ScaryCrit: A Black Horror Podcast

Lauren La Melle and Jared Hudson
  • 4.4 (18)
  • FILM REVIEWS
  • UPDATED BIMONTHLY

ScaryCrit exists to shine a light on the often underappreciated and groundbreaking contributions of Black filmmakers, actors, and storytellers to the horror genre. From classic masterpieces to bone-chilling releases, we're here to celebrate the powerful narratives, cultural influences, and unique perspectives that define Black horror.Whether you're a seasoned fan or new to the genre, our podcast is your guide to discovering hidden gems, exploring social commentary, and embracing the terrifying brilliance of Black folk in horror.With in-depth analyses and behind-the-scenes insights, our podcast offers a front-row seat to the terror. Tune in every other Thursday as Lauren and Jared unpack Blackness in horror... or the lack-there-of.

  1. ParaPOV - ParaNorman (2012)

    JAN 29

    ParaPOV - ParaNorman (2012)

    This week on Scary Crit, Lauren and J catch up on the holidays before cracking open the Negronomicon. Our hosts break down Sinners domination of the Oscar nominations, some dark horses in the awards race, and turn the page to a surprising announcement of a brand-new Kenan and Kel movie.  For the Crit this week, we're revisiting ParaNorman (2012), the stop motion gem that combines zombies, witch trials, and small town fear into a love letter to the genre. From the emotionally heavy themes to why this movie sticks out as a Halloween perennial in the horror canon, we dig into what makes ParaNorman (2012) quietly powerful more than a decade after its release.  Timestamps 00:05:21 - Negronomicon 00:15:50 - Crit 01:18:31 - Final Curls Gems from Episode 117 Rollbounce (2005)Mario Kart 64 (1996, video game)Bedazzled (2000)Sinners (2025)Lovecraft Country (2020)His House (2020)Loki (2021, television series)The Silence of the Lambs (1991)The Substance (2024)ReLiving Single (2025, podcast)Living Single (1993, television series)Anora (2025)F1 (2025)Hamnet (2025)Bugonia (2025)Frankenstein (2025)Marty Supreme (2025)The Smashing Machine (2025)One Battle After Another (2025The Secret Agent (2025)Sentimental Value (2025)Train Dreams (2025)A Thousand and One (2023)The Ugly Stepsister (2025)Good Sports with Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompspn (2025, web series)RuPaul’s Drag Race (2009, television series)Kenan and Kel Meet Frankenstein (upcoming)Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein (1948)Abbot and Costello meet the Mummy (1955)Good Burger 2 (2023)Alvin and Chipmunks meet the Wolfman (2000)Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)At Midnight (2023)31 Candles (2025)Paranorman (2012)Coraline (2009)The Thing (1982)IT: Welcome to Derry (2025, television series)Glee (2009, television series)Stranger Things (2016, television series)Wildwood (2026)The Rip (2026)Halloween (1978)Friday the 13th (1980)Scooby Doo and the Witch’s Ghost (1999)Heroes (2006, television series)Talk to Me (2022)Don’t Look Under the Bed (1999)Little Nightmares II (2021, video game)Teen Titans (2003, animated television)Teen Titans GO! (2013, animated television series)The Thrifting (2025, short)Support the show

    1h 21m
  2. GHWIC - The Witches (1990)

    12/11/2025

    GHWIC - The Witches (1990)

    Remove those grubby shoes and those synthetic wigs, Critters! There are no kids here (#FTK) and we're among equals to have a small conference about The Witches (1990). Watch for mice!  An enduring childhood classic, we give praise to Anjelica Huston's committed and iconic performance as the Grand High Witch, insight into why children's movies of today don't seem to really have it for their young audiences, and practical effects leaving the most out-of-this-world impressions, amongst other things.  So happy listening! But if you speak out of turn, you best be ready to be Formula 86ed.  Timestamps 3:21 - Negronomicon 20:12 - Crit 1:11:06 - Final Curls Gems from Episode 116 Ready or Not (2019)Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (2026)The Blackening (2022)Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997, television series)The Sopranos (1999, television series)The Wire (2002, television series)Friends (1994, television series)Game of Thrones (2011, television series)The Bachelor (2002, television series)Looney Tunes (1930,animated television series)The Pitt (2025, television series)True Detective (2014, television series)Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000, television series)The West Wing (1999, television series)Euphoria (2019, television series)The Wizard of Oz (1939)Citizen Kane (1941)IT (2017)The Shining (1980)The Conjuring (2013)Frankenstein (2025)Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025)Roadhouse (2024)The Witches (1990)The Witch (Roald Dahl, Jonathan Cape, 1983, Print)Aliens (1986)50/50 (2011)The Witches (2020)The Princess Bride (1987)Stranger Things (2016)The Muppets Christmas Carol (1992)Mr. Lucton’s Freedom (Francis Brett Young, W. Heinemann Ltd., 1940, Print)Support the show

