In this episode of the Don’t Press Play Podcast, I dive deep into Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass’ unsettling found-footage masterpiece.

From weak character writing to recycled scares, this sequel feels like a cheap imitation of what made the original so haunting. Join Alex for a brutally honest breakdown of why The Strangers: Chapter 2 fails to deliver the tension, atmosphere, and emotional weight fans were hoping for. We’ll unpack where the storytelling went wrong, how the direction missed the mark, and why this follow-up might make you wish you hadn’t pressed play.

Ghostface is back! Watch my full reaction and breakdown of the brand new SCREAM 7 (2025) Official Trailer

In this episode of Don’t Press Play Podcast, Alex reviews The Human Centipede 2 - a film even more disturbing, shocking, and grotesque than you remember. From duct tape and scissors to pure exploitation horror, find out why this is the most horrific movie experience ever.

Alex delves into The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007), the disturbing found-footage horror film once thought to be “lost” for a decade. From its creepy faux-documentary style to its cult status, we explore why this film still haunts horror fans today

In this episode of Don’t Press Play, Alex dives deep into the 2010 remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street. Once a horror classic from Wes Craven, this reboot tried to bring Freddy Krueger into the modern era - but ended up as one of the most hated remakes in horror history.

Alex breaks down why the characters feel flat and disjointed, why Rooney Mara’s Nancy falls completely flat, and why Freddy’s darker backstory makes the film uncomfortable rather than scary. From bad CGI walls to baked-potato Freddy, this remake fails to capture the magic, practical effects, and heart of the original 1984 film. Should you watch A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010)? Absolutely not. We pressed play, so you don’t have to.

We break down Alien: Earth Episode 2, “Mr. October”  from the Xenomorph’s bloody party crash to Wendy and Joe’s emotional reunion, plus that shocking cliffhanger.

From Cannibal Holocaust to Paranormal Activity and beyond, we’re diving deep into the rise, fall, and psychology of the found footage horror subgenre. Fake documentaries, viral marketing myths, and the real-world events that made us believe… this is the full story. #FoundFootage #HorrorMovies #BlairWitch #ParanormalActivity #REC #Cloverfield #LakeMungo #Apollo18 #HorrorHistory #FilmAnalysis

In this episode of Don’t Press Play, I break down Alien Earth Episode 1 “Neverland”  a wild mix of corporate greed, creepy hybrid kids, and a Xenomorph crash you won’t forget. I pressed play so you don’t have to.

Rob Zombie’s Halloween (2007): bold reimagining or butchered classic? In this episode of Don’t Press Play, I dive into one of horror’s most divisive remakes, comparing it to John Carpenter’s 1978 original and asking the big question… did it deserve the hate?

I went into Weapons expecting another cheap horror flick. After 30 minutes I was ready to give up, but then it got brutal, original, and even funny. In this episode of Don’t Press Play I share how it won me over and if it’s worth watching.

The post-Scream horror scene was dead… until Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) brought Leatherface roaring back. In this episode, Alex dives into how this brutal, sweaty, iconic remake kick-started the horror remake era, why it still holds up today, and what it meant for a generation of horror fans

Welcome back to Don’t Press Play, where I press play so you don’t have to. I’m your host Alex, and today we’re talking about a film that gets way too much hate. Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows. Anyone who knows me knows The Blair Witch Project is my favourite film ever. It’s perfect. It’s why I’m studying film. But the sequel. The one people love to drag. It took me years and a cheap DVD from a pound shop to realise that Book of Shadows is the perfect and only way you could do a Blair Witch sequel. This isn’t a found footage film. It’s not trying to recreate the original. It’s a meta commentary on media obsession, mass hysteria, and how a film can blur the line between fiction and reality. And for the girls who get it, this film hits different. In this episode, I’ll break down why Blair Witch 2 deserves its redemption arc, why Kim Director is a goth icon, and why sometimes you need to press play on a film you think you hate.

 🔗 Follow Don’t Press Play for more underrated horror and cult classic deep dives #BlairWitch2 #BookOfShadows #HorrorPodcast #FilmReview #BlairWitchProject #CultMovies #UnderratedHorror #DontPressPlay #AlexPressesPlay

Welcome back to Don’t Press Play...the podcast where we press play, so you don’t have to. In this episode, we’re diving deep into Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)—the meta horror masterpiece that reinvented Freddy Krueger and quietly set the stage for Scream. Before Ghostface, before the rules of horror were spelt out on-screen... There was a movie that blurred the line between fiction and reality. Freddy left Elm Street and entered our world, and horror was never the same.

In this episode of Don’t Press Play, I’m diving into Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998), the slasher sequel that brought Jamie Lee Curtis back, gave Michael Myers a new mask (or five), and ignored a lot of weird sequels. Is this the best Halloween sequel? Does Laurie Strode finally get her revenge? And more importantly... should YOU press play? We’re talking kills, cameos (hi, Janet Leigh 👀), ‘90s teen vibes, and the showdown that still holds up.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, the Freddy film where the nightmares get bigger, the kills get weirder, and the kids finally fight back. This week on Don’t Press Play, we check ourselves into Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital for the third entry in the Nightmare franchise. From soul puppets and hypnosil to dream powers and returning icons, this is Freddy Krueger at the crossroads, half slasher, half showman. Was this the last time Freddy was scary? Or the beginning of the end?
We break down what works, what’s unhinged, and why Dream Warriors might be the franchise's last real nightmare before it all got… silly. Grab your coffee. Stay awake. Let’s press play.

Welcome to Don't Press Play, the podcast where we press play so you don’t have to. This week, Alex dives into the strange, blood-soaked mess that is Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990). Is it a gritty reboot? A confused slasher? A gender-bending fever dream with chainsaws? Honestly… yes to all of the above. From red nail polish and weird family dinners to Viggo Mortensen playing a seductive cowboy cannibal, this movie raises a lot of questions and answers almost none of them.

We’re back in the woods, horror fans and this time, we brought a drone, some bad lore decisions, and Heather’s long-lost brother? 😬 In this week’s episode of Don’t Press Play, host Alex dives deep into the 2016 sequel/reboot/legacyquel that tried to reignite The Blair Witch Project legacy and maybe lost the map along the way

On this episode of Don’t Press Play, we dive into IT (2017), the blockbuster horror remake that brought Pennywise back to the big screen and terrified a whole new generation. But does it still hold up? We break down the film’s plot, performances, and scares, then stack it up against the 1990 miniseries to ask the real question: which version captures the true spirit of Stephen King’s novel? Faithful adaptation or flashy reimagining, let’s find out which IT floats... and which one sinks.

It’s been nearly three decades since the rage virus tore through the UK, and in Danny Boyle’s long-awaited return to the franchise, death has come creeping back... but not in the way you’d expect. In this spoiler-filled episode of Don’t Press Play, your host, Alex, digs deep into 28 Years Later, unpacking how the film shifts from pure survival horror to something far more personal: the rediscovery of death, grief, and human vulnerability in a post-apocalyptic world. We discuss mutated infections, haunting new rituals, family betrayal, bone temples (yes, really), and why this film isn’t just about who lives, but how we face death.