New Fears Eve (2025) | Film Review

New Fears Eve doesn’t just walk into the crowded field of indie slashers — it barrels in like a masked nightmare come to life, bathed in neon gore and unapologetically committed to delivering a bloody good time. From its festival buzz to its steady climb on streaming charts, this self-aware horror comedy has already carved out a place for itself among genre fans who crave practical kills and laugh-out-loud moments alongside their splatter.

At its core, New Fears Eve is a slasher through and through — visceral, vibrant, and wonderfully violent. The story follows a trio of friends reluctantly preparing for a corporate New Year’s Eve party that quickly descends into a relentless fight for survival when a masked killer (known only as The Doctor) crashes the celebration. From the moment the first victim (or several shall I say) is dispatched within the opening credits, it’s clear this film intends to honour the classic slasher ethos: have fun, don’t get too attached to anyone, and don’t blink.

One of the film’s greatest strengths is also its most gleefully cartoonish — the death scenes. Crafted with practical effects that range from gut-wrenching to gloriously grotesque, the kills in New Fears Eve land with satisfying thuds and shocking creativity. There’s a wonderfully over-the-top energy to how each set-piece is staged, and when the carnage kicks off, it rarely lets up. These sequences are the lifeblood of the movie — gross, gory, and unforgettable. Death by tongue and death by dildo were highlights for me…wait that came out wrong. Just go watch the film.

Performances across the board are a mixed bag — not unexpected in a low-budget affair — with some actors fully embracing the absurdity while others waver slightly. There are moments where the acting feels like something pulled straight from a campy stage play, and others where it genuinely elevates the material. However, the cast as a whole brings enough humour, energy and charm to the table to keep you invested when it matters most and deliver an entertaining 94-minutes. Reddick, Fierman, Sheridan and Rose were an absolute delight to watch.

New Fears Eve (2025) | Film Review

Humour in New Fears Eve is similarly hit-and-miss — some jokes land with razor-sharp precision, eliciting genuine laughs, while others feel like forced and a bit out of place. Still, the film’s self-aware tone and willingness to poke fun at its own genre trappings often work in its favor, letting moments of levity cut through the onslaught of violence in a way that enhances rather than detracts from the experience.

But let’s be honest: most viewers are here for the villain. The Doctor — with his eerie mask and slow, menacing swagger — is a standout presence, an antagonist who feels at once familiar and uniquely unsettling. He doesn’t just hunt his victims — he haunts them, turning ordinary spaces into stages for his nightmarish games. It’s exactly the kind of psychotic personality that makes slashers fun to revisit, and I’d be thrilled to see this character return for a sequel. And judging by the ending (spoilers sorry folks), hopefully we will!

At its best, New Fears Eve delivers a surging adrenaline rush — part horror, part comedy, all slasher spectacle. It may not reinvent the wheel, and it certainly isn’t afraid to lean into its own absurdity, but that’s precisely the point. This is a film made by horror fans, for horror fans: unashamedly gory, often hilarious, and relentlessly entertaining. If you relish practical effects, creative kills, and a killer with personality to spare, New Fears Eve is worth your time — a bloody blast that’ll leave you laughing, cringing, and already wondering what comes next. It's very easy to see why both Cineverse & Bloody Disgusting have picked this one up!

You can check out the trailer below. New Fears Eve is available digitally, on Screambox and via select streaming services now.