We’re back again, horror fans! It’s official hump day, so there’s no better opportunity to wish away your Wednesday (and look forward to Friday) with some snacks of choice and a good horror film or two… or three. We’re awaiting Halloween season, which promises to bring us some of the best that horror has to offer with some long-awaited sequels and remakes. We’re just a few months away from summer, but we’re already itching for fall to come back around again. In the meantime, however, there’s plenty shenanigans in the streaming world as some forgotten treasures make their presence known once again. Simultaneously, some box office flops find a home in audience’s minds as shining examples of their sub-genre, be it gore, slasher, etc. We’re jumping around from a critical flop and childhood nightmare to Pearl star Mia Goth’s breakout role enticing a new crowd on streaming.
Settle in with a beverage of choice and let’s take a dive into the wonderful world of horror together.
Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey reels in a crowd on streaming despite critics panning it
If you haven’t seen Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey out of pure obligation, it’s likely caught your attention for being one of the goofiest slashers to come from the 21st century (and that’s not saying much). As Winnie the Pooh fans, we never thought we’d see the day that Pooh and Piglet finally go feral after Christopher Robin abandons them to attend college. The Hundred Acre Wood falls to ruin and cannibalism as Pooh and Piglet take over as dictators, killing all trespassers in a violent, animalistic rage. Officially certified by Rotten Tomatoes as one of the worst movies ever made, Blood and Honey took a budget of $100,000 and managed to take home upwards of $4 million at the box office. It’s even found a new home on streaming as horror fans tune in to see what all the fuss is about. Who’s laughing now, critics?
A Cure for Wellness gets another chance to turn heads after flopping at the box office
You might know Mia Goth from her most recent dual-role as Maxine Minx and Pearl in Ti West’s modern-day slasher X. She reprised her role as a younger Pearl in Ti West’s prequel of the same name, which chronicled Pearl’s downfall from a wannabe actress to a deranged, touch-starved serial killer. She was a household name long before that, however, with roles in Emma alongside Anya Taylor-Joy and A Cure for Wellness with Dane DeHaan. The story follows a Wall Street broker who encounters strange mysteries at a wellness center. Although it performed poorly at the box office, failing to break even with a $26.6 million take-home against a $40 million budget, A Cure for Wellness has found an adoring crowd on streaming and continues to climb the ranks of relevancy, according to FlixPatrol’s findings.
Creature feature Shadow in the Cloud relishes cult status after a rocky start
Who doesn’t love a good creature feature? Although it flew under the radar for the most part, audiences are either discovering or re-discovering 2020’s Shadow in the Cloud, set in the WWII era and following a female pilot (Chloë Grace Moretz) who discovers a deadly presence aboard her Flying Fortress. Opinions on Roseanne Liang’s action/horror were decidedly split down the middle with the feature being either a triumph or a disgrace. Despite critics surprisingly enjoying it, audiences weren’t so easily convinced. A Reddit thread found horror die-hards torn as to whether Shadow in the Cloud is worthwhile or not. It might not be the answer that many are looking for, but the truth is that it probably sits somewhere in the middle. It’s probably going to be exactly what you’d expect it to be, but it’s up to the individual to decide whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
As always, keep an eye on streaming services for other breakout horrors of the past. We’ll be back again tomorrow to give you another daily dose of spooktastic news.