Fantastic Fest 2026: Reviews & Award Winners

Fantastic Fest has once again come and gone from the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas, leaving fans bewildered in the wake of its offerings of horror, science fiction, fantasy, action, and films that defy convention. Many films have already found distribution and will be coming soon to a theater near you, so it’s time for us to let you know what we thought of what we saw and share some accolades they picked up at the Fest.

Beware Boiúna, directed by Mike P. Nelson, in Theaters on Friday, October 2rd, 2026

“A team of doctors embark on a local mission in the Amazon rain forest, 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.’” 

Mike P. Nelson is no stranger to horror, having helmed the Wrong Turn reboot in 2021 as well as the Silent Night, Deadly Night remake in 2025. Now turning to a creature feature, he uses his well-honed horror chops to craft a film filled with tension, terror, and gripping visuals. Told in a deadly serious tone, this is still a film about normal-sized humans versus a disproportionately giant snake, so the finished product is a surprisingly fun ride. Nelson seems to understand the middle ground between 1997’s Anaconda and 2025’s Anaconda; that a big snake movie would have to be, by design, inherently fun while necessarily terrifying. The human actors bring gravitas to the proceedings but it’s the giant snake that steals the show. This is a film to see in a theater with a crowd. Bonus fun fact: Mike P. Nelson has been selected as the director for the next entry in the Saw franchise. Check out our interview with director Mike P. Nelson here.

Compliance, directed by Kyle Mangione-Smith, No distribution deal yet

“As she tries her best to contain the story while still supporting the uncooperative victim of a horrific crime, Sam unwittingly becomes a pawn in a deadly game set by a shadowy, all-powerful organization with vast resources. Trapped between a dark past and increasingly uncertain future, Sam has no choice but to take part in a wide-reaching, violent conspiracy to bring down UVisit and its investors.”

Staged as though every frame is captured with diagetic cameras, Compliance is an accomplishment in terms of Screenlife storytelling, knit together from surveillance, phones, and various bits of video evidence. Telling a hypermodern story with this conceit seems like a slamdunk, but the gimmick loses its novelty long before the 104-minute runtime ends. Grainy images, pinhole sound, and frequently disorienting transitions make the viewer want out of the film rather than feel invited in. The conspiracy is needlessly complicated, the film’s first false ending seems more like a Ministry concert film than a movie climax, and the final frames are obviously unnecessary. If you’re thinking all this pomp and circumstance sounds like The Net remade more the modern era, you’re pretty damned close. Director Kyle Mangione-Smith has a vision for filmmaking of the future but it’s a vision I’d frankly rather not see realized. It does not surprise me that this film hasn’t found distribution yet.

Ghost in the Cell, directed by Joko Anwar, in Theaters on Friday, October 2nd, 2026

“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.”

The Fantastic Fest winner of Best Picture in the “Horror” Competition, Ghost in the Cell is a vibrant and oddly hilarious film that stands out as my favorite from the Fest this year. While the majority of its characters are purposefully one-dimensional, the character that pleases viewers the most is the camera, itself. Particularly measured against the found-footage entries this year, Ghost in the Cell uses the camera as a narrator and thematic barometer, reminding the viewer throughout of the control it holds over how we experience the story within. The horror elements are not for the weak-stomached but the comedy and combat are so inviting that viewers feel compelled to show this film to everyone they’ve ever met. Ghost in the Cell is difficult to describe but delirious to discuss, and I am very much looking forward to the planned interview we have with writer/director Joko Anwar. 

Girl in the Night, directed by Luka Marčetič, No distribution deal yet

“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.”

Winner of Fantastic Fest Best Picture in Main Competition, Girl in the Night is the kind of film you’d get if Napoleon Dynamite were set in Slovenia, the violence was heightened, and all the characters were sociopaths. I adored the story, the characters, and the setting, but couldn’t help feeling that I’ve seen this movie before. This is not to say that the film isn’t fresh, but it fits so snugly in the Mumblecore genre that some of its beats were almost predictable, if still comfortable. That said, I loved the journey, with every corner of Rok’s tiny life laid bare for our perusal and judgement. The Girl is a magnetic force, leaving us unsurprised that she’s ensnared Rok’s attention so effortlessly, and the film’s conclusion is as whimsical as anything I’ve seen this year that makes my heart glow in these otherwise dark times. Expect to see this film on plenty of International Top Ten lists this year.

I Have Proof, directed by James Cullen Bressack, No distribution deal yet

“Alex has proof. He needs to show you.”

James Cullen Bressack is a prolific director without doubt but one has to wrestle with the age-old question of quantity over quality. Working firmly in the direct-to-streaming market with forgettable action titles like Survive the Game and Fortress, his pivot to found-footage horror with I Have Proof seems to be a better fit of his propensity to try to do more with less. Making the ambitious choice to shoot the film on VHS-C with his lead actor Larsen Deane acting as cameraman throughout pays off in dividends, pulling the viewer directly into Alex’s world of trepidacious certainty. Alex fully believes in the narrative he is presenting, even if he often struggles to differentiate reality from delusion. At times voyeuristic and unsettlingly intimate, the viewer is forced to see the larger world through Alex’s eyes, distorted though they may be. The gritty nature of the picture serves the unreliable narrator, proving that lo-fi is key to sell the story presented in I Have Proof. Speaking very little, the sound design is largely confined to grunts and heavy breathing, putting the audience at unease just as the characters within the narrative navigate an uneasy series of events. At a scant 77 minutes, the film still feels too long, dragging along with Alex’s labored revelations, culminating in a final ten minutes that make the seemingly interminable wait worth it. This will likely get distribution to streaming if Bressack’s name has anything to do with it. Check out our interview with writer/director James Cullen Bressack here.

