Ice Cream Man (2026)
Official Synopsis
A quiet suburban town descends into chaos when a mysterious ice cream truck begins handing out frozen treats with horrifying consequences. As children fall under the Ice Cream Man’s influence, one family must survive an increasingly violent nightmare.
William’s Review
I wasn’t expecting Ice Cream Man to be this much fun. When Eli Roth announced he created his own studio so he could make this movie exactly the way he wanted, I wondered if that meant it would simply be gore for the sake of gore. Instead, he delivers one of the most entertaining horror movies I’ve seen this year. It’s over the top, ridiculously violent, and somehow never loses sight of being fun.
The biggest surprise is the tone. The movie looks bright, colorful, and almost wholesome. The opening reminded me of Pleasantville, with kids riding bikes, neighbors talking, and a cheerful score that feels pulled from a 1950s sitcom. That sunshine makes everything that follows even more shocking because once the violence starts, it barely lets up for the rest of the movie.
Eli Roth also deserves credit for making the characters feel like real people. The family dynamic works, especially during the dinner table scenes where everyone jokes with each other in a way that feels natural. Those moments give you something to care about before the town completely unravels. Too many splatter films skip that step. Ice Cream Man doesn’t.
The practical effects are fantastic. Heads explode, bodies are torn apart, and the kills become increasingly creative without feeling repetitive. Yes, they’re outrageous, but that’s exactly the point. The movie embraces its absurdity instead of pretending it’s grounded realism.
What impressed me most is that Roth manages to make a horror movie set almost entirely in broad daylight feel tense. That’s much harder than people realize. Darkness naturally hides things. Here, everything is brightly lit, yet the movie still creates suspense and delivers plenty of genuine jumps.
I also couldn’t stop thinking about how much better this uses creepy children than several recent horror movies. The kids aren’t just standing around looking unsettling. They’re an active part of the chaos, and that makes them genuinely threatening.
If you’re already a horror fan who enjoys practical gore, this is an easy recommendation. Grab a group of friends, see it in a packed theater, and enjoy the reactions. That’s exactly the environment this movie was made for.
The biggest surprise is the tone. The movie looks bright, colorful, and almost wholesome. The opening reminded me of Pleasantville, with kids riding bikes, neighbors talking, and a cheerful score that feels pulled from a 1950s sitcom. That sunshine makes everything that follows even more shocking because once the violence starts, it barely lets up for the rest of the movie.
Eli Roth also deserves credit for making the characters feel like real people. The family dynamic works, especially during the dinner table scenes where everyone jokes with each other in a way that feels natural. Those moments give you something to care about before the town completely unravels. Too many splatter films skip that step. Ice Cream Man doesn’t.
The practical effects are fantastic. Heads explode, bodies are torn apart, and the kills become increasingly creative without feeling repetitive. Yes, they’re outrageous, but that’s exactly the point. The movie embraces its absurdity instead of pretending it’s grounded realism.
What impressed me most is that Roth manages to make a horror movie set almost entirely in broad daylight feel tense. That’s much harder than people realize. Darkness naturally hides things. Here, everything is brightly lit, yet the movie still creates suspense and delivers plenty of genuine jumps.
I also couldn’t stop thinking about how much better this uses creepy children than several recent horror movies. The kids aren’t just standing around looking unsettling. They’re an active part of the chaos, and that makes them genuinely threatening.
If you’re already a horror fan who enjoys practical gore, this is an easy recommendation. Grab a group of friends, see it in a packed theater, and enjoy the reactions. That’s exactly the environment this movie was made for.
Amy’s Review
I cannot believe I’m giving this movie a Full Price.
Normally, a movie this bloody would send me running in the opposite direction. There are crushed heads, exposed intestines, brains being scooped out, and enough gore that I spent most of the movie covering my ears and peeking through barely open eyes yet somehow I still had a great time.
The reason is everything about Ice Cream Man feels bright and playful. The town looks cheerful, the music is upbeat, and the whole movie has this colorful energy that keeps it from becoming depressing. Instead of feeling cruel, it feels like a giant haunted house attraction where every room tries to top the last one. That made a huge difference for me. I don’t mind covering my eyes if I’m also laughing a minute later.
The kids were another surprise. Usually, creepy-kid movies don’t work for me because the children just stand there looking spooky. Here they’re constantly running around creating chaos, and somehow Eli Roth keeps all of it entertaining instead of simply disturbing. I did spend part of the movie wondering whether these poor actors needed therapy afterward, but hopefully the set was as fun as the movie feels.
This is still an extremely graphic movie. If you’ve never really watched horror before, this should not be your starting point. There are scenes that made me physically squirm, especially anything involving heads. But if you’re already comfortable with gore and want something that’s energetic, funny, and surprisingly light on its feet, I completely understand why horror fans are going to love this.
I walked into the theater expecting to survive it. I walked out hoping Eli Roth keeps making movies like this.
Normally, a movie this bloody would send me running in the opposite direction. There are crushed heads, exposed intestines, brains being scooped out, and enough gore that I spent most of the movie covering my ears and peeking through barely open eyes yet somehow I still had a great time.
The reason is everything about Ice Cream Man feels bright and playful. The town looks cheerful, the music is upbeat, and the whole movie has this colorful energy that keeps it from becoming depressing. Instead of feeling cruel, it feels like a giant haunted house attraction where every room tries to top the last one. That made a huge difference for me. I don’t mind covering my eyes if I’m also laughing a minute later.
The kids were another surprise. Usually, creepy-kid movies don’t work for me because the children just stand there looking spooky. Here they’re constantly running around creating chaos, and somehow Eli Roth keeps all of it entertaining instead of simply disturbing. I did spend part of the movie wondering whether these poor actors needed therapy afterward, but hopefully the set was as fun as the movie feels.
This is still an extremely graphic movie. If you’ve never really watched horror before, this should not be your starting point. There are scenes that made me physically squirm, especially anything involving heads. But if you’re already comfortable with gore and want something that’s energetic, funny, and surprisingly light on its feet, I completely understand why horror fans are going to love this.
I walked into the theater expecting to survive it. I walked out hoping Eli Roth keeps making movies like this.