HEAT OF MADNESS (Sitges 2026) Reality bites back

Posted on October 15, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

HEAT OF MADNESS

Karim Ouelhaj‘s Megalomaniac shocked audiences in 2022. I will never be able to erase some of those images, no matter how hard I try. In his latest film HEAT OF MADNESS, a con man hopes to score big with one last heist, but everything goes wrong. Scola gets double-crossed and lets his loose cannon persona take hold. Putting his pregnant wife in the direct line of fire, he embarks on a violent rampage for revenge, or so he thinks.

Heat of Madness is a morality trial, and Scola is failing. Ouelhaj offers audiences a splintered and enigmatic journey through time. One could draw comparisons to Ebenezer Scrooge’s emotional journey, or even Dorothy Gale, as figures from all timelines interact like ghosts or lost souls.

As Scola wreaks havoc in the real world, a mysterious and apprehensive young woman appears as a moral compass. But Scola has no interest and revels in her beratement. But her emotional importance quite literally bears the weight of grief for Scola, but he is too blind to understand.

Julie Carrol plays our cryptic Petite Pomme with a purity and gentleness that perfectly balances Scola’s vitriol. Her physical performance is spectacular. Olivier Picard is our leading man. He is a selfish, violent, and abusive figure that audiences will loathe with a passion. That is the ultimate compliment in the acting world.

Music by Empusae is undeniably sinister. Bernard Vervoort’s cinematography is strikingly framed. Truly breathtaking scenes look like still-life paintings. These moments often give the viewer a moment to take a physical breath from the story’s intensity.

The script is twofold: stylistically beautiful and a challenge to follow. Scola’s journey is fascinating, and I encourage viewers to take every beat in. Memory, hallucinations, and consequences finally get some semblance of an explanation, but not until an hour and ten minutes into the film.

Karim Ouelhaj creates yet another mind-blowing narrative that pushes boundaries off the cliff. Audiences will find their hearts in their throats as they sift through various realities. Heat of Madness is a thought-provoking examination of regret, loneliness, anger, and redemption. Questions will gnaw at you long after the screen goes dark.

For more Sitges coverage, click here!

V/H/S/MIXTAPE (2026) Mayhem and music to my ears

Posted on October 14, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

V/H/S/MIXTAPE

The unhinged horror anthology franchise is back with a delightfully disgusting vengeance. This time, Qwar hosts an MTV-style clip show of weirdness, debauchery, and terror all based around audio. These hysterically gagworthy transition pieces are, IMHO, the most cohesive upgrade. This departure from the previously heavy-handed mystery and more MST3K comedy stylings works like magic. Now let’s get into each new segment, shall we?

Tape One: Dance, Dance, Dance, Dance.

Directed by Renee Zhan, a bug-themed kids’ show opens by teaching young viewers about death. Barbara Crampton plays an exasperated network exec with a frightening authenticity. Time and time again, Crampton’s chameleon abilities to inhabit any role prove startling and celebratory. That’s why she never stops working.

Cut to present day, and the original puppets are set to be scanned, digitized, and documented for promotion. But puppet caretaker and forever-fan George is visibly resistant. When the team begins work, a seemingly odd glitch makes the cameraman wander. The secret is out when the puppets become sentient and murderous mayhem ensues.

The reboot joke is chef’s kiss if you’re a fan of the franchise. Practical FX are jaw-dropping. As a product of 1980s Sesame Street and a genre babe, this is my Christmas. It’s a felt, fur, and blood-covered house of horrors.

Tape Two: Another Cabin

Directed by franchise favorite Flying Lotus, this fairy-tale-inspired stop-motion short follows a young boy and his ungrateful elder who are attacked by a flesh-eating, shapeshifting monster from the woods. After years of abuse, the boy fights back by sacrificing her to the monster, but this is a horror short we’re talking about. The film looks incredible. Laika studio fans will dig this a little extra. Zero dialogue, but none is needed to convey the darkness.

Tape Three: Heartbeat

David Moreau follows YouTuber couple, Wes and Maya, as they journey through the woods to find an abandoned underground military facility. They discover an anechoic chamber, designed to shut out all outside noise. But there’s a reason they warn against staying longer than fifteen minutes.

The handheld camerawork comes from camcorders and GoPros. Julie Clergerie and Elie Kaempfen give incredible physical performances that look like theatre training. _’s augmented sound editing is hypnotizing and triggering even the calmest viewer. It is auditory torture.

Tape Four: The Music of Mr. Sze

Ernest Dickerson (Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight *hell yes) gives us a story of a lonely but enthusiastic film student named Philip as he embarks on his day-in-the-life series in his new apartment. We briefly meet the other renters, but Philip is drawn to the sound of a violin emanating from another unit. Most of the footage (POV) comes from Philip’s brand-new camera glasses. As the music continues day and night, it profoundly affects Philip. He waits for Mr. Sze, offering to film his performances. But the offer backfires when Philip hums a song he should not have heard. Curiosity killed the cat, though in Philip’s case, it opens a portal to a Lovecraftian hellscape. Brilliant world-building and chaotic kills, this segment is a handcrafted throwback.

Tape Five: Premature Burial

Tobias Forge gives audiences a hardcore metal video. The story follows a twisted and satisfying revenge plot. You will be cheering with glee by the end of the song. Tee hee.

Tape Six: Death Tone

RZA dives into his world of music with a tale of a young woman’s attempts to connect with her deceased music producer father. Upon discovering a cassette with how-to instructions for creating a great track, Lydia records video diary entries to document her process and progress. When she connects most with a more visceral tone, she taps into her Patrick Bateman instincts to capture the perfect pitch. Video diaries and body cam footage get an immersive, artistic edit. Production design is moody and drenched in blood. The final moments put Johnny Depp‘s Nightmare on Elm Street demise to shame.

V/H/S/MIXTAPE is a GenX playground filled with old-school references, blood-spattered humor, and insane kills. It’s everything you want and then some. How each consecutive anthology tops the last is a mystery.

DANCE, DANCE, DANCE, DANCE: Directed by Renee Zhan

A studio attempts to reboot a long-cancelled puppet show with a mysterious past. Featuring work from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.

HEARTBEAT: Directed by David Moreau

A pair of YouTube urbex influencers find themselves trapped in a decommissioned military facility used for sonic experimentation.

THE MUSIC OF MR. SZE: Directed by Ernest Dickerson

A college film student’s documentary project uncovers the reclusive life of a tormented musician.

DEATH TONE: Directed by RZA

A young sound engineer follows her late Dad’s instructions to create the ultimate track.

Wrap Segment

GWAR hosts skits and music videos in an MTV-style show from hell.

Featuring music videos directed by Tobias Forge and Flying Lotus.

Synopsis:
V/H/S/MIXTAPE cranks the franchise’s signature found-footage horror up to eleven with an electrifying new anthology where music and sound become the source of terror. United by a theme that explores the power of music, rhythm, and audio to haunt, possess, transform, and destroy, the film blends cosmic horror, psychological suspense, outrageous splatter, and groundbreaking practical effects into one unforgettable mixtape of nightmares.

Featuring all-new segments from legendary filmmaker Ernest Dickerson, hip-hop icon RZA, visionary director David Moreau, and acclaimed filmmaker Renee Zhan, the latest installment pushes the boundaries of found footage with four wildly original stories that each put a unique spin on the terrifying relationship between sound and fear.

