Fantasia Film Festival 2025 More Epic Picks of Must Sees!
Ed Sum
With the complete list of films and shorts fully announced, the 2025 edition of Fantasia Film Festival has a terrific selection of films to get fans of Asian cinema buzzing. That’s because anyone fresh from seeing STRANGE TALES: LAN RUO TEMPLE aka Curious Tales of a Temple (as Light Chaser Animation lists it) can see a revisionist version of “Nie Xiaoqian” with a cinematic presentation of Chinese Ghost Story 3 (Aug 3)
Even though that means racking up tons of air miles points to fly from China to Montreal, it might be easier to rent the film originally made in 1991. But then, one would miss out on seeing The Battle Wizard (July 20th), a fun Shaw Brothers Studio production considered by many a cult work.
With those two works said, the following remaining films make my list of must-see this hot summer season.
It’s Easter in Bushwick, Brooklyn, and a different resurrection is at hand. Dre (LOVE LIES BLEEDING breakout Katy O’Brian) is putting on a warehouse drag show, trying to deal with her lead performer’s last-minute cancellation, among other problems. One that she never could have imagined is a zombie apocalypse breaking out in her neighbourhood, which besieges her and her team while her wife Lizzy (Riki Lindhome, THE WOLF OF SNOW HOLLOW), a nurse at a local hospital, tries to dodge the flesh-eating hordes and get across town to Dre. As the trapped party crew deal with various interpersonal issues—most notably the sudden return of Sam, a.k.a. Samoncé (Jaquel Spivey, MEAN GIRLS), some time after abandoning Dre and her show at a crucial moment—they’re forced to resolve their differences and band together and survive.
At the mountainous retreat of sinister, sadistic cult leader Master Hanzo (Chihara Jr.), a cluster of credulous souls have gathered for guidance towards spiritual enlightenment. Among them, however, is nihilistic hitman Shinno (Ryuhei Matsuda) and his client Nonoka, who holds Hanzo responsible for the disappearance of her boyfriend Rosuke. Despite Nonoka’s sudden and inexplicable suicide, Shinno elects to honour the contract, but that’s quickly revealed to be no simple task. A formidable sorcerer, the challenge of his new adversary only delighted Hanzo, and the true circumstances of ascetic seeker Rosuke are far more uncanny than one might imagine.
In late 17th-century Livonia (the Baltic region, on modern-day maps), rule over a dismal, nameless backwater town is shared between a domineering priest and a decadent baron, each with his own cringing lackey to carry out their dishonourable errands. When a holy relic precious to the pastor vanishes, he casts blame upon the object of his secret lust, the tough but lovely tavern-keeper whose clandestine dabbling in esoteric medicinal alchemy invites suspicions of witchcraft. Meanwhile, an uncouth, otherworldly figure drifts ever closer to the town, bearing a gift of sorts, one sure to upend what faint traces of normalcy remain—the torn-off testicles of the Devil himself!
High above us, amid the splendour of paradise, a heavenly host of angels offer veneration to God almighty—until they’re distracted by temptations of the flesh. Displeased at the bacchanalia before him, God casts them out. Among these exiled ones, who have become devils in their disgrace, is the wily yet hapless Pinciukas (played with manic zest by Gediminas Girvainis). He’s landed in the pond of the miller Baltaragis, who quickly captures him and puts the poor fellow to work in his windmill. Devils love a deal, though, and Pinciukas offers Baltaragis a tantalizing trade-off: the hand of the haunting beauty Marcelé in marriage, in exchange for that of the daughter she’s soon to bear. Alas, Marcelé dies soon after Jurga is born. The girl grows up a spitting image of her late mother, but the devil’s matrimonial plans are thwarted by the arrival of the handsome rogue Girdvainis and Baltaragis’s scheme to marry Pinciukas to his homely, pugnacious sister Ursule.
We all know a place like Schijndrecht, one of those makeshift neighbourhoods that offers affordable public housing, a few shops, and a sense of community to those who can’t afford anything else. Best friends Amin (Shahine El-Hamus) and Mitchell (Daniël Kolf) live and work there as Straatcoaches (street coaches), keeping the neighbourhood clean and helping the people out. But Schijndrecht is in for some big changes: Amin is looking to leave with his girlfriend Steph (Stephanie van Eer), while the Weiland corporation which owns it is making plans to tear it down and replace it with more deluxe and expensive apartments. Oh, and aliens—the outer-space kind—have taken over, grossly possessing the minds and bodies of the residents of Schijndrecht! Now, with the neighbourhood closed off and the fate of their community at risk, these street coaches are going to have to become street fighters in order to save their homes, their friends, and the world itself.
Shy, discreet office worker Dok-ja (award-winning K-Drama star Hahn Hyo-seop) travels to work on the subway while reading his favourite web novel. He meets two colleagues as the train is about to cross a bridge, where it halts. In front of the astonished passengers, a cute, floating creature appears and explains the new reality, in which they will have to kill to survive. In response to their protestations, the evil creature shoots a laser into the forehead of one of the passengers, knocking him out instantly.
To add to the panic, a giant tentacle emerges from the water and violently strikes the cars. Dok-ja is stunned. Everything that is happening corresponds exactly to the events in the story he has just finished, as if it were coming to life in the heart of Seoul. The young man has a clear advantage in knowing all the rules of this universe. He tries to help as many people as possible to recognize the situation. But when people start killing each other, he has to get involved too, in order to acquire powers in the style of a video game, create alliances, and find Jung-hyeok (Lee Min-ho, GANGNAM BLUES), the omnipotent hero of the novel.
The legendary military strategist Zhuge Kongmin left his mark on China’s War of the Three Kingdoms by saving the great Liu Bei and his people with the most daring bluff in history. Standing alone in front of the invaders, calmly playing his violin, he raised doubts among the enemy, who eventually retreated, fearing that reinforcements had arrived. Despite this astounding feat, Kongmin has still had to reorient himself. Following his inexplicable reincarnation in the Shibuya district of modern-day Tokyo, he’s now managing the career of a young amateur singer, Eiko, after being bewitched by her voice. Believing that his protégée’s music could bring about universal peace, Kongmin engages in a series of schemes to get Eiko a place in a tournament between the three major record companies. However, he who seeks peace must prepare for war, for the strategist of a rival company, Shin, seems to know many secrets that could compromise Kongmin’s involvement in this boisterous musical celebration.
Lurking among us are the Horrors, ancient enemies of our kind hailing from another realm. Holding the line against them, down through the ages, are the Makai Knights. Across generations, the men of the Saejima family have assumed the lupine aspect and magical armour of Golden Knight Garo—Raiga, before him Kouga, and before him Taiga, whose spirit has watched over his descendants. Until now, little of Taiga’s tale has been known. A new adventure harkens back to Taiga’s tenure as Garo, recalling his childhood training, his dedicated pursuit of his demonic foes, and the challenge he faces when a sacred artifact containing the souls of four elemental guardian spirits is stolen by Jado, a powerful Horror, who plans to unleash legions of evil into our world.
