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Spoiler-Free Review: The Mouths (Fantasia 2026)

Official Fantasia synopsis from program notes written by Rupert Bottenberg: There’s a rumour going round about a cursed tree standing in the middle of a supposedly haunted cemetery, deep in the forest. For Shota and his university friends, it’s a chance to tempt fate and give themselves a proper scare by visiting this legendary spot in the dead of night. Once there, their courage immediately falters at the gloomy sight of the place. There is also the abnormally deafening sound of cicadas, which adds to the eerie aspect of the site. Things quickly spiral out of control for the four of them, as one of them, Ann, starts babbling strange words and behaving completely irrationally. Review Famed J-horror filmmaker Takashi Shimizu (The Grudge franchise, Ox-Head Village, Sana) helms The Mouths (Japan, 2026), an intriguing approach to the genre that feels somewhat uneven in its pacing and approach but that also delivers some solid chills. The ensemble cast members are all

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jul 31, 2026

Spoiler-Free Review: Sekiro: No Defeat (Fantasia 2026)

Official Fantasia synopsis from program notes written by Rupert Bottenberg: The Divine Heir of the sacred land of Ashina has been kidnapped for malevolent purposes. His sworn protector, the stoic shinobi Sekiro, must rescue the child—the fate of all Ashina depends on it. Adapting SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE, the award-winning video game released by FromSoftware in 2019, the highly anticipated anime adventure SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT sees the war-torn Japan of the Sengoku period further fractured by conspiracy, betrayal, and bloody boss battles to beggar belief. Review Genre film aficionados, the Japanese anime combining supernatural elements and shinobi swordplay that you have been hoping for has arrived in the form of director Kenichi Kutsuna’s Sekiro: No Defeat (Japan, 2026). Having never played the video game that is the original source for this anime, I can only view this feature as a stand-alone film. The animation is gorgeous, the storytelling is both classic and timeless, and the Japanese voice actors deliver brilliantly.

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jul 31, 2026

Spoiler-Free Reviews: Knock and Don’t Follow Me (Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival 2026)

Once again, our coverage of Bucheon International Film Festival (BIFAN) reviews is cowritten by Film Festival Editor Joseph Perry and Guest Contributing Writer Chris Weatherspoon. A man of the world, guest reviewer Chris Weatherspoon has lived in South Korea for “quite a bit.” A huge fan of all cinema, Chris also works locally in the entertainment industry, and knows what he is talking about . . . alright!? Knock (South Korea, 2026); review by Chris Weatherspoon Official BIFAN synopsis from program notes written by Kim Hyeung-Seok: In his first feature, The Berefts (2024), co-directed with Huh Jang, director Jung Bum presented a desolate portrait of home and family. With Knock, his first solo feature, he turns to a reality just as bleak—perhaps even darker. A documentary crew filming a youth care facility turns its camera on the teachers and children there. Yet there are truths the camera cannot capture. When In-a, a former resident of the facility who now works

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jul 28, 2026

Spoiler-Free Reviews: Killing Time and Pacific (Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival 2026)

Once again, our coverage of Bucheon International Film Festival (BIFAN) reviews is cowritten by Film Festival Editor Joseph Perry and Guest Contributing Writer Chris Weatherspoon. A man of the world, guest reviewer Chris Weatherspoon has lived in South Korea for “quite a bit.” A huge fan of all cinema, Chris also works locally in the entertainment industry, and knows what he is talking about . . . alright!? Killing Time (South Korea, 2026); review by Chris Weatherspoon Official BIFAN synopsis from program notes written by Kim Hyung-Seok: The popular horror YouTube channel ‘Killing Time’ is forced to shut down after a fatal accident during a live broadcast. Later, in hopes of making a comeback, the channel’s staff plan even more sensational content, this time set in an abandoned psychiatric hospital deep in the mountains. Can they make it through the broadcast without another disaster? Review Director Jang Jun-yeop’s Killing Time opens with unease baked right into the premise: a mysterious

