The Greenhouse is mostly a lovely drama with sci-fi elements, and some thrills thrown into the third act for good measure. In the film, daughter Beth (Jane Watt) is still grieving over the loss of one of her mothers; toughest for her since she was the one who stayed back in town with them. When her siblings reunite for their mom Ruth’s (Camilla Ah Kin) birthday, Beth also finds the titular greenhouse, an alternate world that let’s her watch old memories and see her late mom.
In the festival’s second year, Nightstream is back as a collaborative virtual festival between the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, The Overlook Film Festival, Boston Underground Film Festival, and the North Bend Film Fest, in a return to showcase some of the horror genre. You can buy badges here, or buy single tickets right here. The festival starts tomorrow, Thursday, October 7 and runs through Wednesday, October 13, and I wanted to plug four films I’m looking forward from the festival, in a programme that includes 25 feature films, two Nighstream Retro selections, four folk horror film selections, about 19 events and 25 short films. Let’s get right into my four most anticipated films…
In some of my TIFF coverage, I take a look at the drama "The Hills Where Lionesses Roar," a film with a carefree spirit with great performances and cinematography. #TIFF21
At this past Fantasia Film Festival at the end of August, I was able to watch Kelsey Egan's Glasshouse, a unique sci-fi drama thriller about a family isolated in a glasshouse in the middle of the woods, sheltered away from a toxin outside that erases memory. When a stranger comes across their property, the eldest daughter Bee (Jessica Alexander) let's him in, which goes against their rules and rituals, and threatens their family unit.
You can find my review of the film here. I was also able to speak with Kelsey about her film, which she co-wrote with Emma Lungiswa De Wet. You can find my conversation with Kelsey directly below as we spoke for my podcast The Filmcraziest Show.
Hello! Tapir is exactly the kind-of film that hits me in the emotional feels; one of those kind-of films that use fantasy to deal with our own grief. Films like Bridge to Terabithia come to mind for that, as well as more direct comps in A Monster Calls and I Kill Giants.
In this Taiwanese film, a young boy, Ah-Keat (Run Yin-Bai) is told stories by his father, Ah-Sheing. His main tale is about a tapir – a creature with the body of a pig, trunk of an elephant, ears of a horse and feet of a rhinoceros. The tapir is a benevolent creature who passes through villages at night, gobbling up all nightmares.
Here's a review of Kelsey Egan's "Glasshouse," a sci-fi thriller with great world building, performances and dynamics as a stranger disrupts the family unit of a secluded family hiding out in a Glasshouse, avoiding a toxin called The Shred.
Mark O’Brien’s The Righteous explores the interesting “hook” of a mysterious stranger coming upon a home. The mysterious stranger is O’Brien’s Aaron Smith (“Original, I know,” says Aaron), who comes upon the property of an elderly couple one night, leg injured.
The home is owned by former priest Frederic Mason (Henry Czerny) and his wife Ethel Mason (Mimi Kuzyck), the reason Frederic left the priesthood. Playing with fascinating themes of sin, retribution and penance, Mark O’Brien creates quite the compelling storyline in his feature directorial debut, where he also writes the screenplay.
Featured image: Daniel Gillies as Mandrake and Tubs in Coming Home in the Dark. (Photo credit: Gold Fish Creative.) Directed by James Ashcroft. Screenplay by James Ashcroft, Eli Kent, based on the short story by Owen Marshall. Starring Daniel Gillies, Erik Thomson, Miriama McDowell. Coming Home in the Dark is currently available to watch On Demand … Continue reading Fantasia Film Festival Review: Coming Home in the Dark (2021)
Featured image: Wi Ha-Joon as Do Shik in Midnight. (Courtesy of Fantasia.) Directed and written by Kwon Oh-seung. Starring Wi Ha-Joon, Jin Ki-Yoo, Kil Hae-yeon. Runtime 1h 43 min. Midnight had its Canadian Premiere at the Fantasia Film Festival on August 22, 2021. I’m a total sucker for South Korean thrillers, and thrillers in general, especially ones … Continue reading Fantasia Film Festival Review: Midnight (2021)
In the film, we first meet young couple Kat (Regina Lei) and Jim (Berant Zhu), getting ready for an ordinary day. However, today, after a year of living with the Alvin virus, it’s permanently mutated into something rabid. It turns everyday, fine citizens into feral sadists who give into their primal urges. In the film, Jabbaz throws every caution to the wind, creating a totally bonkers action-horror film.
It’s filled with anxiety as we watch as we never know what will happen. It’s injected with the pure insanity of each film in The Purge series (the good ones), but dialed to 11. It’s also just The Crazies on crack. The first kill we see is haunting, and a big kudos to Jabbaz for choosing this greasy first death. If you’re watching the film and you’re immediately turned off by this first kill, there’s a decent chance this won’t be for you. It’s definitely not for the faint-hearted.
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