn't do it justice with how wacky it gets. [written by Bee]
FAVORITE HORROR FILMS DIRECTED BY BLACK DIRECTORS
The Horrorverse Crew shares their favorite horror films directed by Black filmmakers. From mainstream releases to indie picks, there is something for everyone!. Check out our favorites on Letterboxd.
RECOMMENDED READING
Candi Norwood | Bluesky | Instagram | Letterboxd | StoryGraph
It’s Black History Month. That means it’s time to remind you that you should be reading black horror authors all the time because many reasons, and one of those reasons is because there is some really good stuff out there, and you’re missing out if you’re not reading it.
The Reformatory by Tananarive Due – If you have looked up horror by black authors at all, or any best of 2023 lists, you probably know about The Reformatory. All the hype is right. This is a beast of a novel, both in length (576 pages) and content, full of horrors both natural (if you can call what these human monsters do natural) and supernatural. The Reformatory takes place in 1950s Florida and follows Robbie, who is sent to Gracetown School for Boys at 12 years old for defending his older sister Gloria from a white man’s advances. Gloria knows her brother is unlikely to make it out of the reformatory alive so is doing everything she can to get him out, while Robbie deals with the various abuses from the living and the formerly living inside. This is not a feel-good book – though there is some humor and lighter moments, but it is engaging, emotional, and fulfilling – and destined to be a modern classic.
For a slightly less intimidating start to Tananarive Due, check out The Wishing Pool and Other Stories. Several of the stories are set in Gracetown (but not connected specifically to Robbie’s story), and it is an overall strong collection. See my full review: https://candikathorror.com/reads/the-wishing-pool-and-other-stories
The Fake Ghost by Nuzo Onoh – The Fake Ghost follows a family in Lagos whose baby Lanre insists his name is POTUS – and that’s because one of the voices in his head is the President of the Unites States, who’s lying in a coma after being hit in the head by a golf ball. When Lanre is a teenager, an accident separates his “fake ghost” from him, and it’s a race against time for them to get the POTUS back to his body before he dies forever. This book is a thrill ride and has some actual laugh out loud moments. My full review: https://candikathorror.com/reads/the-fake-ghost
Bonus: The 100 Horror Movies in 92 Days Book Club is reading Onoh’s Futility for February. Check my Instagram or candikathorror.com at the end of the month for my review.
Psychopomp and Circumstance by Eden Royce – Southern Gothic has entered the chat. Psychopomp and Circumstance by Eden Royce is a quiet tale of family secrets and the power of choice that takes place in an alternate magic-filled version of Reconstruction-era South Carolina. When Phee’s aunt dies, she travels to Horizon, the town her aunt founded as a haven for newly freed black people, to handle the funeral and estate. While there, Phee learns things about her family, her aunt’s work, and her own desires that will leave a lasting impact on her own life. Royce’s worldbuilding and characters are beautiful, and at only 176 pages, you can read this in a sitting.
Midnight Somewhere by Johnny Compton – You can’t go wrong with Johnny Compton, but I tend to prefer his short stories to his novels, so I’m recommending this collection. Fair warning: Though there’s a little humor, these stories are by and large dark and bleak, with themes of vengeance, trauma, and murder. There’s folklore and haunted houses and sports stories and twist endings and sad endings and something for every horror reader. For some highlights of my favorite stories, see my full review: https://candikathorror.com/reads/midnight-somewhere
I realized when searching my reading list for these recs, I have room for more black-authored horror in my life, too, so connect with me on socials and tell me some of your favorites.
