Stephen King Praises ‘Absolutely Wonderful’ Horror, Now Taking Netflix by Storm

Mo. Basuony

Published: March 23, 2026 2:59 AM ET

Stephen King singled out a recent low-budget horror for praise. He called it “absolutely wonderful.” The endorsement helped raise interest worldwide.

Festival debut and critical response

The film premiered at SXSW in March 2023. Critics quickly hailed it as one of the strongest horror releases in recent years.

Early reviews on Rotten Tomatoes reached 100 percent approval. The current score sits at 97 percent positive critics.

The project was written, directed, and edited by brothers Cameron and Colin Cairnes. They made the picture on a modest budget.

Its found-footage format recreates the look of a 1970s broadcast. Archival-style footage mixes with behind-the-scenes material.

The story unfolds on October 31, 1977. A struggling talk-show host stages a sensational Halloween episode to boost ratings.

Experts in the occult join the broadcast. The climax centers on an allegedly possessed girl and a live experiment that spirals out of control.

The filmmakers present the footage as archival. However, the narrative is fictional and not based on true events.

David Dastmalchian leads the cast as the talk-show host. He is known for roles such as his appearance in Oppenheimer.

Supporting performers include Laura Gordon, Ian Bliss, and Fayssal Bazz. Their work received frequent praise from reviewers.

Polish cinemas initially did not screen the film. Domestic viewers instead found it through VOD platforms.

Audience feedback was mostly positive. Some viewers noted issues with narrative cohesion and the heavy 1970s stylization.

There were also complaints about the use of AI to create in-film illustrations. Creators said they used AI to mimic period aesthetics.

Comments collected on Filmogaz.com praised the film as a genre gem, well executed and well acted.

From March 15, 2026, the film became available to a much larger audience on Netflix. It is now taking Netflix by storm.

Stephen King’s endorsement encouraged many viewers to seek it out. His praise pushed more people to watch the film online.