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jul 26, 2026

Movie Review: Laurin (1989) – Visual Vengeance Blu-ray

In a seaside 19th Century German Village, young Laurin’s (Dóra Szinetár) pappy, Arne (János Derzsi) is shipping out for another long sojourn at sea leaving our heroine with her mother, Flora (Brigitte Karner) and grandmother, Olga (Hédi Temessy). Meanwhile, a sinister cloaked figure stalks the fog-shrouded nights, putting a murder on the local child populace. One such murder is witnessed by Flora, and she ends up six feet under right quick! But has time passes, it becomes ever-more apparent that Laurin can seemingly receive visions from her mother from beyond the grave… visions of not only the face and corpse of her mother herself, but ominous portents such as a black dog and obsidian kite… but will she be able to identify the psycho terrorizing the village?!! Coming from Director Robert Sigl (who also co-wrote the picture along with Ádám Rozgonyi), Laurin is an atmospheric journey into a surreal, and at times sinister, world. While at it’s heart, the film

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Jul 26, 2026

Spoiler-Free Reviews: Ancestral Beasts and Home Bodies (Fantasia 2026)

Ancestral Beasts (Canada, 2026) Official Synopsis After cutting ties with her toxic sister, Elyse (Morgan Holmstrom) retreats to her rural ancestral home to rebuild her mental health. But a grotesque, centipede-like creature begins to stalk her, a physical manifestation of buried trauma. As it feeds on her emotional turmoil, Elyse must confront the past she tried to escape to save herself and those she loves. Review Morgan Holmstrom is excellent in Ancestral Beasts as Elyse, a Red River Métis woman who goes back to the family home where her mother committed suicide in an attempt to get away from her verbally abusive older sister Nikki (Darla Contois). Writer/director Tim Riedel takes Elyse on a riveting, harrowing journey in which a diabolical creature is a metaphor for mental illness, and Holmstrom nails her character in a role that certainly wouldn’t be easy to play. She portrays the different emotions through which her character goes winningly, and is reason enough to recommend

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jul 25, 2026

J-Horror Cult Classics Get Special Edition Release from Third Window Films

The fine folks at Third Window Films release some of the wildest, weirdest Japanese genre fare imaginable. The company has just announced a special edition release of two films from names that J-horror devotees will instantly recognize: Hiroshi Takahashi, Hirohisa Sasaki, and Takashige Ichise. Brace yourselves for Crazy Lips and Gore from Outer Space! Coming September 14, 2026. Following is the official press announcement. A set of totally insane films from Japan’s Omega Pictures (Audition, Love Exposure), produced by Takashige Ichise (Juon, Dark Water), written by Hiroshi Takahashi (The Ring series) and directed by Hirohisa Sasaki (Tales of Terror from Tokyo). This 2-disc special edition release (limited to just 2,000 units) contains new director approved restorations of both these J-horror cult classics. CRAZY LIPS (2000) 発狂する唇 Satomi and her family are hounded by the press when her brother is accused of a vicious killing spree. Desperate to prove his innocence, Satomi goes to a psychic for help. The price the

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jul 23, 2026

Spoiler-Free Reviews: Suzuki=Bakudan and Junk World (Japan Cuts)

Suzuki = Bakudan (Japan, 2026) Official Synopsis from https://japansociety.org/events/suzukibakudan/ Based on the bestselling novel by Go Katsuhiro, SUZUKI=BAKUDAN is a big-budget blockbuster centered on Tagosaku Suzuki (Jiro Sato), a mysterious drunk who claims he can see the future. After successfully predicting a bomb will go off in Tokyo, Suzuki leads the police in a game of wits — they must solve his riddles to stop further explosions. While police fan out over the city to defuse these bombs, a young detective (Yuki Yamada) challenges Suzuki to uncover the truth behind his predictions. Is he psychic, is he lucky, is he a criminal mastermind, is he a con man? Or is he something worse? Jiro Sato delivers a tour-de-force performance and was honored with Best Supporting Actor at this year’s Japanese Academy Awards for his role in SUZUKI=BAKUDAN. Review I had just seen Suzuuki=Bakudan’s star Jirō Satō as the antagonist of the thriller Nameless at another festival just a week before

