[Fantasia ’24] What to look forward to at Fantasia

The Fantasia Film Festival begins this week. As usual, there are plenty of great genre offerings from around the world. So what should those attending the event prioritize? From a werewolf movie starring a Game of Thrones alum to shorts about dealing with children with powers, here are the movies we are looking forward to at Fantasia.

Birdcage (Short)

Few settings are as frightening as medical institutions. Especially the ones from decades past. Taking place in the 1950s, this short is about supernatural children who are being euthanized by frightened doctors. The idea of adults being afraid of kids with powers is nothing new, but this looks to be a dark take on the idea. 

Black Eyed Susan (World Premiere)

With AI becoming a bigger part of the public consciousness, there have been more stories to warn people about its potential dangers. Black Eyed Susan is a bold film that looks at how it can fulfill desires. The plot follows a a man who is testing a sexual doll who enjoys receiving sexual abuse and whose AI evolves through the treatment.

Cuckoo (Montreal Premiere)

Hunter Schafer from Euphoria stars as a teenager named Gretchen who moves to the German Alps to live with her father. Her family soon becomes embroiled in a sinister plot. The latest from director Tillman Singer’s combines body horror, tension, and perverted science.  

Dirty Bad Wrong (Short)

Dirty Bad Wrong is about a young mother named Sid who wants to keep the promise she made to her daughter. The six year old wants to have a superhero part. She books a last minute appointment with a client with a dark fetish. The realist drama soon takes a horrific twist.

Faces (Short)

Filmmaker Blake Simon puts a stylish spin on a popular horror premise. Following the disappearance of a local girl, Judy is invited to a fraternity party. She is ready for a night of drinking and fun. A mysterious and deadly entity soon appears and brings violent consequences to anyone who crosses its path.

Hunter Loading (Short)

Films about social media are some of the most relatable and powerful. Hunter Loading certainly could be taken straight from real life. The plot revolves around a man who exposes his friend’s wife’s infidelity on TikTok. This leads to an escalation of rage. And it is all going viral.

In Our Blood (World Premiere)

What starts as an intimate documentary becomes gothic horror. Emily plans to make a film about the reunion she is having with her mother after having been estranged for ten years. When her mother disappears, Emily must work together with her cinematographer and pieced together the increasingly sinister clues.

The Beast Within (World Premiere)

For as popular as werewolves are, movies centered around them never get the attention they deserve. Starring Game of Throne’s Kit Harrington may alleviate some of this for The Beast Within. The story about a young girl who learns about her family’s dark secret is a familiar one, but that is part of the charm in these types of films.

Witchboard (World Premiere)

Witchboard from 1986 is a cult classic that has been the subject of critical analysis, spawned two sequels, and has been featured on The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs. The 2024 remake directed by Chuck Russell takes the story to New Orleans and establishes its own mythology. 

The Fantasia International Film Festival takes places from July 18 – August 4. Check out the latest news HERE