20 Must-See Movies at Fantastic Fest 2018

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. That’s right folks, Fantastic Fest is kicking off today and the lineup is stacked, to say the least.

David Gordon Green and the Blumhouse gang are taking The Shape down to Austin with Halloween, Green Room director Jeremy Saulnier will ask us to Hold the Dark, Jonah Hill is appearing in person to present his directorial debut Mid90s, Karyn Kusama is following up her cult classic with the Nicole Kidman-starring Destroyer – it’s all a little overwhelming. To make matters easier, this writer has taken it upon herself to provide an easy guide to the top 20 absolutely must-see films of the fest. Read on to discover which movies are not to be missed, because this shouldn’t be a time of stress, it should be a time of stuffing your face with as much Texas barbeque as humanly possible.

Fantastic Fest will begin Thursday, September 20 and end Thursday, September 27.

20 Must See Movies at Fantastic Fest 2018

UNDER THE SILVER LAKE

From David Robert Mitchell, writer and director of the 2014 sleeper hit It Follows, comes the last movie you’d ever expect to serve as the up-and-comer’s next in line after his mega hit – Under the Silver Lake. Starring Andrew Garfield as the apathetic stoner Sam, this trippy tumble down the rabbit hole serves as both an entertaining anecdote about what it’s like to live in La La Land, and a sobering look in the millennial mirror at the lack of mystery in modern times. Part Robert Atlman, part David Lynch, Under the Silver Lake will be a divisive one, to say the least, and it will be interesting to see how fans of Mitchell’s previous slow burn thriller respond to his new uber hyper and wildly erratic narrative.
THE MAN WHO KILLED DON QUIXOTE

It’s been a long and tumultuous road for Terry Gilliam and his fans, but now, finally, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote will have its North American premiere thanks to the tireless efforts of the programmers at Fantastic Fest. It’s time to pop the champagne and break out the party streamers because the director who bestowed upon us such titles as Monty Python and the Holly Grail, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Twelve Monkeys, and Brazil is here to show viewers a first hand account of what it’s like to be an auteur who’s lost his way. Starring Adam Driver as a young filmmaker trying to tap back into the inspiration that once drove him, this story about a director who teams up with a cobbler believing himself to be the real Don Quixote is sure to be just as whimsical and oddly uproarious as his previous endeavors. Mark your calendars, kids – this monumental moment is not to be missed.
LUZ

The directorial debut of German filmmaker Tilman Singer, this experimental and bloody horror contender carries Zulawski-esque vibes, its ‘70s aesthetic made all the more punctual by its being captured on 16mm film. Based around our protagonist Luz, this young taxi driver enters a deserted police station one evening to report an assault, only to find something even more criminal waiting for her inside. Recently picked up by Yellow Veil Pictures and receiving rave reviews out of Fantasia Film Festival, this psychotropic demonic possession movie is in a league all its own.
DONNYBROOK

Starring Frank Grillo (The Purge: Anarchy) and Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot), this Tim Sutton (Dark Night) directed no-holds-barred thriller sees two desperate men headed for the donnybrook to fight for their lives. A voluntary battle royale scenario, each fighter – man or woman – throws down $1,000 to enter the ring and duke it out for the top prize -- $100,000. A brutal brawl where only one man leaves, this gut-punching film sheds light on the depths to which people will sink to earn a buck, and the cost of financial gain when it means taking a life.
HALLOWEEN

It’s been forty years since The Shape stalked this sleepy suburban streets of Haddonfield, Illinois, but now Michael Myers is back, trademark stoicism and all, just in time for Halloween. He’s even being played by Nick Castle again – and he’s not the only familiar face returning to form. The old girl scout is back in top form, Jamie Lee Curtis returning in the pivotal role of Laurie Strode, and she’s ready and waiting for Michael. Matter of fact, this prey turned predator has been praying for Michael to show his masked face again ever since he got locked up all those years ago. She’s been waiting for Michael to escape so she can kill him. Directed by David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express, Vice Principals), the man who is a master of comedic timing seems like the perfect person to inject some sharp scares into this direct sequel to John Carpenter’s original 1978 carving of the slasher genre – with the master of horror himself injecting a brand new updated version of the score into play.
YOU MIGHT BE THE KILLER

No power in the verse can stop a Whedon family reunion, not even the scorching heat of Austin, Texas. That’s right, fellow Whedonites, our time has come, the cinema gods have smiled on us, as two distinct Mutant Enemy good guys join forces to share screen time – dare I say for the very first time? – in Brett Simmons’ latest directorial effort, You Might Be the Killer. Most will know Fran Kranz from his iconic fool on the hill role in the Whedon produced Cabin in the Woods, but a few might also recognize him as Topher Brink, genius programmer and wiper of memories on the Eliza Dushku-starring show, Dollhouse. Together, he and Alyson Hannigan (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) are teaming up for what looks to be a very Whedon style story. A tongue-in-cheek tale about how counselor Sam (Kranz) enlists the aid of his horror expert bestie (Hannigan) to help him stop the slaughter going down at this bloody bloody summer camp.
APOSTLE

