Eye For Film >> Festivals >> A-Z >> FrightFest >> 2023
Opening with the UK première of Joe Lynch's wonderfully visceral Suitable Flesh, which will be attended by legendary star Barbara Crampton, this year's FrightFest is packed full of delicious treats for those of a macabre inclination. Sponsored by pioneering technology & entertainment company Pigeon Shrine, it has a great line-up showcasing some of this year's hottest titles, plus the usual array of special events and opportunities to meet the filmmakers which fans won't want to miss.
The festival runs from 24 to 28 August.
View Films by Strand:
View previous years coverage of the FrightFest festival:
Frightfest Latest Reviews
Lore
On a weekend trip to Scotland, four scare-loving friends book a ghostly horror-themed camping excursion. That night around the campfire, their guide encourages them to tell the most twisted stories that they know and to burn a totem that will help feed the evil that lives there. Tales of sinister spirits, demons lurking in the shadows and the truest forms of malevolence emerge.
On a weekend trip to Scotland, four scare-loving friends book a ghostly horror-themed camping excursion. That night around the campfire, their guide encourages them to tell the most twisted stories that they know and to burn a totem that will help feed the evil that lives there. Tales of sinister spirits, demons lurking in the shadows and the truest forms of malevolence emerge.
River
One winter in Kibune, Kyoto, people find themselves stuck in a two minute time loop. As others try to work together to find out what's going on, one woman finds herself increasingly isolated.
One winter in Kibune, Kyoto, people find themselves stuck in a two minute time loop. As others try to work together to find out what's going on, one woman finds herself increasingly isolated.
Mayhem!
A professional boxer, recently released from prison, is forced to break probation and flee to a faraway island in Thailand. He starts a family there, only to have to deal with blackmail.
A professional boxer, recently released from prison, is forced to break probation and flee to a faraway island in Thailand. He starts a family there, only to have to deal with blackmail.
The Moor
Claire was just a child when her best friend was abducted and murdered. 25 years later, Bill, the dead boy's father, has a plan to learn the truth about what really happened. With the help of psychic Eleanor, they venture deep into a haunted moor to find his son’s supposed resting place. But they find more than just the ghosts of dead children, for something dark and evil stirs at their presence.
Claire was just a child when her best friend was abducted and murdered. 25 years later, Bill, the dead boy's father, has a plan to learn the truth about what really happened. With the help of psychic Eleanor, they venture deep into a haunted moor to find his son’s supposed resting place. But they find more than just the ghosts of dead children, for something dark and evil stirs at their presence.
The Waterhouse
After stealing a priceless painting, three men arrive at a secluded safe house by the sea to discover their fourth accomplice missing. Was one of them responsible, or is there a more sinister presence lurking at the water's edge?
After stealing a priceless painting, three men arrive at a secluded safe house by the sea to discover their fourth accomplice missing. Was one of them responsible, or is there a more sinister presence lurking at the water's edge?
Superposition
A couple and their young son choose to move to a remote cabin in the Danish Forest for an experiment in off-grid living, with no human contact for a year. When they encounter another family in the forest, identical to themselves in almost every way, the fabric of their identities faces a test.
A couple and their young son choose to move to a remote cabin in the Danish Forest for an experiment in off-grid living, with no human contact for a year. When they encounter another family in the forest, identical to themselves in almost every way, the fabric of their identities faces a test.
To Fire You Come At Last
In rural 17th century England, a group of men gather to carry a coffin on the long walk to the local graveyard for burial. A great deal of ancient folklore and superstition surrounds the pathway to the church, and several of the party are afraid to walk it after dark.
In rural 17th century England, a group of men gather to carry a coffin on the long walk to the local graveyard for burial. A great deal of ancient folklore and superstition surrounds the pathway to the church, and several of the party are afraid to walk it after dark.
Cobweb
Eight-year-old Peter is plagued by a mysterious, constant tap, tap from inside his bedroom wall – a tapping his parents insist is all in his imagination. His concerned schoolteacher starts making enquiries after Peter shows clear evidence of trouble at home. But as Peter’s fear intensifies, he believes that his parents could be hiding a terrible, dangerous secret.
