My favorite selection from Fantasia Fest 2021 was Takashi Miike’s The Great Yokai War: Guardians, so I can’t help but gravitate toward the prolific filmmaker’s The Mole Song: Final, the concluding chapter of his cop/yakuza trilogy. Similarly, Johnnie To’s Chasing Dream was my standout view from the 2020 edition, and I’m likewise powerless to resist the restored version of his 1993 hit The Heroic Trio, starring Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung, and the late Anita Mui as masked vigilantes who unite to stop a powerful evil force. And carrying on the theme of genre masters, I’m also excited to see Dark Glasses, Dario Argento’s first feature since Dracula 3D (2012) and one the gives of major Wait Until Dark vibes.

Rounding out my most anticipated titles are the latest from two other well-known directors: Quentin Dupieux’s Incredible But True, about a suburban house with something strange in the basement, and Lena Dunham’s Sharp Stick, a sexually-charged dark comedy starring Kristine Froseth (Apostle), Jennifer Jason Leigh, Taylour Paige (Zola), and everyone’s favorite supporting actor, Jon Bernthal. —Edwin Arnaudin

This year's Fantasia Festival is brimming with international talent and the genre films that make this a distinct and exciting fest. 

I'm looking forward to a film already making waves at the international box office — Ka-Fai Wai's Detectives vs. Sleuths about a killer in Hong Kong — as well as South Korean action film The Killer, which promises top-notch action and thrills. 

For more of the horror and fantasy side, I'm pumped about Glorious, starring Ryan Kwanten and J.K. Simmons, which will be premiering on Shudder in the near future. And After Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Bly Manor, I'm looking forward to watching actor Rahul Kohli in Next Exit.

Finally, what would a Fantasia Fest be without a bonkers sci-fi film? Relax, I’m From the Future fits the bill with its story about a man (Rhys Darby, Flight of the Conchords) from the future, trapped in the past. 

It’s all shaping up to be another year full of science fiction, horror, humor, and non-stop action. There’s a lot to be excited about. —Joel Winstead

In my second year covering the Fantasia International Film Festival, I’m excited and honored for the opportunity to see and review a selection of this year’s fantastic offerings.

Polaris: If there’s a way for this bloody, snowbound, post-apocalyptic freakout (that also features a real polar bear) to go wrong, I’m not seeing it. Any film creative enough to fill the gap between Mad Max and Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner is a must-see for me. 

All Jacked Up and Full of Worms: I would be remiss in my duties as a lover of all things weird if I didn’t make this film a priority. The descriptive title alone paints an evocative picture, but I’d be willing to bet there’s more than meets the eye to this low-budget indie freakout. 

Orchestrator of Storms: The Fantastique World Of Jean Rollin: I’m no expert on the extensive vampiric filmography of Jean Rollin, but as a lover of outsider cinema, I’m long overdue for a peek. I have high hopes this documentary will be as fascinating as the overlooked auteur himself. 

Acción Mutante: This Spanish-language, Almodóvar-backed mutated gem from 1993 caught my eye because it shares a name with a ‘90s-era German crust punk band — but I’m sure that’s just a coincidence, right? The trailer is a barrage of decency-slaying violence akin to ‘80s Troma films, which means I’m both excited to see it, and annoyed I never have before. 

Il Demonio: I’m a sucker for pagan rituals, demonic possession, and ‘60s Italian horror, so Brunello Rondi’s Il Demonio naturally checks a lot of boxes for me. Whenever a character invokes the “old ways” for revenge and/or love, you can safely bet there’s plenty of dark atmosphere to accompany the vicious scorn. —James Rosario

(Photos courtesy of Fantasia International Film Festival)