Alexander J. Farrell’s THE BEAST WITHIN with Kit Harington, Ashleigh Cummings, James Cosmo, and Caoilinn Springall blends werewolf horror with domestic drama and doesn’t quite get it right on either front. The lack of genuine scares will likely disappoint some and others might get frustrated that the familial conflicts are never explored beyond the surface. […]
The G – Fantasia 2024
Karl R. Hearne’s THE G starring the always reliable Dale Dickey is the best revenge movie I have seen in a while. It continues the recent trend of films about criminals taking advantage of the elderly and, as badass as June Squibb was in Thelma, they really mess with the wrong person this time. Dickey […]
The Dead Thing – Fantasia 2024
In Fantasia 2024 thriller THE DEAD THING from Elric Kane, Alex spends her days browsing profiles on the dating app Friktion until she finally finds the gentle and dashing Kyle. However he does not return her texts and when they finally meet again he does not seem to remember her. Blu Hunt displays Alex’s emotions […]
Dandelion
Nicole Riegel’s DANDELION is the story of a struggling musician, played compellingly by KiKi Layne, and has fine songs from The National members and Taylor Swift collaborators Aaron and Bryce Dessner. The romance involving Thomas Doherty’s character is moving and full of chemistry and there are striking 16mm landscape shots of South Dakota. Riegel’s debut […]
Darkest Miriam – Fantasia 2024
Naomi Jaye’s DARKEST MIRIAM is as quirky as one would expect from a film executive produced by Charlie Kaufman. Britt Lower’s mild mannered Miriam has a mundane life working as a librarian dealing with the same characters every day. Things take a turn when she starts a relationship with Tom Mercier’s cab driver Janko. It […]
Kryptic – Fantasia 2024
Kourtney Roy’s Fantasia Festival entry KRYPTIC is a hard one to decrypt, but that should not stop horror fans from enjoying this trippy film. The supernatural psychological thriller follows Chloe Pirrie’s character as she tries to trace the steps of a monster hunter who went missing. A film like this relies on the strength of the […]
The A-Frame – Fantasia 2024
What if the machine in Cronenberg’s The Fly also cured cancer? That is the starting point of Calvin Lee Reeder’s THE A-FRAME, a sci-fi horror comedy hybrid with an amusing concept that sometimes feels like it was poorly executed on purpose. It is a good looking film and there are funny moments, but the dramatic […]
Vulcanizadora – Fantasia 2024
There is a lot to like in Joel Potrykus’ VULCANIZADORA if you’re a fan of the offbeat. Two middle aged friends go hiking in a Michigan forest to carry out a pact and not surprisingly things don’t go as planned. Potrykus is a polarizing director and if you like his films, you’re likely to love […]
Fantasia Festival 2024
Fantasia’s 28th edition will take place from July 18th to August 4th, 2024. The beloved film festival focuses on genre films, but there are always some great dramas to be discovered alongside the horror and sci-fi standouts that people will be talking about in coming months. The festival will open with Ant Timpon’s adventure movie […]
The Second Act – Cannes 2024
Film within a film within a film sounds like a difficult concept to pull off, but you are in good hands with the master of the absurd Quentin Dupieux on this year’s Cannes opening night film The Second Act. The performances from Léa Seydoux, Louis Garrel, Vincent Lindon, Raphaël Quenard, and Manuel Guillot are what […]