It’s beginning to look like Fantastic Fest time, which is evident as I see the calendar and realize the best time of the year is approaching—September 19th-26th in Austin, Texas. This will be my eighth year attending, and every year I’m reminded of a friend telling me that once I go, I’ll never want to stop. He was right; I really do feel like I’ve found my tribe at Fantastic Fest. It’s the perfect time for friends and some of the best damn movies. Featuring over eighty films, Fantastic Fest is not about what you want to see, but rather what you discover. But I can’t make that list. Instead, I’ve found eleven movies that are my must-sees, so without any more ado, here’s that list.
Anora – Director Sean Baker Anora, a young sex worker from Brooklyn, gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled. I am a big Sean Baker fan and love his films, especially Tangerine and Red Rocket. So all I needed was his name attached to this, and I’m so happy it’s playing at the fest this year.
Bring Them Down – Director Christopher Andrews Christopher Abbott and Barry Keoghan lock horns as the sons of two warring Irish shepherding dynasties. I don’t need to know anything else about this film other than the opening sentence. Abbott and Keoghan are two of the best out there right now, so I’m already seated for this one.
Cloud – Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa Ryosuke makes his living as an online wholesaler, flipping goods from desperate sellers for a profit. As his business grows, so does his paranoia. Auteur Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s latest is another masterful examination of dread and contagion in modern Japan. If you have ever seen Cure (1997), then you already know why this is on the list, as I will never miss a film from Kurosawa.
Daniela Forever – Director Nacho Vigalondo Nicolas mourns his dead girlfriend in a unique way—by taking an experimental drug that allows him to relive his memories when he dreams. One thing I learned quickly at Fantastic Fest is that we love our own, and Nacho is one of us. So of course, his new movie will be on this list, and it has Henry Golding, so you know it’s going to be a banger.
I, the Executioner – Director Ryoo Seung-wan The veteran detective Seo Do-cheol (HWANG Jung-min) and his team at Major Crimes, relentless in their pursuit of criminals, join forces with rookie cop Park Sun-woo (JUNG Hae-in) to track down a serial killer who has plunged the nation into turmoil. If you have seen Seung-wan’s last film Smugglers, then you know why this is here, plus I just love South Korean cinema.
Ick – Director Joseph Kahn A high school science teacher (Brandon Routh) does battle with a parasitic alien entity, as well as the apathy of the small town it has been gradually absorbing. A new Joseph Kahn movie? You had me there. The last film I saw at the fest by Kahn, Bodied, was one of the best experiences I have ever had watching a movie in a theater, so of course, I will be there for this.
The Rule of Jenny Pen – Director James Ashcroft Admitted into a state care facility, Geoffrey Rush engages in a battle of wits with his deranged tormentor, John Lithgow. If you haven’t figured it out yet, sometimes it doesn’t take much to make me want to see something. So when you add Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow in a film from the director of Coming Home in the Dark, you can say I am home indeed.
Steppenwolf – Director Adilkhan Yerzhanov Set against a ravaged dystopian wasteland, a ruthless killer joins forces with a traumatized young mother in the search for her missing son in this hard-hitting, genre-bending B-movie from Kazakh auteur Adilkhan Yerzhanov. This sounds like pure fun and may I say the perfect Fantastic Fest movie.
Terrifier 3 – Director Damien Leone Art the Clown is set to unleash chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve. Art the Clown in a Christmas movie? You don’t need to say anything more. Once again, another fantastic movie experience that I had previously at the fest with Terrifier 2, so you know I have to see this there.
What Happened to Dorothy Bell? – Director Danny Villanueva Jr. Years after a terrifying attack by her grandmother, Ozzie returns to her hometown in an attempt to understand her own mental illness and the supernatural being haunting her family. This simply sounds like a good movie and something I hope lives up to the feeling I have about it.
The Wild Robot – Director Chris Sanders After a shipwreck, an intelligent robot named Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island and must learn to adapt to the harsh environment, gradually bonding with the island’s animals and becoming the adoptive parent of an orphaned gosling. I have been seeing this trailer for a bit now, and I love a good animated film like the next guy, so count me in for this one.
