Matt Donato

Los Angeles

Writer and Critic at Freelance

Articles

Review: 28 YEARS LATER is Cinematic Anarchy That Yields Mixed Results

1 week ago | dailydead.com | Matt Donato

28 Years Later is an act of cinematic anarchy: a compliment and a criticism. Danny Boyle's return to his rage-fueled horror franchise is so overtly the first movie in a planned trilogy, planting storytelling seeds but barely watering them. It's desperately averse to being another straightforward 28 [Insert Time Duration] sequel, yet is missing the rabid intensity witnessed prior.
Celebrating Shudder's 10th Anniversary with Tattoos, Memories, and Community

1 week ago | dailydead.com | Matt Donato

Over the weekend, I flew roughly 5,500 miles roundtrip to get a new tattoo. A cross-country journey that started in Los Angeles and granted me 20-ish hours in New York City. That sounds looney tunes, right? In most contexts, I'd agree with you—but this was a landmark weekend. On Friday the 13th of June, 2025, horror watchers, creators, and other industry folks gathered at Wild Heart Tattoo Shop in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, to celebrate Shudder's 10th birthday.
The Best Scary Movies From 2024 Streaming Now

1 week ago | inverse.com | Matt Donato

The more I look back on 2024’s horror crop, the more I’m impressed. Whether it was sequels, prequels, or originals, genre fans were served treat after treat. Audiences stayed giddy all year, the box office was healthy, and we even saw multiple horror titles honored at the Oscars. It’s always good to be a horror fan, but 2024 was something special. Suddenly, an outcast genre had newfound mainstream appeal. Don’t believe me? Why don’t you see for yourself.
Tribeca Film Festival 2025 Review: MAN FINDS TAPE is a Creepy and Impressive Faux-Doc Debut

2 weeks ago | dailydead.com | Matt Donato

Man Finds Tape is a faux-documentary horror show like many others…at first. A man finds a tape (duh) and begins chronicling his investigation into strange happenings, ultimately descending into supernatural madness—but familiarity is short-lived. Writers and directors Paul Gandersman and Peter S. Hall have concocted an Eldritchian ode to The X-Files or Supernatural episodes with a backroads Texas twist.
Review: THE RITUAL is a Chore From the Lord

3 weeks ago | dailydead.com | Matt Donato

Well, The Ritual sure is another exorcism movie! The hook? This one’s got Al Pacino, Dan Stevens, Ashley Greene, and Patricia Heaton. The problem? The Ritual plays no better than the umpteenth generic exorcism release without marquee names, and sometimes even worse. Exorcism movies are a dime a dozen in the horror genre, and nothing here dares to push subgenre boundaries or expectations past the devil’s doorstep.
Dangerous Animals Review - IGN

3 weeks ago | ign.com | Matt Donato

Dangerous Animals opens in theaters Friday, June 6. For years, Hollywood tried to make a blockbuster idol out of Jai Courtney, positioning him as the savior of past-their-prime franchises like Die Hard and Terminator. But playing the son of John McClane or an alternate-timeline Kyle Reese didn't suit an actor who seemed far more at home playing the DCEU’s dirtbag Captain Boomerang.
Dangerous Animals Review

3 weeks ago | sea.ign.com | Matt Donato

Jai Courtney hooks a few beauties. This post might contain affiliation links. If you buy something through this post, the publisher may get a share of the sale. Updated: June 6, 2025, 2:22 a.m. Dangerous Animals opens in theaters Friday, June 6. For years, Hollywood tried to make a blockbuster idol out of Jai Courtney, positioning him as the savior of past-their-prime franchises like Die Hard and Terminator.
Review: Animated PREDATOR Anthology KILLER OF KILLERS is a Violent Treat

3 weeks ago | dailydead.com | Matt Donato

The Predator franchise's Achilles' heel has long been storytelling. "Hunt, kill, repeat" sounds like a doable premise to redeliver, and yet entries like Predators and The Predator beg to differ. That's the beauty of Dan Trachtenberg's not-so-secret Predator: Killer of Killers, an animated anthology of rad-as-hell Predator deathmatches. Strip away exposition, pick some eras, and unleash Predators on warriors throughout time—it's that simple.
'Rabid' Proves You Can't Beat Cronenberg at His Own Game [Revenge of the Remakes]

4 weeks ago | bloody-disgusting.com | Matt Donato

Apologies for the unexpected Revenge of the Remakes hiatus. Life be life’in, as someone probably says. It’s been almost nine months since we rode Dick Mass’ (The) Lift and went Down on his (The) Shaft, but I’m back with a vengeance. Countless horror remakes remain to cover, so what’s next? David Cronenberg’s on my mind after slathering myself in the nastiest, most exceptional body horror movies—why not let the Canadian icon make his second column appearance?
Review: FEAR STREET: PROM QUEEN Isn't Worthy of the Crown

1 month ago | dailydead.com | Matt Donato

In 2020, with theaters struggling during COVID-19 lockdown protocols, Netflix made a genius play by acquiring Disney's Fear Street films for a triple-feature summer release. Horror fans were buzzing about Leigh Janiak's R.L. Stine adaptations, which became a minor cultural event. You'd think Netflix would ride that hype into future entries, right?