Producers: Josh Goldbloom, Steven Schneider, Roy Lee, Michael Schreiber, Brad Miska

Writers: Zoe Cooper, David Moreau, Ernest Dickerson, RZA, Matt Landsman

Executive Producers: Ben Ross and Rami Yasin

Genre: Horror
Country: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 98 minutes

For more V/H/S franchise coverage, click here!

Disforia (Grimmfest 2026): The commodity of terror

Posted on October 11, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

Disforia

Christopher Cartagena‘s Grimmfest 2026 feature DISFORIA dives headfirst into darkness with a global rash of suicides beginning two years prior. The system is near collapse. Aided by cult-like groups claiming to assist in suicides, when in reality, they are filled with murderous psychopaths.

Tomás, Esther, and their young daughter Say have a plan: drive over the Pyrenees to reach Esther’s sister in an isolated area untouched by the sadness. The audience quickly learns that secrets complicate everyone’s agenda. When Act Two begins, any inkling of intuition disappears. Enter Vera, a woman who claims to be a buyer for the house, but we suspect something more sinister. Cartagena keeps you teetering on the brink of hyperventilating.

Cartagena and co-writers Joan-Pol Argenter and Imanol Ortiz deliver a deeply twisted screenplay. Esther’s relationship with Say is entirely dysfunctional. When she decides not to listen to her mother, Say dons a chimpanzee mask. The choice is incredibly unsettling. But it is the trying dynamic that throws a wrench in future survival. The bond must hold, or it might spell certain doom. The script slowly reveals the trigger of unresolved trauma and detachment, making every beat between mother and daughter all the more explosive.

The set looks like an authentically abandoned home, from the draped furniture to the boarded-up entry points. Camerawork feels immersive, particularly in Say’s POV shot from behind the mask. Introducing an interactive audience ramps up the perverse nature. Internet commentators inspire increased mayhem and award points for violence.

Essentially, DISFORIA is commodifying terror. The film comes at a particularly auspicious time for American audiences with the government’s announcement of a livestreamed execution. Performances are spectacular across the board. Ranging from manic to unhinged, every cast member deserves a slow clap and a standing ovation. Each consecutive moment tops the last. As the credits roll, DISFORIA leaves nothing in its path but frayed nerves and your heart in your throat.

Year:2025
Runtime:82 minutes
Language:Spanish
Country:Spain
Premiere:UK
Rating:15

Director:Christopher Cartagena
Screenwriter:Christopher Cartagena, Joan-Pol Argenter, Imanol Ortiz López
Producer:Isabel G. Peralta
Executive Producer:Raúl Cerezo, Silvia Melero
Cast:Claudia Salas, Fariba Sheikhan, Eloy Azorín
Cinematographer:Jorge Roig
Production Design:Irene Cogolludo

For more Grimmfest coverage, click here!

Our Hero, Balthazar (2026): I need you to pay attention to this film.

Posted on August 27, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

Our Hero, Balthazar

Oscar Boyson‘s dark, complex, and grossly timely film, Our Hero, Balthazar, has arrived to jar you. Affluent Manhattan private school student Balthazar finds himself taking advantage of the cultural tragedy of mass shootings for validation and attention he’s missing from his absent mother. When his efforts to impress his activist crush fail, Balthazar concocts a demented plan.

Void of any real feelings, his apathetic worldview is fueled by pills, money, and online dopamine hits. When a scholarship classmate, Eleanor, rejects his creepy attempts to connect, Balthazar decides to make a move so dangerous that he couldn’t possibly understand the ramifications. Balthazar’s over-the-top TikTok videos pique the interest of a random commenter. To gain her affections, he sets out to “save a potential school shooter,” or so he claims. But really he’s playing God.

Enter Solomon, the face behind the computer screen. Solomon exists in the shadow of his pyramid-scheming, supplement-hawking father. Catfished by Balthazar, Solomon decides that having a friend is more important than harming a genuine connection. As the tension ramps up between bravado and action, the relationship proves deadly on every level.

Asa Butterfield is haunting as Solomon. At first glance, he seems to embody the red pill manosphere, toxic masculinity persona to the nth degree. But the lack of control and loneliness manifest in people-pleasing and big talk to hide feelings of failure and to please his scumbag father.

Jaeden Martell delivers a breathtaking performance in the titular role. His ability to move through the spectrum of emotions within the same beat is chilling. Balthazar is a manipulative asshole, often manic. His tunnel vision energy is very ADHD presenting, and yet to discern between diagnosis and entitlement is all shades of grey. Martell is a chameleon. It is an award-worthy turn, and I hope people are paying attention.

Butterfield and Martell are an exhilarating pair. Emotionally, they are the same person. Watching them bounce off one another is a masterclass. Both characters are part victim and part product of their environment. The give and take is dazzling.

The score is unforgettable, moving between upbeat after-school special (this is a compliment), death metal riffs, and quieter, deeply sinister pieces. The handheld camerawork is incredibly immersive. It makes you an unwitting accomplice to every moment.

OUR-HERO-BALTHAZAR-Official-Trailer-1-33-screenshot

Boyson and Ricky Camilleri‘s script is a freight train. Tackling AI, influencer and incel culture, political theatre, poverty, gun regulation, and media culpability, Our Hero, Balthazar, will permanently imprint on your brain. Between cinephiles, activists, and traumatized generations of kids and adukts, the film will undoubtedly trigger every feeling imaginable. It’s an impressive feat of storytelling and a candid look at our reality. Our Hero, Balthazar, is a prime example of how essential the art form of filmmaking is.

Our Hero, Balthazar Trailer:

Rotten Tomatoes Certified-Fresh Pitch-Black Comedy Available for Digital Rental and Purchase August 11, 2026 from WG Pictures and Radial Entertainment

The film stars Martell, Butterfield, Chris Bauer (“The Wire,” “True Blood”), Jennifer Ehle (“Pride and Prejudice,”
Saint Maud), Anna Baryshnikov (“Dickinson,” Love Lies Bleeding), Noah Centineo (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, “The Recruit”), Becky Ann Baker (“Girls,” “Freaks and Geeks”), Avan Jogia (“Twisted,” “56 Days”) and Pippa Knowles.

Runtime: 96 Minutes | Rated R

For more drama coverage, click here!

Tight Lettuce (Fantasia 2026) If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry.

Posted on July 18, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

Tight Lettuce

Based on a true story, Harrison Houde‘s Fantasia 2026 drama “Tight Lettuce” delves into generational trauma and the pitfalls of enabling with the best of intentions. Joel’s unwavering faith in his user father becomes an overwhelming barrier to growing as an individual. Joel hopes to record his father’s recovery from a 28-year heroin and fentanyl addiction. Instead, he captures the chaotic essence of a great man trapped in a seemingly endless cycle.

Dakota Daulby, who co-writes the screenplay with Houde, wears his heart on his sleeve through the constant disappointment. It is a beautifully vulnerable portrayal of a toxic, unconditional love. Emmanuel Bilodeau is an absolute freight train. It is a complex performance, as Bodo is self-aware and yet remains an addict in an active spiral. Between his highs and manic withdrawal-induced lows, Bilodeau delivers a tour de force. Their chemistry is the stuff of dreams.

Tight Lettuce highlights the ripple effects of drugs and the importance of separating life plans from the anchor of an addicted loved one. The credits feature real footage of Joel and Bodo. This choice makes the film more impactful in every way. This dark comedy captures the heart with infectious energy. The statistical likelihood that a loved one (only a few degrees separated) is struggling as we speak makes it a must-see. The reality of “If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry” screams with authenticity.

