There are plenty of movies that explore trauma in a variety of unique ways, elevating its themes through unique, memorable stories. It Feeds is one of those more interesting tales, weaving the terrors of the supernatural unknown with the very real scars trauma can leave. Quite literally, too, as the movie begins with a young girl, Riley Harris (Shayelin Martin), arriving at the doorstep of Cynthia Winstone (Ashley Greene), a psychiatrist who has the power to see into her patients’ minds. Riley’s arms are scarred, and she claims a dangerous, powerful entity has latched itself onto her.
It Feeds was written and directed by Chad Archibald.
While Cynthia is remiss to help due to a personal tragedy that impacted her family years ago, her daughter, Jordan (Ellie O’Brien), tries to help. But, as she begins to see the entity too, Cynthia must find a way to defeat it, even if it means confronting a past traumatic experience. What follows is a narrative filled with elements clearly pulled from various types of horror movies, but that coalesce into a terrifying experience uniquely its own. This includes gripping terror enhanced by empathetic characters whose stories are just as interesting as the direct horror that unfolds.
It Feeds Provides A Terrifying Entity That Ties Into Its Themes Of Trauma
But The Monster Is More Than A Metaphor
It Feeds is a 2025 horror movie that pulls from a variety of obvious inspirations. There are plenty of parallels that can be drawn between this movie and popular 21st-century horror films, especially the likes of the Insidious movies and The Conjuring. However, it also draws on other movies (whose listing would risk spoilers), blending elements that make the film stand on its own. It’s the kind of experience that feels like an homage and an original story at the same time, wearing familiar tropes on its sleeve without relying solely on those ideas.
The story isn’t just about a haunting; rather, the haunting is a vessel for a deeper exploration of Cynthia and Jordan’s shared trauma.
This is elevated by how the movie weaves its terrifying entity with its broader themes. The story isn’t just about a haunting; rather, the haunting is a vessel for a deeper exploration of Cynthia and Jordan’s shared trauma. As the movie continues, it peels back the layers of what they experienced, utilizing very potent symbolism to explore their mother-daughter connection. Greene and O’Brien’s performances are huge highlights, though they don’t overshadow that of Martin’s Riley, nor Shawn Ashmoore, who appears as Riley’s disgruntled father.
But the scare factor is another important facet of the supernatural horror movie, particularly in the sound design. Deep rumbling and sharp tenors are employed in the movie’s more terrifying scenes, making the entity all the scarier as revelations about it grow more daunting. There are some jumpscares scattered throughout, but they’re often used to emphasize the danger of the ghostly creature, and just how powerful it truly is. This is especially important as more about it is revealed, using haunting visuals that don’t always provide a direct answer.
It Feeds’ Enthralling Story Makes Every Horrifying Moment Count
The Movie Wastes Not One Second Of Time
The movie’s strongest part is its interesting story, which is filled with gripping twists and turns throughout. There was one moment in the first act that made me worry the film was going to isolate its interesting premise to a tired cliché, only for it to completely circumvent my expectations. This happens multiple times throughout, making it subversive while still sticking to the familiar. By blending established ideas with events that flip them on their head, it avoids the trappings of the genre, making it stand out from horror movies with similar premises.
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Because of its powerful, universal themes, terrifying creature, and strong characters, It Feeds delivers a resonant horror experience about the pain of shared trauma. Even in the moments that feel inspired by other movies, the film manages to present plenty of its own original ideas coupled with a play on expectations that make the journey more than worthwhile. With plenty to say and doing so in such an entertaining, terrifying way, this movie is the perfect addition to 2025’s strong horror lineup.
It Feeds
8/10
- Release Date
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April 18, 2025
- It Feeds expertly weaves its horrifying supernatural elements with a story about shared trauma.
- Strong performances make the movie’s story and themes much stronger.
- Ideas pulled from other horror movies are subverted, making It Feeds uniquely its own.