Hokum 4K (2026/NEON/Decal 4K Blu-ray w/Blu-ray)/Hungry (2026/Decal DVD*)/Inugami Family (1976/Radiance Blu-ray*)/Mutant Genesis (2024/Cleopatra DVD*)/Tetsuo: The Bullet Man (2009/Unearthed Films Blu-ray/*all MVD)

4K Ultra HD Picture: B+ Picture: B-/B-/B-/C/B+ Sound: A-/B-/C+/C/B+ Extras: B/C/B/D/C+ Films: B/C/B-/C-/C-

Here's our next group of thrillers, mysteries and horror...

Hokum 4K (2026) is an engaging supernatural horror film from writer-director Damian McCarthy, the filmmaker behind Caveat and Oddity. The film stars Adam Scott as Ohm Bauman, a tormented and misanthropic American novelist who travels to the remote Bilberry Woods Hotel in rural Ireland to scatter his late parents' ashes. His parents spent their honeymoon at the hotel, and Ohm becomes increasingly curious about their stay and the memories they left behind. As he begins exploring the hotel and surrounding area, however, he encounters a host of bizarre characters and gradually becomes entangled in a dark mystery involving a legendary witch said to haunt the hotel's forbidden honeymoon suite.

McCarthy's direction is strong throughout, once again demonstrating his talent for turning confined spaces and seemingly ordinary locations into sources of dread. The eerie Irish setting and atmospheric production design give the film plenty of personality, while the carefully constructed sound design is particularly effective at building tension and delivering some genuinely unsettling scares.

It is also refreshing to see Adam Scott tackle this kind of horror role. Ohm is pessimistic, abrasive, and not particularly likable when we first meet him, but Scott gradually reveals the grief and emotional damage beneath that unpleasant exterior. As the story progresses, the character develops a greater sense of empathy, giving Scott more dramatic material to work with than the likable, awkward, or put-upon characters he is often associated with.

The supporting cast is also strong, particularly David Wilmot, Peter Coonan, and Florence Ordesh, who help populate the hotel and its surroundings with characters who feel strange enough that you are never quite certain whom Ohm should trust.

Hokum is a beautifully shot film shows off some stunning Ireland locations and is captured nicely on 4K UHD disc here is presented in 2160p HEVC/H.265, 2.39 X 1, HDR (10; Ultra HD Premium)-enhanced Ultra High Definition image and an audio track in an lossless, English DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit) mix. There's also a 1080p Blu-ray with identical widescreen and audio specs and a more compressed image. The film looks very nice for the most part here aside from a few noticeable moments of compression here and there. Overall, the 4K presentation is far superior to the 1080p Blu-ray.

The scares and sound design are well crafted throughout, and McCarthy proves once again that he understands how to create tension through atmosphere rather than relying solely on gore or conventional jump scares. While the ending doesn't ultimately say anything particularly profound and some of the film's mysteries are more compelling than their eventual explanations, Hokum remains an entertaining and effectively creepy piece of Irish folk horror. It may not quite reach the unsettling heights of Oddity, but it further establishes McCarthy as one of the more distinctive voices working in contemporary supernatural horror.

Special Features:

Audio commentary with Damian McCarthy

Behind-the-scenes making-of documentary

Short film: Jack the Donkey, A Family Favorite

Original Teaser Trailer

and an Original Theatrical Trailer.

Hungry (2026) may immediately bring the classic Hungry Hungry Hippos game (and maybe old TV ad?) to mind, but the film is actually an original creature feature from writer-director James Nunn. Told in a style reminiscent of Anaconda, Jungle Cruise, and, most obviously, Jaws, the film is set in the Louisiana bayou, where a group of tourists embark on an alligator-watching excursion only to find themselves stranded in hostile territory. Their biggest problem isn't an alligator, however, but an enormous and extremely territorial hippopotamus protecting its young.

From there, Hungry follows a familiar creature-feature formula that we have seen countless times before, as the stranded tourists are picked off one by one until only a final survivor remains. Nunn attempts to build suspense by keeping the hippo largely hidden for much of the film, using movement beneath the water and brief glimpses of the animal in a manner clearly inspired by Jaws. Unfortunately, the movie doesn't generate enough tension during this extended buildup to make the eventual reveal feel entirely worthwhile.

When the hippo finally gets its moment in the spotlight roughly an hour into the film, the creature effects are actually more ambitious than they initially appear. The production utilized a large practical animatronic hippo, nicknamed ''Nancy,'' which was enhanced with digital effects. While some of the CGI is noticeable, the combination of practical and digital techniques gives the creature more weight and presence than an entirely computer-generated monster would have had.

There are also some interesting ideas buried beneath the familiar storyline. Hungry plays upon the very real history of proposals to introduce hippopotamuses into Louisiana during the early 20th century, giving its otherwise ridiculous premise at least a small foothold in reality. The Louisiana setting itself is convincing, despite the fact that much of the production was actually filmed in Malta, where the filmmakers constructed a massive outdoor tank to recreate the murky bayou.

