Fantastic Fest closed out its week-long festivities in a hilarious hurrah with Ruben Östlund’s latest Palme d’Or winning feature, Triangle Of Sadness. This wickedly funny satire gleefully capsizes the traditional social hierarchy whilst taking big scathing bites out of the rich. It’s truly a sight to behold — and it’s one that ranks amongst the best this year has to offer.
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Parker Finn’s feature film debut, Smile, kicked off this year’s Fantastic Fest, where the film received its world premiere. The film is the latest in the “transferrable curse” subgenre, which it uses to make a statement on trauma. It doesn’t do anything new, but everything it does, it does in an effective manner.
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Following the success of his indie feature Sister Tempest, New Orleans writer/director Joe Badon is back, and he’s brought his next wild and wacky vision to Fantastic Fest! Paired with Alex Phillips’ All Jacked Up And Full Of Worms, which screened in the festivals “Burnt Ends” section, Badon’s short, The Blood Of The Dinosaurs, delivered the surrealistic comedy goods and properly primed Fantastic Fest audiences at Tuesday’s afternoon screening.
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Featuring a mesmerizingly unhinged performance from Mia Goth, Pearl tells the vibrant and violent origin story of X’s villain. Dressed up in technicolor and dripping with melodrama, the film takes viewers for a weird and wacky ride, but much like its predecessor, it’s a little light on X-factor.
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Director Tom George makes his feature film debut with the light and breezy whodunit See How They Run. Working from a script by Mark Chappell, the film takes on an Agatha Christie inspired stroll through well-trodden whodunit terrain.
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From Miss March co-writer and co-director Zach Cregger comes the horror thriller Barbarian. This delightfully unpredictable and twisted rollercoaster ride is one of the most exciting horror films of the year — and it’s all the more surprising considering it comes from one of The Whitest Kids U’ Know. Barbarian is better the less you know, so do yourself a favor and save this review until after you’ve seen the film.
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The Lure director Agnieszka Smoczyńska returns with her third feature The Silent Twins. Based on the strange and tragic lives of June and Jennifer Gibbons, the film paints a visually vivid but narratively broad portrait of its real-life figures, their voluntary silence, vibrant creativity, and eventual institutionalization.
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Owen Kline makes his directorial debut with the raunchy coming-of-age romp, Funny Pages. Taking inspiration from illustrations of R. Crumb, Peter Bagge, and Daniel Clowes, the film is chock full of interesting faces, comedic cringe, and seedy silliness. It’s a grimy good time, and one of the year’s funniest flicks!
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Bodies Bodies Bodies is the sophomore effort from Dutch filmmaker Halina Reijn. Working from the debut screenplay from Kristen Roupenian, Reijn whips up an entertaining satire-cum-murder mystery that skewers the Gen Z social media culture.Elevated by its cast, this well-paced, snarky whodunit offers fun and games but isn’t quite sharp enough to break the skin.
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Following his debut 10 Cloverfield Lane, director Dan Trachtenberg returns with another fresh take on franchise IP. With Prey, he sets his sights on the Predator franchise, and he proves there’s still neon-green blood to be spilled. With a badass protagonist and some entertaining thrills, the film marks the closest the franchise has ever come to capture the glory of the original.
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Director David Leitch returns with the comedy action flick Bullet Train. The film takes audiences on a bumpy and sluggish ride full of messy mayhem and gratuitous flashbacks. About the only funny thing about it is how Pitt becomes a literal passenger in more than one sense.
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After receiving an Oscar nomination for his screenplay collaboration on Joachim Trier’s The Worst Person In The World, Eskil Vogt returns with the grounded and gripping supernatural thriller, The Innocents. With steady hands and clear-eyed focus, the film thoughtfully examines the dark fascinations and curiosities of children to surprising and effective ends. One thing’s for sure: the magic of childhood has never been this compelling or terrifying.
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B.J. Novak makes his directorial debut with Vengeance, a black comedy with a murder mystery at its center. With ample ambition, the film confidently attempts to grapple with our modern times, and while its satire is often sharp, its eyes wind up being bigger than its stomach. Bless its little heart!
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The long wait is finally over! Nope, the next exciting vision from Jordan Peele, is finally here, and it’s sure to take audiences for an entertaining and unexpected ride. This go around, Peele creates fear out of open spaces and will certainly have you looking at clouds in a different light. It will be hard to avert your eyes, but look at your own risk; this spectacle may just suck you up and spit you out.
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Dooley Does Murder marks the second short film by L.A.-based writer/director Dawn Storey. Following their debut, LiME, Dawn not only steps into a new genre entirely (that of campy horror), but they also step out from behind the camera as well, delivering a gleefully loony performance as the titular Dooley.
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Dean Fleischer-Camp makes his feature film debut with the charmingly cutesy mockumentary, Marcel The Shell With Shoes On. Based off the YouTube short that became an internet sensation, the film takes audiences on a hilariously heartfelt and ambitious little adventure that’s sure to win over even the coldest and most closed off of hearts.
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Following the massive success of Mad Max: Fury Road, Aussie writer/director George Miller returns with Three Thousand Years Of Longing, another visual stunner that boasts transportive qualities. It might not fulfill all your wishes, but the amount of potent cinema Miller bottles up into its modest runtime is certainly a commendable feat that dazzles more than it frustrates.
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We’ve got the early insight on Harley Chamandy’s third short film, Where It’s Beautiful Where It Rains, which will be screening on July 29th at Fantasia Festival. Featuring an astounding performance from the young Benjamin Pajak, who is currently starring in a Broadway production of The Music Man alongside Hugh Jackman, Where It’s Beautiful When It Rains is a deeply profound delight that’s overflowing with infectious charm and optimism.
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36 years after we first entered the “Danger Zone,” it’s time to get back on that highway, climb back into the cockpit, and take to the air with Top Gun: Maverick. This slick and stylish legacy sequel honors the vibe of Tony Scott’s original, delivering a blast of throwback action thrills and a IV drip of nostalgia, but it also pulls some serious Gs in the process, surpassing its predecessor with wildly brazen gusto.
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The Burglary is the latest project from UK writer/director Michael Houghton. The short film takes viewers on a surrealist and atmospheric ride that will have your head spinning.
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