2023’s 27th Edition of the illustrious genre movie extravaganza revealed the first two waves of films early and we were excited at Mother of Movies. The full lineup for Fantasia Fest 2023 was released in early July. Mother of Movies highlighted many titles on our Facebook Page during the festival. Here are the ones that have piqued our interest the most. I’ve tried to include something for everyone.
This list of 11 movies has films with vampires, werewolves, conjured spirits, woodsy folk horror, and technology-infused stories of love that will rip your heart out as well as make it beat faster.
Mother of Movies joined the team of press officials to bring you all the inside gossip and, more importantly, what’s in store for independent genre films worldwide. This is my 5th year with the Fantasia International Film Festival and I am still as excited as my first year with them. Many titles from this and other festivals end up on our yearly “Best Movies” lists. Fantasia Fest will always be my favorite festival.
EMPIRE V
Who doesn’t like a vampire movie? “Empire V” is a feature horror film banned from being shown in Russia, its country of origin. The social satire angle was too aggressive for the Ministry of Culture. The story unfolds in Moscow and evolves into a torrid dictatorship. This film features as part of the list of 11 movies to watch next. It follows a 19-year-old drug enthusiast named Roma (Pavel Tabakov.) Chosen to join an elite and powerful echelon, Roma discovers a hidden society of bloodthirsty immortals.
Empire V is based on a novel of the same name, written by Viktor Pelevin. The fantasy and drama-infused title is directed by Victor Ginzburg (Generation P) and marks a lengthy end to a hiatus from the directorial chair. After having his film banned and the premiere canceled in Russia, an unknown person leaked an unfinished pirated copy to the internet. The final edit of Empire V will come complete with additional scenes.
LOVELY, DARK, AND DEEP
The cast for “Lovely, Dark, and Deep” features Barbarian’s Georgina Campbell. Campbell plays a lone park ranger in the backcountry and tries to tap into the roots of what happened during a shocking incident when she was young.
Lovely, Dark, and Deep is the directorial debut from Teresa Sutherland (Midnight Mass.) The title is described as a folkloric nightmare filled with shockingly unforgettable cinematic scenery. Casting for the film will feature Georgina Campbell (Black Mirror), Nick Blood (Babylon), and Wai Ching Ho (Daredevil.)
SUITABLE FLESH
What do Barbara Crampton (You’re Next), Heather Graham (The Stand), Judah Lewis (The BabySitter), Joe Lynch, and H.P. Lovecraft have in common? They are all crammed into a movie called “Suitable Flesh.” I’m so excited about this title I nearly fell off my chair.
Suitable Flesh is a supernatural horror film with erotic tendencies following a psychiatrist who falls down the rabbit hole. There is a trailer below for Suitable Flesh, but I’m not watching.
Based on an H.P. Lovecraft story called THE THING ON THE DOORSTEP, Joe Lynch (Mayhem) directs as a tribute to Stuart Gordon. Screenplay by Denis Paoli (Re-Animator). Walk don’t run to add Suitable Flesh to movies you need to see. Read more about the Suitable Flesh movie here.
Suitable Flesh Movie Trailer
STAY ONLINE
Never one to miss a story where technology is both the enemy and the savior, “Stay Online” is a thriller and drama movie with heavy bones ripped straight from the headlines. In war-torn Ukraine, a volunteer finds a laptop that belongs to a man that is missing. Read more about the Stay Online movie here.
11 Movies to Watch Next | Tech Thriller Drama
Shot against the Russian invasion Stay Online promises to get your heart racing and your fingers gripped against the nearest surface. Eva Strelnikova’s directorial debut sounds like a must-see for fans of tense thrillers like Unfriended, Missing, and Searching.
TALK TO ME
The buzz online about the Australian supernatural feature debut is that “Talk To Me” could be 2023’s scariest film. Australian filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou follow a group of friends with ill intentions toward an embalmed hand they find. Promising originality with its unique narrative and an intense ride through inventive scares, Talk To Me is on the Mother of Movies “hot film list.”
The cast for Talk to Me stars local favorites Sophie Wilde, Alexandra Jensen, and Miranda Otto (The Silence) and has already been picked up by A24 and Umbrella Entertainment. Expect a release date after the Fantasia Film Festival on July 27th in Australia and July 28th in the USA.
