Which movies should you watch at the 2025 Fantasia Film Festival? Loud And Clear Reviews recommends 15 films in this list, from the biggest premieres to great hidden gems!
The 2025 Fantasia Film Festival is about to start! Which movies will you watch at the festival this month? The 29th edition will take place on July 17 – August 3, 2025 in Montréal, with many anticipated premieres and promising hidden gems. It’s time to decide which films to add to your watchlist, and we’re here to help!
Loud and Clear Reviews will be covering Fantasia again this year, and we made a list of 15 movies to watch in Montreal! The recommendations come from our writers Emma Vine, Louis Roberts and Maxance Vincent, who will be there reviewing the best festival picks. Keep scrolling for their recommended watches at Fantasia 2025, and you’ll find another list at the end if you need more movies! They are in alphabetical order and with plots, cast, and all the information you need. Keep an eye on the site for our Fantasia reviews and follow us on our socials for updates:
1. Blazing Fists (Blue Fight – 蒼き若者たちのブレイキングダウン) / Sham (でっちあげ ～殺人教師と呼ばれた男)
Fantasia: Selection 2025
Director: Takashi Miike
Writers: Shin Kibayashi (Blazing Fists), Hayashi Mori (Sham)
Country: Japan
This year, Fantasia is gifting us not one, but two Takashi Miike films! And they will probably not be released in cinemas in Montreal beyond the festival, as is usually the case with most of his late-stage work. We can thank the Fantasia International Film Festival for bringing his latest movies, Blazing Fists and Sham, to the Concordia auditoriums.
The first seems much more action-driven, as it focuses on two former inmates who aspire to participate in a high-stakes MMA tournament, while the second is a legal thriller focusing on a teacher who attempts to defend himself after he is wrongly accused of something he did not commit. And if you don’t have enough Miike on your radar, the Festival will also screen four episodes of the anime series Nyaight of the Living Cat, which the Japanese filmmaker produced. If you’re familiar with his approach to the hundreds of movies he’s directed (yes, he’s directed over a hundred films), these screenings are not to be missed! (Maxance Vincent)
2. Eddington
Opening Film
Writer & Director: Ari Aster
Country: United States
The most divisive movie of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Ari Aster’s Eddington is making its way to the Fantasia crowd as this year’s opening film. It features an incredible cast of A-listers: Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, and Austin Butler. It does make sense for Aster’s latest picture to open Fantasia, as his previous film, Beau is Afraid, was mostly shot in Montreal and its surrounding areas. The movie is bound to provoke all sorts of reactions, as it is set during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and tells the story of Sheriff Joe Cross (Phoenix) going toe-to-toe with Mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) amidst rising tensions within the small-town community of Eddington, New Mexico.
Aster looks to be modernizing traditional Western codes inside his contemporary satire of a culture (in this case, America) in decline, and while the film has so far been met with a mixed reception, no one has walked out of it feeling indifferent. You’re going to have a strong reaction to the film one way or another, which could make for an incredible experience to see with the Fantasia crowd, as three weeks of genre movie madness will begin with what is sure to be another unforgettable film from one of our most singular minds. (Maxance Vincent)
3. Find Your Friends
Fantasia: Selection 2025
Writer & Director: Izabel Pakzad
Country: United States
In her feature directorial debut, Izabel Pakzad takes us on a girls’ party boat trip to Joshua Tree, with Amber (Helena Howard), Lavinia (Bella Thorne), Zosia (Zion Moreno), Lola (Chloe Cherry), and Maddy (Sophia Ali). Things are complicated by the appearance of Amber’s ex and a nonconsensual incident with another boy, which casts a shadow over the rest of the trip. After further run-ins with men in an increasingly hostile environment, what began as a chance to let loose with friends takes a turn for the vengeful and bloody. Exploring toxic masculinity, trauma and the difficulty to simply exist as a young woman, this violent thriller may appeal to fans of Coralie Fargeat and Emerald Fennell with its gory feminist revenge narrative. (Louis Roberts)
4. Fixed
Closing Film
Director: Genndy Tartakovsky
Writers: Genndy Tartakovsky & Jon Vitti
Country: United States
Genndy Tartakovsky’s Fixed has been a long time coming, and to think it is finally gracing our (small) screens very soon honestly feels like a miracle. For Fantasia to choose this hand-drawn adult animated comedy as their closing film seems like the opportunity of a lifetime for many fans of Tartakovsky’s work to see his latest project on the big screen, This will also be the only time all of us can see it like this, as it will be released on Netflix the following month.