    1h 14m
  3. Camp Conviction - Addams Family Values (1993)

    11/27/2025

    Camp Conviction - Addams Family Values (1993)

    Happy Turkey Day! To celebrate, we're pivoting away from our Halloween theme to snap our fingers to the hilariously morbid 90s Thanksgiving classic, Addams Family Values (1993). We've got the whole spread: campiness done right, the enduring icon that is Joan Cusack's Debbie, satire that reflects with a sting, and what went down at Camp Chippewa. So whether you're cooking or on dish duty, press play and let us (and The Addams) keep you company! Timestamps Negronomicon - 6:50 Crit - 18:46 Final Curls - 1:08:30 Gems from Ep. 115 A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (1973)Thanksgiving (2023)Addams Family Values (1993)The Real Housewives of Atlanta (2008)The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (2010)Jersey Shore (2009)Love is Blind: UK (2024)Love & Hip Hop (2011)Love Island (2015)America’s Next Top Model (2003)Chad Powers (2025)Survivor (1999)The Addams Family (1991)Sister Act (1990)A Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)V/H/S/Halloween (2025)The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)The Bad Seed (1956)The Parent Trap (1998)The Parent Trap (1961)Heavyweights (1995)The Santa Clause (1994)Wednesday (2022, television series)The Addams Family (1964, television series)Riverdale (2017, television series)Columbo (1968, television series)Bewitched (1964, television series)Monk (2002, television series)School of Rock (2003)The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy (2001, animated television series)The Addams Family Reunion (1998)Scary Movie 6 (2026)Scary Movie 2 (2001)Support the show

    1h 12m
  4. OUTSIIIIDE! - Ginger Snaps (2000)

    11/13/2025

    OUTSIIIIDE! - Ginger Snaps (2000)

    This week, we sink our claws into Ginger Snaps (2000), a dark, coming-of-age horror story that turns puberty into a full-blown monster movie. What starts as a tale of two outcast sisters quickly spirals into a blood-soaked exploration of transformation, identity, and the brutal side of growing up and growing apart. We’re talking werewolves, womanhood, and why Ginger Snaps still stands as one of the most honest and gnarliest depictions of teenage horror ever made. It’s moody, messy, and magnificently macabre...just how we like it. Timestamps 5:21 - Negronomicon 14:41 - Crit 1:04:50 - Final Curls Gems from Ep. 114 The Mummy (1999)The Mummy Returns (2001)Scream 5 (2022)Scream VI (2023)Ready or Not (2019)The Family Plan (2023)The Family Plan 2 (2025)The Deliverance (2024)The Whale (2022)Rental Family (2025)The Mummy (2017)The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)Twilight (2008)Romeo Must Die (2000)Paper Mario (2001)The Mummy (1932)Frankenstein (2025)Frankenstein (1931)Ginger Snaps (2000)Trick r’ Treat (2007)She’s the Man (2006)Freddy vs. Jason (2003)American Mary (2012)Carrie (2002)Carrie (upcoming, television series)Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed (2004)Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning (2004)Final Destination 3 (2006)Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)Smallville (2001)Edward Scissorhands (1990)Pleasantville (1998)The Monstrous Feminine (Barbara Creed, Routledge, 1993, Print)Being Human (2008, television series)Van Helsing (2004)An American Werewolf in London (1981)Jennifer’s Body (2009)Heavenly Creatures (1994)Yellowjackets (2021, television series)Cube (1997)Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon (2013, video game)Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD (2024, video game)Support the show

    1h 8m
  5. Jingle Back - Trick 'r Treat (2007)

    10/30/2025

    Jingle Back - Trick 'r Treat (2007)

