The UK’s premier horror film festival, FrightFest, has wrapped up after bringing a number of scintillating tales of dread and horror to the big screen in London and in homes all over the British Isles with its in-person and digital hybrid. Here’s a roundup of some of the best of the fest.
Prisoners of the Ghostland | Dir. Sion Sono
It’s never bad to see Nicolas Cage in a weird performance, especially as he gets a testicle blown off in the first third of this film. Cage’s performance aside, Prisoners of the Ghostland won’t be for everyone, as it’s certainly one of the more abstract offerings from Sono and not entirely the madcap steampunk western it’s advertised as. Still, it’s a wild ride of strange characters, fever-dream fantasy sequences and, as is customary with Sono, full of blood and violence. worthy entry into the pantheon of bizarre Cage flicks.
The Sadness | Dir. Rob Jabbaz
Zombie movies are very rarely surprising, but The Sadness shocked me in how readily it didn’t hold back visually, displaying what would actually happen if human beings were stripped of their morality (whilst also arguing that that’s happening now, just not as overtly). It’s a grim, bloody, unpleasant, nasty and stomach-turning thing to endure, with several gratuitous depictions of sexual and sadistic violence. But it’s grounded by a desperate love story as two lovers attempt to reunite amidst all the carnage, which just about makes it palatable.
Coming Home in the Dark | Dir. James Ashcroft
A survival road-trip home invasion horror film about a family coming across a pair of strangers with ill-intent is already an arresting premise, but when Coming Home in the Dark pulls such a shocking rug-pull so early on in the film, you can’t help but be forcibly dragged along for the rest of the ride. It’s brutally nihilistic and wonderfully performed, with Daniel Gillies as the menacing Mandrake a particular standout.
Sound of Violence | Dir. Alex Noyer
One of two films about an artist sacrificing themselves for success in this roundup. Sound of Violence is a fun, modern take on a Giallo slasher with some truly absurdist moments, especially in the film’s many imaginative murder set pieces. Jasmin Savoy Brown’s lead and Lilli Simmons’s supportive friend are perfect together and have such good chemistry that you care for the fates of both of them. The finale, although horrific in magnitude, is a little underwhelming at wrapping everything together.
Hotel Poseidon | Dir. Stef Lernous
If a film could be described as a fever dream, then Hotel Poseidon is a fever nightmare. Everything from the characters, their appearance, the set, and the narrative is petulant, decaying, and depressing. It’s a film so effective in conveying the atmosphere that it’s aiming for with every element of its design that it’s a thoroughly uncomfortable watch, which I guess is rather the point.
Demonic | Dir. Neill Blomkamp
Neill Blomkamp’s return to lower-budget films sees him tackle demonic possession by the way of virtual reality, but, whilst there are certain elements that work in this technology and supernatural hybrid, those hoping for a return to the heights of District 9 will find themselves disappointed by the needless mish-mash of ideas that don’t fully come together here and end up stunting the excitement of the film’s scares. I do wonder if lower expectations would have yielded better results.
Bloodthirsty | Dir. Amelia Moses
Amelia Moses is slowly carving herself a fantastic little corner in the werewolf genre with last year’s Fantasia Film Fest selection Bleed With Me and now Bloodthirsty. Sure, the trope of a pursuit of fame turning us into monsters has been done before, but Moses is so confident and assured in the way she uses lycanthropes to depict female desires and issues that the entire thing works, especially with Lauren Beatty returning as her lead. The original songs in this are killer, too.
The Advent Calendar | Dir. Patrick Ridremont
I might be so bold as to say that The Advent Calendar might have birthed a new horror icon with the old-fashioned wooden cursed object and its demonic guardian at the centre of this film. I would definitely like to see sequels to this ‘be careful what you wish for’ Christmas themed monkey’s paw spin-off. A sleek narrative, well-polished visuals and a star-making performance from Eugénie Derouand left me thoroughly impressed.
