Drawn to Darkness

Send us Fan MailDevil in the White City by Erik LarsonIn this episode of Drawn to Darkness, we dive into Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City, a packed, fact-filled account of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and the terrifying crimes of H. H. Holmes. Along the way, we unpack Daniel Burnham’s impossible project management nightmare, Frederick Law Olmsted’s dramatic hatred of flowerbeds, power boats, and mediocre gravel paths, the invention of the Ferris wheel, the rise of Kodak snapshots, Juicy Fruit, Cracker Jack, the dishwasher, spray paint, zippers, Shredded Wheat, and far too many things that apparently came from one fair.But beneath the White City’s glowing spectacle is Holmes’ so-called murder castle: a labyrinth of rooms, corridors, chutes, gas lines, hidden spaces, and a basement that feels straight out of Silence of the Lambs. We discuss Holmes’ charm, aliases, fraud, manipulation, blue eyes, possible small ears of vice, and his horrifying ability to sense vulnerability “the way another man might capture the trace of a woman’s perfume.”We also ask the important questions: would you rather go to an event at Harvard or Yale? Is Chicago deep dish actually pizza or a casserole? And how many red flags does a man need to wave before someone checks the basement?Content & Spoiler WarningSerial murder, fraud, gaslighting, grave robbing, gassing, botched or illegal abortions, the horrors of life without modern dentistry and vaccines, and the intense stress of impossible project management. We also spoil The Devil in the White City, including the crimes of H. H. Holmes.Palate CleanserAfter all that murder and fraud, watch Maul on Disney+ for the Star Wars completists, and Daredevil in preparation for the next Spider-Man movie, and Stranger Things with the kids.Recommendations:Erik Larson’s other books, including Dead Wake and Isaac’s Storm.The Wager for more novelistic nonfiction that will make you annoy everyone around you with historical facts.The Alienist for an old-timey hunt for an 1890s serial killer.Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll for a fictionalised challenge to the idea that Ted Bundy was some criminal genius.The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule.The Five, about Jack the Ripper’s victims.If you want to know more about H.H. Holmes, check out Last Podcast on the Left’s episode on H. H. Holmes and Lore's episode “The Castle.” And for more information about the era, try the Dollop episodes on the Pinkertons, Tesla and Edison, and “Cereal Men” with Patton Oswalt.Titanic for Gilded Age vibes, plus the book’s Titanic connection.Loving Frank for Frank Lloyd Wright-related drama.Heretic, Barbarian and Black Phone for scary basements.American Psycho and The Talented Mr Ripley for monsters with a facade.Horns by Joe Hill, inspired by Holmes’ own claim that his head and face were becoming devil-like.Instant Dream Home on Netflix for stressful, probably-not-real renovation timelines.Weezer’s Pinkerton.And always:Arrested Development, because Buster Bluth was also a mama’s boy, as H.H. Holmes claims, and Olmsted has Lucille Bluth-level dramatic energy.Parks and Recreation, because of the Harvest Fest, Leslie Knope-level organisation, and Ben Wyatt-style cost-cutting.HomeworkHorror double feature. Amontillado wine features twice on menus at the fair, so read Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” and watch Silence of the Lambs because the real Buffalo Bill performed at the fair.And remember:Beware of charm, aliases, suspicious life insurance requests, and men who need a shovel to bury “potatoes” in the cellar.Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and Harry Kidd for our music (Instagram: @harryjkidd, Spotify). 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Drawn to Darkness, we ask the important questions: Is Jurassic Park actually horror? And would not having a favourite dinosaur be a dealbreaker?We dive into Steven Spielberg’s iconic dinosaur summer blockbuster, from trembling cups of water and bloody goat legs to whatever chaos theory is, Chekov’s electric fences, and Jeff Goldblum’s unbuttoned shirt. Along the way, we unpack the film’s blend of adventure, horror, and sci-fi, discuss whether the dinosaurs were scientifically accurate (spoiler alert: no), and debate the ethics of cloning extinct creatures, billionaire hubris, and scientists “playing God.”We also talk about childhood dinosaur obsessions, the trauma of The Land Before Time, why the T-Rex attack sequence and velociraptor attack qualify as horror, and how Spielberg balances awe, suspense, humour, and terror. Expect deep dives into practical effects vs CGI, the terrifying implications of AI and unchecked technology, casual ’90s sexism, theme park capitalism, and how “clever girl” has become a part of our family vocabularies.Content & Spoiler Warning:Dinosaur attacks, jump scares, graphic injuries, severed limbs, electrocution, animal deaths (including a goat and a cow), children in peril, broken glasses, and people being eaten by dinosaurs (obviously). We also discuss sexism, commenting on appearance  in professional settings, scientific ethics, AI anxiety, and of course we spoil Jurassic Park.Palate Cleanser:After all that dinosaur-fuelled chaos and billionaire recklessness:Watching TikTok collectively lose its mind over a businessman being served enormous glasses of wine at a Courtyard Marriott in Westbury, New York. Big Mistakes on Netflix - dark crime comedy featuring Daniel Levy and Laurie Metcalf. Spielbergian Recommendations:Spielberg’s E.T, The Goonies, Hook (justice for Hook), and of course Jaws.Creature Features & Survival HorrorDeep Blue Sea for Samuel L. JacksonRogue for another creature feature that will make you pull your feet up.The Birds – because they descended from dinosaurs.Science, Ethics & Playing God:Gattaca M3GAN King Kong Westworld (especially Season 1) Never Let Me Go Klara and the Sun Frankenstein Project Hail Mary Dinosaurs & Paleontology:See Jurassic Right podcast (for truly dedicated Jurassic Park fans) Jurassic Park Minute podcast The Shortest History of Dinosaurs by Riley Black Dinosaur Train and Night at the Museum for the kidsToy Story for short T-Rex armsFriends — because Ross Geller was a palaeontologist. Go to Universal Studios Jurassic Park attractions and The La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles Actor Appreciation Corner:The Big Chill and Ragnarok for more Jeff GoldblumLaw & Order: SVU for BD Wong fans Big Little Lies for Laura Dern fans Homework:Read The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.We’re heading into the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and an exploration of murder, ambition, architecture, and historical chaos..And remember:Don’t underestimate wild animals.Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and Harry Kidd for our music (Instagram: @harryjkidd, Spotify). 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Drawn to Darkness, we dive into Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, the “glorious,” “classic” mob epic that somehow feels both iconic and unsettling.From razor-blade-sliced garlic in prison to cocaine-fuelled paranoia and helicopter chases, we unpack the rise and fall of Henry Hill, a kid who always wanted to be a gangster, and ended up a broke, bored “schnuck” in witness protection. We explore the film’s unforgettable characters (Jimmy the Gent, Tommy the loose cannon, and Karen, our MVP), iconic scenes (Funny how?), and the uneasy tension between glamour and brutality. Expect deep dives into the insular world of the mafia, the real Lufthansa heist, cult dynamics, toxic masculinity, and why this isn’t actually the bro movie some people think it is. We also what our mafia nicknames would be and discuss all the cameos and familiar faces.Content & Spoiler WarningThis episode contains discussion of graphic violence (shootings, beatings, strangulation), drug abuse (especially cocaine), emotional and domestic abuse, and gaslighting. It also includes full spoilers for Goodfellas and references to other crime and horror media. Palate CleanserAfter all that coke-fuelled chaos and mob violence:Company Retreat (Jury Duty Season 2) - a mockumentary where (almost) everyone is in on the joke. “Delightful,” absurd, and a much-needed reset. Saying “Hey—oh!” like you’re in The Sopranos (very quotable). RecommendationsMafia & Crime:The Godfather, The Sopranos, A Bronx Tale The Prince of Providence  by Mike Stanton for corruption in Providence.Mob Wives (for chaotic reality TV energy) Crime Town podcast - organised crime beyond the usual cities (and dedicated to Annie’s uncle)Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi (the book about Henry Hill’s life that inspired Goodfellas) True Crime & Culture:Adolescence and Inside the Manosphere (Louis Theroux) for confronting toxic masculinity Sweet Bobby – both Goodfellas and this have witness protection (or do they?)  Films & TV:The Night Of for addiction when incarceratedStir of Echoes - underrated Kevin Bacon thriller featuring Illeana Douglas, Tommy’s girlfriend in GoodfellasStand By Me for kids that find a bodyThe Studio for a Scorsese cameo Unexpected Connections:Mean Girls - because Tommy is basically Regina George with a gun Parks and Recreation - questionable interior design parallels Sing - for a very different “My Way” experience When Harry met Sally for another movie with the director's mom.Homework: Watch Jurassic Park – is it horror? Maybe.  We’re continuing with a ‘90s classic that helped shape our love of film (and Ryan Coogler’s), with a surprising connections to Goodfellas (hi Samuel L. Jackson).And after that: Devil in the White City by Erik Larson Keep your temper. Trust your gut. Don’t do coke. Don’t piss off psychopaths. And don’t marry into the mafia. We’ll see you next time on Drawn to Darkness.Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and Harry Kidd for our music (Instagram: @harryjkidd, Spotify). 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Drawn to Darkness, we dive into Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, a genre-bending vampire period drama set in 1930s Jim Crow Mississippi. Joined by special guest Makeda Pennycooke, life and anti-racism coach, we unpack a film that is as gorgeous as it is unsettling, layering horror, history, and music. We break down vampire lore, our favorite characters, standout performances (Michael B. Jordan playing twins), the transcendent musical moments, and the symbolism woven throughout, from religion and ancestral knowledge to systems of white supremacy, power, and assimilation.Content & Spoiler WarningThis episode contains full spoilers for Sinners and our discussion includes reference to violence, gore, and body horror (it’s a vampire movie). Some of the deeper horrors include racism, white supremacy, the Ku Klux Klan, lynching, and child loss. There’s also a snake that gets killed and drool. Really really gross drool.  Palate CleanserAfter all that intensity, Caroline and Makeda’s cure? TikTok’s National Parks content (also dubbed “Only Parks”)Passages with Amanda Jacobson from Wine & Crime (Twilight season recap) RecommendationsFilms & TV:Eight Mile for more from Omar Miller (Cornbread). Friday Night Lights and The Wire for early Michael B. Jordan and Raising Dion - lighter Michael B. Jordan content for the kids.What We Do in the Shadows  - always WWDITSBlade, Interview with the Vampire, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), Let the Right One In, Abigail, Dracula, Midnight Mass  for more vampire picks The Haunting of Hill House, Fall of the House of Usher for layered horror storytelling with a director who likes actors and sticks with them.Get Out for themes of appropriation and identity.Lovecraft Country for horror grounded in racial history. Across the Spider-Verse for Hailee Steinfeld fans Books & Reading:The Cross and the Lynching Tree by James H. Cone A History of White People by Nell Irvin Painter Passing by Nella Larsen The Reformatory by Tananarive Due Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark The Vanishing Half by Brit BennettA Discovery of Witches (book series) by Deborah Harkness Ted Chiang’s Story of your Life and Others for the melding of time.Podcasts & Other:Reel Conversations with Britt and Bree for black women’s perspectives on Sinners The Next Best Picture Podcast Sinners episode for lots of background info.Horror Joy podcast episode on Sinners and The ReformatoryTime Bandits for questioning who writes history Documentary/True Crime:Lost Women of Alaska - produced by Octavia Spencer Homework:Goodfellas - a lighter pick with a Chicago Mafia connection And Start reading The Devil in the White City - another Chicago-based story blending crime and history And remember, if someone asks to be invited in, say no! We’ll see you next time—only on Drawn to Darkness.Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and Harry Kidd for our music (Instagram: @harryjkidd, Spotify). 

