By George & Josh Bate
One of our favorite festivals – Fantastic Fest – returns for a spectacular 8-day event in Austin, TX. Taking place between September 19th and September 26th at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar theater, this year’s event will once again allow moviegoers to revel in the latest the horror and related genres have to offer.
Ahead of Fantastic Fest 2024, we at The HoloFiles are taking a look ahead at some of the movies we are most looking forward to at this year’s festival. Before diving into more details, in our sights initially is Terrifier 3! Christmas comes early this year as the blood-soaked Art the Clown arrives for a festive and grotesque holiday adventure. Also debuting at the festival is Apartment 7A, a prequel to Rosemary’s Baby starring Ozark’s Julia Garner. Another film on our must-see list is Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire, which takes the shape of a faux true-crime documentary and chronicles two detectives’ pursuit of a serial killer in Southern California.
Keep reading for more details about all the movies we think you should keep an eye on at Fantastic Fest 2024….
Anora
Anora (Mikey Madison, ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD), a young sex worker from Brooklyn, gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and impulsively marries the son of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as the parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled. Anora notably won the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival (NEON).
Showings @ 4:50pm on Friday September 20th
Apartment 7A
An ambitious young dancer, Terry Gionoffrio (Julia Garner, OZARK), dreams of fame and fortune in New York City, but after suffering a devastating injury, an older, wealthy couple (Dianne Wiest, I CARE A LOT, and Kevin McNally, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN film series) welcomes her into their home in the luxury apartment building, the Bramford. When fellow resident and influential Broadway producer (Jim Sturgess, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE) offers her another chance at fame, it seems that all her dreams are finally coming true. However, after an evening she can’t fully remember, disturbing circumstances soon have her second-guessing the sacrifices she’s willing to make for her career as she realizes that something evil is living not only in apartment 7A but in the Bramford itself. Additional supporting cast includes Marli Siu (EVERYTHING I KNOW ABOUT LOVE), Andrew Buchan (ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD), Rosy McEwen (BLUE JEAN), and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (WONKA). (PARAMOUNT+)
Showings @ 2:15pm on Friday September 20th and 11:00am on Monday September 23
Bring Them Down
For fans of Irish literature and cinema, gallows humor and hard-scrabble drama are part and parcel of the experience. 2021’s Fantastic Fest entry, THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN, is a testament to that cultural stew. Christopher Andrews’ emotionally-complex vivisection of the sins of fathers and sons, BRING THEM DOWN, sets a new height for what I would like to call the Irish Misery Index—a barometer that charts the disconnect between the Emerald Isle’s natural beauty and emotional heartache.
In the years following a life-shattering car accident, Christopher Abbott shuffles through life as the keeper of a shepherding family dynasty, held up only by his affection for his flock and to care for his ailing father, Colm Meaney (STAR TREK’s Chief O’Brien). Incidents with his sheep mount,* pointing to a rival neighboring clan, are made more complicated by Abbott’s former girlfriend and her son, Barry Keoghan, cinema’s newest miscreant.
A beautifully crafted and assured character piece, BRING THEM DOWN chills and distills the family melodrama to its core. (JAKE ISGAR)
*Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Showings @ 11:00am on Friday September 20th and 5:10pm on Thursday September 26
A Different Man
Aspiring actor Edward (Sebastian Stan) undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance. But his new dream face quickly turns into a nightmare, as he loses out on the role he was born to play and becomes obsessed with reclaiming what was lost. (A24)
Showings @ 5:00pm on Sunday September 22 and 11:00am on Wednesday September 25
Gazer
Frankie (Ariella Mastroianni) spends her evenings walking the streets, looking into other people’s open windows, and summarizing her thoughts into a cassette tape recorder. This ritual grounds her as she deals with dyschronometria, a condition that impacts her ability to accurately estimate the amount of time that has passed. Struggling to keep her employment and determined to regain custody of her daughter, she accepts a mysterious job to move an unknown package, leading her into a web of murder and betrayal, unraveling her already difficult life.
Director Ryan J. Sloan and his partner Ariella Mastroianni conceived of this film over several years, writing together and scraping together money to shoot on weekends when available. Inspired by TAXI DRIVER and BLUE COLLAR, the two made a micro-budget feature and were recognized for their insight, point-of-view, and skill by getting accepted into the Director’s Fortnight at Cannes this year.
GAZER is a film that crosses and mashes up multiple genres: neo-noir, thriller, and body horror. Anchored by the producer/writer/star Mastroianni’s performance, this shot-on-16mm film shows filmmakers who have a familiarity with cinema history but a perspective all their own. A taut thriller that descends into full, unknowable madness, the director uses jarring cuts and a neon color palette to keep the audience rooted in the protagonist’s experience of dyschronometria. This slow-burn mystery is sure to keep you guessing, and its themes of lower-class politics and mental health will fuel your in-between screening discussions at Fantastic Fest. (AUSTIN KING)
Showings @ 2:00pm on Monday September 23
Get Away
Looking forward to spending a vacation on the small Swedish island of Svälta, the Smith family is unsettled by the unfriendly mainlanders who advise them to avoid the island at all costs, especially during the Karantan festival. But the 4-member family is in deep need of some time away and stubbornly decides to take the ferry anyway.
On the island, the locals are rather rude and unwelcoming, and their behavior suggests that some big event is about to happen. Is it a cult? Is there a sacrifice in the works? Seemingly unbothered by so much discourtesy and drama, the family enjoys a swim in the sea, treks in the woods, and, oh, the silent isolation… which turns out to be a pretty perfect situation for the Smiths, who have special plans of their own.
Written by Nick Frost and directed by FF Alumni Steffen Haars (RON GOOSSENS, LOW BUDGET STUNTMAN and NEW KIDS TURBO), GET AWAY is this year’s second collaboration between the British actor and the Dutch director after KRAZY HOUSE, which premiered at Sundance last January. Fueled with dark humor, mean jokes, and outrageous scenes, GET AWAY will mislead you all the way to an unexpected, twisted ending. So come on board and enjoy the trip to Svälta! (ANNICK MAHNERT)
Showings @ 2:00pm on Friday September 20 and 2:35pm on Monday September 23
House of Spoils
HOUSE OF SPOILS follows an ambitious chef (Ariana DeBose) as she opens a restaurant on a remote estate, where she battles kitchen chaos, crushing self-doubt… and a haunting presence who threatens to sabotage her at every turn. (AMAZON MGM STUDIOS)
Showings @ 8:10pm on Saturday September 21 and 2:10pm on Thursday September 26
Ick
In Joseph Kahn’s breakneck sci-fi/horror satire, a high school science teacher (Brandon Routh) does battle with a parasitic alien entity, as well as the apathy of the small town it has been gradually absorbing.
Showings @ 5:15pm on Saturday September 21 and 11:00pm on Wednesday September 25
The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee
Well educated and raised in a loving home and community, Christopher Lee proudly served his country during WWII. But when he returned to post-war England, he needed to follow his passion and become an actor. Often denied roles for simply being too tall, his journey to becoming the legend we know had a rocky start until he found his true calling.
Beautifully combining archival and behind-the-scenes imagery, puppetry, multiple styles of animation, and interviews with his friends and family, this documentary explores the incredible life and innumerable on-screen deaths of Christopher Lee’s decades- and continent-spanning career across stages and screens of all sizes. Not to mention his run as a heavy metal artist.
From classic movie monsters to an unforgettable cult leader to villains in two of the biggest movie franchises of the new century, his voice and performances have haunted audiences since the 1950s. But the man behind these legendary roles maintained an incredible joy for life and surrounded himself with people who did the same.
Though he often joked about being mistaken for his close friends Peter Cushing and Vincent Price, Christopher Lee stands as a singular and unforgettable human being. Celebrating his life and remembering his nearly 300 roles with those who knew him best in this unique documentary is good medicine for our souls. (KEV DOOLEY)
Showings @ 11:50am on Sunday September 22 and 2:35pm on Tuesday September 24
Mr. Crocket
In the summer of 1993, Summer (Jerrika Hinton) is trying to start over after the sudden death of her husband. Her son Major (Ayden Gavin) is having trouble processing his feelings and acting out, and a mysterious VHS tape for a children’s television show called Mr. Crocket’s World is left in their mailbox. The good news is Major starts to behave, quietly watching his new favorite TV program; the bad news is Mr. Crocket’s World opens a portal for a maniacal killer to kidnap children and brutally murder their parents.
Based on his own short film produced as a part of Hulu’s BITE SIZE HALLOWEEN, director Brandon Espy makes the jump to feature filmmaking with an ode to ‘90s childhood, parental struggles, and bloody camp. What would it look like if the delightful puppet creatures populating BLUES CLUES came to life to eat you?
