In Vitro delivers psychological tension and haunting atmosphere but feels stuck in utero, never fully realising its broader dystopian potential. Strong character work and an evocative soundtrack drive the film, though uneven pacing and limited world-building hold it back.
Now Available on VOD (UK)
In art exhibitions, the words “In Vitro” have often been used for installations and short films that explore the relationship between humans and technology. With this title now attached to a feature co-directed and written by Will Howarth and Tom McKeith, the ideas are explored in a different, unsettling context.
The story is about control. Jack (Ashley Zukerman) runs the household and the business, and his behaviour unsettles his wife, Layla (Talia Zucker). Together, they operate a cloning facility that supplies cows to a country unable to sustain its own livestock. While the premise hints at broader dystopian implications, the narrative keeps its focus tightly on Layla’s personal struggles, leaving the larger world underdeveloped.
My Bigfoot Life aims to explore one man’s entry into the Bigfoot hunting community, but it falters in execution. While Daniel Lee Barnett’s passion is undeniable, staged moments and questionable “evidence” weaken the documentary’s credibility. The result works better as a personal story of determination than as serious cryptid research.
Now Playing in Select UK Cinemas
Spoiler Alert
Although My Bigfoot Life is framed as a story about joining a larger community of cryptid hunters, I couldn’t help but feel something was missing. Somerset, UK, is steeped in supernatural folklore, and the film barely nods to it. Glastonbury Tor—long linked to King Arthur’s burial—and the Beast of Exmoor are famous fixtures of local legend. Including them would have rooted Barnett’s journey in a much richer cultural backdrop. Instead, the focus shifts away from a giant cat to the “world’s number one ape” (sorry, Kong).
I can’t fault directors Daniel Lee Barnett and Monika Gergelova for wanting to make their mark. This seems to be Barnett’s first feature-length project, and while the effort is obvious, the execution falters. Although his father is far more emotional about supporting his son’s endeavours, it’s best to take some moments in this documentary with a grain of salt. I recommend checking out his better-produced podcast, Mythical Legends.
Not even Jackie Chan can save Karate Kid: Legends from feeling like a distant memory. While it delivers some entertaining moments and tweaks the formula, straying from Daniel LaRusso’s story is a misstep. That tale is already explored beautifully in Cobra Kai, where alliances matter more than grudges. I had hoped the film might explore Miyagi’s teen years, but without Pat Morita, who passed away in 2005, that tale is impossible to tell. The absence of that deeper connection leaves the film feeling like a story missing its heart.
The film opts for a hard reboot, introducing Li Fong (Ben Wang), an immigrant trying to stay out of trouble in New York. Skilled in Kung Fu and bound by a promise not to fight unnecessarily, Li is quickly drawn into conflict after encountering overzealous muggers. His path crosses with Victor Lipani (Joshua Jackson), who reluctantly asks for his help.
Erik Bloomquist’s Self Help trades splatter for symbolism, using Halloween masks as metaphors for hidden selves. With Addison Timlin delivering a tense, layered performance and Jake Weber bringing cult-leader menace, this chilling horror drama is more about survival than scares.
Halloween isn’t just a backdrop. And now that we’re approaching this annual event, some people are gearing up for more than trick or treating. In Erik Bloomquist’s Self Help, it’s a time for reflection. Here, young Olivia (Landry Bender) must confront what she’s done, accident or not.
This horror drama isn’t built on cheap scares; it’s about survival and the weight of feeling the world is against you. Some details are best left vague for those awaiting its VOD release, but after its FrightFest premiere, there’s every chance it’ll be fast-tracked for the spooky season.
All The Conjuring Last Rites does is to lean heavily on callbacks to earlier films. While Judy Warren’s expanded role adds some novelty, the result feels more like a greatest-hits package than a true conclusion.
The Conjuring Last Rites may mark the end of the franchise on the big screen, but HBO Max’s TV series to continue the story will keep the Warrens alive. Just this week, the streamer announced Nancy Won as showrunner, with Peter Cameron and Cameron Squires joining the writer’s room. While Ed and Lorraine Warren claimed to have investigated countless cases, only the most sensational ones ever made it to theatres—often as overblown, fictionalized spectacles. What’s missing are the controversies surrounding the couple’s methods and credibility, which can take the franchise to a level other films never explore.
At the heart of this latest film lies a familiar question: who—or what—is the evil that continues to pursue the Warrens? Earlier entries teased a hidden hand behind Annabelle and The Nun, but ultimately the lore hinges on one figure: Valak.
The 2025 Vancouver International Film Festival is less than a month away! And we got our guide on what to see.
The 2025 Vancouver International Film Festival guide is out, and it looks amazing compared to prior years! That’s because the lineup includes a piece from Steven Kostanski. Without him, I would not be planning a trip to the mainland to see this film! While this event rarely offers a proper Midnight Madness mini-festival within, this year looks like it may well be a star. Let’s hope so, because who doesn’t want a bit of terror this Autumn season?
