The 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival will commence on July 16, meaning that festivalgoers and critics will soon have the opportunity to experience another exciting, ambitious, and creatively fulfilling selection of genre films that will entertain all. A massive catalogue of interesting viewing experiences awaits everyone attending this year’s Fantasia Fest, which includes nightmarish and gory horror films, bone-chilling thrillers, martial arts action flicks, absurdist comedies, and various interesting and unique animated projects from all over the world.
With so many options on the roster, I’ve made it my goal to watch as many movies at the festival as possible. Whether it’s the latest project from an established director I’m a fan of, an interesting feature from an up-and-coming or international filmmaker I’m not familiar with, or a re-release of a classic film I’ve never seen, everything is on the table in my books.
Yet, six films in particular have piqued my interest, and I specifically plan to watch them. Those films are:
Eddington
The latest from Hereditary, Midsommar, and Beau Is Afraid director Ari Aster, Eddington, will serve as the opening film for Fantasia’s 29th Edition. Taking place in May 2020, the film revolves around a conflict between Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) and Mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) and how their dispute leads to political and social turmoil in the town of Eddington, New Mexico. This marks Aster’s first entry in the Western genre, and that alone has gotten me curious enough to check the film out.
Nyaight of the Living Cat
Based on the manga series of the same name, Nyaight of the Living Cat is an absurdly bizarre take on the zombie genre in which a mysterious virus has caused people to turn into cats. Anyone who gets touched by one of these cats turns into a cat themselves. Legendary director Takashi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer) serves as the chief director for this series, and combined with the anime’s intriguing premise, you have something that is an absolute watch in my books.
Blazing Fists
On top of Nyaight of the Living Cat and Sham, Blazing Fists is another project Takashi Miike is bringing to Fantasia Fest. This one follows two teenage best friends who decide to participate in a brutal martial arts fighting tournament, hoping to better their lives. Miike’s name has become synonymous with violence and bloody gore within the world of Japanese cinema. Hence, a pulpy action sports coming-of-age story directed by him certainly has my attention.
Terrestrial
From the director of the Hot Tub Time Machine films, Steve Pink, Terrestrial appears to be a much darker movie than the usual comedies he directs, leaning heavily into the horror-thriller genre. The movie is about a sci-fi author (Jermaine Fowler) who invites his old college friends to his house for a weekend reunion that quickly descends into madness as strange events cause reality and fiction to blur. Despite not having seen the Hot Tub Time Machine movies or being too familiar with Pink’s work, the film’s premise has me hooked, and I’m eager to see what it has to offer.
Death Does Not Exist
Directed by Félix Dufour-Laperrière (Archipelago), Death Does Not Exist follows a woman named Hélène who’s haunted by the memory of her friend after abandoning her fellow activists and comrades when an attack on a wealthy family goes awry. The fact that this is a traditionally hand-drawn, 2D animated film alone is enough of a reason for me to see this movie as a fan of this style of animation. However, the fact that it’s complemented by other unique choices, like its muted color palette, distinctive visual presentation, and timely narrative within the current socio-political atmosphere, helps drive Death Does Not Exist to the top of my list.
Dog of God
Dog of God is a Latvian rotoscoped animated film that centers on a 17th-century Livonian village, where a trial is held against a woman accused of being a witch, only to reveal that a werewolf exists within their religious community. The film has generated a lot of buzz from its world premiere at the Tribeca Festival for being a psychedelic descent into gore, sex, and bloody violence. If this movie is even half as graphic as critics claim, then I will be the first to watch it, as this sounds very much like my kind of film.