NICHOLAS RUSSELL

is a writer from Las Vegas. His writing has appeared in The Believer, Reverse Shot, Bright Wall/Dark Room, Vulture, and Film Comment, among other publications. He’s a contributing writer at Defector. His debut novel Observer is out fall 2026.

Fear Franchises
Entering The Further

A deep dive into the world of James Wan and Leigh Whannell’s Insidious, one of the more complex, mystically minded horror franchises.

READ MORE >

Updated August 31, 2026 & July 11, 2023
(Originally published February 1, 2022)

Guide: Modern Slayers
[REC]
(Jaume Balagueró & Paco Plaza, Spain, 2007)

Seen from the vantage point of the present, any film with the barest hint of a quarantine narrative can only remind its audience of the COVID...

READ MORE >

March 22, 2024

Essay
Devil May Care

David Gordon Green continues his assault on beloved horror franchises with a new Exorcist that only heightens the glory of Friedkin’s original.

READ MORE >

October 13, 2023

Katie Small

is a writer, photographer, videographer, and cinephile living in Portland, Oregon.