    All Hallows Eve is upon us! Don your best costumes, grab that plastic jack o'lantern bucket and come paint the ntown red with us as we indulge in 2007's Trick 'r Treat. A tight 82-minutes of delicious anthological horror goodness, we unwrap the treats of Michael Doughterty's immediately established rules, intersecting stories, and how this is one movie that truly encapsulates the spirit of Halloween. So! Happy listening! Just be sure to check your candy, keep that costume on, don't touch those decorations and do NOT blow out that jack o'lantern before midnight!!!! Timestamps 4:17 - Negronomicon 23:50 - Crit 1:04:30 - Final Curls Gems from Ep. 113 Power Rangers Beast Morphers (2019, television series)Frankenstein (2025)Frankenstein (Mary Shelley, (Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor & Jones, 1818, Print)Crimson Peak (2015)Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)Paranorman (2012)The Thrifting (2025, short)The Shining (1980)Wildwood (2026)The Rescuers Down Under (1990)The Night Gardener (upcoming film)Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)Coraline (2009)Shrek 2 (2004)Trick’r Treat (2007)Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)Krampus (2015)True Blood (2008, television series)Succession (2018, television series)Kyle XY (2006, television series)White Chicks (2004)Goosebumps (1995, television series)Are You Afraid of the Dark (1990, television series)Scary stories to Tell in the Dark (Alvin Schwartz, Scholastic, 1981, Print)Tales from the Darkside (1983, television series)The Twilight Zone (1959, television series)Creepshow (1982)Tales from the Crypt (1989, television series)XX (2017)The Thursday  Murder Club (2025)Channel Zero (2016, television series)The Mortuary Collection (2019)V/H/S/ (2012)Laura Hasn’t Slept (2020)Smile (2022)Lights Out (2013, short)Lights Out (2016)Midsommar (2019)Halloweentown (1998)Leprechaun (1993)Leprechaun 2 (1994)Leprechaun 3 (1995)Leprechaun 4: In Space (1996)Leprechaun in the Hood (2000)Leprechaun Back 2 Tha Hood (2003)Leprechaun: Origins (2014)Leprechaun Returns (2018)The Blackening (2022)Drag Me to Hell (2009)James Bond (1962, film series)The Thing (1981)Luigi’s Mansion (2001, video game)Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon (2013, video game)Luigi’s Mansion 3 (2019, video game)Super Mario Sunshine (2002, video game)Little Nightmares III (2025, video game)The Sounds of Nightmares (2025, podcast)Reanimal (2026, video game)Support the show

    1h 15m
  6. Game of Twitches - Twitches (2005)

    10/16/2025

    Game of Twitches - Twitches (2005)

    Scary? Crit? Exactly! On today's episode, get out your broomsticks because we're off to Coventry to discuss everybody's favorite twin witches with Twitches (2005)! Arguably one of Disney Channel's best original movies (especially for Halloween), we give Tia and Tamera Mowry their flowers while talking about the enduring legacy of Twitches, the layered significance of Camryn and Alex's upbringings, standout characters, and our curioisity on the film's production among other topics. We love this movie as well as Tia and Tamera are so happy to celebrate the film's 20th anniversary among all the other Twitches fans with the release of this episode! And let's keep the good times rolling with another reminder about the Fayetteville Fan Fest. We hope to see some of you on the 18th! Timestamps 4:04 - Negronomicon 18:45 - Crit 1:05:52 - Final Curls Gems from Ep. 112 Moesha (1996, television series)M3GAN (2022)MEGAN 2.0 (2025)Halloween (1978)Halloween II (1981)Friday the 13th (1980)Jason X (2001)Sinners (2025)Kiss of the Spider Woman (2025)Black Phone 2 (2025)Twitches (2005)The Cosby Show (1984)That’s So Raven (2003, television series)Sister, Sister (1994, television series)Seventeen Again (2000)Better Call Saul (2015, television series)Breaking Bad (2008, television series)Saved by the Bell (1989, television series)Schitts Creek (2015, television series)Ginny & Georgia (2021, television series)Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000)Mr. Nice Guy (1997)Dr. Doolittle (1998)Twitches Too (2007)Ice Princess (2005)Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005)Now You See It (2005)Buffalo Dreams (2005)Go Figure (2005)Life Is Ruff (2005)The Proud Family Movie (2005)High School Musical (2006)Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)TheChronicles of Narnia The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)Double Teamed (2002)Twitches: Building a Mystery (H.B. Gilmour and Randi Reisfeld, Scholastic, 2001, Print)Twitches: Seeing is Deceiving (H.B. Gilmour and Randi Reisfeld, Scholastic, 2001, Print)Animorphs (series) (K.A. Applegate, Scholastic, 1996, Print) Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century (1999)The Monkey (2025)Game of Thrones (2011, television series)50 Shades of Grey (E.L. James, Vintage Books, 2011, Print)The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008)Nancy Drew (1997, video game series)Little Nightmares III (2025, video game)Renaimal (2026, video game)The Quarry (2022, video game)Welcome to Derry (2025, television series)It (2017)It: Chapter 2 (2019)Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001, television series)Support the show

