Sean Parker
We are now less than a week away from the start of the twenty-ninth edition of one of the biggest film festivals on the planet, the Fantasia International Film Festival. This year, the festival begins with Ari Aster’s Eddington, concludes with Genndy Tartakovsky’s Fixed, and is packed with over one hundred additional features to occupy the in-between. Fantasia has long been the international destination for genre film delights, and this year is especially loaded to the gills with a wide array of offerings from all over the world.
If you’re headed to Montreal, there’s so much stuff about to come your way! From a trio of Takashi Miike projects, a barrage of repertory showings, and an abundant outpouring of projects that feature cats. The full scope of their program is available on their website, but I wanted to highlight ten films I’m excited to check out as 25YL’s coverage turns toward one of the biggest film festivals of the year.
All You Need Is Kill
ALL YOU NEED IS KILL – Official Teaser Trailer
ALL YOU NEED IS KILL Trailer ReleaseDate: TBA Animation Work: Studio 4°C The story is told from the first person point of view of the protagonist Keiji Kiriya. Keiji is a new recruit in the United Defense Force, fighting against the mysterious creatures called “Mimics” which have laid siege to Earth.
How did you feel about the Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt led Edge of Tomorrow? Did you know it was based on a Japanese sci-fi novel named All You Need Is Kill? Well, if you’ve been hard up for a sequel that may or may not be happening, this anime film may do the trick in the interim. Like Edge of Tomorrow, Rita (Ai Mikami) gets caught in a time loop fighting a space invasion, learning valuable skills, and gathering information that helps her get further each day. As the repetitive cycles of death and respawning begin weighing upon her, she meets a fellow traveller, Keiji (Natsuki Hanae), another doom looper trapped in a never-ending war. Working together, they might just be able to break the cycle and change the world’s fate.
All You Need Is Kill is the anime I’ve been waiting years to see. This is the novel that has inspired several mainstream video games, including Sifu and Deathloop, among others. And if the teaser trailer that dropped for the film three months ago is any indication, we are looking at an intensely colorful and action-packed thrill ride for animation fans. Ken’ichirô Akimoto, who provided visual effects on Berserk: The Golden Age Arc III – The Advent, Halo Legends, and Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, sets his directorial debut with All You Need Is Kill, and I cannot wait to see how this one turns out.
Good Boy
Short film director Ben Leonberg’s directorial debut, Good Boy, has garnered some extreme attention in a short amount of time. Premiering at SXSW earlier this year, this supernatural shocker is told from the point of view of a recently moved-in family’s loyal pupper. While it may be dealing with some familiar haunted house tropes, Good Boy is also doing something ambitious and original.
Just when you thought your dog might only be barking at the wind, Leonberg considers all the things humans can’t see. Even the camera is set to canine level, with human faces said to be out of focus and blurred, giving you the full perspective of these companionary creatures. I’ve heard some make comparisons to early Raimi, too, and the fact that Larry Fessenden is in the film only makes it an easier choice to put on this list.
The Serpent’s Skin
The Serpent’s Skin is what happens when massively impressive talents collide. This film is Alice Maio Mackay’s moment, and everyone is joining in on the fun, from Suitable Flesh director Joe Lynch, Vice Principals‘ Alexandra McVicker, and Honeycomb director Avalon Fast. And that’s not to mention the team behind the camera, including Castration Movie‘s Louise Weard joining as a producer and The People’s Joker star Vera Drew returning as Mackay’s editor, having assumed that role on Carnage For Christmas.
The Serpent’s Skin tells the story of Anna (McVicker), who escapes her transphobic small town and begins a romantic relationship with a tattoo artist (Fast). Somewhere along the way, the love birds summon a demon that begins feasting on their friends, and the two must face their insecurities if they’re ever going to defeat it.
Mackay, at only twenty years old, has released five features since 2021, spanning a diverse spectrum of horror concepts that include aliens, vampires, and slashers. The absolute creativity she delivers with every film is only surpassed by the themes of each film, which often revolve around gender identity and community in the face of societal silencing of queer voices. And, though Fantasia programmer Justine Smith says there may be a more serious tone in The Serpent’s Skin compared to Mackay’s previous work, she maintains that Mackay’s “signature sense of humour and absurdity” remains, contributing to her singularly unique style.
The Wailing
The Wailing – Seattle International Film Festival 2025 Trailer
Three women separated in time and space are unknowingly connected by a disturbing wailing sound that nobody can explain. Screening at the 2025 Seattle International Film Festival (May 15-25, 2025). Tickets at https://siff.info/wailing-yt.
Any film that draws comparisons to Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s masterpiece Pulse has my full attention, and Pedro Martín-Calero’s The Wailing has Fantasia not only saying as much, but adding that it’s also “One of the scariest films of the last year.” Well, sign me up for the scream-a-thon, because this movie that BFI London calls “Breathtakingly disturbing” has me captivated to find out more.
Although it shares the same name as a 2016 Korean ghost story epic, The Wailing is not a remake. Instead, it’s a decades-spanning tale about three women, separated by thousands of miles, who are haunted by the same violent entity. Characters Andrea (Ester Expósito), Marie (Mathilde Ollivier), and Camila (Malena Villa) may not share the same time or space, but they each know fear, and it sounds like a shriek that will shatter their senses.
Martin-Calero was a cinematographer before making The Wailing his directorial debut, so I have no doubt that audiences will see an expertly shot visual presentation. However, the story, co-written by Martin-Calero alongside multi-award-winning screenwriter Isabel Peña, has a dark and serious vibe that feels like a fresh and riveting take, alluding to a perpetual system of suppression and violence against women over the course of several generations.
The Book of Sijjin And Illiyyin
SIJJIN (Official Trailer) | In Cinemas 28 DECEMBER
The film Sijjin is an adaptation of the popular Turkish film Siccin. This film tells the story of 5 nights full of deadly terror. The magic was cast by her own cousin who wanted to steal her husband.
There’s nothing quite like a good ol’ fashioned revenge fantasy. Imagine working your life away for people who treat you like shit. I’m going to guess that’s not all that far-fetched in some cases. Well, Hadrah Daeng Ratu’s The Book of Sijjin and Illiyyin looks to be a brutal and bloody reckoning for Yuli (Yunita Siregar), a servant to a wealthy family, who decides to use black magic to curse the lineage of her employers. From the eldest member to the youngest, Yuri wishes death upon everyone in the Laras family. Summoning an ancient djinn, she offers the Laras for an ancient ritual and, from the look of things, there will be blood… and lots of it!
The Book of Sijjin and Illiyyin gets its title from the Islamic faith. The Book of Illiyyin is similar to St. Peter’s Book of Life in the Christian faith, recording a person’s righteous intentions and deeds, while the Book of Sijjin is its unholy counterpart, tallying the evil. How Yuli’s life stacked up before and after these events is anyone’s guess, but I have hopes that maybe she’s got a bunch of good-person points to cash in.
As we contend with proletariat v bourgeoisie stories in the news every day, a film like The Book of Sijjin and Illiyyin looks to provide necessary catharsis from a relatable standpoint. Fantasia is pitching this as “a bloody, gory nightmare,” comparing some scenes to horror master Lucio Fulci. If I could summon my own djinn to see it right this second, I might consider cashing in some of my good-person points, too.
Straight Outta Space (Straatcoaches vs Aliens)
STRAIGHT OUTTA SPACE Trailer
Nous connaissons tous un endroit comme Schijndrecht, l’un de ces quartiers improvisés qui offrent des logements sociaux abordables, quelques magasins et un sentiment d’appartenance à ceux qui ne peuvent se permettre autre chose. Les meilleurs amis Amin (Shahine El-Hamus) et Mitchell (Daniël Kolf) y vivent et y travaillent comme Straatcoaches (chauffeurs de bus), tout en veillant à la propreté du quartier et en aidant leur communauté.
Nico van den Brink and Daan Bakker, the writers behind Shudder’s excellent folktale Moloch, team up with director Michael Middelkoop, Silent Hill 2 remake’s story consultant Paul de Vrijer, and Ashar Medina to create a story about two community outreach workers, or in this case, Street Coaches. Amin (Shahine El-Hamus) and Mitchell (Daniël Kolf) look out for their struggling neighborhood and its people, even if it isn’t always met with the gratitude they deserve. The affordable neighborhoods of Schijndrecht are succumbing to the pressures of gentrification, with the Weiland Corporation ready to put up luxury apartments, but before the residents even have the opportunity to resist, human-possessing extraterrestrials decide to move in instead.
This movie has all the makings of an Attack the Block successor, and from the trailer making the rounds on YouTube, it looks like we’re in for massive fun and high hilarity with gross, goopy space invaders and enjoyable characters. This one caught my eye right away, bringing together action, comedy, and sci-fi in a relevant modern story that just seems like a good time at the movies.
La mort n’existe pas (Death Does Not Exist)
DEATH DOES NOT EXIST | Teaser | Félix Dufour-Laperrière
© 2025 EMBUSCADE FILMS, MIYU PRODUCTIONS World Premiere – Directors’ Fortnight 2025 French Distributor – UFO Distribution Canadian Distributor – Maison 4:3 International Sales – Best Friend Forever
Death Does Not Exist hits me at two of my favorite intersections, one of animation and the other of ideologies. There’s a certain hypocrisy we all live with when we fight for what we think is right, and Death Does Not Exist offers an introspective meditation on the burdens of these actions. The movie tells the story of a young group of activists who take up arms at a wealthy family’s estate. However, when Hélène panics and freezes during an attack, it leads to unintended consequences, and guilt and bargaining become a seesaw for the repercussions.
Félix Dufour-Laperrière’s film looks visually stunning and super-heady, riding a similar wavelength to Richard Linklater’s Waking Life by offering a philosophical approach to topics ranging from the morality contrasts of a polarized society to the political fanaticism of our times. I expect the film to be bold, complex, and possibly discordant to all sides. I don’t expect Death Does Not Exist will be a film for everyone, but movies like these are always thought-provoking, and some of the ones I return to most often.
Sugar Rot
Sugar Rot Trailer
This is “Sugar Rot Trailer” by Becca Kozak on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.
With a poster that alone should win some underground cinema awards, I couldn’t help but need to know more about the movie that instantly dropped a needle onto one-hit wonder Marcy Playground’s “Sex and Candy” in my auditory cortex. Somewhere between a John Waters movie and a Troma film, Becca Kozack has created a punk-rock feminist sexploitation indie horror film that’s loaded with sugar, spice, and everything f*cked up.
The synopsis for Sugar Rot is also the most bonkers thing I’ve read in ages. Justine Smith of Fantasia writes, “When punk girl Candy is brutally assaulted by an ice-cream man, she becomes the host of a mutant fetus, and her body begins to transform into ice cream.” The movie explores topics of female bodily autonomy from there, though perhaps in a David Cronenberg’s Rabid sort of way, while highlighted by super-bright, candy-colored tones, in similar fashion to how Jamie Babbit’s But I’m a Cheerleader presented heteronormative femininity.
Be warned, I’ve heard Sugar Rot is not for those with weak stomachs!
The School Duel
The School Duel Movie Trailer – Kue Lawrence as Lead Sammy
Uploaded by Kue Lawrence on 2025-06-19.
Marshmallow‘s Kue Lawrence is crushing 2025. Here he is again, in yet another film where I’m certain his youthful talent is just waiting to surprise, shock, and delight. The film has made the rounds at a trio of festivals before arriving at Fantasia, winning several awards along the way, and garnering references to Battle Royale and The Hunger Games.
The School Duel follows Lawrence’s Sam Miller, a bullied thirteen-year-old who hates his schoolmates and finds community in divisive social media personalities. Violence runs deep in Todd Wiseman Jr’s dystopian vision of Florida, who uses a sort of Purge mentality for the crises plaguing school campuses across the country, creating a state-sanctioned competition where aggressive students can unleash their rage against one another.
Told through a black and white lens permeating with militaristic imagery and propaganda. Wiseman’s debut feature is sure to be controversial, as it asserts allegiances and values that prioritize capitalist disposal methods over mental health solutions. You can also catch The Office‘s Oscar Nuñez in what is probably his evilest role to date.
Hold the Fort
HOLD THE FORT – Teaser
Lucas and Jenny think their life is finally coming together when the couple become homeowners. Little do they know that their new house comes with a big catch. Lucas and Jenny soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when they become trapped in a battle between their Homeowners Association and an onslaught of monsters from hell.
When Lucas (Adult Swim’s Yule Log‘s Chris Mayers) and Jenny (Spookt‘s Haley Leary) leave the city for the suburbs, there’s one thing standing in the way of their happiness: The HOA. Though the HOA’s president, Jerry (Julian Smith), seems kind enough, setting up their welcome to the neighborhood gathering as a way to meet their neighbors. However, the community’s portal to hell and the creatures that emerge from it capture a tone that has the couple ready to pay the fine to return to the big city.
I honestly don’t know why William Bagley’s ridiculously absurd supernatural HOA has such a pull on me, other than to suggest that it just looks fun. Sure, I could go into the blood-sucking life-draining tendencies of housing authorities that really compel the narrative of Hold the Fort, or that Marvel stunt performer Hamid-Reza Benjamin Thompson (Avengers: Endgame, Logan, Black Panther) may be about to have his comedic breakout. But that all pales in comparison to the surefire slice of joy this movie intoxicatingly sets up, giving me the feeling that Hold the Fort may be a sleeper worth checking out.
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These films are just the tip of the iceberg at the twenty-ninth Fantasia International Film Festival, which has so much in store over its July 16 to August 3 run. And there are so many others that could make this list run on forever. Honorable mentions include Tamala 2030: A Punk Cat In Dark, which, thanks to my Deaf Crocodile subscription, is a sequel I’m ready for! Every Heavy Thing from cult auteur Mickey Reese. Best Wishes to All director Yuta Shimotsu’s follow-up, New Group. Adilkhan Yerzhanov’s eye-catching folk horror Kazakh Scary Tales, Ronan Corrigan’s Lifehack, Shinobu Yaguchi’s Fantiposa grand prize winner Dollhouse, and Ava Maria Safai’s Foreigner.
FANTASIA 2025 Pub TV
Uploaded by Fantasia International Film Festival on 2025-07-03.
Additionally, Fantasia is jam-packed with short films, too. Featuring a jaw-dropping seventeen short blocks and shorts titles opening just about every feature playing. There are far too many to name here, though some like Coco Roy’s Songo Rosso (Red Dream) and Nathan Sellers’ Methuselah are among those that appeared at Boston Underground, with Roy taking the Audience Choice Award for Best of Fest Short.
Not to mention, the numerous restorations, reperatory, and anniversary screenings, including Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii’s 40th anniversary 4K restoration of Angel’s Egg, a film that has been difficult to see stateside outside of the cut-up pieces that appeared in 1988’s In the Aftermath. Additionally, you can also find Robert Butler and Sidney J. Furie’s 1980 thriller Night of the Juggler, Pupi Avati’s abstract slasher The House With Laughing Windows, and the twentieth anniversary screening of Koji Shiraishi’s cult classic Noroi: the Curse.
And, of course, what is a film festival without the special, exclusive events? Like the special pop-up exhibition featuring the stars of Mexico’s first stop-motion animated film, I Am Frankelda. OR the “Bullet Time Breakdown with Danny Elfman,” where the legendary composer and lead vocalist for Oingo Boingo, goes through his process to provide Divinity director Eddie Alcazar’s new short film, Bullet Time, its score. There are also artist talks, master classes, book launches, and more.
Fantasia has something for everyone this year, and it’s a great honor to be welcomed back. Every year, Fantasia provides eye-opening and insightful films, as well as cult classics, some of which, for worse or better, remain hard to forget. We hope you enjoy our upcoming coverage as much as I look forward to bringing it to you.