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jul 22, 2026

Watch the Trailer for ‘Ghost Board,’ Basically the Jumanji of Horror

If movies like Jumanji or Zathura taught us anything, it’s that whenever you find a dusty, ancient board game rotting away in a place it clearly doesn’t belong, you do not play it. You leave it alone. You put it back. Naturally, the characters in Chanathip Wongpoltree’s new Thai horror flick Ghost Board missed that memo entirely. The film follows a group of friends who stumble upon an ancient board game hidden deep inside a remote temple. Instead of calling an archaeologist or walking away like sensible human beings, they roll the dice. What happens? They accidentally summon a vengeful, ancient spirit and turned the tabletop game into a literal death trap. Now, to keep from becoming permanent game pieces, the crew has to figure out how to finish the game before it finishes them. The Team on the Board Directed by Wongpoltree, the film boasts a dynamic young Thai cast ready to face the supernatural music, including Panisara Rikulsurakan

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jul 21, 2026

Tubi FrightFest 2026 Unleashes Its Mind-Blowing Fear Fare Lineup

London’s Tubi FrightFest is always a top-notch film festival destination for scare fare devotees, and this year the fest presents its biggest lineup ever! The event takes place Thursday August 27–Monday 31 August. Get your drool cups ready and have a gander at the official press announcement. Be prepared for a terrifying, record-breaking selection of World, International, and UK premieres as Tubi FrightFest 2026, the UK’s No.1 horror & fantasy film festival, returns to the Odeon LUXE Leicester Square and the ODEON Luxe West End for its annual five-day celebration of nerve-jangling eeriness, hair-raising shock, and epic scares. This year’s line-up highlights the genre’s transforming landscape and reflects the amazing span of progressive global genre filmmaking. Running from Thursday August 27 – Monday 31 August, Tubi FrightFest will showcase a record-breaking eighty-two features across five screens, including the popular ‘First Blood’, Documentary, and Retrospective strands. This year there are twenty-four world premieres, with sixteen countries represented, spanning four continents. The

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jul 16, 2026

More from Foreign

Spoiler-Free Review: The Mouths (Fantasia 2026)

Official Fantasia synopsis from program notes written by Rupert Bottenberg: There’s a rumour going round about a cursed tree standing in the middle of a supposedly haunted cemetery, deep in the forest. For Shota and his university friends, it’s a chance to tempt fate and give themselves a proper scare by visiting this legendary spot in the dead of night. Once there, their courage immediately falters at the gloomy sight of the place. There is also the abnormally deafening sound of cicadas, which adds to the eerie aspect of the site. Things quickly spiral out of control for the four of them, as one of them, Ann, starts babbling strange words and behaving completely irrationally. Review Famed J-horror filmmaker Takashi Shimizu (The Grudge franchise, Ox-Head Village, Sana) helms The Mouths (Japan, 2026), an intriguing approach to the genre that feels somewhat uneven in its pacing and approach but that also delivers some solid chills. The ensemble cast members are all

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jul 31, 2026

Spoiler-Free Review: Sekiro: No Defeat (Fantasia 2026)

Official Fantasia synopsis from program notes written by Rupert Bottenberg: The Divine Heir of the sacred land of Ashina has been kidnapped for malevolent purposes. His sworn protector, the stoic shinobi Sekiro, must rescue the child—the fate of all Ashina depends on it. Adapting SEKIRO: SHADOWS DIE TWICE, the award-winning video game released by FromSoftware in 2019, the highly anticipated anime adventure SEKIRO: NO DEFEAT sees the war-torn Japan of the Sengoku period further fractured by conspiracy, betrayal, and bloody boss battles to beggar belief. Review Genre film aficionados, the Japanese anime combining supernatural elements and shinobi swordplay that you have been hoping for has arrived in the form of director Kenichi Kutsuna’s Sekiro: No Defeat (Japan, 2026). Having never played the video game that is the original source for this anime, I can only view this feature as a stand-alone film. The animation is gorgeous, the storytelling is both classic and timeless, and the Japanese voice actors deliver brilliantly.