Send us Fan MailWelcome back to Drawn to Darkness. This week, we are joined by special guest Gillian Pensavalle from True Crime Obsessed to discuss West of Memphis (2012), Amy Berg’s documentary that revisits the case of the West Memphis Three. In 1993, Stevie Branch, Michael Moore, and Christopher Byers were murdered and with little evidence and rising panic about satanic rituals, police quickly focused on three local teenagers: Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jesse Misskelley. Despite inconsistent confessions, lack of physical evidence, and alibis, all three were convicted, and Echols was sentenced to death. West of Memphis follows the nearly 20-year fight to free and exonerate them. Meanwhile, the real perpetrator remains unidentified. We unpack wrongful convictions, moral panic, police misconduct, what Damien is like in real life, and the long, exhausting fight for justice. We explore how three teenagers were targeted as “weird kids,” how fear of satanism shaped a narrative with no evidence, and why decades later they may be free from prison, but still aren’t exonerated. Spoiler + Content WarningThis episode and the documentary include discussion and imagery of the murder of children, child abuse, castration, false confessions, prison abuse, solitary confinement, systemic injustice, wrongful convictions, and satanic panic. We also spoil the documentary.Palate CleanserTrue Crime Obsessed – if you like a laugh along with your true crime. Spending time with family (as simple as ice cream or Del’s Lemonade)RecommendationsBob Ruff’s Truth & Justice podcast (Season 5) Mara Leveritt’s Devil’s Knot (deep dive into courtroom details) Wrongful Conviction podcast (featuring interviews with Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin) Satan Wants You (documentary about Satanic Panic) Sarah Marshall’s podcast You’re Wrong About + The Devil You Know Stranger Things (Eddie Munson inspired by Damien Echols) Mindhunter (John Douglas appears in the case) The Crucible (mass hysteria and scapegoating) Stand By Me, The Goonies, It (kids, innocence, and loss) The Body Farm by Patricia Cornwell for a Medical Examiner who knows what she’s doing.The Hurricane with Denzel Washington for more wrongful convictionsThe Craft and The Perks of Being a Wallflower - for the “weird” kidsLord of the Rings  and listen to Pearl Jam  (support the celebrities who championed the West Memphis 3) Damien Echols’ books, podcast, and Patreon HomeworkNext episode, we’ll discuss Sinners before shifting gears slightly with: Goodfellas  The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson (it’s a book, so start now!) And remember, always insist on a lawyer!Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and Harry Kidd for our music (Instagram: @harryjkidd, Spotify). 

