My Most Anticipated For Fantastic Fest 2024
Fantastic Fest is back, and so am I for round two! First off, a huge thank you to Fons PR for giving me this incredible opportunity once again. Last year’s festival was truly one of the greatest weeks of my life, opening up so many amazing doors for me. I met some incredible people and made even better friends. I’m eternally grateful to the Fons PR team for taking a chance on me and helping make my dreams a reality.
This year’s lineup is packed with fantastic films, and I wanted to share some of the ones I’m most excited about. I’ve got 36 films on my watchlist, but I’ve narrowed it down to my top 15. Last year, I managed to see 30 films, and this year I’m aiming for 40—challenge accepted!
Below, you’ll find my most anticipated films and a few that you definitely need to have on your radar. I’ll be posting out-of-theater reactions and in-depth reviews for every film I catch, so make sure you’re subscribed here and on my YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok for interviews and full video coverage.
Without further ado, here are some of my top picks:
Terrifier 3
Hot off the success of Terrifier 2, Damien Leone is back to terrify us for a third time. The practical effects are always top-notch, and we now have a new incredible final girl in Sienna (Lauren Lavera) to root for. Art (David Howard Thornton) is back on his reign of terror, but this time he’s ruining Christmas for all the kids in town.
Damien has stated that this is Art at his most brutal and that he wanted to make Art scary again. It’s been said that one sequence in this film made even David himself throw up, and they somehow managed to take the carnage up a notch yet again. While I absolutely loved Terrifier 2, the first film wasn’t necessarily for me, but I’m excited to see where this goes. Experiencing this in a theater with friends and fellow lovers of horror is going to be unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
Never Let Go
You had me at Halle Berry and Alexandre Aja. Next up is a new supernatural thriller that may or may not be about a snake. Aja is no stranger to creature features, and we are long overdue for a good snake flick. Not since Nagini have people feared these slithery reptiles, but if anyone can make it terrifying again, it’s this duo. Details have been kept pretty close to the chest, which adds to the excitement. I can’t wait to see this on opening night, and with Halle Berry and Alexandre Aja in attendance, it will surely make for an exciting night.
Anora
Ever since its premiere at Cannes, I’ve heard nothing but amazing things. Sean Baker is the perfect person for this project, and Mikey Madison is even better suited for this role. Seeing her performances in Scream and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, I knew she was destined for stardom, and it looks like that was spot-on. Mikey is being touted as a frontrunner for Best Actress at the Oscars currently, with this being a performance of a lifetime.
The film follows Anora, a sex worker from Brooklyn who gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and 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.
Daddy’s Head
Other than the fact that this is supposed to be one of the scariest films at Fantastic Fest, not much else is known. The film follows a boy and his stepmother who fear for their safety after an eerie creature resembling the boy’s recently deceased father visits them. Shudder has gifted us some absolutely incredible films recently, including the terrifying Oddity, so I’m definitely intrigued by this one.
The Draft
Foreign horror has always been known for testing limits and going all out. This excerpt was pulled from the Fantastic Fest site itself: “Without spoiling too much, this blend of Cabin in the Woods, Scream, and a Kurt Vonnegut novel takes multiple dizzying turns as the danger and body count grow. The Draft! is full of gruesome kills, bizarre plot contrivances, and an ever-shifting cinematic geography. This Indonesian horror-comedy is well-versed in the genre’s tropes and cinematic grammar, and delights in subverting and honoring them in equal measure. A fist-pumping, inspirational ode to the challenges of filmmaking and a no-holds-barred, gruesome kill machine.”
This just sounds like an absolute blast, and I can’t wait to catch it.
A Different Man
A24 is one of my favorite film studios, ranging from incredible horror to dramas and quirky comedies. With A Different Man, we get to look at the life of an aspiring actor, Edward, who undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance. But his new dream face quickly turns into a nightmare as he loses out on the role he was born to play and becomes obsessed with reclaiming what was lost.
The film stars Adam Pearson and Sebastian Stan, and this one sounds like it will be an emotional journey with a ton of heart. It looks like a crazy trip to discover identity and belonging. I’m really looking forward to this one, and this cast really packs a punch. It has been getting a ton of praise during its festival run, and it sounds like A24 has done it again.
Bone Lake
Have you ever booked a nice getaway and then realized it’s been double-booked? No? Me neither, but this is the premise of Bone Lake. When two young couples are mistakenly double-booked into the same vacation rental, their romantic weekend becomes a twisted maze of sex, lies, and survival.
This sounds like the seductive, erotic version of Barbarian, and I am absolutely here for it. Fantastic Fest is getting the world premiere of this one, and from what it sounds like, it’s the perfect film for the festival. It stars Alex Roe, Marco Pigossi, Maddie Hasson, and Andra Nechita.
Frankie Freako
The genius who gave us Psycho Goreman, The Void, and many others is back with his new film Frankie Freako. This looks like the adult version of Gremlins meets Small Soldiers, and it seems like a wild, fun trip that only Steven Kotanski knows how to take us on.
The film follows workaholic yuppie Conor, who is in an existential rut until one night he catches a bizarre ad for a party hotline hosted by a strange dancing goblin: Frankie Freako. Could this be just the recipe to spice up his boring life?
Get Away
Nick Frost, who you might know from films like Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, and more, is the writer and star of this one. The film follows a family on a nice vacation to a Swedish island, and well, I’m sure you can guess where this is going. Ignoring the warnings from the Swedish mainlanders, the Smith family takes a vacation on the small, charming island of Svälta… which turns into a killer trip.
I know this is going to have that perfect blend of comedy and horror, but I’m not really sure what to expect. From what I’ve seen and read, it’s got some great twists and misdirections and sounds like Midsommar meets The Menu.
