The 19-year-old actor has been killing it as the teenage witch on Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
I have to admit, growing up with the 1990's version of Sabrina the Teenage Witch, I was a bit sceptical
But I needn't have been as the CAOS are a whole new show -apart from a few of the same character names, it's nothing like the one from my childhood.
It's darker, grittier, scarier, sexier and seriously brilliant. Mainly because of Kiernan herself, who effortlessly carries the show and makes Sabrina her own.
And now she speaking out about what drew her to the role and why it has a pro-female message she’s happy to get behind.
She says, “I’m unreasonably excited that young girls are going to get to have this character be an inspiration to them. I think she is so strong-willed, has such a good heart, speaks her mind, stands up for herself, and questions things that she feels aren’t right.”
Feminist-driven work is something that interests her, ''because that’s just who I am.''
While the show is not set in any definite time period, Kiernan does acknowledge that ''it’s related to what’s happening in many different ways and resonates on so many levels.''
We hear ya.
Not only that but playing the strong-willed teen has pushed her to be a better person herself – because, after all Sabrina is not just a witch – she's a teenage girl as well.
Kiernan says, ''She puts herself in situations that are very risky – on the life-threatening side of risky – but to play someone completely and utterly passionate, and who doesn’t back down, makes me want to be the best person I can possibly be.''
However, when it comes to calling Sabrina role model, she hesitates.
However she says that , ''I remember when I was 13 or 14, how I would see a movie and I would want to be exactly like a character. So to grow up and have a character like Sabrina [influence] someone’s life, that’s so cool to me.''
For someone who is only nineteen, she sure seems to have a lot of her sh*t figured out – any advice Kiernan?
''Coming into your own sounds so elegant, but it doesn’t seem that smooth when it happens. It’s something I’ve been exploring for a while. I figured it out to an extent but…Growing up is definitely complicated, obviously.''
She continues, "Everyone has their own journey. I’m at a place where I feel more myself than I ever have, and I’m loving that, and I’m excited that Sabrina came my way. It feels like something I can handle in a way that probably would have been a different experience when I was 16.''
You just keep doing what you're doing – we LOVE CAOS – hurry up season two, yeah?
The temperature has MAJORLY dropped, Halloween is long gone and it's dark at 5pm; you know what this means. IT'S CHRISTMASTIME.
What better way to celebrate the festive season than Netflix and Chill? (literally, it's freezing)
We've decided to do a round-up of all the newestNetflix films which can get you in the holiday spirit, as well as remind you of the best ones available on the streaming service.
As "research", we've even decided to watch them all. Don't say we aren't committed to our jobs…
Netflix remains the Rudolph of the pack when it comes to streaming services, and they have made some absolute gems for us to enjoy this year.
1. The Princess Switch
While Vanessa Hudgen's latest offering contains a huge amount of confusing plot points (I mean, when the identical women who are both played by Vanessa Hudgens meet for the first time, they literally aren't shocked at all…) it cannot be denied that it's entertainment GOLD.
Stacy De Novo and as Lady Margaret Delacourt are a doppelganger duo who bump into each other and decide to switch places. Margaret wants to experience normal life, while Stacey (obviously) wants to be royal for a few days.
The Princess Switch is fairly inexplicable, but contains two charming men who Hudgens gets to kiss repeatedly, a lot of snow, a huge amount of Christmas themes and a gas game of Twister.
Watch to switch off your brain and succumb to holiday cheer.
2. The Holiday Calendar
Kat Graham stars as a struggling but talented photographer who inherits an antique holiday advent calendar which can PREDICT THE FUTURE.
The question is, can she use the calendar to find love this festive season? Quincey Brown plays her love interest; we are hooked already.
You don't have to ask us to watch this, we're already on the couch ready for the ultimate That's So Raven Christmas experience.
3. The Christmas Chronicles
Kate and Teddy Pierce are siblings who hatch a scheme to capture Santa Claus, played by Kurt Russell, on Christmas Eve.
However, the plan goes awry and the kids must join forces with a somewhat jolly Saint Nick and his loyal elves to save Christmas before it's too late, experiencing the adventure of a lifetime while they're at it.
Russell has dedicated his performance to his father and the California wildfire victims.
The Christmas Chronicles will be released November 22, 2018.
4. A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding
OH. MY. GOD.
When the news came in that 2017's iconic A Christmas Prince had a sequel, it's fair to say we had an absolute meltdown.
The first movie was essentially a 'SOB, Prince Harry is taken' comfort flick, featuring Rose McIvor as an aspiring young magazine journalist, Amber Moore, who is sent to Aldovia to cover a press conference with prince Richard.