Send us Fan MailIn this bonus “Chatroom” episode of Drawn To Darkness, I (Annie) chat with horror author Josiah Furcinitti to discuss his chilling short story Bedguard, featured in the anthology Lies Beyond, a horror anthology exploring death, fear, and the unknown. In Bedguard, Anna is at first only worried about the growing distance between herself and her husband David. But when he starts suffering from terrifying nightmares, seeing mysterious scratches on his body, and falling violently out of bed, Anna realises too late that something unspeakable is targeting them.  Listen to me read Bedguard, then stick around for our conversation on horror tropes (something under the bed, creatures that feed on fear, creepy kids, dolls), our horror origin stories, deeper fears, and our some of our favourite books and movies.  We also discuss the ambiguity of storytelling and what happens to a story when it’s released into the world, and the relationship between anxiety and horror consumption. Meanwhile, we gush over the media that scared and shaped us, including Revival, It, The Girl who Loved Tom Gordon, Pet Semetary and Carrie by Stephen King, as well as The X-Files, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Midsommar, Sinners, Candyman, and Peter Jackson’s King Kong. But it’s not all horror. Josiah also loves Parks and Rec. Where you can find Lies Beyond:You can find Lies Beyond on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IngramSpark. Follow Josiah on Instagram on @authorjosiahfurcinitti.Homework for Next EpisodeWatch: West of MemphisOur next episode will feature Gillian Pensavalle from True Crime Obsessed and The Hamilcast to discuss the West Memphis Three, and the ongoing fight for their full exoneration.Then, back to horror with Sinners, featuring Choctaw vampire hunters and 16 Academy Award nominations!Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and Harry Kidd for our music (Instagram: @harryjkidd, Spotify). 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we discuss the National Geographic documentary Sugarcane, which investigates the legacy of St. Joseph’s Mission residential school in Canada. Prompted by the discovery of unmarked graves at former school sites, the film follows members of the Williams Lake First Nation, including Julian Brave Noisecat and his father Ed, as they search for truth about what happened to children forced to attend the school. Through survivor testimony, archival material, and difficult conversations within families and communities, the documentary reveals the profound and ongoing consequences of the residential school system, where Indigenous children were separated from their families in an attempt to erase their culture. While Sugarcane does not shy away from the horrors of the system, including abuse, missing children, and institutional cover-ups, it also highlights resilience, cultural reclamation, and the long process of healing and accountability within Indigenous communities. Content & Spoiler Warning:Child sexual abuse, institutional abuse, infanticide, unmarked graves, suicide, cultural erasure, genocide, and systemic racism connected to the residential school system in Canada. We also spoil Sugarcane. Palate CleanserNeed something a little lighter?Heated Rivalry – surprisingly moving hockey romance Sugarcane transcriptThe Office - or introduce your favourite old sitcom to your kids.Recommendations:Podcasts:Surviving St. Michael’s (Connie Walker) – Deep investigation into abuse at another residential school. Finding Cleo (also Connie Walker) -Explores ripple effects of residential schools through the story of one family. Behind the Bastards – Canada’s Darkest Secret: Residential Schools (2020 episode) Historica podcast - Residential SchoolsTelevision & FilmReservation Dogs – funny and heartwarming series about Indigenous teenagers The Lost Women of Highway 20 – Explores cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women. The Last Ice – A National Geographic documentary about Inuit communities and environmental change. Newsies for shining a light on people who are being abusedRabbit-Proof Fence – about Australia’s Stolen Generations, another example of forced child removal. The Sapphires – A lighter film about an Indigenous singing group touring Vietnam during the war. Spotlight and The Keepers – More investigations into abuse by the Catholic Church. 1923 (Yellowstone spinoff) – Includes a storyline about a young Indigenous woman at a residential school. BooksThe Only Good Indians and The Buffalo Hunter Hunter – Horror novels by Stephen Graham Jones The Broken Girls – A paranormal boarding-school mystery by Simone St. James. We Survive the Night by Julian Brave NoiseCat – A blend of memoir, Indigenous history, and storytelling. Homework for Next EpisodeWatch: West of MemphisOur next episode will feature our first guest, Gillian Pensavalle from True Crime Obsessed and The Hamilcast to discuss the West Memphis Three, and the ongoing fight for their full exoneration.Then, back to horror with Sinners, featuring Choctaw vampire hunters and 16 Academy Award nominations!Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and Harry Kidd for our music (Instagram: @harryjkidd, Spotify). 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we descend into Mexican Gothic, Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s 2020 bestselling novel set in 1950s Mexico. When glamorous socialite Noemí Taboada receives a disturbing letter from her cousin Catalina, who claims she’s being poisoned in her new husband’s remote mountain mansion, she travels to High Place to investigate. There she finds a crumbling English manor transplanted into the Mexican countryside, steeped in decay, silence, and red flags. Catalina is wasting away under the watchful eye of her sinister husband Virgil, his ancient patriarch Howard, and the sanctimonious housekeeper Florence. The house reeks of rot, the wallpaper pulses, and mushrooms bloom in the foggy graveyard. Mexican Gothic explores inherited trauma, the stain of colonialism, eugenics, and the horror of being reduced to a vessel. We discuss gothic tropes, gaslighting, fetishisation, how we feel about dream sequences and complicity v. victimhood. Content & Spoiler Warning:This novel and our episode includes discussion of sexual assault, incest, coercion, eugenics, racism, fetishisation of women of colour, colonial exploitation, gaslighting, medical abuse, cannibalism, body horror (including bile and vomiting), disturbing dream sequences, and reproductive coercion. We also fully spoil Mexican Gothic.Palate CleansersAfter all that bile, we recommend:The new Muppet Show (Disney+) -  joyful chaos, nostalgia, and Seth Rogen involvement.Encanto – also explores intergenerational trauma and a characters repeats,  “Open your eyes.”RecommendationsTalking Scared - Interview with Silvia Moreno Garcia (the novels include Certain Dark Things & The Bewitching)The Yellow Wallpaper  (episode 15)  - a big inspirationRebecca -  all the gothic tropesRosemary’s Baby - for gaslighting, reproductive horrorThe Shining - isolation and atmosphere of dread The Others – sheets over furniture in unused rooms  The Skeleton Key  - no spoilers, just watch itBehind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough – quite a twistVenom, Stranger Things, The Last of Us, The Girl with All the Gifts, What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher – fungal and hive mind horrorMidnight Mass - corrupted communion ritualGet Out - fetishisation & bodily appropriationThe Portrait of Dorian Gray - immortality and decayThe Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter- gothic fairytale retellingsWuthering Heights & Jane Eyre – gothic classicsGhostbusters - When someone asks if you’re a god, you say yes.”The Crow - “It can’t rain all the time.”The Fall of the House of Usher - a creepy cryptStarling House by Alix E. Harrow &Old Gods of Appalachia (podcast) - mining horror Always Mean Girls, Blue, Andor, and Arrested DevelopmentHomework”Watch: Sugarcane (National Geographic documentary, available on Disney+)We’ll be examining residential schools, colonisation, cultural erasure, and the lingering trauma of eugenic ideology, continuing our discussion of how history haunts the present.Until next time: clean your black mould, trust your red flags, and when someone warns you to leave while you still can… take the hint and GTFO.Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and Harry Kidd for our music (Instagram: @harryjkidd, Spotify). 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Drawn to Darkness, we pivot back to true crime with Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story, a three-part docuseries about the kidnapping of Steven Stayner and the traumatic ripple effect. We’ll discuss Steven’s story, how he was abducted at age seven while walking home from school and held captive for seven years by Kenneth Parnell. What makes the story even more unsettling is how “normal” his life appeared from the outside. Steven attended school, played sport, and yet could not free himself from his abuser until Parnell kidnapped five-year-old Timmy White. Refusing to let another boy endure what he survived. Steven heroically escaped, saving Timmy and himself. We discuss the psychological barriers that kept him from escaping sooner, the media’s obsession with a “happy ending” and its impact on Steven’s recovery, and the tragic fatal motorcycle accident that ended Steven’s life. Just when you think the story must be over, the Stayner curse delivers one more twist: Steven’s older brother Cary becomes the Yosemite Killer, turning this into a story not only about captivity, but about generational trauma and murder.Content & Spoiler Warning: This episode includes discussion of child abduction, pedophilia and child sexual assault, intergenerational trauma, serial murder, and a fatal motorcycle accident. We also spoil Captive Audience and the made-for-TV miniseries I Know My First Name Is Steven.Palate Cleanser:After something this bleak, we recommend something more fun: Derry Girls, Caroline’s comfort-watch of choice, Heated Rivalry, and The Mummy, because Evie and Rick are adorable. Recommendations:Adolescence - mandatory viewing if you’re raising a boyWild Crime -another national park–focused docuseriesPark Predators -for more on crime in wilderness spacesMurdoch Murders: A Southern Scandal  - another cursed-family true crime sagaSix Schizophrenic Brothers - a different kind of family horrorBloodline and The Perfect Couple - fictional family darknessMy Favorite Murder Episode 30 - their early coverage of this caseMedia Pressure (Julie Murray’s podcast) -on family tragedy and public obsessionI Know My First Name Is Steven — the original 1989 miniseries that shaped the family’s storyUntamed with Eric Bana for a Yosemite murder mystery. Also Free Solo and The Dawn Wall for that stunning Yosemite setting.Stephen King’s The Dead Zone because Parnell is giving Greg Stillson as a Bible salesman.The 1990s The Stand mini-series, with Corin Nemec as HaroldAll Around The Town by Mary Higgins Clark Weapons because of a scary gas station scene and a child keeping a secret at schoolCalifornia True Crime, Timesuck, Casefile, and Last Podcast on the Left if you want to know more about these crimes.Homework:Next episode, we continue our run of cursed families, but through gothic fiction rather than documentary. Read Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-GarciaSpecial thanks to Nancy Azano for the podcast cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and Harry Kidd for the opening and closing score (Instagram: @harryjkidd, Spotify). 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we dive into Trainwreck: Poop Cruise, Netflix’s lowbrow, sensational documentary about the 2013 Carnival Triumph disaster, when an engine room fire left more than 4,200 passengers and crew stranded in the Gulf of Mexico with no power, no air conditioning, no refrigeration, and, most importantly, no functioning toilets.We begin with discussion about losing power during floods, blizzards, hurricanes, and honeymoons gone wrong, but end up discussing human behaviour under extreme stress. As we discuss the "characters", we unpack how quickly civility can erode when basic systems fail, why some people balk at the the red biohazard bags, and how entitlement, privilege, and desperation collide in confined spaces.We also discuss the heroism and exploitation of cruise ship staff, the cruise industry’s fine print and lack of accountability, the shift from news to spectacle in media coverage, and how this situation never quite tips into Lord of the Flies, but comes disturbingly close. Along the way, we link Poop Cruise to other maritime disasters, cruise ship disappearances, and the deeper horrors lurking beneath the glossy promise of “all-inclusive” leisure.Content & Spoiler Warning:Bodily waste, unsanitary conditions, vomiting, public urination, extreme hangovers, fire at sea, societal breakdown, hoarding, cruise ship disasters, corporate negligence, environmental harm, assault risks, disappearances, and capitalism behaving exactly as expected. We also spoil Trainwreck: Poop Cruise and briefly discuss Amy Bradley Is Missing. Palate Cleanser:TikTok trends including a man attempting (and failing) to learn how to DougieMuseums pairing classical art with modern film and TV audioPeople doing owl impressions in regional accents (including Moira Rose as an owl)Recommendations:Wine & Crime – “Cruise Ship Disappearances” (Episode 7) for an unsettling overview of nightmares at seaOther episodes of Netflix’s Trainwreck, especially Astroworld, Balloon Boy, and Mayor of MayhemAmy Bradley Is Missing (Netflix) – watch with a critical eye Titanic and the Titanic: Ship of Dreams podcast for deep dives into hubris at seaThe Devil in the White City by Erik LarsonYellowjackets, FantasticLand, The Platform, Under the Dome, The Mist, and The Shining for enclosed-space psychological breakdownsBetter Call Saul for class-action lawsuits and legal cynicismSudden Storm, about the Galveston hurricaneThe 30 Rock episode “Double-Edged Sword” for plane-based claustrophobic comedyAnd, always, AndorHomework:Next episode, we pivot back into true crime cursed family, with Captive Audience: The Abduction of Steven Stayner, examining his kidnapping and the devastating ripple effects on his family.Coming up soon:Start reading Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.Special thanks to Nancy Azano for the podcast cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and Harry Kidd for the opening and closing score (Instagram: @harryjkidd, Spotify). 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we tackle Hereditary, Ari Aster’s devastating 2018 debut and one of the films most often credited with launching a new era of “elevated horror.” After the death of her estranged mother, miniature artist Annie Graham struggles to process her complicated grief. When her daughter Charlie dies in a shocking accident, the family fractures under the weight of blame, guilt, and unbearable loss. What begins as a family drama about grief, resentment, and inheritance curdles into something far darker as supernatural events occur and Annie Graham and her family discover that their suffering may have been orchestrated long before the story even begins.We unpack the film as both a supernatural horror and a deeply human tragedy about motherhood, blame, intergenerational trauma, and the corrosive effects of grief. We discuss Annie’s ambivalence toward motherhood, Peter’s unbearable guilt and trauma, Charlie’s unsettling presence, and the way Ari Aster traps his characters inside a dollhouse world where something is playing with them. Along the way, we explore fate versus agency, cult manipulation, spiritualism and grief exploitation, and why this film hurts as much (or more?) than it scares.Content & Spoiler Warning: This episode includes discussion of child death, grief, suicide and suicidal ideation, self-harm, decapitation, anaphylaxis, possession, cults, toxic parent–child relationships, intergenerational trauma, mental illness, body horror, animal death (a dog, shown after the fact), disturbing sound design (including tongue clicking and wet mouth noises), and graphic emotional distress. Also, as usual, we fully spoil Hereditary. Close your eyes around 33 and half minutes. Listener and viewer discretion is advised.Here’s a link if you want to know more: https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3535054/hereditary-hidden-clues/Palate Cleanser:Heated Rivalry (HBO) - Caroline is obsessed! Watching TikToks of people reacting to shows they loveRecommendations:If Hereditary got under your skin, you might want to explore:Other Ari Aster films, especially Midsommar (grief, cults)The Sixth Sense (and our Episode 12) for another Toni Collette performance as a mom dealing with the supernatural.Rosemary’s Baby which is clearly an inspirationThe Babadook — motherhood, grief, and a difficult childPet Sematary (book) — Stephen King’s bleakest exploration of parental griefThe Shining for slow-burn dreadThe Haunting of Hill House for more family trauma wrapped in horrorUnobscured (Season 2) by Aaron Mahnke, for historical context on spiritualism Sleepwalk With Me by Mike Birbiglia, for a funnier take on sleepwalkingUnited States of Tara, for more Toni Collette navigating fractured identityThe Yellow Wallpaper (see our earlier episode), for women, madness, and being trapped inside domestic spacesHomework for Next Episode:Watch: Captive Audience: A Real American Horror StoryWe pivot back to true crime with the story of the Stayner family, another exploration of family trauma, captivity, and the long-term consequences of violence.But before that watch: Trainwreck: Poop Cruise (yes, really), followed by reading Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.Special thanks to Nancy Azano for the podcast cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and Harry Kidd for the opening and closing score (Instagram: @harryjkidd, Spotify). 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we discuss Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers, Emily Turner’s documentary about Aileen Wuornos, a rare, hands-on female serial killer whose life is steeped in trauma, exploitation, and state violence. We discuss our views on the death penalty and then unpack whether Aileen’s childhood abandonment, sexual abuse, homelessness, and years of sex work made her into a "monster”. We discuss  nature vs nurture, the deeper horror of the targeting of sex workers; misogynistic and homophobic rhetoric, and the way prosecutors, cops, lawyers, and her “adoptive” mother profited from Aileen's story.Content & Spoiler Warning:This episode includes discussion of capital punishment, sexual assault, sex work, misogyny, child abuse and neglect, mental illness, suicide, corruption, homophobia, and of course murder and serial killers in general. We also spoil this documentary. Palate cleanser:The films of Rob Reiner, whose work, such as The Princess Bride, Stand by Me, This is Spinal Tap, and When Harry Met Sally has shaped our cinematic lives almost as much as Star Wars.Other recommendations:Other media covering Aileen Wuornos includes Nick Broomfield’s documentary Selling of a Serial Killer, the Oscar-winning film Monster starring Charlize Theron, the podcast the Last Podcast on the Left (Aileen Wuornos two-parter), the podcast Women and Crime (criminology professors discuss female offenders), and My Favorite Murder (episode 96).Dateline & 13 Alibis – for exploration of wrongful prosecutions The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog – ongoing recommendation if you want to learn more about the impact of childhood trauma.S-Town (podcast) – a portrait of a damaged, brilliant man Shiny Happy People and The Righteous Gemstones – to explore evangelical excess and hypocrisy.The Crucible – for witch-hunt logic, moral absolutism, and judges who sound a lot like Aileen’s.Betrayal (podcast, not the documentary) – a woman uncovering that her teacher husband was abusing students.Our past episodes on Spotlight and Catch and Kill  for the horrific impact of sexual abuse.Dexter - a unique take on a Florida serial killerSons of Anarchy for biker bars similar to the Last Resort, where Aileen was arrested.Making a Murderer for troubling confessions.My Favorite Murder episode 145 on the McMartin pre-schoolThe Green Mile - both the book and the movie for a riveting story of death row inmatesSuper Troopers for highway cops with prominent moustaches. Homework for next episode:Watch: Hereditary (2018)Next up, we pivot from true crime back to horror cinema with Ari Aster’s Hereditary. What's the connection? Shocking violence on a highway. You might want to close your eyes around 33 and a half minutes.And coming up on a future episode, start reading Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia. Special thanks to Nancy Azano for the podcast cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and Harry Kidd for the opening and closing score (Instagram: @harryjkidd, Spotify). 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we discuss Guillermo del Toro’s gorgeous and gothic adaptation of Frankenstein, an epic, operatic exploration of creation, obsession, abandonment, and the horror of living after being rejected by the world. We discuss our own life goals and the hollowness that can follow achieving your greatest ambition, before diving into this reimagining of Mary Shelley’s  ground-breaking novel. We unpack the cinematic devices, symbolism, use of light and colour, as well as each character and what motivates them. We explore themes of immortality as a curse, intergenerational trauma, scientific overreach, colonialism, class violence, and what happens when society decides someone is a monster.Content & Spoiler Warning:We spoil Frankenstein (the novel and film), and the film and our dicussion has body horror, animal death (wolves), child abuse, death during childbirth, toxic father–son relationships, and corpse desecration.Palate cleanser:Star Wars (Original Trilogy) – Caroline is revisiting the entire Star Wars universe in timeline order, and despite some CGI should never have happened, these movies hold up.Recommendations:Little Shop of Horrors – mad science, creation, and unintended consequencesMy Cousin Vinny – for unexpected tonal callbacksMarvel films (Frankenstein connects to Captain America, Ultron, and Hulk lore)Inglourious Basterds, Indiana Jones, The Sound of Music – confronting Nazi violence and persecutionDeath Becomes Her and Vampire lore– immortality is its own horrorAlice in Wonderland and Beetlejuice – embracing the strange and unusualLittle Women (2019) – the dance scenes are similar.Dr. Death (podcast) – psychotic doctors and medical hubrisBook Cheat (podcast) – a comic shortcut to classic literatureEpistolary horror: Dracula, Carrie“The Monkey’s Paw” – the danger of subverting deathJurassic Park, Terminator, M3GAN, Oppenheimer, Edward Scissorhands – losing control of creationGuillermo del Toro’s other works: Pan’s Labyrinth, Crimson Peak, The Shape of Water, Pinocchio, Hellboy, Blade II Homework:Watch Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers (Netflix) A documentary that continues exploring how society punishes those it deems monstrous. Special thanks to Nancy Azano for the podcast cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and Harry Kidd for the opening and closing score (Instagram: @harryjkidd, Spotify).