Apartment 7A
Rosemary’s Baby is one of my all-time favorite films. It’s creepy, unsettling, and that ending will always be iconic. What excites me about this one is that we get to explore what happened before Rosemary stepped foot into that apartment building and hopefully delve deeper into the cult. Julia Garner is the lead in this one, playing a struggling dancer who finds herself drawn into dark forces by a peculiar couple promising her fame.
One fateful decision is going to change her life forever, and the imagery from this trailer alone has me excited. I’ve been waiting for this one since I heard they were doing it a few years ago, and rumors were swirling that Joseph Gordon-Levitt was set to star in it as well. Two things are for sure: there will be demon babies galore, and Julia Garner can do no wrong.
V/H/S Beyond
The fact that we have not only Justin Long involved, but also Mike Flanagan, Kate Siegel, Jordan Downey, and many other incredibly talented people behind the camera and writing for this one is insane. This segment seems to be heavy on sci-fi, and if you’ve been following me long enough, you know I hate aliens with a passion. I hate them because they terrify the living hell out of me (thank you, Signs). The Slumber Party Alien Abduction segment from V/H/S 2 is one of my favorites, and I’m stoked we are returning to that world.
While not every segment in this franchise works for me, I have to say that I’m excited beyond comprehension for this one. Plus, my buddy Dane is in this one, and you know he’s playing some terrifying creature after his run as the Predator! Check out the trailer here!
Memoir of a Snail
Stop motion has been really making waves lately, and this film by Adam Elliot looks like the perfect film to pull on the heartstrings and not only break me but everyone else in attendance. After a series of misfortunes, a snail-collecting, melancholic misfit learns how to find confidence within herself amid the clutter of everyday life.
This trailer really hammers this home, and it looks like an incredible journey into life, growing old, and everything in between. I’m sitting here crying while watching the trailer as we speak. Growing old is hard, and so is trying to keep that inner child alive. This film looks like the perfect journey into how we view life each and every day. I lost my mom to cancer a few years ago, so I think this film will definitely impact me the most.
Daniella Forever
What if you could visit a lost loved one? What if there was technology to enter a dreamlike state to rebuild the life that once was? Well, that’s exactly what Daniella Forever is about. After his girlfriend dies in an accident, a grieving man joins a sleep trial that allows him to rebuild his life with her through the use of lucid dreams.
This one from Nacho Vigalondo sounds like the perfect idea turned into a living nightmare. What’s lost can’t be brought back, but the denial of loss and the pieces we hold onto change as time passes, as does our image of those people. The film stars Henry Golding and Beatrice Grannò, and this one sounds like it’s going to be one hell of a trip.
The Guest
This is the 10th anniversary of The Guest, and would you believe me if I said I never got around to seeing it? Well, it’s just my luck that they’re bringing it back with a 4K restoration and showing it on the big screen. I have heard nothing but great things about this film, and to say I’m excited is an understatement. This cast is unreal, with the always incredible Maika Monroe and Dan Stevens, and Adam Wingard behind the camera is just the icing on the cake.
The film follows a soldier who introduces himself to the Peterson family, claiming to be a friend of their son who died in action. After the young man is welcomed into their home, a series of accidental deaths seem to be connected to his presence. I will be seated for this one, and I cannot wait.
Ick
This one sounds like The Faculty meets Slither, and man, am I ready to watch this. The film follows a high school science teacher (Brandon Routh) who battles with a parasitic alien entity, as well as the apathy of the small town it has been gradually absorbing. The film has been brought to life by Joseph Kahn and is a breakneck sci-fi/horror satire.
Listen, you had me at Superman playing a high school teacher fighting a parasitic alien. The film is getting rave reviews out of TIFF. People are saying this is a cult classic in the making, and I will definitely be seated for this one.
Here are a few more I’m looking forward to:
LITTLE BITES, directed by Spider One: In a desperate attempt to protect her ten-year-old daughter, a young widow allows a nightmarish monster to slowly consume her alive.
MADS, directed by David Moreau: A teenager stops off to see his dealer to test a new drug before heading out for a night of partying. On the way home, he picks up an injured woman, and the night takes a surreal turn.
HOUSE OF SPOILS, directed by Bridget Savage Cole & Danielle Krudy: The film follows an ambitious chef (Ariana DeBose) as she opens a restaurant on a remote estate, where she battles kitchen chaos, crushing self-doubt, and a haunting presence that threatens to sabotage her at every turn.
GAZER, directed by Ryan J. Sloan: Frankie (Ariella Mastroianni), a young mother with dyschronometria, struggles to perceive time. Using cassette tapes for guidance, she takes a risky job from a mysterious woman.
THE RULE OF JENNY PENN, directed by James Ashcroft: Stefan Mortensen, a misanthropic judge, suffers a stroke, forcing him into a retirement home. There, he finds himself in deadly conflict with Dave Crealy, who has long terrorized the other residents.
CLOUD, directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa: Yoshii, a young man who resells goods online, finds himself at the center of a series of mysterious events that put his life at risk.
BOOKWORM, directed by Ant Thompson: Eleven-year-old Mildred’s world is turned upside down when her estranged father, the washed-up magician Strawn Wise, comes to look after her.
THE WILD ROBOT, directed by Chris Sanders: After a shipwreck, an intelligent robot named Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island. To survive the harsh environment, Roz bonds with the island’s animals and cares for an orphaned baby goose.
WILL AND HARPER, directed by Josh Greenbaum: In this intimate portrayal of friendship, transition, and America, Will Ferrell and his close friend of thirty years embark on a cross-country road trip to explore a new chapter in their relationship.
TEACUP, Trapped on a farm in rural Georgia, a group of neighbors must put aside their differences and unite in the face of a mysterious and deadly threat. This series lands on Peacock October 10th with eight half-hour episodes.