Unfortunately, once Hungry reaches its climax, it feels as though the filmmakers missed an opportunity to deliver one final memorable punch. After spending so much of the running time building toward the full appearance of the hippo, the finale should have been bigger, bloodier, or perhaps even a little more knowingly absurd. Instead, the film simply winds down when it feels like it should be delivering its biggest moment.

Hungry stars Madison Davenport, Tracey Bonner, Joaquim de Almedia, Michael Curiel, Samantha Couglan, and Olivia Bernstone.

The film is presented in standard definition (480i) on DVD with a 2.00:1 widescreen aspect ratio and a lossy 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio mix. The film is nicely shot and creatively edited, even if some of the drone shots in the first act feel a little commercial style, but ultimately the modern digitally shot production looks heavily compressed on DVD with some questionable choices in color correction along the way. The shots are nicely composed for the most part with a lot of shots utilizing a telephoto lens to distort the backgrounds.

Hungry isn't a terrible creature feature, and the novelty of watching a giant hippo terrorize tourists certainly gives it something different from the countless shark, crocodile, and snake movies that have flooded the genre. Still, with such a wonderfully ridiculous premise, you can't help but wish the filmmakers had taken a few more chances and given the movie a little more bite.

Kon Ichikawa's The Inugami Family (1976) was the first film ever made by the Kadokawa Haruki Jimusho production company, handled by Toho at the time. So to make a memorable first impression and debut, they had to come up with something special, something respectable and classy, yet maybe intriguing and possibly bold. The result was this 2.5 hour adaption of a huge hit mystery novel about a powerful Japanese family having a power struggle when its matriarch dies and the attempt to be clever like Sidney Lumet's great hit version of Agatha Christie's Murder On The Orient Express (1974) was a big inspiration here.

Yoko Shimada is the head of the family who leaves it all to one young woman, but she must marry one of three men, one of whom is badly scarred from military service to where he wears a special rubber facial covering. This family has more than a few members and most are shocked when they are left out of the will, with allegations flying, including if the will is authentic, who hates who and you name it. This is all well handled and paced.

However, this is hard to keep going for this long and despite a solid cast, money in the production and the makers understanding how the mystery genre works, it just goes on a little too long and is a little predictable at times. Yet, the murders can be very graphic and the film does not hold back in good ways that are a plus. Especially if you like murder mysteries, you should see this one at least once and I was glad this received such a nice presentation and restoration. As for Kadokawa Haruki Jimusho, the launch worked and they lasted a long time.

The 1080p 1.50 X 1 digital High Definition image transfer is from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, with very few parts showing the age of the materials used, but has a few more soft points throughout than I would have liked. That aspect ratio is unusual, but it works well enough ala 1.66 X 1. The lossless Japanese PCM 1.0 Mono is not bad, but shows its age a bit and again, I wish this were 2.0 Mono to bring out more of the original sound materials which is a little limited here.

Extras include a newly filmed interview with Aaron Gerow on the film's impact in Japan (2026)

• Secrets of Kon Ichikawa's Visual Style archival documentary (44 minutes)

• Outtakes from Secrets of Kon Ichikawa's Visual Style (8 minutes)

• Archival making-of documentary, featuring interviews with director Kon Ichikawa, star Koji Ishizaka and editor Chizuko Osada (30 mins)

• Archival interview with star Koji Ishizaka (16 mins)

• Archival documentary on the 4K restoration process (12 mins)

• Trailer

• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow

• Limited Edition booklet featuring new writing by Yuka Kimbara

• and Limited Edition of 3,000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings.

The best way to describe Mutant Genesis (2024) is that it feels like a film that needed considerably more time and money to be properly completed. Also known as Mutant and Bian Ti, this Chinese science-fiction action film from writer-director Qilin Li takes place in the year 2150, when artificial intelligence has evolved beyond humanity's control, seized power, and launched an extermination campaign against the remaining human population.

What follows is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi romp that borrows heavily from films such as The Terminator, Transformers, and The Matrix, as a small resistance force attempts to survive against an increasingly powerful army of machines. The premise is certainly familiar, but there is enough ambition in the film's world-building, futuristic environments, and large-scale action to suggest what Mutant Genesis might have been with a considerably larger production budget or even as a video game as opposed to a feature film.

Unfortunately, the film's greatest weakness is its overwhelming reliance on digital visual effects and computer animation, much of which looks unfinished. The animation frequently lacks fluidity, environments can appear sparse and under-rendered, and characters sometimes seem disconnected from their digital surroundings. Instead of creating the illusion of a convincing post-apocalyptic future, many sequences have the appearance of cutscenes from an older video game. That aesthetic occasionally gives the film a certain low-budget charm, but it becomes increasingly distracting as the action grows more elaborate.

The English-language dubbing doesn't help matters. The performances often feel disconnected from the characters on screen, with awkward line readings and dialogue that sometimes sounds unintentionally humorous. It is some of the roughest English dubbing in recent memory and makes it even more difficult to become emotionally invested in the characters or their struggle for survival.