    1h 11m
  7. What It Do - I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)

    10/02/2025

    What It Do - I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)

    What better way to step into Spooky Season than with a brand new season of ScaryCrit?!  We're kicking off S11 with some bombastic news: we'll be guests at the Fayetteville Fan Fest on October 18th! A huge thank you to El'Ja Bowens for the opportunity, we can't wait!  We're also very excited to dig right into season 11 and we thought it'd be fun to come full circle and Crit the legacy sequel of the film that was our very first ScaryCrit. That's right! Today we're going back to Southport to talk this year's I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025). From the new characters, killer enigmatic motives and an incredibly just inclusion, there's a lot here to get hooked on. We're just so happy to be back! Thank y'all for still being here and cheers to more ScaryCrit. Happy listening! Timestamps 11:07 - Crit57:59 - Final CurlsGems from Episode 111 House of Spoils (2024)Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001)American Psycho (2000)I Know What You Did Last Summer (2025)I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)I’ll Always Know what You Did Last Summer (2006)Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)Halloween (2018)Scream (2022)I Know What You Did Last Summer (2021, television series)The Substance (2024)To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018)The Summer I Turned Pretty (2022, television series)The Wire (2002, television series)Scream (1996)Him (2025)Support the show

    59 min
  8. On the Page - The Reading (2023)

    07/31/2025

    On the Page - The Reading (2023)

    And just like that, we've finally made it to the end of season 10! For this season finale, gather 'round the table, lock arms, and open yourself up to J & L's interpretation of 2023's The Reading. There's so much to get into about this film that was on the page (and glaringly left off it) but one thing is clear: horror could be Mo'Nique's second wind and ScaryCrit is all the way here for it.  A huge thank you to our Critters for sticking beside us throughout our jagged prescence throughout the season. Life stay happenin' but we love doing this show and don't take a single listen for granted. And remember, if you have any recommendations for a future Crit, our lines our open.  Thank you all and we'll see you again for Season 11! Timestamps 5:14 - Crit Intro06:52 - Crit1:12:25 - Final CurlsGems from Ep. 110 RuPaul’s Drag Race (2009, television series)Them (2022, television series)The Reading (2023)Precious (2009)Jumanji (1995)Late Night with the Devil (2024)The Haunting in Connecticut (2009)The Haunted Mansion (2003)The Muppet Movie (1979)I Love Lucy (1951, television series)The Brady Brunch (1969, television series)Ouija (2014)Crimson Peak (2015)Ma (2019)Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)Whiplash (2014)Whiplash (2013, short film)X (2022)Ghost (1990)The Deliverance (2024)M3GAN (2023)Nope (2023)Get Out (2017)Halloween (1978)Ma 2 (upcoming)Support the show

    1h 17m
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4.4
out of 5
18 Ratings

About

ScaryCrit exists to shine a light on the often underappreciated and groundbreaking contributions of Black filmmakers, actors, and storytellers to the horror genre. From classic masterpieces to bone-chilling releases, we're here to celebrate the powerful narratives, cultural influences, and unique perspectives that define Black horror.Whether you're a seasoned fan or new to the genre, our podcast is your guide to discovering hidden gems, exploring social commentary, and embracing the terrifying brilliance of Black folk in horror.With in-depth analyses and behind-the-scenes insights, our podcast offers a front-row seat to the terror. Tune in every other Thursday as Lauren and Jared unpack Blackness in horror... or the lack-there-of.

Information

  • Creator
    Lauren La Melle and Jared Hudson
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    118
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 ScaryCrit: A Black Horror Podcast
  • Show Website
    ScaryCrit: A Black Horror Podcast