Fantastic Fest is an annual film festival sponsored by Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas. Specializing in independent films, the festival usually leans heavily into horror, science fiction, dark comedy, and Avant Garde – pretty much anything that could gather a “cult” following. Here is a recap of the Fantastic Fest films I covered this year (virtually).
YOU’RE NOT ME
Every year, Christmas is voted both the happiest AND most stressful time of the year. The reason why seems pretty obvious and is encapsulated in one word: family. Co-writers and co-directors Marisa Crespo and Moises Romera seize on this phenomenon by having Aitana and her wife Gabi, along with their recently adopted baby boy, make a surprise visit to Aitana’s parents’ home on Christmas Eve … or if you prefer the word used by the parents, it’s an ‘unannounced’ visit.
From the moment the front door is answered, Aitana (and us) notices the cold and strange reception. After being away for three years, she expected long hugs and oohs and ahhs. Instead, her wheelchair bound brother, Saul, is the only one happy to see her, and the curious vibe includes meeting Nadia. The layers take a while to peel back, but what’s apparent is that Nadia has replaced Aitana as the daughter, and this includes sleeping in her bed, wearing her clothes, and being doted on by the parents.
The atmosphere shifts from odd to downright bizarre in the evening as a formal dinner party confuses Aitana. Is she in danger? Is her baby in danger? Is Nadia a threat? What is up with her parents’ odd behavior? There are teases of the supernatural, demon worship, and a culinary cult. Does any of this play out? Does Aitana’s nightmare come true? The filmmakers expertly toss out many questions, while we as viewers are reminded of ROSEMARY’S BABY (1968) and THE WICKER MAN (1973) as the set-up progresses. No one would describe this as a typical Christmas flick (although there is an Old Nick); however, it’s an impressive production that keeps us guessing.
THE COFFEE TABLE
A smarmy furniture salesman goes overboard convincing Jesus that a particularly hideous coffee table “will change your life” and guarantees it will “bring you happiness. He also claims multiple times that the glass top is “unbreakable”. Jesus and his wife, Maria, argue over the piece. She scoffs at him for believing the outlandish promises. What we soon learn is that Maria ‘rules the roost’ in this marriage and is accustomed to her word being the final word. She planned the wedding, named their newborn baby, selected the color and décor for the nursery, and has been decorating their new apartment with no input from hubby.
The purchase of the coffee table is merely Jesus standing up for himself and making a decision for their family. This couple argues over trivial matters, and they’ve yet to address the absurd accusations and demands being made by the 13-year-old neighbor girl who fantasizes about Jesus. Maria heads to the market to prepare for dinner with Jesus’ brother and his barely legal girlfriend, leaving Jesus in charge of the baby.
By the film’s end, one of the furniture salesman’s promises has come true while the other two have proven absolutely not true. We watch in amazement as Jesus desperately tries to find a way out of the worst imaginable situation … one made even worse by the extended discussions on the joys of parenting. The tension here is palpable and the subject matter is about as dark as any movie I’ve watched … it’s not for those who enjoy lighthearted flicks, but the film is about as well-made and well-acted as you’ll ever find at an indie film festival. The awards ceremony rarely matters much to me at festivals, but I was disappointed this one didn’t gain some recognition.
THE UNCLE
Croatian filmmakers David Kapac and Andrija Mardesic set this story around Christmas, or so it seems anyway. The tinseled tree is up, the house is decorated with blinking lights, and mom is cooking a beautiful turkey for the family meal. Dad and son race to finish their chores before Uncle arrives after his drive from Munich. What appears to be a Norman Rockwell set-up for the family holiday fun is somehow off kilter … each of the players displays enough awkwardness that we instinctively know not all is as it seems.
Forced conversation at the table turns to forced gratitude as presents are disbursed. A video is shown and then Uncle departs. We are left to wonder what the heck, when another day arrives and the event is recreated … right down to the roast beast. We soon see piles of turkeys, cigarette cartons, and BB guns, and realize that these evenings are not just uncomfortable, they are being repeated time after time.