For more Fantasia coverage, click here!

Fantasia 2026 arrives to fright and delight.

Posted on July 12, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

Fantasia 2026.

Grab your party hats, because she’s turning thirty and flirty and she’s coming to scare the shit out of us. This year’s Fantasia 2026 is here to gag you, both literally and figuratively. This lineup is insane. Zero surprise there. Here are just a handful of the films and short blocks on our ever-growing list of magic and mayhem to check out:

The Fantasia International Film Festival will celebrate its upcoming 30th edition with an electrifying program of screenings, workshops, and launch events running from July 16 through August 2, 2026, returning to the Concordia Hall and J.A. de Sève cinemas, with additional screenings and events at Montréal’s Cinéma du Musée.

NIGHTBORN

With dreams of starting a perfect family, Saga (Seidi Haarla, Compartment No. 6) and her British husband Jon (Rupert Grint, Knock at the Cabin) move to the isolated house where she spent much of her childhood, deep in the Finnish forest. But as soon as their baby is born, despite the reassurance of all around her, Saga knows there’s something terribly wrong with her son. As their marriage starts to crack, Jon struggles to support his wife, but only Saga suspects the terrible truth about her newborn.

From the director of Hatching, NIGHTBORN is a visceral, gripping and terrifying dark fable about motherhood and unconditional maternal love.

Director: Hanna Bergholm

Screenwriters: Ilja Rautsi and Hanna Bergholm

Cast: Seidi Haarla, Rupert Grint, Pamela Tola, Pirkko Saisio, Rebecca Lacey, John Thomson, Silvia Saloranta

Producer: Daniel Kuitunen

Executive Producers: Brahim Chioua, Nick Shumaker, David Levine, Scott Shooman, Emily Gotto

Cinematographer: Pietari Peltola

Editor: Jussi Rautaniemi

Language: English, Finnish

Runtime: 92 mins

THE LAST TEMPTATION OF BECKY

Now working as a field agent for the CIA, Becky (Lulu Wilson) is sent undercover to Poland to infiltrate a family of innkeepers who are running a tourist venture at The Wolf’s Lair, Hitler’s WWII bunker. After learning that the father, Wilhelm Reuss (Neil Patrick Harris), is on a mission to bring about the Fourth Reich, Becky takes matters into her own hands.

Director: Jenn Wexler

Writers: Jenn Wexler and Matt Angel

Story By: Matt Angel & Suzanne Coote

Cast: Lulu Wilson, Kate Siegel, Brandon Flynn, Catherine Walker, with James Urbaniak and Neil Patrick Harris

Run Time: 89 minutes

Rating: Not Yet Rated

Genre: Thriller, Horror

Distributor: Quiver Distribution

RUBBERHEAD: THE LIFE AND MONSTERS OF STEVE JOHNSON

Known for his intense work ethic, perfectionism, and obsession with breaking new ground, Steve Johnson created iconic creatures and effects for some of the most beloved horror and sci-fi movies in cinema history. RUBBERHEAD is a humorous and heartfelt portrait of the life and times of one of Hollywood’s most prolific monster makers, as well as a historical journey through the golden age of special effects makeup.

Steve shares endless, outrageous anecdotes about his freewheeling adventures in Hollywood, while also telling the inspirational but tragic story of his meteoric rise and subsequent fall. His drive and ambition led to some of cinema’s most groundbreaking effects and techniques, but also to heartbreaking acts of self-sabotage, divorce, and serious struggles with addiction.

RUBBERHEAD is a captivating reflection on the game-changing practical FX glory days and a fascinating, entertaining, and moving story of an FX master whose greatest monster may have been himself.

Director: Nick Taylor

Writers: Joseph Krings, Nick Taylor

Cast: Steve Johnson, John Landis, Linnea Quigley, Tom Holland, Bill Corso

Run Time: 105 minutes

Rating: Not Yet Rated

Genre: Documentary

Production Company: American Nightmare Studios

UNHOLY NIGHT

UNHOLY NIGHT – World Premiere

Synopsis: Gino’s traditional family Christmas Eve turns into a bloody battle for survival when his long-dead grandma drops by and goes on a murderous rampage. Amid the chaos, Gino reunites with his ex and the dysfunctional duo must avoid his dead Italian relatives popping up all around the neighbourhood as they search for a way to get rid of these Yuletide revenants and survive his family Christmas.

Director/Writer: Michael Gabriele

Producers: Jason Levangie, Marc Tetreault, Jenna MacMillan, Michael Gabriele

Executive Producers: Tina Carbone, Jef Burnham

Cast: Marc Bendavid, Shailene Garnett, Jacqueline Robbins, Toni Ellwand, Ron Lea, Christina Rosato, Olivier Renaud, Celia Owen, Ellen David, Frank Spadone, Al Sapienza

Genre: Horror/Comedy

Fantasia Premiere Status: World Premiere

Fantasia Section: Septentrion Shadows

Run Time: TBC

TIGHT LETTUCE

Near the border between Ontario and Quebec, Joel (Dakota Daulby, LONGLEGS) works in the construction industry. He has a healthy relationship with his partner (Christie Burke, ETERNITY), his mother (Maxim Roy, SHORESY), and his grandmother (France Castel, LES FURIES). The only stain on this picture is his father, Bodo (Emmanuel Bilodeau, CURLING), who has been struggling with a fentanyl addiction for years. He is unable to hold down a job, turns every place he ends up in into a slovenly dive, and is a potential danger to himself and others. Despite everything, Joel continues to try to help him, telling himself that if he loves his father enough, he will eventually manage to get the man’s life back on track.

Director

Harrison Houde

Producer

Serge Desrosiers

Writers

Dakota Daulby, Harrison Houde

Cast

Emmanuel Bilodeau, Christie Burke, France Castel, Josh Cruddas, Dakota Daulby, Guy Jodoin, Didier Lucien, Maxim Roy

Cinematographer

Serge Desrosiers csc

Sound Designer

Jérôme Boiteau

Composer

Pierre-Philippe “Pilou” Côté

Editor

Harrison Houde, Étienne Plasse

HOME BODIES

Red (Emma Ho, CODE 8, THE EXPANSE) and Blue (Ian Ho, THE EXPANSE, CHAPELWAITE) live a “Waiting for Godot” existence within the confines of a retro, automated dwelling. Food is always available, they are entertained by VHS tapes of a show called “Barn” starring a cow, a pig, and a chicken, and soothed by each other’s company. They report to Papa, a disembodied voice through a locked door that enforces the rules they live by. On a holiday that resembles Christmas, they receive a gift: Pal (Ess Hödlmoser, THE BOYS, STATION ELEVEN), an androgynous humanoid who doesn’t speak, and follows their lead. But Pal isn’t as benign as they seem. Pal also receives VHS tapes, but they are more disturbing, and Red, who was once wary of her new friend, becomes more enamoured of their expressionless new roommate. As Red and Blue learn about Pal, their discoveries soon drive a wedge between them. With vibes of Canadian genre classics PIN and CUBE, HOME BODIES is a surreal look at control, autonomy, nature vs. nurture, and the automation of our lives.

Director

Casey Walker

Producer

Karen Harnisch, Casey Walker

Writer

Adrian Murray, Marcus Sullivan

Cast

Emma Ho, Ian Ho, Ess Hödlmoser

SOUR MINNOWS

Synopsis: Two friends stumble upon an unusual sight: six men sensually licking the pavement on an empty LA street. For Ricky, this moment ruptures something. As his reality grows porous, and his memories begin to slip and slide, he finds himself in contact with “The Yellow Thing,” an entity that wears people like costumes. As Ricky adapts to his expanding worldview, a delirious new logic takes hold.

