The Fantasia International Film Festival kicks off its 29th year this week. The Montreal-based festival is a haven for genre fans and films from all corners of the world. Horror, sci-fi and fantasy fans gather every year to celebrate some high-profile premieres, festival favorites, and smaller films just beginning to find their fans. There is something at this fest for everyone, and it’s always exciting to see what will be on offer.
Though it’s nearly impossible to cover every single inch of what Fantasia has to offer, we have put together a snapshot of some of our most anticipated films. Keep checking back for reviews over the course of the festival, as your next favorite film might be around the corner.
And for more details on the films screening at this year's Fantasia International Film Festival, visit: https://fantasiafestival.com/en
Influencers
In the sequel to his 2022 hit Influencer, Kurtis David Harder brings audiences back into his world of luxury, fleeting fame, and violence. We meet back up with CW (Cassandra Naud) after the events of the first film. Now, she is living the good life in the South of France with her new girlfriend. They decide to take a trip to celebrate their first anniversary, only to find their paths crossing that of a popular British influencer named Charlotte (Georgina Campbell). Much to CW’s annoyance, Charlotte becomes a constant presence and really begins to disrupt their trip. We know that this situation has the possibility of landing in some dark places, but how far, exactly, will CW go?
Mother of Flies
The Adams Family is back with the world premiere of their new film. When Mickey (Zelda Adams) receives the shock of a cancer diagnosis, she turns to a rather unorthodox form of treatment - she turns to necromancy. She visits a witch named Solveig (Toby Poser) who lives deep in the woods and offers her an otherworldly ritual, walking the line between life, death, and the space in between. Written and directed by John Adams, Zelda Adams, and Toby Poser, Mother of Flies promises a dark fairytale that meditates on the nature of life itself.
Holy Night: Demon Hunters
This one looks absolutely wild. When a cult of devil worshippers starts calling up legions of demons to take over the bodies of lost and broken citizens in order to mount a massive crime wave, what is the city to do? Only a group of exorcists called Holy Knight and led by Don Lee (Train to Busan) and his massive fists can save the day. Written and directed by Lim Dae-hee, the film is an adaptation of a popular animated webseries, and looks to offer up frights and hilarity in equal measure.
Lurker
From Alex Russell (The Bear) comes a story about fame, fake friends, and the dangers of letting the wrong people into your life. One day, ordinary guy Matthew (Théodore Pellerin) meets rising music sensation Oliver (Archie Madekwe). Oliver, thinking Matthew is more than a passing “hello,” invites him to his show that night, and into his inner circle. Matthew is brought into a world where nothing is free and everyone is working an angle - even if that angle is just to get one teeny tiny step closer to Oliver. This kind of relationship is like any other drug, and Matthew soon finds he will do whatever it takes to get his next fix. Lurker looks to be a taut and anxiety-inducing thriller.
Hellcat
Lena (Dakota Gorman) awakens in the middle of the night inside a moving trailer and sporting a strange wound she has no memory of receiving. The man driving the trailer (Todd Terry) says that she has been infected with a strange virus and that he is taking her to see a doctor, who will be able to help her. Naturally, she doesn’t believe him, but her situation doesn’t exactly seem to be as clear-cut as a simple kidnapping either. So where exactly does the truth lie?
Emily von Seele hails from Seattle, where it rains a lot, which gives her plenty of excuses to stay inside and watch movies. She has written for Bloody Disgusting, Daily Dead, the Women in Horror Annual and Grim Magazine, and is co-host of the Dead Ringers podcast. You can usually catch Emily on Twitter (@horrorellablog), where she has been known to gab excessively about movies and tweet adorable pics of her two cats - seriously, they are the cutest ever.
Emily von Seele hails from Seattle, where it rains a lot, which gives her plenty of excuses to stay inside and watch movies. She has written for Bloody Disgusting, Daily Dead, the Women in Horror Annual and Grim Magazine, and is co-host of the Dead Ringers podcast. You can usually catch Emily on Twitter (@horrorellablog), where she has been known to gab excessively about movies and tweet adorable pics of her two cats - seriously, they are the cutest ever.