Richard, a rumoured playboy, is set to take the throne following his father's recent death, but has mixed feelings about the task. While snooping around the palace for a story, Ambers mistaken for young Princess Emily's new tutor.
Amber then goes undercover. Royal security just doesn't exist in Aldovia it would seem.
OF COURSE, a love story ensues between Amber and Richard, but will they make it down the aisle? STAY TUNED:
Don't forget the original: A Christmas Prince
Classic Netflix Christmas movies:
Don't miss these absolute gems from previous years, if you've already watched all of 2018's Christmas additions. (We can't help it okay? We're addicted.)
It's a shame Love Actually or How The Grinch Stole Christmas haven't made it to Irish Netflix yet, but here's hoping for 2019. Fingers crossed, lads.
A Christmas Inheritance
Ambitious heiress Ellen Langford is in line to inherit her father's business, but before this happens she must deliver a special Christmas card to her dad's former partner in Snow Falls.
A snowstorm strands her at the town inn and hinders her goal, but will she learn a few lessons about the true meaning of Christmas while trapped in the town?
We suspect so. There's a clumsy meet-cute, a love/hate relationship with the love interest Jake, a fiance who isn't good for her; in other words, the classic rom-com Christmas clichés.
Cliché-ridden nonetheless, we're still going to watch it, aren't we?
Arthur Christmas
James McAvoy voices Arthur, Santa's youngest son who must deliver a crucial present before Christmas morning dawns.
Santa Claus delivers presents to every last child on Earth, but what everyone doesn't know is that Santa accomplishes this with the assistance of a very high-tech operation beneath the North Pole.
The unthinkable happens, and Santa misses one child out of millions. Will Arthur save the day?
The Christmas Wedding Planner
A wedding planner's world is completely turned upside down when a devilishly handsome private investigator is hired to disrupt her biggest job yet, but will they put their differences aside?
Kelsey Wilson's must organise her cousin's lavish wedding to perfection, but Connor McClane quickly upends the upcoming nuptials after being hired by a private source.
Hint: sparks fly. Otherwise there would be no movie…
Jack Frost
Michael Keaton stars in the 1998 Christmas flick about a touring musician clinging to dreams of stardom.
Ageing rocker Jack Frost doesn't dedicate enough time to his wife Gabby, and young son, Charlie. Following Jack's tragic death in a car accident on Christmas Day , Charlie plays a mournful tune on his father's harmonica.
To his understandable shock, his dad Jack Frost is magically brought to life as a snowman on the family lawn. Charlie and Jack struggle to make up for lost time as father and son, it's the ultimate family tearjerker.
A Wish for Christmas
Lacey Chabert (OMG it's Gretchen Wieners in Mean Girls) stars as Sara, a frustrated web designer who makes a Christmas wish for the courage to stand up for herself.
After exposing her boss for stealing her ideas, Sara is thrust into the spotlight and may get more than she bargained for in both her work and love lives.
Be careful what you wish for, but our Netflix wishes have most definitely come true.
The Holiday(coming 7th December)
Kate Winslet, Jack Black, Jude Law and Cameron Diaz star in the classic 2006 winter season house-swap comedy.
Two women plagued with guy-problems swap homes and countries, where they each meet a local guy and fall in love.
It's such a perfect movie for friends and family to watch together, one of the best and most-loved rom-com's of the genre.
Remember Cameron Diaz blasting Mr Brightside in her cottage drinking wine? Us in roughly three hours.
Happy Netflix-ing, gals. These should keep you in the Christmas mood all throughout December, at least.
Enjoy all of the romance, comedy, drama and holiday festivities which streaming can give, we know we will.
It's nearly impossible to imagine one of the best shows of the last few years killing off two of its beloved main characters, but the Duffer Brothers are no ordinary show-runners.
They have recently revealed that during their initial planning process, they decided that Steve and Eleven would be killed off during season one.
NOT BABYSITTER STEVE. Please, we beg. Or Eleven, she's our new badass feminist hero, if only we were that cool at 14.
The hit Netflix series just wouldn't be the same without it's leading protagonist Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and the lovable babysitter Steve Harrington (Joe Keery).
Over the course of two (soon to be three!) seasons, these characters have become both deeply integral to the show while also becoming massive fan favourites – which begs the question, why would they have ever been killed off in the first place?
In a brand new behind-the-scenes companion bookStranger Things: Worlds Turned Upside Down, Matt and Ross Duffer have let slip that both Eleven and Steve weren't originally meant to survive, because Eleven was allegedly going to sacrifice herself to save the others.
