★★★★ A surprisingly effective coming-of-age desert fable, Sunburnt Unicorn depicts a harsh landscape of cartoonish creatures... and endless sand. Animation continues to be a fascinating medium in which creators can house important lessons without feeling too preachy. In this case, writer/director Nick Johnson hones in on messages of compassion and kindness, fueled by a son's … Continue reading Fantasia 2024: Sunburnt Unicorn
Fantasia 2024: Cuckoo
★★★ So-called "elevated horror" has been all the craze over the last decade, telling genre stories through a new lens that can come across pretentious just as often as unique. NEON's newest feature, Cuckoo, falls decidedly somewhere in the middle. The acting performances—especially from lead Euphoria starlet Hunter Schafer—are captivating, whilst the cinematography and style … Continue reading Fantasia 2024: Cuckoo
Fantasia 2024: Párvulos
★★★★ Every so often, a foreign horror film manages to adequately unleash a torrent of surprises just when one least expects it. I often give the benefit of the doubt to these types of genre flicks with minimal context to their curiosities, checking out film festival titles going from nothing other than a brief synopsis. … Continue reading Fantasia 2024: Párvulos
Fantasia 2024: The Soul Eater
★★★★ For any genre fanatic, the names Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo should ring familiar. After breaking out with 2007's gory masterpiece Inside, the duo continued working together over the years on a variety of exciting projects within the horror realm. From Among the Living to Leatherface to Kandisha and The Deep House, Maury and … Continue reading Fantasia 2024: The Soul Eater
Fantasia 2024: Dark Match
★★★★ From writer/director Lowell Dean of WolfCop and Another WolfCop comes Dark Match, an outrageously fun wrestling horror romp that channels Mortal Kombat. In this stylish throwback circa 1988, the art of professional wrestling has slowly begun to take the world by storm. An indie crew gets the offer of a lifetime, unknowingly becoming embroiled … Continue reading Fantasia 2024: Dark Match
Film Review: Oddity
★★★★★ Crafting an effective, breakout horror feature does not come easy, yet with his previous movie, writer/director Damien Mc Carthy managed a seriously scary debut. His sophomore effort, Oddity, somehow outdoes its predecessor off the strength of its intimate storytelling and constantly creeping sense of dread. Oddity once again brings Irish filmmaker Mc Carthy to … Continue reading Film Review: Oddity
Six Must-See Films at 2024’s Fantasia International Film Festival
Fantasia International Film Festival returns for more with its jam-packed 2024 slate! Sci-fi, horror, animation, and dark dramas promise a tantalizing trip to the cinemas. Check out our picks after the jump… THE A-FRAME Blast off into another dimension with gleeful abandon in writer/director Calvin Lee Reeder’s zany sci-fi horror flick, The A-Frame. Freaky visuals and … Continue reading Six Must-See Films at 2024’s Fantasia International Film Festival
Fantasia 2023 Wrap-Up
As per usual, 2023's Fantasia International Film Festival brings quirky delights and strange phenomena to center stage. Indies and more mainstream fare alike comingle for one of the most unique festivals of its kind. After the jump, don't miss our full coverage of this year's iteration! Films #MANHOLE Full review at the link. APORIA Full … Continue reading Fantasia 2023 Wrap-Up
Fantasia 2023: It Lives Inside
★★ Every year, dozens of new horror hopefuls flood the market hoping to hook the next genre classic. It Lives Inside, the debut feature from director/co-writer Bishal Dutta, aims to put a new spin on religion-based terror by honing in on Hindi mythology in a major way. Unfortunately, absolutely nothing here can distinguish the film … Continue reading Fantasia 2023: It Lives Inside
Fantasia 2023: Killing Romance
★★★★ What do you get when you take the quirkiness of Wes Anderson and blend it with Korean slapstick humor and a dash of love triangle? The answer comes courtesy of director Lee Won-suk and writer Park Jeong-ye collaboration, Killing Romance! Bursting with originality and fart jokes, this unconventional comedy lets loose a chaotic ostrich … Continue reading Fantasia 2023: Killing Romance