Director

Harrison Atkins

Producer

Harrison Atkins, Kate Banford, Mel Barnes, Allison Bunce, Anne Gormley, Suzanna Son, Sarah Winshall

Writer

Harrison Atkins

Cast

David Brown, Phil Burgers, Julia Jones, Suzanna Son, Chase Williamson

THE GLORIOUS DEAD

A small-town sheriff (Toby Poser) and her young deputy (Zelda Adams) wake to find the world they believed in no longer exists. Blood drips from faucets, people and pets are missing, and fleshy creatures walk the woods. Soon, the dirt can’t keep the dead down. Anger and fear spread through the community. Co-written and co-directed by John Adams and Toby Poser, the latter of whom also stars, and co-starring Zelda and Lulu Adams, THE GLORIOUS DEAD is a personal genre vision that speaks to the increasing horrors of American life in times of enormous, instigated division while retaining the interpersonal poetry, imagination, and dark humor that its creators are renowned for. This will be the sixth consecutive work from the singularly talented filmmaking family to World Premiere at Fantasia following the festival’s launches of THE DEEPER YOU DIG, HELLBENDER, WHERE THE DEVIL ROAMS, HELL HOLE, and MOTHER OF FLIES, the latter having won our 2025 Cheval Noir Award for Best Feature. In their words: “This film takes dangerous fundamentalism at face value and asks what remains for the rest of us.” World Premiere.

Directed by Toby Poser, John Adams

Cast Zelda Adams, Toby Poser, Lulu Adams

BIRDCALL

BIRDCALL tells the story of a foolhardy scientist and his wife, a wayward survivor, as they endure a world overtaken by an avian-borne disease that has forced humanity into secluded cities. Unbeknownst to his wife, the scientist has recently become infected himself. While isolated in a cabin outside of their compound, he uses their seclusion as a trial run for an untested cure, risking both their lives in the process.

The 15-minute short is directed by Justin Calandriello; Written by Halle Kott; Produced by Calandriello, Sam Beaton and Halle Kott; Associate Producer: Casey Marie Ecker and Cinematography by Joshua Popovsky.

BORN OF WOMAN 2026

This shorts block is my absolute favorite every year. Full Stop.

Fantasia’s top-tier showcase of uncompromising personal genre visions returns with nine works from five countries that will leave you shaken and astonished. From Germany to South Korea, Brazil to the USA and more, dark brilliance awaits.

Angels (USA, dir. Sam Mandich, World Premiere)

Breeder (USA, dir. Sapphire Sandalo, International Premiere)

Fingerbang (South Korea, dir. Kim Yeon-woo, Canadian Premiere)

Imprint (USA, dir. Ran Jing, International Premiere)

O Novo Corpo (Brazil / Portugal, dir. Luciana Malavasi, North American Premiere)

Redneck (USA, dir. Alexandria Basso, International Premiere)

Sam (USA / Germany, dir. Catharina Schürenberg, World Premiere)

Strange Egg (USA / USA, dir. Liv Mershon, World Premiere)

Ultraviolet Damage (Germany, dir. Pola Rader, North American Premiere)

For all things Fantasia, click here!!

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Lady Puritan (DWF LA 2026) A striking generational reckoning

Posted on June 25, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

Lady Puritan

Filmmakers Gustine Füdickar and Justin Streichman‘s DWF LA 2026 short film Lady Puritan will blow your mind. The story follows Meredith, a woman experiencing intense nightmares and excruciating physical pain. Upon the recommendation of a spiritual guide, Meredith undergoes a reckoning of past, present, and future.

Streichman’s editing is a wonder. A hallucinatory journey that makes sense even when it shouldn’t. The close-up work of flora is creepily unnerving. It immediately draws the eye to the smallest bits of decay. The unsettling nature of the film, no pun intended, ramps up tenfold from there.

Visually stunning, Füdickar and Streichman tease audiences with what must be a nod to Andrew Wyeth‘s 1948 painting, Christina’s World. If you know anything about art, the choice is simply brilliant. Throughout the film, particularly in the opening and closing credits, there are microscopic slides of what appear to be butterfly wings, adding an entirely new level of metaphor and a metamorphosis angle. Regardless of their specifics, the impact is astounding.

Füdickar’s physical work is exquisite, between fear, wrath, manic energy, and acceptance. You cannot walk away unchanged by this performance. All the building blocks are there for a feature. Lady Puritan is truly haunting. It manages to land squarely between terror and sensuality. It is a visual personification of feminine rage and generational trauma. For any audience member embracing their witchy era, this short will have you shaking with excitement.

Lady Puritan Dances with Films Site

WRITERS/DIRS: Gustine Füdickar & Justin Streichman
PROD: Justin Streichman
CAST: Gustine Füdickar, Dorothy Dubrule, Stacy Dawson Stearns

As dream life bleeds into waking reality, a woman haunted by her Puritan ancestor must confront the terror buried deep within her bloodline. Through ritual and violent trial of the body, she fractures the veil between worlds and is thrown into a fight for her life. Lady Puritan is a surreal psychological meditation on ancestral trauma and the intimate horror of what we are born carrying. Set against the shadow of American Puritanism, the film explores the tension between repression and embodied desire.

WARNING: THIS FILM CONTAINS FLASHING IMAGES THAT MAY CAUSE DISCOMFORT OR TRIGGER SEIZURES FOR PEOPLE WITH PHOTOSENSITIVITY.

For more Dances With Films coverage, click here!

‘Cotton Fever’ (Tribeca 2026) Best Narrative Feature & Cinematography winner proves heartbreakingly real

Posted on June 12, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

Cotton Fever

Daniel Blake Schwartz‘s very personal Tribeca 2026 drama Cotton Fever explores the trappings of addiction. The film follows the lives of interconnected drug users in Massachusetts.

Dealer James and his pregnant girlfriend Dina hope to move into a proper apartment. Homeless and addicted couple Sam and Manny chase the next high with petty crime. Akil’s motivation is his brother’s near misses with overdosing. Each one has the hope of a better tomorrow, despite the odds stacked against them.

Ari Mora and Chabely Ponce are spectacular together, playing Manny and Sam. Their mix of survival and enamored love is a fascinating study.

Colton Osorio gives teen dealer Harley the precise innocence and streetwise fearlessness that proves captivating. Ronald Emile‘s Akil bleeds love-soaked desperation in his brotherly efforts. Don’t sleep on him.

Sosie Bacon‘s Dina is genuine and aspirational. Her kindness and self-actualization are incredibly refreshing.

Kyle Gallner, one of my favorite actors on the planet, knocks it out of the park again. It feels like there is no role he cannot own. As James, Gallner commands each frame, bouncing between fear, rage, the hustle, and the deceiving calm of a high. But it is the sacrificial lamb under the surface that gets you. Once again, it is award-worthy stuff.

There is an immersive feel to the opening scene, almost a sensory overload. Gallner’s performance, Tom Acton Fitzgerald‘s camerawork, and the augmented sound editing from Dylan Castora put the audience on edge. Each time James attempts to get clean, this overwhelming cycle begins again, chasing him from help.

Each one of our ensemble comes from poverty, abuse, violence, and generational trauma. Our players cross paths on the streets and in detox centers during their lowest lows. Cotton Fever is a frighteningly authentic peek inside the realities of too many people. It is raw humanity. These are the stories Tribeca audiences live for.

