Welcome to a Sunday edition of Creepy Catalog’s daily horror digest! There’s actually a lot to talk about today, so I’ll get right to it.
Movie of the Day
Today’s movie is the newly released Shudder Original Push. It’s the latest movie from writers and directors David Charbonier and Justin Douglas Powell, the duo behind The Boy Behind the Door (2020). The general consensus I see online is that people tend to like that previous film more, but I prefer Push.
I will say right away that the trailer and some of the more effusive review quotes go overboard. This isn’t a “scare mania,” and it’s not filled with “maximum terror.” Push is a movie that is smart about building tense moments gradually and effectively. Then, when it seems like it’s reaching its end, it pushes past the end to add a few extra layers of uncertainty. It also plays around with genre tropes, sometimes in a straightforward way, and sometimes in ways that might be a little too “clever” for its own good (especially in the end).
The story is simple. Natalie is a realtor from Barcelona, living on her own in Michigan. Her significant other died in a car crash about eight months prior, and she is currently pregnant with their child. She’s a realtor, and she’s attempting to sell a huge, isolated house that has a dark history of murder. The opening half hour or so of the movie established Natalie’s character and the pain (mental and physical) that she is dealing with, as well as the urgent need she has to make this sale. The time is also spent establishing the house itself as a character. Natalie walks the hallways, discovers hidden quirks of the building’s construction, and generally sets a quiet and somber mood. Push is a movie almost all about mood, so the time spent in the beginning is needed.
Natalie is hosting an open house, but only one guy shows up. As day turns into night, Natalie finds that she can’t leave. Even worse, the guy from earlier is now stalking her, and he seems to have a thorough knowledge of the house. The movie then turns into a cat-and-mouse style thriller, made even more urgent when Natalie’s water breaks right as she realizes she’s being stalked.
Most fans of horror/thriller movies will likely predict many things that happen throughout Push. I don’t necessarily see that as a negative though. It actually helps add to the suspense when we know (or assume) more than Natalie does. What I really like about Push is that it doesn’t ever artificially stretch out the stalking to milk the more horror-forward aspects of the movie. Even if Natalie doesn’t make decisions we agree with, she wants to end her ordeal as soon as she can. This leads to some really interesting moments in the latter half of the film that turn a good, moody thriller into something a bit more unpredictable.
I’m not sure if I like the very end of the movie (stick around for a mid-credits scene), but I respect the decision to end it the way they did. It makes sense, and the groundwork is there for it, but it felt like one reveal too many. However, I still recommend Push if you enjoy slower, moodier movies filled with gradually building suspense. You can stream it on Shudder and AMC+.
Related Movie Recommendation
There are a few I could recommend here with a vibe similar to Push, but I’m going with Hush (2016). It’s a Mike Flanagan movie about a deaf and mute woman who becomes the target of a masked killer who torments her when he realizes her condition. It’s a very tense film which many people love. I don’t love it, but I like it very much. You can stream Hush on Shudder, or stream it for free on Tubi.
In the News
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Rian Johnson described the upcoming Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery as having a Gothic tone. He says the movie “gets back to the real origins of the genre,” which he says goes back to Edgar Allen Poe.
Despite many other actors returning to their roles for Practical Magic 2, Evan Rachel Wood will not be among them. She said that she was told they’re recasting her character. She even “offered [her] services,” but she wasn’t asked to return for the sequel. (Deadline)
Birthdays
Celebrating a birthday today is Roger Jackson (born July 13, 1958). Roger is the voice of Ghostface in the Scream franchise. He’s also done voice work for many video games, including Telltale’s The Walking Dead, and Alone in the Dark (2024).
Patrick Stewart was also born on this day, in 1940. He’s well known for many iconic roles like Professor X and Captain Jean Luc Picard, but his memorable horror performances include Green Room (2015) and Lifeforce (1985).
Cheech Marin was also born on July 13th, in 1946. His best horror roles were all in From Dusk Till Dawn (1996). He played three different characters in that movie.
Other birthdays today include Fran Kranz (1981) who was Marty in The Cabin in the Woods, and Sidney Blackmer (1895) who was the conniving Roman Castevet in Rosemary’s Baby.
Events on This Day
Splatter University was released in the United States on July 13, 1984. The movie is a fairly straightforward slasher movie about an escaped mental patient and a new instructor at a college where people keep dying. The movie is pretty good, but it’s particularly interesting for how it subverts certain expectations towards the end. Watch Splatter University on Plex.
Released on July 13th, 1990 was The Invisible Maniac. This is a goofy horror-comedy about an invisible killer who stalks and slays while working as a high-school teacher. The Invisible Maniac is streaming for free on Fandango at Home.
On this day in 1983, an episode of the fantastic British comedy Blackadder aired that seemed to pay tribute to movies like Witchfinder General (and just witch trials in general). The episode was titled “Witchsmeller Pursuivant,” and it features Prince Edmund (Rowan Atkinson) being accused of witchcraft. You can watch the episode on Hulu.
Also released on this day were the following movies:
- Black Cat Mansion (1958, Japan)
- The Lost World (1960)
- Hands of the Ripper (1972)
- The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977)
- Captivity (2007)
Thanks once again for reading! If you missed it, this past week I made a list of the best indie horror movies so far in 2025. Check it out if you want more to watch!