Kung Fu Deadly, directed by Fergal Costello, Distributed by Essential Film Group, no date set

“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.”

If you’re part of the Fantastic Fest Fiends group on Facebook, you’d know that this was a crowd favorite, and for good reason. Steven He leads the ensemble cast, and to save you the hour and a half of asking “Why does that guy look so damn familiar?” you’ll be experiencing, he’s better known as Uncle Roger on the Internet. This pocket screen talent commands the large one surprisingly well, especially during interplay with his costar Michael Tient. Danny and Frank, respectively, have grown up as brothers, their Chinese heritage passed down through their father and family friend June, which they soon discover is the key to fighting Jiangshi that have appeared in their town. He handles the comedy, drama, and action choreography admirably, and this film had me laughing as well as sharing in the camaraderie of its leads. If you want to see a demon sing karaoke in a film, this is your best (and perhaps only) bet.

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.”

Unfortunately I let the expiry date pass on this screener, but I’ll definitely keep my eyes out for this as it is one of the more intriguing premises I’ve read in some time. 

SICK, directed by Agata Trzebuchowska, Set for a European Premiere at the Sitges Film Festival, October 8-18, 2026

“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.”

SICK is exactly that, a specific film for a specific audience, at once as alluring as it is unsettling. Pushing taboo subjects to their extreme, director Agata Trzebuchowska sought to titillate and disturb, and audiences obeyed. At Fantastic Fest, the film won awards in the Next Wave category for Best Director as well as for the performances of its leads Konrad Karol and Katarzyna Lubik. If you like your films to be sick, you needn’t look any further than this one that wears the moniker on its shedding skin. Check out our interview with writer/director Agata Trzebuchowska here.

The Squirrel, directed by Markus Lehmusruusu, Finland’s entry for Best International Feature for the 99th Academy Awards

“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.”

The Squirrel is the kind of hopeful science fiction depiction of individuality within dystopia that emboldens kindred spirits to embrace their whimsy. As much as Pasi is the heart of the film, the squirrel and actress Mimosa Willamo as Emilia are captivating as well. While watching this film my mind kept returning to seeing Maybe Happy Ending on Broadway a few years back, its robotic leads analogs to the subdued, controlled humans in The Squirrel. Serving as a whimsical 1984, this film explores what it means to be wild in buttoned-up times, irreverent in quiet rooms, and to dance like everybody is watching. Check out our interview with writer/director Markus Lehmusruusu and star Mimosa Willamo here.

What Happened to Doris?, directed by Nick Simon, Distributed by GVN Releasing, no date set

“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.”

Supernatural films based on true accounts can often come off as incredulous, but director Nick Simon helps to lend authenticity to What Happened to Doris? thanks to excellent period-authentic sets and powerful performances from its core characters. Heather Graham is a powerhouse as Doris Bither, an independent mother of three who prioritizes the sanctity of her household over her own safety and reputation; an analog for survivors of domestic abuse ratcheted up to supernatural levels. Mimi Rogers delivers her lines like she’s reading them for the first time, an exhausted senior actress dumbing it down for her costars, but everyone else seems to be engaged in the work before them. The creature effects are unsettling, with some excellent editing foretelling the hideousness of Mr. Whosit before we behold his true terror. This is a genuinely successful pairing of drama and terror on par with The Others and Hereditary, shedding light on a well-documented case that has previously been sensationalized in film to create something wholly original and effective. Check out our interview with director Nick Simon here.

Bonus Content:
Bloody Tennis, directed by Nikias Chryssos, streaming on SHUDDER September 25th, 2026

“After being admitted to an elite tennis academy in Europe, Sophie must contend not only with fierce competition, but also the school’s increasingly sinister undercurrents. What begins as a competitive rite of passage soon unravels into something darker, forcing her to choose between chasing greatness and the connections to her friends and lovers.”

Bloody Tennis garnered a Fantastic Fest Best Director Award in the “Horror” Competition for Nikias Chryssos, and deservedly so. The film is unrelenting in its depictions of horrors imagined, insinuated, and explicit, taking viewers on an immersive experience of a hidden world. Bloody Tennis is as much about tennis as Suspiria is about dancing, and the comparisons don’t end there. Sophie is the fish out of water who must overcome her own doubts, bullying, the constraints of the academy, and the limitations of her body. My only criticism is that the blurred line between reality and fantasy leaves us questioning the veracity of the story: do we care as much about Sophie if none of this is real? A SHUDDER film, this is one that will get plenty of people talking.

All of these films made Fantastic Fest 2026 a dizzying experience, coupled with premieres of Resident Evil and the Carrie television series, secret screenings of In a Violent Nature 2 and Alpha Gang, as well as some films that interested me that I wasn’t able to see. Pathetic Fallacy from director Adam Egypt Mortimer seemed so deliciously bizarre, and he used the Q&A after the film to propose to his partner, which adds heft to the film’s meaning in history. Wild Horse Nine looks like an early Oscar contender with its bizarre synopsis and dynamite cast. The Spiral is Italy’s entry for Best International Feature for the 99th Academy Awards, and Five More Minutes, a time-loop adventure, took the Audience Award for Favorite Film. 

We’ll definitely be keeping our eyes out for these features as they find distribution. What are you looking forward to seeing, and do you agree with our rankings of the individual films reviewed. Let us know in the comments below and check back here for all of your movie, streaming, comic, book, and gaming news.