Remaining Screenings of Cotton Fever:

Sat June 13 – 6:00 PM

Village East by Angelika

Sun June 14 – 5:15 PM

AMC 19th St. East 6

Written & Directed by

Daniel Blake Schwartz

Cast

Kyle Gallner

Sosie Bacon

Chabely Ponce

Ronald Emile

Ari Mora

Colton Osorio

Sam Quartin

Melvin Douglas

For more Tribeca 2026, click here!

‘Time Warp’ (Tribeca 2026) Rocky Horror babies, rejoice! Queer joy is everyone’s joy in small-town theatre doc.

Posted on June 8, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

Time Warp

Director Allison Sloan Berg‘s Tribeca 2026 doc Time Warp, and I see you shiver with Antici… pation. September 2022 in Rock Springs, Wyoming, a small theatre dares to put on a Shadow Cast production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Theatre director, producer, choreographer, house manager, and star of the show, Kenny Starling, brings us into the industrious, loving, and hardworking theatre company that delivers excitement and love to an otherwise quiet, conservative, and seemingly forgotten town.

Theatre has always been a safe space, long before that became a political buzzword. Time Warp appears relatively straightforward in its initial presentation. Berg features cast members’ backgrounds, rehearsals, and most surprisingly, a city council meeting that does not go the way we think it will.

It’s not an accident that Richard O’Brien‘s characters in Rocky Horror are aliens. The cast addresses the elephants in the room: mental health and coping mechanisms for LGBTQIA+ youth and adults. Statistics do not lie. Wyoming has the highest national rate of suicide among all its citizens, regardless of identity. Queer individuals are not safe. Violence and discrimination run rampant. Trans women are being murdered at an alarming rate. The film tackles these issues head on.

Huge ups to music supervisor Doug Bernheim for the soundtrack, which features the OG Frank-N-Furter, Tim Curry, Siouxsie, Betty Davis, and Jobriath. Frank Keraudren’s editing, particularly the five-day-out rehearsal montage, opening night, and the credits, is delicious. Loved seeing huge Broadway stars line up as Executive Producers! Berg boasts Josh Gad, Billy Porter, and John Cameron Mitchell.

Witnessing the positive reactions from audience members will bring you to tears. Leave your assumptions at the door, but don’t forget to bring your joy. Time is fleeting. Take a page out of Dr. Frank-N-Furter’s book. Don’t Dream It, Be It. Time Warp, again and again.

Director: Allison Berg
Writers: Allison Berg and Frank Keraudren
Cast: Kenn Starling, Kaley Sikora, Gabriel Garcia, Dejanae Westbrook, Tim Robinson, Devin Manfull, Valerie McCoy, Tasha Seppie, Hana Tanaka, Em O’Lexey
Producers: Allison Berg, Susan Margolin, Jen Chaiken
Executive Producers: Josh Gad, Billy Porter, John Cameron Mitchell, Ida Darvish, DJ Gugenheim, Kevin Jennings, Kathy Rivkin Daum, Jen Rainin, Lisa Kleiner Chanoff, Gabrielle Fialkoff, Sally Klingenstein Martell. Josh Braun, Dan Braun, Ben Braun

For more Tribeca 2026, click here!

‘HOLO’ (Tribeca 2026 short) Immersive therapy dying for development.

Posted on June 7, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

HOLO

In an effort to help Claire process her unresolved trauma, a tech company called Looking Glass creates a motion capture hologram version of her late husband Jared. The session is an advanced form of immersion therapy. But the complexity of their relationship puts everyone involved in danger.

Shane West, heartthrob to a generation of women like me thanks to A Walk To Remember, still exudes an effortless charm that leaps off the screen. As Jared, he taps into a terrifying rage. Morgan Kohan gives Claire every bit of herself. It’s the arc we die for. Bravo to Zelda Williams for playing Jared’s human counterpart (more of her, please), and to director Alexander DeSouza and Ashley Brandon for the seamless editing. Magali Lafeur nails the production design.

DeSouza creates an ominous atmosphere. Screenwriter Alexander Hernandez-Maxwell pulls on our darkest desires and intrusive thoughts. Fans of Severence, Westworld, and the 2024 doc, Eternal You, will find HOLO both deeply intriguing and emotionally depraved, which is the highest of compliments. While the short stands proudly on its own, audiences will no doubt clamor for more. HOLO is ripe for development, and I love that DeSouza knows it.

Remaining Tribeca Screenings of HOLO:

Wed June 10 – 8:30 PM

Shorts Theater at Spring Studios

Sat June 13 – 9:15 PM

AMC 19th St. East 6

Directed by

Alexander DeSouza

Producer

Michael Ren

Andrew Brace

Alexander DeSouza

Executive Producer

Miranda Guzman

Alex Hernandez-Maxwell

Renzo Sunga

Danny Laboy Valdez

Shane West

Writer

Alex Hernandez-Maxwell

Production Designer

Magali Lafleur

Jasmine Asiedu-Anguah

Cast

Shane West

Morgan Kohan

Zelda Williams

Tony Nappo

Beth Hornby

Editor

Alexander DeSouza

Ashley Brandon

Cinematographer

Julian Lomaga

Music

Alexander Taylor

Sound

James M. Findlay

Rosángela Hernández Gómez

Costume Designer

Caroline Allander

For more Tribeca 2026, click here!

‘The Haunting of Pennhurst’ (Tribeca 2026) Pulling back a dark curtain of cruelty to reclaim power. A doc that educates and enrages.

Posted on June 5, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

The Haunting of Pennhurst

In Pennsylvania, a looming brick building stands as a testament to a dark past. Today, artists create enormous monster builds, finely detailed costumes, and eerie sets inside the rooms of a former institution for individuals with disabilities. Part stark horror story and part empowering revisionist, filmmakers Nathan Stenberg, Mike Attie, and Katarina Poljak‘s The Haunting of Pennhurst lives up to its title every frame.

Veteran performers encourage their new seasonal actors to create in-depth character charts to instill motivation, but most of those who apply for the position don’t need to make things up. The cast consists of neurodiverse and disabled people.

The film sucks you in by introducing the horrid history, but then allows the present attraction to act as a reclamation of power for the atrocities once committed there. Archival newspaper clips, alongside a perfectly ominous score, highlight the sickening language and mindset of Pennhurst’s 1907 origin. The film begins with a warning. Fifteen minutes in, the viewer will recognize its necessity. Read More →

‘And Her Body Was Never Found’ (SXSW 2026) Two people. Real danger?

Posted on March 16, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

And Her Body Was Never Found

Real-life couple Polaris Banks and Mor Cohen create one of the most cringeworthy hybrid movies ever. When I use that term to describe their SXSW 2026 film And Her Body Was Never Found, it is a genuine compliment.

The audience follows Mor and Polaris, also the only two crew members, on an isolated camping trip, recreating their actual volatile discussions. Not since watching The Human Centipede have I felt this uncomfortable witnessing something so intensely personal on film. It’s the only film that similarly made my insides churn in a way I did not ask for.

The string-heavy score is reminiscent of Hitchcock. Although that’s not the only thing that leaves you with a spine-tingling sensation. Our leads pull the rug out from under the audience by suddenly breaking the fourth wall, plunging us into this meta horror aspect of their filmmaking. Blurring the lines is creepy as hell.

