One of the very best film festivals in the world (in my humble opinion) kicks off again this weekend for another fortnight-and-a-bit of horror, sci-fi, fantasy, action, and basically all the great genre movies you could want. Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal once again hosts a number of screenings, both repertory favorites and premieres. The fest kicks off Thursday, July 18, and goes all the way through Sunday, August 4. If you’re curious about world genre cinema, there really is no better place to be.
This year’s edition sees a number of fascinating and intriguing movies for fans to mull over. Here are the five I’m most excited to see!
The Old Man and the Demon Sword
To kick things off we have a movie lovingly described as “Evil Dead meets Kamen Rider,” so how could that not speak directly to me as a person? In the remote village of Pé da Serra in the mountains of Portugal, a monk arrives wielding a demonic sword. Before long, the mystical weapon ends up in the hands of the town drunk António da Luz (who plays himself). Together, the drunkard and the sword will have to learn together to fight the encroaching evil.
This Portuguese film is a love-budget homage to American B-movies using folklore and legends as the basis. Fun!
Shelby Oaks
The feature directorial debut of YouTube star Chris Stuckmann, Shelby Oaks details the mysterious disappearance of (fictional) YouTubers behind a popular paranormal investigation channel. Riley Brennan and her three co-hosts disappeared near the deserted town of Shelby Oaks, Ohio in 2008. Conspiracy theories have run rampant over the years, but none are more determined to get to the truth than Riley’s sister, Mia (Camille Sullivan), who has finally agreed to tell Riley’s story to a documentary film crew (Emily Bennett and Rob Grant) in the hopes of finding closure.
After a super successful Kickstarter campaign and over two years of waiting, Stuckmann’s film is finally ready to make its world premiere at Fantasia, and ready to scare people’s pants off.
The Beast Within
Game of Thrones star Kit Harington trades his sword for an axe (and some claws and fangs) in this riff on the werewolf story. Harington plays a father with a secret that he is desperately trying to keep under control. His mysterious excursions at night leave his ailing daughter (Caoilinn Springall) plagued with questions. Where does her father go? Why do his moods seem to change in an instant? And what is the horrifying creature that appears and terrorizes the rural community?
Fantasia says, “The uncanniness of childhood in all its revelry and magnificence is front and centre in The Beast Within, which plunges its audience into a world haunted by a creature that stalks at the full moon.”
You had me at “Jon Snow, Lycanthrope.”
Witchboard
Chuck Russell, who made one of my very favorite horror movies in the 1988 remake of The Blob, returns for a remake of the infamous ’80s Video Nasty. When a couple find a circular “pendulum board” that predates the Ouija by centuries, they think it’s just an antique that can make them some money. Soon the board begins to help them in strange ways. Is something supernatural going on? I mean, yes, it’s a horror movie. Duh.
This distinctive take on the original still apparently maintains gruesome set pieces and a modern gothic aesthetic thanks to its setting of New Orleans (and filming locations in Montreal). Plus it’s just good to see Chuck Russell make a horror movie again.
Brush of the God
Keizo Murase is a renowned effects artist who has made creatures and suits for kaiju and tokusatsu titles since the late-50s. If you’ve seen Ultraman, Godzilla, Kamen Rider, Gamera, or Daimajin entries, you’ve probably seen Murase’s work. How cool then 70 years into his career, he finally makes his directorial debut at the age of 88?
A teen whose late-grandfather was a model maker for monster movies has to use a mystical inkbrush to save the world from a many-headed dragon. How can you not like that premise?! Populated by the kinds of kaiju effects Murase helped pioneer, Brush of the God is a celebration of art and expression as much as a monster movie.
Look for reviews in the coming days here on Nerdist.com. For more information about Fantasia, and for tickets if you’re in Montreal, head to their website. Bon cinema!
Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.
