There’s nothing quite like the particular kind of disappointment that comes from walking into a film excited and walking out questioning how it ever got made. That was the mood leaving Haunted Heist, Lil Rel Howery’s directorial debut, which premiered this week at Fantastic Fest. What should have been a clever, high-energy mix of heist… Continue reading FANTASTIC FEST2025: Haunted Heist- one of the most painfully misguided and awkward screenings I’ve attended in years
Month: September 2025
Fantastic Fest 2025: Sirāt Delivers Breathtaking Tension
I was not at all prepared for this movie. I was offered a guaranteed ticket and reserved seat, so I couldn’t pass up the chance to experience a film that would absolutely blow my mind. Though I read the synopsis offered by Fantastic Fest, I had no idea what kind of experience I would have.… Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2025: Sirāt Delivers Breathtaking Tension
Fantastic Fest Review: Quentin Dupieux’s Dark Comedy Satire is Spot-On
About: A social media star, Magalie Moreau (Adèle Exarchopoulos) often shoots videos that go viral and keeps going to “test” various items that include her body as the test site. As a youngster, she began with some items that caught people’s attention, then gradually moved on to more shocking ones. She has vast numbers of… Continue reading Fantastic Fest Review: Quentin Dupieux’s Dark Comedy Satire is Spot-On
Fantastic Fest 2025: PRIMATE
The 20th Anniversary version of Austin’s Fantastic Fest kicked off with a movie that was sure to whet the appetites of festival attendees with a feast of horror, gore, and humor. The movie is Primate, a film about a chimpanzee infected with rabies that attacks a group of unsuspecting teenagers partying at a parents’ paradise… Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2025: PRIMATE
FANTASTIC FEST 2025: Silver Screamers – a breath of fresh air — a warm hug in cinematic form
After several days of watching dark thrillers, grim horror films, and cynical dramas at Fantastic Fest, Silver Screamers felt like a breath of fresh air — a warm hug in cinematic form. As someone who’s 66 myself, I wasn’t just watching this documentary; I was deeply feeling it. It’s rare to see people my age… Continue reading FANTASTIC FEST 2025: Silver Screamers – a breath of fresh air — a warm hug in cinematic form
FANTASTIC FEST 2025: Luger – lures viewers in with a grin before hitting square in the chest
Bruno Martín’s Luger is the kind of film that lures viewers in with a grin before hitting square in the chest. It opens with an almost breezy rhythm — Toni and Rafa, stepbrothers and fixers for hire, spend their days doing the dirty work rich clients would rather not be caught doing themselves. Whether it’s cleaning up… Continue reading FANTASTIC FEST 2025: Luger – lures viewers in with a grin before hitting square in the chest
FANTASTIC FEST 2025: The Forbidden City – an excellent “spaghetti” martial arts film
Gabriele Mainetti’s The Forbidden City was one of the most distinctive films I saw at this year’s Fantastic Fest, a sharp and confident entry that blends multiple genres into something strikingly original. Best described as a “spaghetti martial arts” film, it combines the choreography and intensity of classic kung fu cinema with the grit and atmosphere of… Continue reading FANTASTIC FEST 2025: The Forbidden City – an excellent “spaghetti” martial arts film
HIM -never rises above these flashes of potential
Some movies feel like they’ve been built around a killer idea that simply doesn’t survive once the lights go down. Him is one of those films. It has all the ingredients for a creepy, genre-bending sports thriller: a promising young player invited into the inner circle of a living football legend, an isolated training compound… Continue reading HIM -never rises above these flashes of potential
London Calling -part buddy comedy, part coming-of-age story, and part slapstick shoot-’em-up
Sometimes a movie doesn’t quite know what it wants to be, and that’s both the strength and weakness of Allan Ungar’s latest film, London Calling. On paper, it’s a crime story about a burned-out hitman who flees the UK after a job gone wrong, only to end up working for a new crime boss. His… Continue reading London Calling -part buddy comedy, part coming-of-age story, and part slapstick shoot-’em-up
Crítica de cine: HIM – Desafortunadamente, el guion es insuficiente para las buenas escenas
Alguien que conozco se refirió a esta película como “la película de fútbol” cuando luchaba por recordar el título. Sí, se trata de fútbol y de un joven con una carrera prometedora, pero es una película de horror. Hay una escena de un joven mariscal de campo, Cameron Cade (Tyriq Withers, Sé lo que hicisteis… Continue reading Crítica de cine: HIM – Desafortunadamente, el guion es insuficiente para las buenas escenas