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The Gen-z stare doesn’t have a thing on a long silence spent with the quietly brilliant Alice Maio Mackay. At 21, the Australian filmmaker has already made six features — in just four years. Her latest just premiered at Fantasia Fest, and “The Serpent’s Skin” is the beginning of a romantic new era for the dark fantasist, who’s reserved in-person but ferocious on film.

Maio Mackay’s latest is a demonic lesbian love story that’s inspired by the hazy pop-horniness of “The L Word” and the director’s favorite episodes of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Charmed.” “Everyone’s always telling me, ‘Oh, this is your most personal film,’ and I find that to be such a weird assumption,” Maio Mackay told IndieWire in Montreal. “It’s one thing if I’ve said that, but I haven’t, and these people don’t know me. It’s really bad with male journalists.

Several films screening at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival explore the idea that teen girls are not alright, including The Serpent’s Skin, Foreigner, and Lucid.

Read on for my capsule reviews of all three films.

The Serpent’s Skin

Scripted by Alice Maio Mackay and co-writer Benjamin Pahl Robinson, The Serpent’s Skin follows trans girl Anna (Alexander McVicker) as she moves to the big city. There she meets weird, but decent Danny (Jordan Dulieu) and goth tattoo artist Gen (Avalon Fast), sleeping with and befriending both as a dark, serpentine power begins attacking people. Think The Craft meets Scanners.

Mackay’s bold colour scheme, elliptical editing, and counter culture attitude are all present in The Serpent’s Skin, but the narrative moves at a more deliberate pace than her previous films, which allows the characters time to breathe between set pieces.

Featuring genuine chemistry between McVicker and Fast, the return...

Judging by “The Serpent’s Skin,” you wouldn’t guess Alice Maio Mackay is only 20. The wunderkind filmmaker from Australia is already on her sixth feature, and it was inspired by fantasy TV shows that are almost a decade older than the director. Co-written with Benjamin Pahl Robinson, Mackay’s moody new movie pays vivid homage to her favorite episodes of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Charmed” by way of a witchy girl-on-girl love story. Think “The Craft” with more queer kissing, and surreal technicolor visuals akin to a sapphic “Mandy.” Fans of Mackay’s earlier “T Blockers” will be happy to hear she’s still funny, but this story was made for Gen-z femmes who discovered Evanescence via Spotify.

Why Mackay took a liking to supernatural TV shows from the ‘90s is anyone’s guess, but how she went about catching up on them is what matters most. Edited by Vera Drew,...

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If you are a horror fan then there is a big chance that you might have heard about the horror streaming service Shudder, and if you have its subscription you might be wondering what’s in store for you in December 2024. Don’t worry there is a host of new and old horror movies coming to the service in the upcoming month and we have listed the 10 best movies coming to Shudder in December 2024.

Coming Home in the Dark (December 1) Credit – MPI Media Group

Coming Home in the Dark is a psychological horror thriller film directed by James Ashcroft who also co-wrote the screenplay with Eli Kent. Based on the 1995 short story of the same name by Owen Marshall, the 2021 film follows a high-school teacher and his family on a road trip but they are soon captured by...

Stars: Jeremy Moineau, Chris Asimos, Dominique Booth, Lewi Dawson, Olivia Deeble, Lisa Fanto, Molly Ferguson, Patty Glavieux, Betsey Brown | Written by Alice Maio Mackay, Benjamin Pahl Robinson | Directed by Alice Maio Mackay

As always, I made sure I got to see the Christmas movie from this year’s Fantasia festival. Carnage for Christmas sees true-crime podcaster Lola, return to her hometown for the first time since leaving and transitioning, only for an ‘urban myth’ to seemingly also return and start killing again. Lola must solve the case and save the town that didn’t want her.

I don’t mean this in a bad way at all, but Carnage for Christmas feels very familiar to anyone who has seen plenty of slasher films, and more specifically Christmas slasher movies. There are clearly influences here from such films as Silent Night, Deadly Night and Black Christmas. This is of course no bad thing,...

It’s Lola’s (Jeremy Moineau) first time back in her small hometown since leaving for the big city at 16 and transitioning. Thus she expects drama––either because the locals are still stuck under 1950s-era gender norms or because her old bullies are chomping at the bit to pick up where they left off. A double murder, though? No one would fathom that as her homecoming present, regardless of her minor celebrity as a true-crime podcaster who got the bug when being confronted with her own community urban legend as a kid. Could it be a stalker who listened to her latest episode and followed her down? A figure from her past? Or, maybe, the ghost of the Toymaker himself?