Arguably one of the most exciting titles of the fest, Apostle sees the return of filmmaker Gareth Evans. Set in the year 1905, Apostle tells the story of a man named Thomas Richardson who is dead set on rescuing his sister from a remote island where she’s being held in a state of Stockholm syndrome by a mysterious cult that worships “the Goddess” and is riddled with corruption. Coming from the guy who dueled out such modern day action feats as The Raid: Redemption, The Raid 2, and the new religious movement nightmare V/H/S/2 segment “Safe Haven”, it sounds like a scenario that will be right up this filmmaker’s alley.
MAY THE DEVIL TAKE YOU

Alfie’s father made a pact with Satan many moons ago, and now, the winged beast has come to collect his due. The only problem is, Alfie’s old man Lesmana is no longer around to pony up the debt, leaving his family behind to shoulder the worst of his blunders. Now, with the mighty powers of the prince of darkness working against the well being of this cursed family unit, it’s only a matter of time until these poor souls are sucked into Hell – that is, unless they can stop the cycle, once and for all, before the devil takes them. Not only does the latest horror entry in Timo Tjahjanto (Killers, V/H/S/2) look like it’s going to be absolutely incredible, but it’s actually only 1 of his 2 films that made it into the festival. That’s right, Tjahjanto has two titles screening at the 2018 Fantastic Fest – May the Devil Take You and The Night Comes For Us. In fact, if you attend the showings of each film on Sunday, September 23rd, you can actually watch a Tjahjanto double feature.
BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE

There’s no such thing as a perfect person. Everyone has skeletons in their closet – unpleasant memories they’d rather leave hidden. But what happens when seven strangers randomly meet at a quaint little rundown motel in the middle of Lake Tahoe, and their secrets begin to spill out as the evening’s events unfold? What tragic times lay ahead for our guests at the El Royale? Only time will tell, but if Drew Goddard’s reputation remains intact – the man who gave us Cabin in the Woods, Daredevil, and worked on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel – there’s probably going to be more than a few patrons who won’t leave these parts alive. With a steamy 70s vibe and a hint of danger lurking underneath all of that shag carpeting, Bad Times at the El Royale looks like a title that’s not to be missed. This is especially true once you take a quick glance at the cast. Here’s just a few names on that docket: Chris Hemsworth (Avengers: Infinity War), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Dakota Johnson (Suspiria), Jeff Bridges (The Big Lebowski), Katharine Isabelle (Hannibal), Nick Offerman (Parks and Rec) – I mean honestly, what more could you want? Go watch Chris Hemsworth break Fantastic Fest as he shirtlessly shimmies his way across the rain-soaked parking lot and into your heart.
OVERLORD

From producer J.J. Abrams comes a thrilling and wildly outlandish tale about experiments gone wrong during World War II, and the mutated zombies that arise as a result of such horrid concoctions. Taking place mere hours before D-Day, Overlord sees American paratroopers dropping into Nazi-occupied France to carry out a vital mission: destroy a transmitter atop a fortified church. However, once beneath the church, the soldiers come up against terrors which the world has never seen.
MID90S

Just when you thought Jonah Hill couldn’t possibly dish out any more creative success, the Academy Award nominated actor, known for his roles in such quiet little movies as The Wolf of Wall Street, Moneyball, Superbad and Django Unchained – not to mention the upcoming Cary Fukunaga directed Netflix show maniac – the man goes and directs a movie. And, according to reports out of the Toronto International Film Festival, it’s a pretty solid movie at that. Starring Sunny Suljic (The Killing of a Sacred Deer) as Stevie and Lucas Hedges (Manchester By the Sea) as his brother Ian, Mid90s is a coming of age tale about what it’s like to grow up as a young punk skateboarder in the early 1990s, and it looks like it’s going to be fantastic.
BLOODLINE

Evan Cole (Seann William Scott) leads a double life. By day, he’s a social worker for troubled teens, the proud father of a beautiful baby boy, and happy husband to his loving wife. He’s a family man – which, in a way, isn’t too different from how he spends his nights. There’s just the slight distinction of his murdering bad parents in an abandoned mansion once the sun goes down. So far, he’s been able to conceal it – that is, aside from his nosy mother constantly coming close to blowing his cover. Eventually, these two worlds will bleed together, and everyone caught in the crossfire will be coated in crimson. Directed by Henry Jacobson and release by Blumhouse, this movie is being described as an homage to Brian De Palma – but if that’s not enough to persuade you to put this title on your must-see list, just know that Bloodline was shot by DP Isaac Bauman, the same cinematographer who’s been capturing such gorgeous imagery on Syfy’s Channel Zero.
DESTROYER

