This year, Fantastic Fest featured several films with terrifying mother figures, like Crazy Old Lady, The Evil That Binds Us, A Woman Called Mother, and Fuck My Son. Dolly offers up another version of a mother from hell. While Dolly doesn’t reinvent the wheel with a masked killer stalking a couple during a pivotal moment […]
Dolly // A Disturbing Backwoods Getaway: Fantastic Fest Review Read More »
Apophenia is the tendency to perceive a connection or meaningful pattern between unrelated or random things. In simpler terms, it’s paranoia dressed up in science. Chris Marrs Piliero leans into this idea with Appofeniacs, his feature debut, which had its North American premiere at Fantastic Fest 2025. The film is a cautionary, blood-slicked, and frequently
Patterns in the Madness // Tarantino Meets Tech Horror in Appofeniacs Read More »
Found footage fans can rejoice. V/H/S Halloween made its debut at Fantastic Fest 2025 and proved itself worthy of the hype. This year’s installment leans fully into the spirit of the season, with every short tied to the theme of Halloween. And the result? A wild, unpredictable ride that is as chaotic as it is
V/H/S Halloween // A Return to Form: Fantastic Fest 2025 Review Read More »
Kenichi Ugana has been carving out a name for himself in the horror landscape since his breakout with Visitors in 2023. However, his newest film, The Curse, cements him as one of the most inventive voices working today. Premiering at Fantastic Fest 2025, the film arrives as both a love letter to classic J-horror and
The Curse // Like, Share, Die: Fantastic Fest 2025 Review Read More »
Scott Derrickson returns with Black Phone 2, a sequel that delves deeply into both the trauma from the first film and the terror that remains in its wake. Four years after Finn’s disturbing experience with The Grabber, he’s struggling to find his place in the world. Mason Thames’ Finn silently struggles, trying to numb his pain
Black Phone 2 // Dead Doesn’t Mean Dead: Fantastic Fest 2025 Review Read More »
I saw a slasher on the schedule for Fantastic Fest 2025, and I made a beeline for it. I didn’t read much about the film, so I could go in as blind as possible: I was pleasantly surprised! 13 Days Till Summer follows Antek, Pauline, and her friends as they try to survive after someone
13 Days Till Summer // An Ad Against Smart Home Technology: Fantastic Fest 2025 Review Read More »
Chris Stuckmann is no stranger to film, but stepping behind the camera as a feature director is a whole new arena. However, with Shelby Oaks, he makes a pretty strong first impression. Premiering at Fantastic Fest 2025, the film finds Stuckmann experimenting with style and structure, blending found footage with traditional cinematic techniques to create
Shelby Oaks // An Ode to Found Footage: Fantastic Fest 2025 Review Read More »
Impactful works of art can provide a portal between worlds – so, too, can how we process them. Who we are before and after these works are different people, pushed into a new reality by our experience and a willingness to dissect our reactions. I was fortunate to attend the New York premiere of Bryn
Welcome to What Lies Beyond Read More »
Weapons has one of the most unique premises in recent horror. At 2:17 a.m., seventeen children from the same third-grade class mysteriously vanish. All except one. Sending a suburban town into panic and paranoia at the expense of the teacher, Ms. Justine Gandy, whose students have disappeared. The community is desperate for answers. Cregger’s Fans
Weapons Review // A Real Suburban Nightmare Read More »
Fantasia Film Festival 2025 wound down over the weekend, and I have a recommendation to add to our Festival Frights page. Touch Me’s movie poster mesmerized me like a fly to a bug zapper. My face ached from the faces I was making while watching it. Days later, I still feel lingering, unsettling vibes from
Touch Me // I Want to Be Dirty: Fantasia Film Festival 2025 Review Read More »
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