Horror Crush: Miranda MacDougall

Yes, dear readers, we have another Horror Crush inductee! This time around, I've chosen a newer actress who might not be as well known as some of the recent ladies we've added. However, thanks to a combination of her amazing recent performance and natural beauty, Miranda MacDougall felt like a natural addition to the database.

Miranda MacDougall was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and is the eldest of four brothers. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Acting and has worked in theatre, film, and television, sharing the screen and stage with several respected and recognizable names in the entertainment industry.

MacDougall divides her time between Vancouver and Toronto, where she continues to pursue work in film and theatre. In addition to acting, she is also a film producer, writer, and director.

Beyond her work in entertainment, MacDougall is an accomplished Highland dancer, performing this highly athletic solo dance to traditional Scottish bagpipe music, including "Scotland the Brave."

MacDougall's professional acting debut came in 2018, when she appeared in three episodes of the CW's popular superhero series The Flash. She portrayed Izzy Bowin, a character who eventually becomes the supervillain known as the Fiddler.

Full disclosure: I didn't realize this was the same actress! Then again, I haven't watched those particular episodes, or the show as a whole, since they originally aired. However, I do remember enjoying her appearances and being taken by her beauty. So, it seems I've unknowingly been a fan of hers since the very beginning of her career!

2024 saw her first and, thus far, only foray into horror with the Canadian supernatural found-footage film Finding Matthew Nichols. The film tells the story of a teenager named Matthew Nichols who, along with his best friend Jordan Reimer, disappeared in the woods of Vancouver Island on Halloween 2001. In 2023, his younger sister Tara (Miranda MacDougall), alongside filmmaker Markian Tarasiuk (playing himself), begins working on a documentary to uncover the mystery of what happened to them. Along the way, she discovers that her brother had been inspired by The Blair Witch Project, uncovers rumors of Satan worship and the Satanic Panic, questions how much the authorities actually know, and sifts through videotapes and other evidence. As the investigation unfolds, we are left wondering what the ultimate truth behind their disappearance really is.

The film premiered at the 2024 Newport Beach Film Festival and went on to screen at several other festivals, including the Borsos Competition at the Whistler Film Festival, Nightmares Film Fest, FilmQuest, and the Blood in the Snow Canadian Film Festival. In October 2024, UK sales outfit Amp International acquired the worldwide sales rights to the film. It eventually received its North American theatrical release on April 10, 2026, before finally making its way to Shudder on Halloween, October 31, 2026.

Like its aforementioned found-footage predecessor, The Blair Witch Project, the film attempts to blur the lines between fiction and reality through "THE HUNT," a website featuring "case-file evidence" and other extras designed to expand upon the central story.

Thus the movie certainly wears its cinematic inspiration on its on its sleeve, which somewhat softens the criticism of just how heavily it leans into that flick's formula. After all, I can look at it and say, well, it's playing as an homage to that classic. Admittedly, I'm not even that big a fan of The Blair Witch Project, but I certainly acknowledge its influence on the genre.

The result is something that, while hardly groundbreaking, managed to hold my interest thanks to its unfolding mystery. And even though I could see where things were headed a mile away, the film still delivered a genuinely creepy climax.

But honestly, what really made me enjoy this movie was that climax and, in particular, the performance of the gorgeous Ms. MacDougall. She gives the movie its heart and pathos. Even when her character isn't particularly likable, her motivations, namely her love for her brother and her determination to uncover what happened to him, make her actions understandable. I might think she's not handling a particular situation or conversation in the best way, but I can understand where she's coming from.

She holds the movie together and drives the plot forward. Without her performance, I simply don't think the film would have worked as well or held my interest nearly as much. I'd go so far as to say she delivers one of the most pleasant acting surprises I've encountered from a relatively unknown performer this year.

Every once in a while, a performance comes along that stands out enough to make even my jaded ass sit up and take notice. The fact that it came from a relatively unknown actress (one whom I discovered I'd already been a fan of thanks to her work outside the horror genre) made writing about her all the more exciting. I genuinely look forward to seeing what the future holds for Miranda, as I think it could be a very bright one. And, I certainly hope she'll be returning to horror. But either way, I am proud to welcome Miranda MacDougall to Horror Crushes!