Fantasia XXX: Fifteen Across The Bow To Get You In The Film-Festive Mood This Month!
The thirtieth edition of Fantasia International Film Festival is poised for another fun round of annual goods of world cinema this month. That’s well over 120 films and as many as 200 shortfilms for those who will be in attendance, and while I would need a staff to watch and possibly cover even half of these films, fact is I can only cover a portion and with any luck, I hope that I’ll get to screen as many of these as allowed on a virtual basis.
Thus, it’s time for the obligatory curtain raiser for the festival selects and I’ll be running fifteen below (along with text descriptions from the festival itself) that should easily whet the curious appetite for anyone in proximity of the Montreal event. Honorary selects include Blades Of The Guardians which our own Mike Garcia reviewed for the film’s theatrical outing here in the states, and Yeon Sang-ho’s Colony which also arrives in time for the tenth anniversary of its director’s Train To Busan.
With any luck I’ll get to review a few of these too. I gotta say though…Park Hoon-jung immediately has my attention here, as well as a few others. Either way, if you’re with it, then spool through below and hit the festival website to dive even more into all things Fantasia!
TRISTES TROPIQUES
A group of abandoned children have been raised in the rainforest and trained to be killers by an organization run by the “Master.” Now they’ve grown up, but following an incident that strongly affects all of them, they start to become suspicious towards one another and swear bloody revenge. They must get ready for the biggest fight of their lives. Award-winning filmmaker Park Hoon-jung (V.I.P., Fantasia 2018; THE WITCH: PART 1. THE SUBVERSION, Fantasia 2018; and THE CHILDE, Fantasia 2023) returns to Montreal with a terrific ensemble cast, brutal gore, a gritty tone, and mind-blowing action sequences. TRISTES TROPIQUES is packed with exhilarating shootouts, top-notch swordfights, and everything you want in a revenge thriller. Fans of badass Korean genre cinema are in for a treat! North American Premiere
THE LAST TEMPTATION OF BECKY
Becky Hooper (Lulu Wilson, THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE) has annihilated Neo-Nazis and all manner of victimizers, but this time, she’s going straight to the source! Now a CIA agent, managed by genre favorite Kate Siegel (HUSH, MIDNIGHT MASS), she’s taking down a nefarious modern-day Nazi played with camp brilliance by the one and only Neil Patrick Harris (SUNNY DANCER, GONE GIRL)! Wexler shines here, highlighting the underdog heroine and going for broke with tons of gore and crazy kills. Meanwhile, Wilson reprises her beloved character with gusto, unleashing Becky’s signature rage on an army of insane baddies! World Premiere.
UNHOLY NIGHT
Family, food and a nonna who won’t die make Christmas Eve a bloody mess for Gino and his family. This tight-knit Italian unit soon finds out that Gino and his ex-girlfriend aren’t the most scandalous things in the family when his dead grandmother comes back to “help” with the festivities. With an ensemble cast that strikes a great balance of horror, heart, and hilarity, its cast includes Marc Bendavid (DARK MATTER, REACHER), Shailene Garnett (FIRE COUNTRY, DIGGSTOWN) and veteran actor Ron Lea of the Canadian classic, CLEARCUT! Gabriele’s debut feature perfectly captures the chaos of the holidays – as Gino and his family battle an onslaught of undead relatives and lost love – all on Christmas Eve. Septentrion Shadows Section. World Premiere.
SUZUKI=BAKUDAN
Katsuhiro Go’s novel comes to life not only as an enthralling crime thriller, but as a riveting game of cat-and-mouse. While being interrogated at a police station, a mysterious drunk man named Tagosaku Suzuki (Japan Academy Film Prize winner Jiro Sato) claims that he has psychic powers by predicting bombs that will soon explode, each one being activated every hour. It’s up to detective Ruike (Yuki Yamada) to put an end to this madness and figure out how and why Suzuki can foresee these deadly situations. Who is this man? Why does he have this ability? What’s the motivation behind the explosions? Directed by Akira Nagai (CHARACTER) and produced by Shota Okada (TOKYO REVENGERS), SUZUKI=BAKUDAN features non-stop tension and twists, as well as a remarkable screenplay filled with great dialogue and suspense. This winner of the Director’s Week Best Actor Award for Jiro Sato at the 2026 Fantasporto Film Festival is guaranteed to blow your mind! North American Premiere.
