GRIND
Filmmakers Brea Grant, Ed Dougherty, and Chelsea Stardust bring Sitges 2026 audiences a new horror-comedy anthology with twisted, tongue-in-cheek takes on capitalism, gig work, and hustle culture. GRIND begins in the aisles of an innocuous DRGN distribution center, when a worker must locate a black box marked for Special Delivery as punishment for not pulling product quickly enough. Chelsea Stardust tackles the corporate warehouse rumor head-on. And yeah, it really is like that. I know a floor manager.
Enter Brea Grant’s hilarious rip on the MLM Lula Roe; we follow a fledgling girl boss as she jumps into the cutthroat world of Lala Leggings. Selling your soul comes with fine print, and the consequences of not reading the contract are relentless and supernatural. Gotta make that money, honey, or else.
Barbara Crampton nails the perfectly coiffed Founder, with Jessika Vann playing the newbie and Courtney Pauroso as her pyramid scheme mentor. The chemistry and performances are outstanding. Sarah reaches her breaking point as the absurdity increases tenfold. It will have you doubled over.
Grant continues with gig-work giggles in the food delivery industry. Our protagonist, Benny, constantly takes abuse from customers only to come up short on shared rent. When one bizarre delivery request ramps up the tips, the awkward asks deem too tempting to stop. All Benny has to do is follow the customer’s instructions. Simple, right?
Vinny Thomas is outstanding as Benny. His infectious positive energy has you rooting for him to make that money, honey. The text bubbles and interactive instructions are genuinely cool. This sci-fi short is almost like playing a horror video game. Or maybe it’s the definition of insanity.
Ed Dougherty’s Content Moderation segment brings back the underlying concept of dopamine hits as an eager DRGN employee scores a trial period on the ground floor. It just so happens to be content moderation from the internet’s darkest dregs. Equal parts gory violence, stupidity, and hysterically funny, the audience gets a rapid sneak peek at it all.
The closer Joel gets to finishing his 6 million-plus videos, the more encouragement and pressure from his colleagues he feels to make it out. As the lines of reality start to blur, Joel’s modicum of sanity quickly wanes, or before he discovers something more sinister. We can hate all we want, but capitalism might kill us all.
Christopher Rodriguez Marquette, who I absolutely loved in Fear, Inc. (which deserved a damn franchise), is spectacular. Playing it straight, narrow, and mostly calm against Rob Huebel‘s elite nonchalance as Andy, a DRGN exec.
Dougherty’s second segment finds a small group of Neptulia Coffee employees as they initiate a lock-in to unionize. A knock at the door and the delivery of a monolithic black box throw this eclectic group into further chaos. Can differently minded co-workers band together? Buyer beware, this brand is killer. This hilarious ensemble cast hits every comedic beat. Huge shout to Ify Nwadiwe. Make his coffee always be hot, but not too hot.
Stardust finishes us off with one final surprise, wrapping GRIND up in a shiny red bow, or rather, one last black box. Chef’s kiss. Grant, Dougherty, and Stardust deliver seamless transitions from one story to another, while cleverly connecting to each other with either a visual, an actor, DRGN delivery trucks, or an overarching corporate monster (*pun intended).
GRIND features a large and unbelievably talented group of artistic collaborators. Every detail is accounted for. The editing is truly fantastic. Production design is a hand-crafted delight. Camerawork is fun and immersive. Don’t move during the credits for some extra ear candy and laughs. My smartwatch clocked signs of distress while watching the film. If that’s not some diabolically honest, real-time feedback, I don’t know what is. Well done, Team. Grant, Dougherty, and Stardust never miss a satirical analogy. The filmmaker is to the critic as the worker is to the consumer. Money makes the world go round, but it might also kill you. GRIND is an instant classic.