MACABRE DAILY: WEEKLY UPDATES
💀 Macabre Daily's Trailer Park: "DIABOLIC," "DOLLY," "THE BEHEMOTH," And "CORPORATE RETREAT" [LINK]
💀 Corin Hardy Shares The Deadly Secrets Of "WHISTLE" (2025) With Macabre Daily [INTERVIEW]
💀 Macabre Daily Podcast Gives An Education In Giallo To Our Very Own (PODCAST)
WHAT TO WATCH
Looking for some recommendations? Over on Sarah Stubbs Says, I put together a list of my favorite watches from January! There is lots of silent horror, so be warned! [written by Sarah]
Religious horror runs very deep. Historically, it’s a common well filmmakers have drawn from for over a hundred years. Various belief systems, classic iconography, and sacred saints have been repurposed and reimagined, extracting the darkest fears of the human subconscious. With Daniel J. Phillips’ Diabolic, religious trauma takes a front seat in an unstoppable horror vehicle that drives the viewer mad. Terrifying, mind-melting imagery and strong performances across the board make the bedeviling film an early contender for the best of 2026. Phillips, who co-wrote the script with Mike Harding and Ticia Madsen, bulldozes you over before backing up and doing it again. It’s a wholly effective, carefully drawn, and often introspective piece that examines religious fundamentalism and its stranglehold on our culture. [Read Bee's review]
2026 is already off to a great start when it comes to “Nature Run Amok” horror films, with “Primate” starting the year off with a well-received crowd-pleasing thrillfest. We’re not going to lie, though, this year is thin at best when it comes to animal attack movies. That’s why we were so excited to watch and review “Killer Whale,” the new aquatic terror film from director Jo-Anne Brechin. To our knowledge, the only other film to feature a killer whale as the antagonist was Dino De Laurentiis’ “ORCA” back in 1977, directed by genre vet Michael Anderson (“Logan’s Run”). A new killer fish film is always welcome, and when it’s not a shark for once, it's even more cause for celebration. So with that in mind, maybe unfairly, we watched what would turn out to be a baffling experiment in strained friendship dynamics wrapped in a flip-flopping message movie, crammed into the bloated carcass of an ill-conceived horror film.
Accomplished makeup artist Meagan Coyle makes an impressive debut with the short folk-influenced horror film, Prime. When Claire (Katie Mumford) leaves behind her life in the aftermath of her mother's death, she joins a farming collective in upstate NY. It's a serene, idyllic location that seems too good to be true -- and it most certainly is. Mumford delivers a compelling performance. As things are exposed around Claire, Mumford offers up a layered, nuanced performance that digs into overwhelming feelings of deception, sadness, and harrowing loneliness. Prime packs a punch, and now, I'm curious about what a full-length version might look like. [written by Bee]
Don't Look in the Dark is not your typical found footage film. Director Sam Freeman dances with the devil and brings hell to earth. Maya (Rebi Paganini) and Golan (Dennis Puglisi) head out to the woods to honor Maya's late father and to prepare for impending parenthood. When their phones start recording on their own, they capture blood-curdling imagery that you won't soon forget. If you don't like frantic found footage, you most certainly won't like this. Flickering visuals and crackling audio might actually make some viewers sick, but it's that aesthetic that makes Don't Look in the Dark work. It might not ultimately stick the landing, but it sure is a wild ride. [written by Bee]
Today, with the political atmosphere in flames, which includes protests around the world, and with certain parties waging destruction to further their beliefs, Wake Up is a fitting film that parallels what's happening to some extent.
When activists enter a furniture store before closing and hide within the displays, intent on destruction for their cause, little do they know that the store's security guard, a disgruntled, quiet man, harbors a dark secret. Once he discovers that something's amiss, especially after his brother/colleague dies, all hell breaks loose. From there, it becomes like a SAW film. Traps are set up in the store, there's blood and gore, and everything comes to a predictable conclusion at the end. [Read Brett’s review]
Ted Bundy was a serial killer responsible for the rape and murder of multiple women in the 1970s, until his capture in 1978 and eventual execution in 1989. With that information, was there a need to make a horror film based on Ted Bundy's actions by creating a story about him having an illegitimate son that was raised by rabbits? Absolutely not. Ted Bunny could've been a standalone film and released under a different title, but here we are (and my rating would still be the same). [Read Brett’s review]
