FrightFest: We need heroes

The 26th FrightFest wrapped up tonight in Leicester Square with the UK premiere of the thriller sequel Influencers. I'd hoped to catch it but was unable to tonight. So I only have three final highlights. It's been fun this year, and the comments below represent perhaps my favourite films of the festival. I do particularly love a movie that can get under my skin and scare me in some way. It doesn't happen often enough...

The Toxic Avenger
dir-scr Macon Blair; with Peter Dinklage, Jacob Tremblay 25/US ***.
hile this remake of the iconic B-movie is relentlessly cheesy and often chaotically ridiculous, it also has a surprising warmth that sneaks up on us. Even more surprisingly, the film tackles some big ideas in the most outrageous way possible, overstating the issues with unsubtle pastiche and on-the-nose people and place names. But it's actually refreshing that writer-director Macon Blair so carefully avoids anything resembling cinematic polish.

Odyssey
dir Gerard Johnson; with Polly Maberly, Jasmine Blackborow 25/UK ****
Opening with a tooth extraction in extreme closeup, we are immediately aware that this is not a warm, fuzzy kind of movie. Skilfully shot and edited, the film creates a vividly realistic atmosphere that squeezes in around the central character, turning increasingly colourful and harrowing. Director-cowriter Gerard Johnson stylishly assembles this narrative, continually catching the audience off guard with its provocative twists and kicks. The storytelling feels electrifying.

213 Bones
dir Jeff Primm; with Colin Egglesfield, Dean Cameron 25/US ****
Set in the Pacific Northwest, this movie opens like a vintage masked-slasher thriller, then dives into its grunge-infused story with gusto, skilfully shooting and editing in a witty 1990s style. Late director-cowriter Jeff Primm keeps the tone buoyant, with sparky characters who have just enough personality to make us care for them. And the way the story develops is unusually robust, pulling us in while generating genuine suspense.

Full reviews will be linked at Shadows' FRIGHTFEST PAGE >