MR. CROCKET struck the Fantastic Fest programming team for set pieces reminiscent of the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET franchise and the tone of TALES FROM THE HOOD. Espy’s directorial debut is a fun nightmare slasher with a real emotional core. Elvis Nolasco’s performance as the titular villain, Mr. Crocket, alternates between charming host and sociopathic murderer. A terrifying mashup of Freddy Krueger and Mr. Rogers, he owns the frame whenever he is onscreen as a charismatic and demented personality that will enrapture you just as much as he does the children he kidnaps. So grab some popcorn and strap in for the world premiere of this kids TV show from hell, MR. CROCKET. (AUSTIN KING)
Showings @ 8:00pm on Thursday September 26
Never Let Go
From visionary director Alexandre Aja (THE HILLS HAVE EYES, CRAWL) and the creative minds behind STRANGER THINGS and ARRIVAL comes NEVER LET GO. In this new psychological thriller/horror, as an evil takes over the world beyond their front doorstep, the only protection for a mother, played by Academy Award® winner Halle Berry (Actress in a Leading Role, 2001 – MONSTER’S BALL), and her twin sons is their house and their family’s protective bond. Needing to stay connected at all times – even tethering themselves with ropes – they cling to one another, urging each other to never let go. But when one of the boys questions if the evil is real, the ties that bind them together are severed, triggering a terrifying fight for survival. (LIONSGATE in association with MEDIA CAPITAL TECHNOLOGIES, a 21 LAPS PRODUCTION)
Showings @ 8:00pm on Thursday September 19
The Spirit of Halloween
What kind of people live in a town that revolves around Halloween? In Oregon, the picturesque town of St. Helens was home to the filming of the Disney Channel’s youthful horror-lite film HALLOWEENTOWN in the 1990s. After it became a surprise hit—and now a cult classic—the town decided to capitalize on this starring role and invites tourists to celebrate the film and Halloween with them every year.
Acclaimed documentary filmmakers Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb (JASPER MALL, BUTTERFLY IN THE SKY) have trained their camera on St. Helens, documenting the colorful cast of characters that live there and exploring the legacy and impact the film has had on their town.
A charming character study that captures the spirit of Halloween enthusiasts as well as small-town disagreements and the drama that occurs when colorful residents disagree passionately, this is an artfully crafted documentary that will entertain both fans of HALLOWEENTOWN and fans of fascinating human behavior alike. (LISA DREYER)
Showings @ 2:20pm on Saturday September 21 and 1:50pm on Wednesday September 25
Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire
In July 2010, the San Bernardino County authorities were faced with one of the most bizarre crime scenes they’d ever encountered. Alerted by a concerned friend, local police arrived at the victims’ home, and the murders they discovered shook them to the ground. The crime scene showed ritualistic aspects, and quickly, one of the detectives recognized a symbol painted on the ceiling in the victims’ blood linking back to a serial killer they’d chased in 1995, before the killer seemingly took a 15-year break.
Having previously co-written and co-directed both the first and second GRAVE ENCOUNTERS and EXTRATERRESTRIAL under the banner of The Vicious Brothers, director Stuart Ortiz is no stranger to genre and demonstrates a deft hand at ‘true crime’ storytelling. Combining his talent as a researcher and a film and TV marketer, Ortiz delivers a gripping film depicting the horrors and madness a serial killer is (or is not) capable of through interviews, archival materials, and reenactments. (ANNICK MAHNERT)
Showings @ 11:50pm on Sunday September 22 and 5:25pm on Thursday September 26
Terrifier 3
Art the Clown is set to unleash chaos on the unsuspecting residents of Miles County as they peacefully drift off to sleep on Christmas Eve.
Showings @ 11:00pm on Thursday September 19 and 2:05pm on Tuesday September 24
V/H/S/Beyond
V/H/S/BEYOND, the seventh installment of the V/H/S franchise will feature six new bloodcurdling tapes, placing horror at the forefront of a sci-fi-inspired hellscape. (SHUDDER)
Showings @ 8:20pm on Friday September 20 and 11:35pm on Wednesday September 25
Check out the full film guide to Fantastic Fest 2024 here.
Check out our reviews of some of the highlights from last year’s Fantastic Fest below…