Fantastic Fest 2022: Noah’s Early Must-Sees

After two long years away from my beloved Fantastic Fest, I will once again be journeying to the baking heat and prominent neckbeards of Austin, Texas for many days of beer, fried foods and far, far, too many films. FF decided to stray from its usual staggered “wave” release of programming and instead just dump the whole glut of movies they’ll be screening this year directly down our film-parched throats. And what a glut it is.

As we often do ’round these parts, I’ve picked through the descriptions, watched a few trailers (mostly un-subtitled in languages I can’t speak) and chose a selection of movies I’m most keen to see this year. Fantastic Fest has, in the time I’ve been going, always been a solid selection of bigger budget genre pics mixed in with truly strange, low-budget, often times international releases that push the boundaries of taste and, on occasion, quality. I’ve tried to choose a solid selection of both, but know that I am a simple man who is easily swayed by celebrities and high production values. Judge me if you must.

 

1. Decision to Leave, d. Park Chan Wook

If you directed Oldboy and your new film is being premiered at Fantastic Fest, I am immediately going to put it on the top of my list in terms of films I want to see. So, Park Chan-wook directed Oldboy and his new film Decision to Leave – ostensibly a “detective thriller”– is premiering at Fantastic Fest. To the top of the list it goes!

 

2. Holy Spider, Ali Abassi

I’ve been waiting for Ali Abassi’s next picture since the final frame of his last film, Border, played out on my television screen. And where I was expecting something of equal weirdness (i.e. a lot of weirdness), instead Abassi has put together a piece of historical fiction about a journalist chasing a serial killer in Masshad, Iran. It might not have blooming penis flowers, but I’m excited nonetheless.

 

3. Bones & All, d. Luca Guadagnino

At my recent wedding we played not one, but two songs from the Call Me By Your Name soundtrack in our ceremony. To say I’m a fan of Luca Guadagnino is an understatement. And the fact that his new film is a 1980s set, road trip romance about cannibalism keeps me up at night. Toss in the Chalamang himself as a skinny, emo drifter (I assume) and I’m barely able to contain my glee that this movie is screening.

 

4. Something in the Dirt, Moorehead & Benson

Though I wasn’t terribly impressed by Moorhead and Benson’s last FF-screened film – Synchronic – I am a big fan of the low-budget, cult weirdness of The Endless, so I’m hoping their newest hews a little closer to that bone. A “phenomena” occurs in an LA apartment complex and two friends try to exploit it for cash. Things go badly. Sounds good to me.

 

5. The Menu, d. Mark Mylod

Don’t hate a guy, but I only really think Succession is a pretty good television series. Wonderfully directed, beautifully acted, a true skewering of the ultra rich but, eh, it just hits a little one note. With that in mind, I’m very curious about what Succession showrunner Mark Mylod does with only two hours and a storyline about a ultra-exclusive coursed meal, an obsessive chef, and a night that goes terribly wrong.

 

6. Unicorn Wars, d. Alberto Vasquez

Couldn’t understand a word of this trailer, but an animated flick about Care Bear-adjacent cuddlies possibly hunting and killing unicorns sounds pretty great. Also, there’s a screaming meat monster. Don’t know why, and I don’t care at all.

Editor’s Note: Noah, apparently missed the subtitled trailer – it can be seen HERE.

 

7. The Banshees of Inshirin, d. Martin McDonaugh

Martin McDonaugh had me at “spiritual sequel to In Bruges.”

 

8. Mister Organ, d. David Farrier

A New Zealand-born documentary about something called “car clamping.” I’m here for the “car clamping” but I’ll stay for the twisty, deep dive into a corrupt parking attendant – also possibly a prince – and the long con he was playing to his own great financial benefit.

 

9. Medusa Deluxe, d. Thomas Hardiman

A24 produced a movie about murder and mayhem at a hair-cutting competition. Yeah, I think I’ll see that one.