BEAST- Denmark Christoffer Boe
Bruno loves his increasingly disinterested wife Maxine so much, he wants to fully possess her in the most intimate way, even cutting her and drinking her blood during sex. But when he discovers she’s got a lover on the side, he’s consumed by jealous rage, with intense side effects. Is he just heartbroken, or is this emotional breakdown the result of the blood drink- ing that has formed a Cronenbergian growth (fetus?) in his gut? Frustratingly, Christoffer Boe doesn’t offer many an- swers in this gorgeously shot tale of dark obsession. PC
THE CAT - South Korea Byeon Seung-Wook
Horrific and adorable, The Cat is an un- usually good entry in the tired ghost girl subgenre. Claustrophobic pet groomer So-yeun takes in a deceased client’s cat and is tormented by a ghost whose mys- tery she must unravel as bodies pile up. Featuring scenes that’d make any fur parent cry, there’s a hefty dose of off- screen violence, but also a satisfying meow-ful of kitty revenge. A sad yet au- thentic take on the worst parts of human behaviour towards animals and each other. MG
CHAINED - USA Jennifer Lynch
Jennifer Lynch’s first movie, Boxing He- lena, was a feminist film misunderstood as being misogynistic; Chained portrays such an extreme vision of childhood trauma that it may end up similarly ac-
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cused of being exploitative in its portrayal of abuse handed down from fathers to sons. Vincent D’Onofrio, as Bob, is a hulk- ing psychopath who murders women and keeps his slave, Rabbit, chained to the inside of his remote house to clean up his kill room. The demented nurturing of the killer aims to corrupt the boy’s pure nature, and Lynch’s deliciously sinister twist ending raises as many questions as it answers. AM
CITADEL - Ireland Ciaran Foy
In this riveting, uneven Irish thriller, dev- astated agoraphobe Tommy must rescue his infant daughter from the pack of hu- manoids that killed his wife months ear- lier. Teaming up with a stern old priest and a child with a connection to the feral horde, he ventures back to the scene of the crime, armed with new courage and enough explosives to destroy them all for good. First-time director Ciaran Foy (who based the story on his own near-fatal as- sault) shows loads of promise, as does lead Aneurin Barnard. Despite its weak third act and a series of blundered tropes, Citadel is solid, serious character-driven horror. TZ
EXCISION - USA Richard Bates, Jr.
As far as movies about bookish psycho girls who are better with dead bodies than talking to boys, Excision is the kiss- ing, cutting cousin of Lucky McKee’s May. In Richard Bates, Jr.’s feature debut, eighteen-year-old protagonist Pauline is a social pariah with bad skin, few man-
ners, no friends – aside from her termi- nally ill sister – and raging hormones. She also has a particular interest in sur- gery and experiences gory erotic fan- tasies; it’s just a matter of time before her repressive suburban family and school life bear the brunt of it. A strong perform- ance by lead AnnaLynne McCord and supporting roles by Traci Lords, Malcolm McDowell and John Waters should guar- antee deserved cult status. DA
A FANTASTIC FEAR OF EVERYTHING - UK
Crispian Mills and Chris Hopewell
In his best performance to date, Simon Pegg plays an agoraphobic author on the verge of collapsing under the weight of unjustified fears that everyone is out to harm him. Well, almost unjustified... When he ventures to the laundromat to A) do some way overdue laundry, and B) con- front his childhood demons about being abandoned there, his comically delusional hysteria gets him into all kinds of real and imagined trouble. Horror and hilarity are perfect bedfellows in this story full of ab- surd, sometimes fantastical, sequences, and a manic protagonist you can’t help but love. One of the best of the fest. DA
GAME OF WEREWOLVES- Spain Juan Martínez Moreno
Werewolves run amok in this fantastic Spanish tribute to Paul Naschy’s “Hom- bre Lobo” films and Hammer Studios. Tomás (Gorka Otxoa) is a struggling writer invited back to the remote com- munity of Arga to be given the keys to the town by the mayor. Returning to his birth-
place for the first time is very exciting to Tomás until he finds out the real reason for the invitation. A funny and moving tribute that will make fans of the were- wolf film howl with joy. MDB
GRABBERS - UK/Ireland Jon Wright
The inhabitants of Erin Island know there’s only one thing to do when hulking tentacled space squid with an aversion to alcohol descend upon their tiny Irish hamlet: have a lock-in and get shitfaced! Sobriety equals death and the harder you party the safer you are (there’s a drinking game in there somewhere). Amazing scenery, likable characters, and fun mon- ster designs elevate Grabbers above your average small-town critter infestation flick. Worth watching for the finale alone, which joyously combines the endings of both Aliens and Jaws. AM
GYO: TOKYO
FISH ATTACK- Japan Takayuki Hirao
This animated adaptation of the work of Japanese horror manga superstar Junji Ito (Tomie, Uzumaki) is filled with jealousy, frenemies and more than enough bodily fluids to make the Cro- nenbergs queasy. It’s also a horrific must-see for Ito and horror manga fans alike. What happens when fish (and enormous great white sharks!) escape the sea in unbearably odoriferous leagues – powered by gas and me- chanical feet – to cause mass havoc in Japan? This deliriously strange story will satisfy the most bizarre cravings
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