FrightFest

I loved this although I suspect it will divide opinion.

In fact I liked it so much I decided to skip VHS Viral (already had to skip the closing film) so I ended the fest on a high note!

6/10 - kinda enjoyed Act 1, but after that I just found Gloria's irrational behaviour annoying. Visuals were very noisy.

The best film of frightfest by far

It was blown up from 16 mm which is why it looked so rough. This combined with the director 's style of zooming in really close when there was any action / fights happening made it a bit of a chore to watch. Having said that I enjoyed the Honeymoon Killers style plot and the crazy violence. Not as good as Calvaire though. 7 / 10

I liked the rough grainy look, it's quite unusual to see that nowadays. A very well made, well acted film, my only reservation would be that I always felt I knew where it was going, nothing came as much of a surprise (except the strange musical interlude....!)

Nihilistic in a good way and with a very grimy and grainy look that works well with the tone although it becomes a bit exhausting. Some great acting as well but what really lets it down is the script. The first act is good, but then acts two, three and four all repeat the same basic plot.
Fabrice du Welz spoke afterwards that he was trying to rebel against the realist style of the Nouvelle Vague, but while it has a couple of Brechtian moments that work very well in their contrast to the rest of the film, but they're just a couple of isolated moments, and it never really commits in the way it should have done. 5/10

Very, very good. One of the films I really loved. Dark, engrossing and weird.

A love story of tragedy and murderous obsession. I'm not sure I was 100% happy with the ending (nor did we have to wait to the post-credits?!) - I probably would have preferred something even darker. The film maintained my interest, but probably less so than Calvaire. 8 / 10

Alex J wrote:I'm not sure I was 100% happy with the ending (nor did we have to wait to the post-credits?!)

That was quite funny, I could sense everyone around me getting fidgety as the credits went on and on.... and then nothing happened.

Credits of endless backers and sponsors no less...

I was hoping this would be the sleeper of the festival - I clung on to this hope till the very end.

To that end, it was another disappointment.

Well acted, I liked the singing followed by foot sawing, the axe through the arm, the beating with a shoe, they were well executed pieces and felt very viceral and real.

Another meh film by the end of it though.

Currently on Studio Canal