Fantastic Fest

6. Kids vs. AliensImage: RLJE FilmsWhat happens when a group of best friends are forced to fight a group of killer aliens? That’s the basic premise of Kids vs. Aliens, a very violent, funny, nostalgic sci-fi action film from director Jason Eisener (Hobo With a Shotgun, Dark Side of the Ring.) I didn’t review the film because I’m personal friends with Jason but I’d be remiss if I didn’t get it on your radar, because I thought it was just so much fun. RLJE Films recently picked it up for distribution so check for it in…

Harriet Sansom Harris in Marvel Studios’ Werewolf by NightImage: Marvel StudiosWerewolf by Night is the least MCU entry into the MCU since, well, before the MCU existed. That’s a good thing. Directed by Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino, the 53 minute short film debuts on Disney+ October 7 as the first ever “Marvel Studios Special Presentation.” It’s an apt description,because the adaptation of the horror-centric Marvel Comics character is quite special. It may just usher in a whole new side of the universe, and…

Victoria Moroles and Noah Segan in Blood Relatives.Image: ShudderIf you’ve ever wanted to watch a horror movie that also feels like a warm hug, you should seek out Blood Relatives. Writer, director, and star Noah Segan (Looper, Knives Out) plays a vampire named Francis who thinks he’s the coolest guy ever. He wears a leather jacket, drives an old muscle car, traverses America,and occasionally murders people by sucking the blood out of their bodies.That all changes, though, when Jane comes into his life. Jane (Victoria…

Timothée Chalamet and Taylor Russell star in Bones and All.Image: MGMBones and All is a movie that defies easy categorization. It’s the latest film from Luca Guadagnino, the director of Call Me By Your Name and Suspiria, who to date has quite the pristine reputation. It stars Timothée Chalamet, one of the biggest young stars on the planet. By those measures, you might think it’s an awards drama. It’s also a road-trip romance set in the 1980s which sounds like the description of a comedy or fantasy. Then, in addition, it’s…

Bethlehem Million and Gideon Adlon in Sick.Image: MiramaxWith properties like Scream, Dawson’s Creek, and The Vampire Diaries, writer Kevin Williamson has always been able to tap into a collective understanding. But a passion for movies or teen angst has nothing on the fear of covid-19,and that’s what Williamson deals with in Sick, a new film from director John Hyams, co-written by Williamson and Katelyn Crabb.Sick stars Gideon Adlon and Bethlehem Million as Parker and Miri, two college girls who decide to quarantine…

Image: Onirikal StudioIn Robert Zemeckis’ adaptation of Carl Sagan’s Contact, a single woman discovers a radio signal she believes is evidence of extraterrestrial life. Then for the next two plus hours, she combats every single imaginable force to prove herself and the existence of the signal itself. Now, take that scenario and put it into a single room with a ticking clock. That’s The Antares Paradox.Alexandra (Andrea Trepat) works for a small S.E.T.I. (Search for Extra Terrestiral Intelligence) group in Spain. One…

Image: Disney/20th Century StudiosJames Cameron’s Avatar came back to theaters this weekend, and it’s prompted no shortage of discussion about its impact (or lack thereof) on the greater cultural landscape. Whether or not you think that the first of five planned films left a mark on popular culture will have to wait for another day, because the re-release is currently busy re-confirming that yes, there’s very much still some interest in the science fantasy franchise.Per Deadline, Avatar’s return to cinemas led to a $30.5…

The Visitor From the FutureImage: Fantastic FestTime-travel, zombies, action, comedy, drama, The Visitor From the Future has it all. Co-written and directed by François Descraques, the film is based on a popular online French web series and both start very much the same way: adisheveled rogue (Florent Dorin) travels back in time to save the world. The film goes beyond that, though, in ways that feel familiar but are nevertheless a delight.It’s all about a named Gilbert (Arnaud Ducret) who is about to open a nuclear power…

The smile is the star in Smile.Image: ParamountThere’s no real formula for a great horror movie. A great horror movie can be poignant and slow. It can be fast and exciting. It can be gross, it can be understated. Really as long as a horror film is scary, interesting, or engaging, anything goes. Smile, the directorial debut of Parker Finn, wants to be many of these things, but in an attempt to check those boxes, it fails at the most important one: being enjoyable to watch.Smile stars Sosie Bacon (13 Reasons Why, Mare of…

While going through stills, this one from Smoking Causes Coughing just stood out.Image: Fantastic FestThree years have passed since io9 traveled to Austin, Texas for a week of fun, fucked up films. The event is Fantastic Fest, one of the coolest, most unique genre film festivals in the entire world—and this year, it’s finally back in full force. For several days, we’ll be spending hours upon hours in the dark, watching mostly movies no one outside of the festival circuit has ever heard of. Which makes choosing difficult.…