The film’s premiere comes at a particularly auspicious time as cases of “Alpine Divorce” are suddenly in the news. If you are unfamiliar with this phenomenon, I will explain. Men lead their significant others deep into the wilderness, then abandon them. The term comes from the 1893 short story “An Alpine Divorce” by Robert Barr, which follows a man plotting to murder his wife by leaving her on a Swiss Alp. More women are expressing on social media that this is happening to them. It is somehow insane, and yet entirely believable.

From a technical standpoint, it is incredibly impressive that each point of coverage maintains energy from cut to cut. As we pivot from movie-making mode to relationship mode, cell phone footage, framing, and jarring blackouts play mind games.

This is a shockingly visceral watch. Every beat is a glaring example of the vast differences in communication styles between genders. Semantics, blaming, gaslighting, lies, unresolved trauma, it all plays a part in the toxic cycles of arguing. It is impossible not to feel heated as you witness inevitably familiar turns of phrase and emotional escalation. And Her Body Was Never Found does its job, acting as a terrifyingly aggressive form of immersion therapy. By the end, I wanted to crawl out of my skin.

Director: Polaris Banks

Executive Producer: Tristan Barr, Josh Doke

Producer: Polaris Banks, Mor Cohen, Hilarion Banks

Screenwriter: Polaris Banks, Mor Cohen

Cinematographer: Polaris Banks, Mor Cohen

Editor: Polaris Banks

Production Designer: Polaris Banks

Sound: Zach Goheen

Music: Nathan Schram

Cast: Mor Cohen, Polaris Banks, Grae Drake

Crew: Camera Operator: Hilarion Banks, 1st Camera Assistant: Michael Schnick, Sound Recordist: Cruz Thomas, Hair and Make-Up: Kari Koerper, Re-Recording Mixer: Juan Campos, Score Mixer: Chris Botta

For all things SXSW 2026, click here!

SXSW 2026, a sneak peek at the films and TV you want to see

Posted on March 8, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

SXSW 2026 Watchlist

Every year, I look forward to the incredible lineup at SXSW. This year feels particularly curated to my personal, off-the-wall taste, and I am here for it, Baby. Here are just 13 of the films and TV pilots I am stoked to get my eyeballs on starting this week!!

SXSW 2026 runs from March 12-18th. Do. Not. Miss. It.

THE SNAKE

When Jamie, ungovernable 40-something wild child collides with her venomous mother, Anne, her life blows up spectacularly leaving her evicted and single. This sends Jamie on a pig in a hurricane journey for “home”; breaking into her Nana’s house to prove it should be hers, a rejected bid to move in with her van-dwelling punk rock ex, and a stint in her best friends pied a terre, which ends with Jamie hooking up with her husband.

I like to think I am ungovernable, I whisper to myself as I go grocery shopping and run the PTO. I can surely live vicariously through Anne’s shenanigans.

EDIE ARNOLD IS A LOSER

Timid Catholic school dork Edie Arnold is dragged to a punk show where a mishap lands her on stage behind the drums. She’s mortified… but a natural. Convinced by her best friend, she secretly forms a band called The NunDead. Her newfound confidence leads to a date with the altar boy but also a fight that gets her suspended. Thinking she bailed on their first gig, her bandmates bust her out of the house just in time to win a Battle of the Bands. But when she faces expulsion and her mother’s wrath at a disciplinary hearing, footage of her kick-ass performance has an unexpected effect on her mom.

Hi! Former Catholic school kid here. Hi, former punk band member. Battle of the Bads? Almost. I hosted. In spirit, another film that makes beautiful misfits like me feel seen. Do not miss it.

NEVER AFTER DARK

A wandering medium, Airi spends her life guiding restless spirits out of the world of the living. Summoned to an isolated country house, she comes face to face with a grotesque apparition with powers that defy Airi’s experience. As she digs deeper into the house’s past, a secret comes to light — and Airi finds herself hunted by a far more unpredictable force. For the first time, her greatest adversary is not the supernatural, but the living.

‘EVERYBODY TO KENMURE STREET’ (Sundance 2026) Timely lesson for the world.

Posted on January 23, 2026 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

Everybody To Kenmure Street

Felipe Bustos Sierra‘s shockingly relevant documentary, Everybody To Kenmure Street, gives Sundance 2026 audiences an authentic view of a historic day in Glasgow.

May 13th, 2021, following a dawn raid in Scotland’s most diverse neighborhood, a spontaneous and organically organized protest. It is a sight to behold. After a gentleman positions himself underneath the Immigration van, this quiet street comes to a halt, allowing locals to join a community-led movement. Legendary actress Emma Thompson reenacts “Van Man’s” thoughts and actions that day, going so far as to crawl into his position as she begins to speak. Thompson, who also serves as an executive producer, is fantastic, delivering a perfect balance of narration and desperation.

As more and more people join the demonstration, chants of “No Borders! No Nations! Stop the Deportations!” Actress Kate Dickie joins Thompson as the mystery protester who stayed by Van Man’s side the entire 8 hours, then disappeared into the crowd.

The film opens with an extraordinary amount of archival footage from past civil rights moments, but the cell phone footage from people on the ground makes up the majority of the doc. Every angle, from down on the street to the windows of the flats above, shows something new. Editor Colin Monie nails it. Making sense of the chaos between the footage, intimate sit-down interviews, and Thompson in a tight squeeze.

‘BEFORE YOU’ (2025) Emotional short leaves a lasting impact

Posted on October 24, 2025 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

BEFORE YOU

Filmmaker Lauren Melinda‘s extraordinary short film BEFORE YOU is an emotional rollercoaster you must ride. The film follows a young couple’s journey in early pregnancy, including their undesired outcome.

I am intentionally being vague because BEFORE YOU should be vital viewing. In just under 13 minutes, Melinda taps into the visceral trauma connected to pregnancy. There exists a collective fear, anxiety, and guilt the moment you discover they are growing a life, and that is something that never fades with time.

From a filmmaking and technical perspective, the augmented sound pulses in your core. The editing is magnificent; a whirlwind of motion and time that feels outerbody and assaulting all at once. It is a subconscious deep dive into the psyche of a pregnant person’s brain and societal expectations. Actress Tala Ashe captures every emotion, often with little to no dialogue.

A physical manifestation of emotional trauma and a simultaneous catharsis, BEFORE YOU flips the narrative of abortion on its head, revealing the truth behind necessary health care access without ever mentioning politics. Women’s lives are at stake. Autonomy and family planning are at stake. This short film speaks volumes.

Inspired by writer-director Lauren Melinda’s own experience, Before You follows a couple in the aftermath of a decision they never imagined making: ending a planned pregnancy. Told with restraint and emotional clarity, the film explores the quiet, often invisible grief that can accompany reproductive loss.

Created in collaboration with Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Before You moves away from polarizing narratives and toward a more personal lens. It invites audiences to sit with the nuance, silence, and complexity of a choice that is so often politicized, yet deeply human.

Starring Tony nominee Tala Ashe (English on Broadway), the film gives voice to an experience many carry privately. Across from her, Adam Rodriguez (Criminal Minds) brings depth and warmth to a role that balances strength and uncertainty. Together, their performances anchor the film in something intimate and real.

Before You has been selected by several notable festivals, including the Oscar-qualifying St. Louis International Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival, deadCenter, and Film Independent’s Artist Development Showcase. During its run, Melinda received the Chaz Ebert Phenomenal Person in Film Award, and the film was recognized for Best Cinematography and Excellence in Editing.

