A shopping mall, and one trendy clothing retail store in particular, becomes center stage for a power feud among sisters in pitch-black horror comedy Forbidden Fruits. The Diablo Cody-produced cult film-in-the-making bears the familiar killer instincts, quick wit, and pop culture satire that made Heathers such a perennial favorite, but for a new generation. While it reserves its most prominent horror elements for its splashy finale, Lili Reinhart‘s femme fatale casts a beguiling spell.

It’s an introduction to Reinhart’s commanding Apple, who seduces a leering dad into a compromising position before inflicting humiliation from the parking lot before the start of her shift, that begins director Meredith Alloway‘s feature debut. It’s the type of control and confidence that instantly marks her as queen bee of her clique, before we meet Fig (Alexandra Shipp) and Cherry (Victoria Pedretti), the two other current members of the Forbidden Fruits, the sisterhood formed from the employees of the shop Free Eden.

The threesome is in search of a fourth member to round out their coven after tragedy befell their last sister when newcomer Pumpkin (Lola Tung) arrives. Instead of witchy harmony, though, Pumpkin disrupts the ranks and forces the Fruits to confront their poisonous ways.

Alloway, who adapts the stageplay Of the Women Came the Beginning of Sin, and Through Her We All Die with its playwright, Lily Houghton, maintains razor sharp focus on its central foursome comprised of Gen Z’s favorite It Girls. While fashion trends come and go, archetypes never really go out of style and just about all are represented within the deceptively insidious Fruits. If we’re drawing Mean Girls comparisons, which the social hierarchy here is apt to do, Pedretti’s loveable ditz Cherry channels the daft perkiness of Karen Smith while Shipp’s stylish but people-pleasing Fig matches Gretchen Wieners.

Ultimately, though, Forbidden Fruits builds to a savage faceoff between Apple and Pumpkin, two darker, more cunning visions of Regina George and Kady, respectively. Unlike Mean Girls, it takes a much murkier approach to the motives and morals of its two opposing ladies.

It’s the battle of wits and the Gen Z vision of shopping mall witchcraft that engages most in this single-location horror-comedy. Alloway’s feature debut never leaves the mall, but production designer Ciara Vernon keeps it visually interesting with an enchanting vision of Free Eden and flourishes of teen girl whimsy scattered across the shopping center, including an inspired use of surveillance tech by way of Barbie.

Cinematographer Karim Hussain (Infinity Pool, Gen V) captures the witchy social destruction with a dreamlike quality, isolating the frenemies in a bubble of heightened reality removed from the rest of the mall’s employees and regulars that include Free Eden’s boss (Gabrielle Union) or forbidden love interests like Fries Boy (Zack Thompson). Or even traumatized former coven member Pickles (Emma Chamberlain).

Forbidden Fruits wears its cinematic influences on its sleeves as friendships curdle and contempt breeds violence, but unlike Mean Girls or Heathers, Alloway and Houghton afford their primary antagonist more depth and a vulnerable backstory. Reinhart latches onto Apple’s internal complexities and coaxes them to the forefront, earning surprising allegiance in the process even when Apple is at her most vicious. And boy does she get ruthless come the film’s gory climax.

As delightful and winsome as this cast can be, it’s Reinhart who runs away with the film and leaves you rooting for Apple to dig her witchy claws into a new friend or foe. Forbidden Fruits may not necessarily forge new terrain in the teen satire space, but Alloway brings so much style and energy to her well-cast single-location stageplay adaptation for the Gen Z crowd.

Forbidden Fruits made its premiere at SXSW and releases in theaters on March 27, 2026.

The post ‘Forbidden Fruits’ SXSW Review – Lili Reinhart Bewitches in ‘Heathers’-like Horror Satire appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

You can always count on SYFY to serve up the Leprechaun movies for St. Patrick’s Day, and this year is no exception. SYFY is airing an all-day Leprechaun Franchise Marathon on St. Patrick’s Day once again, and it’s taking place all day Tuesday, March 17, 2026!