While I’ve never read a Nancy Drew book, I have played a couple of the point-and-click games with my partner, so the homage isn’t lost on me. And...

At only 19 years old, Australian Alice Maio Mackay is already an accomplished filmmaker. Known for low budget, indie genre films like So Vam (2021) and Bad Girl Boogey (2022), Mackay routinely tells exceptional stories about characters running from monsters and masked killers from the horrifying perspective of what it’s like to fight for your life while being Queer and transgender in a bigoted small town.

Mackay’s newest film, Carnage for Christmas, is a fast-paced, blood-soaked whodunit, which follows a true crime podcaster returning to her small hometown years after transitioning and has to solve a series of gruesome murders, which the local police seem to be ignoring.

Carnage for Christmas, written by Mackay and Benjamin Pahl Robinson, and directed by Mackay, introduces us to Lola (Jeremy Moineau) while she is recording the latest episode of her true crime podcast. Lola closes the episode with an urban legend from her hometown of Purdan,...

Stars: Lewi Dawson, Lauren Last, Stanley Browning, Etcetera Etcetera, Patty Glavieux, Toshiro Glenn, Lisa Fanto, Chris Asimos | Written by Alice Maio Mackay, Benjamin Pahl Robinson | Directed by Alice Maio Mackay

T Blockers is Australian filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay’s follow-up to So Vam and Bad Girl Boogey. Right from the start, she lets viewers know this isn’t your typical creature feature with an introduction by Cryptessa, played by Etcetera Etcetera, who achieved fame on RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under. This is shortly after being revealed to be part of Terror from Below, a supposedly lost movie being watched by one of this film’s characters.

That character would be Spencer who’s watching it while helping calm down his roommate Sophie (Lauren Last) who is about to go on a date with Adam, her first date since coming out as a trans woman.

That doesn’t go quite as planned,...

It’s a new month and a new month brings new horror. In this first full week of March 2024, Eight new horror movies are on the way, coming to theaters, VOD, and even the big screen.

Here’s all the new horror releasing March 5 – March 10, 2024!

For daily reminders about new horror releases, be sure to follow @HorrorCalendar.

First up, Breaking Glass Pictures has released Beware of the Boogeyman, a psychological thriller written and directed by Calvin Morie McCarthy, on VOD outlets today, March 5.

“In this chilling tale, Dr. Tristian MacKenzie embarks on her first day of orientation at the Silverdale Psychiatric Hospital for the criminally insane. There, she encounters the enigmatic Dr. Moon, who reveals a series of bizarre cases involving five patients and their shared delusion.

“As Dr. MacKenzie delves deeper into the unsettling files, she unravels a web of intrigue and horror that challenges her understanding of reality.

The newly released Australian queer horror film T-Blockers presents a colorful punk-rock portrayal of the trans experience, which steals the show from the underlying horror plot. Perhaps the most impressive part about T-Blockers is that it was made by then-17-year-old Alice Maio Mackay, a young trans newcomer in the film industry who directed and co-wrote the script. Mackay uses the horror genre to make biting social commentary on LGBT+ issues in the third film of her career, and she particularly excels at the stylistic colors, energetic soundtrack, and punk-feminist tone of the movie. However, certain aspects of the horror plot were sacrificed to make way for in-depth social commentary, making the story feel rushed.

T-Blockers shines best as an example of the perfect pairing: the horror genre and the LGBT+ experience. There is also a thread of meta-commentary that starts right at the beginning, when the fantastic Australian drag queen Etcetera Etcetera,...

Watch the Trailer for Alice Maio Mackay's T-blockers: "In small-town Australia, a nightmare is brewing. Sophie is a young filmmaker obsessed with finding a thought-to-be long-lost film. Meanwhile, an earthquake unleashes ancient parasites in the area that thrive on hatred, causing outbursts of violence. Now Sophie and her friends, struggling with dating and their undesirable jobs, must also face off against an ancient evil that spreads like wildfire."