"Eleven was going to sacrifice herself to save the day. That was always the end game." The proposed deaths would have been a huge transformation to the storylines of the show's future.
It soon became crystal clear to the Duffers that Stranger Things would return for season two, which changed everything.
"We needed to leave it more up in the air, because deep down we knew the show just wouldn’t really work without Eleven. And at that point, we knew how special Millie Bobby Brown was. If there was going to be more Stranger Things, Eleven had to come back."
Millie Bobby Brown has emerged from the show as one of the most prominent talents of generation, and has showed maturity far beyond her age. She even shaved her head for her audition for the role of Eleven to show her commitment to the role. A true Kween.
Steve Harrington was kept alive by the Duffer brothers mostly because the fans absolutely adored him; his character arc from Nancy's obnoxious boyfriend to lovable and selfless babysitter to the pack of alien-fighting kids gripped the audience.
It was thanks to actor Joe Keery's portrayal of local Hawkins heartthrob that also contributed to the script change: "This Steve character, he was just supposed to be this giant douchebag," Ross revealed.
The Duffers also revealed that Bob Newby (Sean Astin) was always intended to die, but he originally was planned be killed off a lot earlier in the series. “Sean Astin proved so likeable that Bob’s death got pushed from episode four to episode eight because we kept wanting to keep him alive,” he explained.
“It was important to us and also to Sean to give him a bit of a hero’s death. We wanted him to accomplish something meaningful."
Judging by the trailer for season three, Eleven and Steve will be more essential to the show than ever before.
The creators have claimed that the newest season is based centrally in Hawkins mall, and takes it's primary inspiration from The Thing:
"While it's our most fun season, it also turns out to be our grossest season," Ross Duffer teases. "We're inspired by John Carpenter's The Thing. We're inspired by Cronenberg.
"We have a little bit of a George Romero vibe in there as well. There are horror movies and horror masters that we haven't really paid tribute to as much in previous seasons that we are definitely going to get into this season."
Season three of the fan favourite show is premiering in summer 2019 on Netflix. We're counting down the days, people.
Lili Reinhart is so DONE with online bullies right now.
She has always been vocal about the huge amount of attention that has come her way since she joined the Riverdale cast, and not all of it is positive.
Some of her fans seem to have trouble realising that both Lili and her co-star and real-life boyfriend Cole Sprouse, who plays Jughead Jones, are not actually their characters.
Since Shannon Purser shared an on-screen kiss with Jughead, all of the #Bughead army have been sending MASSIVE amounts of hate poor Shannon's way.
Shannon Purser has never been one to shy away from defending herself, like the true queen she is, and LIli Reinhart has her back.
Adding to that. Shannon is my friend, and it is embarrassing that people felt the need to attack her personally for something that happened on a SHOW. Written by WRITERS. You are not a fan of mine if you treat my friend like this. https://t.co/Yu7aEIGHyk
The former Stranger Things star plays the character of Ethel on the hit Netflix show Riverdale, Wednesday's episode had fans up in arms about a plot-line that was totally out of the actress' hands.
Ethel told Jughead that he had to kiss her in order to get the “scripture” for G&G, so Jughead gave her a quick smooch and they both moved on. Sounds simple, doesn't it? Nope.
Twitter trolls proceeded to attack Shannon, calling her "fat" and "ugly" simply because her FICTIONAL character kissed Jughead. *Sighs*
The Sierra Burgess is a Loser actress allegedly posted a Spongebob meme accompanying the phrase: "All the stans who finally feel comfortable calling me fat/ugly now that Ethel has interfered with their ship.”
She then went on to add, "I’m not stressed about it, trust me. I just wonder what these people will think in like 10 yrs when they remember their twitter and realize they insulted and attacked real human beings for their character on a tv show…"
Welcome to Riverdale’s neighbouring Greendale, where “it always feels like Halloween.”
The new Netflix reboot based on the Archie Comics original has already received hugely positive reviews, and now it's our turn to investigate.
From the opening theme with it's rich, horror-soaked animation paired with eerie music, Sabrina adopts the alluring fantasy of the supernatural and brings it into 2018.
Kiernan Shipka of Mad Men fame steps into the role of a sweet-looking girl with a wicked secret. We’re hooked already, tbh.
The modern-day teen drama is perfect for the time. Sabrina Spellman is a seriously empowered, political gal who we can easily see protesting on the streets looking glam AF, with Harvey on her arm.
On her 16th birthday, Sabrina will have to choose “between two worlds: the witch world of her family and the human world of her friends.”
