Sick Flicks: Volume 1

by Mike Bracken

NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART (OR STOMACH).

From arterial spray ballets to flesh-rending freakouts, Sick Volume 1 slices deep into 50 of the most unforgettable splatter films ever unleashed upon unsuspecting audiences. Whether it's George Romero's genre-defining Dawn of the Dead or the gut-wrenching insanity of Nacho Cerda's Aftermath, no gore gag goes unexamined.

Written by Mike Bracken -- better known as The Horror Geek from Comedy Central's Beat the Geeks and host of the cult YouTube series Sick Flicks-this book is your blood-soaked passport to the wonderfully warped world of gore cinema. Whether you're a veteran gorehound or just dipping your toe into the crimson tide, there's something here to delight and disturb.

Featuring films from around the world, Sick Volume 1 is your guided tour through the back alleys of horror-where the cameras roll, the blood flows, and the censors weep.

Smart. Funny. Absolutely covered in viscera.

You've seen the channel. Now read the book.

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 24, 2026

Reviews

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mike Bracken, better known as "The Horror Geek" and host of the popular YouTube channel of the same name, brings his signature humor to Sick Flicks — his weekly horror review show. This book is a collection of his reviews of 50 notoriously extreme horror films, many of which he’s covered on the show. As a big horror fan, I’ve seen a few of these movies, but I have zero interest in watching most of them. Some are so vile it’s hard to believe they’re considered entertainment (though extreme horror literature has its own dark corners too). One thing that stood out: nearly all 50 films in this first volume are foreign productions, with Japan contributing the most. If you’re curious about some of the goriest, grossest movies ever made but don’t actually want to sit through them, this book gives you a funny, informative taste without the trauma.

[Geoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do yourself a favour and familiarize yourself with Mike’s YouTube channel. Then go get the book. I think you’ll enjoy the book much more knowing Mike’s style of humour and storytelling. Also, many of the movies he reviews are difficult to find and watch; making the reviews more of a “trust me bro” vibe.

[Christina Pfeiffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

SICK FLICKS Volume 1
By: Mike Bracken
Release: 2/24/26
Page count: 272
KU: No Hoopla: No

Synopsis: Bracken breaks down the most vile, insane, and goretastic foreign and domestic films whether easy to track down or the down right black market best of the best in order to educate those like me - the scared pussycats that refuse to look more than between my fingers while I whine.

First line: “If you were to ask the average horror or exploitation fan to name at least one film dealing with the taboo subject of necrophilia, invariably you’d get one of two responses - Jorg Buttgereit’s Nekromantik films, or the super Iame and artsy Kissed.”


Favorite line: “While Matsumura may not hit upon any universal truths in his films, the idea that all humans are garbage, and the people are born as half-formed corpses who truly reach their potential when they die certainly seems to have merit in some instances.”

Thoughts: One of my favorite non-fiction reads are the reference books that semi-spoil movies. “Wahhhhh, don’t spoil movies for me.” Some of us coughs me coughs have to read the Wikipedia pages so the jump scares and sexual violence are known well in advance. But Bracken is here to help!

Throughout the book, Bracken shows he is a movie nerd and that is so refreshing. Instead of a bunch of tidbits readers can find on Reddit pages, he breaks scenes down, references back and forth between directors and their filmographies, as well as adding relevant details that actually pique the readers interest.

But the most important part is he never once makes a reader, like myself, feel less than as a movie lover. We close the book (or ebook) with more knowledge and a way to feel included in conversations that we may have felt left out of.

I can’t recommend this one enough and I know it’s a Top Ten for 2026. PLUS - check out his YouTube channel to find more impressive content.

Rating: 10/5

[Nicholas Kaufmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mike Bracken (a.k.a. the Horror Geek) has compiled a thorough and surprisingly in-depth reference book for fans of gory films and shot-on-video splatterfests. The same humor and twisted point of view he brings to movie reviews on his YouTube channel is on full display in these pages, which makes his rundown of each film a lot of fun to read, even if the subject matter itself isn't always enjoyable. There's also a sense of reverence here. These movies aren't just dumb fun to Bracken. They mean something to him, and his love for them really shines through.

As a horror movie fan, I'd say I've seen roughly half to two-thirds of the movies included in this volume, which still leaves plenty of films for me to seek out. Although, judging from some of the descriptions, there are a handful I will probably never watch!

As in-depth it is, it's hardly an exhaustive overview. There are tons more gory movies out there, and I'm happy to learn a second volume is on the way. If you have a soft spot for horror and over-the-top gore effects, you'll have a blast with this book!

[Seth Tomko · Rating 4 out of 5]

My video review of the first volume of Sick Flicks can be found here: https://youtu.be/4zs4yr4rLOo?si=BMUDR...