[Editorial] Preview: Fantasia International Film Festival 2021

Quentin Tarantino dubs it “the most important and prestigious genre film festival in the world” and Guillermo Del Toro calls it “a shrine” - Fantasia International Film Festival is a record breaking, career-launching, world-renowned event for genre fans everywhere. 

Held physically in Montreal, but streaming online to viewers across the world, this year’s festival sees the celebration of their 25th anniversary – and that was a party that Ghouls Magazine were not going to miss!

Since 1996, Fantasia has premiered horror films that have influenced and transformed the genre – Think Hideo Nakata’s Ringu, Jaume Balaguero’s [REC], Steven R Monroe’s I Spit on your Grave remake, Ti West’s The Innkeepers and Levan Gabriadze’s Unfriended to name but a few - and this year we’ll be covering everything they have to offer us next. Here’s what we’re looking forward to seeing:

The Night House (Dir David Bruckner)

“You won’t find a stronger performance – or a scarier movie – at Fantasia this year!”

Starting off strong we have David Brucker’s second full feature film following the success of The Ritual, and his contributions to horror anthologies V/H/S and Southbound. 

The Night House follows schoolteacher Beth (Rebecca Hall) as she navigates her grief at the loss of her husband who unexpectedly commit suicide. Beth experiences ghostly visions and phenomena in their home he left behind, and despite her friends’ warnings, decides to investigate what her husband was doing in secret in the weeks leading to his death.

The trailer was released this week and looks reasonably mind-bendy and terrifying – we’re in!

The Sadness (Dir Rob Jabbaz)

“It really felt like anything could happen. This film was not at the mercy of normal standards of decency. Sitting in the cinema, I actually felt in danger.”

The Sadness follows a young girl in yet another pandemic/virus-based horror scenario, as she fights to reconnect with her lover. Despite what Fantasia refers to as an ‘emo’ title, this one looks set to be as violent and unforgiving as anything before it, and considering the current state of the world, what could be more exciting?

Midnight (Dir Kwon Oh-seung)

“A well-crafted thriller that has fun testing the nerves of even the most seasoned viewers, Midnight will leave you speechless.”

This Korean horror debut from Kwon Oh-Seung follows two young hearing-impaired women as they fight for survival against a charismatic murderer. 

Admittedly, this one sounds a little reminiscent of Mike Flanagan’s Hush however, with Korea providing some of the best horror/thrillers of the last decade (The Wailing, Parasite, I Saw the Devil etc) I have every faith that Midnight will be one to watch out for. 

Bull (Dir Paul Andrew Williams)

“Simply put, Bull is going to blow your head off.”

Fans of British cult phenomenon Kill List will recognise Neil Maskell in his return as the once-feared gang enforcer Bull. Bull is back after a 10-year period, to terrorize the people he once aligned himself with, in what looks set to be a bloody revenge thriller with incredible effects and a strong emotional undertone.

The Deep House (Dir Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury)

“If you are the kind of deeply committed spectator who holds their breath through every cinematic underwater scene, prepare to… die.”

Fans of extreme horror (and of the Extreme Queen herself - our Editor-in-Chief Zobo) may recognise Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury as the writer/director powerhouse duo behind 2007’s Inside.

This time, they have embarked on a 33-day underwater film shoot to give us a haunted house film like no other. A young couple with a passion for discovering abandoned buildings live-stream themselves exploring a creepy old house in the depths of a lake. Immersed in darkness with a limited air supply - what could possibly go wrong?

Martyrs Lane (Dir Ruth Platt)

“Martyrs Lane is a ghost story that haunts, a heart-breaking fairy tale that whispers its truths in tears and blood.”

Told from the perspective of young girl Leah, Martyrs Lane explores how children perceive the world around them and cope with parents facing unknown trauma. 

This one is based on filmmaker Platts own experience with trauma and childhood and appears to be much more emotionally charged than the others on our list.

Coming Home in the Dark (Dir James Ashcroft)

“As thought-provoking as it is devastating, Coming Home in the Dark is a blisteringly tense road movie into hell that plays like a home-invasion thriller set largely in a moving car.”

A family planning to enjoy a weekend away at an isolated coastline are terrorised by a pair of sadistic drifters. Coming Home in the Dark promises 90 minutes of nail-biting tension and unflinching violence in Ashcroft’s feature debut. 

Fans of The Vampire Diaries spinoff The Originals will recognise the main antagonist as Daniel Gillies, however it’s unlikely we’ll get any melodramatic (and problematic) teenager/vampire love stories here.

Check out the official festival website for the full line up, including guest panels, competitions and tributes. Fantasia 25 runs from August 5th to 25th 2021.

Also, if you’re planning to attend or stream content from Fantasia, don’t forget to let us know what you’re looking forward to seeing – tweet us @ghoulsmagazine!

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