

Midsommar (2019): May Queens, oracles, bears, & fear of abandonment
Midsommar (2019, R) is a dark fairy tale (horror) film, my mind felt like a riot of themes and thoughts. But three figures refused to let me go, the May Queen, the Oracle, and the Bear. The movie is filled with overriding themes of trauma-bonding, cult over community,...

Dominic de Souza
SmartCatholics founder | Marketer & storyteller. Geeks over epics, mystics, science, the angelic, & movies.
Latest posts, reviews, stories and working theories:
Why we need to stop venerating exorcists…
Something has disturbed me in watching the hype over exorcists the last few decades. I think it's come down to all the horror and thriller movies, where an exorcist priest is brought in as the last line of defense against evil. And it's true, they should be a last...
Shadow working: an insight into inner work and a lesson learned
I learned something about myself this weekend that I didn't like. After watching a show, I couldn't decide what to think about it. So I pulled on the first available inner thread to see where it went. Now, to be fair, it's good to just sit and reflect and pull...
Netflix Midnight Mass: freedom and sacrifice in the dark night of evil
Spoiler warning ahead for the Netflix horror series. I've only seen this series once, and while I don't love it, I think it is grounded in a message that is deep, and relevant, to humans everywhere. (Check out my take on Catholics and the horror genre, and why horror...
Why Catholics respect Horror as a genre
I have a growing respect for horror as a genre. But I have never enjoyed them. I don't think that's possible. As a little kid, I was shattered and terrified at the black and white transformation of a man into a werewolf on late night tv. Later on in my early 20s, I...
Free Course: How to be a Catholic Author | Helping authors write exciting novels, connect faith with fiction, and be better Catholics!
6 years ago, I turned my thoughts on being an author into an ebook. in 2021, it's now updated as a course with 9 lessons, available for free through SmartCatholics! Are you excited to write a novel full of drama and meaning? Help your creative novel be the best it can...
A Smart Catholic Homeschooling Dad | Episode 91 on ‘The Homeschooling Saints Podcast’ by Homeschool Connections
One of the positives of our unusual times is that a lot more working fathers are at home and contributing to the education of their children. And that is a beautiful thing. Today our guest is the very clever creator of SmartCatholics.com, homeschooling dad, Dominic de...