My coverage of Fantasia Festival 2020 continues with director Ivo Van Aart’s dark satirical comedy, The Columnist. The tale of a writer driven to murder by Internet trolls, the film is a timely modern-day parable about the power of words and one woman’s swath of bloody vengeance when she pierces the veil of online anonymity. In the titular role, Katja Herbers puts forth a wicked performance that is pure fun and catharsis, but The Columnist leaves a fair amount on the table, rarely venturing past the surface to get its kicks. Minor spoilers ahead…

Our coverage of 2020’s Fantasia Film Festival begins here! With Fried Barry, director Ryan Kruger expands his hit short film of the same name into a feature length fever dream of violent and near-pornographic absurdity. Not everyone will vibe with the film’s provocative vision, but Fried Barry is anchored by a mesmerizing performance from Gary Green and a rollicking improvisational momentum. Minor spoilers ahead…

This year, I have the privilege of being invited as accredited press to Fantasia Festival 2020, North America’s largest genre film festival. This is my very first experience at a film festival as press, and even though it’s mostly digital due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I’m extremely excited to be among the first to see some of the best genre films from all around the world. This page will be your portal to my coverage. I’ll be working my way through plenty of titles, some that won’t see full release until next year. All of my reviews will be in viewing order…

Seth Rogen pulls double duty in the absurdist comedy-drama, An American Pickle, directed by noted cinematographer and frequent Rogen-collaborator Brandon Trost in his feature debut. But even with two singularly great performances from Rogen, Pickle can’t save its muddled self from plot points that fizzle and a script full of dead air. Minor spoilers ahead…

Expanded from director Rob Savage’s two-minute viral video on Twitter, Host is a bite-sized horror treat that comes at the perfect time. While it doesn’t reinvent horror or even the “screenlife” subgenre, Host gets by with a bevy of unsettling, clever, and economical choices, all within the space of a single Zoom call. The film is now streaming on Shudder. Minor spoilers ahead…

Originally slated to debut at SXSW in March before the festival was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, She Dies Tomorrow is finally seeing its U.S. release July 31st at select drive-ins and August 6th on VOD. Writer and director Amy Seimetz, with her third feature film, conjures a gorgeous and affecting nightmare with a weight of timeliness that can’t be ignored. Experimental, surreal, and mesmerizing, She Dies Tomorrow is one of the best films of the year. Minor spoilers ahead…

A horror film that takes place in the dark recesses of a fracturing mind, Natalie Erika James’ Relic is an all-too-real examination of mortality, the ones we leave behind, and the ones we let go. Grounded by a trio of affecting performances and a hint of tenderness, Relic is terror worth experiencing. Minor spoilers ahead…

Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball, Beyond the Lights) switches up genres with a blockbuster adaptation of Greg Rucka’s comic book, The Old Guard. A tale of immortal warriors inducting a new member into their ranks, Netflix’s The Old Guard suffers from a thin plot and a largely forgettable villain, but the film’s quieter moments shine, tied together with great performances from Charlize Theron and Kiki Layne. Minor spoilers ahead…

The digital flood of true crime continues - this time, with the Netflix revival of a 90s cult favorite, Unsolved Mysteries. Helmed by the original series’ creators, John Cosgrove and Terry Dunn Meurer, this new series attempts to toe the line between nostalgia and freshness, but often comes up short in delivering either. Minor spoilers below…

As the COVID-19 pandemic worsens, let the movies be an example in the fight against coronavirus. It’s time to look past politics and get a firm grip on reality. Wearing a mask has proven to be an easy and important way to stem the spread of this deadly virus, yet many people still aren’t doing it. This has nothing to do with the left or the right, pride or ego - this is just pure scientific fact. Protect yourselves and others. Wear a mask.

Introducing “The Hannibal Files,” the third season of “The Strange Harbors Podcast.” Hosted by Derek Wong, Jeff Zhang, and Amir Touray, “The Hannibal Files” returns our podcast to its series-centric roots with a look at Bryan Fuller’s NBC serial-killer drama, Hannibal, now streaming on Netflix. Gross, gorgeous, and one the best television series of the last decade, “The Hannibal Files” aims to dive deep into the worlds of Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham, exploring the show episode-by-episode.

Profoundly letting go of all subtleties, Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods acts as an urgent and vital exploration of the legacy of war and its impact on Black soldiers. Utilizing its ensemble cast and an arsenal of directorial bravura, Lee creates a powerful parallel to our dystopian times and raises an incisive commentary on racism through the lens of the Vietnam War. Minor spoilers ahead…

After a brief dabble in documentaries, director Judd Apatow returns to the world of narrative features with The King of Staten Island, his first since 2015’s Trainwreck. Closely following the Apatow playbook, the film looks to imbue yet another funnyperson with a dose of heart through ribald humor. A loosely autobiographical vehicle for its star Pete Davidson, The King of Staten Island has a surprising charm to it, but its uneven pacing and bloated running time hobble its good intentions. Minor spoilers ahead…

The directorial sci-fi debut of filmmaker Andrew Patterson transcends its genre trappings and micro-budget to deliver a gripping investigative yarn. Bolstered by two magnetic lead performances and a refreshing directorial prowess, The Vast of Night is a lo-fi narrative driven by dialogue and chemistry. Its bare-bones story is ultimately a deflated endeavor, but its human element is so charming that its thin plot can easily be overlooked. Minor spoilers ahead…

Heavy on gall and style, light on substance, Josh Trank’s Al Capone biopic attempts to shake free from genre convention, but comes up short. Focused on the last days of a fading gangster, Capone acts as a bizarre fever dream bolstered by a particularly unhinged performance from Tom Hardy, but it never quite rises above its tonal inconsistencies nor its veneer of theatricality. Minor spoilers below…

A one-way road trip to atmospheric terror, Veronica Franz and Severin Fiala’s The Lodge is a timely exploration of isolation, guilt, and trauma. Anchored by a powerful and nerve-fraying performance by Riley Keough, the film serves up a wintry mix of slow-burn cult horror. While light on true scares, The Lodge more than makes up for it with its searing imagery and shocking acts of violence, even if its rushed third act deflates the film’s carefully constructed narrative. Minor spoilers…

I watch a lot of TV and movies, but my obsession with writing in-depth reviews and articles often gets in the way of wider and more frequent coverage. This new column will be a way to remedy that, allowing me to write shorter and more digestible reviews, reserved primarily for when I don’t have a full review’s worth of thoughts to share about a particular film. On this week’s Capsule Reviews, we’re taking a look at Extraction, Deerskin, The Wretched, and Blood Quantum…

Last month, I was lucky enough to catch I Will Make You Mine, Lynn Chen’s directorial debut that was supposed to premiere at SXSW in March, a film festival that has since been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. A rhythmic and bittersweet end-cap to a low-key film trilogy, I Will Make You Mine is a confident debut that not only adds texture to the saga of the Surrogate Valentine films before it, but also stands alone as an indie gem, applying a refreshing lens to existing characters. Minor spoilers ahead…