Juan of the Dead
Juan and his friends are living in post-revolution Cuba doing whatever they can to get by. When a rash of incidents breaks out in which citizens are savagely attacking one another, Juan welcomes the ensuing panic, as it will divert attention away from his illicit activities. But when these isolated incidents become a widespread epidemic of the walking dead, Juan sees an unusual business opportunity in the mayhem.
With the current saturation of zombie films, it is difficult to keep the genre fresh., but
Juan of the Dead is not only entertaining and well constructed, but also has a cultural identity. It is a horror comedy wherein many of the jokes come from satirical jabs at Cuba’s oppressive political machine. It also features one of the greatest group zombie kills I’ve ever seen.
You’re Next
A less-than-functional family reunites for a dinner party. As they sit down to eat, one of them notices something amiss on the lawn. Thus begins a relentless series of horrific events as a group of sadistic masked killers invade the home.
You’re Next is an exciting, blazingly paced send-up of home invasion horror. The script is clever, the movie is beautifully shot and the performances are exceptional. There is a reason
You’re Next knocked audiences on their butts at Toronto, and the reaction from Fantastic Fest was no less zealous. Lionsgate has purchased
You’re Next and his planning to release the film in theaters next fall.
The Loved Ones
A high school boy innocently declines an invitation by the awkward girl in school to go to prom, as he already has a girlfriend. Unfortunately, it’s a decision he will spend the rest of the film regretting.
This film actually played SXSW two years ago, but in what appears to be an effort to generate interest for a theatrical run here in the states, it returns for a Fantastic Fest encore.
The Loved Ones is the darkest of dark comedies that puts a literal and bloody spin on the horrors of high school. There is plenty of blood and trauma to keep the hardcore horror fans happy, but somehow there manages to be a lot of heart buried under violence here. The performance of young Robin McLeavy as the psychotic teen antagonist is phenomenal and will have audiences twisting in their seats.
The Innkeepers
Another SXSW alum,
The Innkeepers is the story of two desk clerks at a failing hotel who fancy themselves amateur ghost hunters. As the hotel winds down to its permanent closing, they kick their supernatural investigation into high gear—but quickly realize they are in way over their heads.
The Innkeepers was directed by Fantastic Fest-veteran Ti West, whose 2009 entry
House of the Devil has become a fest legend.
The Innkeepers is a character-driven horror film with a measure of offbeat humor thrown in to effectively counterbalance the fright. The thing I like most about
The Innkeepers is that it seems to actively resist jump scares. All the scares in this film are atmospheric and well earned, as opposed to relying on cheap startles. The tension slowly ratchets up all the way to the film’s incredible finale. Rising star
Sara Paxton in the lead role doesn’t hurt either.
Sleepless Night
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A dirty cop who makes a habit of stealing from criminals gets recognized when one of his robberies goes awry. The local crime lord kidnaps the cop’s son, demanding a trade for his stolen narcotics. Seems easy enough—until someone steals the drugs from the cop!
Sleepless Night is an amazing, self-contained action film. The cinematography is gorgeous and accentuates the immensely unique sequences. Actor Tomer Sisley, who plays the lead role, is charismatic and empathetic, but has the tough swagger vital for a convincing action hero. The elaborate twists and turns of this film belie the limitations of its claustrophobic setting. The movie has already been picked up for remake so you should definitely make a point of seeing the original first!