The movie, featuring a star-studded cast that includes Adam DeVine, Idris Elba, Kathryn Hahn, and Fred Armisen, follows the misadventures of a dog named Bull, who learns his testicles will be removed in 24 hours. Before they are gone, however, he embarks on one last adventure to remember as his life is about to change permanently. That sounds insane, and completely inappropriate for animation standards, but that’s Genndy for you. He is an artist who has always been at the forefront of pushing the medium of animation into previously unexplored territories.
Moreover, Tartakovsky will be the recipient of Fantasia’s 2025 Career Achievement Award for “his bold storytelling, sturdy graphic style, and magisterial design sensibility.” The filmmaker will be receiving the award during the Canadian premiere of Fixed on August 3rd, the final day of the festival. (Maxance Vincent)
5. The Forbidden City (La Città Proibita)
Cheval Noir
Director: Gabriele Mainetti
Writers: Stefano Bises, Gabriele Mainetti & Davide Serino
Country: Italy
While I am personally unfamiliar with Gabriele Mainetti’s work, the thought of an Italian-made Martial Arts production that tips the hat to some of the best works from Hong Kong seems too good an opportunity to pass up. The film tells the story of two cultures that intersect, as the son of a restaurant owner in Rome meets a woman who has arrived from China in search of her sister. The two will eventually join forces to uncover secrets many don’t want to be revealed.
Based on the trailer, the fights appear clean and impeccably choreographed, and the romantic story at the heart of The Forbidden City seems to bring an emotional center that we often see in movies of this genre. Will it be just as good as some of the action masters who likely inspired this film, or a failed experiment? I have no idea, but you should know I’m very much looking forward to seeing this on the big screen. (Maxance Vincent)
6. Hellcat
Fantasia: Selection 2025
Writer & Director: Brock Bodell
Country: United States
Based on its premise, Brock Bodell’s Hellcat sounds like an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride worth seeking out. The story centers around Lena, who awakens from unconsciousness only to realize she has been placed inside a trailer. A man who is driving informs her that she’s infected and, if they don’t get her treatment right away, she won’t live much longer. But can this stranger be trusted, and how did he find Lena in the first place? These lingering questions surrounding this enticing conundrum fuel the suspense and mystery, making the journey to uncover the truth feel worthwhile. (Emma Vine)
7. I Live Here Now
Cheval Noir
Writer & Director: Julie Pacino
Country: United States
Lucy Fry plays a young woman trapped in a motel where reality unravels and ghosts of the past appear in this immersive, disorienting debut from Julie Pacino, daughter of Al. I Live Here Now blends surrealism, social commentary and dark humour to tell a tale of family trauma and the fight to be one’s true self. Fry is joined by Madeline Brewer, Cara Seymour and legendary Twin Peaks star Sheryl Lee; the presence of the Lynch collaborator may tell us something about the tone Pacino is going for here. (Louis Roberts)
8. Kazakh Scary Tales
Fantasia: Selection 2025
Writer & Director: Adilkhan Yerzhanov
Country: Kazakhstan
Tasked with investigating a series of inexplicable events at a maternity hospital in the remote village of Karatas, police officer Birzhan (Kuantai Abdimadi) finds himself plunging into a world of witchcraft. Deeply rooted in Kazakh culture, the latest from award-winner Adilkhan Yerzhanov blends folk horror, neo-noir and darkly comic social commentary. It also looks to be a genuinely spine-tingling horror flick, having originated as an anthology series for a streamer that was deemed too frightening for the platform after feedback from test audiences. It sounds like it’s found its home at Fantasia. (Louis Roberts)
9. Lurker
Fantasia: Selection 2025
Writer & Director: Alex Russell
Country: United States
Alex Russell’s Lurker has already garnered great praise after making its way to Sundance, Berlin, and the Sydney Film Festival earlier this year. The film currently has a 96 percent rating on the Tomatometer, based on 25 critics’ reviews, which is certainly nothing to scoff at. Plus, Russell’s credentials include serving as a writer and producer on two of the best shows in recent years, The Bear and Beef, which makes me even more excited to check out his feature directorial debut. The film follows a retail worker who becomes part of a rising musician’s social circle. His involvement with them leads him down a dangerous path. (Emma Vine)
10. Noise (Noijeu – 노이즈)
Fantasia: Selection 2025
Director: Kim Soo-jin
Writers: Lee Je-hui, Kim Yong-hwan
Country: South Korea
