FrightFest — A–Z of films

Forster pours himself into the role as if it were Oscar-worthy material, playing it with dedication and sincerity throughout, and this gives the film a touch of class even in its silliest moments.

Baron, who at just 18-years-old is a prodigy by anyone’s standards, weaves a tapestry of Lynchian threads through this gorgeously presented film but ends up with something which works on its own merits.

There’s some beautiful framing in this film, which looks as if it was made on a much bigger budget than was really the case.

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

If it sometimes feels like Wan's falling back on the tricks of the trade, he's also often able to spin something unexpected out of the familiar.

Occam’s razor is badly needed here.

Erlenwein deserves praise for his lean and lithe set-up that keeps delivering surprises.

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

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

A fascinating portrait of a cinematic era which will leave those who remain martial arts fans with a lot of titles to hunt down.

At 12, Regan was a helpless child in 1973; in today's world we instinctively grant her more agency so the territory between self and demon becomes more obscure.

It’s a gem of a role for Raimi, who delivers the smooth talk and captures the high flying businessman look perfectly but shows us the human being behind them.

Although it falls apart a bit at the end, this is a superior effort from Bloomquist.

Good Boy addresses a commonplace kind of horror which we too often fail to spot even when there is every opportunity to see it coming.

It has been 38 years since anything has shaken up the genre quite like Herd.

The focus really seems to be on ensuring that the audience has a good time, whilst the cast and crew are clearly doing so themselves.

Dark family secrets and a desire to defray guilt at any cost underscore an eerie ghost story which hits harder because everything is so immediate.

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

Though it might seem to be all over the place – structurally as well as thematically – there’s a tight control underlying Hostile Dimensions which pretty much holds it together and delivers a satisfying story.

A simple but compelling dynamic... the execution is superb.

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.

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.

You’re likely to come way with a sizeable to-watch list at the end.

Unashamedly quirky but burtsting with the love of film, this is the sort of one-off doc that’s as much about the engaging playfulness of its construction as it is the content.

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.

Campbell is perfectly cast. She has sufficient physicality to make one believe that she could cope with this demanding job, yet there’s a nerviness about her whole body reminiscent of prey animals.

There are so many great stories surrounding Cliff that it’s clear director Jake West was spoilt for choice.

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.

Warm-hearted, atmospheric and joyously, ridiculously gory when occasion calls for it.

Vesely’s camera directs our attention very effectively and makes use of every aspect of the small set.

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.

Warren keeps the effects simple and trusts in Lincoln’s acting to do the rest.

The use of sparse but spacious landscapes enhances both story and themes, with small farms and towns clinging to the earth in defiance of the elements, humble before distant mountains.

There are, as it were, multiple dimensions to Aaron and Aiden Truss’ deliciously creepy little film.

Jenkins is good, doing a lot with what she’s given. The weak link in the film is Hurley.

Edwards’ triumph lies in the way he weaves together the nightmarish figure of Punch with the spirit of a town where people tear down their phone mast for fear of being infected by 5G, and where they tear down one another as a matter of course.

Raging Grace is a Gothic thriller with the potential to appeal to a wide audience. It’s also a fierce critique of the racism embedded in a culture which still treats it as normal for some perfectly capable people to be waited on by others, and to treat them as less than human in the process.

The use of visual techniques borrowed from giallo helps to communicate Clari’s growing sense of horror, her sudden inability to escape from something which she had previously learned not to think about.

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.

Wexler makes a number of interesting directorial choices.

It’s the sort of story rarely told in cinema today, and one which seems destined to attract a cult following.

The two leads have good chemistry...and it’s really this which drives the film.

It feels like a natural successor to Gordon’s work, and a film of which he would have been proud.

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

It promises a lot more than it delivers.

Thorns is one of those horror films which will hit a lot harder if you have been raised in or around Catholicism, or if you have a strong belief in Hell.

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

A deceptively smart, layered piece of work.

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

A beautifully crafted piece of period Gothic.