Category: Science Fiction

Gotta Watch Them All. Fantasia Film Festival 2026’s Pearl Jubilee Top Selections! (Part Two)

In part two of our Fantasia Film Festival 2026 pre-event coverage, we dive into the zany and also include a blast of the past where needed.

Fantasia Film Festival 2026 poster
Event runs from July 16 to August 2, 2026. Montreal, Quebec.

When certain must-see lists get way too large, it’s best to split things up or subsection. This fact is especially true when planning on what to see at Fantasia Film Festival 2026; when this year has a lot more short film programs added to the party, it’s safe to say some people won’t be sleeping. Some enthusiasts may well be running frantically to catch the next work on their itinerary.

No big intro is needed, and that’s because with this part, I’ve included two movies freely available on YouTube that are required viewing before part three is viewed on the big screen!

The Fox

The FoxSet in a parallel world where animals talk, hustle, swear, and scheme, The Fox opens with Nick (Jai Courtney, Dangerous Animals, The Suicide Squad) discovering that his fiancée, Kori (Emily Browning, American Gods, Sleeping Beauty), is cheating on him. Forced to accept that their relationship has run its course, he’s devastated.

Everything changes when Nick captures a fox (Olivia Colman, The Favourite, The Lobster), who offers him some unconventional marital advice in exchange for her freedom.

Her suggestion? Push Kori into a magical hole, where she’ll emerge transformed into a woman who adores him unconditionally and will never leave. Not exactly a man known for making wise decisions, Nick thinks it sounds like the perfect solution, completely unaware that a much bigger plan may already be unfolding. – Fantasia Film Festival

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Fantasia Film Festival at 30 Glorious Years! So What’s Worth Watching? (Part One)

There’s less than a week to get ready for Fantasia Film Festival 2026! Not only is it their pearl jubilee but also there may be cake to find too!

Fantasia Film Festival 2026 poster
Event runs from July 16 to August 2, 2026. Montreal, Quebec.

When I think of Montreal, there are only a few words that pop into mind: Fantasia Film Festival. This year’s celebration promises to be huge because it’s their Pearl anniversary, and I’m sure not everything is being advertised. Some surprises must be in store for those attending this summer celebration of pop culture cinema.

As for what defines my top twenty works to see, this list comes after considering all of the short film programs. Since they also make up part of my overall picks, it felt important to cover them first before narrowing everything down to this final selection. The links go to Fantasia’s webpage, with showtimes and advance ticket purchase options.

Ancestral Beasts

Ancestral Beasts Movie PosterFour years after losing her mother, Elyse (Morgan Holstrom) still hasn’t recovered, and what she now has to face are the shadows of her past. That’s the gist I get from the marketing for this film. Not only is there an Indigenous angle, but also the idea of intergenerational trauma returning from beyond the grave. It may sound like a familiar haunted house tale on paper, but there’s clearly much more going on, including mental illness within local communities. To say more would reveal too much about why this film is a must-see.

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Pacific Rim Final Breach Volume One. Is This The End?

Pacific Rim Final Breach Volume OneLegendary Comics

Guillermo del Toro’s tale of robots versus aliens looks to be more than a wrap with Pacific Rim Final Breach set to bring an end to the franchise. When the 2013 film was a heartfelt tribute to kaiju cinema, its sequel, Pacific Rim Uprising, proved far more divisive. This world deserves a proper finale, and readers don’t have to wrestle too hard with continuity either. Tales From Year Zero (Amazon link) expanded on the early days of the invasion, while books like Aftermath, Adrift, and Amara explored smaller corners of the universe. The newest release aims to close the door on the Kaiju war once and for all.

This three-volume finale could very well become the franchise’s true ending, and one of the strongest elements is finally seeing the heroes from both films brought together. Although two more volumes remain before that meeting fully unfolds, the first entry lays important groundwork. Rather than spoil the major reveals, it’s more interesting to focus on the setup and presentation.

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May the 4th vs The Mandalorian: The Ultimate Loyalty Test. Who Are You Supporting?

May the 4th is nearly here, and while deals are light, Star Wars merchandise is in full swing. For those with a 3D printer, these five free model picks offer a more creative way to celebrate.

May the 4th LOGOMay the 4th is coming up fast, and for Star Wars fans looking for deals, my past articles say it all. In a nutshell: there are not a lot of deep discounts, and it’s more about random merchandise pushes. This year, it’s all about The Mandalorian and Grogu. The theatrical continuation of the Disney Plus series later this month will pick up from where things left off.

Set in the messy aftermath of the Galactic Empire’s collapse, The Mandalorian follows Din Djarin, a bounty hunter of few words and even fewer smiles. He becomes the unlikely guardian of Grogu, a tiny, big-eared, Force-sensitive little guy from the same species as Yoda. What starts as a straightforward job becomes a look at the cosmic underground, as Outer Rim politics get explored. There are bounty hunters galore, Imperials doing their own thing, and minor civil wars the pair must navigate. The concept is essentially Lone Wolf and Cub, and it’s a beautiful frontier look at a galaxy far, far away.

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This May on Netflix: Five Genre Picks Set to Start the Fire and Entertain

Action, anime, K-drama, animation, sci-fi. May on Netflix is covering a lot of ground, and these five genre picks are the ones worth clearing your evening for.

Five Genre Picks on Netflix for MayNext month looks to be good on Netflix, especially for those curious about what The Duffer Brothers’ next project is. Although they are not helming the work, what’s offered in these five genre picks for May looks solid.

Whether you’re in the mood for a Thai action film with some serious John Wick energy, a slow-burn supernatural series from the team behind Stranger Things, or an anime adaptation manga readers have been waiting years to see, there’s real variety here. We’ve rounded up five picks worth circling on your calendar.

My Dearest Assassin

(Film) | Streaming May 7

My Dearest Assassin (Film)Thailand has been quietly building a reputation for punchy, emotionally grounded genre cinema, and this Netflix Original leans right into that. Lhan was born with a rare blood type that made her a target from childhood. After her parents are murdered, she’s taken in by House 89, a secretive assassin clan that becomes her found family. Years later, the man who killed her parents returns, and this time she’s not running.

The film blends close-quarters action choreography with a genuine romance between Lhan and Pran, the heir to House 89. Director Taweewat Wantha (Death Whisperer) brings a horror filmmaker’s instinct for tension to the fight sequences. One-time film drop, no waiting.

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When Project Hail Mary Is About Humanity’s Survival and One Man’s Dream….

…just what this film offers is more about the human need to connect, even in the emptiness of space. Project Hail Mary may feel long, but it serves a meaningful purpose.

Project Hail Mary Movie PosterAfter all the hype surrounding humanity’s return to the stars, Project Hail Mary is a film I had to examine after following the Artemis mission’s orbit around the moon. It may not sound exciting, but ensuring systems work before landing is critical. As for the starship Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) is piloting to Tau Ceti, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I already knew this story. It’s not simply because the film adapts a novel of the same name, but because any geek knows it’s never wise to visit the Ceti system at all.

For any Trekkie, the “Ceti” designation is the ultimate red flag. It’s the neighbourhood of Ceti Alpha V, the wasteland where Captain Kirk exiled Khan Noonien Singh. Sending humanity’s last hope toward a star tied to pop culture infamy feels like the sci-fi equivalent of a slasher movie line, “I’ll be right back.” The real-world science of Tau Ceti is fascinating, but the meta joke is hard to ignore. We picked the one corner of the galaxy known for ear-slugs and vengeance. Thankfully, this film exists outside that shared universe.

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