For movie lovers, Tubi is, with little argument, the best of the current streaming platforms. On top of an unbeatable price — free, so long as you can tolerate some ads — it offers a wide selection of titles. Genres galore. Horror fans have especially come to depend on Tubi, seeing as it delivers a wealth of movies both old and new. They have also probably noticed an uptick in those “Tubi Originals,” many of which are horror. As easy as it is to write these movies off, in favor of something more polished or familiar, a few are better than expected. Others: not so much.
Those too wary to jump head first into Tubi’s original horror offerings can use this partial selection to better decide what’s worth their time, and what’s better left unwatched.
Terror Train (2022)
A terrible fraternity prank from the past follows the guilty party to a Halloween party aboard a moving train. Soon, a mysterious and costumed assailant picks off partygoers.
After plans for a Terror Train remake back in the late 2000s fell through — the Thora Birch splatter pic Train ultimately dumped the remake angle — it was only inevitable that someone else would give this classic Jamie Lee Curtis vehicle a modern makeover. However, no one was expecting Tubi to be behind it.
Written by creative partners Ian Carpenter and Aaron Martin, who currently work on the Slasher anthology series, and directed by Philippe Gagnon, this “slashic” do-over doesn’t do enough to warrant its existence. Its made-for-cable production values don’t help, and anyone who’s seen Roger Spottiswoode’s version should already know how the story will play out.
Verdict – Stream or Not: No, but even if you do, it doesn’t take anything away from the original. It just also happens to be very similar to the 1980 movie. Bright spots? Robyn Alomar acts her butt off, and the remake is far more violent. If you can’t get enough of the first movie, then there’s a second one where, yes, the surviving characters somehow agreed to get on another train. At least in the sequel, the killer’s identity is less obvious.
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Blind Waters (2023)
A couple’s vacation goes awry when they are stranded at sea with an unrelenting great white shark in the nearby waters. Making matters worse is a stranger whose intentions are unclear.
Sharksploitation is, for the most part, dreck. The few shining examples are of the past, and these newer entries are as unremarkable as they are cheap looking. There’s also just not a lot you can do with sharks, story-wise. So what about Blind Waters? Well, it’s really more of the same. The only differences here are the addition of a character’s sudden visual disability, and a third character who makes the protagonists’ survival more difficult.
Verdict – Stream or Not: No. While Anthony C. Ferrante‘s Blind Waters plays its story straight, it’s barely indistinguishable from these other new shark thrillers swimming onto VOD. The sorta Dead Calm-esque third act seems promising, but that’s not enough to warrant a dip into these waters. The VFX are especially not great here, either. For a similar and marginally better “Tubi Original” (although it’s really not one), go for Shark Bait.
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Requiem for a Scream (2022)
A reunion between friends at a remote cabin in the woods becomes a nightmare when a masked killer crashes the party.
While Requiem for a Scream reeks of awfulness, Ben Meyerson‘s movie is more fun than it has any right to be. For starters, it’s nutty in a good way. The killer has a ridiculous music motif to go with his unsettling mask inspired by Edvard Munch’s The Scream. The irritating and combative characters’ in-fighting will drive some viewers to hover their finger over the PAUSE button every so often, but the carnage is worth the wait.
Verdict – Stream or Not: Yes. If you don’t mind low-budget slashers and have a high tolerance for obnoxious characters, Requiem for a Scream is for you. The energetic execution makes the so-so material sing.
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Carnifex (2022)
Following the Australian bushfires, a pair of ecologists and a documentarian enter the forest to assess and record the damage. What they then find is a bizarre predator whose existence was unknown.
Tubi is known to pick up movies from elsewhere and call them their “originals.” Sean Lahiff‘s Carnifex, in fact, screened in its homeland of Australia back in late 2022 before being distributed internationally. So if the production values seem higher than the usual Tubi Original, there’s a reason why.
Verdict – Stream or Not: Yes. Carnifex is a straightforward eco-horror/creature-feature elevated by beautiful scenery and its bestial antagonist. A Syfy-ish movie with some money behind it, basically. While the “monster” is more grounded than some might like, it’s also unique and unlike anything seen so far in the horror genre.
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Guess Who (2024)
When a woman goes to meet her boyfriend’s family around Christmas, she participates in a local holiday tradition where everyone wears homemade masks. Unfortunately, someone is using the festivities to carry out their killer plan.
