AZRAEL

Full disclosure: Azrael was one of my most anticipated films from Fantasia last month, but sadly, it wasn’t included on the remote access list, so I didn’t get to see it. Fantasy Filmfest provides a second chance! When it comes to festivals, existing buzz and name recognition go a long way. For Azrael, there is quite a bit to go on. The two quotes that most caught my eye, though, are “an inventive and exciting blend of folk and survival horror” and “a thrilling sprint…that had me riveted.” On top of that, there is some notable talent involved. You’ve got Samara Weaving, who should need no introduction; director E.L. Katz (cult classic Cheap Thrills); and writer Simon Barrett (You’re Next, The Guest). Mix all that together in a dialogue-free movie described as Fury Road meets Evil Dead meets Apocalypto, and this could be an intensely wild ride. The fact that Azrael won Audience Awards for Best Feature, Best Actress (Weaving), and Best FX at Panic Fest 2024 only furthers that hope.

A DIFFERENT MAN

Although most people probably know Sebastian Stan as Marvel’s Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, he has quietly been putting together an excellent resume of small oddities (Fresh) and underground drama (The Apprentice). In A Different Man, Stan plays a man who has just had surgery to fix his neurofibromatosis. However, despite his new pretty face, he becomes fixated on the actor cast to play him in the stage production of his life before the surgery. If you’ve seen the trailers, it looks like a clear “careful what you wish for” story, but the fact that it’s being categorized as a black-comedy psychological-thriller suggests that it could be a completely bonkers ride. I mean, Michael Shannon is listed as playing himself, and I’m very curious what that’s about. That aside, between Stan and director Adam Schimberg, who was named a “Top 10 Director to Watch” after screening this movie at Palm Springs Film Festival, consider my interest piqued.

KILL

Truth be told, Kill has already been released in the United States, so I could, in theory, watch it at home on streaming. However, it is having its German premiere as part of Fantasy Filmfest, and I’d much rather watch a subtitled movie on the big screen where I have less distractions. Admittedly, I don’t know much about the plot of Kill, and given that it’s an Indian movie, I can’t say I know anything about the cast. What I do know, however, is that it has been called the most violent movie in Indian cinema history, and following its premiere at Toronto Film Festival (where it won runner-up for People’s Choice Award: Midnight Madness), nothing but critical acclaim has rained upon it. Fantasy Filmfest calls it “the best action cinema can offer,” comparing it to The Raid and Die Hard. That’s all I need to hear.

SLEEP

Another foreign film, this time from South Korea, Sleep has been hailed as “a perfection of genre film where laughter and dread mingle.” Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho called it "the most unique horror film and the smartest debut film I've seen in ten years." If you need more than that, I’ll humor you… Sleep is about a young wife who discovers her husband sleepwalking and behaving erratically one night. From there, her anxiety heightens as she doesn’t know what to expect once the lights go out and fear for her newborn child escalates. Jung Yu-mi, who you might recognize from Train to Busan, has already won two Best Actress awards for her performance, and writer-director Jason Yu won Best Screenplay (and was nominated for Best New Director) at the Baeksang Arts Awards (or the Korean Oscars), so it seems all the pieces are there for something good.

SPEAK NO EVIL

Speak No Evil probably is the closest thing to an American blockbuster on Fantasy Filmfest’s slate. Starring James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis, and Scoot McNairy, you’ve probably already seen the seemingly-shows-way-too-much trailer several times. Even if the trailer does ultimately ruin the movie, McAvoy is one of those actors who doesn’t act near enough despite always doing interesting things on screen, especially with dark characters (see: Split and Filth). On top of that, this movie was written and directed by James Watkins, who also directed one of Black Mirror’s best episodes (“Shut Up and Dance”). Considering Watkins’ involvement and the joy of seeing McAvoy give another psychologically violent performance — a performance that has been compared to Jack Nicholson’s performance in The Shining — Speak No Evil is a no-brainer.

STEPPENWOLF

From what I can tell, Steppenwolf is a Kazakh mix of John Wick and Kill, maybe with a dash of Sisu. This is another title I’m getting a second chance at after missing it at Fantasia, and words like nihilistic, hyper-violent, brutal, unhinged, and savagely psyche-ravaging have been thrown around to describe it. Fantasy Filmfest calls it “a merciless series of punches to the stomach.” What’s it about, though? A woman hires an escaped prisoner and former interrogator to find her kidnapped son; however, she soon learns his methods are too harsh, while he struggles to adapt to her more civilized ways. Yeah, I’m in. Hell, this might even make for a testosterone-filled double feature with Kill if the showtimes line up.

WAKE UP

The plot for Wake Up goes like this: Armed with buckets full of animal innards, a group of young activists plan to secretly demolish a huge department store. But they didn’t think of the night guard. It’s described as a “hard slasher…with a lot of verve” that spares no one and entertains with creative kills and thrills. Frankly, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a good slasher, and if this Canadian horror-action movie from the team behind Summer of ’84, We Are Zombies, and Turbo Kid can bring something fresh to a somewhat tired genre, I’m here for it, especially if it revolves around a tired security guard murdering a bunch of annoying Gen-Zers because he wants some peace and quiet during his shift.

THE WELL

Although the movie is in English, The Well is an Italian horror movie that pays homage to the Italian horror wave of the 70s and 80s, complete with an operatic score and “extreme special effects.” Having seen the trailer and a few still images from the film, director Federico Zampaglione definitely isn’t messing around with the grotesque practical effects and grisly gore. This thing looks incredibly unsettling, which almost makes me forget that the plot is essentially the same as Ghostbusters II — when a novice art restorer goes to a small Italian village to bring a medieval painting back to its former glory, little does she know she is placing her life in danger from an evil curse and a monster born of myth and brutal pain. Still, old-school, European-gothic, splatter frenzy, you say? Alright, I’m listening…