The main gal herself is ordered to choose between the mortal world and the world of Satan, but it is only a deceitful imposter of a choice, in reality she has no control over what is going on around her.
Forces around her are trying to pull her a million ways, and the secret is simmering throughout the opening episodes in regards to why exactly she is being lied to about her heritage.
Her ‘Dark Baptism’ (what even?) is the night where her life-changing decision must be made, and it’s quite a scene.
Sabrina, whose father was a powerful Satanic priest (the Salem equivalent of your dad being on the Supreme Court) and whose mother was a mortal, is expected to pledge allegiance to the Dark Lord, Lucifer himself, and renounce her human ties.
In return, she gets unfathomable power—but only in return for total and unquestionable loyalty.
Naturally, Sabrina doesn’t want to leave her friends and boyfriend behind, which is the consequence of choosing to serve the devil. So far, so relatable.
Harvey is adorbs to be fair; Disney Channel doesn’t seem suitable for child actor Ross Lynch in this context. He’s a slightly minor character in the initial few episodes, with the main draw obviously being Sabrina and her struggle surrounding her Sweet Sixteen.
The show paints a far more macabre, historically accurate picture of witchcraft, which has long been associated with sexual deviance and the corruptible power of women.
First of all – I LOVE that she refuses to be bullied into making a choice – women are often cornered into sacrificing parts of who they are, but this gal is having NONE of it.
Her character is also more complex than her initial impression conveys- there are undoubtedly dark parts to her light aura. She is far too casual when discussing hexing her principal, for example. The spider scene which accompanies this hex is traumatic as a total arachnophobe, but I'll forgive them for it. Eventually.
I wasn't expecting to be genuinely spooked by some of the content, but it made it even more enjoyable. Think of it like a dramatic teenage female Harry Potter: an orphan with a colossal weight on her shoulders, an animal sidekick and some MAD sorcery skills.
Plenty of freaky stuff starts happening from the get go: she takes a bite of a malum malus—an evil apple, and has a vision of witches hanging from a tree.
She is told she must sign the Book of the Beast in the woods with her own blood. She gets a blood curse. The list goes on, really. The darkness and absurdity create a kind of gruesome and macabre humour, which grows as the episodes progress.
The audience becomes pretty desensitised to the weirdness, after all we have seen some pretty ridiculous stories from other YA series (Pretty Little Liars, The Vampire Diaries, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Twilight etc).
I was part of the generation that watched the 1990's Sabrina until the BITTER END. The bitter end being, of course, her wedding to long-time on and off boyfriend, Harvey.
The show ran from 1996 until 2003, and was far more comedic and slapstick than the current endeavour. Screwball humour, a hilarious witty cat named Salem and a leading lady who was far more relatable than other female characters on TV.
Kiernan Shipka, who plays the protagonist, said, “It’s nothing like the ‘90s sassy, mean Salem at all. That’s its own thing that we’re not going to try to compete with or be in the slightest because you can’t live up to that in any way. This is more of a subtle sort of nod, I would say, to the old show.”
She's dead right, the new show is 100% not trying to imitate any of its predecessors, and this works in its favour. Loyalists of the Melissa Joan Hart edition will be fairly baffled at the lack of humour, and disappointed about Salem the wisecracking kitty being MUTE.
I'll be honest, this devastated me. Salem was hilarious, the original was voiced by Nick Bakay and he's still iconic for his sassiness. The modern day Salem might well speak in future, the show's creator hasn't ruled it out.
The main positive of creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacaso's take on the show is the relevance to modern day and age of Me Too.
At Baxter High School, Sabrina stands up to bullies and founds a women’s intersectional cultural and creative association (WICCA) to provide students with support.
Her BFF Susie is gender non-conforming and suffers for it, and her STUH-NING cousin Ambrose (Chance Perdomo) is pansexual. He is such an aesthetically pleasing man, here's his Instagram for you all to creep on if you don't believe me.
He could win Most Beautiful Mortician of All Time any day, but who can say if this is a hotly contested competition.
As a witch participating in various ceremonies, Sabrina publicly objects to the controlling behaviour of Satan himself. She's braver than us…
She’s of the social media generation, woke AF would be the phrase that immediately comes to mind. She's super savvy, and sniffs out injustices in her own world and in the supernatural.
We love a gal who questions authority. Witches historically have been used to fit the zeitgeist of the time, and the current political climate is part of the reason why the show could be taking off.
The notion of what would happen if women had supernatural power has terrified communities around the world since the 13th century.
The show has already been confirmed for a season two, before season one had even aired.
