This year’s highlights from Fantastic Fest , the largest genre film festival in the U.S., specializing in the latest horror, fantasy and sci-fi from around the world.
I Saw The Devil
Ji Woo-Kim’s latest is a revenge thriller about a secret service agent tracking the serial killer who murdered his pregant fiance. On every technical level – performances, direction, cinematography – ‘I Saw The Devil’ is a tour de force. The brilliant Min-Sik Choi (‘Old Boy’) returns as a Korean ‘Max Cady’. A 360 degree knife fight inside a moving car and a brutal home invasion soar with sadistic daring.
Julia’s Eyes
This creepy Spanish ‘giallo’ starts with the apparent suicide of a blind woman at home in her basement. Her twin sister, Julia – who also suffers from the same anxiety-blindness – must catch the real killer before she too loses her eye-sight. There are strong, credible performances by Belén Rueda (‘The Orphanage’) and Lluís Homar. Guillem Morales directs with lots of dark lighting and long, voyeuristic shots. But it isn’t ‘giallo’ enough. The kills aren’t shocking – except one – and the killer’s ‘reveal’ is telegraphed early on. Still, ‘Julia’s Eyes’ is an effective Mediterranean take on ‘Wait Until Dark’, even at times romantic.
Drones
Drones is a science-fiction comedy about white-collar aliens plotting to destroy Earth. Written by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker – writers for ‘The Thrilling Adventure’ revue in LA – this is a witty, smart film. Directors Amber Benson and Adam Busch handle the office drudgery well. A sparkling cast includes Angela Bettis (always great), Johnathan Woodward, James Urbaniak, Sam Levine and Dave Allen (Freaks & Geeks.)
Golden Slumber
In Yoshiro Nakamura’s wonderful ‘Golden Slumber’ a hapless delivery driver becomes the ‘patsy’ in an elaborate assasination plot. Think ‘The Bourne Identity’ meets ‘Big Chill’ with a great pop soundtrack from Kazuyoshi Saito. Nakamura’s theme of connecting – getting back home – ties neatly with The Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road’.
