Fantasia International Film Festival - Week 2 Film Reviews

Fantasia International Film Festival Film Reviews

Week 2

Sadly, the 29^th edition of Fantasia International Film Festival is coming to close on Sunday.

But I’ve got more films for you to put on your watch list, as well as the big Cheval Noir Award winner, MOTHER OF FLIES.

Grab that popcorn and let’s get started!

 

MOTHER OF FLIES

Written and Directed by John Adams, Zelda Adams and Toby Poser (The Adams Family)

MOTHER OF FLIES took home Fantasia’s top honor, the Cheval Noir Award for Best Film, the first feature from the United States to win Fantasia’s Cheval Noir Award for Best Film in the festival’s 29-year history.

The film is a haunting, poetic look at death, and a project that hit close to home to The Adams Family and their own experiences battling and surviving cancer.

Shaken to her core after being diagnosed with cancer, young Mickey (Zelda Adams) turns to necromancy to heal herself after conventional medicine fails to help. Her father, Jake (John Adams), is skeptical but his skepticism takes a backseat to support his daughter’s decision.

Solveig (Toby Poser), a witch in the Catskill Mountain forests, guides Mickey through a journey of discovery, ritual, and blood. But what Mickey doesn’t know is Solveig’s past and her relationship with death.

The cinematography is beautiful and the soundtrack only heightens the experience that Mickey goes through with Solvieg.

Solveig’s rituals aren’t for the weak in the stomach and may be a bit triggering for some.

Additionally, the film purposefully shows and tells the parallels between witchcraft and religion.

With the line “One day to die, three days to rise,” many with think of Jesus Christ’s resurrection, when it happens to be the general rule for necromancy. As Solveig’s past gets revealed over the course of the film, religion’s hypocrisy is sharp and poignant.

MOTHER OF FLIES is a film that will hit hard for some viewers; others may not enjoy the folk horror aspect and want something more.

But MOTHER OF FLIES is a stunning feat of storytelling.

Shudder picked up MOTHER OF FLIES so watch for its upcoming release.

The Adams Family also provided Fantasia viewers with a personal note about MOTHER OF FLIES, and it just goes to show how much devotion goes into these indie projects.

FILMMAKERS’ NOTE

The human body has a habit of dying — too soon, too late, often painfully.

As a family whose personal narratives serve as fuel for our imaginations, it was only a matter of time when we faced our stark history - every family’s history, really - with cancer. Beyond the visual conversation about life, death, and the transformative (and sometimes dangerous) powers of belief systems, this film is a bold middle finger raised at our own ugly experiences; to transform pain into something new, resurgent, alive - and yet, inevitably, still brutal.

We had the most wonderful time bending concepts of being alive, being dead, and the liminal realm between the two, which fed our exploration of necromancy in connection with two women who have very intimate relationships with death.

At the crossroads of breath, body, and belief lies magic. Mickey’s body grows death inside of her, and so she desperately believes in a magical cure offered by a witch in the woods. Solveig, slithering between states of raw bone and fully fleshed body, wields her death-magic - but for whom? Behind every trick hides truth; behind all pain waits love.

MOTHER OF FLIES, shot almost entirely in the Catskill Mountain forests we call home, is our fairytale manipulation of the darkly shadowed, yet love-lined pathways between a human life and death.

- The Adams Family

 

HELLCAT

Written and Directed by Brock Bodell           

HELLCAT received a Special Jury Mention in the New Flesh Competition for Best First Feature 2025, and it was well deserved.

And while I want to share my full range of emotions watching this fresh, unique film, the less you know about HELLCAT, the better.

In return you’ll get a high stake, tense film that will leave you guessing and then blow your mind with a surprise ending. It’s one of the top film endings I’ve ever seen.

I predict HELLCAT will be a film that gets talked about in genre circles for years to come. Don’t get left out of that circle!

 

THE WAILING

Directed by Pedro Martín-Calero

Written by Pedro Martín-Calero and Isabel Peña

THE WAILING is a very different, profound film experience.

The first 5 minutes of the film jolts you and you’re not quite sure what you’ve got yourself into. Then the rest of the story ebbs and flows and builds up to a heartbreaking ending.

Co-scripted by Isabel Peña (THE BEASTS, THE CANDIDATE), THE WAILING was part inspired by the writing of Mariana Enríquez and “is a nightmarish supernatural allegory for the structural violence that continues to permeate society.”

