Fantasia, the infamous three-week genre festival, has just wrapped up another year of impressive programming, and I’m exhausted. I covered as much as I could, but I felt like I just scratched the surface. Fantasia’s extensive programming has something for everyone, and I could have spent just as much time at the festival and seen a completely different slate of films. On top of screening what will surely end up being the year’s most beloved horror movies, there was an extensive spotlight on Korean cinema, a retrospective on underground film legend Larry Kent, and a collection of boundary-pushing animated features available for public viewing.
I feel very lucky that I got to cover so many wild, unique films for HORROR PRESS, and I hope you’ve enjoyed the coverage! Over the last few weeks, I wrote about the horror hit of the summer Talk to Me (a sequel is already in the works), the DIY underground rock opus Where the Devil Roams (from the family who brought you Hellbender), and Satan Wants You, the mind-blowing documentary about the scandalous memoir Michelle Remembers. Here are a few additional highlights from 2023’s Fantasia Film Festival.
FEMME
After a vicious attack, drag performer Jules (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) sets out to get revenge on the person responsible (George MacKay). Co-directors Sam Freeman and Ng Choon Ping set out to make a queer version of the “late-night, neo-noir genre movie” and this is the incredibly tense and engaging result. This film had the whole audience sweating, thanks to the excellent acting and the intimate camera work. The story ran circles around me and left me gasping for air.
BIRTH / REBIRTH
Writer-director Laura Moss brought her expertise as a trained EMT to her re-interpreted Frankenstein story about pregnancy and motherhood. Actresses Marin Ireland and Judy Reyes play off one another perfectly as their characters struggle to control an uncontrollable situation. I felt uncomfortable and conflicted about these characters, and their choices made me cringe and squirm. I loved it.
SUITABLE FLESH
This is director Joe Lynch’s tribute to the late great Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator, From Beyond), who passed away in 2020. Re-Animator writer Dennis Paoli adapted the Lovecraft story (The Thing on the Doorstep), while horror icon Barbara Crampton produced. The film is filled with Stuart Gordon references, thanks to the involvement both on and off camera of genuine fans (including actors Jonah Ray and Chris McKenna). Once Lynch swapped the main characters’ genders, Heather Graham and Crampton stepped up to play the leads, and the friendship between these women grounds the movie amid all the sex and violence. While horror nerds are sure to cherish all the easter eggs, the film stands on its own as a masterclass in balancing camp and pathos. Come for the exploitation, stay for the nightmare.
HIPPO
Kimball Farley plays the titular Hippo in this Dogtooth-esque black & white story about the sexual miseducation of two very sheltered siblings. Director Mark H. Rapaport (who co-wrote the film with Farley) pulled from his experiences growing up in a conservative religion to create this unsettling satire about the American nuclear family. The siblings do some wild stuff with goo, and I laughed uncomfortably many times!
WITH LOVE AND A MAJOR ORGAN
This is not a horror movie, but it was absolutely delightful, and you should check it out if you can! Julia Lederer’s script comes to life in the hands of director Kim Albright, who tells a story about people who can whimsically pull their glowing blue hearts out of their chests. It’s about big feelings in a scary world that I’m sure will resonate with many (especially if you’re a Pisces like me). I hope this film gets a wide release.
HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS
Every Fantasia Fest has one movie that leaves me going, ‘WTF did I just experience’, and this year, that movie is Hundreds of Beavers. Trying to describe it is impossible – it’s about a man trying to catch some beavers, HUNDREDS of beavers, in fact. Writer-director Mike Cheslik has crafted a brilliant mixed media film, using everything from animation, green screens, and puppetry, to create what I guess is an “elevated” slapstick comedy? The score is incredible. You won’t be bored, I promise.
PERPETRATOR
Jennifer Reeder’s latest film is a gory, screwball coming-of-age story about Jonny, a misfit teen (Kiah McKirnan) struggling to understand her superpowers in a community where a predator is on the loose. Alicia Silverstone plays a scary auntie who encourages Jonny to be her true self. I especially loved Reeder’s efficient use of minimalist special effects to create the film’s unique mythology. The final act was an absolute blast.
Oldboy
This year, Fantasia closed with a screening of the recent 4K restoration of Park Chan-wook’s masterpiece Oldboy, a perfect, fucked-up ending to one of the most comprehensive genre festivals in existence.
I’m already excited for next year’s lineup.