The 5 Best Movies Of Fantastic Fest 2024
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From Jeff Nelson
Fantastic Fest began the 2024 program with the ultra-violent Terrifier 3. The films ranged from buzzy titles to lesser-known indie gems. Here are the five best movies we saw at Fantastic Fest 2024 to keep an eye out for.
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5. Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire
Strange Harvest: Occult Murder in the Inland Empire is a faux true-crime documentary about the investigation of a ritualistic serial killer called Mr. Shiny. After previously terrorizing a Southern Californian community for years, the killings suddenly started again. Two detectives recount the most harrowing case of their careers.
Writer/director Stuart Ortiz is one half of the pair behind the Grave Encounters movies. The talking heads component of Strange Harvest isn’t convincing, but Mr. Shiny’s reign of terror is entertaining and thrilling. True crime fans will have a hoot with this one.
Strange Harvest doesn’t have a release date at the time of writing.
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4. Daddy’s Head
A young boy and his stepmother are beside themselves with grief after his father’s sudden death. They fear for their safety when a strange creature resembling his late father infiltrates their home.
Daddy’s Head generates a moody and eerie atmosphere with some nightmarish imagery. It’s a bit derivative of Jennifer Kent’s knockout The Babadook and other horror movies tackling grief and loss, but it executes the formula quite well. Writer/director Benjamin Barfoot created a creepy monster story worth checking out.
Daddy’s Head streams on Shudder starting October 11th, 2024.
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3. The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin is a documentary that follows the life and death of Mats Steen, a Norweigan gamer, who died of a degenerative muscular disease at 25 years old. His parents once believed he lived a lonely life after he spent countless hours playing World of Warcraft. They were shocked to discover all the lives he impacted through his online friends around the world.
Make sure to have your tissues ready for Benjamin Ree’s The Remarkable Life of Ibelin because it’s a real tear-jerker. Online gamers will have a clear connection with the material, but there’s a beautiful and tragic story about making a difference that can resonate with any audience. It shifts between real-world interviews and an in-game recreation of his friend group that speaks to the heart.
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin streams on Netflix starting October 25th, 2024.
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2. U Are the Universe
A Ukrainian space trucker believes himself to be the last human in the universe after Earth suddenly explodes during his space trip. He decides to make a dangerous trip across space after he receives a call from a French woman on a distant station.
U Are the Universe is an impressive directorial feature debut from Pavlo Ostrikov. He weaves sci-fi, drama, romance, and comedy with a confident hand in this indie gem. The wonderful use of a claustrophobic space setting, the exploration of isolation, and the well-written dramatics make for a spell-binding movie. It’s all-around strong filmmaking.
U Are the Universe doesn’t have a release date at the time of writing.
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1. Anora
A young sex worker from Brooklyn meets and marries the son of an oligarch on a whim. When the news reaches his Russian family, his cutthroat parents journey to New York to get the marriage annulled.
Anora is a magnificent cinematic achievement that succeeds in its screwball comedy as much as it does in its profound drama. Mikey Madison gives a stellar performance in the titular role and Yura Borisov is exceptional in a supporting role. It’s one of the best movies of the year.
Anora hits theaters on October 18th, 2024.
Fantastic Fest ran from September 19th until September 26th, 2024.