South Korea has produced some remarkable creepy features over the years, so whenever I see a Korean horror film included in Fantasia’s lineup, I’m immediately curious about it. Noise follows two sisters who move into an apartment, only for one to disappear without a trace. As the remaining sister attempts to uncover what happened to her sibling, she begins to hear eerie noises through her hearing aid and senses a chilling presence at her residence. Could this haunting, unseen force be the reason for his sister’s vanishing? I, for one, can’t wait to find out. (Emma Vine)
11. Redux Redux
Fantasia: Selection 2025
Writers & Directors: Kevin & Matthew McManus
Country: United States
In an appetising twist on the multiverse romp, Irene (Michaela McManus) travels through parallel dimensions tracking down and murdering the killer of her daughter, over and over and over again. Her quest is consuming her, yet at the same time it’s given her life new meaning. The latest effort from Kevin and Matthew McManus, brothers of the film’s lead, is a high-octane sci-fi revenge thriller where shootouts and car chases are only ever just around the corner from moments of tender vulnerability. We can’t wait to see this darker take on the concept popularised by Everything Everywhere All At Once and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. (Louis Roberts)
12. Reflection in a Dead Diamond (Reflet Dans Un Diamant Mort)
Fantasia: Selection 2025 Cheval Noir
Writers & Directors: Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani
Countries: Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, France
Husband-and-wife filmmaking duo Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani have established themselves as singular genre artists since their feature debut, Amer, in 2009, but came further on the scene with their 2017 film Let the Corpses Tan. Their latest movie, Reflection in a Dead Diamond, seems to harken back to the days of Eurospy pictures, featuring the same type of photography typically seen in these films from the 1960s and 1970s. The film will track a classic story, following a former spy haunted by visions of his past and thinking that enemies from long ago are out to get him. Such formal innovation is always welcomed, and Reflection in a Dead Diamond looks to be just as memorable as the duo’s previous pictures. (Maxance Vincent)
13. Together
Fantasia: Selection 2025
Writer & Director: Michael Shanks
Country: United States
Together was a big hit at Sundance, with positive reviews and strong word of mouth, leading to a scramble for distribution rights which were won by Neon. It’s also the subject of an ongoing controversy regarding another film with a similar concept, making it for better or worse one of Fantasia’s most talked-about titles.
It follows Millie (Alison Brie) and Tim (Dave Franco), who’ve been together for 10 years and the cracks are starting to show. When the couple is forced to move out of the city and into the woods, they find that their interdependence as a couple takes physical form and their bodies begin to quite literally stick together. The fact that the central duo are also married in real life adds further intrigue to this playful body horror. (Louis Roberts)
14. The Wailing (El Llanto)
Fantasia: Selection 2025
Director: Pedro Martín-Calero
Writers: Pedro Martín-Calero, Isabel Peña
Countries: France, Argentina, Spain
Pedro Martín-Calero’s The Wailing may share a title with a popular South Korean horror film, but make no mistake, as it bears no relation and is something entirely different. Starring an all-women lead cast (we love to see it), the film tells the story of two women who have been haunted by an unexplained, sinister presence, two decades apart. Then there’s a third woman who knows exactly what is going on, yet no one will listen to her. On Fantasia’s website, The Wailing is described as one of the most unsettling films of the last few years, so horror fiends might want to buckle up for this one! (Emma Vine)
15. The Woman (더 우먼)
Cheval Noir
Director: Hwang Wook
Writers: Lim Dong-min, Hwang Wook
Country: South Korea
After screening his genre hybrid, Mash Ville, at Fantasia last year (where he won Cheval Noir for Best Directing), South Korean director Hwang Wook returns to the festival, this time with a film of an entirely different genre. The Woman is a thriller that centers on a lady named Sun-kyung, whose friend goes missing after the pair have a weird encounter with a stranger whom Sun-kyung met for a trade of his vacuum cleaner. Korean thrillers know how to up the tension, and I cannot wait to see what this alluring mystery has in store for us. (Emma Vine)
More Movies to Watch at the 2025 Fantasia Film Festival:
- The Book of Sijjin and Illiyyin
- Burning
- Bullet in the Head
- F*cktoys
- The Girl Who Stole Time
- Influencers
- Lifehack
- Terrestrial
- The Verdict
- The Virgin of the Quarry Lake
The 2025 Fantasia Film Festival will take place on July 17 – August 3, 2025. Read the rest of our film festival coverage and come back soon for our reviews!