The good news? They’re showing ALL 8 MOVIES throughout the day, including 2018’s Leprechaun Returns. Here’s the full schedule for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day marathon…

Tuesday, March 17, 2026:

• 12:00am – Leprechaun Returns (2018)
• 2:00am – Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood (2003)
• 4:00am – Leprechaun V: In The Hood (2000)
• 6:00am – Leprechaun 4: In Space (1997)
• 8:02am – Leprechaun: Origins (2014)
• 10:00am – Leprechaun: Back 2 tha Hood (2003)
• 12:00pm – Leprechaun V: In The Hood (2000)
• 2:00pm – Leprechaun 4: In Space (1997)
• 4:00pm – Leprechaun 3 (1995)
• 6:00pm – Leprechaun 2 (1994)
• 8:00pm – Leprechaun (1993)
• 10:00pm – Leprechaun Returns (2018)
• 12:00am – Leprechaun: Origins (2014)

If you’d rather see Warwick Davis up on the big screen for St. Patrick’s Day, the 1993 slasher will be released in Cinemark theaters for one night only on March 17. Get tickets now!

The Leprechaun franchise kicked off with Mark Jones’s original horror-comedy in 1993, which was followed by five Warwick Davis-starring sequels, a reboot, and later Leprechaun Returns in 2018. Even though Leprechaun Returns was a sequel to the original movie, Linden Porco took over the role of the title character, played by Dylan Postl for Leprechaun Origins.

On a related note, Meagan Navarro highlighted The 10 Best Kills in the 8 Film Leprechaun Franchise back in 2020 here on Bloody Disgusting. Check that out if you missed it!

We also want to mention that original Leprechaun writer and director Mark Jones just passed away earlier this year. So be sure to pour one out for Jones while you watch the marathon.

The post SYFY Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day 2026 With ‘Leprechaun’ Marathon Beginning at Midnight! appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

It’s no secret that the horror genre isn’t often recognized at the Academy Awards, but nights like last night go a long way in changing those perceptions of the genre somehow being lesser than other types of movies. Amy Madigan (Weapons) and Michael B. Jordan (Sinners) took home Oscars, making them two of just eight actors to ever win Oscars for horror films.

But plenty of horror movie performances over the years have gone completely unnoticed by the Academy. Sarah Paulson gave a shout-out to one of them while chatting with Variety in the wake of her friend Amy Madigan’s win last night for her performance in Weapons.

Sarah Paulson told the outlet after Madigan’s win, “For me as a person, selfishly, who has worked a lot in that genre… and who thinks James McAvoy’s performance in Split was one of the great performances of all time that should’ve been in the conversation…”

Paulson continued, “… the idea that that genre is very rarely celebrated or acknowledged… to see Amy have that success, and Sinners as well… it’s really a very special, special night.”

It was ten years ago that James McAvoy played Kevin Wendell Crumb in M. Night Shyamalan’s Split, which operated as a stealth sequel to Unbreakable. McAvoy’s character suffers from dissociative identity disorder, with his performance toggling between various personalities. Those personalities include a woman and even a child, as well as the monstrous “The Beast.”

McAvoy’s performance in Split was indeed one of the most memorable in 2017, but horror films were perhaps a bit less likely to get nominated back then than they are today. However, McAvoy was nominated for awards that year including the MTV Movie Award for Best Actor, as well as the Teen Choice Award for Best Movie Villain. He didn’t end up winning either award.

Do you agree with Sarah Paulson that James McAvoy deserved an Oscar nomination for his multi-faceted performance in Shyamalan’s Split? Comment down below and let us know.

