For the past three years, it’s been a privilege for this writer to cover Fantasia Fest for a different outlet. Debatably, the previous home of the coverage did not match as well as it does for The Cosmic Circus. Here, weirdness, the fantastical, the bizarre, and sometimes the horrific are embraced by our readers. Fantasia Fest 2024 has all of these characteristics in spades.
The new year brings many titles, including Chris Stuckmann’s high-profile premiere of his debut movie, Shelby Oaks. But there is so much more than this. Fresh off of Longlegs, Neon will bring a horror movie of their own. A familiar actor of the Oldboy variety will appear in a film. The festival will also have offerings involving Kit Harington and Elijah Wood. Here are our most anticipated movies coming up at Fantasia Fest 2024.
10. Bookworm
Regarding film festivals, there are three specific actors one can typically expect: Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough, or an Elijah Wood movie. Luckily, one of these actors will be present at Fantasia.
The new film Bookworm (directed by Ant Timpson) sees Elijah Wood as a magician trying to bond with his estranged daughter. The movie feels whimsical in the preview, showing a mother-father story about a dad trying to connect with his child by looking for a mythical creature in the woods. Bookworm will open the festival and should be one to watch in the coming days.
9. The Dead Thing
Fantasia has always been a welcomed landscape for horror debuts. A few years back, I Saw the TV Glow director Jane Schoenbrun brought the riveting and atmospheric We’re All Going to the World’s Fair. The trend continues with possible new upcoming talented directors making a splash at Fantasia.
Filmmaker Elric Kane is making his first foray into feature film territory with The Dead Thing. The film is said to be a “tragic” and “unsettling” story embedded in the culture of swiping right. Dating online is scary enough without a horror movie to add to the anxiety. The film stars Blu Hunt of the underrated New Mutants and Ben Smith-Petersen, a stunt performer and a War Boy from Mad Max: Fury Road.
8. 4PM
This year’s Fantasia features some Oldboy alumni. Specifically, Oh Dal-su appears in a South Korean thriller called 4PM. The movie is described as a psychological, suspenseful ride about a couple who becomes troubled by a neighbor each day at 4 p.m.
Previous Fantasia programming brought excellent rollercoaster flicks from South Korea, such as Midnight. Here is hoping 4PM is another hidden gem of overseas programming.
7. Confession
When reflecting on Fantasia Fest, various movies, such as one-location masterpieces like River, come to mind. The new film Confession incorporates a one-setting psychological showdown, and it is based on a manga.
The film centers on two characters reuniting yearly to honor a friend who vanished almost 16 years prior. The scenario describes a situation where one person gets injured while climbing to a mountain retreat. The crisis forces both of them to be alone in an isolated cabin; one tells a secret, and the situation begins to unravel from there. The film’s concept sounds intriguing, and it should be one to pay attention to in the days ahead.
6. Azrael
There are three things you need to know about this movie. The director is E.L. Katz (director of Cheap Thrills), and it has the screenwriter of Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire and You’re Next, Simon Barrett. Last but certainly not least is Samara Weaving, who made an absolute killing (literally) in the breakout film Ready or Not.
With the addition of a tale involving vengeance, cult leaders, and a post-apocalyptic setting, this has all the ingredients of a thrill ride at this year’s festivities. Furthermore, it costars Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, the brilliant lead actor of the LGTBQ thriller Femme from last year.
5. A Samurai in Time
The movie A Samurai in Time is said to combine three different elements into one bonkers film: a Samurai movie, a science fiction story, and a fish out of water story. These ingredients could be an oddball mixture of ideas, but the concept is precisely what a viewer would want from a Fantasia Fest entry.
The movie is about a Samurai warrior who gets struck by lightning, wakes up in the future, and becomes an extra in a film of the samurai variety. For instance, imagine if the main character of Shogun was actually a samurai sent from the past.
4. In Our Blood
This writer is an apologist for the found footage genre. It doesn’t matter what kind of movie it is, Cloverfield, The Blair Witch Project, X, etc. The category has weaknesses, but it could be a masterful good time at the movies if done right.
In Our Blood dares to ask, what if an Academy Award-nominated documentarian attempted to make his own found footage movie in the horror genre? The film is directed by Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Pedro Kos and is described by the festival as a “slow-burn nightmare.”
3. The Count of Monte Cristo
The Count of Monte Cristo is arguably one of the most satisfying stories about redemption. Alexandre Dumas created an epic tale with more evergreen power than most works of literature, and it’s influence on so many stories can be felt across all mediums. And yet, a new adaptation is said to feel like a reinvention with superhero influences.
The latest take from filmmakers Alexandre de La Patellière and Matthieu Delaporte garnered a 10-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. How is it possible that a story so old can maintain freshness? We are not sure, but we are excited to learn why at Fantasia.
2. Cuckoo
Neon is one of the best studios in the game, and after Longlegs, it might be giving A24 some healthy competition. This studio has a healthy track record of quality films, such as Pig, Possessor, Robot Dreams, Nice Days, and the list goes on.
Hunter Schafer (Euphoria) is a brilliant performer and a shining beacon of talent among the trans community. In the film, she plays a woman forced to join her family at a resort where things go terrifyingly wrong. Also, Dan Stevens is in the movie, so the film is destined to be wild.
1. Shelby Oaks
As a young, inspired movie lover in my teens, there were so many film critics that this writer followed. Roger Ebert’s reviews used to be a frequent read of mine, and there was never a time when the Chicago Sun did not pop on my computer screen after a movie.
Then there is Chris Stuckmann, a film critic and YouTuber who has always been able to articulate a film’s strengths and weaknesses in the most naturalistic way imaginable. He was one of the next generation of critics to keep criticism in the mainstream. Every YouTube video shows how much he loves movies, even when he doesn’t enjoy them. His criticisms never came from a place of bitterness but rather from a place of love for the art and genuine constructive discussion.
For this reason, Stuckmann’s directorial debut is the most anticipated on our list. The movie is made with Mike Flanagan’s (The Fall of the House of Usher) support and has now been acquired by the studio Neon. Whatever the result, whether it is a good film or a bad film, we are excessively excited about this picture.
Fantasia Fest 2024 starts July 18th!
The fun begins at Fantasia International Film Festival on July 18th and continues through August 4th 2024 in Montreal, Quebec. For more information about the film festival’s film screenings and other activities there, check out the official website at FantasiaFest.com.
Follow The Cosmic Circus via our email list or on social media @mycosmiccircus for more coverage from Fantasia Fest 2024 coming soon!
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