WITH LOVE AND A MAJOR ORGAN
“With Love and a Major Organ” turns to an app-based love-matching universe where hearts are removable. Self-care involves suppressing anything emotional and in With Love and a Major Organ, Anabel decides that being in love with George is worth ripping her own heart out for.
The cast for With Love and a Major Organ features Anna Maguire (Violation), Hamza Haqis (Crisis) Donna Benedicto (Supernatural) as well as Laara Sadiq (Virgin River.) A sophomore feature film directed by Kim Albright and written by Julia Lederer.
PERPETRATOR
With a cult following Jennifer Reeder (Night’s End, Knives and Skin) is back with Perpetrator. Starring Kiah McKirnan, Alicia Silverstone, Christopher Lowell, and Ireon Roach. Perpetrator is a horror film that at its core, is inspired by the common experience among generations of women with heavy accents on shocking blood and gore.
“Perpetrator” promises pools of blood, cameo roles, and a transformation called “Forevering.” If you’re looking for your next woman-led horror movie, add “Perpetrator” to your watchlist.
MY ANIMAL
I saw the words “Ginger Snaps script flipped” and “My Animal” suddenly became my most anticipated film on this list. A werewolf love story alongside transformative queer horror and this psychological horror and romance looks like everything I want and more. Directed by Jacqueline Castel, she brings her debut feature film to Fantasia Fest.
The story follows Heather who falls for a figure skater called Jonny. Love versus an age-old lycanthrope family legacy. “My Animal” stars Bobbie Salvör Menuez (Nocturnal Animals) and Amandla Stenberg (Bodies, Bodies, Bodies), as well as Stephen McHattie (Pontypool.) In addition to a whole slate of killer cast, My Animal is getting excellent reviews after its showing at Sundance earlier in the year.
DIVINITY
Anything Steven Soderberg is involved in, I want in. “Divinity” is set in a futuristic wasteland. Two brothers kidnap a pharmaceutical tycoon in pursuit of immortality. Divinity sees Scott Bakula (What We Do In The Shadows), Stephen Dorff (Leatherface), Caylee Cowan (Willy’s Wonderland and Bella Thorne (Scream TV Series) do strange things in black and white.
“Divinity” will either be a trainwreck or a memorable cinematic event and I’m willing to take my chances. Directed by Eddie Alcazar.
SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL
Back on my favorites list after his performance in Renfield, Nic Cage’s new movie is Sympathy for the Devil. A high stakes action-packed thriller and horror title, “Sympathy for the Devil” sees a man known only as The Passenger force another man to take him to an undisclosed location at gunpoint.
Judging by the Sympathy for the Devil trailer, this title looks like everything a Nicolas Cage fan could want in a new movie. Also starring The Killing’s Joel Kinnaman as The Driver. “Sympathy for The Devil” is directed by Yuval Adler (Bethlehem) and written by Luke Paradise. The title has been picked up for a wide release by RJLE Films in various countries and will be released on July 28th, 2023.
People always say, don’t assume the worst”
Quote from 2023’s Sympathy for the Devil
Sympathy For the Devil Movie Trailer
#MANHOLE
I love a situational thriller movie with social satire bones riddled with dark laughs. #Manhole takes the idea of one misstep and trumps it with one man’s ideas to get himself out of a bind. With a fully charged phone and no desire to call rescue services, he calls people listed on his phone.
With no success and only his ex-girlfriend willing to accept his distress call, #Manhole twists the narrative from “man in trouble” to “girl needs rescuing” and his @manholegirl Twitter plea goes viral. Directed by Kazuyoshi Kumakiri (Hole in the Sky) this World Cinema thriller title ends the highlights list for 2023’s Fantasia Film Fest.
Fantasia Fest 2023 Tickets | 11 Movies to Watch
This list of 11 movies that all released for Fantasia Fest in 2023. Check the links for where to watch.
For those attending the Fantasia Fest 2023 in person, it runs from July 20 through August 9, 2023. Taking place at the Concordia Hall Cinema, with additional screens at the Cinémathèque Québécoise and Cinéma du Musée. For everyone else, follow the Mother of Movies socials in Australia and, as always, I aim to watch as many of the films from the video library as humanly possible and tell you all about them.