Send us Fan MailIn this Christmas special of Drawn To Darkness, we swap favourite festive films (from Die Hard and It’s a Wonderful Life to The Muppet Christmas Carol and Scrooged) before diving into Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. We’ll discuss the plot and characters (Scrooge, Marley, the three spirits, Fezziwig, Tiny Tim, Fred), unpack life in Victorian London with its filth, disease, child labour, workhouses, debtor’s prisons and ghost-obsessed spiritualism, and trace how Dickens wrote this “ghostly little book” as a sledgehammer blow against capitalism, greed and cruelty. Along the way we’ll call out Dickens’ own contradictions (social critic, but a terrible husband), compare Bob Cratchit’s wages to modern minimum wage debates, talk through the horror of dying unmourned and unnoticed, and discuss whether Ignorance is more dangerous than Want.  Content & Spoiler Warning:This episode includes spoilers for A Christmas Carol (book and major adaptations), and discussion of child death, Victorian poverty and disease, eternal damnation, bad bosses and workplace exploitation, and references to body parts/sexual topics. Palate Cleanser:The Office – “Dinner Party” (US) and Thor: RagnarokRecommendations:Muppet Christmas Carol, Scrooged – Bill Murray’s ‘80s TV-exec Scrooge, Mickey’s Christmas Carol (Marley's door-knocker and Scrooge’s hellfire grave are seared into our brains)Other Christmas movies like It’s a Wonderful Life  and Elf because like Scrooge, Walter Hobbes needs some Christmas spirit. Newsies – A musical that reflects Dickens’ views on child labor. Parasite – For a contemporary look at the horrors of the class divide.The Castle – Australian working class family cult favourite that’s giving Bob Cratchit. Home for the Holidays – Caroline’s favourite holiday movie with a cast including Holly Hunter, Robert Downey Jr., Dylan McDermott, and Claire Danes Christmas specials! Look up your favourite 80s or 90s TV show and find their Christmas special (Caroline recommends Roseanne & 90210)The Haunting of Bly Manor – For “ghost stories at Christmas” vibes Time Bandits (TV) – jokes about how  gross and diseased Victorian London wasHugh Grant’s narration of A Christmas Carol (though his soothing voice might put you to sleep)  which dovetails with Dickens’ descriptions of cholera-era filth. The Signalman –A lesser-known Dickens ghost story The Phantom Tollbooth – Audiobook family favourite for CarolineCharlie and the Chocolate Factory  by Roald Dahl – Structurally similar morality lessonsThe podcast Scared To Death –annual Christmas readings of classic ghost stories, Dark Myths, Misdeeds and the Paranormal -if you want to know more about Dickens’ fascination with spiritualism and the paranormal. Black Mirror "White Christmas” – another Christmas special featuring eternal torment Homework:Watch: Frankenstein (Guillermo del Toro) on Netflix.Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and to Harry Kidd for our opening score (Instagram: @harryjkidd) 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode we unpack the history and ethics of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study (1932–1972), guided by Michael Hobbes and Sarah Marshall’s reporting in You’re Wrong About. We recount how U.S. Public Health Service researchers recruited 600 Black men in Macon County, Alabama under the promise of treatment for “bad blood,” then withheld effective care, even after penicillin became a simple cure, so they could watch the disease progress. We explore why the study was “bad science” as well as immoral; the racist assumptions baked into its design (e.g., claims that syphilis affects Black bodies differently); and why it kept running long after penicillin was a viable option because the participants as “more valuable” as cadavers). Content & Spoiler Warning:This episode includes spoilers for the You’re Wrong About two-parter on the Tuskegee Syphilis Study and discussion of: medical racism, eugenics, unethical human experimentation, government misconduct, venereal disease symptoms and treatment (e.g., spinal taps, mercury “rubs”), lynchings, sterilisation without consent, infection of prisoners, intergenerational trauma, and mental-health impacts.Palate CleanserMax Rebo Productions (TikTok): Classic Star Wars toys lip-sync famous ‘90s movie scenes (Karate Kid, Home Alone, My Cousin Vinny). Pure delight between heavy topics.Recommendations:Podcasts & EpisodesYou’re Wrong About — Tuskegee two-parter; plus episodes on Anita Hill, eugenics, Reagan/Trump, DARE, Satanic Panic/D&D.Distrust & Disparities — Two-parter on Tuskegee and broader medical inequities.Black History for White People — Discussion including hospital perspectives.1619 — “How the Bad Blood Started.”The Breakdown (Sean King) — Context for vaccine hesitancy vs. Tuskegee.This Podcast Will Kill You — Syphilis overview and history.The Dollop — Syphilis episode (history).American Scandal (Wondery) — Tuskegee season (Ep. 1 free).Sounds Like a Cult — Humanitarian/aid-adjacent critique.Seeing White - Episodes 1 & 2Books & Articles:Medical Apartheid — On systemic medical exploitation and its legacy.The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.Works by Dale Huey and Ta Nehisi CoatesFilms & TV:The Fall of the House of Usher (Mike Flanagan) — Sackler-like family and “bad drugs.”Westworld — How people treat “less-than-human” beings.Stranger Things — Dr. Brenner as “greater good” rationaliser.The Pitt — Representation matters in diagnosis (sickle cell storyline).Sinners (set in Mississippi sharecropping milieu) and Weapons.  Both flagged for future episodes for sure!Contacts:Makeda Pennycooke, Life Coach & Chance Strategist for anti-racism coaching [email protected]:Watch: Frankenstein (Guillermo del Toro) on Netflix to explore the ethics of creation. and it includes a syphilis line: “A night with Venus, a lifetime with mercury.”But before that, it’s our Christmas special! So read, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and to Harry Kidd for our opening score (Instagram: @harryjkidd) 

Send us Fan MailWelcome back to Drawn to Darkness, the podcast where we deep dive into our favourite horror and true crime. In this episode, we head deep into the peeling wallpaper, raccoon-infested attic, rotting walls and shingles, and extraordinary psychology of Grey Gardens, the 1975 direct-cinema documentary that follows Big Edie and Little Edie Beale, two formerly glamorous socialites now living in overwhelming decay and filth in their once-grand Hamptons estate. We  unpack the house as gothic horror, Little Edie’s charm, yearning, and self-loathing (as well as her fabulous head scarves), Big Edie’s pride in her aristocratic past, the mother daughter dynamic, and then men who didn’t help (at least Jackie Kennedy Onassis stepped in). We discuss the film’s reputation as a masterpiece, the tension between fascination and voyeurism and its connection to contemporary reality TV such as Hoarders.Content & Spoiler WarningIn addition to spoilers, this episode contains discussion of animal neglect and unsanitary living conditions, including cat faeces, raccoons, fleas, and hoarding, Toxic mother–daughter relationships, psychological distress, Isolation, mental health concerns, and hints of past traumaPalate CleanserTikTok trend of people strolling through HomeGoods and dramatically “discovering” absurdly specific décor items (like a “bird on a golden twig” or a “portrait of an elephant in a bathtub, but just the butt”). Just for fun.All the Star Wars, including RebelsThe Whimsical Muse on Threads, an account full of cozy, bookish, soft-rain-in-Edinburgh energy to restore your faith in the world.Recommendations:Films & TV:Grey Gardens (2009) — The Drew Barrymore/Jessica Lange dramatizationDocumentary Now! — “Sandy Passage” — Bill Hader and Fred Armisen’s hilarious Grey Gardens parodyGimme Shelter — Another documentary by the Maysles BrothersAmerican Horror Story: Season 1— For claustrophobic house-based dreadFeud: Capote v. the Swans — For more on high-society mythology (creative non-fiction)Arrested Development and Schitt’s Creek— Wealthy family, disastrous decline, narcissistic mother: say no moreThe Haunting of Hill House — For more gothic “dancing alone in an empty house” Books & Literary ConnectionsThe Marble Fawn of Grey Gardens by Jerry Torre and the novel by Nathanial HawthorneThe Fall of the House of Usher (Edgar Allan Poe)The Little Stranger by Sarah WatersThe Silent Patient by Alex MichaelidesA Raisin in the Sun & Langston Hughes’ “Harlem” (what happens to a dream deferred?)The Great Gatsby for Gilded Age illusionsOther Fascinating Rabbit HolesThe Winchester Mystery House — Another sprawling home built on grief, ghosts, and possible madnessHomework Assignment: Caroline is taking us into the horrors of scientific research gone wrong. Listen to the two-part “Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment” series from the podcast You’re Wrong About. We’ll explore the real-life horror of government-sanctioned cruelty, medical racism, and scientific exploitation.Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and to Harry Kidd for our opening score (Instagram: @harryjkidd) 

Send us Fan MailIn this extra-long deep dive, we unpack  the entire “epic” and “metal” Stranger Things Season 4. This season is a tonal shift from goosebumps to true horror. We’ll explore Vecna/Henry Creel/001, Max’s near-death escape thanks to Kate Bush, as well as the way the show blends horror, sci-fi, action, and 80s nostalgia. We discuss each character’s best moments and arc, as well as our favourite scenes, the Russian prison plotline, Eddie’s heroism, our hopes and dreams for Season 5, and the show’s major themes: grief, depression, friendship, shame and sacrifice.Spoiler + Content Warning:Torture, Body horror, including eye mutilation, broken bones, Violence against teenagers, Psychological distress, including depression, suicidal ideation, and severe bullying. A tortured bunny, Child abuse, cult hysteria, and vigilante violence.*Always check Does the Dog Die? before viewing if you have specific triggers or phobias.Palette CleanserNobody Wants This (Netflix) – Caroline’s romcom pick featuring Seth Cohen (Adam Brody) and Kristen Bell.Go touch grass and go campingOther RecommendationsThunderbirds because David Harbour is in it.Fantastic Four and A Quiet Place day One to see Eddie! Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves for a fun fantasy adventure Men in Black, evoked by the “Weekly Watcher” newspaper reference.Dick – Watergate references.One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Girl, Interrupted for depictions of institutionalisation paralleling Eleven’s confinement.The Exorcist – possession and floating Weeds becauseof  Matthew Modine (Papa) Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler – dystopian, psychological, and thematically similar.The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub because Lucas is reading it to Max in the final scene.Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, and Piranesi for parallel-realm narratives.Halloween because Vecna’s disappearance echoes Michael MyersThe Ring – Max’s countdown mirrors the “seven days” curse.NeverEnding Story, Silence of the Lambs, Nightmare on Elm Street, Jurassic Park, Carrie, It, and any classic Spielberg – all noted as season influences or direct references.Guide to the Unknown – a podcast about real-world Stranger Things-style lore.Ghosts in the Burbs – especially early episodes exploring suburban darkness.10 Cloverfield Lane – evoked by bunker/silo scenes.The Crucible, Frankenstein, and I Am Legend (novel) – literary parallels to hysteria, monstrosity, and alternate worlds.You’re Wrong About – Dungeons & Dragons episode – for understanding Satanic Panic context.Strange Indeed podcast – episode-by-episode Stranger Things breakdown.Mean Girls – because Angela is the meanest girl.Parks and Recreation – for the town hall scene reference.Homework:Grey Gardens (1975) – the documentary about Jackie Kennedy Onassis’s eccentric aunts living in a decaying manor, chosen because of the “crumbling Vecna manor vibes.”Thanks for listening and to the Duffer brothers, don't you dare lay a hand on Steve or Dustin!Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and to Harry Kidd for our opening score (Instagram: @harryjkidd) 