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jul 31, 2026

Spoiler-Free Reviews: Knock and Don’t Follow Me (Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival 2026)

Once again, our coverage of Bucheon International Film Festival (BIFAN) reviews is cowritten by Film Festival Editor Joseph Perry and Guest Contributing Writer Chris Weatherspoon. A man of the world, guest reviewer Chris Weatherspoon has lived in South Korea for “quite a bit.” A huge fan of all cinema, Chris also works locally in the entertainment industry, and knows what he is talking about . . . alright!? Knock (South Korea, 2026); review by Chris Weatherspoon Official BIFAN synopsis from program notes written by Kim Hyeung-Seok: In his first feature, The Berefts (2024), co-directed with Huh Jang, director Jung Bum presented a desolate portrait of home and family. With Knock, his first solo feature, he turns to a reality just as bleak—perhaps even darker. A documentary crew filming a youth care facility turns its camera on the teachers and children there. Yet there are truths the camera cannot capture. When In-a, a former resident of the facility who now works

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jul 28, 2026

Spoiler-Free Reviews: Killing Time and Pacific (Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival 2026)

Once again, our coverage of Bucheon International Film Festival (BIFAN) reviews is cowritten by Film Festival Editor Joseph Perry and Guest Contributing Writer Chris Weatherspoon. A man of the world, guest reviewer Chris Weatherspoon has lived in South Korea for “quite a bit.” A huge fan of all cinema, Chris also works locally in the entertainment industry, and knows what he is talking about . . . alright!? Killing Time (South Korea, 2026); review by Chris Weatherspoon Official BIFAN synopsis from program notes written by Kim Hyung-Seok: The popular horror YouTube channel ‘Killing Time’ is forced to shut down after a fatal accident during a live broadcast. Later, in hopes of making a comeback, the channel’s staff plan even more sensational content, this time set in an abandoned psychiatric hospital deep in the mountains. Can they make it through the broadcast without another disaster? Review Director Jang Jun-yeop’s Killing Time opens with unease baked right into the premise: a mysterious

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jul 26, 2026

Movie Review: Laurin (1989) – Visual Vengeance Blu-ray

In a seaside 19th Century German Village, young Laurin’s (Dóra Szinetár) pappy, Arne (János Derzsi) is shipping out for another long sojourn at sea leaving our heroine with her mother, Flora (Brigitte Karner) and grandmother, Olga (Hédi Temessy). Meanwhile, a sinister cloaked figure stalks the fog-shrouded nights, putting a murder on the local child populace. One such murder is witnessed by Flora, and she ends up six feet under right quick! But has time passes, it becomes ever-more apparent that Laurin can seemingly receive visions from her mother from beyond the grave… visions of not only the face and corpse of her mother herself, but ominous portents such as a black dog and obsidian kite… but will she be able to identify the psycho terrorizing the village?!! Coming from Director Robert Sigl (who also co-wrote the picture along with Ádám Rozgonyi), Laurin is an atmospheric journey into a surreal, and at times sinister, world. While at it’s heart, the film

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Jul 26, 2026

Spoiler-Free Reviews: Ancestral Beasts and Home Bodies (Fantasia 2026)

Ancestral Beasts (Canada, 2026) Official Synopsis After cutting ties with her toxic sister, Elyse (Morgan Holmstrom) retreats to her rural ancestral home to rebuild her mental health. But a grotesque, centipede-like creature begins to stalk her, a physical manifestation of buried trauma. As it feeds on her emotional turmoil, Elyse must confront the past she tried to escape to save herself and those she loves. Review Morgan Holmstrom is excellent in Ancestral Beasts as Elyse, a Red River Métis woman who goes back to the family home where her mother committed suicide in an attempt to get away from her verbally abusive older sister Nikki (Darla Contois). Writer/director Tim Riedel takes Elyse on a riveting, harrowing journey in which a diabolical creature is a metaphor for mental illness, and Holmstrom nails her character in a role that certainly wouldn’t be easy to play. She portrays the different emotions through which her character goes winningly, and is reason enough to recommend

