Fantastic Fest

One Battle After Another is a mixture of disparate elements that shouldn’t work, but against all odds does, and it is a win for the audience.

Yorgos Lanthimos’ Bugonia is his latest dark comedy that features two powerhouse performances but still winds up an empty dark comedy.

Vicious (2025) is a suffocating, often cruel experience that accurately simulates depressive self-loathing while building a vague mythology.

Chris Stuckmann’s Shelby Oaks works because it feels every bit like a “by horror fans, for horror fans” experience.

Sisu Road to Revenge prioritizes action, to the point where almost every big set piece received a raucous round of applause from the crowd.

One part Italian rom-com and one part Chinese martial arts film, Forbidden City is a genre smashing title that pays off big. 

Anti-colonial horror at its finest, Mārama is moving and cathartic, Ariana Osborne makes this Maori gothic revenge horror story near perfect.

The Strangers Chapter 2 continues to laugh in the face of the beloved original despite a stellar performance from its lead, Madelaine Petsch. 

Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill have done it again, with Black Phone 2, a fast-paced throwback supernatural horror story.

Primate (2025) is at home in its absurd violence, pulling apart jaws, smashing in skulls, ripping off faces, is where it shines.