Film Fests
[REVIEW] Fantastic Fest 2025: ‘Vicious’ Has an Intriguing Premise, But Can’t Figure Out Its Own Rules
During a pivotal scene in Vicious, the latest horror film from The Strangers director Bryan Bertino, I was reminded of Pinhead’s simple declaration in Hellraiser: “The box. You opened it. We came.” Hellraiser’s demons are, with few exceptions, summoned by people who think they want what the Cenobites offer—people who deserve what’s coming to them. It’s a concept that’s easy to grasp, and one that makes the resulting torture all the more twistedly satisfying to watch. The same cannot be said for whatever resides in the box at the center of Vicious, which seems as confused as the audience about what it wants or who it targets, resulting in a watch that, for all its scares, leaves an odd taste in the mouth.
Never Open the Door to Strangers
Vicious stars Dakota Fanning as Polly, a 30-something woman who seems to have lost her way in life. She’s single and childless (the worst possible things a woman could be!) and seems to be existing in a state of depression-induced disconnection from the world, as evidenced by her lonely evenings spent bumming around an empty house with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth. Her attempts to break out of this state feel half-hearted and aching with hopelessness as she slowly tries on outfits for an upcoming job interview. Her only anchor point is her young niece, whom she clearly loves, but even her own sister seems to be coming to the end of her rope with her.
Polly’s inertia is shattered by the arrival of a mysterious old woman (Kathryn Hunter) on a wintry night. Feigning senility, the woman eases her way into Polly’s home, where she suddenly flips from helplessness to steely resolve as she utters the eerie line, “I’m going to start now.” Placing a box on the table in front of her, the woman informs Polly that she must place three things inside of it: something she hates, something she needs, and something she loves. Sounds simple enough. But when the woman is gone and Polly is left alone with the box, her quiet evening quickly descends into a waking nightmare.
Vicious Goes for the Jugular, but Seems Uncertain With What It Wants to Say
With The Strangers, Bertino relied heavily on unsettling his audience with behavior happening just out of sight of his characters before confronting both with a gut-punch conclusion. His 2020 comeback, The Dark and the Wicked, was a deeply atmospheric chiller that descended into nerve-jangling jump scares. Vicious tries to do a little of both, leaving the rattled Polly initially unaware of the evil settling in for the night shift before hitting her (and the viewer) with an unrelenting barrage of horrors for the rest of the runtime. There are a few subtle frights to be found here, especially those involving the floor-to-ceiling mirrors in the living room—Bertino has a real knack for making homes feel unsafe and haunted, even with a cozy fire crackling in the hearth—but for the most part, Vicious isn’t subtle about trying to scare you. Polly is attacked by her mirror self, knives and other implements plunge into fleshy parts, and her phone rings constantly as the entity calls to taunt her using the voices of the loved ones she’s pushed away.
But What Does the Box Want in Vicious?
Dampening the potential scare factor, though, is the itching sensation that none of what you’re watching makes a whole lot of sense. In his Q&A after the film’s world premiere at Fantastic Fest, Bertino mentioned that Vicious began life as a one-sentence idea, and it feels like it didn’t evolve much from there. That’s a problem for a film as unnecessarily complicated as Vicious, leaving Polly—and, by extension, the audience—scrambling to figure out rules that even Bertino seems unclear on. What does the box actually want? How do you win, and is winning even possible? Days after seeing Vicious, I’m still not sure.
Worse, I’m left scratching my head over what Bertino actually wanted to say with his underdeveloped themes around mental health. “I don’t want to be me,” Polly informs the audience in the film’s opening moments. That’s abundantly clear, and dealing with the box certainly feels like an opportunity to confront one’s inner demons and gain perspective on what matters in life—but if that’s the case, what is the audience supposed to take away from the box’s habit of forcing self-mutiliation? The reveal of the box’s next victim further muddies the water and will make you wonder if the themes were intentional at all.
Open the Box (Or Hit Play) for Dakota Fanning
As its name suggests, Vicious isn’t afraid to get nasty, delivering crowd-pleasing moments of wince-inducing gore. These are bolstered by a fully committed performance from Fanning, who pivots from apathetic numbness to screaming horror in a heartbeat. However, the fuzzy rules and mixed messages ending make for a more befuddling than satisfying watch, ultimately lessening the impact of the scares. It all feels a little like a first draft—and perhaps a good reminder to check in with your therapist, even if the movie won’t.
Vicious debuts on Paramount+ on October 10 as part of the platform’s Peak Screaming collection.
