Fantastic Fest 2021: 10 must-see films at this year’s hybrid edition

For the first time in two years, Austin’s Fantastic Fest will be welcoming viewers back into theatres this week for a non-stop barrage of incredible new genre films and recently restored classics. This year’s edition is a hybrid model, offering physical screenings and events alongside a robust digital option for those who can’t make the trek in person.

We’ve highlighted 10 must-see films from this year’s Fantastic Fest, including a handful of titles we’ve seen at other festivals this year along with a few highly-anticipated releases we can’t wait to set our eyes on.

Fantastic Fest 2021 runs from September 23-30. Check out the complete schedule and purchase festival passes here.

Mad God

Special effects legend Phil Tippett (Star Wars, Jurassic Park) has finally unveiled Mad God, a breathtaking and hallucinogenic stop-motion odyssey that took him three decades to complete and nearly destroyed him in the process. Beautiful and horrific imagery co-exist in this nightmarish vision that unfolds like a fever dream, filled with unforgettable creatures and moments that will sear themselves into your subconsciousness. Read our interview with Phil Tippett about the long and cathartic process of getting the film made here.

Hellbender

The Adams Family star in, write, direct, produce, and even score their films, creating singular works completely outside of the traditional studio ecosystem. Their latest, Hellbender, is their most accomplished film yet, a gripping coming-of-age tale imbued with folk horror that features a riveting lead performance from Zelda Adams. Read our interview with the Adams Family on how their unique filmmaking process works and how Hellbender came together here.

Lamb

In what sounds like an A24 version of Mad Libs, the latest horror entry from the lauded distributor that brought us Hereditary and The Witch is an Icelandic supernatural tale about a couple who find themselves parenting a mysterious lamb. The A24 track record for delivering complex and thought-provoking horror films is incredibly strong, so we’re on board for whatever Lamb turns out to be.

Iké Boys

Set in a small town in Oklahoma during the final days of 1999, Iké Boys revolves around a pair of best friends, Shawn (Quin Lord) and ‘Vik’ (Ronak Gandhi), who are obsessed with manga, anime, and all things Japanese. Their fascination reaches its zenith when Vik’s family welcomes a Japanese exchange student named Miki (Christina Higa) into their home. Seeking to impress her, Shawn puts on his most recent acquisition, a lost anime film that magically transforms the trio into spectacular beings. Meanwhile, a doomsday cult is set on destroying the world before the end of the millennium rolls around, leading to an epic battle between good and evil. An engrossing coming-of-age story filled with inventive set pieces and wild animation sequences, Iké Boys is a rousing action-adventure film that proudly wears its heart on its mech-covered sleeve.

Saloum

Written and directed by African filmmaker Jean Luc Herbulot (Netflix’s Dealer), Saloum is a thrilling and invigorating genre mashup that defies expectations at every turn. A trio of mercenaries carrying stolen gold (not to mention a kidnapped drug dealer) is forced to make an emergency landing after a major heist. They soon come upon Saloum, a small town in Senegal where they hunker down to recuperate, only to discover that the town and its spirits have their own ideas about how to handle the new arrivals. Shot through with unbridled energy you can almost feel burning through the screen, Saloum is a vibrant and fresh genre film that pays homage to everything from Reservoir Dogs to The Treasure of the Sierra Madre while blazing its own distinct path forward.

The Beta Test

Jim Cummings has become an indie darling in recent years after starring in, writing, and directing Thunder Road and The Wolf of Snow Hollow. Cummings is now back with The Beta Test, a pitch-black dark comedy that’s partly a Hollywood satire, while also taking aim at the toxic masculinity that pervades the film business. Cummings is known for portraying unraveling male protagonists, and this is his most complex and disarming role yet, set within a beguiling and often thrilling film that plays by its own twisted rules.

The Black Phone

We actually know very little about The Black Phone and hope to keep it that way until we can experience it ourselves. The latest Blumhouse production features a veritable who’s who of current horror luminaries behind the scenes including director Scott Derrickson and writer C. Robert Cargill, the team behind 2012’s utterly terrifying Sinister. This time around the duo tackle a story from writer Joe Hill about a young kidnaped boy in the ’70s who finds a mysterious phone that allows him to communicate with his kidnaper’s previous victims. Starring Ethan Hawke, Jeremy Davies, and Mason Thames, this one screens at Fantastic Fest a full four months ahead of its release next January, so don’t sleep on grabbing tickets.

The Sadness

The only film to ever merit a trigger warning at the Fantasia International Film Festival, the unrelentingly brutal Taiwanese horror film The Sadness might be the most sickening zombie film of all time. Set during a pandemic that turns people into sex-crazed rapists and murderous monsters, The Sadness is a beautifully shot thriller that not only pushes the envelope but engulfs it in flames and desecrates its remains. Sure to be one of the most divisive films of the year, seeing this in a crowded theater should be an unforgettable experience for those who can handle it.

Titane

Titane is another film best experienced with as little prior knowledge as possible beforehand. (Ideally, you’ve already stopped reading and purchased your tickets.) The latest from filmmaker Julia Ducournau (Raw), Titane revolves around a troubled woman (Agathe Rousselle) who manages to get very intimate with her car, and things only get wilder from there. Titane was all the talk of Cannes this past summer even before Ducournau was awarded the Palme d’Or for the film, with the BBC going as far as calling it the “most shocking film” of the year. At the very least, it will give you something to mull over with strangers between festival screenings.

Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes

Japan’s Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes has earned comparisons to a micro-budget Tenet, which is pretty spot-on. Shot on an iPhone (take that, Nolan), the film is centered on a young man named Kato (Kazunori Tosa), who discovers that his computer is a portal into the future — exactly two minutes into the future that is. While he’s still trying to cope with the ramifications of his discovery, his friends and neighbours soon realize the power of gaining even a quick glimpse into the future. That enthusiasm quickly spirals into a series of hijinx as they test the boundaries of their new trick, blissfully unaware of the chaos heading their way. Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes is an exuberant reminder that in the right hands, a great idea and some clever camera work can rival (or beat) any massive studio offering.

Fantastic Fest 2021 runs from September 23-30. Check out the complete schedule and purchase festival passes here.