Send us Fan MailWelcome back to Drawn to Darkness, the podcast where we deep dive into our favourite horror and true crime. In this episode, we discuss Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel, the Netflix documentary about the disappearance of Elisa Lam, the 21-year-old Canadian traveller whose tragic death in a Los Angeles hotel sparked global obsession, online conspiracy, and some of the strangest internet theories you've ever heard. We unpack the chilling elevator footage, the Cecil’s cursed history, the disturbing overlap of mental illness and mythmaking, and the dark side of web sleuthing. Along the way, expect tangents about the Bermuda Triangle, Richard Ramirez, and the stomach-churning horror of drinking corpse water. Spoiler + Content Warning:This episode covers the entire case of Elisa Lam and the full Netflix documentary, The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel.We discuss:Death, suicide, and mental illness (including bipolar disorder and psychosis)Violence against women and sex workersMurder and suicidal ideationDrowning and body discoverySerial killers, substance abuse, and unsafe accommodationWe also spoil Dark Water (2002). You've been warned.Palate Cleanser:Only Murders in the Building – because haunted hotels are more fun with Selena Gomez.Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend – Elisa went to see Conan and you should too if you want to laugh. Start with the episode featuring My Favorite Murder’s Karen and Georgia and try any episode featuring John Mulaney or Bill Hader.We Don’t Wanna Grow Up – a nostalgia trip through 90s pop culture to scrub your brain clean after all that elevator footage.Peacemaker – superheroes, but not for kids.Arrested Development - because Ron Howard produced this documentary. Other Recommendations:Date with Dateline - for reimagineactments.Last Podcast on the Left's episode on Richard Ramirez (if you can handle true crime with irreverence)Little Shop of Horrors - skid row!Mulholland Drive for a very creepy movie that's set in LAThe Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon (a pool with a dark history). The Shining – the ultimate haunted hotel and one of Annie’s all-time favourite novels.Room 1408 – John Cusack + hotel horror = perfect insomnia companion.The Sundown Motel by Simone St. James – eerie mysteries and ghosts with unfinished business.The Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer (Netflix) – Richard Ramirez’s story, from his Cecil Hotel connection to his capture.Urban Legend (1998) – campy 90s horror with a killer opening scene Scared to Death podcast – especially the episode on The Elevator Game, the urban legend some think Elisa Lam was playing.HomeworkNext episode, we’re pivoting from real-life tragedy to supernatural nostalgia: Season 4 of Stranger Things.Rewatch before November 26th and get ready to talk Vecna, trauma, and small-town horror. And don’t worry — The Shining is coming one of these days.Thanks for joining us on this descent into LA’s most cursed building. And remember, if your shower water runs black, maybe skip brushing your teeth. And for the love of all that’s holy, don’t play the elevator game!

Send us Fan MailDo you like scary movies? We do! In this episode of Drawn to Darkness, we discuss Wes Craven’s Scream, the self-aware slasher that revived the genre and was a gateway to loving horror movies for so  many of us.From Drew Barrymore’s unforgettable 12-minute opener to the Woodsboro house party, we explore how the film subverted horror tropes, dissect Sydney Prescott’s role as trauma survivor and feminist final girl icon, and argue why Matthew Lillard’s Stu might just be the MVP of the movie.Expect nostalgia and laughter, as we talk killer fun facts, iconic lines (“I'll be right back!”), and the twist of the Ghostface reveal. We also dig into the film’s darker undercurrents: grief, media sensationalism, and domestic partner abuse.Content & Spoiler Warning:This episode contains discussion of graphic violence, murder, and domestic trauma. It also includes spoilers for Scream (1996) and references to other horror classics.Palate CleanserAnnie’s cure for all that blood and guts? Dogs—lots of dogs. Caroline’s? A TikTok handle called The Scenic Pickle, which features a pickle chilling in nature to ’90s grunge tracks. Absurd, yet strangely soothing.RecommendationsFilms & TV:Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) — the original filmThe Craft — another ’90s cult classic with supernatural flairEver After — for a softer Drew Barrymore escapeCabin in the Woods and Tucker & Dale vs Evil  — for brilliant horror satireScary Movie because obviously.Scream sequels (2, 3, 4, and 5)Cruel IntentionsHalloween H2O and I Know What You Did Last Summer, Urban Legend, The Faculty, Disturbing Behaviour for more nostalgic ’90s teen slashersPsycho — for the original early-death shockerParty of Five — for your Neve Campbell nostalgiaDawson's Creek - same writer Kevin Williamson!The Final Girl Support Group by Grady HendrixFaculty of Horror podcast — for those who like their slasher talk scholarlyMean Girls — because, let’s be honest, Gail Weathers is a mean girl.Homework AssignmentBefore our next episode, watch “The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel”. We’ll be examining the true-crime and media parallels that connect this haunting documentary to Rosemary’s Baby.After that, Stranger Things Season 4, where bad Billies, horror homage, and moral panic all return in full force.So follow the rules of a horror movie: Charge your phone, avoid the basement, no Ouija boards, and never say, "I'll be right back."We’ll see you in two weeks—only on Drawn to Darkness.Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and to Harry Kidd for our opening score (Instagram: @harryjkidd) 

Send us Fan MailThis week, we discuss Rosemary’s Baby, the 1968 horror classic that turned pregnancy into psychological nightmare fuel. We unpack gaslighting husbands, demonic covens, and the claustrophobia of a New York apartment with a high incidence of unfortunate happenings. Rosemary and her husband Guy move into a grand old New York apartment, despite eerie warnings and a mysteriously blocked closet and when they meet their eccentric neighbours, things turn sinister. We'll discuss topics such as the film’s sound design, use of colour (yellow), 1960s gender politics, and reveal how Rosemary’s Baby captures both supernatural and all-too-real horrors: isolation, gaslighting, and the weaponisation of female hysteria.Along the way, we talk Mia Farrow’s wide-eyed innocence, the garish glory of Minnie Castevet’s coconut cake hat and make-up, Polanski’s problematic legacy and whether you can separate art from the artist, and how much an apartment in the Dakota really costs.Spoiler + Content Warning:We spoil the plot of Rosemary’s Baby (1968).Discussions of marital rape, coercive control, gaslighting, manipulation, and assault, suicide, pregnancy, child loss, and labour trauma,  murder, and satanic ritual. We also discuss director Roman Polanski’s history of sexual abuse, including the rape of a minor.Palate Cleanser:Need a breather after all that satanic motherhood and 1960s misogyny? Try these:30 Rock – because Rosemary tried to meet Hutch there, and we all deserve Liz Lemon energy after this.Again With This podcast – episode-by-episode takes on Dawson’s Creek and Beverly Hills, 90210 for nostalgic serotonin.Parks and Recreation – for a better Dr. Saperstein.Recommendations:The novel Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin. See where the story came from.To see the actors in other films, try Harold and Maude and Beethoven and Roseanne.Gossip Girl, because Blair and Dan watch Rosemary's Baby. Hereditary – modern motherhood horror with a satanic twist. For more  demonic horror try The Exorcist and the Omen.Get Out – paranoia, gaslighting, and dreamlike dread.Episode 55 of MFM - the Papin sistersThe Handmaid’s Tale – dystopian nightmare of reproductive control Mother! – another pregnancy-from-hell allegory (brace yourself. It's brutal).Gaslight (1944) – the original manipulative husband horror.You Must Remember This podcast – Hollywood history and Manson murders.A Picture of Dorian Gray and The Little Mermaid for deals with the devil.Apartment seven A - a prequel with Julia Garner. Annabel, Only Murders in the Building and Archive 81 for creepy buildingsImmaculate with Sydney Sweeney for pregnancy horrorSamantha Gailey's book The Girl: A Life in the Shadow of Roman PolanskiHomeworkNext episode,  a Halloween bonus: Scream (1996) – because after all that satanic trauma, we deserve some self-aware slashers. Then The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel,  the haunting death of Elisa Lam and the cursed Los Angeles hotel.Follow, review, share, and send your own horror recs to  [email protected]. And remember—if your neighbour brings you chocolate mousse, maybe skip dessert.Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and to Harry Kidd for our opening score (Instagram: @harryj

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we discuss Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s gothic gut-punch, The Yellow Wallpaper—a claustrophobic descent into isolation, medical misogyny, and one very cursed interior design choice. Expect talk of gaslighting physicians, barred windows, nailed-down beds, and that unforgettable last line.Spoiler and Content Warning:We cover the full plot of The Yellow Wallpaper. If you’ve never read it, pause here and come back after. Content include post-partum depression, gaslighting, horrible horror husbands, confinement, suicidal ideation, racism and eugenics, and a descent into madness.Synopsis:Published in 1892, Gilman’s psychological horror invites us into the journal of an unnamed woman sequestered in a country estate by her physician-husband, John. Forbidden from “work” (writing), starved of stimulus, and overseen by his compliant sister/housekeeper Jenny, she fixates on the room’s revolting yellow wallpaper—first as an ugly pattern, then as bars, and finally as a trapped, creeping woman she begins to identify with. By the time John forces the door, she is circling the room, “creeping” over his fainted body "every time". Our discussion explores whether the room is effectively a locked ward (barred windows, nailed bed, gate at the stairs), the possibility of toxic wallpaper, and how the story functions as a rebuttal to the rest cure that nearly drove Gilman mad herself.Palate Cleanser:Trainwreck docuseries binge (e.g., storming Area 51; “Poop Cruise”). Disaster TV that entertains without plunging you into Victorian despair.Recommendations:Classics of gothic literature like Rebecca; Jane Eyre; The Fall of the House of Usher; The Haunting of Hill House; Mexican Gothic (modern mould horror)The Handmaid’s Tale (Series)Black Mirror: White ChristmasAmerican Horror Story: AsylumDon’t Worry DarlingHeretic with Hugh Grant (he has yellow wallpaper!)“The Husband Stitch” (Carmen Maria Machado).Great Stories with Trev Downey (audio of classic short stories including The Yellow Wallpaper). The Awakening and he Story of An Hour by Kate ChopinGaslight with Ingrid Bergman and Titanic (Cal would be a terrible husband)The podcasts Novel Pairings and Breaking Down Patriarchy (both have episodes on The Yellow Wallpaper)The Dollop episode on Women in TransportationGirl, InterruptedGreta Gerwig’s Little WomenDickinson (series)Sleepwalking (novel)Verity (Colleen Hoover) - both bite the bed!Recommendations:Next up: Rosemary’s Baby (1968). We’re staying with gaslighting husbands, maternity horror, and lots more yellow. Bonus connection: Mia Farrow is Ronan Farrow’s mum, tying back to our Catch and Kill episode. Watch before the next show. Until then, don’t let anyone spoil your ghostliness.Credits & ContactCover art: Nancy Azano — Instagram: @nancyazanoIntro and outro music: Harry Kidd — Instagram: @harryjkidd Email: [email protected] us on Instagram/Threads/Facebook @drawntodarknesspod 

