It’s almost upon us, the beast is about to be unleashed, and people are about to… Meow? Yet, meow. If you’ve ever attended Fantasia or have seen their promo videos, you’ve heard people meow at each other in the dark. Well, this year, some will be lucky and get to go, others will be watching from home wishing they were there, and we will be bringing you as much coverage as we, well ok I, can.
So, what are the top 5 films I cannot wait to see from Fantasia this year? Without further ado, here they are:
Detectives Vs. Sleuths
Detectives Vs. Sleuths, the return of director Ka-Fai Wai who last directed a film in 2009 with Written By and who directed the fun Mad Detective in 2007. This film brings Ching Wan Lau, Charlene Choi, and Raymond Lam together in a film described as an action crime thriller where Honk Kong sees a string of gruesome murders which must be solved by a detective who once got a bit lost. The film puts the detectives and murder suspects against a killer who calls himself “The Sleuth”.
Special Delivery
Described as a mix between Drive and Baby Driver, you know this is one is going to have amazing car stunts and driving, something you rarely associate with finding a kid in one’s backseat while doing delivers who happens to be holding onto the key to an illicit stash. Oh, and did I mention that the stash belongs to a corrupt cop? Yeah, this film by Dae-min Park should be a thrill and boatloads, or carloads, of fun.
My Grandfather’s Demons
The very first stop-motion animation feature from Portugal, so of course curiosity is piqued here. Like majorly, so please give me the time and the access to see this one. That fact is enough for me. Not enough for you? Well, the film is based on Celtic folklore of northern Portugal, has a sense of magic, and is filled with demons. That’s good, yes please!
Hansan: Rising Dragon
It’s a sequel (maybe a prequel) to The Admiral: Roaring Currents. I have not seen the first one, I do not care. Look, it’s a a period piece South Korea and it looks stunning. That would normally be enough, but add armored battles, sword fights, and tons of talent and I am SOLD!
Maigret
A French detective film based on the famous novels, directed by Patrice Leconte who directed the stunning La Fille sur le Pont (The Girl on the Bridge), which you really ought to track down and see. This one pairs him with Gerard Depardieu who should be an excellent Maigret. This is not the first time this character has been brought to screens, but this is one that has so much talent behind it, it should be more than excellent.
These are just 5 of the films I want to see at Fantasia 2022, there are of course a ton more and I would honestly more be more than happy to have the capacity to watch all of them, but alas, that is not to be. So, come back between July 14th and August 3rd to see which ones I end up seeing and reviewing for you all.