HARBINGER (2026)

New On Demand from Miracle Media!
Directed by James Crow.
Written by Harry Boxley, Simon Cluett.
Check out the trailer here!

After uncovering that her husband Henry Decker (Peter Woodward) is a serial killer, Julia (Jeanine Nerissa Sothcott) is the lone survivor of his rampage before he is gunned down in an abandoned house by the police. But Decker has transferred his soul into a fortune teller machine. You know, the kind from the movie BIG, the one where the grown ass woman sleeps with the little boy that was loved by millions of movie goers? Yeah, that one. Anyway, looking for some kind of closure, Julia joins a paranormal investigation unit who returns to the house where Decker was killed in hopes to evoke the spirits and of course, get good ratings. The team and Julia get more than they bargained for, as the fortune teller machine, dubbed the Harbinger, brings everyone’s dreams and nightmares to life.

This one is written by Simon Cluett and…whup! Harry Boxley! We know that name! How could anyone forget the writer behind not one but two Steamboat Willie public domain horror movies, MOUSE OF HORRORS and MOUSEBOAT MASSACRE, as well as POPEYE’S REVENGE, CINDERELLA’S CURSE, FAIREST OF THEM ALL, PIGLET, and HOOK! I’ve survived a few of these films and have to say that HARBINGER is by far the most entertaining of the bunch.

HARBINGER is a paranormal slasher film—think A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET or SHOCKER, rather than HALLOWEEN or FRIDAY THE 13TH. It’s a subtle distinction, but still one worth making. Sure, one could argue all the iconic slashers are somewhat paranormal as none of them seem to be able to stay dead. But, like A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, SHOCKER, LEPRECHAUN, WISHMASTER, and the like, HARBINGER’s slasher chooses not only to talk to his victims but also kill them with twisted versions of their own fortunes. So basically, after their fortunes are told by the machine, they end up dying by whatever fate tells them. Personally, I prefer the silent, hands-on stalkers, but I still appreciate the poeticism accompanying each kill. HARBINGER has a low budget, but it does put a little thought into the deaths, which was keen if not absolutely on-the-nose every time.

The problems with HARBINGER are common ones in low-fi slashers. The cast just isn’t up to snuff with the drama needed and the script doesn’t really give them anything to do besides die. One girl is pregnant from sleeping with another member of the paranormal crew’s boyfriend. The lead investigator needs to cash in big with this investigation or the show is cancelled. And Julia is attempting to come to some kind of closure and needs the money they are offering. It’s all standard drama and none of it is given any kind of spice to make it interesting. On top of that, and I hate to do this, but lead actress Jeanine Nerissa Sothcott has had so much plastic surgery that it is impossible for her to emote anything at all. I have no idea why people go down this slippery slope, but she seems about 75% plastic. I only mention this because this is the most distracting part of the film for me. Sothcott is supposed to gain our investment, but all I could do was wonder why she would do this, or if I were staying in the realm of the film, that if Julia needed money so much, maybe she could have skipped a few of those cosmetic surgeries instead of going to the place where she almost died. Again, I don’t say this to be mean. I’m just being honest in that the actress was distracting and killed all investment I had in the film.

HARBINGER is a capable film. Not too gory. Not too graphic. No nudity. But though it stands out from a lot of the low-fi horror the UK is churning out these days, it’s still just not very good.