Fantasia 2024 reviews: Kit Harrington as a werewolf, demon swords, spooky kids & poo

The Fantasia Film Festival continues till Aug. 4, bringing genre cinema to Montreal theatres at Concordia University’s downtown campus.

FAQ

FAQ, the debut feature by Korea’s Damin Kim, is about an introverted young girl, Dong-chun (Na-eun Park), whose life revolves around education: complex school projects and relentless after-school tutoring. Her parents are supportive but unhappy, while her schoolmates want less and less to do with her, given her small stature, studiousness and general oddness. After being stricken with stage fright at a public speaking event, she retreats into a private world and is guided by imaginary friends based on the characters on her English workbook. Soon, she comes across a bottle of makgeolli (rice wine), whose bubbles communicate with her in the Morse code she’s learning in school. Her challenge is to find the language of the message so it can be decoded fully, which she of course does. The bubbles impart a series of information and tasks, which take her on a quest of cosmic significance. 

If you can stay on the film’s wavelength, there is quite a lot to enjoy as its complexities are mapped with a great deal of pathos. The family dynamics are difficult, but not entirely unfamiliar. The parents’ desire for Dong-chun to have every advantage possible, by medical means if necessary, reaches a breaking point when the mother suggests moving abroad so that Dong-chun (and by proxy the rest of them) can have a more carefree life.  Amongst FAQ‘s achievements is its remarkably authentic portrait of a classroom, not dissimilar to what you’d find in Canada. The students are far more interested in their phones than in anything their teacher is saying or doing, and the teacher struggles to motivate them, finding traditional rewards have become so commonplace that they’ve lost all meaning. The only reward is the absence of work itself. 

FAQ hinges on a phenomenal central performance by Na-eun Park, who plays the young Dong-chun with a certain dry blankness that’s unusual for a child actor. This sets the film’s distinctive tone, which becomes a kind of tapestry of Korean life. It has scenes devoted to Dong-chun’s classmates; her parents, particularly her depressive mother; and uncle (who she does not know is her mother’s brother), who has become a guru, living off the grid. These vignettes accumulate into a rather bleak picture of contemporary society, seen through a deadpan humorous perspective that could leave a lot of viewers cold. The film culminates with an unexpected turn which is as apt as it is alienating — its loose ends may also leave some unsettled. (KF & MC)

Scared Shitless

Scared Shitless is 77 minutes of blood-soaked creature-feature antics and pure comic joy set to a classic Canadian rock soundtrack. It does not disappoint. So many films of this nature have fundamental flaws that hold them back — thankfully, this does not. It gives the audience everything it wants and more, as long as you don’t take it too seriously.

Don (Steven Ogg) is a plumber with a germaphobe son, Sonny (Daniel Doheny). In an effort to get him out of the house and groom him for the family business, Don brings him for a ride-along one night. A little tough love, and a sarcastic comment from the son, see Sonny thrown into the deep end of the plumbing pool. They find themselves at an apartment building Don regularly services, with a lonely older lady, Mrs. Applebaum, whose plumbing needs seem like carefully orchestrated social visits. It just so happens that she lives in the same building as a crazy scientist (Mark McKinney) whose lab has caught fire, forcing him to bring the apex predator worm he’s created home for “safekeeping.” Nothing can go wrong there, right? The worm makes its way into the building sewer system, terrorizing its eclectic residents (whose eccentricities provide for much additional entertainment) via their toilets. Since this is a plumbing problem, and they are a couple of plumbers, Don refuses to call for assistance, even when the blood begins to flow. This suits the superintendent Patricia (Chelsea Clark) just fine, until it doesn’t. Ironically, it’s Sonny’s health issues that help turn the toilet tide.

The jokes land solidly, thanks in no small part to the great comic timing of the leads, as well as many of the supporting cast members. The real standout of the film, however, is the top-notch creature work by Steven Kostanski; it truly elevates the movie. These phenomenal practical FX rival anything coming out of Hollywood these days, and surpass much of the digital garbage that has become a hallmark in Marvel films of late. The creature work harkens back to films like The Thing, while also drawing inspiration from The Blob and, clearly, Shivers. 

Scared Shitless has a fantastic script, FX and a cast that embraces the material and runs with it. It’s an absolute delight to watch, especially with an audience to laugh and cheer along with you. (KF & MC)

The Beast Within

The Beast Within is a werewolf movie without any bite. Starring Kit Harrington, who delivers a one-dimensional portrayal of an erratic and abusive father, the film is told from the perspective of a child. Set far from civilization, a small family unit grapples with the father’s curse. Once a month, he is driven into the woods to endure a vicious transformation. Isolated and vulnerable, the wife and child find themselves increasingly at the mercy of an unpredictable man who lashes out at the drop of a hat.

With paper-thin characterizations and brimming with plot conveniences, the film quickly falls apart, indulging in every cliché imaginable. Lacking both structure and suspense, it feels like a mood board for a much better film. The bizarrely conclusive ending removes any doubt or ambiguity, leaving a particularly sour note on the whole experience.

Even worse, the film’s treatment of domestic violence often borders on outright offensive. While it captures the inconsistency and instability of dealing with an abusive family member, it offers little grace or understanding to the victims of an abuser’s whims and moods. Although the film seems to aim to address toxic masculinity, it feels completely detached from reality and experience. The female characters lack nuance or intention, coming across as plot devices rather than real people. Overall, the film has nothing significant to say about family violence and even teeters on offering an indulgent, voyeuristic perspective on it. This outcome seems more a result of a lack of care and consideration than deliberate thought. (Chico Peres Smith)

The Old Man and the Demon Sword

Every village has a drunk, and film director Fábio Powers took the drunk from his small Portuguese village and turned him into a cinematic hero. The Old Man and the Demon Sword (O Velho e a Espada) is a no-budget Portuguese film that had its world premiere at the Montreal International Fantasia Film Festival — a sweet, honest tribute to every “village drunk” around the world.

The story kicks off with a monk wielding the titular demon sword (voiced by João Loy, the Portuguese voice actor for Vegeta from the Portuguese dub of Dragon Ball Z), skillfully dispatching a series of bizarre enemies. But when the sword falls into the hands of the local drunk, Antonio da Luz, an unlikely hero is born. With the sword’s guidance, Antonio must learn to harness its power to save his village from the looming evil of alienation, stagnation and old local myths and legends.

This film is an ode to the low-budget genre, complete with charmingly cheap CGI and a cast of enthusiastic amateur actors. Even the humour, which might not land for everyone, had the crowd laughing and clapping at several points. A standout scene involves Antonio and the demon sword battling a soul-sucking mobile phone, perfectly capturing the film’s playful and satirical spirit. Antonio da Luz, playing a version of himself, brings surprising depth to his role, making you root for him throughout his bizarre journey. The film even breaks the fourth wall in a fresh and effective way, adding depth to Antonio’s transformation.

Clocking in at just an hour, The Old Man and the Demon Sword is a brisk, entertaining ride that’s sure to put a smile on your face. Director Fábio Powers, along with producer Cristiano Guerreiro and VFX artist Jules Spaniard Raimes, has poured his heart into this project. The result is a film brimming with DIY charm and an infectious love for the genre. It’s a sweet tribute to Antonio da Luz, who sadly passed away before seeing the final cut but will now be immortalized through this joyful celebration of B-movie magic. A must-see for fans of quirky, heartfelt cinema. I can’t wait to see what Fábio Powers and his team come up with next. (Chico Peres Smith)

The Fantasia International Film Festival continues until Aug. 4. For the complete program and to buy tickets, please visit their website.

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