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, we discuss Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow, the explosive exposé that revealed how Harvey Weinstein and a network of enablers in Hollywood, politics, and media silenced victims of sexual assault for decades. Farrow’s investigation was blocked by NBC, he was stalked by private investigators, and threatened with legal intimidation, but ultimately published in The New Yorker, sparking the global reckoning we now know as the #MeToo movement.We unpack the book’s chilling revelations, from Weinstein’s predatory patterns, to the role of lawyers, executives, and journalists who covered up his crimes, to the women whose bravery broke decades of silence. Along the way, we talk villains (Weinstein, Matt Lauer, Lisa Bloom, David Pecker) and heroes (Ronan, the survivors, and whistleblowers like Igor Ostrovsky). Expect references to Game of Thrones, Succession, Gone Girl, 30 Rock, and even Mean Girls, because corruption and cruelty have their cultural fingerprints everywhere.Spoiler + Trigger Warning: sexual assault, harassment, rape, gaslighting, and victim-blaming. We also include explicit spoilers for Catch and Kill. Please listen with care.Palate Cleanser: Try the TikTok trend where people attempt to run with the same arm and same leg at once — it’s way harder (and funnier) than it sounds. Plus, we celebrate love: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce just got engaged.Recommendations:Catch and Kill Podcast — Farrow’s 10-part companion series featuring survivor testimony.Feature articles from Vanity Fair, Vogue, and The New YorkerSeven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (Hollywood corruption)30 Rock - early jokes reveal the open secret about WeinsteinSpotlight (Ep. 5 of Drawn to Darkness) — go back to discussion on journalists exposing abuse in the Catholic Church.The Morning Show (Apple TV+) — Fictionalised account of a Matt Lauer-style scandal.Promising Young Woman — A bold, revenge-driven take on rape culture.One Mississippi (Tig Notaro) — Semi-autobiographical series with sharp critiques of abuse and complicity.SmartLess Podcast (Ronan Farrow guest) — A lighter way to hear more from him.The Wire / The X-Files / The Insider / Pelican Brief / Stranger Things— Corruption, cover-ups, and the need for free press.Stuff they don't want you to know (a podcast about conspiracies)Life Under Cover: Coming of Age in the CIA by Amaryllis FoxCruel Intentions - because it's satisfying when the truth comes outSupport the survivors — (for example Scream for Rose McGowan and The Hand that Rocks the Cradle)Mean Girls — Because fake friendship-as-betrayal (looking at you, “Diana Philip”) deserves a rewatch.Homework:Read “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman — A short gothic story about gaslighting and women’s mental health. (Available free online or on Trev Downey’s The Great Stories podcast).Watch Rosemary’s Baby — Because Mia Farrow (Ronan’s mother) and gothic paranoia make for a perfect segue.Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and to Harry Kidd for our opening score (Instagram: @harryjkidd) 

Send us Fan MailIn this “around the water cooler special,” we break from our usual schedule to talk about the Netflix documentary Unknown Number, a story so shocking it has everyone buzzing, so we just had to talk about it too!The case begins in 2020 in tiny Beal City, Michigan, where 12-year-olds Owen and Lauren were the town’s golden couple. But their sweet small-town romance turned into a nightmare when they became the targets of a relentless campaign of vile and anonymous text messages. What started as cruel taunts to break them up escalated into a torrent of harassment aimed at Lauren—mocking her body, attacking her self-worth, and urging her to kill herself. In this episode, we discuss the small-town dynamics that trapped these kids under a microscope, the true-crime tropes, and the monstrous betrayal at the heart of this story.  This episode explores not just the horror of the crime, but the deeper horror of what happens when technology allows a perpetrator inescapable access into our lives. Spoiler and content warning: We'll include discussion of sexually explicit texts involving minors bullying, cyber bullying, reference to eating disorders and suicide and abusive parents. We'll also be spoiling it, so stay off social media and watch Unknown Number ASAP!Palate Cleanser: @heartthrobanderson for the best snark and season one of Stranger Things. Could those kids be any cuter?Recommendations:Abducted in Plain Sight (also by Skye Borgman, the same director as Unknown Number)All the teen dramas: 90210, Dawson's Creek, the OC, Laguna Beach, the Hills, Gossip Girl, My So-Called Life, and Euphoria (if you like your teenage drama grim)Serial and The Wire for phone forensics.Our previous episodes Carrie and The Act  for bad moms and Sweet Bobby for another shocking catfish story.The Anxious Generation by Jonathon Haidt if you're concerned about phones.American Vandal - please, please, watch this. It parodies this exact style of documentary and is hilarious. #whodrewthedicksMean Girls - you know why.Homework:Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators by Ronan Farrow coming out next week. Start reading or listening to the audiobook or listen to the podcast. Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and to Harry Kidd for our opening score (Instagram: @harryjkidd) 

Send us Fan MailDo your friends roll their eyes when you bring up your favorite ghost movie? Do you instantly know the significance of a red balloon? We’re here for you. Welcome back to Drawn to Darkness, where we deep dive into our favourite horror and true crime.In this episode, though decades have passed, Annie finally makes Caroline sit down for M. Night Shyamalan’s 1999 classic, The Sixth Sense, the movie that made “I see dead people” an instant cultural touchstone. We talk creepy dolls, inattentive parents, and claustrophobic closets. Expect tangents about 1999 as the ultimate movie year, the curse and blessing of the “Shyamalan twist,” and the legacy of Munchausen by proxy in horror. We'll cover everything from the brilliance of Haley Joel Osment’s haunted eyes, to Toni Collette’s overworked single mum realism, to Bruce Willis’ understated acting as a child psychologist.Spoiler + Trigger WarningWe spoil the twist. Be warned! If you’ve somehow avoided spoilers for 26 years,  watch it before listening.Discussion of child abuse, Maunchausen by proxy (medical abuse), murder and mistreatment of enslaved people, bullying, claustrophobia, hanging, gore, and lots of creepy ghosts. But don’t worry. The puppy survives.Palate CleanserNeed something a little lighter after all those jump scares and tragic child ghosts? Taylor Swift’s full anthology – yes, the entire history. John Mulaney & Friends – stand-up with Mike Birbiglia, Nick Kroll, and Fred Armisen for some much-needed comic relief after all that whispery ghost trauma.RecommendationsAlways Sunny in Philadelphia - Because Philly!Lianne Moriarty's books - great twists! Other great twists: Parasite, Empire Strikes Back, Fight Club, Scream, the Usual Suspects, the Prestige.Memento – another brilliant 90s twist that’ll fry your brain.Ghost stories including The Others ,Stir of Echoes (1999 twin film energy) – Kevin Bacon also sees dead people, What Lies Beneath and The Haunting of Bly Manor (Mike Flanagan) – ghost stories as memory, grief, and limbo.Hereditary – more Toni Collette mom horror. About a Boy and Little Miss Sunshine are also a lot of fun.More M. Night Shymalan movies: The Village, Signs, Split, Cabin at the End of the WorldDie Hard for Bruce Willis at his most iconic.Muriel’s Wedding – if you want Toni Collette but need more ABBA and fewer ghosts.The O.C. - Mischa Barton!The English sitcom Ghosts – haunted house vibes, but funny and charming.The Reformatory by Tananarive Due – a novel about racism, history, and a little boy who sees ghosts.Atonement - the novel and movie are both great)What we do in the Shadows - alwaysWhat Went Wrong & Unspooled (podcasts) – deep dives into the making and legacy of The Sixth Sense.The podcast Ghosts in the Burbs (see episode 4)The Dead Zone and The Shining for Stephen King characters with powers HomeworkNext week we pivot from ghosts to real monsters: Harvey Weinstein. Since M. Night himself referred to Weinstein as a “monster,” we’re finally covering Catch and Kill. Read Ronan Farrow’s investigation and/or listen to the podcast before our next episode. Thanks for joining us on this haunted Philadelphia stroll. Review us, share us with your fellow horror and true crime weirdos, and listen up if your kid starts whispering about ghosties!Cover art by Nancy Azano @nancyazanoMusic by Harry Kidd @harryjkiddEmail us: [email protected]

Send us Fan MailThis week we dive into The Act, Hulu’s dramatization of the harrowing true story of Dee Dee and Gypsy Rose Blanchard. Though many of us would fake sick for the occasional day off, this takes it to the next level. It’s a case of Munchausen’s by proxy, blurred lines between victim and perpetrator, and the disturbing question of how far someone will go for sympathy and control.Spoiler & Trigger WarningPhysical, emotional, and medical child abuseReferences to sex, BDSM, and needlesDisturbing dental procedures and feeding tubesOn-screen gore, blended pizza, and implied animal harm (guinea pigs do survive)MurderWe also spoil plot details inThe Act, and discuss Mommy Dead and Dearest Episode SynopsisThe Act dramatizes the story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard, raised by her mother Dee Dee to believe she was terminally ill. Dee Dee presented herself as a martyr-mother, fooling neighbours, charities, and doctors alike. In reality, Gypsy was healthy—isolated, infantilised, and subjected to years of unnecessary medical procedures.We'll unpack how the show portrays Dee Dee as both abuser and, perhaps too sympathetic, and why that left us uneasy. We discuss Patricia Arquette’s chilling performance, the liberties taken with the truth (from invented guinea pigs to altered jail sentences), and Gypsy’s portrayal as both manipulated child and complicit conspirator. This episode unpacks the blurred line between self-defence and premeditated murder, and the ethical questions raised by dramatizing true crime stories without consent, the disturbing ways abuse warps morality, and the deeper horrors—exploitation, celebrity culture, systemic medical failures, and the trauma of growing up under a narcissistic parent.Palate Cleanser:Head to TikTok for the Hamilton trend where creators don powdered wigs, leap out of windows, and lip-sync to “come back to sleep, I have an early meeting out of town.” It’s the collective silliness and joy we all need.Recommendations:PodcastsWine and Crime — Episode 6 covers Munchausen’s, a dark but entertaining gateway into the show.Nobody Should Believe Me (by Andrea Dunlop) — each season covers a different case of Munchausen’s by proxy/medical child abuse.My Favorite Murder (Episode 47, “Live at the Bellhouse”) — the Blanchard case meets true crime comedy with guest appearances from LPOTL.The Viall Files — January 2024 episode features Gypsy Rose and her (now ex-) husband reflecting just weeks after her prison release.Documentaries & TVMommy Dead and Dearest — sanctioned by Gypsy, offering a more factual perspective.Take Care of Maya — Munchausen’s or systemic medical failure?The Curious Case of Natalia Grace — blurred lines between victimhood and manipulation.Run — horror film starring Sarah Paulson as a mother and her wheelchair-bound daughter.Sharp Objects (book and show) — another toxic mother-daughter dynamic.Misery —  caretaker turned captor.For fans of the actors The Conjuring, Severance, Stigmata, American Vandal, Silence of the Lambs, Never Have I Ever, Kids, Zodiac, American Psycho and more! Homework AssignmentOur next episode is The Sixth Sense. Longer-term: read Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow (because the cover-up is the crime, or at least part of it).Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and Harry Kidd for composing our opening scor

Send us Fan MailDo your friends think you’re weird because you like horror and true crime? Then join us on Drawn to Darkness.In this episode, we discuss Carrie, Stephen King's infamous debut novel—and the one that almost didn’t make it out of the trash can. That is, until Tabitha King fished it out and told her husband to keep going. Good thing she did. Without Carrie, we might not have had Pennywise, Annie Wilkes, or even Stranger Things.We unpack the horror and tragedy of Carrie White: a telekinetic teenage girl, bullied by her peers and tormented by her mother, whose one night of hope at prom ends in fire, death, and devastation. In classic Drawn to Darkness fashion, we dig into the literary structure, cultural influence, and why Carrie is as much a horror story as it is a heartbreaking critique of bullying, abuse, and the cost of being "other." Plus, we take a deep dive into the controversial characters of Sue, Tommy, Chris (to quote Leo, “you’re not that great”), and perhaps the worst literary mother of all time, Margaret White. And don’t forget shout-outs to 90210, Shakespeare, Stranger Things, and The Incredibles.Spoiler + Trigger WarningThis episode discusses, school massacres, domestic abuse and religious trauma, periods and menstrual shaming, animal abuse (pigs and dogs), violence against children, rape and sexual repression, references to real-world school shootingsAnd yes—there are full plot spoilers for Carrie.Palate CleanserStormtrooper Vlogs (TikTok): A hilarious, AI-generated POV series from the Star Wars universe. Check out @StormtrooperVlogz RecommendationsIf you want more telekinetic girls, murderous proms, or religious zealots, here’s where to go next:Carrie - Watch the film adaptations!On Writing by Stephen King – For the origin story of Carrie and King's writing wisdomThe Institute, Dr Sleep, and The Shining – More King kids with powersFantasticLand by Mike Bockoven – For another epistolary narrative Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist – Vampires, bullying, and revengeMary by Nat Cassidy – Carrie, but menopausal.Mean Girls, Pretty in Pink, Napoleon Dynamite, Ever After – Prom movies, with less carnageStranger Things – 11 is  Carrie if she only had friendsThe Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson – For raining rocks, ghosts, and traumaTalking Scared Podcast -Neil McRobert’s episode on Carrie.Homework:Watch The Act on Hulu for another abusive mother Dee Dee Blanchard, and her eventual murder planned by her daughter Gypsy Rose.Special thanks to Nancy Azano for providing our cover art. You can find her on Instagram @nancyazano. And Harry Kidd for composing and recording our opening score. His instagram is @harryjkidd and you can check him out on Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/artist/43BiFkkOHykD8n9g4z0Qd7

