Plot: When a young man disappears during the army’s intensified anti-terrorist activities in Kashmir in 1993, his best friend will do anything to find him, even if it means sacrificing himself. Based on “The Collaborator” by Mirza Waheed.
Runtime: 1 Hour 57 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Line of Control starts in the middle of the Kadhmir and Indian war. Captain Kadian (Dharmalingam) recruits a young man (Rai) to join his forces against his family’s wishes. However, his friends have become connected with invading soldiers.
When he goes missing, the rest of his friends go in search of him risking their lives to find the answers. It leaves them facing both sides in the battle to locate their missing friend before it is too late.
Verdict on Line of Control
Recap
The movie follows a young man risking his life to go in search of his missing friend. It places him in the middle of the conflict in Kashmir, where a ruthless Captain refuses to let anyone step out of line. However, the journey is about friendship and making sure the friends have a chance of life together.
Best Parts
This shows another traumatic experience during conflict; in a story many might never have seen. It shows the power of friendship, the tragedy caused by war and people who were on the wrong side of history. The performances are strong throughout and the bigger picture is important to see.
Where to Watch
Line of Control (10/6/26 VOD Release)
Final Thoughts –Line of Control is a strong powerful journey through a conflict.
First Reaction –Crushed has a disturbing truth but struggles for the intensity.
Director: Simon Rumley
Writer: Simon Rumley (Screenplay)
Cast
Steve Oram
Sahajak Boonthanakit
Nadech Chatwin
Kevin Lea Davies
Plot: A family’s faith and resilience are tested when their daughter is kidnapped, leading to a harrowing journey of discovery and justice.
Runtime: 1 Hour 40 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Crushed starts when devoted vicar Daniel (Oram) finds his daughter targeted by traffickers. Once she is kidnapped, he goes on a harrowing journey to discover the truth and deliver justice.
Daniel and his wife lead the search, but it leaves them without answers. However, the truth could be far more disturbing than they could image with the people around them.
Verdict on Crushed
Recap
The movie follows a man of faith whose daughter is kidnapped. She is thrown into a deadly world, but he refused to lose faith and must decide the best way to learn the truth about what happened to her.
Best Parts
The darker side of humanity is shown clearly and in a disturbing reality. It also has moments you would want to look away watching.
Worst Parts
Despite having an incredibly dark subject matter, it struggles to feel as intense as it could be or should be once we enter the world. meanwhile, the performances are not the strongest when we step into the darker chapters.
Where to Watch
Crushed is on UK digital 5 October from GrimmVision
Final Thoughts – Crushed has a chilling subject, with never intense enough.
First Reaction –Songs of Slow Burning Earth is chilling, disturbing and eye-opening reflection of the modern war.
Director: Olha Zhurba
Plot: Reflective observations of Ukraine in wartime are interwoven with eye-witness accounts to contemplate the ultimate tragedy: the normalization of war.
Runtime: 1 Hour 35 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict on Songs of Slow Burning Earth
Recap
The documentary follows the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the everyday people first reactions. It follows their race to find safety for their children. Before moving into exploring the everyday life during the conflict for people defending their homes and trying to continue their lives while the invasion continues.
Best Parts
This is raw, hard hitting and takes us to some of the most destressing moments, without showing the horrors of conflict. It uses the everyday people’s experience, loss, desperation for safety to carry the importance of understanding innocent people in war. This has some of the most important sequences and some moments, which will make you pause with the sequence. Overall, this gives us a terrifying look inside a warzone, the residents lives and innocent people involved. It doesn’t show us the conflict, only implies it, which is just as disturbing to watch unfold.
Final Thoughts –Songs of Slow Burning Earth is a chilling reflection on war.
First Reaction –Isolation has an important conversation, but fails to grab the bigger story.
Director: James Drake Coleman
Writer: James Drake Coleman (Screenplay)
Cast
James Drake Coleman
Sheilava
Ervin Brown
Chiara McCarty
Mark Cabrera
Plot: Isolation explores loneliness, grief, loss, and the struggles of mental health. All within a pursuit of understanding one’s purpose. It’s a coalescence of one’s trauma and working through it while performing at a high level.
Runtime: 2 Hours 2 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Isolation starts when Logan (Coleman) finds himself struggling with his mental health. He previously served as a soldier on off planet mission, questioning his commands. However, his actions have caused him to suffer.
As he tries to balance his mindset, we look into his past to understand his actions. However, the actions continue to haunt him and leading him to question everything he has ever done.
Verdict on Isolation
Recap
The movie follows a former soldier struggling with their action and understanding their decisions. It follows him as he tries to find the best way to deal with the horrors he has faced.
Best Parts
It feels like there is a lot of serious conversations going on in the movie and a bigger discussion needs to happen.
Worst Parts
The movie jumps around a lot and it struggles to settle into an easier to follow story. It presents itself as something simple, but only over complicates a lot of the narrative ideas. Elsewhere, the performances are not the strongest and fail to engage the audience to the leave it would like to.
