Tai Gooden
Tomatometer-approved critic
Biography:
Tai Gooden is a freelance entertainment journalist, author, and editor whose work covers a wide range of pop culture, from Doctor Who to horror. She's written for over 30 publications, including Nerdist, Bustle, Stacker, Highlights Magazine, The Guardian, America Magazine, and DK Eyewitness.
Mother of Flies (2025)
96%
3.5/5
EDIT
“Mother of Flies promised an exploration of illness, death, and inexplicable power all wrapped up in an aesthetically pleasing body horror package, and it mostly delivers on that promise. ” –
Nerdist
Jan 20, 2026
Full Review
V/H/S Halloween (2025)
89%
3.5/5
EDIT
“Generally speaking, V/H/S Halloween is a fun and entertaining watch. It’s a bit all over the place and messy in some aspects, but there’s a little something for just about every kind of horror fan.” –
Nerdist
Oct 6, 2025
Full Review
HIM (2025)
30%
4.5
EDIT
“Justin Tipping’s HIM tackles our religious allegiance to football, unsettling hero worship, sacrifice, and identity crisis in a surrealist thriller and warning siren wrapped in one strange package. ” –
Nerdist
Sep 18, 2025
Full Review
Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025)
27%
2.5/5
EDIT
“All in all, Fear Street: Prom Queen is certainly not the worst horror movie in existence. But it does pale in comparison to its film and print foundations.” –
Nerdist
May 29, 2025
Full Review
Salem's Lot (2024)
46%
4/5
EDIT
“Salem’s Lot brings the intensity, gore, and scares that one desires in a vampire story and uses the skeleton of Stephen King’s source novel to craft new elements that you’ll want to sink your teeth into. ” –
Nerdist
Sep 26, 2024
Full Review
Starve Acre (2023)
81%
3/5
EDIT
“"Starve Acre allows us to walk the pathway of personal loss, longing, and the desperate grasps at coping and understanding alongside Richard and Juliette in quiet moments of observation."” –
Nerdist
Jul 31, 2024
Full Review
Damsel (2024)
56%
3/5
EDIT
“This film is a fun watch on a Friday night, especially if you have kids. But, considering the cast, it should have been great.” –
Nerdist
Mar 8, 2024
Full Review
They Cloned Tyrone (2023)
95%
4.5/5
EDIT
“Are there some things that open up plot holes if you think about them too hard? Sure. But why are you thinking so hard? Just let They Cloned Tyrone‘s trippy vibe take you on a fantastic mystery saga.” –
Nerdist
Jul 14, 2023
Full Review
The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster (2023)
84%
3.5/5
EDIT
“Overall, The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster is an innovative take on a Gothic tale with sharp dialogue, solid performances, and a protagonist who wields a mighty power.” –
Nerdist
Jun 5, 2023
Full Review
Unwelcome (2022)
67%
2/5
EDIT
“I respect the bold and unexpected conclusion. But, considering Unwelcome’s chaotic tonal shifts, uneven pacing, and underwhelming script, that ending certainly doesn’t feel earned.” –
Nerdist
Mar 6, 2023
Full Review
Day Shift (2022)
57%
4/5
EDIT
“Day Shift knows exactly what it is: a fun action flick that pairs perfectly with popcorn on a Friday night.” –
Nerdist
Aug 12, 2022
Full Review
She Will (2021)
85%
4/5
EDIT
“She Will‘s slow and deliberate unfolding, stellar performances, and visuals will certainly strike a chord with fans of gothic horror-tinged narratives.” –
Nerdist
Jul 11, 2022
Full Review
Candyman (2021)
84%
5/5
EDIT
“A solid and daring sequel that interweaves the original film while infusing its own lore into an enduring urban legend.” –
Nerdist
Aug 25, 2021
Full Review
His House (2020)
100%
5/5
EDIT
“His House is a creative examination of what it takes to survive and to become new with an emotional, thrilling, and truly unique take on well-trodden ground.” –
Nerdist
Oct 30, 2020
Full Review
Antebellum (2020)
31%
1/5
EDIT
“Without a solid story foundation for its general concept, Antebellum leaves one massive question at the end: What did I just watch?” –
Nerdist
Aug 31, 2020
Full Review
The Wretched (2019)
74%
4/5
EDIT
“There's a well-crafted malevolent force hiding in plain sight, loads of suspense, an intriguing mystery, and some pretty twisted gore.” –
Nerdist
Apr 30, 2020
Full Review
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