2024’s Fantasia International Film Festival abruptly arrives like a bolt out of the blue, in the dead center of summer. With it comes a variety of fiery films, as varied as they are peculiar. Our full coverage of the fest unfolds just after the jump…
Films
THE BEAST WITHIN
Having desperately missed Game of Thrones star Kit Harrington on my television screen, it was pretty much a no-brainer to check out Fantasia’s The Beast Within. Harrington’s first horror project since 2022’s Baby Ruby positions him as the troubled father to a curious little girl named Willow (Caolinn Springall). Judging by the poster, I had assumed Noah would be the lead character; however, Willow actually remains the central focal point. Noah does not even appear until almost half an hour into the movie’s runtime. Ten-year-old Willow has noticed some strange happenings at her tight-knit family’s English countryside home, always peering at her mother (Ashleigh Cummings) scrubbing blood out of furs, or Grandfather Waylon (James Cosmo) helping Noah lead animals into the forest. The “family curse” may take the shape of a horrifying transformation, marking the primary reason behind her father’s constant absenteeism. After she witnesses him “turn,” Willow’s acclimation into her strange family history has officially begun. The Beast Within plays it far too safe, keeping the werewolf imagery almost entirely in the shadows. Choppy editing makes scene transitions quite jarring, and the slow-burn nature will be off-putting to those hoping for some wolfy action. This film pays closer attention to the familial unit and almost expressly on Willow’s viewpoint as she wanders around observing random occurrences. We see the werewolf so minimally that it becomes frustrating. The final act finally gets a little dangerous, but by then it’s too little too late. In need of a serious tonal shift, The Beast Within lacks enough to chew on to satiate hungry viewers.
BLACK EYED SUSAN
Experimental filmmaker Scooter McCrae (Shatter Dead, Sixteen Tongues) returns for his next feature, the uncomfortable and extremely graphic Black Eyed Susan. Derek (Damian Maffei, The Strangers: Prey At Night, Haunt), desperate for money, agrees to participate in a questionable situation at a tech start up, wherein he must continually sexually abuse an edgy A.I. doll made to absorb the pain. Right off the bat, McCrae wastes no time going right into the abuse. Susan (Yvonne Emilie Thalker) gets degraded and called a “cunt” many times at the beginning, but could her different modes provide an actual texture to her personality? This “doll” has technology that will make her really bruise, along with a feature that will help to keep all orifices “soft and moist.” An opportunity presents itself for Derek to make even more money. If he takes Susan offsite to a real world environment, he will continue to get paid for as long as he keeps living with her. A private residence in upstate New York and no neighbors around for miles to bother them means Derek can get as intense as he wants with Susan. So many elements will make viewers question whether they should be watching in the first place, including Susan insisting that “a girl always remembers the first time you hit her.” An intimately filmed blowjob scene involving a razor presents a strange juxtaposition between pleasure and pain. One element of the story I will not spoil will no doubt prove especially controversial. How far is too far? Black Eyed Susan asks this question many times during its runtime, yet I found little satisfaction in watching this odd “woman,” robot or not, tormented over and over again for nefarious purposes.
CARNAGE FOR CHRISTMAS
Despite not being a huge fan of writer/director Alice Maio Mackay’s previous works, any upcoming slashers immediately draw my attention. It was for this very reason that Carnage for Christmas emerged as a must-see, especially given an already-impressive slate of holiday horror over the past few decades. Focusing around true crime podcaster Lola (Jeremy Moineau) and her hunt to unearth the truth about local urban legend, the Toymaker, those expecting a linear narrative or memorable kills should not even bother. In theory, a film like this could be an exciting watch, filled with chase scenes and rich characterization. In the hands of Mackay and editor Vera Drew, Carnage for Christmas becomes a baffling but ambitious burst of confusion. Strange editing drains all tension from scenes that should be exciting. The mask and costume of this movie’s Santa maniac belongs to a better flick. How can a horror movie be so colorful yet so cringe-worthy and nearly unwatchable at the time? Poorly executed and lacking polish, this holiday slasher should have stayed behind in Santa’s workshop.
THE COUNT OF MONTE-CRISTO
Perhaps it may be a petty thing to lament a movie’s length, especially already knowing that it runs nearly three hours before even pressing play. However, dual directors Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte tested my patience again and again in their third feature together, the well-traversed revenge tale of The Count of Monte-Cristo. In this fresh recounting of a familiar story, Edmond Dantes (Pierre Niney) finds himself in deep trouble after a letter from Napoleon ends up in his personal affairs. Railroaded by the system, Edmond ends up on a secluded island prison where he must plot his escape and eventual revenge on those who double-crossed him. While the acting and especially the cinematography are quite good, the scripting and narrative leave something to be desired. The entire first act adds almost nothing to the greater whole. Les Misérables and other like-minded historical action/adventure movies have done this before, and executed their ideas more eloquently than anything we see here. Hollow and overly long, The Count of Monte-Cristo fails to match the energy of previous iterations of this story.
CUCKOO
Full review at the link.
DARK MATCH
Full review at the link.
MEANWHILE ON EARTH
(Written by Intern, Sean Barry) Meanwhile on Earth breathes modernity into the classic science fiction film with style and artistic flair. Three years following Franck’s (Sébastien Pouderoux) disappearance during a space mission, his sister, Elsa (Megan Northam), begins hearing a voice (Dimitri Doré) claiming to be extraterrestrial. The alien creature says they can bring Franck back if Elsa is willing to help them on their mission. Faced with the difficult choice of possibly introducing a new foreign species on Earth or never seeing her brother again, Elsa tests how far she can go whilst slowly losing sanity. Not only does writer/director Jérémy Clapin establish a darkly beautiful mood, but he has such a clear grasp of the genre, employing complex sci-fi themes and tones. It is evident that his earlier background in animation injected a level of stylistic influence here. During moments when Elsa visualizes imaginary conversations with her brother, simplistic black and white animated characters are used rather than traditional reenactments. Bold sound design from Manuel Drouglazet is a standout of the production. Doré’s voice becomes frequently echoey or muffled, and high ringing accompanies instances of distress. Dan Levy’s eclectic score perfectly establishes tone, providing an otherworldly nature to Elsa’s actions. Megan Northam not only masterfully portrays Elsa’s slow descent into madness, but she keeps herself incredibly grounded, even in numerous times when she is acting without a visible scene partner. Additionally, Pouderoux and Doré both provide outstanding performances with only their voices. Once beings from outer space make first contact, everything happens in quick succession, but the first twenty minutes are not shown this way. Very little occurs initially to maintain audience interest, which is unfortunate considering the clear strengths otherwise. Subjects of female empowerment and familial bonds imply some kind of profound allegory never entirely revealed. Nonetheless, Meanwhile on Earth declares a new generational voice in a genre with constant reinvention.
THE MISSING
Admirable in intent but lacking in texture, The Missing uses an original animation format to convey complex emotional trauma. Eric (Carlo Aquino) appears to be mute, going through life with a blank, empty space where his lips once were. He communicates entirely through a whiteboard he keeps around his neck, or by text message. When his concerned mother (Triangle of Sadness standout Dolly de Leon) reaches out pleading for Eric to go check on his radio silent uncle, Eric brings along his coworker and close friend, Carlo (Gio Gahol), for the trip. The duo discover the dead corpse of Eric’s uncle, surrounded by flies, setting into motion a bizarre tapestry of alien imagery and deeply repressed memories. Unique flashbacks are shown in an entirely different sketchy 2D animation, with Eric’s uncle’s face portrayed as a black scribble. The alien of his childhood has come back to claim Eric, insisting that Eric is “this planet’s only hope.” The metaphors are very much on the nose, yet the unique blending of animation styles attempts to make up for the film’s many shortcomings. Eric loses more of his body parts as The Missing progresses, calling into question how he will have any hope of retrieving them. The undercooked queer element merely seems an afterthought to the extraterrestrial visuals. An important message here hides just below the surface, further underlined by a quiet, meditative ending. The tangible potential of writer/director Carl Joseph E. Papa can be felt in every frame.
