Invaders from Within

Tommy steps in as host this month with a triple feature about invaders that don't need to knock. Assassination Nation turns a Salem high school into a digital witch trial when a hacker dumps everyone's private data into the open. Return of the Living Dead lets the contamination loose inside a single warehouse-and-cemetery block, where the dead come back complaining and the living can't decide who's in charge. The Cell sends an empath into the dreamscape of a serial killer and asks whether the rescue mission is the same thing as the trespass.The conversation keeps finding throughlines the collection didn't have to spell out. The witch hunt as American operating system. The body as joke, as prison, as kingdom. Style as argument — three films that all chose excess and never apologized for it. Where they part ways is in their relationship to the rage they put on screen: Levinson's is righteous, O'Bannon's is gleeful, Tarsem's is mournful.The trigger warning that opens Assassination Nation gets read three different ways. The "it hurts to be dead" line in Return of the Living Dead gets a vote. The Cell becomes a real-time test case for whether visual ambition can carry a thin script. The answer depends on who's talking.The Films Assassination Nation • Apple TV | Amazon | Letterboxd Return of the Living Dead • Apple TV | Amazon | Letterboxd The Cell • Apple TV | Amazon | Letterboxd (00:00) - Welcome to Sitting in the Dark (02:34) - The Invaders from Within (03:28) - Assassination Nation (31:01) - Return of the Living Dead (49:18) - The Cell (01:08:27) - Coming Attractions: The AI Girlfriend Experience Support The Next Reel Family of Film Shows: Become a member for just $5/month or $55/year Join our Discord community of movie lovers The Next Reel Family of Film Shows: Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and Movements The Film Board Movies We Like The Next Reel Sitting in the Dark Connect With Us: Main Site: Web Movie Platforms: Letterboxd | Flickchart Social Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | Pinterest Your Hosts: Chelsea | Kyle | Kynan | Pete | Tommy Shop & Stream: Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & more Watch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussed Originals: Source material from our episodes Special offers: Audible