Tubi’s decision to premiere Amelia Moses‘ Guess Who in mid-January is strange, considering the Christmastime backdrop. Surely December would have been better. Nevertheless, fans can add this to their list of seasonal slashers. The Terror Train remake’s writers, Ian Carpenter and Aaron Martin, are joined by Matt Wells here, and their story is far from novel. They regift ideas from other better movies.
Verdict – Stream or Not: Maybe, bordering on “no.” The inclusion of mummering, a rather odd holiday tradition, makes Guess Who stand out from all other Christmas horrors. However, guessing who the bad guy is isn’t exactly difficult. It’s more of a “watch it once” kind of movie.
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Cabin Girl (2023)
A traveling vlogger settles down in a small town where she buys a cabin with a dark history. And as she records and shares her journey, she stirs up an eerie presence.
Influencer horror has lost its appeal for most folks (many of them never liked it, to begin with), but they should be pleased to learn Jon D. Wagner‘s Cabin Girl is a touch different. It seems like another instance of “I’m being stalked by an obsessed follower;” you’re led to believe that’s the case here. Things eventually change and it’s for the better. My review from last year explains why.
Verdict – Stream or Not: Yes. The movie comes across as the same-old, yet things improve after a certain plot development. In my own words, Cabin Girl “offers some loudly executed twists and turns.”
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Sorry, Charlie (2023)
An isolated helpline volunteer is forced to confront her traumatic past.
There’s an urban myth about killers who lure out women from their houses by playing pre-recorded baby sounds outside. Director Colton Tran and writer Luke Genton put that concept to good use in what can be best described as a psychological slow-burn. However, things take a turn once we realize not everything is in the main character’s head — her fears are valid.
Verdict – Stream or Not: Yes. Kathleen Kenny hands in a strong performance, and the movie’s outcome is both surprising and tense.
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Play Dead (2022)
When a college student sneaks into the city morgue to help her brother avoid being arrested, she stumbles upon the coroner’s nefarious plans for all the bodies. Now she has to escape before she too joins the recently departed.
Patrick Lussier‘s Play Dead first came out overseas in 2022. And rather than going to theaters in the U.S., though, it was dumped on Tubi as another original flick. Regardless of his movie’s trajectory, the My Bloody Valentine remake director cooked up a dark diversion that’s reminiscent of late-2000s DTV horror.
Verdict – Stream or Not: Yes. In my original review, I said: “Play Dead has a ludicrous set-up, the characters make questionable choices left and right, and the movie could have benefitted from a small trim. It doesn’t win points for originality either, but Lussier’s ability to keep the story always moving and exciting, despite the single location and simple story, helps tremendously in the long run. Once the movie gets up and going, there’s some real life in this tense cat-and-mouse thriller.”
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Lowlifes (2024)
During their RV trip out in the sticks, a family is forced to take a dangerous detour after encountering the locals.
Tesh Guttikonda and Mitch Oliver have raised the bar for Tubi Originals. Their collaboration is fully refreshing. Lowlifes sounds like a rehash of every “urbanites versus bumpkins” horror movie in existence, but the directors and writer Al Kaplan (Zombeavers) subvert expectations early on.
Verdict – Stream or Not: Yes. Very much yes. Lowlifes is genuinely enjoyable with its quirky characters, amusing dialogue, and a decent amount of gruesome violence. Go in knowing nothing other than the barebones plot and you should come out pretty pleased.
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Slay (2024)
After four drag queens book the wrong venue, they end up defending the unwelcoming patrons from bloodthirsty vampires.
Slay is another big step up for these Tubi Originals. In general, the horror-comedy is a tricky beast to tame, yet director/writer Jem Garrard finds a good balance of humor and thrills. This all-in-one-night story can turn serious on a dime, then revert to levity without missing a beat. That’s not to say there isn’t some depth here; Slay is sure to bring up the tension among the core cast. What it might lack in budget and subtlety, this plucky movie makes up for in character work.
Verdict – Stream or Not: Yes! LGBTQ+ horror isn’t easy to pull off; past executions tend to feel a bit lopsided. However, Slay blends its elements quite well, and the outcome is a real crowd-pleaser that’s destined to become a cult favorite.
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Tales from the Paulside 
Thank you for this list! I am excited to have some things to check out! 🌷🌺
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