With so much good horror in the pipeline, even new releases can sometimes run the risk of being overlooked. That is certainly the case with John Rosman‘s New Life, a horror film that explores the experience of living with illness as well as any movie that came before. For this episode of Uncertified, we crack into New Life and discuss big ideas, ambitious storytelling, and the subtle but important differences between trauma and grief in horror.

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Jessica Murdock’s (Hayley Erin) life is just starting out. So when she and her boyfriend find themselves in the crosshairs of a mysterious government agency, Jess isn’t willing to go down without a fight. On her tail is Elsa (Sonya Walger), a veteran operative who is working to accept a recent ALS diagnosis. When their two paths cross, Jessica learns that she may be patient zero for a deadly disease, while Elsa learns that her disease may not be the death sentence she feared. Written and directed by first-time filmmaker Rosman, New Life is the hardest horror film of all – a film about the price of staying alive.

In this short excerpt from the episode, Matt Donato explains why even new releases like New Life run the risk of being left behind:

“There are so many movies coming out, there are so many platforms to watch, there are so many ways to watch movies. Why would I rent something on VOD when I can just go on Netflix and watch it on something I’m paying for already? I get it. I get all that out there, but New Life is one of those casualties.”

The New Life episode of the Certified Forgotten podcast is now available to stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or the podcast platform of your choice.