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Festival coverage

FrightFest

24 August – 28 August 2023

Opening with the UK première of Joe Lynch's wonderfully visceral Suitable Flesh, which will be attended by legendary star Barbara Crampton, this year's FrightFest is packed full of delicious treats for those of a macabre inclination. Sponsored by pioneering technology & entertainment company Pigeon Shrine, it has a great line-up showcasing some of this year's hottest titles, plus the usual array of special events and opportunities to meet the filmmakers which fans won't want to miss.

The festival runs from 24 to 28 August.

Other years (19)

Box office and information

Latest reviews

  • Hood Witch
    Review preview for Hood Witch

    It’s the acting that carries it, and naturally Farahani, one of the finest talents of her generation, does not disappoint.

    Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
    A woman earns a living by smuggling exotic animals and illegal goods, developing a mobile app that links users with mystical marabout healers, but one of the user's consultations takes a tragic turn, preciptitaing a violent backlash.
  • Lore
    Review preview for Lore

    Throughout, the performances are solid, the lighting and sound work good, and the writer/director teams well synchronised, making the whole thing flow smoothly despite the changes in style.

    Jennie Kermode · 3.5 out of 5
    On a weekend trip to Scotland, four scare-loving friends book a ghostly horror-themed camping excursion. That night around the campfire, their guide encourages them to tell the most twisted stories that they know and to burn a totem that will help feed the evil that lives there. Tales of sinister spirits, demons lurking in the shadows and the truest forms of malevolence emerge.
  • 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.
  • The Moor
    Review preview for The Moor

    Cronin... perfectly captures the atmosphere of the little houses clustered around the moor, the distinctive quality of the light within them, the way that they feel like a small bastion of safety against the vastness of night.

    Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
    Claire was just a child when her best friend was abducted and murdered. 25 years later, Bill, the dead boy's father, has a plan to learn the truth about what really happened. With the help of psychic Eleanor, they venture deep into a haunted moor to find his son’s supposed resting place. But they find more than just the ghosts of dead children, for something dark and evil stirs at their presence.
  • The Drowned
    Review preview for The Drowned

    Calton makes a good lead, finding a vulnerable side to Eric’s character despite his Herculean feats.

    Jennie Kermode · 3.5 out of 5
    After stealing a priceless painting, three men arrive at a secluded safe house by the sea to discover their fourth accomplice missing. Was one of them responsible, or is there a more sinister presence lurking at the water's edge?
  • Superposition
    Review preview for Superposition

    Whilst there is an element of science fiction here, co-writer/director Karoline Lyngbye focuses on the psychological possibilities that it opens up.

    Jennie Kermode · 4.5 out of 5
    A couple and their young son choose to move to a remote cabin in the Danish Forest for an experiment in off-grid living, with no human contact for a year. When they encounter another family in the forest, identical to themselves in almost every way, the fabric of their identities faces a test.
  • To Fire You Come At Last
    Review preview for To Fire You Come At Last

    Coloured with rural folklore, this black and white take on the experience on 17th Century life is deeply English in its sensibilities.

    Jennie Kermode · 3.5 out of 5
    In rural 17th century England, a group of men gather to carry a coffin on the long walk to the local graveyard for burial. A great deal of ancient folklore and superstition surrounds the pathway to the church, and several of the party are afraid to walk it after dark.
  • Cobweb
    Review preview for Cobweb

    If there's a key to unlocking the mystery it's pretty clearly signposted, shining even.

    Andrew Robertson · 2.5 out of 5
    Eight-year-old Peter is plagued by a mysterious, constant tap, tap from inside his bedroom wall – a tapping his parents insist is all in his imagination. His concerned schoolteacher starts making enquiries after Peter shows clear evidence of trouble at home. But as Peter’s fear intensifies, he believes that his parents could be hiding a terrible, dangerous secret.
  • I Am Monsters!
    Review preview for I Am Monsters!

    Vince has a good supply of stories, from the industry and from other areas of life. Together they paint a very personal portrait of an era.

    Jennie Kermode · 3.5 out of 5
    A personal story about growing up with horror films and coping as a gay man under Thatcherism.

A–Z of FrightFest 2023 reviews

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