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Fantastic Fest consistently offers its participants a diverse and entertaining selection of films, often featuring a wild and unusual variety. Coyotes is an utterly absurd film, but it is usually funny and sometimes suspenseful. It is a B-movie that makes no pretensions about what it is delivering, and that, alone, is part of the fun.… Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2025: COYOTES Delivers B-Movie Amusement

The Vile is the latest intense horror/psychological thriller from acclaimed Emirati filmmaker and genre master Majid Al Ansari (Zinzana, The Intruder, “Paranormal” series). The alum of Fantastic Fest made his 2025 return with the world premiere of The Vile, shot entirely on 16mm film. His debut feature was Zinzana (Rattle The Cage) in 2015. The… Continue reading Fantastic Fest 2025: The Vile from Emirati Filmmaker wins Best Horror Film

Some films don’t just unfold before you — they draw you in and refuse to let go. Premiering at Fantastic Fest 2025, Sirāt, the latest from director Óliver Laxe, is one of those rare, compelling cinematic experiences. Shot with hypnotic beauty by cinematographer Mauro Herce, the film follows Luis (Sergi López, in one of his… Continue reading FANTASTIC FEST 2025: Sirāt – draws you in and refuses to let go

Premiering at Fantastic Fest 2025, Appofeniacs is the kind of horror film that sneaks under your skin and stays long after the credits roll. On the surface, it might appear as a blood-soaked spectacle — and yes, there’s plenty of viscera on display — but the true horror runs much deeper, in the ideas that… Continue reading FANTASTIC FEST – APPOFENIACS: the true horror runs much deeper, in the ideas that pulse beneath its gore

Bob is a washed-up revolutionary living in a haze of stoned paranoia, off-grid with his spirited and self-reliant daughter, Willa. When his evil nemesis resurfaces and Willa goes missing, the former radical races against time to find her as both father and daughter face the repercussions of their pasts. One Battle After Another was among… Continue reading FANTASTIC FEST 2025: One Battle After Another- ambitious, bold, and often wildly entertaining

Some movies make you rethink a bad haircut. “Bad Haircut,” which premiered at Fantastic Fest 2025, makes you reconsider stepping foot in a barbershop ever again. On the surface, Kyle Misak’s debut appears to be a quirky indie thriller about a guy trying to reinvent himself with a new look — but once the scissors… Continue reading FANTASTIC FEST – Bad Haircut: Animal House meets Texas Chain Saw Massacre

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

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