It’s the 20th year of the world’s best genre film festival, and the week-long adventure of great movies and great times is almost here. For me, this will be year nine of attending, and honestly, it’s my favorite week of the year. With the fest hitting such a milestone, my expectations are high—and looking over the lineup, I can say they’ve already been met. There are indeed some wild and fantastic films to choose from.
This year’s slate features around eighty-six movies (give or take a few). While I’d love to see them all, it’s best to narrow down the “must-sees.” My list is still long, but instead of boring you with everything, here are the ten films I can’t wait to watch at this year’s fest:
1. Sisu: Road to Revenge
Back in 2022, Jalmari Helander introduced us to Sisu (Aatami Korpi), a man who wanted no trouble but ended up giving Nazi soldiers more than they bargained for. We’re all for kicking Nazi ass, and with its over-the-top violence, Sisu was a hit. Now the gang is back, and this time Sisu is out for revenge. Returning home to honor his murdered family, he’s forced into another fight when the man responsible comes to finish the job. Honestly, I don’t need to know much more—this trailer promises more brutal action, and I’m ready for revenge.
2. A Useful Ghost
Sometimes it doesn’t take much to get me excited. Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke’s A Useful Ghost is about…a ghost that possesses a vacuum cleaner. That alone sounds like movie heaven to me. Of course, the story goes deeper, promising to “balance visual whimsy with sobering environmental themes and emotional depth.” That’s more than enough reason for me to be in my seat.
3. Coyotes
Last year, we all saw news footage of the wildfires tearing through California. Being caught in one would be harrowing enough, but director Colin Minihan ups the stakes by adding a pack of savage coyotes into the mix. Coyotes follows one family’s fight for survival against both threats. Do I really need to say more? I’m all in.
4. Deathstalker
Steven Kostanski is a name I’ve come to associate with pure fun—this is the guy behind Psycho Goreman and Frankie Freako. So of course Deathstalker makes my list. A reboot of the 1983 cult classic, it follows an ex-soldier roaming a kingdom and scavenging, only to get saddled with something important (and cursed). Adventure and chaos ensue. With Kostanski at the helm, I expect a bloody good time.
5. If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
I’ve heard nothing but raves about this film, especially for Rose Byrne, who’s already getting awards buzz. Written and directed by Mary Bronstein, it tells the story of Linda (Byrne), whose life unravels as she deals with her child’s mysterious illness, a missing person, an absent husband, and a hostile relationship with her therapist. That’s a lot to handle—and judging by the trailer, I also felt like kicking the people making her life miserable.
6. Obsession
We’ve all had a crush that wasn’t returned. Usually, there’s nothing you can do—but in Curry Barker’s Obsession, the main character Bear stumbles upon a novelty item that grants one wish. Naturally, he wishes for his crush, Nikki, to love him. But nothing in life comes that easy, and the chaos that follows looks like pure madness. This sounds like a wild ride with a good reminder: be careful what you wish for.
7. Luger
I love movies about “one bad day” because one bad day for the characters can equal a great time for us. Here we follow Toni (Mario Mayo) and Rafa (David Sainz), who take on a simple job: recovering a stolen car. Everything goes fine until they discover a Nazi Luger in the trunk safe—and that’s when things turn bloody. This sounds like my kind of action movie: gritty, violent, and bone-crunching.
8. Sirât
One of my favorite seals of approval during festival season is when a film has already played at Cannes. Sirât not only screened there, it won a jury prize. The story follows Luis and his son as they travel to an illegal rave in search of Luis’s missing daughter. But it’s more than just a road trip film—it’s described as an “auditory and sensory experience” that sounds unforgettable.
9. The Plague
Sometimes all it takes is one line in the festival guide to sell me. For The Plague, it was: “Imagine Carrie without the telekinesis.” Add in comparisons to Lynne Ramsay and Claire Denis, and I was sold. The story follows a socially awkward teen navigating the brutal hierarchy at a water polo camp, spiraling into psychological turmoil. Sounds like just my kind of intense thriller.
10. Road to Vendetta
Credit to the Fantastic Fest programmers: their write-ups know how to hit the mark. The description for Road to Vendetta had me hooked immediately—“drenched in neon” with influences from John Woo, Johnnie To, Kinji Fukasaku, and Takashi Miike. In other words: this movie is going to rock. The story follows two people fighting together to survive the next 72 hours, with revenge as the driving force.
That’s my top ten, but if history is any indication, I’ll end up sneaking into way more. Fantastic Fest always delivers, and this year looks like no exception.