ODDITY
Full review at the link.
Párvulos
Full review at the link.
PENALTY LOOP
After the sudden murder of his girlfriend Yui, Jun (Ryuya Wakaba) must identify her body. Understandably, the shaken Jun begins to obsess over the person responsible for taking her life. The suspect appears to be a sort of handyman (Yusuke Iseya), and Jun wastes no time drugging him, then viciously stabbing this stranger in the stomach before dumping his body. Penalty Loop then introduces its one and only interesting concept: Jun must repeat Monday, June 6th over and over again. Yes, here we have yet another “time loop” movie, which has been executed too many times to count since 1993’s Groundhog Day. Between comedy to horror to romance and everything in between, the concept usually at least makes for an entertaining watch. Director Shinji Araki dodges the actual fun that could have been had, instead opting for a repetitive variation of similar methods that bore in their monotony. Penalty Loop may not be awful per se, but it is definitely nothing special, and has been done better before. Other than the trademark differences of Japanese cinema versus American filmmaking, I cannot confidently recommend spending even one afternoon stuck in this loop’s orbit.
SELF DRIVER
(Written by Intern, Sean Barry) Self Driver examines the dark and often unspoken world of a city after dark through a uniquely voyeuristic lens. A relatively normal Uber-like driver known only as ‘D’ (Nathanael Chadwick) grows tired of his unrewarding job, and struggles to keep up with rent payments. After joining a sketchy, unlisted rideshare platform promising to pay a tremendous daily salary, his night takes one unexpected turn after another. Told over the course of a single 24-hour period, D endeavors through a navigation app giving out increasingly sinister orders, leading to encounters with dangerous passengers and near-death experiences.. In his feature debut, writer/director Michael Pierro already displays his masterful ability to keep an audience ceaselessly engaged. He accomplishes a great deal for a story taking place almost entirely in one location. Despite sometimes amateur cinematography and clear budgetary restraints, suspense constantly builds in each passing scene. Pierro masterfully edits a quickly cut montage of an average working day into intense moments that are often anxiety inducing. The chaotic club-like score from Antonia Naranjo amps up tension during points when someone’s fate is unclear. D’s spur of the moment choice to take an unmarked recreational pill further raises the stakes. Driving sequences suddenly become a kaleidoscopic hodgepodge of brain melting visuals portraying his warped perspective. Chadwick gives a strong performance as an everyman caught up in an unknown environment, but the character of D leaves slightly more to be desired. Poor decisions, including ingesting drugs gifted by an unstable stranger or nearly breaking the rules on several occasions, can make him a hard protagonist to support. Confusing plot points, especially towards the conclusion, often leave the viewer with more questions than answers. Nonetheless, Self Driver remains an intriguing and rewarding introduction to a filmmaker to watch in the future.
THE SOUL EATER
Full review at the link.
SUNBURNT UNICORN
Full review at the link.
TIMESTALKER
For all the wonky, timey wimey hijinks one could possibly imagine, look no further than Timestalker. Here, we follow Agnes (Alice Lowe), a troubled woman who reincarnates over and over again throughout different time periods, constantly falling for an often undeserving love interest. Throughout the runtime, Agnes is compared to many things, including a caged bird. The aesthetics of each separate period are one of the only notable elements about the feature, whose misguided attempts at humor try hard but frequently fail to deliver. Interview with the Vampire‘s Jacob Anderson has quite the seductive voice and fun, chameleonic hairsyles, always lurking as a side character in each era of Agnes. As he points out, sometimes it can take several lifetimes to figure out why one is reincarnating. Is Agnes missing something? Why has she become stuck in this loop? The 80s section is by far the most successful, embracing many cliches of that decade including campy workouts a la Olivia Newton John’s “Physical” video. While I admire the attempts to do something different, the story is too threadbare and all over the place to matter much outside the indie festival circuit.
As always, Fantasia delivers big on quirky films. For more information and to check out the full slate, check out the fest’s official website.