Obsession: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Megan Lawless
Director: Curry Barker

Meshing together the Monkey's Paw idea, Companion's social commentary and ethos along with Pearl and Smile's unsettling edges proves to be extremely fertile ground for Milk & Serial director Curry Barker's fresh and bracing horror movie.

Bear (Johnston, Teen Wolf) is hopelessly in love with his co-worker Nikki (Navarrette, the film's MVP) - their long-term friendship dips into playful banter, finishing each other's sentences and crossing boundaries. But Bear's unable to tell Nikki how he feels, leading him to be permanently friend-zoned.

When she loses a necklace she adores, he seizes on the chance to buy her a gift, then confess his affection. But while shopping in an old antique store, he finds a "One Wish Willow" artefact which can grant the holder the wish of their dreams. After failing to reveal the depth of his adoration when Nikki directly asks him, he uses the artefact to wish she loved him as much as he does...

Trading in both dysfunctional romances and commentary on adoration and co-dependency in relationships, Obsession is a deeply unsettling movie that traffics as much horror from its uncomfortable moments as it possibly can muster.

It helps that Navarrette delivers a truly upsetting performance, one that wildly swings from outright adoration to utter incredulity as to what just happened with ease - and her screams in the moments of her character's swing are just stomach-curdling.

But it's Barker who makes the leap here from a 62-minute found footage short on YouTube to something that's genuinely distressing to behold. With the film's suspense dragged out as much as possible and the brutal jolts delivered with aplomb, Obsession becomes something devilishly nightmarish as it plays out. Drenched in the kind of muted aesthetic which was deployed in It Follows, the film delights in its dour darkness.

It's a film that plays with horrific extremes and does so with glee - and by keeping the cast list small, the shocks are even more upsetting than you'd expect - or hope - them to be. 

Along with the two power performances, Obsession is the horror film you'd least have imagined to leave you reeling - it's 2026's most twisted love story.

Ball x Pit launches expansion Risen Ballbylon on November 12

Great news for fans of Ball x Pit.

The game, which was published by Devolver Digital and developed by Kenny Sun and friends, has announced a new set of levels will be coming on November 12.

The game's already unleashed three free updates, and now this marks the first paid expansion for the acclaimed roguelike.

Developed by Kenny Sun and Friends and published by Devolver Digital, two-million-selling roguelite BALL x PIT is a ball-bouncing, time-devouring smash hit – but the journey is far from over. Prepare yourself, and your balls, for paid expansion Risen Ballbylon.

Risen Ballbylon is the biggest and most transformative expansion for BALL x PIT yet, adding a wealth of new characters, balls, passives, enemies, bosses, buildings, and levels, dramatically expanding the possibilities of a run and introducing fresh new gameplay mechanics to test even the most hardened veterans of the pit. Will you rise to the challenge? 

You’re used to the lift descending into the depths of the pit – but now it’s going up. Rise above the abyss to reach Risen Ballbylon, which floats high in the sky above. Each level is a layer of the former city, where the population has been warped by the effects of the meteor.

*NOTE: The content of this expansion is only accessible after completion of the base game.

NEW FRONTIERS

When you ascend to Risen Ballbylon you’ll get to explore 4 new battlefields – each with their own fearsome new bosses – and battle over 40 new enemies. You can also dip into a deep pool of 45 new passives, including Lucky Coin, Eldritch Gauntlet, Vampire’s Kiss, Volatile Explosive, and Relentless Whip. You’ll have to play the expansion to find out what they do.

 HERO WORSHIP

There are 8 new gameplay-transforming characters to get to grips with in Risen Ballbylon, including the Sentinel, who can aim in any direction, The Stonewaller, whose balls warp to the other side the first time they hit a wall, and The Right Hand Man, whose balls deal double damage when they hit the right wall but only half when they hit the left.

 BALLS TO THE WALL

Risen Ballbylon also adds 24 new balls to the game to experiment with and create powerful, game-changing fusions. These include the Beast ball, which latches onto enemies and damages them until they die, the Kaiju ball, which causes earthquakes, the Misfortune ball, which curses enemies, and the deadly, spiky Hedgehog ball.