Last week, the Fantasia International Film Festival wrapped up yet another stellar year of madness and mayhem after showcasing over 120 feature films and over 200 shorts from 54 different countries. At the opening ceremony, artistic director Mitch Davis enthusiastically reflected on the festival’s 30 years of cutting-edge film programming. At the festival’s inception and for many years, the programming team would seek out international films that could not secure distribution in the North American market (and those that did would often end up modified and heavily edited, something Davis called “a constant cultural crime”). Recently, streaming platforms have completely changed the game. “It’s a miracle that Fantasia has lasted the way that it has,” said Davis while praising the team of programmers for continuing to support indie genre filmmaking.
Fantasia Film Festival 2026 Round Up
One thing that remains consistent at Fantasia International Film Festival is a dedication to featuring films made by human labor in all sorts of creative ways. Practical effects reigned supreme, and audiences reacted enthusiastically to anything that challenged filmmaking norms. Here are some of our highlights from the fest that showcased those values. (For coverage of our absolute favs, check out these articles about Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, Mum I’m Alien Pregnant, Castration Movie and Corpus)
No Rest for the Wicked
This dark gothic tale from the remote Faroe Islands truly enthralled audiences. Director Kasper Kalle gave his actors plenty of space to long after one another while showcasing the stunning, dramatic landscape of the islands. The premise may be simple, but the execution is perfect, and it’s no wonder that Kalle took home the Cheval Noir award for directing (as did actor Pilou Asbaek for his performance).
Nightborn
Hanna Bergholm’s follow up to her debut Hatching (2022) stars Seidi Haarla as a new mum (alongside Rupert Grint as her husband) who moves to the Finnish countryside to restore her childhood cottage. Motherhood proves way more challenging than she expects, and her newborn child doesn’t quite match her expectations. Nightborn truly goes off the rails while blending both body and folk horror, and took home the top prize for Best Film at the festival.
Drag
Lucy DeVito and Lizzie Caplan star in this thriller about two sisters trying to break out of a mansion that they broke into. The less said the better about the plot, but it’s safe to say that the situation escalates dramatically. The construction of this story expertly uses detail to play with tension and humor, which makes it really fun to watch alongside a rambunctious crowd.
I Love Paris
This vampire mockumentary follows an ambitious Parisian wannabe pop star (who dubs herself Paris) as she tries to secure a coveted spot at an upcoming music festival with a little help from supernatural forces. Aminata Thiboult nails the titular role as she and her friends rampage across the city seeking both fame and blood.
Black Zombie
Maya Annik Bedward does an incredible job of weaving together the history of Haiti, Voodoo, and the zombie mythology in this must-see documentary. The story of what it took to get this film completed perhaps deserves its own documentary. “We started filming in LA in March 2020, so I was in LA when the whole world shut down,” Bedward told us at the premiere, adding “after that, things changed a lot.” She explained that after Haiti’s president was assassinated in 2021, “things have just become more and more difficult for people in Haiti and I’d say the majority of the people who were involved in the film – if they could leave, they’ve left.”
Colony
Director Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan) returns to the zombie genre with this fast-paced gonzo action-horror hybrid about a group of strangers trying to escape a horde of people who seemingly share a hive mind. It’s fun, it’s dumb, and it has a very high body count.
Buddy
What if Barney the purple dinosaur was an orange unicorn, and was also evil? That is basically the story of Buddy, a demonic beast masquerading as a beloved children’s TV show as he summons his victims to his universe. Too Many Cooks creator Casper Kelly delivers this madhouse of a film full of gorgeous sets, practical effects, and lots of fantastic gore.
Short Films Matter at Fantasia Film Festival Too!
The short film program is just as important as the features, and this year we saw some real knockouts! Sleep Through Summer stunned audiences with its eerie dystopian punishment system, and I Walked Through The Wall was notable for its creativity and acting. Needle had us all squirming and cringing through its final moments, and the sheer scope of The Pigs Underneath left an unforgettable impression.
Honorable mentions!
- Ferine was an absolutely bonkers modern giallo bloodfest with a magnificent score.
- Home Bodies, a locked room story about two siblings being raised by a disembodied voice, had the best production design of any film we saw.
- Godhead is Mark H Rappaport’s (slightly) less disturbing follow-up to his cult hit Hippo. Here he delivers another stunning visual feast.
- The Glorious Dead is the latest entry from festival favs The Adams Family. They applied their unique community style of filmmaking to an apocalyptic horror show set in a snow-covered small town, and the result will absolutely please their fans.
