Hereditary is one of those films that stays with you — and in this episode we dig into exactly why. We start with the party scene that changes everything, and the awful, suffocating quiet that comes after. Then we follow the thread: Annie's desperate need for control, Charlie's strange little rituals, and Joan showing up at just the right moment with just the right amount of sympathy. Spoiler — she's not being kind.

We also get into the small stuff that makes the film so unsettling: the cluck, the flickering blue light, that symbol that keeps turning up where it shouldn't. Peter's slow unravelling is a big part of this one too — there's a classroom scene that's easy to miss but says everything. And once we get to the attic, it all starts to click into place in the most horrible way possible.

The ending is divisive, and we get into why — what it means, how it connects to films like Rosemary's Baby and The Witch, and why the whole thing lands hardest if you read it as a story about a family whose grief was being used against them the entire time.

If you're into horror that actually rewards paying attention, this one's for you. Give us a subscribe, leave some stars, and let us know what you made of that ending — we'll read out our favourites next time.

And if this episode entertained you, unsettled you, or mildly ruined your evening — we'll take that as a win.

Damo & Lily :)

• (00:00) - Cold Open And Sunday Banter

• (00:55) - Why Hereditary And First Reactions

• (02:53) - Recent Horror Watches And Tangents

• (07:46) - Setting The Stage: Family, Grief, Symbols

• (13:10) - Party Night And The Unthinkable Twist

• (18:06) - Shock, Aftermath, And Heavy Grief

• (23:10) - Miniatures, Control, And Family Dynamics

• (29:37) - Joan Appears: Seance And The Door Opens

• (35:12) - Peter Unravels: School Visions And Attacks

• (41:36) - The Cult Revealed And Ancestral Secrets

• (46:20) - Fire, Possession, And The Final Pursuit

• (51:05) - Treehouse Coronation And Interpreting The Ending

• (55:45) - Stupid Decisions Score And How We’d Die

• (01:01:30) - What To Watch Next And Listener Poll

• (01:09:00) - Reviews, Thanks, And Closing

In this episode, Damien and Lily delve into the horror film 'Hereditary', exploring its themes of family trauma, grief, and the supernatural. They discuss the character dynamics, the impact of loss, and the role of art as a coping mechanism. The conversation highlights the film's psychological depth and the chilling portrayal of possession and cult dynamics, culminating in a discussion about the film's climax and its unsettling conclusion.

Damo and Lily shake off the New Year cobwebs with Return of the Living Dead — a film that somehow manages to be hilarious, horrifying, and weirdly philosophical all at once. Expect stupid decisions, pain-feeling zombies, punk energy, nuclear fallout, and the eternal horror question: why does everyone always make the absolute worst possible choice?

The new movie is being made! https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31350873/

Damo & Lily :)

The scariest mask isn’t the one with horns. It’s the one that feels possible. 

We dive into The Black Phone and its sequel to test a simple claim: horror hits hardest when it stays close to the ground. The first film is a masterclass in tight dread—school, home, a basement—and a villain whose calm menace lingers long after the credits. A disconnected phone that won’t stop ringing, a boy learning to fight back, and Gwen’s visions that blur trauma and second sight: this is horror that respects our nerves.

Then we pivot to Black Phone 2, a sequel with big ideas and bigger moves. The early promise is there—snowbound landscapes, eerie dream-logic, and threads of the Grabber’s past flickering through ghostly footage—but the tone drifts. Instead of claustrophobic terror, we get an ice-rink showdown and lore that over-explains while undercutting risk. When almost no one dies, danger starts to feel optional.

We talk about why spectacle rarely replaces fear, and how a single choice—shifting from human evil to supernatural theatre—changes everything.

Along the way we compare notes with Sinister, call out script choices that dull sharp edges, and map the moments that still deliver genuine unease. We also rank the “stupidity index” for both films, share the blunders that pulled us out of the story, and yes, imagine how each of us would meet our end in both universes. If you care about what makes horror stick—pacing, performance, plausibility, and the power of suggestion—this one’s for you.

Enjoy the breakdown? Follow the show, share it with a horror-loving friend, and leave a review. Your messages help us pick the next film—and your best “how I’d die in a horror” ideas might make the show.

Join Lily and Damien as they dive into the world of horror films with humour, insight, and caffeine. From cult classics to guilty pleasures, they prove there’s no such thing as a bad horror movie.

Damo & Lily :)

• (00:00) - Cold Open And Host Banter

• (02:45) - Introducing The Podcast’s Premise

• (05:10) - Editing Style And Authenticity Chat

• (06:45) - Today’s Focus: Black Phone 1 & 2

• (09:30) - Housekeeping And Listener Plugs

• (12:20) - Why Black Phone 1 Works

• (16:20) - Quick Plot Recaps, With Spoilers

• (22:10) - Ghosts, The Phone, And The Grabber

• (26:30) - Comparing Sinister And The Black Phone

• (30:40) - Where Black Phone 2 Goes Wrong

• (36:20) - Script, Tone, And Language Gripes

• (41:30) - Camp Lore, Wild Bill, And The Ice Finale

• (47:00) - Scares That Land Versus Empty Spectacle

• (51:20) - Blunders In Black Phone 1

• (56:40) - Blunders In Black Phone 2

• (01:02:30) - “How We’d Die” In Each Film

• (01:07:30) - Stupidity Index And Final Verdict

• (01:12:00) - Wrap-Up, Support, And Next Pick Tease

A rickety bridge, a locked cabin, and a book bound in skin—what could go wrong? We kick off our horror series by putting The Evil Dead under the brightest, blood-splattered microscope, asking a simple question that unlocks everything: why do stupid choices make scary movies so satisfying? From the clumsy charm of our show’s naming saga to a crash course in Video Nasty history, we set the stage for a lively, no-fluff breakdown of Raimi’s cult classic.

We trace the dominoes of doom with forensic glee: driving over a bridge that should end the trip, splitting up to explore, descending into the cellar alone, spinning the tapes, believing the demon’s “I’m better now,” and not finishing the job. Along the way we dig into Raimi’s grammar of dread—low-budget ingenuity, wild POV shots, fog-laced frames, and those unforgettable practical effects. Blood filling sockets and bulbs, stop-motion decay that’s both dated and delicious, and Foley work that makes the cabin feel possessed; this is the tactile horror modern CG can’t quite fake. We also unpack the uneasy legacy of the forest assault scene, the censorship that followed, and how the film’s audacity still provokes.

Character-wise, we argue about Ash as a “final boy” who barely earns it here, and how the genre’s clichés work like stage cues: we need the bad decision to fuel suspense and give us permission to shout at the screen. Our Stupidity Index rates Evil Dead’s decision-making a three out of ten, and that low score is exactly why the film endures—horror needs transgression to breathe. If they all chose wisely, there’d be no film, no fear, no fun.

Subscribe for more sharp, funny, and thoughtful dives into horror’s best worst choices. If you enjoyed the episode, share it with a friend and leave a quick review—it helps more genre nerds find us. What infamous bad decision should we tackle next?

Join Lily and Damien as they dive into the world of horror films with humour, insight, and caffeine. From cult classics to guilty pleasures, they prove there’s no such thing as a bad horror movie.

Damo & Lily :)