This year’s Frightfest offers something a little different from what we’ve seen in recent years, with a heavy emphasis on style not just for decoration but as a means of telling powerful stories. There are a lot of interesting films to choose from, from Warren Dudley’s expertly crafted Forties style Gothic thriller, Fright, to Joy Wilkinson’s clever fairytale reworked as urban thriller, 7 Keys, but we’ve settled on five that we think showcase the best of this new approach whilst delivering the wit and wickedness that fans of the festival have come to love. Dig in!
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| Strange Darling Photo: Frightfest |
Packaged like a true crime thriller and signed off like a drivetime radio yarn of the type you may or may not wish to take seriously, JT Mollner’s playful thriller is a delight from start to finish. It’s gorgeously shot on celluloid by Giovanni Ribisi, with eye popping colours presented differently in each of its six chapters, which are played out of order to add to the mystery. Ribisi also appears in a cameo as part of a perfectly chosen cast, whose individual performances – and chemistry – give it depth. Its inspirations are obvious, but it delivers well, with sharp pacing, shocking violence and a real lust for life.
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| Children Of The Wicker Man Photo: Frightfest |
Children Of The Wicker Man
There are a number of interesting documentaries at this year’s event, so why pick one about The Wicker Man – hasn’t everything there is to say about that film already been said? Not quite. This film does something a little different, exploring the stories behind the production as revealed in director Robin Hardy’s surviving papers, and likewise the impact of the production on one of several families he abandoned. A journey to key locations, full of revealing stories, unravels the mysteries of a difficult man, the way we relate to art by such creators, and two brothers’ rediscovery of what family can mean.
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| The Dead Thing |
A journey into the dark heart of nocturnal Los Angeles awaits in Elric Kane’s melancholy take on the contemporary dating scene. When the latest in her series of one night stands seems to point the way to something more meaningful, a woman’s determination not to let it go leads to the discovery of a shocking secret, but that’s just the start of a film which asks troubling questions about romance, masculinity and the isolation of the modern age. It’s an urban legend brought to life with powerful performances and luminous visuals.
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| Scared Shitless Photo: Frightfest |
Scared Shitless
If you’re looking for something a little lighter, this mischievous comedy from Vivieno Caldinelli will hit the spot – as long as you don’t mind a little toilet humour. After a scientist’s ethically dubious experiment gets the better of him, something nasty gets into the sewage pipes of an apartment block, and it’s up to one determined plumber and his germophobe son to save the day. This may sound like a B-movie plot, but there’s nothing second rate about the production, and special effects by Psycho Goreman’s Steven Kostanski seal the deal.
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| Scarlet Blue Photo: Frightfest |
A surreal journey into one woman’s psyche as a psychiatrist uses hypnosis to try to to tease out the secrets of her past, Aurélia Mengin’s visually stunning film owes more to poetry than conventional narrative. Two different actresses share the central role, exploring different aspects of a troubled woman as she strives to understand herself, at the same time embarking on an erotic odyssey which brings new colours into her binary world and gradually draws her closer to the truth. A remarkable achievement from a filmmaker working with the limited resources of Réunion Island, it showcases an exciting new talent.