Starring: Lauren Last, Lewi Dawson, Joe Romeo, Chris Asimos, Joni Ayton-Kent, Stanley Browning, Lisa Fanto Director: Alice Maio Mackay Writers: Alice Maio Mackay, Benjamin Pahl Robinson Release Date: March 5, 2024 from Dark Star Pictures

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Birdeater: "A bride-to-be is invited to join her own fiancé’s bachelor party on a remote property in the Australian outback. But as the festivities spiral into beer-soaked chaos, uncomfortable details about their relationship are exposed, and the celebration soon becomes a feral nightmare."

Directed by: Jack Clark,...

Horror films have always piqued the interest of many movie enthusiasts with a variety of sub-genres to keep audiences entertained. Whether you're scared by claustrophobic terror or prefer jump scares, there's a horror film for everyone. While many films in the genre are purely fictional and far from reality, movies like The Conjuring claim to be based on true stories.

In February 2024, we saw films like Lisa Frankenstein, which evoked strong '80s vibes, and Out of Darkness, which took us back to the prehistoric world. Fortunately, March 2024 has some outstanding horror films, with plenty of movies to please horror lovers throughout the month. Here is a list of every horror movie coming out in March 2024.

T-Blockers Watch It in Theaters on Mar. 5

T-Blockers is an upcoming and third feature film by the Australian filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay. This queer horror film, co-written by Benjamin Pahl Robinson, is set to be released on Mar.

Alice Maio Mackay, the filmmaker behind So Vam and Bad Girl Boogey, is back with new movie T-Blockers, and a brand new red band trailer highlights the horror movie’s punk rock spirit with blood, violence, and parasites.

Dark Star Pictures releases T-Blockers on March 5, 2024.

Watch Bloody Disgusting’s exclusive red band trailer reveal below.

In the film, “In small-town Australia, a nightmare is brewing. Sophie is a young filmmaker obsessed with finding a thought-to-be long-lost film. Meanwhile, an earthquake unleashes ancient parasites in the area that thrive on hatred, causing outbursts of violence. Now Sophie and her friends, struggling with dating and their undesirable jobs, must also face off against an ancient evil that spreads like wildfire.”

Lauren Last, Lewi Dawson, Joe Romeo, Chris Asimos, Joni Ayton-Kent, Stanley Browning, and Lisa Fanto star.

“I am really excited to once again be partnering with Dark Star Pictures – this time for...

Is it possible to be filled with so much hatred and bigotry that you project it onto an inanimate object? That’s just one of the many timely themes explored in 18-year-old Alice Maio Mackay’s thrilling new slasher Bad Girl Boogey, which follows a terrifying, mysterious masked killer who horrifyingly targets transgender and queer victims in a small town.

Australian filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay has two new feature films coming out this year—T Blockers and Bad Girl Boogey. Mackay’s first feature film, So Vam, is a coming of age, queer vampire story that also calls out bigotry and once again proves you don’t need a big budget to make a good movie. It’s especially impressive when you find out Mackay was only 16 years old when she made it. Written by Mackay and Benjamin Pahl Robinson and directed by Mackay, Bad Girl Boogey follows a group...

Stars: Lisa Fanto, Iris Mcerlean, Prudence Cassar, Steven Nguyen, Toshiro Glenn, Lewi Dawson, Georgie Cufone, Em Bleby, Mark Fantasia, Patty Glavieux | Written by Alice Maio Mackay, Benjamin Pahl Robinson | Directed by Alice Maio Mackay

Showcasing different time periods connected by a creepy mask which brings out the worst in people, co-writer/director Alice Maio Mackay uses her sophomore feature to show the venomous bigotry resonating across the changing years. Sixteen years after the last killings, close friends Angel (Lisa Fanto) and Dario (Iris Mcerlean) are thrown into a nightmare situation when their friend is the next victim. It is up to the pair to overcome their personal struggles and fight their fear before the masked killer slaughters everyone dear to them.

What’s key to Bad Girl Boogey are the firm friendships within the group, looking out for each other regarding addiction issues, self-harming, and age-inappropriate relationships. This is particularly true for Angel,...

Dark Star Pictures will release Alice Maio Mackay’s acclaimed slasher film Bad Girl Boogey this summer and we have a look at the brand new trailer! Release plans include a digital platforms release on July 4th, a DVD release on July 11th, and select theaters will also screen the film starting on July 7th.

"Bad Girl Boogey follows Angel whose mother was brutally murdered one Halloween night, when blood was shed by a deranged killer wearing a parasitic mask cursed with black magic and bigotry. Sixteen years later, when Angel’s best friend is slaughtered by a killer with the same mask, they must overcome their personal struggles, fight their fear, and find the masked killer before he, or it, slaughters everyone they hold dear."