In addition to screenings, Melinda and her team have partnered with Planned Parenthood chapters in Missouri, Idaho and Birmingham to host post-film conversations and panels. More are planned this fall, including upcoming screenings in Los Angeles, Catalina, Breckenridge and New York. Simbelle Productions, Melinda’s nonprofit production company, continues to support female-led narrative films with bold emotional stakes and meaningful social reach.

Simbelle’s recent projects include Sarah Friedland’s Familiar Touch, winner of the Orizzonti Best Director and Best Actress at the 2024 Venice Film Festival; Sophy Romvari’s Blue Heron, recipient of Locarno’s Swatch First Feature Award; and Alex Burunova’s Satisfaction, which premiered at SXSW. Before You marks Simbelle’s first in-house production.

Melinda is also developing a photography project alongside Before You, inviting individuals to visually express their experiences with abortion or reproductive loss, whether through portraiture or more abstract means. The goal is to create space for healing, connection, and storytelling.

For more short film coverage, click here!

‘YANUNI’ (Tribeca 2025) A woman’s climate work is never done.

Posted on June 16, 2025 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

YANUNI

From producer Leonardo DiCaprio and director Richard Ladkani, YANUNI closes out Tribeca 2025 with a call to action and the story of a feminist hero who should be a household name. Juma Xipaia has survived six assassination attempts as the first female Indigenous chief of her people in the Middle Xingu. She and her husband are fierce environmental warriors in a raging battle for ownership of the Amazon.

Ladkani’s camerawork and sound design are immersive. You can feel each unnerving protest moment in your bones. Footage in Juma’s home is viscerally spiritual and powerfully juxtaposed with the devastating destruction of the surrounding forests. Illegal mining pits are poisoning the water, and the criminals invading the lands are raping and murdering the villagers.

Juma and her people are emotionally, physically, and spiritually drained. Juma’s safety keeps her separated from her children, and her relentless speaking schedule wears her down. It is no surprise that it is a woman, a mother, who stands to protect others. The most successful governing bodies have female leadership. “With great power comes great responsibility,” and Yuma accepts all that entails.

The film follows the 2022 Brazilian elections. The volatility in the streets is palpable. Speaking to eligible voters is life-threatening. While the outcome of the election is positive for the progression of the country, new roles for both Yuma and her husband, Hugo Loss, put them in even more danger than before.

Ladkani takes us inside the infiltration of an illegal mining operation and its subsequent controlled burn destruction. Their missions are high-risk and heavily armed on both sides.

Juma’s action mirrors every indigenous population’s fight against deeper colonization and capitalism. The film premieres at Tribeca during a particularly auspicious time in America, on the same day nearly 11 million people took to the streets for the No Kings protests. But Juma has had to fight for many more generations to protect her people, territory, and culture. The fight continues.

YANUNI is the type of educational feature that deserves to loop on IMAX screens in every museum. It is an inspiring war cry for climate justice. Juma Xipaia is a role model for every young person. She is the personification of Mother Earth. Her bravery and passion serve as an example. She is all of us.

YANUNI –

Director: Richard Ladkani
Producer: Juma Xipaia, Leonardo DiCaprio, Anita Ladkani, Richard Ladkani, Jennifer Davisson, Phillip Watson
Screenwriter: Richard Ladkani
Cinematographer: Richard Ladkani
Composer: H. Scott Salinas
Editor: Georg Michael Fischer
Executive Producer: Dax Dasilva, Joanna Natasegara, Laura Nix, Eric Terena, Martin Choroba, Philipp Schall
Second Camera: Fábio Nascimento
Original Title Song: Katú Mirim
Vocals: Djuena Tikuna
Cast: Juma Xipaia, Hugo Loss YANUNI

For all things Tribeca, click here!

‘TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN’ (Tribeca 2025) Masterpiece or Mastermind. Either way, it’s brilliant.

Posted on June 7, 2025 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN

In his Tribeca 2025 doc, TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN, Ole Juncker takes us behind the scenes of a story that rocked the art world. Jens Haaning is internationally known for his tongue-in-cheek approach to art. The Kunsten Museum commissions Haaning to recreate an original piece for an exhibit centered on labor. They gave Jens half a million kroner, meant to be displayed. When the frames showed up at the museum, the canvases were empty. Kunsten decides to sue. The flurry of international press sparks a broader debate about paying artists and who determines the value of art.

Editor Lars Juul utilizes animation sequences, home videos, and photos as transition packages under Haaning’s narration. Jens describes a rather sad childhood, and when we discover he is coping with bipolar, the manic behavior he exhibits up until this point in the film suddenly makes sense. Jens is a whirling dervish, both physically and in erratic decision-making. The camera almost struggles to keep up with him, pacing the room as he tries to find 800,000 kroner in a few hours. With his new assistant, Ditte, a woman with the patience of a saint, we observe Jens yelling at the bank, unloading ideas onto his agents, and offloading one of his pieces for half price. The audience begins to question their reality.

TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN is wildly immersive. Rune Palving‘s sound design heightens the chaos by piping in high-frequency tones over Jens’ manic episodes, while Juul’s quick-take editing that mimics his brain is brilliant.

Is Take The Money And Run a work of genius or a scam? Jens is adamant that his art comes from a damn-the-man mentality, and his argument is entirely valid. Once Juncker reveals more about Jens’ previous exhibits, all of them unsold, a clearer picture comes into view. Or does it? Alongside this head-spinning race for cash, Kunsten’s trial against Jens rapidly approaches. The verdict sends him spiraling. It is then, and only then, in the final few minutes of the film, that we discover what inspired the piece. But is it the truth?

Ole Juncker puts us inside the dizzying mind of an artist. If you’re an art fan, you will love it. If you weren’t one before, I defy you to say no to a gallery visit. TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN allows the viewer to decide what art is and who the potential villain is. It will have everyone talking, and isn’t that the point? What a perfect match of film and festival.

Directed by Ole Juncker
Director: Ole Juncker
Producer: Mette Heide
Screenwriter: Ole Juncker
Cinematographer: Ole Juncker
Editor: Lars Juul
Co-Producer:Bjarte Tveit Mørner

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
By Ole Juncker

Documentaries can be an escape into a completely different world and another person’s mind. TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN is just such a film. If you live an ordinary life like me, it’s liberating and intoxicating to enter the twisted mind and tumultuous life of artist Jens Haaning as he does what we all dream of but dare not: namely, run with all the money. Jens’ action set off a firework inside my head. For me personally, it was an escape from everyday life to follow Jens’ adventure. Are you crazy or a genius if you dare to change the rules so drastically? I was immediately fascinated by Haaning and the story, which was both humorous and thought-provoking, and I love how an art-piece ended up being widely discussed in all parts of society and around the world.

ABOUT JENS HAANING

Jens Haaning (born 1965) is a Danish conceptual artist who graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. He has had solo exhibitions at Wiener Secession, San Francisco Art Institute, and Gallery Nicolai Wallner, among others, and has participated in group exhibitions around the world, such as Documenta XI in Germany, the Istanbul Biennial, MoMA in New York, and the Sydney Biennale. TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN

For all things Tribeca 2025, click here!

‘DANGEROUS ANIMALS’ (2025) Shark-obsessed serial killer reels in a fighter.

Posted on June 5, 2025 by Liz Whittemore — 1 Comment ↓

DANGEROUS ANIMALS

Sean Byrne earns an honest-to-goodness “Fuck Yeah,” with the opening of his latest film, DANGEROUS ANIMALS. The plot centers around a shark-obsessed serial killer and the ritualistic murder of tourists. What he doesn’t count on is surfer Zephyr and her survival instincts.