One down-side of Sabrina for me is the over-the-top theatricality in some parts, but we can’t deny it’s entertainment value.
The orgy scenes, for example, were a bit much considering Sabrina Spellman is sixteen and has an adorable boyfriend, but we get what they were going for.
Maybe they’re trying to embody the wilderness and confusion of adolescence, or maybe they’re just in the mood for some seriously sinister teenage drama. Who can tell?
What no one can deny about the Archie Comics reboots is that teenage angst is taken totally seriously; the adolescent frustrations, anxieties, passions and friendships are all explored and given a platform.
Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa of Riverdale fame has his roots showing in this context. Riverdale had a plot in season one and has now just completely gone off in bizarre tangents, hopefully Sabrina doesn't end up going down this route.
Melissa Joan Hart herself has given the Netflix effort her stamp of approval.
One thing's for sure: you won’t be bored, and you’ll definitely appreciate the fun she has with her wicked skills.
It's highly-enjoyable television that made me want to join a coven and curse the entire patriarchy. Well, even more so than I did before…
The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is currently streaming on Netflix.
Hollywood actor Chris Pine paid Graham Norton a visit the other day, and boy did he cause a stir, much like his role in the new flick Outlaw King, in which Pine shared more than a little of himself.
Norton, never one to beat around the bush, launched into the talk show by addressing the fan frenzy surrounding the 38-year-old Star Trek actor’s role as Robert the Bruce in the new Netflix film.
To put it bluntly, Chris Pine has a scene with FULL FRONTAL NUDITY. Yup, you read that right.
What a time to be alive.
“There’s a scene in the film where I bare the full Monty and, yeah, that seemed to get a lot of attention,” Pine comments. Attention is one word for it, obsession is another. Fans have lost their minds over his crown jewels, and they aren’t afraid to let him know about it either.
Rami Malek and Sally Field were also present as guests on the couch, and they most definitely enjoyed themselves reading the tweets sent in about Chris Pine.
Sally Field, being the hero that she is, schooled Chris Pine on the fact it's been pretty much entirely women who have been baring all for years, hence why the world is freaking out when a man does it.
Sally Field schools Chris Pine on why the world is so fascinated by his penis https://t.co/WsU5bTYU6d
While speaking to The Hollywood Reporter earlier, the actor stated that the nudity was necessary to convey that his 14th century character in Outlaw King was still just a living thing underneath it all.
"There's so much beheading in this, and yet people want to talk about my penis," he continued, while at the Toronto Film Festival.
"Underneath the Emperor's clothes is a muling, puking little kid who was once upon a time just rolling around in the mud and a child. The idea that underneath every prime minister, and president, and ruling leader that we give power to is someone that is just an animal…”
We wonder if director David Mackenzie has read some of those tweets? Pine’s name actually translates to a vulgar French term for male genitalia, ironic enough as that is.
It seems like realism is what they were going for, but Pine’s fans may have missed that notion…
Outlaw King premieres on Netflix on the 9th of November, prepare yourselves ladies and gentlemen.
‘No live organism can continue to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality’
From the opening line, Netflix’ new offering The Haunting of Hill House grips the audience, enrapturing viewers with its amalgamation of family drama and pure unadulterated horror. Based on the 1959 book by Shirley Jackson, Mike Flanagan adapts the series into a sharp and modern offering which has earned rave reviews from critics all round.
Flanagan writes, produces and directs the 10 part series which King of Horror Stephen King refers to as a ‘work of genius’ In past versions of the story, we were only given the haunting itself, but Flanagan’s spin grants us the aftermath which leaves just as much of a chill in your bones. The emotionally charged series avoids the blood and guts of the gothic-horror novel but it remains a visceral viewing nonetheless.
The narrative structure flicks between the past and the present over a 20 year timeline, each episode focuses on the existential, but nonetheless frightening journey of the Crain family trying to come to grips with the ghosts of their past.
It begins with five children who are tragically ripped apart and left with lifelong scars and repressed ghosts from their childhood in Hill House.They are subsequently brought together by a death, and must then realise the complicity of the house in each of their failings as adults.
In 1992, when the kids are still at the titular house, they're plagued with visions of ghosts, zombies, and supernatural beings which affect each of them in alternative ways.The intermingling of the real and possibly imagined creates an atmosphere of anxiety and fear, where the viewer cannot decide which is worse: the horrors of the mind or the darkness of reality.
Olivia and Hugh Crain (played by Carla Guigino and Timothy Hutton) move into Hill House in the hopes of ‘flipping it’- renovating it and selling it for profit. Predictably, their dream becomes a total nightmare, and the house never becomes a home. They have five children- non-identical twins Nell and Luke, Steven, Shirley and Theodora.