There are certainly some interesting concepts buried within Mutant Genesis, particularly its depiction of artificial intelligence evolving into a self-preserving force that ultimately views humanity as an obstacle to its own survival. Unfortunately, the screenplay doesn't explore those ideas with much depth, instead favoring action and spectacle that the production doesn't quite have the resources to convincingly deliver.

Mutant Genesis is presented in standard definition (480i) on DVD with a 2.39:1 widescreen aspect ratio and a lossy, English-dubbed Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo mix. The film looks as good as it can here, but again with unfinished visual effects the compression issues inherent in the DVD format do help hide some of the flaws a little bit which is a bonus for the filmmakers at least. Had this movie been in 4K UHD or even 1080p the visual effects would likely loose worse than they already do here. Only extras are trailers for other films from Cleopatra.

Mutant Genesis ultimately feels less like a finished feature film than an ambitious proof of concept for a much larger science-fiction production. There are glimpses of an entertaining Terminator-style dystopian adventure buried underneath its technical shortcomings, but the unfinished-looking visual effects, stiff animation, derivative storytelling, and painfully awkward English dub prevent the film from realizing the scale of its ambition.

Also do not be deceived by its clearly crafted cover art, which is definitely A.I. generated, that shows a character face to face with a knockoff of the Xenomorph from the Alien franchise. This is not an alien movie at all but an A.I. robot type film. Why that cover art was chosen remains almost as big of a mystery as to why this film has the worst English dub in recent memory.

Shinya Tsukamoto's Tetsuo: The Bullet Man (2009) is the third installment in his cult Tetsuo series and plays almost like a bizarre fusion of a revenge thriller, body horror, and a twisted superhero origin story. Following Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989) and Tetsuo II: Body Hammer (1992), the film revisits Tsukamoto's fascination with the merging of human flesh and industrial machinery, this time through a predominantly English-language production.

The story centers on Anthony, an American businessman living in Tokyo with his wife and young son. After his son is deliberately killed in a brutal hit-and-run, Anthony's grief and rage begin triggering a horrifying physical transformation. He soon discovers that his body is connected to experiments conducted by his scientist father and that he possesses the ability to mutate into an increasingly powerful fusion of flesh, metal, and weaponry. As those responsible continue to provoke him, Anthony becomes increasingly consumed by his transformation and desire for revenge.

The biggest obstacle with Tetsuo: The Bullet Man is its relentlessly kinetic visual style. Tsukamoto frequently employs frantic handheld camerawork, rapid editing, extreme close-ups, flashing imagery, and repeated fragments of action to create a deliberately disorienting experience. While this approach certainly conveys Anthony's psychological and physical breakdown, the excessively long sequences of violently shaking camerawork can become exhausting. At times, the imagery is so chaotic that it becomes difficult to tell exactly what is happening, and the repetition of similar shots and actions eventually becomes more frustrating than exhilarating.

Even with a relatively short running time, a considerable portion of the film is devoted to this assaultive visual style, which rarely gives the viewer a chance to settle into the story. This is clearly intentional, and fans of Tsukamoto's earlier Tetsuo films may appreciate the sensory overload, but it can also make The Bullet Man an uncomfortable and occasionally nauseating viewing experience.

The practical effects, makeup, and biomechanical designs remain the film's strongest

elements. There is an H.R. Giger-like quality to the grotesque combinations of flesh, machinery, pipes, metal, and weaponry, and Tsukamoto continues to find disturbing ways of depicting the human body becoming something mechanical. Yet underneath all of that striking imagery is a fairly conventional revenge narrative, and The Bullet Man doesn't feel as groundbreaking as its predecessors once its stylistic excesses are stripped away.

The film stars Eric Bossick, Akiko Mono, Yuko Nakamura, Tomoro Taguchi, and Yutaka Mishima.

Tetsuo: The Bullet Man is presented in 1080p high definition on Blu-ray disc with an MPEG-4 AVC codec, a widescreen aspect ratio of 1.77:1 and an English / Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit). Unearthed does a nice job with the transfer that looks and sounds fine in 1080p with nothing too lacking in the visual or audio presentation. The soundtrack is chaotic and very loud which again attempted to assault the senses of the viewer.

Special Features include:

Audio Commentary with Actor Eric Bossick and Japanese cinema expert Tom Mes

Tetsuo: The Bullet Man - Multi Material Version

Promotional Gallery and Trailers.

Ultimately, Tetsuo: The Bullet Man is an interesting experiment that doesn't entirely come together. Its body-horror imagery is memorable and its industrial aesthetic remains distinctive, but the relentless camerawork and repetitive visual chaos often overpower the story rather than enhance it. There is enough imagination in the central concept that one wonders whether this particular incarnation of Tetsuo might have worked even better as an animated feature akin to Akira, where Tsukamoto's increasingly elaborate transformations could have been pushed even further without the physical limitations of live-action filmmaking.

- Nicholas Sheffo (Inugami) and James Lockhart

https://letterboxd.com/jhl5films/