The Fantastic Pavilion presents a weekly recap with the most relevant news about the world of genre cinema.
News
It’s been five years since Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite (2019) conquered the entire world. The South Korean director’s first new movie since then, Mickey 17 (2025), has finally a trailer. It looks like a fun sci-fi picture with existential questioning, about a man (Robert Pattinson) who decides to leave Earth to become an “expendable,” meaning that when he dies a new version of his body is reprinted. The highly anticipated Mickey 17, which also stars Steven Yeun, Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette, hits cinemas from January 28.
In Brandon Espy’s Mr. Crocket (2024), a TV show host becomes a horror movie villain who murders parents and kidnaps children. The film, which is set in the 1990s, will close the 2024 Fantastic Fest on Thursday, September 26. It’ll premiere on Hulu on October 11. Watch here its official trailer.
Five years after The Gasoline Thieves (Huachicolero, 2019), Mexican director Edgar Nito is back with his second feature film: A Fishermen’s Tale (Un cuento de pescadores, 2024). Labeled as an addition to the folk horror subgenre, A Fisherman’s Tale is based on the legend of La Miringua, “a spirit that takes the form of a woman to attract fishermen to the bottom of a lake, where she bewitches them.” A Fisherman’s Tale will debut at the Sitges Film Festival (October 3-13).
Film Movement is releasing F. Javier Gutiérrez’s western thriller The Wait (La espera, 2023) in U.S. theaters tomorrow, September 20. The film opens in Los Angeles (Regal Edwards South Gate), Miami (Regal Southland Mall), Houston (Regal Benders Landing), San Antonio (Regal Cielo Vista), and Fresno (Regal Manchester – Fresno). It’ll be available on VOD October 4.
Here’s the official synopsis: Deep in the Andalusian countryside, Eladio (Víctor Clavijo) works as the groundskeeper of a hunting estate owned by the powerful Don Francisco. After taking a bribe from a veteran hunter, Eladio’s normal life falls apart, plunging him into the depths of guilt, hatred, and revenge.
Festivals
The Los Angeles-based Beyond Fest announced the lineup for its 2024 edition (25 September-October 9), which is going to be their biggest one yet. The new version of Salem’s Lot (2024) will have its world premiere at the festival on September 25, before heading to Max on October 3. Joe Begos’ latest, the sci-fi splatter fest Jimmy and Stiggs (2024), is set to debut at Beyond Fest as well.
The lineup also features Brady Corbet’s The Brutalist (2024), Sean Baker’s Anora (2024), Damien Leone’s Terrifier 3 (2024), Magnus von Horn’s The Girl with the Needle (Pigen med nålen, 2024), Alexandre O. Philippe’s Chain Reactions (2024), Nacho Vigalondo’s Daniela Forever (2024), and three new films by guest Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Serpent’s Path, Cloud, Chime).
Beyond Fest is also notable for its repertory screenings, often attended by directors and stars. This year’s program includes Speed (with Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock and Jan de Bont in person), the 1983 version of Scarface (with Al Pacino in person), and a Sam Raimi triple feature in 35mm (Darkman, The Quick and the Dead, Drag Me to Hell) with the director in attendance.
Check out here the full announcement.
Mike Flanagan’s fantasy drama The Life of Chuck (2024), an adaptation of Stephen King’s novella of the same name, won the 2024 People’s Choice Award, the highest prize at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The Life of Chuck, which stars Tom Hiddleston, got raves when it world premiered at the Canadian festival. Fantasia Fest’s artistic director Mitch Davis, for example, said that “it will become a classic, to be discussed along similar lines as Stand By Me (1986).”
The Substance (2024) – Coralie Fargeat’s body horror extravaganza about aging as a woman in Hollywood – was also awarded at TIFF. It got the 2024 People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award.
The Life of Chuck is rumored to be one of secret screenings at Fantastic Fest (September 19-26), while The Substance opens in theaters today.
The Brooklyn Horror Film Festival (BHFF) has shared its full 2024 lineup, featuring Jayro Bustamante’s fantasy-drama Rita (2024), Can Evrenol’s Revengeamatic Sayara (2024), Alberto Sedano’s documentary Exorcismo (2024) – which tackles the wild Spanish cinema that came out after Franco’s dictatorship –, Begos’ Jimmy and Stiggs, and Alice Lowe’s time travel romance Timestalker (2024). Filmmaker Larry Fessenden will receive the Leviathan Award after a screening of his film Habit (1995). The ninth edition of the BHFF will be celebrated from October 17 to 24. Find here the complete schedule.
Home video
Dark Sky Films announced a new physical release of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), to commemorate its 50th anniversary. The deluxe box set includes Tobe Hooper’s classic on 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and VHS, plus an amazing replica of Leatherface’s chainsaw and a bunch of extras. You can already pre-order it on the distributor’s official website.