Within a month Hugh takes the kids and flees, leaving Olivia behind whose sanity has crumbled within the walls of the home. The children grow up, and Hugh still refuses to tell them how their mother died that fateful night.
Source: Instagram/@_haunting
Each of the children has ghosts which plague them even as time moves on. For example, Luke’s dependence on drugs leads to bitterness among his siblings, and Steven’s horror novel about the house causes anger, as the family believe he is capitalising on their grief. The children act as the narrative backbone, and there are strong performances from each cast member regardless of age.
Mike Flanagan uses genius plot devices to maintain the massive tension for an entire ten episodes, and touches heavily on the notion of trauma informing a person’s future as well as the fundamental notion that there are infinite types of ghosts in every form imaginable. Attention to detail is phenomenal, from the cinematography to the character arcs, there’s even a cameo from Shirley Jackson in the form of her infamous novel The Lottery, which Theo is seen reading in episode one.
Flanagan uses oft-seen horror tropes and concepts such as dark corridors, old rickety mansion, locked doors (the red door will steal the breath out of your lungs), monsters under the bed among others. There are nods to Stephen King throughout, from the use of twins (The Shining) to the use of locked doors and keys.
The designs of the figures that appear are absolutely terrifying, I won’t give anything away but there’s a woman with stringy black hair, a muffled scratchy voice and a crooked neck that will haunt my imagination for life. Flanagan investigates the idea of fault, such as the tragic neglect of Nell in her all-consuming pain of the haunting, in alternating ways, as well as the concept of childhood leaving a stain on your adulthood.
It begs the question, what does one owe to others who shared the same experiences, and what is the true limit of family. The series is intensely psychological, and explores the Freudian notion of the psyche in the form of a house.
Olivia, when designing their ‘forever home’, refers to a house as a body which “works together to keep you healthy.” This insinuates that the children’s trauma from their childhood home has seeped into every part of their present beings- mentally and physically.
Source: Instagram/@_haunting
Family loyalty is called into question, and foreshadowing is beautifully woven into the series through skilled storytelling. As the children flee the house, Steven’s father tells him to “keep your eyes closed, no matter what.” Steven later brings this into his adulthood, becoming a sceptic and never believing in the paranormal occurrences of his siblings and parents, instead blaming their unstable mental health.
Doubt and the importance of believing in the words of children prove to be of imperative value throughout. Absolutely zero comfort is given throughout, Flanagan never answers the question on whether the apparitions are real or imagined.
Contributing prodigious cinematography matched with exceptional writing, The Haunting of Hill House parallels family drama with an impressive horror story, and successfully morphs a classic into the modern world.
Source: Instagram/@_haunting
The show has already made a massive impact- on both the genre itself and those who have seen it. Talks are already in place for a possible season two.
High quality, psychologically charged horror has been steadily growing: Get Out is a landmark much needed change in horror, for example, as is the brilliantly original tour de force that is A Quiet Place.
Hill House is perfect for Halloween, but just don’t watch it alone in your house or you may have to move out.
We can’t deny Halloween is one of our fave holidays, and the perfect excuse to binge some spooky flicks.
If you’re hosting a gals night or you're just a horror loving junkie, we have the top picks for some Netflix and chills.
So buy the popcorn, fire up the group chat and warm up those vocal chords for the screams.
Insidious
New to the streaming sight, this 2011 thriller looks truly horrifying. Insidious follows the story of a family who leaves their haunted home to a new place – but it turns out, the house isn’t the problem, it’s their eldest son.
I have to issue a disclaimer, I’m shockingly bad with horror and couldn’t even make it through the trailer without ripping out my headphones at least three times – pathetic, I know.
Harry Potter is all grown up, and Daniel Radcliffe finds himself in the role of a lawyer. Leaving London, the young professional winds up in a small community trying to source a buyer for a house.
Little does he know about the curse that follows it.
The nail bitter will have you hanging on the edge of your seat as the supernatural sets up in your living room.
Scary Movie 1, 2 & 3
If you’re anything like me, the Scary Movie instalments should be right up your alley.
The light-hearted goof fest is perfect for all the horror wimps of the world.
Ensure you have enough snacks to get you through for an entire Scary Movie marathon, as Netflix has all three on site.
Kick back and enjoy the frightfully funny parody which takes the piss out of some of the biggest movie titles.
Cargo (2018)
Zombie lovers gear up, this 2018 dark horror movie that will mess with your mind.
The film takes a fresh approach to the zombie genre as it’s much more character driven.
Martin Freeman plays a cracker leading role, as he desperately searches the Australian wilderness looking for someone to protect and care for his infant daughter.
Carrie
One of the all time CLASSICS, it would be a crime to leave out Carrie. If you haven't seen this teenage flick from the 70s – you need to watch it immediately.
Adapted from Stephen King's horror novel, Carrie isn't your average basic b*tch, the girl has telekinetic abilities and she ain't afraid to use them.
The teen unleashes the inner beast when the 'in crowd' targets her during prom – you go gal!
Bonus content:
If you haven't got enough time to squeeze a movie into your schedule, don't worry – I've got you sorted.
Get into the Halloween spirit when the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina hits our screens on October 26 on Netflix.
For all those who don't know, Sabrina is getting a revamp unlike any other.
Wave goodbye to the wholesome Spellman you once knew, this remake will be much darker.
It feels like forever since the season two finale of Riverdale aired. We miss the drama, the relationship struggles, the creepy phone calls, Archie’s eyebrows…
There is a Jughead shaped hole in our hearts, but fear not, Betty, Archie and co. are returning to our screens VERY soon.
Season three is set to be better than ever with creepier storylines, new relationships and more trouble for our beloved gang.
We are beyond ready for season three to air. It sounds like the upcoming season is going to be more gripping, dramatic and cheesier than its predecessors.
One of the biggest season three storylines will be Archie’s arrest. Judging from the most recent trailer our fave Riverdale hunk is in jail, and we’re not impressed.
Our love for KJ Apa and his bushy eyebrows is so strong, so we don’t know how we’ll cope if he is stuck behind bars for half the season.
We’ll also be introduced to the cult Polly is a member of, which is bound to be interesting (and extremely scary.)
Also, prepare yourself to see pretty much everyone hook up in the smalltown this season, from Alice and FP to Cheryl and Toni, love is certainly in the air in Riverdale.
Don’t miss the first episode of Riverdale season three on Thursday, October 11.
Netflix has revamped Sabrina from the Archie Comics, and the 90s sitcom, but gave it one dark makeover.
Say your farewells to Melissa Joan Hart's version of the character as Kiernan Shipka takes centre stage as Spellman for this horror-filled, witchcraft series.
If you're a Sabrina fan, you're in luck – Netflix is running at least two seasons of the new show, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
And if the trailer has you wondering if this series has similar feels to Riverdale, you're not wrong.
The brain behind the high-school drama has been drawn-in for the revamp.
First and foremost: let’s get something out of the way. Noah Centineo is the internet’s new boyfriend and if you disagree with that then i’m sorry but we just can’t see eye to eye.
Now to the matter at hand… MAJOR SPOILERS INCOMING! You have been warned. If you’re looking for a film you can sit on the couch with your fluffiest pyjamas and possible hangover, that is precisely what this movie can offer you. What this film cannot offer you, however, is a decent moral compass, or a lesson in consent.
It goes without saying that the talent of the cast is noteworthy (hello, Peter Kavinsky from To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, we see you and we appreciate your existence). Shannon Purser plays the lead role in this Netflix romantic teen comedy, and shows off her singing voice during the film with a charm that adds to her actor’s repertoire. Purser is mostly known for her stint as Barb in the sci-fi Netflix hit Stranger Things, which earned her a surprise Primetime Emmy award nomination in 2017.
Noah Centineo continues to fuel our hormones to dangerous levels in his second Netflix rom-com in a matter of weeks, and yet this effort lacks the simplistic sense of fun in comparison, mainly due to the Catfish narrative that weaves its way through Sierra Burgess. It’s hard not to want to like this film, and there’s no doubt it makes for entertaining viewing primarily because of its talented cast of three-dimensional characters, and yet the unrealistic ending taints the protagonists’ likeability.
@ShannonPurser Instagram
The movie itself is at least trying to give the audience the themes and messages that resemble the John Hughes cinematic vibes of the 1980’s, except they tend to fall flat when the person we are meant to root for conspires to deceive someone into dating them. Shannon Purser as Sierra Burgess is cast as the “ugly duckling” (let’s pretend she’s not absolutely beautiful for a hot second, Hollywood’s idea of non-conventional beauty is literally laughable) and the mean girl, played excellently by Kristine Froseth, plays a trick that gets the ball rolling.
By giving Noah Centineo, A.K.A. Jamey the Magnificent and Emotionally Intelligent Jock, Sierra’s phone number, it connects the two characters, who begin texting. Naturally, Sierra falls for Jamey, because who wouldn’t, despite the fact that he thinks she is a beautiful cheerleader named Veronica. She is then left with the choice of whether or not to reveal her true identity.
