The 2022 edition of the Fantasia Film Fest has wrapped up and it has been an absolute blast. With so many up and coming voices making their feature debuts, as well as a return of a genre legend, there was plenty to get excited about. We wanted to break down for you, what we enjoyed the most and what you should be keeping an eye out for when they release this fall and beyond. Click the titles to read our reviews!
Easily the highlight of the festival for me, this Lovecraftian horror film really takes you on an interesting journey. Sure, it’s in a grimey old bathroom during most of that journey but it’s with the voice of JK Simmons, so there’s a lot of give and take. With plenty of twists and turns, this provides a fun time that will really made me think: what exactly would I do for survival? This movie comes to Shudder later this month (August 18th to be exact) so make sure you check it out because it’s well worth your time.
Dealing with the difficult subject of mental health and identity, this is more of a slow burn. But between the amazing performance from its lead Zach Villa and its slowly unfolding story, I found myself absolutely riveted. Oh and get ready for a pretty heavy Donnie Darko aesthetic because the movie lays it on thick. XYZ Films are beginning to really make a name for themselves in the genre, and with movies like this, it’s easy to see why.
Did you know that Danny Elfman had a daughter who’s a kickass director? Because I sure as hell didn’t! This movie blew me away with its originality and unique voice for such a tired subject. The afterlife is usually so boring on film, but I love how they represent it here, while still having a very small budget. Sure Karen Gillan and Rose McIver show up in bit parts, but it’s Katie Parker and Rahul Kohli as the co-leads that really make this movie stand-out. They have an interesting back and forth and show the connection two people can have when in very dark times.
There’s nothing quite like some good body horror, and while this one doesn’t go too graphic, that doesn’t mean you won’t be squirming in your seat. A Nightmare on Elm Street 2‘s Mark Patton even shows up as the villain and it was my favorite performance of the whole festival. He’s really flamboyant, which makes his dark motivation feel all the more unique. Very rarely do we see a gay man as the main antagonist but he really knocks it out of the park. While I could have gone for a little more of a payoff, this movie will leave a lasting impression.
While we didn’t actually see this one at Fantasia (we caught it at Sundance earlier this year), it was nonetheless one of the festival’s selection and its a really good one. Rebecca Hall is quickly finding her niche as an elevated scream queen (between this and The Night House), and Resurrection is a brilliantly off-kilter depiction of the ultimate toxic relationship. It’s in theatres now and will be streaming on Shudder this fall.
Read all of our reviews here!