Sarah Paulson on Amy Madigan’s #Oscar win and horror finally getting more recognition: “The genre is very rarely honored and celebrated” pic.twitter.com/0b8R2nIfxE

— Variety (@Variety) March 16, 2026

The post Sarah Paulson Shares the Horror Movie Performance She Would’ve Nominated for an Oscar appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The tragedy of the short film is that, while it’s a necessary step in a filmmaker’s journey towards producing bigger projects (with these movies often requiring just as much effort as a feature), no one really tunes into the Oscars just to find out who won “best live-action short”.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a single theater that still screens short-form media outside of the festival scene, and as someone who’s made a fair number of short films in the past, I can guarantee you that this isn’t a very lucrative endeavor.

Yet, at least where genre movies are concerned, some of the very best filmmaking in the industry is currently happening within the short film circuit. In fact, I’d argue that many horror shorts are actually superior to their feature-length cousins, often precisely because of their more concise structure and budgetary limitations. In honor of these short-form frights, we’ve decided to highlight five freaky horror shorts that are worth a watch!

Like our previous articles recommending horror shorts, this list is purely based on personal opinion, but every film here stands out either because of its narrative prowess, overall visual style, or the presence of good old-fashioned scares. That being said, don’t forget to comment below with your own favorite horror shorts if you think we missed a particularly memorable one.

With that out of the way, onto the list!

5. My house walk-through (2016)

Liminal Horror only really took off in 2019 with the rise of the Backrooms phenomenon, but I’d argue that the genre’s seeds had already been planted years in advance at that point. A great example of this is PiroPito’s underrated found footage oddity, My house walk-through, a bizarre Japanese “home video” where an unseen man gives us a looping tour of his increasingly disturbing home.

PiroPito (also known as Nana825763) was already something of a horror icon after the release of Username: 666 back in 2008, but My house walk-through is a narratively dense nightmare that far surpasses the director’s previous work. That’s why this memorable short is still worth revisiting a decade later, not only as the grandfather of an entire genre but also as a legitimately fascinating piece of minimalist horror filmmaking in its own right.

4. Heck (2020)

Kyle Edward Ball may have made a name for himself with Skinamarink, but it’s his 2020 short Heck that first introduced the world to the filmmaker’s peculiar talent for liminal frights, lo-fi aesthetics, and surreal storytelling. And if you ask me, the 28-minute-long short is a superior product to its feature-length cousin precisely because of its streamlined structure.

While both movies are obviously meant to be enjoyed as eerie mood pieces, Heck feels narratively denser, making it more enjoyable for folks like myself who like their grainy nightmare fuel served with a healthy dose of freaky storytelling.

3. The Kid and the Camera (2022)

Analogue Horror sometimes gets a bad rap because of certain creators who attempt to emulate aging technology that they’re far too young to fully understand, but I don’t think it’s fair to judge a whole genre based on a handful of awkward examples. After all, projects like The Kid and the Camera prove that there are still unexpected thrills to be had when exploring the darker side of nostalgia.

Not only is Braiden Ortiz’s short an exceedingly authentic recreation of children’s programming from the 90s, but it’s also the only real successor to classic Creepypastas like the iconic Candle Cove, and that’s why it makes it onto the list.

2. La Última Campanada (2026)

Not only is Braiden Ortiz’s short an exceedingly authentic recreation of children’s programming from the 90s, but it’s also the only real successor to classic Creepypastas like the iconic Candle Cove, and that’s why it makes it onto the list. Animated horror is tough to get right. While some filmmakers think that sinking a ton of money into tinkering with the art style is all it takes to set up a spooky atmosphere, the fact remains that a good scary movie needs a good script, expensive animation or not. That’s why La Última Campanada (The Last Bell in English) is such a good time, as this indie production from Spain manages to translate all the gothic thrills of a traditional folk legend into a short yet satisfying experience.

The textures and animation may not be as smooth as something rendered by Pixar, but the subtle craftsmanship on display here more than makes up for that. From simulated split diopter shots to a narrative directly lifted from oral tradition, there’s a lot to love about this clever reinvention of the vourdalak myth.

(La Última Campanada is currently still screening at festivals, but it’ll be released online soon!)