RJ Cyler deserves a shout out as Dan, the best friend of Sierra and a scene stealing icon. He has the wit of the perfect sidekick, but honestly the boy should have his own movie, or at least a Netflix comedy special.
The movie does well by giving the ‘Mean Girl’ Veronica layers to her background. Living in a turbulent home with a beauty pageant obsessed mother who has issues with her own self esteem, Veronica’s life is more miserable than her outer appearance lets on at school.
Sierra persuades Veronica to help her continue to text Jamey under the radar, and in return gives Veronica tutoring lessons to appear more intelligent for her (ridiculously toxic) college boyfriend.
Their burgeoning friendship would be a huge positive if not for the fact that Veronica and Sierra are literally catfishing a teenage boy who has no idea that he is calling, texting and sending shirtless photos to a girl he has never met before, and thinks she is someone else entirely.
It’s hard to deny that if Noah Centino and one of his mates had conspired to change their identities to get a girl, would the audience still feel comfortable watching it? Maybe I’m just hyper protective of the internet’s newest boyfriend, or else 2018’s TimesUp movement, has made watching the betrayal of his trust into a hugely negative experience.
Another problematic aspect to the film is the numerous jokes made about Sierra and lesbianism, as well as the scene involving pretending to be deaf in front of Jamey’s ACTUALLY DEAF younger brother. Yes, you read that right. In 2018, when acting roles are still shockingly slim for members of the ASL community, the (anti)heroine genuinely impersonates deafness in front of the love interests’ deaf brother, and yet the movie still has an ending where Jamey somehow is unbothered by this.
The phrase ‘plot hole’ doesn’t even begin to describe that. America’s Next Top Model and Dancing With The Stars winner Nyle diMarco slammed the movie for this very reason:
@NyleDiMarco Twitter
It’s worth remembering that the internet is a dangerous place, and social media is not always a tool for positive change.
Sierra Burgess for example hacking into Veronica’s instagram and playing havoc with her emotions is another viral betrayal of trust that sends messages the movie doesn’t appear to have intended to send out. While they attempt to convey that body positivity and self-confidence are the subliminal messages, the dominant theme appears to be to protect yourself from your phone.
This is why the ending really dampened the film for the viewer. After being catfished by someone who literally hid undercover beneath your car, who hacked someone’s Instagram as revenge, who lied about who they were and who Skyped you as someone else, and pretended to be deaf, I highly doubt your instinct would be to kiss that person and take that person TO HOMECOMING.
Now this could just be jealousy speaking, but Jamey deserves better than that. He is a jock who somehow made playing football sound deep, has an emotional range and doesn’t judge people based on their looks. He must be protected at all costs.
Alas, even Noah Centineo’s endearing longing gaze and Shannon Purser’s adorable Sunflower song cannot save the ending of this movie from itself. Having insecurities is not an excuse to deceive a person who believes he has romantic interest in your false alter-ego.
Instead of forcing the two leads together into a romantic ending that makes no sense, the movie failed to make female friendships its main focus.
Veronica and Sierra overcame social boundaries of the high school zoo to form their bond, and the finale should have elevated that.
Though the movie tries its best to put forward positive themes of body confidence and self-esteem, the message of taking caution online overtakes them all. Oh and Sierra, maybe go to a class on ethics, you’re kind of lacking in that department…
To All The Boys I've Loved Before has taken the Irish Netflix audience by storm in recent weeks – with fans taking to social media to praise the romantic storyline and unique concept.
16-year-old Lara Jean writes secret love letters to all her former flames, but these letters are somehow posted to all of her high school crushes. Understandable, chaos follows.
As one of the most popular films on Netflix at the moment, and a Netflix Original, the streaming service wanted to mark the movie in a special way.
Telling their Twitter followers that they just want to see a little more love in the world, they invited fans of the film to write their own anonymous love letters, complete with their crushes Twitter handle, so that Netflix could post them.
The result was pretty damn heart-wrenching – with anonymous contributors pouring their hearts out online.
However, not everyone is happy with the attention. One Twitter user who was tagged as the recipient of a love letter, has lashed out against the declaration of love.
'The more comments I get on this, the more frustrated I get. Don’t do some “grandiose” rom com gesture to someone you don’t talk to and haven’t seen in the LAST FOUR YEARS,' she wrote.
'Also you had a girlfriend when we met and I have a GREAT BF (NO SECRET THERE). This isn’t romantic folks.'
Sometimes what works in a rom com definitely doesn't work in real life.