Send us Fan Mail“This cult has everything.” – Caroline, channeling Stefon from SNL,  before we unpack the many strange and disturbing facets of the four-part docuseries Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults, and one of America’s most infamous mass suicides. This cult mixes a strange blend of UFO mythology, musical theatre and the apocalypse. Starting with a light-hearted chat about what kinds of cults we might actually fall for (spoiler: cats, lots of TV, introvert-friendly, and insomnia-curing ones), we'll explore how a desire for belonging, meaning, and transcendence can be exploited by supposedly charismatic leaders like Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles. Expect deep dives into gender erasure, alienation, as well as strange footwear and last meal choices.We examine the playbook of cult recruitment, the trauma left behind, and the sobering reminder that nobody joins a cult—they're vulnerable and join something that seems like it might save them.Trigger warning:genital mutilation, mass suicide, religion, cults, abuse, and sexual repressionPalate cleanser:Need something lighter after all that darkness? Check out @ozzymanreviews, an Australian TikTok/YouTube voiceover creator who narrates animal videos in hilarious accents.If you liked this try:Sounds like a Cult the podcast, Mike Flanagan's film, Dr. Sleep (trigger warning for traumatic death of a child). For Marshall Applewhite's faves, try Star Trek, the Sound of Music, the X-Files, Under the Banner of Heaven ( true crime nonfiction meets religion).The Handmaid's Tale and Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler Midsummer (more cult vibes)The novel In the Clearing (fictionalized version of the Australian cult the Family). Tower of Babylon by Ted Chiang (a story of a society that believes heaven is a real place in the sky and build a tower to reach it)The Boy Who was Raised as a Dog  (impact of childhood trauma by a psychologist who worked with kids from the branch Davidian cult).Yellowjackets. 1984 (group think)More cults: The Vow, Love Has Won, and The Way Down.Homework: Inspired by the shaming of sex and religious extremism, our next episode subject Stephen King's first iconic novel Carrie.Special thanks to Nancy Azano for providing our cover art. You can find her on Instagram @nancyazano. And Harry Kidd for composing and recording our opening score. His Instagram is @harryjkidd and you can also find him on Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/artist/43BiFkkOHykD8n9g4z0Qd7

Send us Fan MailWould you have gone back for a bigger boat? Then join us on Drawn to Darkness for our summer special. This week we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the movie that made people afraid to step into the ocean—and sometimes even a pool or a bath. That’s right, we’re diving into Jaws, Steven Spielberg’s 1975 man-versus-monster masterpiece.Spoiler & Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussion of implied dog death (though we have a theory that Pippit lived), on-screen gore, severed limbs, and the death of a child. We also spoil key plot details from Jaws. C'mon, it's fifty years old. Watch it already.Episode SynopsisHalf a century on, Jaws still holds its grip on audiences, and on our primal fear of what lurks in the water. In this episode, we revisit Bruce, the mechanical shark that broke down, the shoot that gave a 26-year-old Spielberg near-PTSD, and the story of an island community choosing profit over safety. We unpack why Jaws is both a comfort movie and a terror, and how it helped launch the blockbuster era while cementing John Williams’s two-note score as an instant anxiety trigger.From Chrissy’s harrowing night swim to the USS Indianapolis speech, from small-town politics to the shark’s final “smile you son of a —” showdown with Chief Brody, we explore the craft, the cultural impact, and the deeper horrors beneath the surface—corruption, denial, and the villainisation of sharks. Expect personal beach stories (one of used to play Chrissy Watkins' death on the beach), discussions about whether Jaws counts as horror, and affectionate deep-dives into our love for Brody, Hooper, Quint, Ellen, and every scene-stealing side character (yes, even Mrs. Taft and that guy who pushed children underwater to escape a fake shark).Palate CleanserApple TV’s The Studio — a funny, meta, star-packed celebration of cinema featuring Seth Rogen, Catherine O’Hara, Kathryn Hahn, and Bryan Cranston.Recommendations:Podcasts:Unspooled — their Jaws episode and the How Did This Get Made? episode on Jaws: The Revenge and Deep Blue SeaThe Dollop episode 210 “New Jersey Shark Attacks” with the hosts of My Favorite Murder Karen Kilgariff and Georgia HardstarkBeyond Jaws — a podcast where real-life marine biologists discuss sharks, science, and cinemaLet’s Jaws for a Minute — a deep dive podcast dissecting Jaws one minute at a timeMovies, TV shows, books and more:All the shark movies! Deep Blue Sea, The Meg, The Shallows, Open Water, The Reef, Sharknado, Crawl. From Russia with Love (for a very different Robert Shaw)Hot Fuzz — outsider cop vs. small-town corruptionMidnight Mass - watch it then listen to episode 7 of Drawn to Darkness Moby-Dick by Herman MelvilleI Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916 by Lauren TarshisThe Lady of the Dunes documentary (case recently solved)The daily jaws websiteHomework AssignmentNext episode: Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults (HBO Max) — watch ahead so you can join us for the discussion. After that: Carrie, the novel by Stephen King. Longer-term: read Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow (because the cover-up is the crime, or at least part of it).Special thanks to Nancy Azano for our cover art (Instagram: @nancyazano) and Harry Kidd for composing our opening score  on spotify and Instagram:

Send us Fan MailWelcome back to Drawn to Darkness. In this episode, we take on Mike Flanagan’s Midnight Mass, a seven-episode horror drama that’s equal parts theological meditation and vampire apocalypse. Set in a dying island town with economic and emotional wounds, the show explores what happens when miracles start to occur—at a terrible cost.We dive deep into the show’s literary devices, biblical allusions, long monologues, and that slow burn of dread. We also fangirl over gorgeous Riley and hate-watch Bev Keen’s every move. This episode also asks some biggest questions: Who deserves a miracle? Is it pro-Catholic? And seriously—why would anyone think that thing is an angel?This one’s for the horror lovers who like their vampires sacrilegious, their theology terrifying, and their tears existential.Trigger Warnings:SuicideMiscarriageFatal car accidentsAnimal cruelty (cats and dogs)Religious trauma and anti-Catholic sentimentCult dynamics and mass suicidePalate Cleanser:What We Do in the Shadows (TV series & movie) – If Midnight Mass drained your soul, this vampire comedy will resurrect it.I ♥ Huckabees – Caroline’s weird, philosophical comfort film. Existential dread, but fun.Smash Mouth’s “All Star” translated into Aramaic and back into English. Check it out!So many recommendations! If you liked Midnight Mass, try:The Haunting of Hill House and Bligh Manor, Fall of the House of Usher (Mike Flanagan’s best work)The Exorcist (original film & lore)Salem’s Lot by Stephen King, Interview with the Vampire and 30 Days of Night – Vampires + isolation = terrorHellbound (Korean Netflix horror about angels, cults, and death countdowns)“Hell is the Absence of God” by Ted Chiang (for a more literary pairing)The Crucible by Arthur MillerThe Reach (a beautiful Stephen King short story–not horror!)Fleabag (for the Hot Priest)Mystic Pizza, ET, Friday Night Lights – for young actors from Midnight MassJaws (for island insider outsider dynamics)7, scream X-Files (all referenced in Midnight Mass)The Perfect StormErin Brockovich (for that oil spill class action energy)Passages podcast (especially their Twilight season – very funny snark)Homework Assignment:Jaws Summer special! And the week after that we'll discuss Heaven’s Gate: The Cult of Cults (HBO docuseries). Meanwhile, start reading Carrie by Stephen King and down the track Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow.If you delight in what you fear, you’re in the right place. Like, subscribe, rate and review. Tell a fellow horror nerd, follow us on Instagram: @DrawnToDarknessPod or email us at [email protected]. We’ll see you in two weeks.Special thanks to Nancy Azano for providing our cover art. You can find her on Instagram @nancyazano. And Harry Kidd for composing and recording our opening score. His Instagram is @harryjkidd and you can also find him on Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/artist/43BiFkkOHykD8n9g4z0Qd7

Send us Fan MailThis week on Drawn to Darkness, we take on a film that’s less ghost story, more gut punch: the 2015 Oscar-winning film Spotlight, based on the Boston Globe investigation that exposed widespread child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church—and the systems that kept it hidden.We talk about the horror that doesn’t wear a mask or carry a chainsaw, but instead wears vestments and smiles from the pulpit. This is a conversation about truth, trauma, intergenerational trauma, and the power—and limits—of journalism. Don’t expect jump scares, but do expect chills, and a personal bombshell about a childhood priest. We talk newsroom nostalgia, Boston accents, Mark Ruffalo’s hair, and how Stanley Tucci always, always understands the assignment. This one’s heavy. But it’s important. Spoiler and Trigger Warning:In addition to spoilers, this episode contains discussion of child sexual abuse and grooming, the Catholic Church's systemic cover-ups, PTSD and trauma. Listener discretion is advised.Palate Cleanser:TikTok accounts that get New England right:@ian.brownhill (New England state stereotypes)@grewupinnewengland (Boston-accent movie reviews)Seth Meyers’ Boston Accent parody trailer – because someone’s gotta make fun of the vowels: https://youtu.be/rLwbzGyC6t4?si=g4WdjM34NuyemEawNewsies – journalistic underdogs and Bill Pullman singing? Five stars.Mean Girls – for some Rachel McAdams joy. Recommendations:If you want to go deeper (and darker):Betrayal: The Crisis in the Catholic Church – detailed, intense, devastating Stolen: Surviving St. Michael’s – intergenerational trauma and justice in Canada’s residential schoolsCasefile Ep. 34 – "The Catholic Mafia" in Australia’s rural VictoriaThe Keepers – Netflix docuseries about Sister Cathy and institutional silence Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow – powerful journalism vs. the real monsters amongst us Zodiac, Primal Fear, and Mystic River – all about corruption, silence, and long shadowsThe Wire Season 5 – newsroom decline, moral lines, and Tom McCarthy as a dishonest reporterScream – to remember where Liev Schreiber’s spooky streak beganHomework Assignment:Next episode, we’ll be watching Midnight Mass, the haunting Netflix series by Mike Flanagan. It’s got everything: Catholic guilt, creepy islands, mysterious priests, and slow-burn horror. Seven episodes. Bring wine. (But maybe not communion wine.)Bonus heads-up: In about six weeks, we’ll be reading Stephen King’s Carrie. Yes, that Carrie. Start placing your library holds now, folks.Thanks for listening. Subscribe, leave us a review, and send us your feedback stories at [email protected] thanks to Nancy Azano for providing our cover art. You can find her on Instagram @nancyazano. And Harry Kidd for composing and recording our opening score. His Instagram is @harryjkidd and you can also find him on Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/artist/43BiFkkOHykD8n9g4z0Qd7

