What’s the real cost of building a family empire? This week on So, You Like Horror?, I’m going solo to explore Mike Flanagan’s The Fall of the House of Usher, the 2023 Netflix horror series inspired by Edgar Allan Poe. I break down all eight episodes, dig into the Usher family’s downfall, and unpack the Poe references and Easter eggs behind the show’s most memorable moments. From Verna’s mysterious bargain to Lenore's tragedy, we’re talking greed, power, family loyalty, and the consequences passed down to the next generation. Full-series spoilers ahead! Which episode stayed with you the most?

This week on So, You Like Horror?, Maryland Phil joins me to discuss The Silence of the Lambs, Jonathan Demme’s blend of psychological horror and crime thriller. We recall Clarice Starling’s hunt for Buffalo Bill and unpack her bizarre relationship with Hannibal Lecter, the meaning behind the lambs, and the film’s themes of trauma, control, and transformation. Along the way, we talk about Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins’s performances, Catherine Martin’s fight to survive, Lecter’s escape, and that basement confrontation.

What makes Clarice such a compelling hero, and why does she find herself drawn to Lecter despite knowing what he’s capable of? Join us for a spoiler-filled conversation about the characters and moments that make this film so hard to shake.

What unsettles you more: a conversation with Hannibal Lecter or a trip into Buffalo Bill’s basement? Listen, follow the podcast, and share your thoughts.

In this episode of So, You Like Horror?, I’m joined by returning co-host Midwest Scott to discuss the 2005 supernatural horror film The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Blending possession horror with courtroom drama, religious themes, and medical mystery, the film asks one central question: what really happened to Emily Rose?

We break down the movie’s most memorable moments, Jennifer Carpenter’s intense performance, Father Moore’s role in Emily’s final days, the tension between faith and science, and whether the film truly gives both sides of the story a fair chance. We also discuss the exorcism itself, the 3:00 a.m. imagery, the courtroom verdict, and the bigger question of responsibility surrounding Emily’s death.

Was Emily suffering from a serious medical condition, was she truly possessed, or was the truth somewhere in between? Join us as we revisit one of the most unique possession films of the 2000s and decide where The Exorcism of Emily Rose stands within religious horror.

This week on So, You Like Horror?, I welcome back Maryland Phil and Joe KW to celebrate the 40th anniversary of James Cameron’s 1986 science-fiction horror classic, Aliens. We discuss Ellen Ripley’s return, the Colonial Marines, Newt, Bishop, Carter Burke, the introduction of the Alien Queen, and the film’s unforgettable blend of action, suspense, and body horror. We also compare Aliens with Ridley Scott’s original Alien, examine the themes of trauma, motherhood, corporate greed, and military arrogance, and ask whether the sequel should be considered horror, action, or both. Forty years later, does Aliens still rank among the greatest sequels ever made?

This week on So, You Like Horror?, I'll dive into the dark, strange, and disturbing world of Netflix’s Black Mirror. Rather than breaking down every season, this solo episode looks at some of the stories that best define the series and asks the big question: Is Black Mirror actually horror?

From the obsession of “The Entire History of You” and the grief of “Be Right Back” to the public cruelty of “White Bear,” the supernatural horror of “Demon 79,” the celebrity exploitation of “Mazey Day,” and the relentless machine terror of “Metalhead,” I explore how Black Mirror uses science fiction, technology, surveillance, grief, isolation, and human behavior to create some of television’s most unsettling stories. I'll also discuss episodes including “Nosedive,” “Shut Up and Dance,” “Playtest,” “Beyond the Sea,” and “Arkangel,” along with honorable mentions like “Common People,” “White Christmas,” and “San Junipero.”

We also dig into the bigger themes running through the series: privacy, artificial intelligence, digital consciousness, corporate control, identity, voyeurism, and why technology usually isn’t the real monster in Black Mirror.

So where does Black Mirror fit between science fiction, thriller, satire, and horror? And what has made the series such a lasting part of modern pop culture?

Press play and take a look into the Black Mirror.

In this episode of So, You Like Horror?, I’m joined by my wife, Sarah, as we head back to Bon Temps for a full retrospective on HBO’s True Blood. We look back at the series’ Southern Gothic atmosphere, the vampire boom of the late 2000s, and the characters who made the show unforgettable, including Sookie Stackhouse, Bill Compton, Eric Northman, Pam, Lafayette, Tara, Jason, and Jessica.

We also talk about the show’s strongest seasons, villains like Maryann and Russell Edgington, the arrival of witches, werewolves, faeries, and werepanthers, and whether True Blood eventually became too crowded with supernatural mythology. Along the way, we cover the rise of Billith, the Authority, and Lilith; the show’s use of religion, prejudice, addiction, sexuality, and politics; and whether the final season gave these characters the endings they deserved.

More than a decade after the series ended, does True Blood still hold up? Is it really a horror series, or is it equal parts vampire romance, supernatural soap opera, dark comedy, and Southern Gothic chaos? We also share our favorite characters, villains, storylines, biggest disappointments, and where True Blood ranks among vampire television shows.

If you’re a fan of True Blood, vampire horror, HBO horror series, Southern Gothic stories, or supernatural television, join us as we return to Bon Temps and remember one of the wildest vampire shows ever made.

In this solo episode of So, You Like Horror?, Jake returns to Derry one more time to discuss It: Chapter Two, Andy Muschietti’s follow-up to IT (2017) and the conclusion to the Losers’ Club story.

Twenty-seven years after their first confrontation with Pennywise, Bill, Beverly, Ben, Richie, Eddie, Mike, and Stan are adults who have built new lives away from Derry. But when Pennywise returns, Mike calls the group home and forces them to confront memories, fears, and childhood trauma they thought they had left behind.

Jake breaks down the film through its major plot points, including the adult Losers, the Ritual of Chüd, Pennywise’s return, Eddie and Richie’s emotional arc, Derry’s continuing cycle of violence, and the final confrontation beneath the town. The episode also explores themes of memory, unresolved trauma, friendship, guilt, identity, fear, and what it really means to move on from the past.

How well does the adult cast compare to the young Losers? Is Bill Skarsgård’s Pennywise still frightening the second time around? Does the Ritual of Chüd work? And does It: Chapter Two deliver a satisfying ending to the story?

Listen now and take one final trip back to Derry.

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In this solo episode of So, You Like Horror?, Jake returns to Derry for a closer look at Andy Muschietti’s IT (2017). Following the recent discussion of IT: Welcome to Derry, this episode explores how the film expands the town’s cycle of fear, violence, and forgotten tragedy.

Jake gives a light breakdown of the movie while examining Bill Denbrough’s grief, the formation of the Losers’ Club, and the personal fears Pennywise uses against each child. The episode also compares Bill Skarsgård’s version of Pennywise with Tim Curry’s performance from the 1990 miniseries.

The discussion also looks at Derry’s passive adults, the human evil surrounding Henry Bowers, and the film’s larger themes of childhood trauma, friendship, isolation, memory, and confronting fear together. Does IT work better as a horror movie or a coming-of-age story? Which Pennywise is more frightening? And does Welcome to Derry make the 2017 film even stronger?

Listen now and return to Derry, where everyone may see the horror, but few are willing to acknowledge it.