Fantasia Archives | High On Films

Manhole (2023) ‘Fantasia Fest’ Movie Review: Small but Sumptuously Immersive Survival Thriller

Debanjan Dhar — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 04:56:33 +0000

Manhole opens with a dizzyingly edited sequence of a celebration party. It is the night before the protagonist, Shunsuke’s (Yuto Nakajima) wedding with the CEO’s daughter at the company where he works. His colleagues have gathered to celebrate the moment. Exiting the pub, a very tipsy Shunsuke is walking when he slips into a manhole.…

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It Lives Inside (2023) ‘Fantasia’ Review: Ineffective, uninspired immigrant-centric horror

Debanjan Dhar — Sun, 06 Aug 2023 07:51:22 +0000

It Lives Inside has at its center the archetypal push-pull between assimilation and the tension it posits to all rooted belongings. The protagonist, Samidha, aka Sam (Megan Suri), lives in an idyllic American suburb with her Indian family, comprising her restlessly conservative mother, Poorna (Neeru Bajwa), and father, Inesh (Vik Sahay), who has taken after…

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Where the Devil Roams (2023) ‘Fantasia’ Review: A tepid Gothic slasher

Debanjan Dhar — Sat, 05 Aug 2023 05:48:52 +0000

Where the Devil Roams (2023): The latest production from the Adams family begins with a long litany. The narrator tells a story of the genesis and the passing down of evil. The recital is unrelenting, and the filmmakers keep us locked in this prologue for over a couple of minutes. Suddenly the film swerves into…

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River (2023) ‘Fantasia’ Review: Brisk, enjoyable, but a slight time-warp romance

Debanjan Dhar — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 18:30:46 +0000

Junta Yamaguchi’s River (2023) has an inherently simple conceit. Somewhere in Japan, an inn and its immediate vicinity become the site of a time loop. This lends too much humor and frustration. Our first encounter with this situation happens through one of the attendants, Mikoto (Riko Fujitani), who realizes she has already had the conversation…

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Mami Wata (2023) ‘Fantasia Fest’ Review: Alluring folktale on the crisis in faith

Debanjan Dhar — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 14:24:39 +0000

Mami Wata (2023) ‘Fantasia Fest’ Review: In the West African village of Iyi, the eponymous water deity holds sway through its intermediary in the personage of Mama Ewe (Rita Edochie). She is the one who villagers go to resolve crises; her healing touch is a power everyone swears by. Director C.J. Obasi begins his film with…

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10 Must-See Movies at Fantasia Film Festival 2023

Debopriyaa Dutta — Sun, 16 Jul 2023 04:06:09 +0000

It’s that time of the year again. The Fantasia International Film Festival 2023 commences on July 20 and will wrap up by August 9, celebrating its 27th edition in Montreal, Quebec. This year’s installment is especially a treat for horror aficionados, and fans of all things bizarre, unsettling, and things that are best left unuttered.…

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