Send us Fan MailDo your friends think you’re weird because you find slasher films relaxing and can drift off into a dreamless sleep after a serial killer documentary? We're here for you. Welcome back to Drawn to Darkness, the podcast where we deep dive on our favourite horror and true crime. In this episode, we’re discussing Ghosts in the Burbs, Liz Sauer’s delightfully creepy podcast that reads like Real Housewives meets The Exorcist and Poltergeist—with a little Pinterest board, Joanna Gaines envy on the side.Liz interviews neighbors in the New England suburb of Wellesley, Massachusetts—a place dripping in generational wealth, expensive taste, and terrifying ghost stories. We unpack everything from Ouija boards to tapping poltergeists, demonic possessions, fashion envy, Catholic guilt, and why (the mayonnaise of) motherhood might be the scariest horror trope of all. These first 8 episodes of GITB include bunk beds, suburban covens, privileged moms with dark secrets, and one very creepy paint scraper. Expect relatable mom confessions, literary tangents, and a little real talk about envy, privilege, and why we’re drawn to darkness in the first place. Also, one of us may or may not have ordered Domino’s while pregnant from a doctor's office parking lot.Spoiler alert and Trigger warning: We cover the first 8 (or is it 9?) episodes of Ghosts in the Burbs and yes, there are major plot spoilers ahead. This episode includes discussion of post-partum depression, home invasions, trauma and PTSD, sexual assault (in the context of Back to the Future, Catholicism and possession.Palate CleanserAmy Poehler’s new podcast. For when you want funny, low-key conversations that aren’t haunted. (Bonus: Paul Rudd talking about Wet Hot American Summer. You’re welcome.)Also: Back to the Future. Yes, there’s an upsetting scene. But seriously, it’s a perfect movie.Recommendations if you like Ghosts in the Burbs:Come Closer by Sara Gran – possession horrorThe Exorcist by William Peter Blatty – the iconic possession story that inspired decades of demonic mediaThe Winter People and The Invited by Jennifer McMahon – Vermont coziness meets ghostly secretsThe Sundown Motel by Simone St. James – 80s ghosts, missing girls, twin timelinesThe Conjuring – Classic haunted house vibes  (with jump scares!)The Ice Storm (film) – wealthy suburban repression and tragedy in 1970s New EnglandRadio Rental – real-life horror stories that sound too strange to be trueThe ‘Burbs (1989) – Tom Hanks suburban paranoia done rightScared to Death – A podcast of paranormal stories with a creepy-fun twist and delightful husband and wife banterHomework: Next week, we shift from fictional ghost stories to real-life horrors. Your assignment? Pour a drink of anything but chardonnay (Joking! Like what you like!), dim the lights, and watch Spotlight, Tom McCarthy’s Oscar-winning film about the Boston Globe’s investigation into clergy abuse. This one’s heavy but important.Thanks for joining us on this haunted suburban stroll. Review us, share with your fellow horror and true crime weirdos, and remember—if you find yourself considering buying a haunted designer handbag on Facebook Marketplace, maybe just close the app.Special thanks to Nancy Azano for providing our cover art. You can find her on Instagram @nancyazano. And Harry Kidd for composing and recording our opening score. His Instagram is @harryjkidd and you can also find him on Spotify. https://open.spotify.com

Send us Fan MailCould you live in a house where dozens of people were murdered? What if it came with  an indoor pool? And mannequins? In this episode, we unravel the deeply disturbing true crime docuseries The Fox Hollow Murders, revisiting the case of suspected serial killer Herb Baumeister. With 10,000 bones scattered among his forested property, and a current homeowner named Rob Graves (yep, really). I mean, who buys a murder mansion? We explore the ethics of true crime storytelling, and the unnerving interview that left us both speechless (hi, Mark Goodyear).  It's a chilling exploration of unsettling grins and sausage fingers, but more importantly police negligence, social stigma, and what happens when society decides some victims just don’t matter. At the same time, there’s a hope because of heroes like coroner Jeff Jellison who refuses to give up and believes everyone matters.Spoiler alert and trigger warning: This episode features graphic discussions of murder, police negligence, and deeply unsettling behavior (and yes, mannequins). Listener discretion is advised.RecommendationsThe Jinx (bone-chilling confessions on mic)House of Wax (2005) (creepy mannequin energy)Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (real horror, tough to stomach)I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara (dogged investigation, real impact)Making a Murderer (messy timelines and corrupt systems)True Crime Obsessed Podcast (lighter takes on grim cases)The Keepers (systemic cover-ups and buried truths)Palate CleansersThe Other Two (TV series)Cadaver Dogs, or really any dog.  Forget about stopping to smell the roses. Stop and pat a dog.HomeworkGhosts in the Burbs (Episodes 1–9)  Because after a haunted pool, Mark Goodyear’s smile, and 10,000 bones, we’re ready for ghost stories that are spooky, cosy, and more fun than frightening.As always, tell your friends, leave a review on iTunes, email your thoughts (or mannequin-related nightmares) to [email protected]. Until next time, trust your gut, pat a dog, and maybe don’t buy a house where people were murdered in the pool. See you in two weeks on Drawn to Darkness.Special thanks to Nancy Azano for providing our cover art. You can find her on Instagram @nancyazano. And Harry Kidd for composing and recording our opening score. His Instagram is @harryjkidd and you can also find him on Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/artist/43BiFkkOHykD8n9g4z0Qd7

Send us Fan MailDo you still check the backseat before driving? Are you worried the call is coming from inside the house? Welcome back to Drawn to Darkness, the podcast where we explore our obsessions with horror and true crime. This week, we dissect It Follows—David Robert Mitchell’s dreamy, dread-drenched indie horror film about a sexually transmitted curse that never stops walking… slowly… toward you. We dive into horror tropes, uncomfortable symbolism, the ethics of passing on the curse, and whether being beautiful makes you safer—or just a more convenient carrier. We break down its ambiguous setting, genre-bending aesthetic (Napoleon Dynamite-meets-80s slasher film?), and the eerie effectiveness of slow, silent menace. We debate a baffling pool plan, and whether you should sleep with strangers to stay alive (spoiler: we vote no), whether aging or assault is the true horror, and get very creeped out by the Tall Man. And just for fun, this episode hearkens back to our 90s teen years, with references to Dawson’s Creek,  90210, Jordan Catalano, and the Backstreet Boys. Spoiler alert and trigger warning: This episode contains spoilers and mentions of sexual assault and suicide, and the film has gruesome imagery, stalking, sexual assault, and jump scares.Recommendations If You Liked It Follows:Terminator 1 & 2 (another unrelenting hunter)Charade (just because the characters watch it)Barbarian, 8 Mile, & Don’t Breathe (grim Detroit vibes + housing horror)The Ring (unstoppable supernatural curse)Let the Right One In (slow-burn horror + pool finale)Smile (cursed by trauma)Urban Legend, Scream, & Disturbing Behavior (90s teen horror nostalgia)Friday the 13th / Halloween (slasher canon)Palate Cleanser:Feeling haunted? Rewatch Season 1 of Schitt’s Creek. It’s joyful and full of Alexis energy. Also, shout-out to Toy Story 2—because after forensic files, you need those bloopers.Homework:Watch The Fox Hollow Murders. As always, tell your friends, leave a review on iTunes, email your thoughts (or mannequin-related nightmares) to [email protected].. See you in two weeks on Drawn to Darkness.Special thanks to Nancy Azano for providing our cover art. You can find her on Instagram @nancyazano. And Harry Kidd for composing and recording our opening score. His Instagram is @harryjkidd and you can also find him on Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/artist/43BiFkkOHykD8n9g4z0Qd7Want more analysis of It Follows? https://henridecorinth.wordpress.com/2015/03/31/on-mitchells-it-follows-2014-literary-allusions/https://the-artifice.com/it-follows/

Send us Fan MailDo your friends think you're weird because you’re obsessed with true crime? Or because you want to talk about how horrifying online dating really is? Then you’re in the right place. Welcome back to Drawn to Darkness, where horror and true crime get cosy. In this episode, we go deep into Sweet Bobby, a jaw-dropping catfishing documentary that’s so twisted it feels like fiction—except it’s not.Kirat’s story is every online dater’s worst nightmare: what starts as a promising online relationship with a doctor named Bobby turns into an 8-year saga of manipulation, abuse, and deception. We unpack why Sweet Bobby hits so hard—and why it’s not just a story about catfishing, but about the darker side of human psychology, loneliness, and misplaced trust.Palate cleanser:Heal your childhood wounds and watch White Lotus (which is more likely to open them)Recommendations for when you need more of that spine-crawling betrayal energy:The Stranger Beside Me by Anne Rule – True crime royalty meets personal horror.Baby Reindeer (Netflix) – Another chilling case of stalking, obsession, and blurred identities.The Talented Mr. Ripley – Fake it till you (literally) make it... into someone else's life.Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann – Lies, manipulation, and murder in early 20th-century America.Friends - "the one with the monkey" and "the one with Russ" to meet a different Bobby – fun Bobby!BTK documentaries and interviews with his daughter – How do you process it when your dad is a serial killer?Homework assignment:It Follows – a modern supernatural horror film that explores fear, intimacy, and relentless pursuit. Special thanks to Nancy Azano for providing our cover art. You can find her on Instagram @nancyazano. And Harry Kidd for composing and recording our opening score. His Instagram is @harryjkidd and you can also find him on Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/artist/43BiFkkOHykD8n9g4z0Qd7

Send us Fan MailDo your friends think you’re weird because you like horror and true crime? Then join us on Drawn to Darkness. In our debut episode, we dive into the horror novel Penpal by Dathan Auerbach–a harrowing cult classic that started as a Reddit creepypasta and has since haunted readers worldwide. Warning: this one’s not for the faint-hearted—and yes, we will discuss spoilers! Penpal is a story about childhood innocence, fractured memories, and the terrifying consequences of being noticed by the wrong person. What begins as an elementary school penpal project quickly spirals into a haunting exploration of stalking, trauma, and the disconnect between children and the adults meant to protect them. Through personal anecdotes, sharp critique, and a dose of dark humour, we unpack not just what makes Penpal so unsettling, but why stories like this resonate so deeply with our deepest fears. We dig into the book’s structure, born from serialized reddit posts—an origin story that’s both its strength and weakness. Expect some plot holes, but also some of the most unsettling scenes you'll ever read, like a whispered ‘hello’ from the woods that’ll stick with you long after the lights are out. We wrap up with personal stalker stories, and what this book teaches us about survival. Spoiler and Trigger warning: This episode contains discussion of children being stalked and harmed by a paedophile, and we will be spoiling key plot details.Palate cleanser: The Fresh Prince re-enactment to “Anxiety.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI0BKE8m-dkRecommendations:The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona WardExhalation by Ted Chiang (specifically The Truth of Fact. The Truth of Feeling)Interview with Dathan Auerbach on The Conner & Smith ShowNo sleep reddit and podcast https://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/Homework assignment:Sweet Bobby (documentary). So grab a flashlight, cuddle with your cat, and bring your mace to the woods. We’ll see you in two weeks for another episode of Drawn to Darkness..Special thanks to Nancy Azano for providing our cover art. You can find her on Instagram @nancyazano. And Harry Kidd for composing and recording our opening score. His instagram is @harryjkidd and you can check him out on Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/artist/43BiFkkOHykD8n9g4z0Qd7