On a personal note, it’s always a joy to immerse myself in such a crazy festival like Fantasia. Shout out to the staff and volunteers who keep the whole event running, and see you next year!
Corpus
Corrin Evans premiered her debut feature film Corpus at Fantasia Film Festival.
Corpus is a steamy thriller set in 1997 New York, which follows a group of friends who travel to a remote mansion for a party, though what they find is not quite what they expected.
Intimacy and consent are at the heart of this film. The characters often long for and lust after each other, and Evans makes sure that the audience feels every breath and every touch. The film looks exquisite, thanks in part to cinematographer Charlie Cole. Together they designed a lighting setup using either natural lighting or very hot tungsten lights (which added to the steamy aesthetic). “I just love the body,” explained Evans at the world premiere in Montreal. “I knew I wanted it to feel very visceral and flowing from the gut, like you’re really with these characters up close. I wanted to be able to feel skin and pores.”
Having worked as an intimacy coordinator for several years, Evans brought her industry experience to both the story and her directing choices. Co-writer and actor Lily Cowles (who plays Billie in the film) praised Evans for her directing style. “I’ve often thought the reason that you’re a good director is the same reason you’re a good intimacy coordinator.” Cowles continued, adding that “when you’re on set, there’s a level of safety and an openness, and you can really trust that Corrin’s going to keep you in that pocket.”
So much of Corpus was crafted by the hands of the cast and the crew. Many of the effects were done practically (including one devastating moment that we will not spoil here), and the main location – an old mansion – was dressed and designed to feel authentically lived in. Even the score, composed by VAAAL (pronounced like wall with a v), was created using an organic process. “ I’ve been wanting to work with him forever,” explained Evans about their collaboration. “He’s an insane musician.”
Corpus will leave your skin crawling in all the best possible ways.
Castration Movie Chapter iii.ii Junior Ghosts—Premorphic Drift; a fragmentary passage
Louise Weard showcased an excerpt from the third part of her anthology epic Castration Movie at Fantasia Film Festival last month.
Weard’s epic anthology film is all about exploring “trans-temporality”, as she explained to the Fantasia crowd. “Your timeline gets so skewed in an interesting way, where transition becomes this benchmark.” Her original intent was to release one long 24h film as a way to reclaim that lost time, so to speak. She uses her family’s digital camcorder to shoot everything and uses tapes of her as a child to record and re-record her footage. She writes, directs, shoots, and edits everything, often exploring very dark topics.
While this may sound intimidating on paper, Weard writes with a vicious sense of humor, and has an excellent sense of how to balance sincerity with cringe. This particular section focuses its story on a romantic couple as one partner transitions. Weard’s excerpt produced maybe the most visceral reactions of the festival, with audience members actively heckling one of the onscreen characters during the film’s final act. While previous chapters have featured both graphic and sexually explicit content, this part focused instead on a kind of deep emotional trauma that is usually left to the most toxic of internet forums.
“This movie is my parody of Lawrence Anyways,” quipped Weard (who is trans herself) as the audience was still reeling from the film. She went on to explain how often trans stories are told from the perspective of the cis gaze, that the narrative arc focuses on how a cis person feels about another person’s transness. Weard’s camera work often zooms into the cis partner’s eyes as they watch their trans partner go about their day. “We’re going to really put that gaze under the microscope, almost literally in terms of how zoomed in we are on those eyes. And I think it creates a horror atmosphere in a lot of ways.”
The full scope of Castration Movie is yet to be revealed. Castration Movie Anthology i: Traps has a daunting runtime of 4h 35m, while Castration Movie Anthology ii: The Best of Both Worlds runs 5h. The excerpt presented at Montreal’s International Fantasia Festival ran 2h 10m, though Weard plans to release the full Castration Movie Anthology iii: Year of the Hyaena later this year, and is already working on an Anthology IV and V. “I like to think of it at this point like show running. Because it’s been literally nonstop production for coming up on four years. I’ve been shooting every weekend for four years.”
Weard was working as a PA when she started shooting her film, but “unfortunately, I kept running out of money,” she laughed, and of course the 2023 writer’s strike did not help her situation. She decided to release segments of her film to raise funds so she could keep shooting. With this specific 2h segment, Weard hopes to bring more audiences into her universe. “This gets to be the easy access point where someone can demo the castration movie experience for just two hours and decide if they want to commit to the whole 24-hour endeavor,” she chuckled.
