Fantastic Fest, widely regarded as the most prestigious and largest genre film festival in the United States, kicks off for its 2026 edition Thursday, September 17th. Nestled in Austin, Texas, the weird and wonderful festival highlights films that push the boundaries of storytelling, offering horror, science fiction, action, and a handful of films that defy categorization. The festival that launched hits like John Wick, There Will Be Blood, and Split has taken place each year since 2005 at the Alamo Drafthouse Theater on South Lamar Street over 8 days in September.
We were thrilled to be invited to screen several features from this year’s line up as well as speak with some of the writers, directors, and actors in attendance. Here are ten films we’re excited to see at this year’s Fantastic Fest.
Beware Boiùna, directed by Mike P. Nelson
No stranger to genre filmmaking, Mike P. Nelson is the helmsman behind 2019’s Wrong Turn reboot and 2025’s Silent Night, Deadly Night. Turning his attention to a creature feature, Beware Boiùna finds loggers, miners, and medical students at the mercy of a gigantic snake who haunts the waters of the Amazon jungle.
“A team of doctors embark on a local mission in the Amazon rainforest, but it soon becomes clear that not everybody – or everything – is happy to see them. Their sudden appearance draws the attention of an animal predator, the ‘Boiúna.’”
Compliance, directed by Kyle Mangione-Smith
A techno-thriller marks the feature film debut from Kyle Mangione-Smith, director of several terrifying short films that have the festival circuit bubbling with anticipation for this film.
“After receiving news of a traumatic incident, a worker for a massive tech startup tries to dive into the details of what happened to the victim, which soon targets her at the center of a strange conspiracy created by a shadowy organization she works for, and she must get the truth out to save herself.”
Ghost in the Cell, directed by Joko Anwar
A claustrophobic thrillride set within an Indonesian prison, this film dances across every imaginable genre, delivering an experience that must be seen to be appreciated.
“A notorious prison, an invisible force starts killing inmates brutally, compelling enemy gangs and corrupt guards to work together as they try to survive the mounting bloodshed.”
Girl in the Night, directed by Luka Marčetič
This Slovenian entry comes from a director that has already obliterated box office records in his native land and promises absurd wonder and much-needed whimsy for viewers.
“Rok is trapped in the fluorescent existential purgatory of his monotonous work at a gas station. His greatest act of rebellion is pocketing the occasional chocolate bar during his night shift. One evening, a bruised young woman stumbles into his store. By night, she’s a self-appointed vigilante, roaming the city in search of missing pets, lost objects, and the kinds of crimes everyone else is too tired to notice. Desperate for a connection with this enigmatic lass, and burdened by his own terrible instincts, Rok steals her bicycle. As the ‘sole witness’ of the crime, and with the promise of finding her lost bike, Rok joins her nightly capers.”
I Have Proof, directed by James Cullen Bressack
James Cullen Bressack is one of the most prolific filmmakers working to date, and after a slew of straight-to-streaming actioners, he’s turned his attention to the found footage horror genre.
“Alex has proof. He needs to show you.”
Kung Fu Deadly, directed by Fergal Costello
This Irish-Australian production centers around a pair of exterminators who stumble into a much larger destiny, whether they want it or not. This one sounds just weird enough to be absolutely delightful.
“Danny and Frank, two bumbling pest exterminators, cross paths with the enigmatic Lien, a Taoist guardian hunting an ancient Chinese jiangshi in Dublin. Together they set out to deal with this menace the only way they know how: extermination.”
Little Doors, directed by Anthony Oberbeck
Another film with a wild premise, this offering from Oberbeck promises to showcase awkward connections in a broken world; something we could all get behind these days.
“In a quietly apocalyptic world, a lonely woman discovers a small wooden door on the side of her body, and must decide whether or not to open it.”
SICK, directed by Agata Trzebuchowska
The star of the 2015 Oscar-winning Polish film Ida goes behind the camera for her feature directorial debut with a story of siblings forced together to care for their ailing grandmother.
“During the summer holidays, 16-year-old Maks and his older sister Emma travel to the countryside to care for their ailing grandmother. Trapped together in the heavy, stifling isolation of the summer heat, the siblings’ bond begins to shift into something unsettling and difficult to define. As tensions rise and boundaries begin to blur, their grandmother’s frail presence takes on an increasingly disturbing quality, turning a once-idyllic summer into a haunting passage into adulthood.”
The Squirrel, directed by Markus Lemusruusu
In a sterile future marked by surveillance and overbearing guidance, Pasi finds a passage towards independence in an unlikely source.
“In a futuristic, aseptic Finland where all forms of interaction and emotion are forbidden, Pasi, an engineer at Syn Bio working on a robotic dog, stumbles upon a strange creature on his way home. His personal AI assistant immediately alerts the sanitary department, and an agent is dispatched to investigate, only to find nothing. Later that night, Pasi returns to the spot and discovers a small injured squirrel. That might not seem unusual—if animals hadn’t completely vanished from their world.”
What Happened to Doris?, directed by Nick Simon
Based on the true-life account of Doris Bither’s experience with a demonic entity in 1974 that inspired the film The Entity, this film finds Heather Graham anchoring a harrowing tale of a well-documented haunting in America.
“In 1974, single mother Doris Bither reported being violently assaulted by an unseen force inside her Culver City home. As the attacks escalated, investigators from UCLA documented a series of terrifying events that would become one of the most infamous paranormal cases in American history.”
Reviews for these films are embargoed until their respective premieres at the Festival, which runs from September 17th to 24th in Austin, Texas. Be sure to check back here to read what we thought of these films and check out our YouTube over the next five days for interviews with the filmmakers behind Beware Boiùna, I Have Proof, SICK, The Squirrel, and What Happened to Doris?
Will you be attending Fantastic Fest this year? What are you looking forward to seeing? Let us know in the comments below. As always, keep coming back to Nerd Initiative for all your comics, books, streaming, and movie news.
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