Fantasia Film Festival 2020: The Good, The Bad, and The Batshit Crazy

Another year for Fantasia Film Festival 2020, another batch of genre films that’ll either blow your mind or waste two hours you’ll never get back. Fantasia’s 2020 lineup is no different, a mixed bag of genuinely brilliant horror, forgettable thrillers, and the kind of bizarre international offerings that make you question humanity’s collective mental state. Here’s what’s worth your time (and what isn’t). Most of the following are reviewed in full here on Mother of Movies. Look out for our highlights every year around June and August.

World Premieres: Fresh Meat (Some of It Good)

THE BLOCK ISLAND SOUND

The McManus brothers (American Vandal) swap high school pranks for cosmic horror, and surprisingly, it works. This atmospheric slow-burn about something sinister lurking off the coast of Block Island has been praised as a “genre-defying masterpiece” that “lands every one of its emotional beats” and “brings together the best parts of cosmic and aquatic horror.” Think The Thing meets Lovecraft, but with actual human emotions. Michaela McManus, Chris Sheffield, and Jim Cummings anchor this properly unsettling piece that proves you don’t need a massive budget to create genuine dread.

Worth the watch: Yes, if you have patience for slow burns. Mother of Movies has more information.

THE OAK ROOM

RJ Mitte trades meth labs for Canadian dive bars in this twisty neo-noir from Cody Calahan. Set during a snowstorm (because Canada), it’s the kind of film that thinks it’s cleverer than it is, but commits hard enough to its violence and atmosphere that you might not care. Plus, Peter Outerbridge is always reliable for menacing small-town weirdness. The Oak Room is a must-see feature film, and we gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

Worth the watch: Maybe, if you’re into convoluted bar stories.

MINOR PREMISE

A neuroscientist experiments on his own consciousness and, surprise!, things go badly. It’s the kind of sci-fi that academic festivals love and regular audiences find insufferably pretentious. Sathya Sridharan gives it his all, but no amount of committed acting can save exposition-heavy dialogue about the “tenth enigma.”

Worth the watch: Only if you enjoy explaining movies to yourself afterward.

SLAXX

Finally, someone made a movie about killer jeans. Yes, really. This Canadian horror-comedy about possessed pants terrorizing a fast-fashion store is exactly as ridiculous as it sounds – and that’s entirely the point. It’s camp done right, with enough social commentary about the fashion industry to make you feel smart while laughing at murderous denim.

Worth the watch: Absolutely, if you can handle your horror with a hefty dose of absurdity. Slaxx review for the full movie.

FOR THE SAKE OF VICIOUS

Halloween night, a nurse, a maniac, and a hostage walk into a house… This isn’t a joke setup, it’s a genuinely brutal Canadian action-horror that promises “kickass stunts performed by the cast.” Gabriel Carrer and Reese Eveneshen don’t mess around with their violence, so expect plenty of practical gore and bone-crunching mayhem.

Worth the watch: If you like your action films mean and your gore practical. For the Sake of Vicious goes hard, and Fantasia Film Festival 2020 brought it to our attention.

International Premieres: The Weird World Tour

THE DARK AND THE WICKED

Bryan Bertino (The Strangers) returns with rural nightmare fuel about a family gathering to mourn their dying patriarch, only to discover something evil has beaten them to the farmhouse. Early reviews praise its “polished production and visuals” and Marin Ireland’s performance. If Bertino can recapture even half the tension of the original Strangers, this could be genuinely terrifying.

PVT CHAT

Ben Hozie’s “anxiety-ridden comedy, love story, drama, noir, and horror show” about an online gambler obsessed with a cam girl has been called “sexy, provocative, and timely.” Julia Fox (Uncut Gems) stars as the cam girl who becomes the object of Peter Vack’s increasingly unhinged fixation. It’s the kind of film that’ll either be hailed as a prescient commentary on digital intimacy or dismissed as exploitation masquerading as art cinema.

Worth the watch: Yes, but maybe not with your parents.

CLASS ACTION PARK

A documentary about New Jersey’s Action Park – the ’80s death trap that masqueraded as an amusement park. If you’ve ever wondered what happens when drunk teenagers run a theme park with zero safety regulations, this is your answer. Featuring Johnny Knoxville and other survivors who lived to tell the tale.

Worth the watch: Absolutely. It’s basically Jackass meets When Animals Attack, but real.

North American Premieres: International Oddities

A MERMAID IN PARIS

French musical romance about a mermaid in… Paris. It’s as whimsical and potentially insufferable as it sounds, but if you’re into that Amélie-esque French charm, knock yourself out. At least it looks pretty.

THE COLUMNIST

Dutch thriller about a female columnist who decides to murder her online trolls. In 2020, this feels less like fantasy and more like inevitable documentary footage. Katja Herbers (Westworld) leads this revenge tale that’s either a cathartic fantasy or a deeply troubling power trip, depending on your relationship with social media.

Worth the watch: For anyone who’s ever wanted to strangle anonymous internet commenters. The Columnist was one of our favorites from the Fantasia Film Festival 2020.

BEAUTY WATER

South Korean animated horror about a miracle beauty product that comes with a horrific price. In a culture obsessed with physical perfection, ugliness becomes a fate worse than death. Sounds like a Black Mirror episode stretched to feature length, which could be brilliant or tedious.

Canadian Premieres: Maple Syrup and Mayhem | Fantasia Film Festival 2020

CRAZY SAMURAI MUSASHI

Tak Sakaguchi fights 588 opponents in a single 77-minute action sequence. No cuts, no breaks, just one man with a sword against an army. It’s either the most impressive feat of choreography ever captured on film or an endurance test disguised as entertainment.

Worth the watch: If you’ve ever wondered what peak human exhaustion looks like on camera.

DETENTION

Taiwanese horror based on a video game about students under martial law discovering supernatural horrors in their school. Won five Golden Horse Awards, which means it’s either genuinely excellent or the Taiwanese film industry was having a slow year.

Underground Section: The Truly Unhinged

CLIMATE OF THE HUNTER

Mickey Reece’s vampire film with “wine, jello, and vamps” promises the kind of oddball underground cinema that’s either genius or complete nonsense. Two sisters compete for a man who may or may not be undead, all while surrounded by “horrifically appealing jello platters.”

Worth the watch: Only if you enjoy films that feel like fever dreams.

The Bottom Line: Fantasia 2020’s lineup is typically eclectic, ranging from genuinely promising horror (The Block Island Sound, The Dark and The Wicked) to delightfully absurd genre exercises (SLAXX, Crazy Samurai Musashi). The international selections offer their usual mix of cultural curiosities and genuinely innovative filmmaking.

As always with Fantasia, your mileage will vary wildly depending on your tolerance for subtitles, practical effects, and films that prioritize atmosphere over conventional narrative logic. But that’s exactly why we keep coming back – where else can you watch killer jeans terrorize fast fashion workers, followed by a 77-minute sword fight?

Festival runs virtually due to that global pandemic everyone’s talking about. Check the official Fantasia website for screening times and your sanity at the door.

Film Festival Favorites from other years, we recommend these 11 Films highlighted from 2023.