[gtranslate]
Connect with us

Indie Horror

Panic Fest 2026 Review: ‘Creature Of The Pines’ Is An Interesting Found Footage Horror That Walks A Beaten Path

Published

1 hour ago

on

There are certain parts of the world that have an inherent evil or cursed nature to them. The Bermuda Triangle, where so many ships have vanished in its waters. Death Valley, where many have met their end in the unforgiving desert. And then there’s The Pine Barrens of New Jersey. A woodland infamous for the cryptid named The Jersey Devil.

While The Jersey Devil may be the mascot or face of sorts for the area, there are other dangers within those woods. Specifically, an area known as Pine Hollow. Infamous for numerous disappearances of local and hikers. While some attribute it to natural hazards, others say the source of these incidents may be tied to folklore. An ancient mimic of indigenous legend that targets those wandering its woods. After a trio of hikers disappear and leaves only one shell shocked survivor and witness wandering the wilderness, a documentary crew attempts to clarify between fact and fiction… only to find themselves subject to their own torments.

Creature Of The Pines is a decent found footage/mockumentary endeavor, and I’m always a sucker for that kind of framing. I will also give points for taking an original approach on the region rather than using a more well known cryptid or monster. Instead, crafting their own beast with the shapeshifting demon of indigenous lore. It did make it more interesting than relying on a more infamous antagonist, allowing the movie to make up its own rules and history behind the titular creature.

Unfortunately, the story does fall into a lot of the cliches of the sub-genre as well. Lots of scenes building up strange sounds coming form the woods leading to some shaky cam segments as a character is dragged off by an unseen force and such. The talking heads portions of the mockumentary featured some decent actors and subjects that kept things fairly fresh. Especially the former forest ranger who discussed the dark and terrible history of Pine Hollow.

Even still, the third act was kind of a mixed bag with the final confrontation and reveal of the horror. Ambiguity tends to work better in found footage for a reason, sometimes its better to leave the evil up to the imagination. There’s also a twist to the ending that felt a bit obvious considering the build up.

But, if you’re a big fan of found footage and mockumentary horror like I am, (especially for New England based horror) then Creature Of The Pines is worth at least a watch.

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Related Topics:

Indie Horror

_CIVILIAN Is the Micro-Series That Proves You Don’t Need Much to Make Something That Matters

Published

1 day ago

on

May 4, 2026

By

Civilian

The ripped-from-the-headlines social thriller is currently in production, and the story behind it is just as compelling as the one unfolding on screen.

When filmmakers Sean Michael Gloria-Orn and Cailan Gloria-Orn decided they were done waiting on film industry green lights, they set out to build something on their own terms. The goal was simple: create something meaningful while raising awareness around a growing issue. Then, right when they needed it most, a new independent cinema ecosystem, ShoStak.tv, and the “First 150” Film Challenge found them.

_CIVILIAN, the debut micro-series from Alien Outlaw Media, follows a group of tenants forced to choose between compliance and survival after a predatory power company begins hiking energy costs to compensate for AI data centers, until one ordinary man becomes an unwitting symbol of resistance.

It’s a thriller pulled straight from the kinds of headlines most of us have already scrolled past and quietly dreaded. Monopolized energy systems. Power bills climbing into the thousands. The creeping realization that the system was never designed to protect you.

And this is only the beginning.

Watch the trailer for _CIVILIAN below:

The concept is built to expand far beyond the central issue explored in Season One, tapping into a broader range of everyday fears experienced by modern civilians.

_CIVILIAN was made with a skeleton crew of just three people. Sean writes, directs, handled audio on the pilot, and edits. Cailan, stepping behind the camera for the first time, operates camera while also appearing in the series. Their close friend and photographer Justin Blaine Miller handled slate and captured behind-the-scenes photography.

A married couple and a few friends proving something the industry tends to forget. With enough conviction, a great story doesn’t require permission.

_CIVILIAN is being created as part of the ShoStak.tv “First 150” Film Challenge and debuts Episode One: Powerless on the internet-native cinema platform built to support independent filmmakers bold enough to create on their own terms.

ShoStak isn’t just another platform. It’s part of a growing shift toward creator-first ecosystems that actually reward filmmakers for building an audience. ShoStak.tv pays creators based on the audiences they bring in, putting the power back where it belongs.

It’s exactly the kind of project the platform was built for, and exactly the kind of grounded, real-world horror many people are already living through.

Follow _CIVILIAN creator Sean Michael Gloria on Instagram at @seanmichaelgloria for the latest updates. “Episode One: Powerless” premiered exclusively on ShoStak.tv on Friday, May 1, 2026. Watch episode one here.

The micro-series is still casting in Atlanta and currently stars:

@seanmichaelgloria
@cailanorn
@gordontdanniels
@blaikelewis
@brettbrooks
@marcusnelson
@phaemonae.555
@devinellingwood

Continue Reading

Indie Horror

‘Anacoreta’ Brings Meta Found Footage Terror to Digital This Week [Trailer]

Published

2 months ago

on

February 23, 2026

By

If you’re a fan of found footage horror that thrives on isolation, paranoia, and that creeping sense that something is very wrong off-camera, Anacoreta is about to land on your radar.

Following a festival run and its debut in Canada, the meta found footage thriller arrives on Digital HD in the U.S. on February 24, bringing audiences into a cabin-in-the-woods scenario where the cameras never stop rolling — even when things start falling apart.

Anacoreta

A Film About Making a Horror Movie… That Becomes One

Anacoreta centers on a group of friends who escape to a remote cabin with one goal: shoot an experimental horror film using a stripped-down, single-camera approach.

What begins as a creative weekend quickly shifts into something far more unsettling. As tensions build and the footage becomes increasingly chaotic, the project spirals into a nightmare where the line between acting and survival starts to blur — and something lurking beyond the frame begins to make itself known.

For fans of the genre, the film leans directly into the uncomfortable realism and intimacy that make found footage so effective, placing viewers right alongside the characters as events unravel in real time.

Cast and Creators

The film stars:

  • Antonia Thomas (The Good Doctor, Lovesick)
  • Jeremy Schuetze (The Man in the High Castle, Jennifer’s Body)
  • Matt Visser (Fellow Travelers, Woman of the Hour)
  • Jesse Stanley (Van Helsing)

Schuetze also co-wrote and directed the film alongside Visser, with the creative team leaning into familiar genre elements like isolation, limited perspective, and the unpredictability of filming deep in the wilderness.

During its festival run, Anacoreta screened at the Heartland International Film Festival, where it received the Best Horror award, and the Manchester Film Festival, where it earned Best International Feature.

Watch the Trailer

Where You Can Watch Anacoreta

Beginning February 24, horror fans in the U.S. can rent or purchase the film on Digital HD platforms including:

  • Apple TV
  • Prime Video
  • Fandango at Home
Continue Reading