The 30th Fantasia International Film Festival, July 16 – August 2, in Montreal, is careening towards us, featuring what looks to be an excellent lineup of movies. Joseph Perry and I have remote press credentials for the festival and decided to let you know the five films we are each looking forward to the most. Of course, we couldn't stop at just five. Check out our discussion on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube Channel!

The following is an abbreviated recap of the films we discussed.

Joseph is excited about:

• CAPTURED! – d. Koichi (YouTuber debut feature)
• SLEEP NO MORE – d. Edwin (Vengeance Is Mine, All Others Pay Cash, 2021); body horror
• VILLAGE OF EIGHT GRAVESTONES – d. Takashi Shimizu (Ju-on: The Grudge, 2002)
• WHEN YOU OPEN THE DOOR – d. Eriko Katagiri (debut feature, winner of the third Japan Horror Award sponsored by Kadokawa)
• NIGHTBORN – d. Hanna Bergholm (Hatching, 2022), w/Seidi Haarla, Rupert Grint, Pamela Tola

Jeff's trigger trippers:

• COLONY – d. Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan, 2016)
• LOS VAMPIRES – d. Craig Mitchell (fictionalized account of the making of George Melford's 1931 Spanish Dracula), w/Henry Ian Cusick, Daniela Couso, Thomas Kretschmann
• RUBBERHEAD: THE LIFE & MONSTERS OF STEVE JOHNSON – d. Nick Taylor (documentary)
• THE LAST FOOTAGE – d. Arkar Soe Oo (Myanmar's first found footage feature)
• TRAUMA OR, MONSTERS ALL – d. Larry Fessenden; final chapter of his quadrilogy: Habit (1995), Depraved (2019), Blackout (2023); works as a standalone or series finale

But we couldn't stop there. Here are a few more we're looking forward to:

• Ancestral Beasts – d. Tim Riedel; psychological horror centered on two generations of indigenous women
• Drag, d. Raviv Ullman, Greg Yagolnitzer; w/Lizzy Caplan, Lucy DeVito, Christine Ko, John Stamos (producers: Danny DeVito, Jake DeVito, Lucy DeVito)
• Freaks Part II – d. Zach Lipovsky, Adam Stein (Freaks, 2018; Final Destination: Bloodlines, 2025); w/Reznor Allen, Amanda Crew, Audrianna Lico, Lorelei Olivia Mote, Lili Taylor, Stephen Tobolowsky
• Her Private Hell – d. Nicolas Winding Refn (winner of the festival's Cheval Noir Career Achievement Award), w/Sophie Thatcher, Charles Melton, Havana Rose Liu, Kristine Forsyth, Diego Calva
• Home Bodies – d. Casey Walker (producer: The Void, 2016; In a Violent Nature, 2024)
• Hot Spot – d. Agnieszka Smoczynska; w/Noomi Rapace
• Junction Row – d. Ashlea Wessel; w/Katharine Isabelle, Kyle Mac, Julian Richings
• Motherwitch – d. Minos Papas; folk horror
• Mum, I'm Alien Pregnant – d. THUNDERLIPS (Jordan Windsor & Sean Wallace); body horror comedy from New Zealand
• Nameless – d. Hideo Jojo; w/Jiro Sato; based on Jiro Sato's own web-manga
• Penny Lane is Dead – d. Mia'kate Russell; a matriarchal gorefest from Australia
• Recluse – d. Henry Chaisson, writer of Antlers (2021), Servant (2021-2023)
• Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma – d. Jane Schoenbrun; did you think we wouldn't include a slasher?
• The Leader – d. Michael Gallagher; the story of Heaven's Gate; w/Grace Caroline Currey, Vera Farmiga, Tim Blake Nelson, Jim Parsons, Simon Rex
• The Glorious Dead – d. Toby Poser, John Adams; the latest from the Adams family of filmmakers
• The Last Temptation of Becky – d. Jenn Wexler, w/Lulu Wilson; remember Becky (2020) and The Wrath of Becky (2023)? She's back!
• The Mouths – d. Takashi Shimizu; yes, there are two films this year from the director of Ju-on (2002)
• Unholy Night – d. Michael Gabriele; a Christmas horror comedy

Be sure to check out the full lineup at the festival's official website: https://fantasiafestival.com/en/

The magnificent Meka G. from Cinematic Nightmares joins Doc to review OBSESSION (2026) from writer director Curry Barker. Not only does Barker make a stunning and impressive directorial debut but actress Inde Navarrette delivers one of the best horror performances of the year as Nikki. Seriously, this movie is bat-sh!t insane - delightfully so. It will stick with you long after you leave the theater. Check out what Doc and Meka have to say about OBSESSION.

Obsession (2026) This Bloody Good Movie is Insane

Synopsis: After breaking the mysterious "One Wish Willow" to win his crush's heart, a hopeless romantic finds himself getting exactly what he asked for but soon discovers that some desires come at a dark, sinister price.

Writer/Director Curry Barker

Cast: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Thomlinson, Megan Lawless, Andy Richter

Check out Meka G. and Cinematic Nightmares today! https://www.youtube.com/@CinematicNightmaresPodcast https://www.instagram.com/cinematicnightmarespodcast/

Join Doc and Paul as they review the creature feature film KILLER WHALE (2026) from director Jo-Anne Brechin and writer Katharine McPhee.

Synopsis: Killer Whale is a gripping survival thriller centred around best friends, Trish (Virginia Gardner, FALL) and Maddie (Mel Jarson, MORTAL COMBAT), who find themselves locked into a deadly face-off against the ocean's apex predator: the orca. With a dark cloud of the past hanging over them, will they make it out alive or become a part of the food chain?

Cast: Virginia Gardner (Fall), Melanie Jarnson (Mortal Combat) & Mitchell Hope

Doc and Paul head back to college for the latest HULU original film, PIZZA MOVIE (2026), streaming on Friday, April 3, 2026. Directed by Nick Kocher and Brian McElhaney, the stoner comedy features Gaten Matarazzo, Lulu Wilson, Sean Gambrone, and Daniel Radcliffe. This one is a winner, the crew haven't laughed this hard in a long, long time. The comedic timing is perfect, the direction is solid, and the gore is beyond what you'd think for a college comedy movie. Watch. This. Movie.

The movie drops on HULU, Friday, April 3, 2026.

PIZZA MOVIE (2026)

Synopsis: High college students face an unexpectedly epic journey when they must navigate two flights of stairs to retrieve their pizza delivery, turning a simple task into a surreal adventure.

Directors: Nick Kocher, Brian McElhaney

Cast: Gaten Matarazzo, Lulu Wilson, Sean Gambrone, Sarah Sherman, Jack Martin, and Daniel Radcliffe

Doc and Paul head to the great white north for the film THE YETI (2026) from directors Gene Gallerano and William Pisciotta. The cast features Bittany Allen, William Sadler, and Corbin Bernsen and features a practical Yeti monster. The story starts off strong but then drifts into plot heavy snow banks. However, there are enough creature moments and gore - along with strong direction, beautiful cinematography, and solid acting all around to pick up the slack. Enjoy!

The Yeti (2026) will be released In AMC Theaters April 4th & 8th and On Digital April 10th.

Synopsis: Merriell Sunday Sr. and Hollis Bannister vanished in Alaska. Ellie and Merriell Jr. mount a search, but an ancient threat stalks their expedition into the wilderness, hunting them as they seek the truth behind the disappearances.

Writer/Directors: Gene Gallerano, William Pisciotta

Cast: Brittany Allen, Eric Nelsen, Jim Cummings, Christina Bennett Lind, Linc Hand, with William Sadler and Corbin Bernsen

Doc and Paul review director Adam (Pyewacket, Out Come the Wolves) MacDonald's new horror film, THIS IS NOT A TEST (2026), adapted from New York Times Best Selling Author Courtney Summers' Novel of the same name. The cast includes Olivia Holt (Heart Eyes), Froy Gutierrez ("I Love LA"), Corteon Moore ("From"), Carson MacCormac (Clown in a Cornfield), Chloe Avakian ("Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy"), and Luke MacFarlane (Bros).

Official synopsis: Sloane and a small group of her classmates take cover in their high school to escape their suddenly apocalyptic hometown. As danger relentlessly pounds on the doors, Sloane begins to see the world through the eyes of people who actually want to live and takes matters into her own hands.

Review THIS IS NOT A TEST (2026) from IFC and SHUDDER
Gruesome Magazine Podcast

Doc and Paul check out the creepy movie adaptation of the horror video game THE MORTUARY ASSISTANT (2026). Director Jeremiah Kipp captures the atmosphere and mechanics of the popular game on screen and delivers a incredibly chilling nightmarish movie. The cast includes Willa Holland, Paul Sparks, and John Adams.

Doc and Paul return to review GOOD LUCK HAVE FUN DON'T DIE (2026) from director Gore Verbinsky, featuring Sam Rockwell, Juno Temple, Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Peña, Zazie Beetz, Asim Chaudhry, and Georgia Goodman. The movie is zany, outrageous, and full of action, laughs, biting social commentary, and thought provoking ideas. Is it a must watch film of 2026? Check out the review to find out. Enjoy!