We’re fortunate enough to once again be on the press list. Though we’re only covering remotely (stupid time and money getting in the way of spending a few weeks in Canada watching movies), there’s still plenty to behold.
[Related Reading: Fantasia 2024: 10 Movies to See]
With that in mind, let's run down some of the titles we’re all jazzed up about at the 2025 incarnation of Fantasia. There are, of course, the bigger, more notable titles, like Ari Aster’s Eddington, or a presentation of John Woo’s recently remastered action masterpiece Bullet in the Head. (Or, you know, the new Smurfs movie if that floats your boat.) Those may have wider interest and appeal, but the schedule has all manner of goodies and oddities to find for the willing.
These are just some of the movies we’re looking forward to checking out at Fantasia. The list could go on and on, and there are surely others that will pop up that we somehow skimmed over on our initial examinations of the schedule. Check out the expansive lineup for yourself and see what calls out to you.
Blazing Fists
Takashi Miike gets us going with the story of two young hooligans and best friends who try to use a martial arts tournament to fight their way out of their circumstances. Sounds like fertile ground for the prolific Japanese director.
The Book of Sijjin and Illyyin
Supernatural Indonesian horror about a woman who turns to dark magic to exact revenge upon the employers who have wronged her. Sign us up for this.
Fucktoys
Missed this one at the Seattle International Film Festival a few months back, but this lo-fi sex romp looks witty and surreal and strange as all hell. If it calls to mind the work of John Watters, you’re not the first to notice that.
Holy Night: Demon Hunters
Watching Ma Dong-seok (aka Don Lee) absolutely truck dudes is one of the great cinematic pleasures. When it’s devil worshipers and demons and other evils from the pits of hell getting socked in the jaw, even better.
Lurker
To be honest, I don’t know a ton about this, but a friend says it was his favorite film of Sundance 2025, so what the hell? And a thriller about social media obsession with celebrity looks promising.
Mother of Flies
It wouldn’t be Fantasia without an offering from the Adams family. Truly a family affair, this wife/husband/daughter team (responsible for Hellbender, The Deeper You Dig, and more) return with a journey through dark deep-woods magic. Truly DIY affairs, their work is always worth checking out.
Queens of the Dead
When a Brooklyn drag show is besieged by zombies, all hell breaks loose. Starring the likes of Katy O’Brian, Riki Lindhome, Margaret Cho, and Tom Savini, this is most eye-catching as the debut of Tina Romero, daughter of the great George A., and she looks to put her own stamp on the genre her father revolutionized. And word on the street is this is fun as hell.
Redux Redux
Revenge tales always pique our interest, but a saga of vengeance where a mother leaps from one parallel universe to another to kill her daughter’s murderer in every one is an even more intriguing proposition.
The Serpent’s Skin
Alice Maio Mackay may only be 21, but she already has five awesome horror features under her belt. Her latest is reportedly a bit more serious than the wild snark of her previous films, but we’re willing to bet this story of a woman escaping her transphobic small town and battling evil has plenty of her free-wheeling DIY aesthetic.
Sham
Another Takashi Miike movie? Sure, why not? The man is nothing if not prolific.
Terrestrial
A sci-fi thriller from the director of Hot Tub Time Machine? (Who also wrote the beloved Grosse Pointe Blank.) Color us intrigued. Add a banger cast, we're already lining up.
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