Chasing a rainbow through the woods, Iris encounters Arco, a boy who has stolen a time-travelling suit from his scientist parents and crash-landed in 2075. This charming animated fantasy blends futuristic adventure with heartfelt storytelling, offering a visually inventive world that appeals to all ages.
Bienvenu’s work has always blurred the line between retro charm and forward-thinking sci-fi, making this a must-see for animation enthusiasts.
Dir. Steven Kostanski
(read our interview with him here)
As the Dreadite horde cuts a path of destruction across the land, one man wields the power to rid the world of their evil — Deathstalker, a relentless and courageous hero. FX master Steven Kostanski conjures a bloody, entertaining hack-and-slash adventure, brimming with over-the-top action and dark humour. This reboot of the original film from _ is sure to please, and with this creative mind behind the production, it’s sure to be bloody! And for those unable to visit Vancouver for this cult classic, Shout! Studios will release it Oct 10th, 2025.
With Kostanski steering the gore and fun, this could very well be the new gold standard for fantasy revivals.
A foul-smelling gravedigger’s romance ends in tragedy, prompting her to attempt resurrection through a series of madcap scientific experiments. Glowicki and Ben Petrie inject zany, DIY horror energy into this modern twist on Mary Shelley’s classic themes of love, loss, and reanimation.
Glowicki’s quirky, hands-on aesthetic makes this one to watch for fans of experimental Canadian cinema.
An Iranian teenager who recently immigrated to Canada struggles to fit in at her new high school. Pressured to conform, she unintentionally unleashes a demonic force rooted within her. This darkly humorous coming-of-age horror explores identity, cultural tension, and the supernatural in clever, unsettling ways. By weaving cultural anxieties with supernatural dread, this film echoes the grounded terror of early Cronenberg.
A bawdy deconstruction of Romania’s most notorious legend, Radu Jude’s Dracula parodies the use of AI in filmmaking while delivering a cinematic feast of irreverent humour. The film is a multi-layered, genre-bending experience with six interwoven narratives designed to amuse and provoke.
Jude’s fearless satire might make this the most divisive entry of the festival — and that’s exactly why it belongs here.
After awakening from a coma with memory loss, Diane is taken to an experimental treatment centre in the wilderness by her husband, Homer. As visions of past trauma surface, Diane slowly uncovers dark truths about her marriage in this tense psychological drama that blends horror, mystery, and emotional depth. Sims-Fewer and Mancinelli excel at intimate, unsettling character studies — expect this one to linger long after the credits.
Two eccentric dreamers experience a freak accident that propels them back to 2008. Their inadvertent meddling wreaks havoc on the timeline, unleashing a riot of pop culture references, copyright-defying antics, and surreal gags. The result is a wildly inventive, meta-comedic journey through nostalgia and absurdity. Expect this to be a fan-service riot for those who followed the original cult TV series — and a trip for newcomers, too.
A computer nerd finds himself transported into a video game fantasy world when his dog is taken by the evil demon Ixaroth. Birney’s lo-fi adventure fuses analog horror with RPG mechanics, creating a nostalgic, black-and-white vaporwave aesthetic that celebrates retro gaming and DIY ingenuity.
This project feels like a love letter to gamers who spent nights with VHS rentals and pixelated screens.
Can a filmmaker depict the future without AI? Damien Hauser crafts an Afro-speculative fable set in a resurrected African kingdom, blending romance, war, and epic storytelling. A micro-budget yet ambitious cinematic experiment, the film is fueled by digital innovation, imaginative visuals, and deep emotional resonance.
This feature could be the sleeper hit of the festival, showing how vision and creativity can eclipse budgetary limits.
In a fractured reality where humanity has lost its ability to dream, a Fantasmer becomes a puckish outlier, slipping into the dreamworld and reincarnating across a century. Each rebirth unfolds within a different film genre, offering a kaleidoscopic exploration of imagination, memory, and the enduring human desire to create.
Expect cinephiles to adore this genre-shifting ride — it’s practically a love letter to film history itself.
Sizzle Reel for the
2025 Vancouver International Film Festival
Now Available on VOD (UK)
Now Playing in Select UK Cinemas
Available on home video and streaming (
Halloween isn’t just a backdrop. And now that we’re approaching this annual event, some people are gearing up for more than trick or treating. In 
The Conjuring Last Rites
The 2025 Vancouver International Film Festival guide is out, and it looks amazing compared to prior years! That’s because the lineup includes a piece from Steven Kostanski. Without him, I would not be planning a trip to the mainland to see this film! While this event rarely offers a proper Midnight Madness mini-festival within, this year looks like it may well be a star. Let’s hope so, because who doesn’t want a bit of terror this Autumn season?
Dir. Ugo Bienvenu
Dir. Steven Kostanski