1. Desdêmona (2025)

Cronenberg meets Kafka in this moody exploration of non-binary identity and insectoid body horror!

Desdêmona is likely the strangest movie on this list, with the filmmakers combining surreal visuals, meta storytelling (the main character even builds prosthetic props for horror movies!), and hand-crafted effects work in order to tell a unique story about a lonely individual undergoing an unexpected transformation.

That’s why I’d recommend this atmospheric Brazilian gem to all the weirdos out there – so long as you can handle the bug-themed imagery.

The post Five Freaky Horror Short Films to Scare You appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Horror had a massive presence at the 2026 Academy Awards, with films including Sinners, Frankenstein, and Weapons representing the genre in major categories. All three films ended up taking home Oscars last night, but there’s two particular wins we want to shine the spotlight on. Why, you ask? Because these wins are deeply significant – and incredibly rare.

The first Academy Award of the night was given to Amy Madigan for her performance in Zach Cregger’s Weapons, with Madigan taking home the trophy for Best Supporting Actress.

Later in the night, Michael B. Jordan won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his dual role in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, which ended up taking home four awards in total.

“For me as a person, selfishly, who has worked a lot in that genre… the idea that that genre is very rarely celebrated or acknowledged… to see Amy have that success, and Sinners as well… it’s really a very special, special night,” Sarah Paulson told Variety, reacting to Madigan’s win.

As Paulson notes, it’s incredibly rare for horror movie performances to actually win Academy Awards. But how rare is it? Here’s a crazy bit of context that might surprise you…

Last night, Amy Madigan and Michael B. Jordan become two of now EIGHT total actors who have actually won Academy Awards for performances in horror movies over the past 98 years!

Which actors have won Oscars for horror movie performances?

That complete list of just eight now includes…

• Best Actor in a Leading Role – Fredric March, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1932)
• Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Ruth Gordon, Rosemary’s Baby (1969)
• Best Actress in a Leading Role – Kathy Bates, Misery (1991)
• Best Actress in a Leading Role – Jodie Foster, The Silence of the Lambs (1992)
• Best Actor in a Leading Role – Anthony Hopkins, The Silence of the Lambs (1992)
• Best Actress in a Leading Role – Natalie Portman, Black Swan (2011)
• Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Amy Madigan, Weapons (2026)
• Best Actor in a Leading Role – Michael B. Jordan, Sinners (2026)

Yes, that means this year’s Academy Awards gave us the horror genre’s first acting wins in 15 years, and this year’s wins make up a staggering 1/4 of the total horror wins in cinema history.

Which other horror performances have been nominated for Oscars?

While only eight actors have won Oscars for their performances in horror movies, other performances have been (rarely) nominated over the years. Horror acting nominees include…

• Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Janet Leigh, Psycho (1961)
• Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Linda Blair, The Exorcist (1974)
• Best Actress in a Leading Role – Ellen Burstyn, The Exorcist (1974)
• Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Jason Miller, The Exorcist (1974)
• Best Actress in a Leading Role – Sissy Spacek, Carrie (1977)
• Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Piper Laurie, Carrie (1977)
• Best Actress in a Leading Role – Sigourney Weaver, Aliens (1987)
• Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Haley Joel Osment, The Sixth Sense (2000)
• Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Toni Collette, The Sixth Sense (2000)
• Best Actor in a Leading Role – Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out (2018)
• Best Actress in a Leading Role – Demi Moore, The Substance (2025)

But again, Amy Madigan and Michael B. Jordan have now joined an elite class that includes just six other performers who won their categories for their horror movie performances in the past nearly 100 years. Congratulations to both Madigan and Jordan, whose wins are also massive wins for horror at large. Let’s keep this momentum up as we head towards the Oscars 2027.

Have you seen any horror performances this year that feel deserving of Academy Awards nominations next year? Leave a comment and we’ll keep this conversation going below!

The post Only Six Horror Movie Performances Had Ever Won Oscars – Two More Just Joined the Small List appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.