Footage from those rescued from collapsed buildings, unimaginable loss, children caught in a tornado of violence, every film is immersive and visceral. The bravery and passion of the filmmakers are on full display. The viewing experience is heavy, inspiring, and vital, particularly for those who believe we should stop funding humanitarian efforts abroad. Amongst turmoil on American soil, we should thank our lucky stars for the privilege of honoring the ongoing courage, compassion, and unity of the Gazan people. FROM GROUND ZERO is a must-watch. 
As 
The palpable sadness of 
Boasting unbelievable practical FX, the scares in V/H/S/94 are brilliant. I’m talking legitimate, meticulously timed jump scares from every single director. The quality of the film forces you to sit up and pay closer attention, sometimes squinting over the tracking adjustments as they crowd the screen. The V/H/S franchise has been able to capture something glorious beyond the found footage genre. It’s the mystery behind the overall arch that keeps you creeped out and engaged on top of the fantastic individual stories. It’s a double whammy of horror goodness. You’ll shiver and gag and think, “Damn, this is good shit.”
The grand scheme of V/H/S 94, or “Holy Hell,” has the audience following a SWAT team into an industrial building filled with monitors and plenty of body parts. They don’t know who or what they’re searching for, exactly. As they sweep the rooms a new tape begins to play. Each one is completely different and spectacularly twisted. Tape 1, titled “Storm Drain” features a local legend of Ratman. An ambitious reporter and her cameraman get in over their heads. Tape 2, “The Empty Wake,” sees a young woman left to record the wake of a recently deceased man. Alone with a dead body during a storm? No thanks. This segment was my personal favorite. It’s old-school scary meets nuts visuals. I couldn’t help but yell NOPE at the screen, again and again.
Tape 3 “The Subject,” tells the tale of a mad doctor attempting to improve humans with technology. If you ever wanted a live first-person shooter game experience, now you’ve got one. Tape 4 “Terror” takes aim at domestic terrorism with a group of militiamen planning to cleanse America with s monstrous weapon. I also have to mention, director Steven Kostanski’s infomercial “The Veggie Masher.” It’s totally maniacal and random as hell. But at the same time, perfectly harkens back to those 3 am hour-long commercials for ridiculous kitchen gadgets. The finale actually gives you answers. As the 4th installment of the franchise, V/H/S94 makes it clear that these films are alive and well and ready to fuck you up.
With a gorgeous opening sequence reminiscent of Creepshow and Spielberg‘s Amazing Stories, ( plus a blink and you’ll miss it homage to director Ryan Spindell as an easter egg) The Mortuary Collection was already going to be one of my favorites at this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival 2020. Honestly, you had me at Clancy Brown, a man who haunted my youth in Pet Semetary 2. The visual textures are nothing short of delicious. This film oozes eerie but in a strangely friendly way. Brown’s overall aesthetic lies somewhere between Lurch and Phantasm‘s Tall Man. It’s beautiful for a genre fan.
This horror anthology is told in chronological era order. Each one stylized to high heaven in all it’s glory. The specificity and care in which the sequences are dressed, the minute details like a nautical wallpaper, or the name of a frat house is not to be ignored. But the homages did not end with the titles. Evil Dead, Corpse Bride, Beetlejuice, The Shining, are only a few films that feel referenced. The performances are outstanding from every single cast member. But I’ll focus on Clancy Brown and Caitlin Custer, specifically. Brown in all his towering presence and booming voice glory is a mere half of this spectacular. His wise, seen it all manner of spookiness is nothing short of perfection. Custer’s smart-alecky persona is an excellent foil here. Her nonchalance both puts you at ease and tips you off to something darker. They are both undeniably incredible.
The Mortuary Collection presents us with morality tales wrapped in scary, unexpected delight. In no way whatsoever does it appear to have been made on an indie budget. It’s simply stunning to behold from every single angle. The practical fx are gross and gorgeous. The storytelling is both tongue-in-cheek and terror-filled. I don’t think I could have asked for anything more from Spindell except perhaps an entire franchise.
You must be logged in to post a comment.