Uncle states many times that all he wants is “a perfect Christmas”, though it’s not until “Sis” accompanies one evening, that we begin to assemble the clues and pieces. There is enough dark comedy in the first half that we chuckle a few times; however, the second half is so bleak and depressing and filled with suspense, that we can only attempt to shake off the feeling of horror that permeates. Two standout performances here belong to screen vet Predrag Miki Manojlovic (as Uncle) and Ivana Roscic (as the mother).
MUSHROOMS
For those of us who enjoy figuring out a mysterious story line before the answer is revealed, this little gem from filmmaker Pawel Borowski will both enchant and frustrate. A ‘granny’ is foraging in the woods for her regular supply of hard-to-find mushrooms. We are drawn to her face and confident movements as she trudges through the forest. It’s a face of toughness and experience.
She happens upon a couple resting in the forest. Both are dressed in costumes. The woman has an ankle so injured that it requires she be carried by her male partner, one who talks incessantly. He begs the old woman to provide assistance and guide them to safety. At first, she refuses; but ultimately agrees to lead the way. She’s a shrewd woman and doesn’t believe their story about a theater prank, and what follows is a slowly-formed game of cat and mouse with no clear solution, but a definitive ending.
Nature is key here, and granny educates the couple on “spiritlessness”, the rare pure silence in nature. Musical cues occur periodically, though mostly we are left to our own until what can only be defined as a surprise ending. We might have had a better shot at solving the mystery if we were better able to pinpoint a timeframe, but without that, we simply enjoy the suspense and joy of a clever, makes-sense conclusion.
THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE BARN
Billed as a Norwegian comedy-horror, it’s unfortunate that this latest from director Magnus Martens didn’t work on either front for me … although I absolutely adore the premise. A typical American family inherits a family farm in Norway, and quickly decide to relocate to the farm and turn the barn into a Bed and Breakfast for tourists who want to enjoy country life and the spectacular views. Of course, this happens after we’ve seen the opening and what happened to the previous owner a month earlier.
The teenage daughter (Zoe Winther-Hansen) is angry about leaving her friends behind. The stepmother (Amrita Acharia) is trying to put on a happy face for the family, while the goofy dad (Martin Starr, “Silicon Valley”) is just excited for the adventure and mostly oblivious to the obstacles. It’s the young son (Townes Bunner) who stumbles on the oddity living in the barn. An elf has made the dusty place his, and a local man provides the breakdown of the local legend. The son tries to explain to his family what the “Barn Elf Rules” are, but they ignore him and proceed to break all three rules.
Numerous cracks about violence in America are included (evidently part of the ‘comedy’), but other than skiing being broadcast on every cable channel, the movie is neither as clever nor scary as it tries to be. Turning into an elf gore-fest with a gang of elves makes for some fight scenes that should have been more creative, and instead mostly fall flat. This is one I had high expectations for since I thoroughly enjoyed last year’s VIOLENT NIGHT. At least it ends with the great Darlene Love singing “Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home).”
***NOTE: I have also watched TOTALLY KILLER, a horror film that screened at Fantastic Fest this year, and a separate review will be posted since it was not part of the virtual festival package.
Posted by David Ferguson 
Greetings again from the darkness. Dysfunctional families are common fodder in films for the simple reason that most of us can relate … or at least walk away being grateful that ours isn’t THAT bad. I do trust (and hope) that your family bears little resemblance to the Dumontet clan at the center of this film from writer-director Sebastien Marnier and co-writer Fanny Burdino. This is a story filled with deceit and greed and conniving folks who make any of the reality TV housewives seem like Mother Teresa.
Greetings again from the darkness. Fully deserving of a tip of the cap is Liam Neeson, who used the popularity of TAKEN (18 years ago) to create a new sub-genre: the annual Liam Neeson action film where he gets to be the hero. This latest is from director Nimrod Antal (PREDATORS, 2010) with Christopher Salmanpour adapting the screenplay from Alberto Marini’s 2015 original, EL DESCONOCIDO (Spain). This is actually the third remake of that film, including those from Germany and South Korea.
