FrightFest

A really good and funny (especially the hilarious opening scenes) sci-fi flick with several underlying messages. There is good characterisation and multiple layers to this story that means there is plenty to hook you in and leaves you wanting more come the finale. My only criticisms are minor: some ...

A fun opener as Neil Marshall returns to his roots with an action horror. Not as gripping or special as The Descent , nor as funny as Dog Soldiers , but amiable and entertaining nonetheless. The creature design is interesting, reminiscent of Resident Evil's licker. It would be interesting to see the...

I believe the details are being announced at a later date

Booking the festival ticket was superbly smooth - trying to book The Execution isn't - 4 hours in and still getting "the server is currently too busy, please try again later", presumably others are having this problem too?

Thank you!

Thank you once again Paul, Ian, Alan and Greg for another great line-up and fantastic festival! Thank you too to the cinema staff, the guests and everyone else who made this event happen, it is much appreciated and one of the highlights of the year!

Top 3

My top 3 are two standouts and a close-run third place:
1) The Innocents
2) Barbarians
3) The Possessed

Miracle Valley

A getaway turns into a nightmare for a young couple and their pals. Quite fun, but it becomes increasingly trashy as it goes along. It feels a tad overlong and threatens to drag before the more riotous and ever more daft third act. 6 / 10

Veneciafrenia

Like a lighter Hostel set in Venice, this is quite fun and it even comes with a political message. Good use of the location too. 7 / 10

Amulet

You'll think you know the story and where it is going for about three quarters of the film, before it goes WTF, batsh*t crazy at the end. It's pretty good at telling the tale of the immigrant who helps a woman looking after her ailing mother, but the ending will be divisive. 7 / 10

The Innocents Phenomenal! Gripping, chilling and some superb performances from a mostly very young cast. Yet it doesn't stint on the darker material despite the latter. This fantasy, like Tigers Are Not Afraid , packs quite a punch. I would recommend seeing this knowing as little as possible about ...

Last Survivors

A bit slow, melodramatic and schmaltzy at different points, but it qualifies as a genre picture by the end. The scenery is captured well, for both its bleakness and its beauty, a reflection of the characters and people generally. 6.5 / 10

The Possessed

Watchable and entertaining exorcism flick. The demon creations are fantastic and the multiple stories enliven the usual formula, along with some heart, humour and by the end an almost ghostbusters / scooby doo kind of vibe (in a good way!).
7.5 / 10

Barbarians
A cracking thriller with a smart script. The tension builds at the birthday party from hell, with some neat twists and turns before coming to a bloody, brutal and satisfying conclusion. 8.5 / 10

The Seed It starts off a bit shakily with three young women arriving at an isolated villa for a photo shoot, two of whom seem obsessed with social media and find their phones don't work. However, after a slow start it improves as one of the characters in particular is developed further and greater ...

Good spot jonbly!