The New York Times - Five Science Fiction Movies to Stream Now

The title of Blake Ridder’s movie has an old-fashioned quality to it that brings to mind classic Hammer Horror productions from the 1960s and ’70s. This may not be entirely coincidental considering the vibe here. Frightening incidents, like water from a shower suddenly turning to blood, pepper “Manor of Darkness.” And that’s even before a quartet of crooks case a spooky grand home in the British countryside under the pretense of shooting a documentary. Once inside, they find things like a chest that lets out clouds of black smoke when opened.

After one of the would-be burglars, Laura (Kim Spearman), is stabbed by the house’s mysterious owner, Lucas (Stuart Wolfe-Murray), she realizes they’re all stuck in a terrifying time loop, and sets out to somehow end it. Despite working with what looks like a fairly low budget, Ridder dispenses the frights effectively as he bravely attempts to put a new spin on both the time-loop and the haunted-house genres. I’m surprised horror on repeat isn’t attempted more often.

A version of this article appears in print on Jan. 19, 2026, Section C, Page 2 of the New York edition with the headline: Conspiratorial Aliens, and Other Oddities. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe