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Fantastic Fest · 2025

Fantastic Fest 2025

Features

Programme

77 films · 39 reviews

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13 Days Till Summer

A group of carefree teenagers are partying during the final days of school, in a smart-tech house on the city’s edge. As hormones surge and tension builds, the doors lock and the windows seal as someone suddenly activates 'hunt mode'.

(Country: Poland; Year: 2025; Director: Bartosz M Kowalski; Writer: Thor Magnusson; Stars: Jakub Kopec, Katazyna Galazka, Antoni Sztaba)

Angel's Egg (Tenshi No Tamago)

Review preview for Angel's Egg

Unutterably beautiful.

Jennie Kermode · 5 out of 5
A mysterious young girl wanders a desolate, otherworldly landscape, carrying a large egg.

(Country: Japan; Year: 1985; Director: Mamoru Oshii; Writer: Mamoru Oshii, Yoshitaka Amano; Stars: Mako Hyôdô, Jinpachi Nezu, Keiichi Noda)

Full review

Appofeniacs

Review preview for Appofeniacs

The characters are larger than life, each with a distinctive look, to make it easier to keep track. The effect is rather like being at a drunken fancy dress party.

Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
An ensemble tale with intersecting storylines that escalate into chaos as each portrays how easily deepfake technology can be weaponised to exploit society.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Chris Marrs Piliero; Stars: Sean Gunn, Jermaine Fowler, Aaron Holiday, Michael Abbott Jr)

Full review

Bad Haircut

Review preview for Bad Haircut

This isn’t quite as wild and startling an experience as its creators seem to think, but for the most part it’s entertaining.

Jennie Kermode · 3 out of 5
When a college kid goes to a new place to get a haircut, he discovers that his barber is a psychopath.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Kyle Misak; Writer: Kyle Misak; Stars: Kevin Dunn, Jake Busey, Larry Hankin, Mindy Sterling, Eric Linden, Martin Klebba)

Full review See: Interview with Kyle Misak and Jon Petro about Bad Haircut

Beast Of War

Review preview for Beast Of War

Roache-turner achieves a good balance of interpersonal drama and sudden, lurching scares, adding a dash of squaddie-style humour to ease the tension.

Jennie Kermode · 3.5 out of 5
A group of young soldiers, fresh out of boot camp, find themselves stranded on a raft in the middle of the ocean after their ship is sunk by the enemy, and must battle for their lives against a giant hungry great white shark.

(Country: Australia; Year: 2025; Director: Kiah Roache-Turner; Writer: Kiah Roache-Turner; Stars: Mark Coles Smith, Joel Nankervis, Sam Delich, Lee Tiger Halley, Sam Parsonson, Maximilian Johnson)

Full review

Black Phone 2

As the teenager kidnapped in the original film struggles with life after captivity, his sister begins receiving calls in her dreams from the black phone and seeing disturbing visions of three boys being stalked at a winter camp known as Alpine Lake.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Scott Derrickson; Writer: C Robert Cargill, Scott Derrickson, Joe Hill; Stars: Mason Thames, Ethan Hawke, Anna Lore, Jeremy Davies, Madeleine McGraw, Demián Bichir, Miguel Mora, Arianna Rivas)

Body Blow

Review preview for Body Blow

Immersive and intense, the more so because of its roots in a brutal history of gaybashing by Sydney cops.

Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
An undercover cop finds his commitment to the force tested when he falls for a young twink deep in debt to a vicious drug lord in this kinky neon-noir.

(Country: Australia; Year: 2025; Director: Dean Francis; Writer: Dean Francis; Stars: Georgina Haig, Tim Pocock, Chris Haywood, Sacha Horler, Paul Francis, Vincent Andriano, Barbara Hastings)

Full review See: Interview with Dean Francis about Body Blow

Bride Of Re-Animator

Doctors Herbert West and Dan Cain discover the secret to creating human life and proceed to create a perfect woman from dead tissue.

(Country: US; Year: 1990; Director: Brian Yuzna; Writer: Zeph E Daniel and Rick Fry, based on the work of HP Lovecraft; Stars: Jeffrey Combs, Bruce Abbott, Claude Earl Jones, Fabiana Udenio, Dave Gale, Kathleen Kinmont)

Bulk

Review preview for Bulk

It's not a map, it's a blueprint, a means of telling fortunes and a handsome puzzle to boot.

Andrew Robertson · 4 out of 5
Sci-fi nightmare fusing head scrambling multiverse and a conspiracy of global proportions that might mean the end of the world as we know it.

(Country: UK; Year: 2025; Director: Ben Wheatley; Stars: Alexandra Maria Lara, Sam Riley, Noah Taylor, Mark Monero)

Full review

Before The Fall (Tres Días, 3 Days)

Review preview for Before The Fall

There is plenty of imminent danger to provide a gripping narrative.

Amber Wilkinson · 3.5 out of 5
A family face a serial killer... and the apocalypse.

(Country: Spain; Year: 2008; Director: F Javier Gutiérrez; Writer: F Javier Gutiérrez, Juan Velarde; Stars: Víctor Clavijo, Mariana Cordero, Eduard Fernández, Juan Galván, Ana de las Cuevas, Daniel Casadellà, Elvira de Armiñán, Marilo Muñoz, Vicente Romero, Pepe Salas)

Full review

Camp

Review preview for Camp

A thoughtful, subtly dangerous film which denies viewers the reassurance of a conventional ending.

Jennie Kermode · 3.5 out of 5
Emily takes a job as a counselor at a summer camp and finds a coven of witches ready to show her a path to healing.

(Country: Canada; Year: 2025; Director: Avalon Fast; Writer: Avalon Fast; Stars: Zola Grimmer, Alice Wordsworth, Cherry Moore, Lea Rose Sebastianis, Austyn Van de Kamp, Ella Reeca, Izzy Jarvis)

Full review

Coyotes

Review preview for Coyotes

The sense that the characters have accidentally wandered into the wrong film is exacerbated by the fact that we see very little direct interaction.

Jennie Kermode · 2 out of 5
Trapped in their Hollywood Hills home, a family fight for survival when caught between a raging wildfire and a pack of savage coyotes.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Colin Minihan; Writer: Tad Daggerhart, Daniel Meersand, Nick Simon; Stars: Mila Harris, Brittany Allen, Justin Long, Kate Bosworth, Katherine McNamara, Keir O'Donnell, Norbert Leo Butz)

Full review

The Cramps: A Period Piece

Review preview for The Cramps: A Period Piece

The film’s general campiness does not diminish the points it’s making.

Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
A vibrant collision of horror, comedy, and aching personal truth as seen through the eyes of a young woman dealing with the pain of her menstrual cramps.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Brooke H Cellars; Writer: Brooke H Cellars; Stars: Lauren Kitchen, Martini Bear, Jared Bankens, Wicken Taylor, Michelle Malentina, Jude Douces, Halie Madison, Sylvia Grace Crim)

Full review See: Interview with Brooke H Cellars about The Cramps: A Period Piece

Crazy Old Lady (Vieja Loca)

A man is asked by his ex girlfriend to care temporarily for her senile mother, Alicia. But Alicia won't let him leave, turning a simple task into a nightmare he must escape.

(Country: Argentina, Spain; Year: 2025; Director: Martín Mauregui; Writer: Martín Mauregui; Stars: Agustina Liendo, Carmen Maura, Daniel Hendler, Tamara Rocca)

Cruel Jaws

A huge shark terrorises a beach in Florida, and the locals try everything to kill it.

(Country: Italy, US; Year: 1995; Director: Bruno Mattei; Writer: Robert Feen, Linda Morrison, Bruno Mattei; Stars: David Luther, George Barnes Jr, Scott Silveria, Kirsten Urso, Richard Dew, Sky Meadow Palma)

Crushed

Review preview for Crushed

What is interesting here is that Olivia is never objectified.

Jennie Kermode · 4.5 out of 5
In suburban Bangkok, a family's faith is thrown into crisis when their daughter is kidnapped.

(Country: UK; Year: 2025; Director: Simon Rumley; Writer: Simon Rumley; Stars: Steve Oram, Margaux Dietrich, Sahajak Boonthanakit, Nattapohn Rawddon)

Full review See: Interview with Steve Oram about Crushed

The Curse

Review preview for The Curse

Bright, white-painted spaces give way to slowly deepening blues as the story progresses, so that when we see the colour red, it leaps out at us.

Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
A Japanese girl travels to Taiwan to track down the motive behind a friend's bizarre death, which seems to be linked to strange social media posts.

(Country: Japan, Taiwan; Year: 2025; Director: Kenichi Ugana; Writer: Kenichi Ugana; Stars: Yukino Kaizu, Yu, Reika Oozeki)

Full review See: Interview with Kenichi Ugana about The Curse

Chocolate

Review preview for Chocolate

The fight choreography is awesome. Having such a lithe young pupil in the person of Yanin only adds to the visual excitement.

Angus Wolfe Murray · 3.5 out of 5
An autistic girl, with devastating martial arts skills, takes on the Thai mafia.

(Country: Thailand; Year: 2008; Director: Prachya Pinkaew; Writer: Chukiat Sakveerakul, Nepalee Sakweerakul; Stars: JeeJa Yanin, Ammara Siripong, Hiroshi Abe, Pongpat Wachirabunjong, Dechawut Chuntakaro, Anusuk Jangajit, Kittitat Kowahagul, Taphon Phopwandee, Pirom Ruangkitjakan, Hirokazu Sano)

Full review

Dawning (Demring)

Three sisters travel to their family's vacation home after the youngest sister's second suicide attempt. Things begin to unravel when a mysterious man shows up on the property.

(Country: Norway; Year: 2025; Director: Patrik Syversen; Writer: Patrik Syversen; Stars: Kathrine Thorborg Johansen, Silje Storstein, Marte Magnusdotter Solem, Sigurd Myhre)

Deathgasm 2: Goremageddon

Review preview for Deathgasm 2: Goremageddon

The original film was derided by critics for being crude, exploitative and immature. Fans will be pleased to know that this one delivers more of the same.

Jennie Kermode · 2.5 out of 5
Brodie resurrects his bandmates to win the battle-of-the-bands and reacquire his girlfriend. His uncontrollable undead bandmate raises an army of costumed corpses. Brodie must stop the zombie horde before it ruins his musical dreams and love life.

(Country: New Zealand/Aotearoa, Canada; Year: 2025; Director: Jason Howden; Writer: Jason Howden; Stars: Milo Cawthorne, Kimberley Crossman, James Joshua Blake, Sam Berkley, Daniel Cresswell, Kieran Charnock)

Full review

Deathstalker

Review preview for Deathstalker

Cinema in its most metal form.

Jennie Kermode · 4.5 out of 5
When a ruthless warrior named Deathstalker steals a mysterious amulet from a dying man, he’s unwillingly thrust into a quest to stop the dark sorcerer Necromemnon and save the world from destruction.

(Country: Canada; Year: 2025; Director: Steven Kostanski; Writer: Steven Kostanski; Stars: Daniel Bernhardt, Christina Orjalo, Nina Bergman, Paul Lazenby, John Ambrose, Conor Sweeney, Laurie Field, John Clifford Talbot)

Full review See: Interview with Daniel Bernhardt about Deathstalker

Decorado

Experimental short animation.

(Country: Spain; Year: 2016; Director: Alberto Vázquez; Writer: Alberto Vázquez)

Dildo Heaven

Roommates Lisa, Beth and Tess share the same goal of hooking up with their respective male bosses.

(Country: US; Year: 2002; Director: Doris Wishman; Writer: Doris Wishman; Stars: Mickey Garcia, Elizabeth Ash, Everette, Jerry Hart, Dr Faust, Edward L Sharp, Christina K Caramba)

Dinner To Die For

Hannah, a culinary photographer, and her friend Evan share a passion for true crime content. When Evan suggests role playing their own true crime scenario involving a killer meal and the girl next door, things get a little messy.

(Country: South Africa; Year: 2025; Director: Diana Mills Smith; Writer: Cameron Scott, Orr Koren, Diana Mills Smith; Stars: Steven John Ward, Shamilla Miller, Nina Erasmus)

Disforia

Live-streamed games of torture on the dark web collide with a desperate mother’s fight for survival.

(Country: Spain; Year: 2025; Director: Christopher Cartagena González; Writer: Joan-Pol Argenter, Christopher Cartagena González, Imanol Ortiz López; Stars: Claudia Salas, Fariba Sheikhan, Noah Casas, Eloy Azorín, Kike Guaza)

Dolly

Review preview for Dolly

It’s hard to describe the plot without it sounding laughable, but as a viewing experience it is, at times, riveting.

Jennie Kermode · 3.5 out of 5
A young woman fights for survival after being abducted by a deranged, monster-like figure who wants to raise her as a child.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Rod Blackhurst; Writer: Rod Blackhurst, Brandon Weavil; Stars: Fabianne Therese, Seann William Scott, Ethan Suplee, Michalina Scorzelli)

Full review See: Interview with Rod Blackhurst about Dolly

Don't Leave The Kids Alone (No Dejes A Los Niños Solos)

A claustrophobic and psychological horror film about two competitive siblings alone in their new house.

(Country: Mexico; Year: 2025; Director: Emilio Portes; Writer: Alan Maldonado, Emilio Portes; Stars: Ana Serradilla, Jesús Zavala, José Sefami, Paloma Woolrich, Juan Pablo Velasco)

Dracula

Review preview for Dracula

Somewhere between the low brow cock jokes and the high stakes – by which, I mean the sharp wooden pointy ones – Radu Jude serves up a sharp edged critique of populism, capitalism and the modern world.

Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
Gonzo exploration of the Vlad the Impaler mythos.

(Country: Romania, Austria, Luxembourg; Year: 2025; Director: Radu Jude; Writer: Radu Jude; Stars: Adonis Tanța, Oana Maria Zaharia, Gabriel Spahiu, Ilinca Manolache, Alexandru Dabija, Andrada Balea, Doru Talos, Serban Pavlu, Lukas Miko, Neil Young. Alexandra .Harapu.)

Full review

Embalmer

A deranged mortician preys on a group of teenage friends in a desperate attempt to obtain their bodily fluids needed to bring his family back to life.

(Country: US; Year: 1996; Director: S Torriano Berry; Writer: S Torriano Berry; Stars: Jennifer T Kelly, Kenneth E Mullen, Myron Creek, Tracy Owens, Dexter K Tennie, Alena V Joseph)

The Evil That Binds Us

In 1950s rural Chile, 13-year-old Daniel is sent to live with his German relatives while his father is away on business—only to clash with their rigid ways and uncover a dark secret that ignites his fury.

(Country: Chile, Mexico; Year: 2025; Director: Nico Postiglione; Writer: Paola Campos, Bernardita Olmedo, Nico Postiglione; Stars: Fernanda Finsterbusch, Catrin Striebeck, Tilo Werner)

Find Your Friends

Amber and friends visit Joshua Tree for a fun getaway but face hostility from locals. As the tension escalates, they uncover Amber's past trauma, igniting their rebellion against toxic masculinity, turning their trip into one of revenge.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Izabel Pakzad; Writer: Izabel Pakzad; Stars: Helena Howard, Bella Thorne, Zión Moreno, Chloe Cherry, Sophia Ali, Chris Bauer, Istael Broussard, Jake Manley)

Folies Meurtrières

A masked killer slaughters several young women.

(Country: France; Year: 1984; Director: Antoine Pellissier; Writer: Antoine Pellissier; Stars: Magali Bernard, Elisabeth Carou, Carole Chapus, Mireille Duruisseaud, Samya El Alaoui, Jean-Pierre Fonzes)

The Forbidden City (La città proibita)

A woman leaves China for Rome in search of her missing sister.

(Country: Italy; Year: 2024; Director: Gabriele Mainetti; Writer: Stefano Bises, Gabriele Mainetti, Davide Serino; Stars: Yaxi Liu, Enrico Borello, Sabrina Ferilli, Marco Giallini, Shansan Chunyu)

Freaked

A vain actor, his best friend, and an activist end up at a mutant freak farm run by a weirdo scientist.

(Country: US; Year: 1993; Director: Tom Stern, Alex Winter; Writer: Tim Burns, Tom Stern, Alex Winter; Stars: Brooke Shields, William Sadler, Eduardo Ricard, Henry Carbo, Deep Roy, Morgan Fairchild)

Fuck My Son!

A desperate mother drags an innocent stranger into an absurd, filthy nightmare beyond comprehension (it says here).

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Todd Rohal; Writer: Todd Rohal, Johnny Ryan; Stars: Tipper Newton, Steve Little, Robert Longstreet, Kynzie Colmery)

Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die

A self-proclaimed man from the future arrives at a diner in Los Angeles where he must recruit the precise combination of disgruntled patrons to join him on a one-night quest to save the world from the terminal threat of a rogue artificial intelligence

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Gore Verbinski; Writer: Matthew Robinson; Stars: Sam Rockwell, Juno Temple, Zazie Beetz, Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Peña, Asim Choudhry, Dino Fetscher)

Haunted Heist

Four estranged friends reunite at a house, where one plans to find a valuable antique by robbing it. However, the haunted house's ghosts force them to overcome differences to survive.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Lil Rel Howery; Writer: Carl Reid; Stars: Brett Gelman, Tiffany Haddish, Lil Rel Howery, Andrew Bachelor, Ari Dayan)

Her Will Be Done (Que Ma Volonté Soit Faite)

Review preview for Her Will Be Done

Kowalski's story of black magic and isolation takes command of its audience through a ghastly soundscape.

Sergiu Inizian · 3.5 out of 5
Nawojka, 20, dreams of escaping her harsh life working at the family farm. Under the influence of the free-spirited Sandra, Naw experiences trance-like episodes and strange powers, just like her dead mother before her.

(Country: France; Year: 2025; Director: Julia Kowalski; Writer: Julia Kowalski; Stars: Maria Wróbel, Roxane Mesquida, Wojciech Skibinski, Przemyslaw Przestrzelski, Kuba Dyniewicz, Jean-Baptiste Durand, Raphaël Thiéry, Eva Lallier)

Full review

Hide And Go Shriek

A group of teens lock themselves inside a furniture store to party after graduation, unaware that a killer is lurking among the mannequins. As the lights go out, the night turns into a deadly game of hide-and-seek as they fight to survive.

(Country: US; Year: 1988; Director: Skip Schoolnik)

The Holy Boy (La Valle Dei Sorrisi)

Review preview for The Holy Boy

Likely to put a smile on the faces of horror fans who favour the dissection of ideas over dismemberment.

Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
In Italy's happiest town, a haunted teacher discovers dark secret behind weekly gatherings where locals seek healing from a teenage boy's embrace. His quest to save the youth reveals the sinister nature of a community hiding behind joy.

(Country: Italy, Slovenia; Year: 2025; Director: Paolo Strippoli; Writer: Jacopo Del Giudice, Paolo Strippoli, Milo Tissone; Stars: Michele Riondino, Romana Maggiora Vergano, Giulio Feltri, Roberto Citran, Paolo Pierobon)

Full review See: Paolo Strippoli on his coming-of-age horror The Holy Boy

Honey Bunch

Review preview for Honey Bunch

There’s a genuine unpredictability to Honey Bunch, both structurally and thematically.

Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
Diana’s husband is taking her to an experimental trauma facility deep in the wilderness, but she cannot remember why ... As her memories begin to creep back in, so do some unwelcome sinister truths about her marriage.

(Country: Canada, UK; Year: 2025; Director: Dusty Mancinelli, Madeleine Sims-Fewer; Writer: Dusty Mancinelli, Madeleine Sims-Fewer; Stars: Jason Isaacs, Kate Dickie, Julian Richings, Grace Glowicki, India Brown, Ben Petrie, Jimi Shlag)

Full review See: Interview with Dusty Mancinelli and Madeleine Sims-Fewer about Honey Bunch

The Ice Tower (La Tour De Glace)

Review preview for The Ice Tower

Cotillard is at her very best as a character we see only from the sidelines – earthy and opinionated in flashes, yet frozen by her art.

Jennie Kermode · 4.5 out of 5
Colder than ice, her kiss pierces the heart ... The 1970s. Jeanne, a young runaway, falls under the spell of Cristina, the enigmatic star of The Snow Queen, a film which is being shot in the studio where Jeanne has taken refuge.

(Country: France, Germany, Italy; Year: 2025; Director: Lucile Hadzihalilovic; Writer: Geoff Cox, Lucile Hadzihalilovic; Stars: Marion Cotillard, Gaspar Noé, August Diehl, Clara Pacini, Lila-Rose Gilberti, Carmen Haidacher, Wilhelm Bonnelle, Raphael Reboul, Marine Gesbert)

Full review

If I Had Legs I'd Kick You

Review preview for If I Had Legs I'd Kick You

Rose Byrne anchors the whole damn thing with a performance that gives the sense of wobbling for eternity on a tightrope without ever quite falling off.

Jeremy Mathews · 4 out of 5
With her life crashing down around her, Linda attempts to navigate her child’s mysterious illness, her absent husband, a missing person, and an increasingly hostile relationship with her therapist.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Mary Bronstein; Writer: Mary Bronstein; Stars: Rose Byrne, Danielle Macdonald, Josh Pais, Daniel Zolghadri, Ivy Wolk, Conan O'Brien, A$AP Rocky, Helen Hong, Ella Beatty, Delaney Quinn, Mark Stolzenberg, Lark White, Eva Kornet)

Full review

Luger

Review preview for Luger

There is some excellent work here of the sort that gets under your skin without you noticing, so that when the film abruptly shifts gears in the final scene, it hits you all at once.

Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
Two desperate criminals navigate a dangerous industrial complex in real time, seeking redemption while facing mounting threats in this intense thriller.

(Country: Spain; Year: 2025; Director: Bruno Martín; Writer: Bruno Martín, Santiago Taboada; Stars: David Sainz, Mario Mayo, Ángel Acero, Ramiro Alonso, Ana Turpin)

Full review See: Interview with Bruno Martín and Santiago Taboada about Luger

Lunatic: The Luna Vachon Story

A documentary exploring the life, mental health, and career of longtime fan-favourite wrestler Luna Vachon as she struggles to balance being a wife, mother, and pioneer of legitimate women’s wrestling.

(Country: Canada; Year: 2025; Director: Kate Kroll)

Marama

Review preview for Marama

One of the most impressive films of the year to date.

Jennie Kermode · 5 out of 5
A young Māori woman travels to Victorian England after receiving a letter promising information about her birth parents. As she peels back the layers of colonial deceit, she is driven to avenge her shattered ancestry.

(Country: New Zealand/Aotearoa; Year: 2025; Director: Taratoa Stappard; Writer: Taratoa Stappard; Stars: Ariana Osborne, Toby Stephens, Umi Myers, Evelyn Towersey, Errol Shand)

Full review See: Interview with Taratoa Stappard about Marama, part 2 , Interview with Taratoa Stappard about Marama

Meat Kills

The night takes a dark turn when a group of activists break into a pig farm to free mistreated animals and find themselves face-to-face with an extremely angry farmer.

(Country: Netherlands; Year: 2025; Director: Martijn Smits; Writer: Paul de Vrijer; Stars: Caro Derkx, Sem Ben Yakar, Bart Oomen, Chardonnay Rillen)

Mother Of Flies

Review preview for Mother Of Flies

If there were any justice in the world, Toby Poser would be in the running for major awards for her performance.

Jennie Kermode · 5 out of 5
When a young woman faces a deadly diagnosis, she seeks dark magic from a witch in the woods - but every cure has costs

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser; Writer: John Adams, Zelda Adams, Toby Poser; Stars: Toby Poser, Zelda Adams, John Adams)

Full review See: Interview with Lulu Adams about Mother Of Flies

Nesting (Peau À Peau)

A new mother grappling with sleep deprivation and postpartum depression, finds herself unable to separate dream from reality. After she witnesses a violent hold-up in a convenience store, her already fragile psyche begins to crack.

(Country: Canada; Year: 2025; Director: Chloé Cinq-Mars; Stars: Rose-Marie Perreault)

Night Patrol

An LA cop discovers a local task force is hiding a secret that puts the residents of his childhood neighbourhood in danger.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Ryan Prows; Writer: Tim Cairo, Jake Gibson, Shaye Ogbonna; Stars: Dermot Mulroney, Justin Long, CM Punk, Nicki Micheaux)

Night Stage (Ato Noturno)

Review preview for Night Stage

The film is shot in gorgeous shades of noir by Luciana Baseggio, and has a deliciously dark, sultry score.

Jennie Kermode · 3.5 out of 5
An actor and a politician start an affair and discover a fetish for having sex in public places. The closer they get to their dreams, the more risk taking they become.

(Country: Brazil; Year: 2025; Director: Filipe Matzembacher, Marcio Reolon; Writer: Filipe Matzembacher, Marcio Reolon; Stars: Henrique Barreira, Gabriel Faryas, Cirillo Luna, Ivo Müller, Kaya Rodrigues, Larissa Sanguiné)

Full review

Obsession

Review preview for Obsession

Obsession is not just a real indicator of talent but an absolute treat.

Andrew Robertson · 4.5 out of 5
A desperate wish for love goes terribly wrong.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Curry Barker; Writer: Curry Barker; Stars: Inde Navarrette, Andy Richter, Chloe Breen, Michael Johnston, Darin Toonder, Megan Lawless)

Full review

Penance

A blood-soaked tale of brotherhood and retribution.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Nikolas Pelekai; Writer: Nikolas Pelekai, Jacob Stauff; Stars: Jewelianna Ramos-Ortiz, Bobby Hernandez, Miguel-Andres Garcia, Stephano Rodriguez)

The Piano Accident (L'Accident De Piano)

Magalie, a famous social media influencer, retreats to a chalet in the mountains after an accident occurs on the set of her latest video.

(Country: France; Year: 2025; Director: Quentin Dupieux; Writer: Quentin Dupieux; Stars: Adèle Exarchopoulos, Jérôme Commandeur, Sandrine Kiberlain, Karim Leklou, Morena Gosset, Gabin Visona)

The Plague

Review preview for The Plague

Borrowing tropes from horror, the film adds an uncanny undercurrent to its drama.

Jennie Kermode · 4.5 out of 5
At an all-boys water polo camp, a socially anxious 12-year-old is pulled into a cruel tradition targeting an outcast with an illness they call “The Plague.” But as the lines between game and reality blur, he fears the joke might be hiding something real.

(Country: Romania, US; Year: 2025; Director: Charlie Polinger; Writer: Charlie Polinger; Stars: Everett Blunck, Kenny Rasmussen, Lennox Espy, Joel Edgerton, Elliott Heffernan, Kayo Martin, Lucas Adler, Caden Burris, Kolton Lee)

Full review See: Interview with Kayo Martin and Everett Blunck about The Plague

Primate

Review preview for Primate

I didn't go in with high expectations but I was thrilled.

Andrew Robertson · 3.5 out of 5
Home from college, Lucy reunites with family including pet chimp Ben. Ben contracts rabies during a pool party and turns aggressive. Lucy and her friends barricade themselves in the pool, devising ways to survive the vicious chimp.

(Country: US; Year: 2026; Director: Johannes Roberts; Writer: Ernest Riera, Johannes Roberts; Stars: Kevin McNally, Johnny Sequoyah, Troy Kotsur, Jessica Alexander, Kae Alexander, Gia Hunter)

Full review

Reflection In A Dead Diamond (Reflet Dans Un Diamant Mort)

Review preview for Reflection In A Dead Diamond

For something so lovely, it is hard-edged, and it sparkles with visual wit.

Jennie Kermode · 4.5 out of 5
When the mysterious woman in the room next door disappears, a debonair 70-year-old ex-spy living in a luxury hotel on the Côte d’Azur is confronted by the demons and darlings of a lurid past in which moviemaking, memories and madness collide.

(Country: Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, France; Year: 2025; Director: Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani; Stars: Maria de Medeiros, Koen De Bouw, Fabio Testi, Yannick Renier, Barbara Hellemans, Thi Mai Nguyen, Céline Camara, Kezia Quintal)

Full review See: Interview with Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani about Reflection In A Dead Diamond

The Restoration At Grayson Manor

Review preview for The Restoration At Grayson Manor

Director/co-writer Glenn McQuaid uses larger than life cinematic tropes as a means of getting at his subject effectively.

Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
After losing both hands in an accident, Boyd Grayson becomes the prime candidate for an experimental replacement procedure in this queer, campy, erotic horror.

(Country: Ireland; Year: 2025; Director: Glenn McQuaid; Writer: Clay McLeod Chapman, Glenn McQuaid; Stars: Chris Colfer, Alice Krige, Daniel Adegboyega, Dedclan Reynolds, Gabriela Garcia Vargas, Matthew McMahon)

Full review See: Interview with Glenn McQuaid and Alice Krige about The Restoration At Grayson Manor

Road To Vendetta

From the mean streets of Hong Kong to the nightclubs of Tokyo, a lone unnamed assassin tears a bloody swathe through Asia’s neon-drenched underworld.

(Country: Hong Kong, Japan; Year: 2025; Director: NJO Kui Ying)

Shelby Oaks

Review preview for Shelby Oaks

Stuckmann and co-writer Sam Liz keep it all under tight control, even when the imagery suggests chaos or excess.

Jennie Kermode · 4.5 out of 5
A woman's desperate search for her long-lost sister falls into obsession upon realising that the imaginary demon from their childhood may have been real.

(Country: US; Year: 2024; Director: Chris Stuckmann; Writer: Sam Liz, Chris Stuckmann; Stars: Camille Sullivan, Sarah Durn, Michael Beach, Keith David, Brendan Sexton III)

Full review

Shrine Of Abominations

On the cursed world of Orbus Kaal, Gar-Gnargorath tries to invoke the cosmic horror forms of Demotep to begin his universal plans of revenge and domination.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Skinner, Ross Kennedy; Writer: Skinner, Ross Kennedy)

Silencio

Generations of vampires face persecution, meditate on the nature of human disease, and fall in love in this stylish, century-spanning tale of blood.

(Country: Spain; Year: 2025; Director: Eduardo Casanova)

Silver Screamers

A documentary about a group of spirited senior citizens making a horror film.

(Country: Canada; Year: 2025; Director: Sean Cisterna; Writer: Sean Cisterna; Stars: Diane Ament, Sonny Lauzon, Lucia Paterra Catania, Bari-Lynne Butters, David Swift, Anthony Garramone)

Sirât (Sirat)

Review preview for Sirât

The film looks amazing, but it sounds even more incredible.

Richard Mowe · 4 out of 5
A father arrives at a rave deep in the mountains of southern Morocco with his son, looking for his daughter who has been missing for months.

(Country: Spain, France; Year: 2025; Director: Óliver Laxe; Writer: Santiago Fillol, Óliver Laxe; Stars: Sergi López, Bruno Núñez)

Full review See: Interview with Kangding Ray about Sirât

Sisu: Road To Revenge

Review preview for Sisu: Road To Revenge

I was entertained, in much the same way but not to the same extent as the first outing.

Andrew Robertson · 2.5 out of 5
Returning to the house where his family was brutally murdered during the war, “the man who refuses to die” dismantles it, loads it on a truck, and is determined to rebuild it somewhere safe in their honour. When the Red Army commander who killed his family comes back hellbent on finishing the job, a relentless cross-country chase ensues

(Country: Finland; Year: 2025; Director: Jalmari Helander; Writer: Jalmari Helander; Stars: Jorma Tommila, Stephen Lang, Richard Brake, Einar Haraldsson, Jaako Hutchings, Ergo Küppas, Anton Klink)

Full review

Skyline: Warpath

Human resistance fighters take on alien invaders.

(Country: US, UK, Indonesia; Year: 2025; Director: Liam O'Donnell; Writer: Liam O’Donnell; Stars: Scott Adkins, Iko Uwais, Charlotte Vega, Louis Mandylor, Yayan Ruhian)

The Strangers: Chapter 2

On the final day of their cross country road trip, a couple's vehicle breaks down, forcing them to take refuge in a remote Airbnb. As night falls, three masked strangers terrorise them until dawn.

(Country: Spain, US; Year: 2025; Director: Renny Harlin; Writer: Alan R Cohen, Alan Freedland; Stars: Gabriel Basso, Richard Brake, Madelaine Petsch, Rachel Shenton, Emma Horvath, Froy Gutierrez)

Theater Is Dead

Review preview for Theater Is Dead

The first half is packed with clues and double entendres. The second becomes more about action.