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jul 25, 2026

J-Horror Cult Classics Get Special Edition Release from Third Window Films

The fine folks at Third Window Films release some of the wildest, weirdest Japanese genre fare imaginable. The company has just announced a special edition release of two films from names that J-horror devotees will instantly recognize: Hiroshi Takahashi, Hirohisa Sasaki, and Takashige Ichise. Brace yourselves for Crazy Lips and Gore from Outer Space! Coming September 14, 2026. Following is the official press announcement. A set of totally insane films from Japan’s Omega Pictures (Audition, Love Exposure), produced by Takashige Ichise (Juon, Dark Water), written by Hiroshi Takahashi (The Ring series) and directed by Hirohisa Sasaki (Tales of Terror from Tokyo). This 2-disc special edition release (limited to just 2,000 units) contains new director approved restorations of both these J-horror cult classics. CRAZY LIPS (2000) 発狂する唇 Satomi and her family are hounded by the press when her brother is accused of a vicious killing spree. Desperate to prove his innocence, Satomi goes to a psychic for help. The price the

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jul 23, 2026

Spoiler-Free Reviews: Suzuki=Bakudan and Junk World (Japan Cuts)

Suzuki = Bakudan (Japan, 2026) Official Synopsis from https://japansociety.org/events/suzukibakudan/ Based on the bestselling novel by Go Katsuhiro, SUZUKI=BAKUDAN is a big-budget blockbuster centered on Tagosaku Suzuki (Jiro Sato), a mysterious drunk who claims he can see the future. After successfully predicting a bomb will go off in Tokyo, Suzuki leads the police in a game of wits — they must solve his riddles to stop further explosions. While police fan out over the city to defuse these bombs, a young detective (Yuki Yamada) challenges Suzuki to uncover the truth behind his predictions. Is he psychic, is he lucky, is he a criminal mastermind, is he a con man? Or is he something worse? Jiro Sato delivers a tour-de-force performance and was honored with Best Supporting Actor at this year’s Japanese Academy Awards for his role in SUZUKI=BAKUDAN. Review I had just seen Suzuuki=Bakudan’s star Jirō Satō as the antagonist of the thriller Nameless at another festival just a week before

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jul 22, 2026

Watch the Trailer for ‘Ghost Board,’ Basically the Jumanji of Horror

If movies like Jumanji or Zathura taught us anything, it’s that whenever you find a dusty, ancient board game rotting away in a place it clearly doesn’t belong, you do not play it. You leave it alone. You put it back. Naturally, the characters in Chanathip Wongpoltree’s new Thai horror flick Ghost Board missed that memo entirely. The film follows a group of friends who stumble upon an ancient board game hidden deep inside a remote temple. Instead of calling an archaeologist or walking away like sensible human beings, they roll the dice. What happens? They accidentally summon a vengeful, ancient spirit and turned the tabletop game into a literal death trap. Now, to keep from becoming permanent game pieces, the crew has to figure out how to finish the game before it finishes them. The Team on the Board Directed by Wongpoltree, the film boasts a dynamic young Thai cast ready to face the supernatural music, including Panisara Rikulsurakan

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Jul 21, 2026

Tubi FrightFest 2026 Unleashes Its Mind-Blowing Fear Fare Lineup

London’s Tubi FrightFest is always a top-notch film festival destination for scare fare devotees, and this year the fest presents its biggest lineup ever! The event takes place Thursday August 27–Monday 31 August. Get your drool cups ready and have a gander at the official press announcement. Be prepared for a terrifying, record-breaking selection of World, International, and UK premieres as Tubi FrightFest 2026, the UK’s No.1 horror & fantasy film festival, returns to the Odeon LUXE Leicester Square and the ODEON Luxe West End for its annual five-day celebration of nerve-jangling eeriness, hair-raising shock, and epic scares. This year’s line-up highlights the genre’s transforming landscape and reflects the amazing span of progressive global genre filmmaking. Running from Thursday August 27 – Monday 31 August, Tubi FrightFest will showcase a record-breaking eighty-two features across five screens, including the popular ‘First Blood’, Documentary, and Retrospective strands. This year there are twenty-four world premieres, with sixteen countries represented, spanning four continents. The

Continue reading →
Joseph Perry
Jul 16, 2026
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