Anyone who doesn’t know Karyn Kusama’s name by now needs to learn it. Not only is this the woman who brought us the vastly underrated valley girl monster movie Jennifer’s Body, but it was just three years ago that Kusama graced Fantastic Fest with her presence to present her film The Invitation. Dripping with moody shadows and cram-packed with tension, this claustrophobic story about a dinner party gone wrong actually feels as though it’s closing in on the viewer. That’s the power of Kusama’s vision. Now, she’s back with Destroyer, a gritty noir starring Nicole Kidman as a police detective reconnecting with people from an undercover assignment in her past as she tries to make peace.
HOLD THE DARK

Based on the book by William Giraldi, Hold the Dark tells the story of Russell Core (Jeffrey Wright) as he investigates the case of three missing children, supposedly murdered by wolves. Along the way, while he’s out wandering in the Alaskan wilderness, Russell comes into contact with some strange characters, such as Medora Sloane (Riley Keough) and Vernon Sloane (Alexander Skarsgard), but the most important thing he discovers out in the cold is the depths to which ice can penetrate the human heart. This title will pop up on Netflix at the end of the month, but trust that watching a Jeremy Saulnier film will be much more enjoyable while seated amongst the good people at Fantastic Fest. If the Green Room screening back in 2015 was any indication of how events will unfold at the upcoming cinematic showcase, then you can be sure of two things: 1) Saulnier is going to present a nail-biting, genre blending face melter, and 2) the crowd will be super into it.
CLIMAX

Gaspar Noe has always been known for his surrealistic mixture of sex, drugs and violence, and his latest effort is no exception. Set mainly within the confines of an abandoned boarding school, Climax centers around twenty young dancers, who spend all their time cooped up working on a new routine. Desperate for a break, the gang busts out the cocaine and the sangria, plotting hard to throw the parties of all parties, but little do they know, someone has laced their drinks with a special serum. They have no idea just how wild things are about to get. A horrific dance-fueled head spin, sadism and debauchery has never looked this good.
PIERCING

Writer/director Nicolas Pesce first came on the scene in 2016 with his stunning directorial debut The Eyes of My Mother, a film that premiered at the ‘Next’ section of the Sundance Film Festival and was quickly snatched up by Magnet Releasing before a theatrical release. Shot entirely in black and white, Pesce’s first film told an unsettling story about the effect that early trauma has on a lonesome farm girl (Kika Magalhaes). The movie was praised for being on par with some of Hitchcock’s early work. Now, Pesce is back with an even more bold and outlandish tale to tell: the account of a man who tells his family he’s going on a business trip when he’s actually going to go rent a motel room and murder a sex worker. It’s called Piercing, and it’s one you should be on your radar.
IN FABRIC

It’s happened – Peter Strickland, the director who delivered The Duke of Burgandy and Berberian Sound Studio has graced us with yet another optic opiate, and it’s called In Fabric. Premiering to rave reviews at the Toronto International Film Festival, Strickland’s latest follows not a character per say, but rather, a cursed dress. The hexed artifact makes the rounds with a group of unsuspecting women, bringing death and destruction to each and every person the dress touches. There’s big Red Shoes vibes going on here, and given Strickland’s track record with creating beautifully twisted nightmare visions in the past, he’s got this writer, in particular, pretty darn curious to see what he’s got up his sleeve.
LORDS OF CHAOS

In 1993 a wave of church burnings and mayhem committed in the name of black metal took the country by storm, leaving a pile of bodies and rubble in its wake. In 1998, two journalists by the names of Michael Moynihan and Didrik Soderliand published their accounts of the murderous early ‘90s metal scene, focusing heavily on Mayhem’s Per Yngve “Dead” Ohlin, Oystein “Euronymous” Aarseth, and Burzum founder Varg “Count Grishnackh” Vikernes. The book was called ‘Lords of Chaos: The Bloody Rise of the Satanic Metal Underground’, and now, Swedish filmmaker Jonas Akerlund is here to bring that ferocious Norwegian fire to the screen in 2018. This one is essential viewing.
AN EVENING WITH BEVERLY LUFF LINN

If you didn’t see The Greasy Strangler when it came out a few years back, then you at least heard about the gross-out madness that was Jim Hosking’s directorial debut. Now, the controversial filmmaker is up at bat again, this time with a whole new and exciting lineup that includes the likes of Aubrey Plaza (Safety Not Guaranteed), Jemaine Clement (What We Do in the Shadows) and Craig Robinson (This is the End) – in other words, it’s a matchup of one of the most promising young comedic filmmakers with a few of the most talented comedians in the business. This one is gonna be wild.
HOUSE OF SWEAT AND TEARS

The directorial debut of Spanish auteur Sonia Escolano, this exploration of faith is made all the more poignant by its highly stylized imagery. Set in an unnamed country, House of Sweat and Tears tells the story of a fiercely loyal cult who worship their leader “She” with unshakeable devotion. That is, until an outsider invades their happy home, and waves of doubt begin to ripple through this once solid familial unit. Now, as the group begins to splinter, madness ensues, as those who once joined willingly begin to recognize the shackles that bind them, and do everything in their power to break free.