Where to Watch
Isolation (9/22/26 VOD Release)
Final Thoughts –Isolation is a big conversation that gets overplayed.
Insidious: Out of the Further—What the New Chapter Adds to the Horror Franchise
Horror has long extended beyond the cinema, with fans discovering the genre through films, games, and other forms of entertainment. Platforms like GZone reflect the broader gaming culture, allowing audiences to encounter various styles of games alongside their other interests. For horror fans, however, few concepts have remained as recognizable as Insidious and its mysterious supernatural realm, The Further.
After Insidious: The Red Door brought the Lambert family’s story to another chapter in 2023, Insidious: Out of the Further takes the franchise in a new direction with a different family, a new threat, and a more profound look at what The Further can do.
Released in August 2026, the sixth installment is directed by Jacob Chase and stars Amelia Eve as Gemma, a young mother who discovers that she can enter The Further. Lin Shaye also returns as Elise Rainier, connecting the new story to the mythology established by the earlier films.
A New Family at the Center
Out of the Further has taken a big new direction. The action does not now center on the Lamberts, although they will always be involved in the franchise. The film now follows Gemma and her daughter as they fight against events tied to Gemma’s powers. However, the shift allows for the story to explore the events of the franchise through the fresh characters of Gemma and her daughter.
This new story is significant because it enables the film to function as a separate narrative while also contributing to world-building.
The Further Becomes More Dangerous
The Further is undoubtedly a major component of Insidious. It is portrayed as a mysterious dimension inhabited by lost souls and malevolent beings and where normal laws of our world may not apply.
Out of the Further is based on this notion and gives Gemma a unique power to travel to The Further and bring things back into the real world.
This small aspect alters the ballgame.
Older movies of the Insidious franchise tackled the themes of entities coming into our world. In this case, the connection between the characters and the supernatural elements creates a sense of confusion. The Further is no longer just a scary place; its effects can eventually follow the characters back into the real world.
Elise Rainier Remains an Important Link
Although the film features new personalities, Lin Shaye’s comeback as Elise Rainier offers long-time fans a sense of recognition. Having established herself as one of the most recognizable figures of the series, Elise has played the role of a paranormal investigator, leading fans through the enigma of the Further. Thus, Elise acts as a link between the old mythology and the new plotlines.
Elise’s arrival reminds fans that although Insidious may specialize in stories involving new characters and settings, it does not mean it will entirely ignore its established world.
A Different Kind of Franchise Expansion
Instead of just adding in a follow-up story to what is already known about the Lambert family, Out of the Further shows how the Insidious idea can be applied using entirely new actors.
This may eventually turn out to be one of the key innovations of the franchise. Because The Further potential allows for more than just one story, while the rules of the supernatural world make it easy to link all the stories together.
The use of this approach opens up opportunities for the series to explore other types of horror. The abilities of Gemma lead to a disturbing question posed by the film: what will happen if someone can enter the world of spirits while those spirits can enter the world of the living?
Keeping the Core ofInsidiousIntact
Out of the Further remains true to the Insidious franchise, despite the addition of a new family and an expanded mythology. The supernatural environment, The Further, the demonic creatures, and Elise Rainier share traits with the previous films.
However, the introduction of new characters and the main plot of the film mean that it does not completely rely on the Lambert story. A crucial aspect for a long-running horror franchise is balancing the old with the new.
The new movies must introduce just the right amount of familiar elements to keep established fans happy while also incorporating fresh ideas to ensure the series remains interesting.
What Comes Next forInsidious?
Out of the Further offers the franchise a fresh opportunity to introduce new elements to the story that originally attracted audiences to The Further.
However, it is still unclear whether this move will result in future stories. Despite that, the supernatural world of Insidious will still have various opportunities to introduce new characters and rules and bring more fears into other viewers’ lives.
Fans of the franchise who have followed it since the 2010 release will see that Out of the Further is more than just another ghost and demon encounter; it shows how far the story can go without the Lambert family.
First Reaction –Before the Ice Melts is an enjoyable family friendly experience in chasing dreams.
Director: Nick Hagen, Hamis Torabpour
Writer: Nick Hagen, Hamis Torabpour (Screenplay)
Cast
Molly Peyton
Charles Hubbell
Jamie Landenbrunner
Bruce McNall
Plot: A talented female hockey player anxiously awaits to see if she’ll be drafted and live her dream of playing professionally. As the hour of the draft approaches while she works at the local ice rink, she’ll learn that anything is possible with hard work, support from family and friends, encouragement from NHL Hall of Famers like Luc Robitaille and most importantly, believing in yourself.
Runtime: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Before the Ice Melts starts when Nora (Peyton) prepares for the upcoming professional ice hockey draft. She wants to chase her dream, but her family is trying to convince her take focus on her future more seriously. With the draft approaching, the pressure is on, and she waits in hopes of getting the big shot to chase that dream.