BASE INSTINCT

Base-building has also been radically expanded in Risen Ballbylon, with 20 new buildings to expand your village. Build a Floating Fortress, Crystal Monolith, Soup Kitchen, Circus Tent, Fission Chamber, and other strange structures as you expand your base and mine for crystals – a new resource that adds additional complexity to the game’s economy.

 

BALL x PIT: Risen Ballbylon rises November 12 on all platforms for $6.99.

 

Bounce to ballxpit.com for more information.

 

Supergirl: Blu Ray Review

Cast: Milly Alcock, Jason Momoa, Eve Ridley, Matthias Schoenaerts, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, David Corenswet
Director: Craig Gillespie

Nearly one year after director James Gunn released a revamped Superman movie to relaunch the DC Universe, House of the Dragon's Milly Alcock takes centre stage as Kara Zor-El aka Supergirl.

While Superman has found his place in the universe as a protector of planet Earth, Kara is struggling to discover and define her path. However, when her only other surviving colleague from the planet Krypton, her dog Krypto, is poisoned by space pirate Krem of the Yellow Hills (Schoenaerts) and has only three days left to live, she sets out on a quest for vengeance and to try and save him by getting an antidote.

Based on the Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow eight-issue limited run comic series, Craig Gillespie's movie looks to tackle some heady themes, while trying to deepen the Superman world and lore. 

And in parts, it really shines.

Milly Alcock utterly owns what's needed of her here. The difference between her and her cousin Clark is stark. In one line, she says he sees the good in everyone and she sees the truth when asked if they're similar. Alcock's Supergirl has a lot of PTSD to explore and deal with, something that's triggered further by her life on Krypton, which is different from Kal-El's. 

While Superman showed her as a party girl, determined not to take life seriously, it soon becomes clear that it's a mask, an insight that's probably not a surprise to many, but Alcock imbues it with gravitas and heft, as well as inherent sadness after she faces a life without Krypto.

There are also some surprisingly low-key scenes between the two cousins which bookend the film, grounding both of them and probably setting up a dynamic for Man of Tomorrow, the Superman sequel that's due in 2027.

Plus, the DC Universe feels kind of low-rent too, littered with scuzzy creatures and a space menagerie of life forms that feel like they never really get much screentime in these kinds of films. Along with production designs that deliver the lower end of ships and day-to-day life that feel like they're from Mad Max, Supergirl widens the universe by not wearing rose-tinted glasses. And it's all the better for it.

However, not all of this works.

Chiefly, it's an issue of tone throughout. Moments of jokiness clash up against the more sombre themes of rage and vengeance, and it doesn't always work. 

Momoa's Lobo (a kind of beefcake vampire cross with the lead singer of KISS) just feels completely out of place in proceedings, a kind of hammy, OTT character that really adds little to the proceedings and shows up just because he can. 

And disappointingly, Eve Ridley's Ruthye, who's supposed to be the moral conflict of the story as she wrestles with the desire for revenge, just seems to be prone to be repeating her mantra in a Princess Bride Inigo Montoya way that soon loses its heft. Plus, saddled with quite a bit of forced bonding exposition to Supergirl, she feels more like a mouthpiece in this than a fully fledged individual. (An odd subplot about child trafficking also just hangs there for no real depth.)

Consequently, Supergirl feels like it lacks some of the emotional resonance it needs in an at times uneven movie that never quite allows its deep themes to rise to the top and trust its audience with them.

As a result, it's not quite as Super as it could be, but deserves to be applauded for trying something different and for Alcock's superlative performance.

Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom: Film Review

Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom: Movie Review

Director: Steve Cox, Matthew Walker

Whether it's paying homage to countless horror films or dissing the Wombles, the latest Shaun the Sheep movie is a delight that ewe'll struggle not to laugh at.

The third outing for the loveable sheep on the big screen sees the woolly gang taking on Halloween after the last film Farmageddon saw aliens come to Mossy Bottom.