This film was crowdfunded early last year and, as a big fan of Alice Maio Mackay's So Vam, I was happy to support the project,...

A couple months ago, we learned that Dark Star Pictures has picked up the North American distribution rights to the Australian slasher movie Bad Girl Boogey – and at the time, we heard the film would be receiving a VOD, digital, and physical media release on July 4th. But the release strategy is actually a bit more spaced out than that. Dark Star will be giving Bad Girl Boogey a digital release on July 4th, then the film will reach select theatres on July 7th, and the DVD release is scheduled for July 11th. With those dates less than a month away, a trailer for the film has arrived online, and you can check it out in the embed above.

The second film from writer/director/producer Alice Maio Mackay (the first was the 2021 vampire movie So Vam), Bad Girl Boogey centers on Angel, whose mother was brutally murdered one Halloween night,...

Dark Star Pictures will release Alice Maio Mackay’s acclaimed slasher film Bad Girl Boogey this summer and Bloody Disgusting has an exclusive first-look at the trailer.

The film, which received a positive reception at its premiere at Popcorn Frights Film Festival followed by a healthy festival run including Monster Fest and Salem Horror Film Festival, will release on digital platforms July 4 with a DVD release on July 11.

Select theaters will also screen the film from July 7.

“Bad Girl Boogey follows Angel, whose mother was brutally murdered one Halloween night when blood was shed by a deranged killer wearing a parasitic mask cursed with black magic and bigotry. Sixteen years later, when Angel’s best friend is slaughtered by a killer with the same mask, they must overcome their personal struggles, fight their fear, and find the masked killer before he, or it, slaughters everyone they hold dear.”

Explains the release: “Directed,...

Dark Star Pictures has picked up the North American distribution rights to the Australian slasher movie Bad Girl Boogey, The Wrap reports. The second film from writer/director/producer Alice Maio Mackay (the first was the 2021 vampire movie So Vam), Bad Girl Boogey features a voiceover cameo from genre icon Bill Moseley and will be receiving a VOD, digital, and physical media release on July 4th. Dark Star Pictures also intends to give the film a theatrical release at some point before that date.

Written by Mackay and Ben Pahl Robinson, Bad Girl Boogey centers on Angel, whose mother was brutally murdered one Halloween night, when blood was shed by a deranged killer wearing a parasitic mask cursed with black magic and bigotry. Sixteen years later, when Angel’s best friend is slaughtered by a killer with the same mask, they must overcome their personal struggles, fight their fear, and...

Filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay (So Vam) is back with new movie Bad Girl Boogey, and The Wrap reports today that Dark Star Pictures has acquired the queer slasher.

Bad Girl Boogey will release on VOD outlets beginning July 4.

Bad Girl Boogey is said to “take the slasher out of the hands of the Reaganite 80s mentality of punishment and violence and turns it into a powerful and resonant allegory for the struggles of the LGBTQ+ community, and all of those who are hated and outcast.”

In the film, “Angel, whose mother was brutally murdered one Halloween night, when blood was shed by a deranged killer wearing a parasitic mask cursed with black magic and bigotry.

“Sixteen years later, when Angel’s best friend is slaughtered by a killer with the same mask, they must overcome their personal struggles, fight their fear, and find the masked killer before he, or it,...

Dark Star Pictures has acquired North American rights to Australian queer horror film “Bad Girl Boogey,” the second film from writer-director Alice Maio Mackay,

“Bad Girl Boogey”, per the official description, tells the story of “Angel, whose mother was brutally murdered one Halloween night, when blood was shed by a deranged killer wearing a parasitic mask cursed with black magic and bigotry. Sixteen years later, when Angel’s best friend is slaughtered by a killer with the same mask, they must overcome their personal struggles, fight their fear, and find the masked killer before he, or it, slaughters everyone they hold dear.”

Cowritten with Ben Pahl Robinson when Mackey was just 17, the film features a cast of queer and trans actors. Starring Lisa Fanto, “Bad Girl Boogey” also stars Iris Mcerlean, Chris Asimos, Toshiro Glenn, Lewi Dawson, Kate Bonney, plus a voiceover cameo by horror genre mainstay Bill Moseley.

“I...