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Festival coverage

Fantasia International Film Festival

20 July – 9 August 2023

Alongside the usual line-up of horror, science-fiction, fantasy, action and other genre treats, this year's Fantasia International Film Festival has a special focus on South Korea's contribution to genre film festival. It will also see a career achievement award presented to Nicolas Cage, a special award presented to Larry Kent, and a book launch for Dark Matter Presents: Haunted Reels which will include readings by Jay Baruchel, C Robert Cargill, Gary Sherman, Sarah Bolger, The Pierce Brothers, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead.

The festival runs from 20 July to 9 August.

Other years (9)

Box office and information

Latest reviews

  • Booger
    Review preview for Booger

    A poignant study of the grieving process, Booger uses horror elements to explore disorientation and the acute insecurities that emerge from being suddenly alone.

    Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
    After she's she's bitten by her dead friend's cat, Booger, a woman's life starts to get stranger every day: she's hungry for canned fish, she keeps swallowing her hair, and her predator instincts are out of control.
  • Home Invasion
    Review preview for Home Invasion

    It strives to create an atmosphere of discomfort and paranoia. It achieves the former.

    Jennie Kermode · 2 out of 5
    A nightmarish essay film on the history of the doorbell, tracing its invention and constant reinventions through 19th century labour struggles, the nascent years of narrative cinema, and contemporary surveillance cultures.
  • River
    Review preview for River

    Yamaguchi and his regular writer, Makoto Ueda, have such a deep understanding of their characters that it’s the emotional timeline, rather than the physical one, that becomes the subject of real concern.

    Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
    One winter in Kibune, Kyoto, people find themselves stuck in a two minute time loop. As others try to work together to find out what's going on, one woman finds herself increasingly isolated.
  • Mayhem!
    Review preview for Mayhem!

    Despite the speed of the action and the variety of locations across which the film takes place, not a single shot feels rushed or incidental.

    Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
    A professional boxer, recently released from prison, is forced to break probation and flee to a faraway island in Thailand. He starts a family there, only to have to deal with blackmail.
  • Ride On
    Review preview for Ride On

    Red Hare's ... repertoire of tricks is rather limited but he’s wonderful at conveying emotion, and Yang uses this to great effect

    Jennie Kermode · 3 out of 5
    A washed-up stuntman and his stunt horse become an overnight social media sensation when their real-life fight with debt collectors goes viral.
  • Divinity
    Review preview for Divinity

    For all its faults, the film is pretty, and that will probably be enough for some viewers.

    Jennie Kermode · 2.5 out of 5
    Two mysterious brothers abduct a mogul during his quest for immortality. Meanwhile, a seductive woman helps them launch a journey of self-discovery.
  • Perpetrator
    Review preview for Perpetrator

    Perpetrator heralds the joyous rising up of a regiment of monstrous women.

    Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
    On her 18th birthday, tough-girl Jonny eats a cake baked by her aunt according to a magical family recipe and undergoes a radical metamorphosis.
  • What You Wish For
    Review preview for What You Wish For

    Elegantly styled and smoothly delivered, the film takes a hard look at corporate culture.

    Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
    A chef with gambling problems flees to a Latin American villa where he assumes another man's identity.
  • It Lives Inside
    Review preview for It Lives Inside

    A superior quality horror film which amply justifies the hype it has attracted on the festival circuit, It Lives Inside is not to be missed.

    Jennie Kermode · 4.5 out of 5
    Sam, an Indian-American teen, lives in an idyllic suburb with her conservative mother and her assimilated father. Sam’s cultural insecurities grow due to her estranged friend, Tamira, who mysteriously carries around an empty mason jar all the time. In a moment of anger, Sam breaks Tamira’s jar and unleashes an ancient Indian demonic force that kidnaps Tamira.
  • Eight Eyes
    Review preview for Eight Eyes

    Austin Jennings builds up his story from little details whilst viewers are gripped by the tension between the three leads.

    Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
    At the breaking point of their dysfunctional marriage, a couple take a trip through Serbia. After meeting a mysterious local who eagerly offers to be their guide, they embark on an impromptu sightseeing expedition that soon takes a series of sinister turns.

A–Z of Fantasia International Film Festival 2023 reviews

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