Greetings again from the darkness. When Colin Clive bellowed, “It’s alive. It’s alive”, in James Whale’s classic FRANKENSTEIN (1931), it instantly became an iconic moment in cinema history, and inspired many new readers to seek out Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel. Since then, there have been numerous takes on the idea of bringing the dead back to life, and this latest is the first feature film from writer-director Laura Moss and their co-writer and collaborator on their award-winning short film, FRY DAY (2017), Brendan J O’Brien.
Greetings again from the darkness. As one who readily admits to watching too many movies each year, I always welcome the unanticipated joy in being pleasantly surprised by one that exceeds expectations. Doing just that is the first feature film from writer-director Nicholas Maggio and co-writer Rob Healy – a neo-noir thriller that takes place in a small rural community down south.
Greetings again from the darkness. Not long ago, cable movie channels were filled with late night flicks that were easy enough to watch, and even easier to forget. Unfortunately, that description fits the second feature film from director Amy Redford (daughter of screen legend Robert Redford). Scott Organ adapted the screenplay from his own play, “The Thing with Feathers”, and the title of the film has been changed … it played the 2022 Toronto Film Festival as ROOST. It’s one of those times where some individual pieces are better than the film as a whole.
Greetings again from the darkness. You may or may not be surprised that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles date back almost 40 years to the mid-1980’s when co-creators Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman published the comic and then signed on for the original TV cartoon series. This was followed by the first live-action film in 1990 (with Elias Koteas, Judith Hoag, Corey Feldman, Sam Rockwell, Josh Pais). Since then, there have been various TV series, as well as animated and live-action movies … the most recent being the poorly received films in 2014 and 2016. Along comes co-writers and co-producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, together with other credited writers Jeff Rowe, Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, and Brendan O’Brien to deliver a contemporary and re-imagined look at the born-from-ooze Turtles. It’s co-directed by Jeff Rowe and Kyler Spears, previous collaborators on THE MITCHELLS VS THE MACHINES (2021).
Greetings again from the darkness. As pupils slouched in our school desks during history class, we easily and naturally disassociated with the many stories of war. World War II was lumped in with WWI, the Civil War, and The Revolutionary War. There were names and dates to memorize for quizzes and final exams, yet even with relatives recounting stories of kin, a personal connection was rare. As we aged and experienced modern-day warfare, the personal connection became all too real. Reality struck that soldiers are human beings with families, and despite their missions and marching orders, most are as innocent as the ‘tragic civilian casualties’ reported on the newswires. Along these lines, an aspect of war that has often remained overlooked is the behind-closed-doors decision-making of politicians and military leaders. Filmmaker-extraordinaire Christopher Nolan takes us behind those doors through the eyes of J Robert Oppenheimer, the Father of the Atomic Bomb. What we see is quite frightening.
Greetings again from the darkness. The challenge in continuing the “Mission: Impossible” franchise is that fans expect each entry to be “bigger” and more awe-inspiring than the last. With the seventh film in the series, and the third straight he has directed, writer-director Christopher McQuarrie and superstar actor and daredevil Tom Cruise have managed to accomplish what seemed unlikely … they have delivered Ethan Hunt’s biggest and grandest mission yet. Prepare to be awed by the action.
Greetings again from the darkness. “They look like snakes.” It’s such a simple line of dialogue, yet after 42 years and four previous movies, we know exactly what that means to retiring archaeology professor, Dr. Henry Jones, best known to all as the swashbuckling Indiana Jones. As the final chapter of the beloved franchise, this entry is the first one not directed by the legendary Steven Spielberg (listed here as an Executive Producer). Instead, James Mangold takes the reins, and also shares writing credit with his frequent collaborators Jez Butterworth and John Henry Butterworth, as well as “Indiana Jones” veteran David Koepp. Of course, George Lucas and Philip Kaufman receive credit for their original characters.
