Jonny Numb

Blue Murder (2025)

[90 minutes. Written and directed by Justin Armao]

I was a bit skeptical about Blue Murder, but within the first couple minutes my concerns disappeared. Set on Halloween night, the plot follows a female serial killer (Bonnie Jean Tyer) who, upon being caught after slaughtering some sorority girls, is rushed to the hospital (why? it doesn’t really matter) and, in a freak accident, is struck by lightning and killed…but not before the lightning infects Blue (Jewel Bressler) with the spirit of the murderer. What follows is Blue – in a “sexy nurse” costume and knee-high boots – making her way through the community, slaughtering random people, cracking wise, and forming an odd alliance with a lonely, cat-obsessed teen named Torrance (Violet Raine McMahan) along the way.

While body-swap horror tales are nothing new (see Christopher Landon’s excellent Freaky), the propulsive energy of Armao’s direction keeps things interesting and largely unpredictable throughout. For instance: characters presented as foes or allies or potential “Final People” to the possessed Blue don’t necessarily hang out for as long as you might think (it is Halloween, after all – curfews and stuff), and the main plot turn only occurs about halfway through, after a whole new group of characters are introduced. This would come across as clumsy in another film, but Armao’s screenplay – which is loaded with oddball characters and rapid-fire wit – makes this twist work quite well.

The world isn’t at a loss for horror films that capitalize on the Stateside appeal of Halloween (and how cherished it is by many), but while Blue Murder has its points of weakness (notably some repetitive, semi-improvised interplay between a dumb deputy and a jaded detective), it is also more slick and confidently executed than so many “pick-up-an-iPhone-and-shoot” atrocities. Above all, it’s a fun watch that I foresee becoming a sleeper staple in many horror fans’ spooky-season-marathon rotations alongside Trick ‘r Treat and the WNUF Halloween Special.

3 out of 5 stars

Get your copy of Blue Murder here: Blue Murder VHS and Blu Ray Pre-Sale | Indiegogo

Gush (2025)

[86 minutes. Written and directed by Scott Schirmer and Brian K. Williams]

The underlying theme to Gush may be: just let the muse cook.

Coming from the dynamic indie duo of Scott Schirmer (Plank Face) and Brian K. Williams (Amazon Hot Box), this team-up results in a film that blends elements of comedy, drama, horror, fantasy, and (artistic) softcore into an effort that’s unconventional enough to skirt easy categorization. Which speaks rather favorably to what they’ve accomplished.

Sally (Ellie Church) is a successful horror author whose life is turned upside-down after suffering a car accident that claims the life of her unborn child. Giving in to alcoholism and writer’s block, she heeds her husband’s (Jason Crowe – The Bad Man) and publisher’s (William Glenn Christopher) advice to take a reprieve at an isolated cabin to find her inspiration. This appears, quite literally, in the form of a nameless feral woman (Alyss Winkler) who may or may not be a figment of Sally’s imagination, but who nevertheless goes to extreme lengths (sex! murder! interpretive dance!) to ensure her third – and final – novel sees completion.

Schirmer is one of the most consistently interesting indie filmmakers working today, and Gush continues the relationship with his own unpredictable, bored-by-complacency muse. By turns stylish and well-performed, it also carries a pathos with its themes of heartbreak, loss, and regret. It pulls back the posturing skin of most current horror and exposes the frailty – and humanity – lurking beneath.

3.5 out of 5 stars