Eight-year-old Peter is plagued by a mysterious, constant tap, tap from inside his bedroom wall – a tapping his parents insist is all in his imagination. His concerned schoolteacher starts making enquiries after Peter shows clear evidence of trouble at home. But as Peter’s fear intensifies, he believes that his parents could be hiding a terrible, dangerous secret.
I Am Monsters!
A personal story about growing up with horror films and coping as a gay man under Thatcherism.
A personal story about growing up with horror films and coping as a gay man under Thatcherism.
Rain, Rain, Go Away
Haunted by strange visions and nightmares, Clari receives a mysterious call from a long lost friend who hides a dark secret from their past.
Haunted by strange visions and nightmares, Clari receives a mysterious call from a long lost friend who hides a dark secret from their past.
FrightFest Features
Dancing to his tune
Anthony Waller on guilt, ambiguity and being married to Elizabeth Hurley in Piper
A Northern tale
Chris Cronin on the ancient legacy behind The Moor
Beside the seaside
Andy Edwards on the magic of the seaside, British horror and making Punch
The believers
Jenn Wexler on exploring her favourite horror tropes in The Sacrifice Game
Double jeopardy
Karoline Lyngbye on mixing it up in Superposition
A pretty picture
Samuel Clemens on art, ancient mythology, acting and The Waterhouse
Metropolis in blue
Gabriel Grieco and Nicanor Loreti on Eighties inspirations and making Maria
Between two worlds
Bishal Dutta on introducing the West to new myths and old scares in It Lives Inside
A taste of honey
Nicholas Tomnay on the corporate nightmare in What You Wish For
When Hollywood met Manchester
Jake West on the story behind Mancunian Man: The Legendary Life Of Cliff Twemlow
Searching for the supernatural
Tony Reames and Vanessa Ionta Wright discuss Spookt
Violence as narrative
Xavier Gens on balancing action and emotion in Farang
Off the rails
Jeong Yong-ki on divergent horror traditions and The Ghost Station
A strange feeling
George Baron on David Lynch, Ray Wise, Olivia Scott Welch and The Blue Rose
Unlikely heroes
Konstantinos Koutsoliotas and Elizabeth E Schuch on Greek culture, monsters and the making of Minore
Sharing the terror
Sarah Appleton and Jasper Sharp discuss Japanese cinema and The J-Horror Virus
Off the map
Barnaby Clay on capturing intensity and eternity in The Seeding
Beyond the dark planet
Doug Bradley and Douglas Schulze on special effects, villains and Thorns
Taking the plunge
Maximilian Erlenwein on the challenges of shooting The Dive underwater
Altered perspective
John Rosman on character, tension and the music of Bob Dylan in New Life
Bodily pleasures
Joe Lynch on Lovecraft, sex, horror and comedy in Suitable Flesh
All the fun of the fair
The Adams family discusses Where The Devil Roams
Within the silences
Paris Zarcilla and Chi Thai discuss the legacy of colonialism and Raging Grace
Something in the trees
Teresa Sutherland on filming in the forest and Lovely, Dark, And Deep
After the eclipse
Scott Haze on the wilderness, stunts and The Seeding
The collaborator
Andy Edwards on Midnight Peepshow, The Ghosts Of Monday, Punch and the future of British horror
Love me, love my dog
Viljar Bøe on putting a news spin on Beauty And The Beast in Good Boy
FrightFest News
FrightFest searches for New Blood
Sixth new writers initiative launched
59th New York Film Festival early bird highlights Futura, Jane By Charlotte, James Baldwin: From Another Place and The Velvet Underground
Eye For Film continues to support festivals both locally and across the world. At the moment, we're covering:
DOC NYC
New York's celebration of factual film
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival
One of the largest film gatherings in northern Europe
French Film Festival
The UK's longest running celebration of Francophone cinema
Cannes Film Festival
Archive of festival coverage.
Sundance Film Festival
Daily diary and reviews from 2005-2018.
Berlin Film Festival
Coverage of the lynchpin German festival.
Search Movie Database
Browse our full archive
Browse our short film archive
Browse our media archive