In modern-day Madrid, Andrea’s world is being turned violently upside-down, haunted by a terrifying entity that she can neither see, understand, or explain. Twenty years ago, thousands of miles away, in La Plata, Marie is being tormented by the very same presence. A third woman, Camila, has a gut-wrenching understanding of what’s happening, but nobody will believe her. In their darkest moments, each will hear the same, terrible sound. A ghostly wailing will overwhelm their senses.

THE WAILING is told in chapters from four different female points of view. They all build up to shocking conclusions but the ride to get there starts to feel slow during Chapter 2 until you reach the climax of the film. This slowness makes one of the essential characters feel more flat than the others.

Additionally, as each story does get wrapped up, I had some lingering questions as the credits rolled.

For film goers who enjoy slow burns with a shocking reveal, this is a great film to check out.

 

THE WOMAN

Directed by Hwang Wook

Written by Hwang Wook and Lim Dong-min

THE WOMAN is a fascinating character-driven thriller.

It all starts with an innocent exchange of strawberries and a secondhand appliance. The encounter takes a dark turn for Sun-kyung when it precedes her classmate’s suspicious suicide. She suspects the owner of the vacuum is involved with his death, and she’s willing to prove he’s guilty of it.

It is very hard to like the main character, Sun-kyung. From the beginning, something just feels off.

And that is what makes this psychological story so intriguing to watch. Just as you think you know where the story is going, or you figure out a hidden clue, something happens that you are not prepared for.

Additionally, the commentary on fake news hits hard as the repercussions come to light.

This a great film for character study.

 

 

HAUNTED MOUNTAINS: THE YELLOW TABOO

Directed by Tsai Chia Ying

HAUNTED MOUNTAINS: THE YELLOW TABOO is a layered narrative that explores love, grief, and the emotional burdens we all carry.

Chia Ming and Yu Hsin form a deep bond through hiking, so deep that Chia Ming plans to propose during one such trip. However, the journey does not unfold peacefully. A mysterious force targets Yu Hsin, repeatedly taking her life in horrifying ways. Chia Ming, unfortunately, is trapped in a time-loop and forced to witness her death over and over, yet powerless to stop it. What went wrong? Why Yu Hsin? Everything seems to start from another hiking incident that happened on this very mountain years ago.

HAUNTED MOUNTAINS: THE YELLOW TABOO is inspired by Mountain Gremlins, one of Taiwan’s scariest urban legends from the 1970s involving an evil spirit, wearing a yellow raincoat and bamboo hat, who is said to appear in heavy fog. Those who make eye contact or follow their guidance, often vanish without a trace.

This urban legend is one of Taiwan’s three major supernatural myths. And HAUNTED MOUNTAINS: THE YELLOW TABOO retelling of the myth is both disturbing and heartbreaking.

For in this retelling, spirits don’t just stick around for vengeance and unfinished business.

A layered time-loop story can feel tedious in most films, but  HAUNTED MOUNTAINS: THE YELLOW TABOO makes it work, and worth the ride. One of the biggest reasons it works for this film is its ability to show true humanity and the impact of grief differently and effectively in each layer.

This is a sad but well-written story to watch unfold. Stay watching past a few of the credits for a surprise revelation.

 

FOREIGNER

Written and Directed by Ava Maria Safai

MEAN GIRLS fans, meet FOREIGNER, its bubble-gum horror cousin.

Yasamin (Rose Deghan), or Yasi, is an Iranian teenager who wants to fit in. She lives with her father, Ali (Ashkan Nejati), and her grandmother, Zoreh (Maryam Sadeghi). She’s new to Canada and worries she won't make any friends at her new high school. On her first day, she meets a trio of pastel-clad chirpy girls: “Queen Bee” Rachel (Chloë MacLeod, SUGAR ROT) and her followers, Emily (Victoria Wadell) and Kristen (Talisa Mae Stewart, THE CASKET GIRLS). They are intensely interested in Yasi, having never met an Iranian person before, and their insidious racism pushes her to assimilate into white Canadian culture.

Yasi desperately wants to fit in, so she does whatever it takes to become a 2004 cookie-cutter teen like her new friends and dyes her hair blonde like her late mother and Sarah on her favorite sitcom. But those golden locks aren’t a golden ticket to acceptance. When her fading Iranian identity awakens a dark force within, Yasi becomes defiant to her family, rejects her culture, and threatens to destroy her loved ones and the new life she’s building in Canada.

FOREIGNER starts off like any bubbly, teen movie. Parts even feel similar to MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING.

But as soon as Yasi experiences her first day of school, the vibe quickly shifts and viewers get pulled into an eerie, uneasy world of racism and assimilation. It’s a fresh look into what immigrants are consistently faced with when moving to a different country. It’s especially eye opening as most of the statements or acts may come across as innocent, but they are anything but that.

The best piece of imagery to show this is the box of hair dye Yasi purchases called “Die Blonde.”

FOREIGNER is Ava Maria Safai’s first feature film, and she should be a voice on your radar.

 

 

BURNING

Directed by Radik Eshimov

BURNING is a gripping mystery told using a very well-done, thought out Rashomon effect.

In the midst of the chaos of a neighborhood fire, gossip starts in a local convenience store. People are wondering why such tragedy would happen to a family that was already on the brink. A drunk, a neighbor, and his wife each offer a different story. Farida (Kalicha Seydalieva), the mother-in-law, practiced black magic; Asel (Aysanat Edigeeva), the wife, lost her mind; or maybe Marat (Ömürbek Izrailov), the husband, was worn down by life. What went wrong? Perhaps, the fire was lit long before.

Each story changes the main villain behind the fire, but they never feel redundant as each offers new clues into what led to this tragedy.

When you do get to the truth, it’s even darker than expected.

But the real gut punch is the reveal that today’s human nature would rather speculate than get involved to know the truth and make a situation better.

It’s an impactful film about the consequences of our in-actions.

 

 

THE UNDERTONE

Written and Directed by Ian Tuason

THE UNDERTONE is one of the scariest movies I’ve ever seen. And it is still lingering under my skin.

What do you do when you have limited time with your dying parent? You wait. And that’s what Evy (Nina Kiri, THE HANDMAID’S TALE, THE HERETICS) does as her mother lies on her deathbed, at home instead of a hospice.

This deathwatch is solitary, but she has The Undertone, a paranormal podcast she co-hosts with her friend Justin, where she’s the resident skeptic to his more open-minded views. They explore “all things creepy,” which helps her concentrate on something other than her mother’s inevitable passing.

When Justin receives an email with ten mysterious audio files from an anonymous sender, the duo listens to them on air. Each recording becomes increasingly sinister, and Justin starts to hear disturbing discoveries with nursery rhymes and weird sounds. As Evy does some personal investigation into the audio files, her mother’s house soon becomes a claustrophobic nightmare.

The build up of tension and anxiety are top-notch in THE UNDERTONE, mainly due to director Ian Tuason’s camerawork and skin-crawling sound design. The viewer never leaves the house. Not even when Evy leaves for one night. My stomach hurt once the credits rolled.

Religion, religious symbols, icons and myths are key to increasing viewers’ anxiety as they go down the rabbit hole with Evy and Justin. Many viewers may have done similar searches in their past – but with far less detrimental consequences.

Mother and child relationship dynamics go deep in THE UNDERTONE, with Evy coming to some devastating conclusions that lead to a climax and ending that completely overwhelms the senses.

There may some lingering questions once you are able to walk away from the film, but it will continue to haunt you in subtle ways.

I haven’t been this shook by a film since PARANORMAL ACTIVITY.

I highly recommend you do not watch alone, and trust me, you won’t want to leave the lights on when you go to bed.

 

 

 

Fantasia International Film Festival - Week 1 Film Reviews

 

Fantasia International Film Festival - Week 1 Film Reviews

Fantasia International Film Festival kicked off its 29th year with a bang!

With over 125 features and 200+ short films, there was quite a variety of genre films to choose from.

For the first week, I was able to watch the following titles, and three films in particular have already secured their spot in my Top 5 films for 2025.

Grab your popcorn and explore with me!

 

LA MORT N’EXISTE PAS

Written and Directed by Félix Dufour-Laperrière

Animator Félix Dufour-Laperrière takes on the world’s current anxieties around inequality in LA MORT N’EXISTE PAS (DEATH DOES NOT EXIST).

It took over 10 years to create this artistic film telling the story of a group of young activists who take up arms against an affluent family, hoping to plant the seed that sows a rebellion.

However, the violent act ends up being too much for them all, leaving one woman, Hanna, to be haunted by her friend, relive the day over and over again, and ultimately come to terms with the consequences of her inaction.

Dufour-Laperrière’s hand-drawn frames are stunning as they flow and interchange among one another. Additionally, the five core colors he chose as his palette help to drive home the following feelings:

• Green - a sense of optimism
• Gold - accomplishment and reaching the highest standards
• Beige - a neutral color that doesn't demand attention
• Red - anger, aggression, urgency, and danger. 
• Gray - depression, loneliness, but also a stable base for positive change 

Dufour-Laperrière’s choice to use wolves throughout the film is also very symbolic. Wolves are pack animals with loyal bonds. They are associated with destruction but also inner strength to overcome challenges.

Hanna’s journey as the lone wolf is a roller coaster ride that leaves the viewer anxious, sad, and self-reflecting.

LA MORT N’EXISTE PAS is an important, potent film as many of us right now are choosing to speak and act based on emotion before thinking through the consequences.

Maybe it’s time we step back and re-evaluate our strategy in creating equality.

 

THE BEARDED GIRL

Written and Directed by Jody Wilson

I knew from the moment I saw the title and the press image that THE BEARDED GIRL was going to be my favorite.

This coming-of-age story with mysticism and fairy tale-like qualities breathes fresh life into the oversaturated theme of girlhood to womanhood.

For Cleo (Anwen O’Driscoll) her role in the family-run exhibit is clear: as the 88th generation of proud, bearded women, she follows their legacy of sword-swallowing, and her overbearing mother, Lady Andre (Jessica Paré), wants Cleo to be an obedient daughter and stick with tradition. But outside the tents is a big world, and when Cleo’s fresh ideas for their sword show aren’t embraced, she gets the itch to leave her talented fringe family to find love and perhaps a new normal that doesn’t include facial hair.

The acting by Anwen O’Driscoll is genuine and as a woman, it made me want to jump in the film and tag along on her journey.

Her performance is well-balanced. She’s angsty, stubborn, and lost in the first half of the film, but these traits start to fall away as she explores the world outside the sideshow. We don’t dwell on her personal suffering but see her rise to the occasion as she discovers who she truly is and how she wants to be seen moving forward.

Additionally, what made this film extra special were the smaller characters in Cleo’s journey. It felt like a trip down the Yellow Brick Road. Everyone seemed to have an important part in Cleo’s self-discovery. This became especially apparent as the absence of a father figure was a big black cloud that loomed over Cleo, and her resentment to her mother.

I highly recommend this film to all the ladies out there. Whether you’ve already gone through your growing pains or have yet to discover them, THE BEARDED GIRL will comfort you like a favorite blanket with it’s spirit and uniqueness.

Stay Tuned for a Q&A with director Jody Wilson and actress Anwen O’Driscoll!

 

NOISE

Directed by Kim Soo-jin

Be ready to have your senses go into overdrive.

NOISE is a Korean ghost story that pulls no punches when it comes to jump scares.

Joo-young (Lee Sun-bin) moves into a new apartment with her young sister Ju-hee (Han Soo-a), in a seemingly quiet neighborhood. Joo-young has a hearing impediment and wears hearing aids, but her ears start to sense intense and eerie noises in her own home. After her sister suddenly disappears, she eventually begins to realize it has something to do with those creepy sounds she has been hearing, while also noticing a sinister entity that is coming after her.

As she’s being haunted by these disturbing noises, she will now discover the dark truth behind Ju-hee’s mysterious vanishing and the ominous presence surrounding her apartment.

NOISE has a lot to offer in terms of a story. It has some romance, some family drama, some mystery, some crime, and of course, some horror.

All are great elements to bring together but at times, all the puzzle pieces don’t quite fit together. Some are even flat out missing, leaving the viewing with some unanswered questions when the credits rolls.

Yet the acting is very well-done, and the mystery is so intriguing that it’s easy to get through this 95-minute ghost story.

You may just feel like you want to edit a few pieces to make this film more impactful.

SWEETNESS

Written and Directed by Emma Higgins

Are you looking for a film that will keep you guessing and leave your mouth open in shock?

May I present SWEETNESS, an unbelievable, wild ride that has not left my psyche.

Think of the twist and turns PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN provided and then strap on for an even bumpier ride.

Rylee (Kate Hallet) is a bullied teen girl who is trying to get through her teen years. But all is forgotten when she listens to Swedish pop star Payton (Herman Tømmeraas).

After an incredible concert experience, Rylee has an unexpected run in with an unsober Payton resulting in a car accident and him left in her care.

So she does what any girl would do - chain him up with her dad's spare police-issued handcuffs to help get him clean.

What follows is a sobering view of grief, trauma, teenage angst, and transformation. With only good intentions, Rylee's plans quickly go awry when she's forced to make some high-stake decisions.

This film gives viewers a glimpse into every teenage girl’s wildest fantasy – if it quickly went down the rabbit hole.

Hallet’s performance is phenomenal and extremely authentic. At times you want to hug her and console her. Other times, like her BFF Sidney, you want to shake her back to reality.

For Emma Higgins’ first feature film, SWEETNESS walks a fine line between obsession and heartbreak leaving you sick to your stomach from the overwhelming helping of emotions.

Do not miss partaking in this feast. This is one film that will be talked about at cocktail hour or the dinner table.

 

DOG OF GOD

Written and Directed by Lauris Abele and Raitis Abele

Don’t be fooled by the dark colors and Baltic flair. This animated feature is not your black metal story about witchcraft.

But it is a hedonistic, clerical fanaticism nightmare that is inspired by the true story of the 1692 Livonian werewolf trial of Thiess of Kaltenbrun.

Thiess was a man who claimed to be one of the “Dogs of God” who descended into Hell not to spread terror but to fight witches and demons, protect crops, and secure the well-being of peasants.

In DOG OF GOD, a nameless backwater town is shared between a domineering priest and a decadent baron, each with his own cringing lackey to carry out their dishonorable errands.

When a holy relic precious to the pastor vanishes, he casts blame upon the object of his secret lust, the tough but lovely tavern-keeper whose dabbling in alchemy invites suspicions of witchcraft. Meanwhile, an uncouth, otherworldly figure drifts ever closer to the town, bearing a gift of sorts, one sure to upend what faint traces of normalcy remain.

DOG OF GOD starts off with a bang as a demon’s testicles get ripped off. But the killer opening may leave some viewers wishing for more as the first three quarters of the film slowly provides all the background for the epic climax of chaos, malice, and mortal sin.

Even though the film is set in the 17^th century, DOG OF GOD’s exploration and analysis into religion, women’s rights, immigrant’s rights, and economic equality still ring true today.

 

LUCID

Written and Directed by Ramsey Fendall and Deanna Milligan

LUCID is described by the directors Ramsey Fendall and Deanna Milligan as a “coming of monster” story.

Mia (Caitlin Acken Taylor) is an art student with a creative block that is threatening her future as an artist. When three fellow classmates share their “cure” to creative blocks, Mia jumps at the chance to be creatively healed.

What follows is a candy-elixir wonderland that pulls Mia into the forgotten trauma from her past. But Mia doesn’t heed warnings on dosage, or close certain doors so the wonderland spills over into her everyday life, with her past haunting her, literally at the climax of the film with one of the coolest practical effects I have ever seen.

LUCID is DIY punk aesthetic, shot on both 35 and 16mm film, with a focus on the ’90s art scene through a raw, surrealist lens.

Mia’s journey is jarring, and it takes time to clearly see how all the pieces fit together. But when they do, the performance Taylor pulls off mirrors one of my favorite lines from the film by Mia’s grandma, “Be ugly. And be honest.”

For all the creatives out there, this beautifully shot film is for you.

 

PEAU À PEAU (NESTING)

Written and Directed by Chloé Cinq-Mars

Not since THE BABADOOK have I seen a movie so powerful and so eye-opening around motherhood and post-partum depression.

Chloé Cinq-Mars received the Northern Excellence Award for Best Canadian Filmmaker 2025 for PEAU À PEAU (NESTING) and I praise this decision.

Delving into the quiet horrors of early motherhood, PEAU À PEAU opens with a scream in the night. Pénélope (Rose-Marie Perreault), a new mother grappling with sleep deprivation and post-partum depression, finds herself unable to separate dream from reality. After witnessing a violent hold-up in a convenience store, her already fragile psyche begins to crack.

PEAU À PEAU doesn’t shy away from the raw realities of motherhood. Viewers will see bloody, cracked nipples; sunken eyes; a trauma inducing bathing scene with the baby; judgement from family, friends, and boyfriend; and no where to turn to for help, as every open door gets slammed shut.

Perreault’s performance as Pénélope is masterful and heartbreaking. Additionally, the horror elements aren’t over the top or for entertainment only purposes. They’re an exploration into the reality of motherhood and the expectations that come with it.

There are two distinct reasons why I love this film:

1. When Penelope meets up with her former lover, she tells him that before she had her baby, all she saw were the babies. Now, all she sees are the mothers. The sleep deprived women trying to get through each day. That’s a powerful statement.
   
   
2.  There were times as I watched this film that I judged Penelope and her mental state. I was just as guilty as the other characters in the film not willing to help. And that stuck with me. Because how can I help my fellow women in need if I’m sitting here judging a fictional one? And I think that’s what Chloé Cinq-Mars wants us to do. Take a good look at ourselves and the empathy and care we’re willing to give others. That's the power of film.

 

Emery's 2022 PFF & IHSFF Festival Recap – April 9th

 Coda’s ongoing coverage of the 2022 Phoenix Film Festival & International Horror Sci-Fi Film Festival. I'll be using these posts to recap the films I've experienced as part of these festivals.

 

By Emery Snyder - @leeroy711

18 ½ - Directed by Dan Mirvish

 

The year is 1974. Connie (Scream & Reacher’s Willa Fitzgerald) is a White House transcriber working for the Office of Management & Budget when she stumbles upon the only known recording of the missing 18 ½ minute gap of the Nixon Tapes. Afraid and conflicted, she enlists the help of Paul (FIRST COW’s John Magaro), a New York Times reporter.

I was surprised at how good this film was, as it was barely on my radar at all. And I’m quite glad I made it to the screening. The sound design, cinematography and costumes are so postmodern of the 1970’s New Hollywood movement that the film almost comes off as meta. With long scenes of intelligently written and well executed dialogue that remind me of the works of Buck Henry combined with the technical sight and sound reminiscent of Francis Ford Coppola’s THE CONVERSATION (and similar subject matter), this film was going for something very specific. And I think it nailed it.

Fitzgerald and Magaro are both fantastic here. Their chemistry exudes a very specific charm. But the film also boasts a great supporting cast. I always love it when Richard Kind shows up, but Richard Kind with an eyepatch is even better. And Vondie Curtis-Hall is one of those insanely reliable ‘I’ve seen him in tons of stuff but can’t quite name anything’ actors that has the ability to steal any scene at any given time. This flick even has an all-star cast of voice talents recreating the infamous recordings. Bruce Campbell, Ted Raimi and Jon Cryer all provide the film’s background soundtrack, so to speak.

Ultimately, this film is having a lot of fun with a subject matter that has turned out to be far more prescient in recent times. With the new reporting of the 7-hour gap in Trump’s cell records and “burner phones” being used during last year’s insurrection, I wonder what a movie with this type of energy will be like looking back at the end of our nation’s 45^th Presidency. How long before we’re able to look back at today’s threats against democracy and rule of law with a whimsical quirk?... This is not a rhetorical question… I seriously need to mark it in my calendar and begin counting the days…

In summary, this a very clever and accomplished film that has a lot of fun with its material. I can see myself revisiting it in years to come.

 

 

HYPOCHONDRIAC – Directed by Addison Heimann

 

A young gay man’s life unravels as he begins losing control of his mind and body, all while the ghosts of his childhood trauma come back to haunt him.

Due to my own carelessness, this was the film that I ended up with when I lost my ticket to the much anticipated, MASSIVE TALENT screening… Honestly, I’m kind of glad. I was going to skip this film altogether. And I ended up completely loving it. And as it turned out to be my final screening of the festival, it was a great note to end on.

This was such an unsettling depiction of mental health issues. The director (present for the screening) stood up and told us before it started that it was based on his real mental breakdown. Then, as I recall, this was re-stated in one of the film’s opening title cards. What was to follow on the screen made these statements completely unnecessary. This film wears its heart on its sleeve so blatantly that it’s painfully obvious how deeply personal this story is to the storyteller. And this, is one of the most special and refreshing things that I can find in this medium that I love.

The characters here were well crafted and organic to the story’s setting. Our main, Will was portrayed phenomenally by Zach Villa. It’s his mental condition that is the film’s focal point and a large part of its success rests on his performance’s ability to switch in between hyper-expressive and subdued into concern as he internalizes his fears. The rest of the cast works well to either trigger or react to Will’s ever-changing condition while remaining careful not to steal the show. No, we the audience are here for Will. His headspace, and every beautiful and horrifying thing going on in it is ours to experience with him as this film crescendos into a kind of Cronenbergian mental body horror climax.

If this all sounds a bit too intense for you, I don’t blame you. But I also have to mention just how funny this film can be throughout. It’s actually hard to describe the overall tone of this film. It’s serious about a serious subject that you’re definitely supposed to be taking seriously. But it also has no problem taking breaks from time to time to snicker at itself or to just be goofy. I think this is a big part of why I felt it was so obviously personal to the filmmaker. Like an actual human, this film has tons of personality. And that personality is never afraid to splatter itself all over every inch of the frame.

 

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