The Super (2018)

The Super turns a familiar setting into something quietly menacing, using the everyday grime and echoing hallways of a New York apartment building to build dread one uneasy encounter at a time. It’s a lean, well-acted thriller that trusts atmosphere and character—especially a weary, grieving superintendent trying to keep his family afloat—while letting the mystery tighten with smart, story-driven details instead of cheap noise. Val Kilmer brings a watchable, off-kilter charisma that makes every scene feel slightly dangerous, and the film delivers a handful of solid scares that land because the writing keeps you guessing. If you want nonstop gore or a roller-coaster pace, this may feel more slow-burn and moody, but if you like horror that’s crafted, tense, and confident in its final turn, it’s an easy recommendation.

The Super wants to be a gritty, urban haunted-building thriller with grief, missing tenants, and a slow drip of occult menace lurking in plain sight. It’s competently put together and Val Kilmer brings a watchable oddball energy, but the movie leans hard on familiar horror beats and twists that feel more recycled than revelatory. The pacing can feel workmanlike, like it’s checking off genre boxes instead of building a truly unsettling atmosphere, so if you’re craving something distinctive or genuinely surprising, this may leave you cold. If you’re fine with a straightforward, R-rated supernatural mystery that’s more “late-night cable creepy” than memorable nightmare fuel, it’ll do the job.