This time though, when an accident destroys the secret vegetable patch Shaun's been cultivating for the Halloween season, he turns to science to get Tiny the pumpkin he wants. But when he creates a grow-fast formula for the veg, he stores it in a bottle marked Hair Growth, which is inadvertently used by the Farmer, who's smitten with the local vet (Nina Sosanya).

Mistakenly using it, the Farmer transforms into a Bigfoot-like creature, terrifying the locals and also Shaun who realises he has to correct his mistake before it's too late.

There's no denying the inventiveness of Aardman Animations in this clever, family friendly escapade that packs in more in its 80 minutes than some films manage in nearly 2 hours.

It helps that no visual sight gag is off-limits. Whether it's apeing the Simpsons' most famous meme, paying homage to Frankenstein or The 40 Year Old Virgin, or making casual observations about cats or seeing Bitzer take out his own faeces in a plastic bag from his doghouse, via Thriller gags, a throwaway Psycho moment that substitutes strings for floss, every ounce of visual flair is poured onto the screen for maximum effect.

The end result is that Shaun the Sheep continues to carry the mantle which Aardman's been flying for some 50 years now and while he may be cruelly sidelined by Wallace and Gromit, the truth is that Shaun has one hoof squarely planted in humour throughout.

The British sense of humour is firmly on the silly side here, but there's a tender love story between the Farmer and the vet that's universal and the bond between dog and owner is one played for heart too.

Cleverly distinctive, uniquely crafted and lovingly played out, Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom is perfect family fare and a sign that the inventive chaps at Aardman still have plenty of life left in them.

What's on Netflix on October

Here's everything that's streaming on Netflix in October 2026.

East of Eden (October 1)

Adapted by Zoe Kazan, Executive Producer & Co-Showrunner alongside with Jeb Stuart. 

This limited series spans generations of the Trask family starring Christopher Abbott, Mike Faist, Hoon Lee, Joseph Zada, Joe Anders and Florence Pugh as the ultimate antihero, Cathy Ames.

Hot Wheels: Infinite Rush: PS5 Review

Developed by Milestone SRL
Published by Milestone 
Platform: PS5

A bite-sized version of the Forza Horizon series it may well be, but Hot Wheels Infinite Rush's commitment to solid gaming mechanics and fun arcade racing make this colourful game a blast to play in small doses.

This latest places you in a world of Hot Wheels, islands that offer fun and racing alternatives and an open world mechanic that'll see you go from place to place, blasting around, carrying out odd missions here and there and racing to your heart's content.

Across Wheelswood, Tentacle Bay, Gearville, and Drifty Temples, the four islands of the game, there's plenty to do and also a lot to just simply pick up and play, if that's what you so desire. As a result, the game taps into the kind of fun you'd have with Hot Wheels if you were simply just going to hoon around a track for a while with some friends with their die-cast toys.

Essentially a theme park approach, the game brings a level of fun that only the grouchiest of people could deny and lets those who have played other arcade racers appreciate what's special about Hot Wheels itself. 

With some simple mechanics and around 150 cars to unlock, the game isn't really interested in presenting barriers to play, instead preferring to make it easy to simply pick up the controller and start racing. In terms of the PlayStation tech, the adaptive triggers work incredibly well as brake and accelerate pedals, with force feeling really like it's something to master as you race about.

Another nifty trick is the ability to switch cars during your pursuits by simply holding down a D-pad and selecting another option - it's quite the fun device to keep you on your toes throughout.

In terms of design and simplicity, Hot Wheels Infinite Rush has gone for an overtly colourful palette which works well for its race car world. From the orange ramps to various collectibles scattered throughout, everything's presented nicely and is visually appealing, even if some of the gameplay elements occasionally feel repetitive.

From boost pads to challenges throughout the game and the different islands, there's more than enough to do in Hot Wheels Infinite Rush - and the gotta collect em all mentality will definitely appeal to anyone who's ever picked up a pack of these cars and then spent years searching for rare models in supermarkets and toy stores.

Ultimately, this is a faithful and fun Hot Wheels game - it's one that knows what it wants to deliver and does so with ease - for bitesize, chaotic fun, it's simply unbeatable.