However, the pressure keeps her in line and the friends and locals support her, hoping she gets her big break. Can her dream be reached, or will she get overlooked in her last chance to make it to the big time?
Verdict on Before the Ice Melts
Recap
The movie follows an aspiring ice hockey player who is facing the upcoming draft. She must go through the tension of the big day, with her family trying to protect her from potential heartbreak. As the day unfolds, she learns who the most important people in her life are.
Best Parts
The movie does a wonderful job reflecting the pressure placed on someone chasing a dream with life chasing them down. It shows what happens with loved ones wanting the best and support from friends in life. Elsewhere, it shows the added pressure on the sport itself and the unknown of the draft process. The performances are great, and the overall feel in the movie shows the family environment.
Where to Watch
Before The Ice Melts (9/8/26 VOD Release)
Final Thoughts –Before the Ice Melts has a wonderful, family-friendly feel.
First Reaction –UFOs and God is the typical conversation about the line between religion and UFOs.
Director: Amanada Llewellyn, Wes Llewellyn
Plot: After over eighty years of intense secrecy, the government is finally confirming that UFOs are real. So, what is the average person to think? Are we really being visited by aliens? Grounded in research with interviews from experts, scientists, theologians, and experiencers, viewers will get the tools and vocabulary to talk to skeptics, UFO believers, and people of faith to discover the truth.
Runtime: 1 Hour 34 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict on UFOs and God
Recap
The movie follows people who have connection to the sci-fi writing world and a religious connection. It explores their encounters with UFOs and their journey down the path of those encounters. We explore what could be seen as newer approaches to meet and connect in the bigger conversation about alien connections.
Best Parts
The movie presents the conversation well and shows how people’s lives were changed by the connections. It shows people from different worlds and backgrounds.
Worst Parts
While the conversation is interesting, it doesn’t off too much we haven’t seen before. It is nice it doesn’t go too aggressively in aliens did everything. However, it is more of a series of encounters, rather than the bigger picture of their involvement.
Where to Watch
UFOs and God (9/11/26 VOD Release)
Final Thoughts –UFOs and God fills in the basics for the connections between the two.
First Reaction –Finding Happy shows the amazing jobs people do to care for animals in need.
Director: Maria Bertrand
Plot: When a woman rescues an injured baby sparrow, she has no idea of the profound impact it will have on her life. Her unlikely friendship inspires a global exploration of extraordinary human-animal bonds and their curative powers. Through a collection of heartfelt stories, the conventional ideas of connection and compassion are challenged, offering a message of hope, kindness, and healing.
Runtime: 1 Hour 13 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict on Finding Happy
Recap
The movie follows a woman who has always connected with animals, making an unlikely connection. She connects with a baby sparrow that couldn’t survive in the wild. After careful thought, she adopts the sparrow and inspires others to share their stories of caring for injured animals.
Best Parts
The series of stories of people helping animals is amazing to see. It shows how important helping can be and gives an animal a chance at an amazing life.
Worst Parts
The film struggles to do enough with the story of Happy alone. There is a lot of diving into other stories, which seems to take away from the bigger picture it is trying to tell. Sadly, it feels more like a series of social media updates, rather than a fully experienced story.
Where to Watch
Finding Happy (9/1/26 VOD Release)
Final Thoughts –Finding Happy shows the importance of caring for injured animals.
First Reaction –The Jazz Club is a nice journey through an adult relationship.
Director: Andrew de Burgh
Writer: Cayman Cardiff, Andrew de Burgh, Marie Elizabeth DeWitt (Screenplay)
Cast
Cayman Cardiff
Marie Elizabeth DeWitt
Leah Anne
Elizabeth Rossi
Plot: As their one year anniversary approaches, Jimmy, a jazz club owner, and Sarah, an advertising executive, meet with opposing intentions.
Runtime: 1 Hour 32 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The Jazz Club starts when Jimmy (Cardiff) and Sarah (DeWitt) prepare to celebrate their one-year anniversary. Jimmy has been running his Jazz Club, while Sarah has been conquering the advertising world. The pair have been facing ups and downs for the year and this conversation will decide their future.
As the night unfolds, we see how they truly feel, and even with the ups and downs, they see the best part of the days. They continue to explore their time together and where their future will take them.
Verdict on The Jazz Club
Recap
The movie follows the one year anniversary of a couple. They explore the first year together and the ups and downs involved. As the night unfolds, they start planning what they want next from their relationship or whether they want to keep it going for longer.
Best Parts
The idea this feels like a single take is fantastic to watch. We get wonderful performances from the two stars, who keep us engaged throughout the night. Elsewhere, the location feels natural too. Where it shines the most is exploring an adult relationship without needing to be overdramatic about the outcome.
Worst Parts
Where this is going to be a purely a conversation, it doesn’t have enough impact moments. While this does help keep it feeling more normal, it lacks that spark to raise the tension between the two.
Final Thoughts –The Jazz Club thrives off a nature relationship conversation.