The cinematography is stunning. The score is epic. The soundtrack is perfect. Writer Nick Lepard skillfully navigates tongue-in-cheek jokes, social graces, survival tactics, and one crazy motherfucker. Location is key. Zephyr is trapped.

Josh Heuston is Moses. Relentlessly charming and earnest, Moses tries his damnedest to find Zephyr, but his fate may be closer to any of the boy toys in the SCREAM franchise. Heuston is much more than a vapid heartthrob. He is an admirable scene partner, and you want more of him.

Jai Courtney is diabolical. He is equal parts terrifying and mesmerizing. This is Buffalo Bill-style fuckery, and holy shit, does Courtney deserve all the applause and recognition. I would watch prequels centered on Tucker, but only if Courtney reprises the role.

Hassie Harrison is a childhood trauma-fueled badass. Harrison commands your attention and takes risks. She could carry any film. She is Final Girl heaven.

DANGEROUS ANIMALS is my actual worst nightmare. I still think a shark will somehow come through a pool drain and eat me. So, obviously, it had me from the get-go. The film is as sadistic as HOSTEL. Think the opening scene of JAWS on steroids. The violence ramps up as the film rolls on, and Zephyr’s escape plans keep us on the hook. DANGEROUS ANIMALS is undeniably one of the year’s most intense films.

Dangerous Animals Trailer:

Directed by Sean Byrne (THE DEVIL’S CANDY, THE LOVED ONES)

Starring Jai Courtney (SUICIDE SQUAD), Hassie Harrison (YELLOWSTONE), Josh Heuston (DUNE: PROPHECY)

Trapped on a killer’s boat with hungry sharks circling below, a surfer must outwit a predator more dangerous than the ocean itself—will she escape, or become the next offering to the deep? Sean Byrne returns with his third visceral feature, DANGEROUS ANIMALS, exclusively in theaters June 6, 2025.

For more horror coverage, click here!

‘BROTHER VERSES BROTHER’ (SXSW 2025) A wild and personal familial musical odyssey.

Posted on March 12, 2025 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

BROTHER VERSES BROTHER

BROTHER VERSES BROTHER comes from director Ari Gold. (The Song of Sway Lake) This hybrid bonanza of music, storytelling, and familial exploration of Ari and Ethan Gold in their search for their father, Herbert Gold, is perfect for the SXSW 2025 audience.

The film is mind-blowing. It is a technical feat of magic, music, and movie-making, filmed in one continuous shot and entirely improvised. The brothers walk around San Francisco looking for both gigs and signs of their dad along the way.

Ari and Ethan are dazzling as foils for each other. Ari is a freight train seeking love and approval, while Ethan is more somber and works through his grief and anxiety through song. I would watch them banter and create live on stage any day. Take my money.

Deeply personal and ceaselessly intriguing, the film is a celebration of the unique chemistry and songwriting between two vastly different men AND an ode to their father and each other. Inject this entire soundtrack into my veins immediately. BROTHER VERSES BROTHER is one giant smirk-inducing dopamine hit.

Remaining SXSW screenings of Brother Verses Brother:

Brother Verses Brother at Violet Crown Cinema 2

Mar 12, 2025

6:30pm — 8:01pm

Brother Verses Brother at Violet Crown Cinema 4

Mar 12, 2025

6:30pm — 8:01pm

Credits

Director:	Ari Gold
Executive Producer:	Francis Ford Coppola
Producer:	Michelle Stratton, Starr Sutherland, Maya Browne
Screenwriter:	Ari Gold, Ethan Gold, and the Cast
Cinematographer:	Stefan Ciupek, Frazer Bradshaw
Editor:	Dan Loghin
Production Designer:	The Streets of San Francisco
Sound Designer:	Jim McKee
Music:	Ethan Gold
Principal Cast:	Ari Gold, Ethan Gold, Lara Louise, Brian Bell, Herbert Gold, Tongo Eisen-Martin, John Flanigan
Additional Credits:	Colorist: Frazer Bradshaw, VFX : CR Green, Music Mixer: Tony Hoffer, Music Mixer: Justin Bates, Associate Producer: Natasha Nua

For all things SXSW, click here!

‘ONE REHEARSES, THE OTHER DOESN’T’ (Slamdance 2025) A shockingly profound experimental short.

Posted on February 26, 2025 by Liz Whittemore — Leave a reply

ONE REHEARSES, THE OTHER DOESN’T

An extraordinary cinematic memoir where truth and fiction obliterate boundaries, Jessica Hankey‘s short, “ONE REHEARSES, THE OTHER DOESN’T,” rocked Slamdance 2025.

Part confessional and all raw emotions, ONE REHEARSES jarring nature is exhilarating. Marjorie Annapav divulges unfiltered intimacy, from her time as a sex worker in the 70s to witnessing a murder. Her life is the stuff of any writer’s dreams. Ann Randolph gives such a solid performance that she will have you question reality. Annapav is undeniably fearless.

The editing and camerawork celebrate the emotional chaos. In 15 minutes, you get bombarded with unbelievable stories and a mindblowing approach. ONE REHEARSES is art therapy mixed with the exploratory and revealing moments of the rehearsal space. It’s the magic of theatre and cinema and the effects of an open-minded director. This short is an exquisite give-and-take that captivates the viewer from every approach.

ONE REHEARSES, THE OTHER DOESN’T Teaser Trailer:

SYNOPSIS:
In One Rehearses, the Other Doesn’t Marjorie Annapav plays herself as she immerses in improvisational work and on-stage rehearsals with a fictionalized performance teacher. Drawing from her personal history, she enacts scenes based on the murder of her boyfriend by the mob and her time as a sex worker in 1970s New York. In an effort to discover a version of her life that can play to audiences, Marjorie will probe overlooked behaviors, desires, selves. A peripheral figure in American Surrealism, Annapav is noted for her relationship with artist William Copley, who once claimed he sold his art collection in order to pay her to marry him. InOne Rehearses, the Other Doesn’t, gender, power, economic exchange, and the artifice of storytelling shape a drama of rehearsal and reinvention.

Jessica Hankey:Director/Co-Writer/Producer: Jessica Hankey
Writers: Ann Randolph, Marjorie Annapav, Jessica Hankey,
Victor Kaufold

Producers: Keren Hantman, Jessica Hankey
Creative Producer: Gaby Hoffman
Editors: Julia Straface, Jessica Hankey
Cinematographers: Chris Dapkins, Helki Frantzen
Sound: Dalmar Montgomery, Chris Ward
Music: Corey Fogel
Cast: Marjorie Annapav, Ann Randolph
TRT: 15:49 min
Country: USA

HEAT OF MADNESS

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V/H/S/MIXTAPE

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Disforia

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Our Hero, Balthazar

Rotten Tomatoes Certified-Fresh Pitch-Black Comedy Available for Digital Rental and Purchase August 11, 2026 from WG Pictures and Radial Entertainment

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Tight Lettuce

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Fantasia 2026.

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Lady Puritan

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Alexander DeSouza

Producer

Executive Producer

Writer

Production Designer

Cast

Editor

Cinematographer

Music

Sound

Costume Designer

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SXSW 2026 Watchlist

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BEFORE YOU

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DANGEROUS ANIMALS

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Credits

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Executive Producer:

Producer:

Screenwriter:

Cinematographer:

Editor: