RED ROOMS
Pascal Plante takes true crime obsession to the next level in RED ROOMS. The film follows Kelly-Anne, a woman who becomes obsessed with a serial killer’s trial and the elusive online video of a victim that bares her likeness. Her deep dive down the rabbit hole of the dark web is just the beginning. 
Juliette Gariépy initially gives Kelly-Anne a quiet ferocity. Assume nothing about the character as she slowly reveals her sleuthing skills. Gariépy morphs into a startling presence, with each consecutive scene getting under your skin. Gariépy is disturbing. 
The juxtaposition of her photoshoot stills and those of security camera suspects is undeniably clever mirroring. Once the infamous video plays, the decision to focus on our protagonist and not the most gruesome acts almost makes the plot more invasive. The combination of the audio and your imagination causes you to turn away. Kelly-Anne’s skills keep her on a tightrope. One missed step, and the bottom drops out. 
The script is far more nuanced than at first glance. Plante delves into technology, the female fascination with true crime, and the repercussions of unresolved trauma. The more Kelly-Anne shares with Clementine, the more unsettled the audience. As a parent, RED ROOMS is a visceral viewing experience. It is simultaneously rage and despair-inducing. As a mother, putting that hat aside, as difficult as that may be, the film is indisputably brilliant storytelling. The hideous twists keep coming. RED ROOMS will hold you captive, whether you like it or not.
RED ROOMS is produced by Dominique Dussault for Nemesis Films. Cinematographer Vincent Biron (THE TWENTIETH CENTURY) artfully lensed the feature, Laura Nhem (THE TWENTIETH CENTURY) was production designer, and Jonah Malak edited.
Official Selection: Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Fantasia International Film Festival (Opening Night), Calgary International Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, Hamptons International Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia, Brooklyn Horror Film Festival, Philadelphia Film Festival, Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Fantasy Filmfest, Miami Film Festival, Atlanta Film Festival, Monster Fest.
Awards: Fantasia International Film Festival: Cheval Noir, Outstanding Performance (Juliette Gariépy); Cheval Noir, Best Screenplay; Cheval Noir, Best Film; Sandro Forte Award, Best Motion Picture Score (Dominique Plante). Monster Fest: Best International Movie. Brooklyn Horror Film Festival: Festival Prize, Best Feature; Best Actress (Juliette Gariépy). Le Gala Quebec Cinema: Prix Iris, Revelation of the Year (Juliette Gariépy); Prix Iris, Best Supporting Actress (Laurie Babin).
Original title: Les Chambres rouges | 118 mins. | Canada
French with English subtitles | Not Rated | 2023
THEATRICAL ENGAGEMENTS:
(showtimes include September 6 openings and upcoming dates)
More to be announced.
ABOUT UTOPIA
Utopia is a New York and Los Angeles based film distribution and sales company co-founded by filmmaker Robert Schwartzman and Cole Harper. Focused on showcasing truly independent features and documentaries while supporting the next wave of filmmakers and audience discovery, recent Utopia releases include Sean Price Williams’ acclaimed debut feature The Sweet East, Eddie Alcazar and EP Steven Soderbergh’s Divinity, Kristoffer Borgli’s acclaimed dark comedy Sick of Myself, Ali Abbasi’s Oscar shortlisted and Cannes winner Holy Spider, Meet Me in the Bathroom chronicling the early days of LCD Soundsystem, The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and more. Other Utopia releases include the cult-BMX classic and event-theatrical hit Rad; Sundance breakout and Gotham Awards-nominated We’re All Going to the World’s Fair by Jane Schoenbrun; Gaspar Noe’s Cannes-lauded Vortex starring Dario Argento; the Indie Spirit-winner Shiva Baby by Emma Seligman and more.
Augmented color choices in STRANGE DARLING give the film a devilish and addicting quality. The score is grating and decidedly ominous- A genuine compliment. The lighting is simply delicious. The soundtrack is fire, as the kids say. 
Fitzgerald and Gallner’s chemistry is sick. There is an undeniable electricity between them, and it’s like watching a a sexy car crash happen in real time. The plot is spectacularly unpredictable. Don’t bother guessing from moment to moment, even though Mollner’s script hypes you up to do so. The sheer number of “Oh Shit” moments! Slow clap, sir.
DETAINED
Laz Alonzo does a fine job as the hypermasculine group leader, doing his best to keep up with Cornish. Speaking of, Abbie Cornish owns this role. It’s a tour de force. From the moment we see her, it’s already over.
Mucci and Palmer give Cornish the time to work her magic. We know her gears are turning throughout. Watching the dominoes fall is delightful. While I worked out a key plot point relatively early- I watch hundreds of films each year, it never lessened the elaborate twists. I still wondered precisely how we’d get from point A to B. Audiences get a lot to chew on in just over ninety minutes. DETAINED is devilishly satisfying.
CUCKOO
Abandonment and unresolved trauma collide with a monster movie and mad scientist in Tilman Singer‘s (
For all things Fantasia 2024, 
A commentary on environmental and economic realities, Eunkyoung Yoon‘s Fantasia 2024 feature THE TENANTS hypnotizes with Kafkaesque absurdity in stunning black and white.
THE TENANTS cleverness is through the roof, no pun intended. The fact that Shin-Dong’s landlord is a child makes all the sense in the world to anyone who has stepped into the rental arena in a major city. The near future visual indications, like projected video calls and digital advertising, are seamlessly integrated.
Kim Dae-gun is quietly magnetic as Shin-Dong. Perfectly playing off the enormous physical aura of fellow cast member Heo Dong-won. The audience feels sufficiently sad for him. Shin-Dong’s evolution is mesmerizing, causing viewers to question their morality meter and sanity. THE TENANTS says the quiet parts out loud and is a creative forced look in the mirror.
Ladi Emeruwa is a star. He exudes effortless charm, diving headfirst into Eddie’s unresolved trauma and the ensuing panic attacks. Emeruwa’s ability to grab the audience is a filmmaker’s dream. He has that ” It” factor in spades. 
The score is proper neo-noir, but the volume is often distracting. Filmmakers Bertie Speirs and Samantha Speirs deliver a well-crafted thriller. Eddie has dreams with flashes of memories or fantasies. We aren’t exactly sure. His lost time ups the ante. They skillfully tease a mysterious backstory so the audience constantly questions Eddie’s possible culpability. MIDNIGHT TAXI takes you along for a complex psychological ride.
A road trip through Canadian oil fields conjured up fantasies of secrets deep in the dirt for the Adams family, and inspired them to create HELL HOLE, an indie rock-n-roll monster movie set at a far-away fracking site. Known for their DIY ethos, John and Lulu Adams and Toby Poser, partnering with Shudder, have joined the team behind The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs and FX legend Todd Masters to shoot their latest in Serbia with a local cast and crew. Absurd, mutinous, and transgressively comical, Hell Hole is old-school sci-fi horror, yet in typical family fashion, they subvert the genre with textures of biological and environmental horror in tandem with questions of gender and bodily autonomy. This will be the fourth time Fantasia World Premieres work from the gifted filmmaking family, following launches of 
After the success of 
Peter Vack (ASSHOLES) and Dasha Nekrasova (THE SCARY OF SIXTY-FIRST) star as couple on the rocks during the early part of the Covid-19 pandemic in American filmmaker Eugene Kotlyarenko (
It’s been 21 long years since Scooter McCrae (SHATTER DEAD) released a new feature, and he’s lost none of his smart, transgressive bite. Desperate for work, Derek (Damian Maffei, THE STRANGERS: PREY AT NIGHT) accepts a job at a shady tech start-up, working intimately with Susan (Yvonne Emilie Thälker in a powerful debut role), a bleeding-edge BDSM sex doll meant to receive and appreciate sexual punishment as an integral part of her evolving AI. Shot on Super 16, BLACK EYED SUSAN counterbalances its dark, vulgar core with a surprisingly tender vulnerability, creating a lo-fi science-fiction landscape infused with surprising fragility, as legendary Italian composer Fabio Frizzi (THE BEYOND, ZOMBIE) lends the picture a lush, atmospheric backdrop. Not for the faint of heart, BLACK EYED SUSAN delves into themes and questions that will only become more pertinent with the continued evolution of artificial intelligence. World Premiere.
A true DIY passion project from Estonian filmmaker Sander Maran, CHAINSAWS WERE SINGING is a zany, blood-soaked musical about lovers split up by a chainsaw-wielding killer. Over a decade in the making, Saran not only directed but wrote, scored, shot, and edited this colorful murder-fest that’s part gory horror movie and part ridiculous musical. The camerawork is inventive, the editing slapstick, and the tone truly absurdist. Most importantly, though, the songs are incredibly catchy, with Sander clearly deeply indebted to Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s CANNIBAL! THE MUSICAL and Frank Oz’s LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. Underground Section. International Premiere.
The stunning sophomore feature from award-winning director Carlota Pereda (
My favorite shorts collection of the year, this wildly eclectic and insanely talented group of female filmmakers aims to please, shock, and gag audiences. You never know what you’ll get with each passing year and I get giddy in anticipation. Fantasia 2024’s Born Of Woman lineup includes the following films:
THE BLEACHER
WILDFLOWER
DEAD TOOTH
Danell Leyva does a great job of being entirely unlikeable. Victoria Vertuga gives Tasha a fierce presence. She is very watchable. It is Jamie Bernadette who steals the show playing Briar. Everything from her blunt haircut to her unsettling delivery is star quality. I want a prequel where she and Torrey Lawrence lead.
Filmmaker Eric Williford starts his new film off with a bang. The editing by Timothy Widmann is effective. Practical FX are solid and in your face. Cold Blows The Wind is a mysterious story of body-snatching possession on unholy ground. So much of the film feels inspired by the Evil Dead franchise, with a few other classic homages mixed in. Williford offers bits and pieces of backstory. Even though we are left to fill in the blanks, the potential is clear. There is enough meat on the bone (pun intended) to keep audiences hungry.
DEATH PERCEPTION
Kevin Bohleber gives Cody a know-it-all environmentalist vibe. He hides a much more nuanced undertone. Kelley Mack is Wilda. She mixes a breezy girl-next-door quality with authentic emotional baggage. 
The titular location is a real place in Utah. It is striking and entirely isolated, making for an immediately tense premise. The score is haunting and ethereal, comprised of disembodied voices. Scenes in which Grant trips on mushrooms utilize a combination of ever-evolving animation and VHS-style imagery to illustrate his POV. It is trippy. 
BEACON
US Narrative Competition
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is, to no one’s surprise, spectacular. My introduction to his work began with Game of Thrones. Even thirty years ago, he possessed a magnetic presence on screen. 
NIGHTWATCH taps into classic fears and creates authentic dread from beginning to end. A premise stemming from toxic masculinity gets a perfect foil in its horror element. Bornedal’s dialogue is particularly meta, no doubt inducing a smirk from the audience more than once. 
The film is a genre-bender. When you think you know what’s happening, the plot twists again. Bornedal’s sequel, 30 years in the making, has a lot to live up to. The Shudder Original 
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Kim Bodnia is the same thoughtless jackass settling right back into the role of Jens. The character’s development feels darker and more insensitive than before, but Bodnia’s chemistry with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is still dazzling. 
Ole Bornedal makes the sequel a true family affair. His daughter, Fanny Bornedal, plays Emma. She is a pro. Ole gives her characteristics of Martin and Kalinka. Emma is a bold, bright, and fearless medical forensics student. Fanny commands each frame. She’s a star. 
THE LAST STOP IN YUMA COUNTY
Jim Cummings proves once again that his high-strung straight guy routine is gold. His eye for unique projects as an executive producer remains top-notch. His entire look, down to his Archie comic red hair, is perfection for The Knife Salesman. (Yes, that is his actual character’s title).
Jocelin Donahue brings authenticity to small-town waitress Charlotte. She is so watchable. Sierra McCormick (We Need To Do Something) is a delight as aspiring bank robber Sybil. She’s another bright spot in this wild ensemble cast. 
Faizon 
Richard Brake
BLOOD FOR DUST
Years after some shady dealings haunt a group of business associates, Cliff tries to provide for what’s left of his family. As a floundering traveling salesman, his past finally catches up, forcing his hand into a new scheme with an old friend.
Scoot McNairy gives Cliff a palpable desperation and a fearlessness that captivates. He does not flinch. McNairy effortlessly carries the entire film. Kit Harington is unrecognizable as Ricky. His ultra-toxic masculinity drips off the screen. His physical and vocal work are unreal. His deliciously standoffish chemistry with Scoot McNairy makes the film.
This crime drama brings fantastic performances and a well-developed script. Cliff’s character has baggage and secrets that fuel his ultimate motivation. The slow-burn thriller pays off in spades with an explosive finale. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. BLOOD FOR DUST challenges your idea of both. An unexpected story of redemption, it is a solid genre entry. Slow clap for the last frame.
DIRECTED BY CAITLIN CRONENBERG
In Caitlin Cronenberg‘s HUMANE, 
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Emily Hampshire, whose film cred has exploded since the Schitt’s Creek finale, is the eldest York daughter, Rachel. She is abrasive, unfiltered, and fearless. Hampshire owns every moment of screen time. 
The set is stunning, a stone mansion with deep jewel-toned walls and carved mahogany. The use of solar-lined umbrellas in the brief periods exposed to the sun and the implementation of solar film on the windows make a massive impact. The characters each comment on the ingredients their stepmother has procured, suggesting the food chain has affected every socioeconomic corner. It is all very carefully curated, and undeniably brilliant. 
Summoning Sylvia
Michael Pitt plays co-worker, and piece of shit, Lafontaine. His dwindling morality acts as a mirror for Ollie. Pitt is vile and spectacular.
Sheridan gives Ollie a perfect balance of anxiety, rage, and a hero complex. We watch his sanity slowly crumble under the weight of the world’s evil. Sheridan is phenomenal as his priorities shift and nothing goes as planned. He proves himself as a leading man once again.
Utilizing Alzheimer’s as a creative device in storytelling delivers a nuanced and intriguing film. It places the viewer in Roy’s shoes as clues to his past drop in real-time. Classic noir lighting, score, and clever casefile tape transition visuals add to the flashback-filled narrative.
Karen Gillan plays Laura Baines, the obsession of a potential subject in the case. She nails the old-school detective ingenue style of dramatics. Gillan brings a vocal tone and cadence similar to Elizabeth Holmes. It’s jarring but effective.
Director Adam Cooper and co-writer Bill Collage do an excellent job adapting the 2017 novel The Book of Mirrors by E.O. Chirovici, keeping the viewer guessing. We know something is off, but with each character’s perspective, we constantly question the truth. Boasting an intensely dark ending, SLEEPING DOGS satisfies the bibliophile and cinephile alike.
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