What is arguably the most popular genre film festival returned to Austin, Texas, during the last two weeks of September. Hosted by the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar (in Austin, Texas), Fantastic Fest 2024 treated its attendants to a diverse array of films and tantalizing teases of television programs that are due to be released soon, if not now. I had the pleasure and stress of attending this year’s version of the fest, and I must say that I had a great time.
Though not everything I watched was extraordinary, it is always exciting to discover fun and interesting content within the realm of genre cinema and television. As a fan of the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin and what they have to offer in entertainment and the arts, I enthusiastically attended this month’s festival and have some definite favorites. After personally attending twenty screenings of both cinematic and television varieties, here are my top ten picks from this year’s festival.
- Anora: Sean Baker’s latest examination of real people in America where a young sex worker remains undaunted in her journey to find both success and love on her terms.
- The Wild Robot: Universal’s/Dreamwork Animation’s animated offering examines how motherhood can emerge from even the most pragmatic personalities.
- Will & Harper: True friendship should never change the conditions of that relationship, considering that said friend is the best person they can be, and this change makes the other friend an even better person.
- A Different Man: Looks are not everything. Every person, regardless of who they really are or how they appear, still has flaws and struggles that will remain, even if they are more appealing visually.
- Better Man is a biopic of British singer Robbie Williams, in which he is portrayed as a chimpanzee. Bold and inventive, this film defies all expectations of musical artist biopics and works well because of its exciting choices.
- The Apprentice: Regardless, of how one feels about one Donald J. Trump, this movie details how he became the person that is now one of our presidential candiates this year. That is not to say that it portrays him completely favorably, but it does offer audiences context about how he became the personality that is constantly making headlines, for better or worse.
- Saturday Night: An ingenious creative mind works stressfully and feverishly to make his dream come true on a night when his sketch comedy show can either make or break his career. He must deal with various technical problems, an out-of-control cast, and a network that wants him to fail.
- Ghost Killer: A mostly meek young woman gets possessed by the spirit of an assassin who wants to discover the truth behind his own killing. Both funny and thrilling, Ghost Killer is a fun comedic/action flick.
- Get Away: In this comedy spoof that references vacation horror, actor Nick Frost and his main co-stars portray a family visiting a Swedish island to witness a reenactment of a horrendous event. This movie totally surprised me and was an absolute blast, adding a delightful element of surprise to the festival.
- The Creep Tapes: Fans of Creep and Creep 2 are in for a treat. The first three episodes of this horror series further develop the franchise with installments detailing the activities of Mark Duplass’ killer character, who loves to don a werewolf mask that he calls Peachfuzz. Duplass is outstanding, as always, and I cannot wait to finish the first season of this series.