It’s hard to believe that another South by Southwest Film Festival is almost upon us, and this year’s lineup is yet another stellar collection of indie films, shorts, documentaries and experiential projects from all over the world. As we prepare to bring our readers extensive coverage over the next week from Austin, here’s a look at the 11 genre-related films and TV shows we’re excited to check out during the festival, which begins on Friday, March 11th.
[Writer’s Note: During Sundance 2016, this writer had the privilege of covering two great genre films: Under the Shadow from Babak Anvari and Mickey Keating’s Carnage Park. Since I had the chance to catch both of these films back in January, I decided it wouldn’t be fair to include them here in my preview piece (however, genre fans attending SXSW should definitely check out both films during the fest, as they are equally incredible).]
In a Valley of Violence (Director/Screenwriter: Ti West)
Festival Synopsis: From Blumhouse, the film tells the story of a drifter named Paul who arrives in a small town, seeking revenge on the thugs who murdered his friend. Sisters Mary Anne and Ellen, who run the town's hotel, help Paul in his quest for vengeance. Cast: Ethan Hawke, Taissa Farmiga, James Ransone, Karen Gillan, John Travolta (World Premiere)
Midnight Special (Director/Screenwriter: Jeff Nichols)
Festival Synopsis: A father goes on the run to protect his young son and uncover the truth behind the boy’s special powers in writer/director Jeff Nichols’ sci-fi thriller Midnight Special, a film as supernatural as it is intimately human. Cast: Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, Kirsten Dunst, Adam Driver, Jaeden Lieberher, Sam Shepard (North American Premiere)
Hush (Director: Mike Flanagan, Screenwriters: Mike Flanagan, Kate Siegel)
Festival Synopsis: A deaf woman is stalked by a psychotic killer in her secluded home. Cast: Kate Siegel, John Gallagher Jr., Michael Trucco, Samantha Sloyan (World Premiere)
Jack Goes Home (Director/Screenwriter: Thomas Dekker)
Festival Synopsis: After his father is killed in a car crash, Jack travels home to Colorado to help nurse his mother (who was injured in the crash) back to health. There, he uncovers long buried secrets and lies within his family, his friends, and his very identity. Cast: Rory Culkin, Lin Shaye, Daveigh Chase, Natasha Lyonne, Louis Hunter, Nikki Reed, Britt Robertson (World Premiere)
Hardcore Henry (Director/Screenwriter: Ilya Naishuller)
Festival Synopsis: An unflinchingly original, first-person action film where YOU are the main character, Henry. Resurrected from death with no memory but your wife, your mission is to find her, solve the mystery of your existence, and discover the truth behind your identity. Cast: Sharlto Copley, Danila Kozlovsky, Haley Bennett, Andrey Dementyev, Dasha Charusha, Sveta Ustinova (U.S. Premiere)
Phantasm: Remastered (Director/Screenwriter: Don Coscarelli)
Festival Synopsis: Filmmaker J.J. Abrams and his company Bad Robot have undertaken a meticulous 4K restoration of writer/director Don Coscarelli's beloved horror fan favorite about a young boy confronting the embodiment of death in the form of the sinister "Tall Man." Cast: Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Angus Scrimm, Reggie Bannister, Kathy Lester
Outcast (First Episode) (Director: Adam Wingard, Screenwriter: Robert Kirkman, Showrunner: Chris Black)
Festival Synopsis: Outcast, based on the Skybound/Image comic title by creator Robert Kirkman and artist Paul Azaceta, follows Kyle Barnes, a young man who has been plagued by demonic possession all his life. Cast: Patrick Fugit, Philip Glenister, Wrenn Schmidt, Reg E. Cathey, David Denman (World Premiere)
Johnny Frank Garrett’s Last Word (Director: Simon Rumley, Screenwriters: Ben Ketai, Marc Haimes, Tony Giglio)
Festival Synopsis: When a young man is executed for committing murder, he leaves behind a curse letter in which he promises to take vengeance on all those connected to his trial. Cast: Sean Patrick Flanery, Erin Cummings, Devin Bonne, Mike Doyle (World Premiere)
Preacher (First Episode) (Directors: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Screenwriter: Sam Catlin)
Festival Synopsis: Preacher is a supernatural, twisted, and darkly comedic drama that follows a West Texas preacher named Jesse Custer, who – along with his ex-girlfriend Tulip and an Irish vagabond named Cassidy – is thrust into a crazy world, much bigger than he is. Cast: Dominic Cooper, Ruth Negga, Joseph Gilgun, Ian Colletti, W. Earl Brown, Lucy Griffiths (World Premiere)
Teenage Cocktail (Director: John Carchietta, Screenwriters: John Carchietta, Sage Bannick, Chris Sivertson, Story by: Amelia Yokel)
Festival Synopsis: Teenage Cocktail is the story of how Annie and Jules fell in love and how it all got weird. Cast: Nichole Bloom, Fabianne Therese, Pat Healy, Michelle Borth, Joshua Leonard, AJ Bowen (World Premiere)
Untitled Fede Alvarez/Ghost House Thriller (Director: Fede Alvarez, Screenwriters: Fede Alvarez, Rodo Sayagues)
Festival Synopsis: A group of teens break into a blind man's home thinking they'll get away with the perfect crime. They're wrong. Cast: Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, Daniel Zovatto, Stephen Lang (World Premiere)
Heather A. Wixson was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, until she followed her dreams and moved to Los Angeles in 2009. A 14-year veteran in the world of horror entertainment journalism, Wixson fell in love with genre films at a very early age, and has spent more than a decade as a writer and supporter of preserving the history of horror and science fiction cinema. Throughout her career, Wixson has contributed to several notable websites, including Fangoria, Dread Central, Terror Tube, and FEARnet, and she currently serves as the Managing Editor for Daily Dead, which has been her home since 2013. She's also written for both Fangoria Magazine & ReMind Magazine, and her latest book project, Monsters, Makeup & Effects: Volume One will be released on October 20, 2021.
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