GOD SKIN
Desperate for money, Bangkok delivery boy Marwin discovers a clandestine arena where the wealthy wager on martial-arts matches with a high-tech twist, in the spectacular Thai action-fantasy GOD SKIN. Panna Stunt Team (veterans of the ONG-BAK films) handle the combat choreography, so top-notch action is assured as Marwin faces off against a succession of outrageous rivals. Leading man Sutthirak Subvijitra, of the MY BOO and 4 KINGS series, proves equally deft at drama, comedy, romance, and high-flying, hard-hitting stunts, but director Paween Purijitpanya (GHOST LAB, 4BIA) takes things further, as this live-action arcade game loaded with rapid-fire laughs and eye-popping visual effects takes a sharp turn into dark, dystopian techno-thriller territory. This is potent proof that Thailand’s action cinema remains among the world’s best, offering ferocious fights and fresh new ideas. World Premiere.
TOKYO BURST: CRIME CITY
Rookie detective Aiba (Sota Fukushi, BLEACH), a native of Tokyo’s red-light district (with all the attitude and methods that entails), must team up with Cho (Uhm Ki-joon, MAN OF VENDETTA), a counterpart from Seoul with equally questionable practices, to track down a dangerous criminal spreading terror across Japan, Korea, and the Philippines. While the relationship between the two investigators is frosty at first, they’ll have to learn to work together quickly in the face of such a formidable adversary. The cult franchise THE ROUNDUP makes its way to Japan with this wild “buddy cop” film, featuring a barrage of mind-blowing fight choreography, as well as hilarious sequences worthy of the genre’s greatest classics that are sure to delight die-hard action-movie fans. The chemistry between the actors, whose enthusiasm is contagious, and the dynamic direction of Eiji Uchida (LOWLIFE LOVE) make TOKYO BURST: CRIME CITY one of the most entertaining films of the year. International Premiere
WIND BREAKER
A new arrival in the small town of Makochi, Sakura (Koshi Mizukami, KOWLOON GENERIC ROMANCE) is determined to take control of Furin High School – known for its formidable fighters – by knocking its leader out with a few well-aimed punches to the face. Instead, he discovers a tight-knit group of young people working to protect their community from the Shishitoren gang, which aims to sow chaos in order to gain more power. Will he be able to overcome his reluctance to trust others and rise above his bellicose ambitions? With its charismatic, over-the-top characters, breathtaking fight choreography, breakneck pace, and superb direction by veteran Kentaro Hagiwara (TOKYO GHOUL), WIND BREAKER doesn’t just dazzle the most ardent fans of action cinema. It offers a galvanizing reflection on the need to unite our forces against the intimidation and brutality of those who seek only to dominate and take everything they can. This adaptation of Satoru Nii’s epic manga fits perfectly into the current global context and will soothe your frustrations in the best possible way. International Premiere.
SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT
The Divine Heir of the sacred land of Ashina has been kidnapped for malevolent purposes. His sworn protector, the stoic shinobi Sekiro, must rescue the child because the fate of all Ashina depends on it. Adapting SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE, the award-winning 2019 video game from FromSoftware, the highly anticipated anime adventure SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT sees the war-torn Japan of the Sengoku period further fractured by conspiracy, betrayal, and bloody boss battles to beggar belief. Exquisitely visualized and breathtaking in its frequent, furious fight scenes, it’s the work of director Kenichi Kutsuna and the innovative anime studio Qzil.la. They reinvigorate the ninja genre with a fresh, sharp look and feel, and elevate an already excellent video game to cinematic glory. Animation Plus Section. North American Premiere.
ATTACK ON PARADISE
Blasting full-throttle out of Belgium, Bob Colaers’ ATTACK ON PARADISE is one of the most pulverizing action films in ages. Newly released after seven years in prison, Suleyman (Saïd Boumazoughe, REBEL) only wishes to return to Antwerp’s Paradise apartment complex and spend time with his ailing mother. But Paradise no longer lives up to its name and has become overrun with gangsters and addicts. Druglord Prince Hamza (Achmed Akkabi, MOCRO MAFFIA) has taken over, placed himself at the top floor, and made Paradise his personal fortress. Just as Suleyman arrives, the cops raid the building, with no qualms of its below-the-poverty-line tenants becoming horrific collateral damage. People are dying everywhere and Suleyman only wants to keep his mother safe – but, to do that, he’s going to have to fight… Everyone… With anything he can get his hands on. Thrill seekers looking for mind-blowing fights and inventively staged, over-the-top action will have adrenalized fistfuls to enjoy, but what really makes ATTACK ON PARADISE stand out is star (and co-writer) Boumazoughe, who brings not just killer fighting skills and tremendous screen presence, but also makes Suleyman grounded and relatable, a genuine reluctant hero for today. World Premiere.
THE SAMURAI AND THE PRISONER
Arioka Castle proves resilient against siege from outside, but within its walls, a succession of baffling events threatens the resolve of its defenders. Four impossible occurrences, one for each season. Signs of divine intervention – or perhaps a very human conspiracy? To unravel these puzzles, Lord Murashige (Masahiro Motoki, DEPARTURES) must enter into a contest of wits with a man he’s chained in his own dungeon, the brilliant strategist Kanbei Kuroda (Masaki Suda, DON’T CALL IT MYSTERY). With CURE and PULSE, definitive early titles in the ‘90s J-horror wave, Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa proved himself a preeminent fright-meister with a knack for psychological chills, but he’s since applied his distinctive flavor to drama, science fiction, action, romance, and espionage. With his latest film THE SAMURAI AND THE PRISONER, adapted from Honobu Yonezawa’s prizewinning 2021 novel, Kurosawa explores the genre of jidai-geki, or the Japanese period film, and cradles within it a clever and outlandish mystery. The historical setting suits the filmmaker’s penchant for patience and precision, and its confounding intrigue keeps with his love of complex mind games. North American Premiere.
GROTESQQQUE
GROTESQQQUE is a completely original animation film from the brilliant mind of Atsushi Nishigori, known for his work as the director for THE IDOLM@STER and DARLING IN THE FRANXX, and Chief Animation Director behind, EVANGELION: 3.0+1.0 THRICE UPON A TIME, the smash hit that sparked a social phenomenon. This electrifying film embodies Nishigori’s ambition to create something he’s passionate about, with as much passion as he wants. Comprised of three episodes – “A(E)LIENS”, “YOROSHIKU★Girl”, and “NOCTURNE: NUIT GROTESQUE” – these distorted, uneven, yet infinitely beautiful stories melt together like a chimera, galvanized into motion by the enthralling original score accompanying the film. This poppy, edgy fusion of imagery and sound creates a unique world pulsing at the seams. Filled with aliens, gyarus (gals), and vampires… Atsushi Nishigori’s story of “GROTESQQQUE” girls is about to unfold! Animation Plus Section. World Premiere.
BEASTS CLUTCHING AT STRAWS
A young streamer working at an internet cafe discovers a bag containing 100 million yen and must seize it for the sake of his family. Ebato, a corrupt police officer riddled with debt to a cruel yakuza and his botanical torture partner, is planning a massive fraud scheme. A prostitute beaten by her husband befriends a femme fatale colleague who seems to know the ropes of organized crime. The fates of all these disparate characters will collide in a mind-blowing fireworks display. BEASTS CLUTCHING AT STRAWS is a captivating neon-noir thriller and a delirious, cynical black comedy featuring several epic, manga-esque sequences. Supported by an exceptional cast led by Ouji Suzuka, the brilliant Hideo Jojo surpasses himself in terms of direction and ideas to make this adaptation of Keisuke Sone’s famous novel, winner of the prestigious Edogawa Rampo Prize, an instant classic. Cheval Noir Competition. North American Premiere.
THE JOURNEY TO GYEONG-JU
For a mother and her three surviving daughters, what starts out as a mission of vengeance becomes an unpredictable and personal voyage of love, loss, and redemption. If LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE were told as a tale of retribution. Director Kim Mi-jo brilliantly mixes elements of family drama, dark humor, and revenge thriller into a surprisingly emotional and layered character-driven story. After her incredible performance in PARASITE, Lee Jung-eun brings poignant depth to her lead role here as a grieving mother. The bond she has with co-stars Kong Hyo-jin (CRUSH AND BLUSH), Park So-dam (SPECIAL DELIVERY), and Lee Yeon (JUVENILE JUSTICE) is truly special. Official Selection: Hawaii International Film Festival 2025. Canadian Premiere.
CITY WAR
Superstars Chow Yun-Fat and Ti Lung reunite on screen after the mega-success of A BETTER TOMORROW I and II, in this rarely seen Hong Kong action classic. Directed by veteran Shaw Brothers action maestro Sun Chung (HUMAN LANTERNS, AVENGING EAGLE), who was like a nasty wuxia Ringo Lam of the 1970s. CITY WAR is loaded with humor, strong characters, intense drama, and brutal, totally nuts gunfights. World Theatrical Premiere of Shout! Factory’s New 4K Restoration, Courtesy of Radial Entertainment and AGFA.
GOZU
Few names are as necessary to Fantasia’s 30th anniversary as that of Takashi Miike, Japan’s innovative master of marginal, often maniacal cinema, whose work was first introduced to the West with our 1997 North American Premiere of FUDOH. His enormous filmography is full of strange and startling material, but few of his films are as delightfully confounding as 2003’s GOZU. A gangster’s search for his boss’ missing body becomes an odyssey into deeply disturbing absurdity in this fever dream that defies deciphering. World Premiere of New Wave Films’ New 4K Restoration, Courtesy of Radiance Films.
Native New Yorker. Been writing for a long time now, and I enjoy what I do. Be nice to me!