Jennie Kermode · 3 out of 5
Sheltered Willow auditions for mysterious director Matthew's play, a Greek tragedy adaptation. Enthralled, she ignores dangers and undergoes self-discovery as the lead under his tutelage.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Katherine Dudas; Writer: Olivia Blue, Katherine Dudas, Madison Lawlor; Stars: Shane West, Madison Lawlor, Colin McCalla, Stephanie Suganami, Decker Sadowski, Olivia Blue, Tammy Tavares)

Full review

Tie Man

A psychotronic vigilante revenge rollercoaster.

(Country: Canada; Year: 2024; Director: Rémi Fréchette; Writer: Jerome Clutier, Rémi Fréchett; Stars: Catherine Beauchemin, Jérémie Earp, Peter Seaborne, Catherine R Jeannotte, Charlotte Poitras)

The Tree Of Knowledge (A Árvore Do Conhecimento)

Review preview for The Tree Of Knowledge

The Tree Of Knowledge is handsomely shot, intelligent, self-conscious and unabashedly peculiar.

Jennie Kermode · 3.5 out of 5
Gaspard, a teenager from the suburbs of Lisbon, falls into the hands of the Ogre, a man who has made a pact with the Devil.

(Country: Portugal, France; Year: 2025; Director: Eugène Green; Writer: Eugène Green; Stars: Paul Williams Donovan, Rui Pedro Silva, Leonor Silveira, Ana Moreira, João Arrais)

Full review

A Useful Ghost (Pee Chai Dai Ka)

Review preview for A Useful Ghost

Not only ambitious – a term often used to damn films with faint praise – but successfully so.

Amber Wilkinson · 4.5 out of 5
March is mourning his wife Nat who has recently passed away due to dust pollution. He discovers her spirit has returned by possessing the vacuum cleaner. But to become a useful ghost, she first needs to get rid of the useless ones.

(Country: Thailand; Year: 2025; Director: Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke; Writer: Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke; Stars: Wanlop Rungkumjad, Wisarut Himmarat, Apasiri Nitibhon, Wisarut Homhuan)

Full review See: Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke on mixing things up in A Useful Ghost

V/H/S/Halloween

Review preview for V/H/S/Halloween

With a wrap-around story by Scotland’s own short film maestro Bryan M Ferguson, we are guaranteed at least some high quality entertainment.

Jennie Kermode · 2 out of 5
A collection of Halloween-themed videotapes unleashes a series of twisted, blood-soaked tales, turning trick-or-treat into a struggle for survival.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Bryan M Ferguson, Casper Kelly, Micheline Pitt-Norman & RH Norman, Alex Ross Perry, Paco Plaza, Anna Zlokovic; Writer: Bryan M Ferguson, RH Norman, Micheline Pitt, Anna Zlokovic; Stars: Lawson Greyson, Riley Nottingham, Isabella Feliciana, Jenna Hogan, Samantha Cochran, Juliana Danielle Ferreira, Bianca Thomson, Layton Khan)

Full review

Vicious

A woman spends the night fighting for her existence as she slips down a rabbit hole contained inside a gift from a late-night visitor.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Bryan Bertino; Writer: Bryan Bertino; Stars: Dakota Fanning, Rachel Blanchard, Kathryn Hunter, Mary McCormackMichaeln Abbot Jr, Devon Nekoda)

The Vile (Hoba)

Review preview for The Vile

Heavy layered with meaning, the film shifts uncertainly underfoot, deliberately discomfiting viewers.

Jennie Kermode · 4.5 out of 5
Amani's peaceful life as a wife and mother shatters when her husband brings home a second wife, unleashing mysterious dark forces into their household.

(Country: US, UAE; Year: 2025; Director: Majid Al Ansari; Writer: Majid Al Ansari, Johnnie Alward; Stars: Bdoor Mohammad, Sarah Taibah, Iman Tarik, Jasem Alkharraz, Samira Al Wahaibi)

Full review See: Interview with Majid Al Ansari about The Vile

When We Were Live

Austin, Texas is home to the oldest continuously operating public access TV station in the country, and this documentary celebrates the original creators who made the station such a vibrant, unique community.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: John Spottswood Moore; Stars: Keith Kritselis, Charlie Sotelo, Dave Prewitt, Anita Stech, Sue Sende Cole)

Whistle

A misfit group of unwitting high school students stumble upon a cursed object, an ancient Aztec Death Whistle. They discover that blowing the whistle and the terrifying sound it emits will summon their future deaths to hunt them down.

(Country: Canada, Ireland; Year: 2025; Director: Corin Hardy; Writer: Owen Egerton; Stars: Percy Hynes White, Nick Frost, Dafne Keen, Sophie Nélisse, Stephen Kalyn, Ali Stovbye)

A Woman Called Mother

Vira and her family move to a new city for a fresh start after a difficult few years, but the demon following them will force them to confront their most primal fears.

(Country: Indonesia; Year: 2025; Director: Randolph Zaini)