Fantastic Fest 2017

This was the first year I attended Fantastic Fest, and at a pivotal moment. I wrote about that decision on Pajiba: Why I Went To Fantastic Fest, And What I Learned There. 

Then there's (of course) a slew of reviews: 

1922: "Bled dry of suspense and true horror, 1922 is a dismal affair. Perhaps Hilditch was aiming for slow-burn horror, but all he mustered was a patience-trying bore."

78/52: "While there are some interesting baubles to be found in 78/52, it’s frustratingly unfocused and woefully incomplete, skirting one of the shower scene’s most obvious–and arguably important–aspects."

Anna and the Apocalypse: "McPhail and an extraordinary team in front of and behind the camera crafted a film that feels at once fresh and familiar, insane yet grounded, gruesome yet winsome. It’s a whole lot of things, but above all else Anna and the Apocalypse is a totally bonkers and bloody good time."

Bad Genius: "This bitingly brilliant teen movie is deliciously clever and laugh-out-loud funny, offering parody thrills and acute observational humor."

Blade of the Immortal: "This epic is a case of too too much, in the bad way."

Blue My Mind: "From top to tails, it’s a haunting and poignant film, alive with beauty, pain, and heart."

Gerald's Game: "It’s the total package. As you watch Gerald’s Game, you are forced into a submission of bone rattling fear. And after it’s over, the imagery will linger – twitching in your hands, forcing your eyes to the dark corners of your bedroom, looking for things that creep in the night."

Haunters: The Art of the Scare: "a poignant, spirited, and fun exploration of this curious corner of macabre entertainment."

The Killing of a Sacred Deer: "Leave it to Lanthimos to make world-shattering family trauma grimly comical."

Mom and Dad: "I'd never thought I'd call a Brian Taylor movie 'surprisingly tame.' And yet here we are."

My Friend Dahmer: "crass and calculating. It aims to capitalize on our perverse fascination with the Milwaukee Cannibal, while congratulating ourselves for finding a moral message in his tragedy."

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women: "(Robinson) gives us a love story that’s smoking hot with sex appeal, and bursting with emotion. Best of all, she gives us a proudly queer romance that’s an absolute crowd pleaser, and easily one of the best films of the year."

Thelma: "Though billed as a thriller, Thelma is more slow-burn horror, a monster movie with a wounded but human heart at its core."

Thoroughbreds: "makes Heathers look like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants."