Going through puberty can be hard enough on the best of days, but for Zaffan, a fiery wild child growing up in a rural community in the Malaysian countryside, the changes are more monstrous and puzzling than she imagined. Before long her classmates and friends start to shame, bully and shun her. Hysteria spreads at school among whispers of some beast or dark figure on the prowl. A self-absorbed visiting Medical Officer makes it his mission to restore order, but when he sets his sights on Zaffan as the source of the problem and starts preparing an exorcism, a battle of wills takes shape and Zaffan must decide what freedom is worth.

Inspired by cautionary Southeast-Asian folktales centered on outcast women, fairy tales and (Malaysian) monster cinema, TIGER STRIPES riffs on coming-of-age genre movies to mold itself into a self-empowering and energetic debut with shades of GINGER SNAPS. The Cannes 2023 Critics’ Week Grand Prize winner is a fantasy tale of metamorphosis that takes viewers deep into the lush greenery of its Malaysian setting to channel universal feelings of belonging, body image and budding individuality. 

Driven by a remarkable cast of first-time performers, Amanda Nell Eu’s TIGER STRIPES stages a fierce rebellion against the stifling constraints of traditionalism and the expected status quo. It’s a celebration of not fitting in that ultimately argues ‘being ostracized’ isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the world if the community you’re supposed to belong to is trying to shape you into something you’re not.

Sole survivors of a man-made catastrophe that has destroyed earth’s atmosphere, Billy (Mark Duplass) and Ray (Sterling K. Brown) are childhood friends who have managed to embrace the new normal from within their domed biosphere, an artificial ecosystem which Ray - a brilliant scientist - designed to provide them with the necessary life support. When the last female fish in their pond perishes, leaving behind only two male specimens, extinction seems like a given unless life beats the odds and adapts.

Co-written by indie film maverick Mark Duplass and debuting director Mel Eslyn, BIOSPHERE is a two-hander that’s wonderfully carried by Duplass and Brown’s infectious chemistry. As much a buddy comedy as it is a speculative sci-fi chamber piece born from an imaginative ‘what if?’ premise, BIOSPHERE cleverly uses its single location to tackle its ambitious and topical themes in an out-of-the-box manner, transforming itself into one of the most hopeful and encouraging post-apocalyptic survival films ever made.

Facing a fork in the road, who decides whether we turn left or right? Do we even have a say in the matter or is the illusion of choice the first folly and are we puppeteered by unseen forces of destiny?

These and other unanswerable questions inform director Soi Cheang’s stylish and relentless mystery thriller MAD FATE, a densely layered narrative in which a diverse range of characters are put on a collision course in a cosmic and ever-shifting game of cat and mouse. A Veteran police inspector tries to stop an unscrupulous Serial Killer of sex workers as he keeps an eye on Siu Tung, a delivery boy with a criminal record and psychopathic tendencies. At the same time, just as an eccentric Master fortune-teller fails to save a Prostitute from a preordained calamity, he puts sanity on the line and makes it his mission to prove that fate can indeed be altered by taking Siu Tung under his wing in an effort to rid him of his murderous desires.

A morally murky meditation on the nature of good and evil and whether there is such a thing as free will, MAD FATE is a highly original, unpredictable rollercoaster ride that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. Let director Soi Cheang whisk you down the murky backstreets of Hong Kong’s bustling nightlife in a throwdown against the vicissitudes of fate and be rewarded with a visceral brew of giallo-esque thrills and delectable dark comedy.

In this beautifully staged chamber piece, where the cinematography and set design possess stand out qualities, director Ted Geoghegan grants the ensemble cast plenty of room to shine. Soon after Christmas time in 1945, a group of military veterans gather at the home of their friend and former commander ”Hock” for cocktails. In an unexpected turn of events, ”Hock” asks his friends to take part in a séance in an attempt to make contact with his diseased wife, who recently committed suicide. The possible presence of Nazi spies hovers over the gathering.

Once the gateway to the other side is open, an array of disconcerting episodes occur. Supernatural phenomenons, as well as more hands-on actions, line up along revelations of dark secrets. BROOKLYN 45 is more than anything else a feast for the actors, with juicy dialogues and monologues, topped off with tantalising graphic depictions and several humorous sequences.

Before horror maestro Wes Craven would reinvent slashers with the help of Kevin Williamson in 1996’s SCREAM, he left his indelible mark on cinema and pop culture with A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. More than just another scary movie in which hapless teens are randomly pursued and slaughtered, Craven crafted an uncanny tale of revenge from beyond the grave: a film in which darkness descends on white picket fence America as the sins of the fathers are visited upon the children by one of the most iconic villains ever conceived. 

Horribly disfigured by burn scars and equipped with a razor-gloved hand that has since clawed its way into the collective unconscious, Freddy Krueger, immortalized by Robert Englund in a career defining performance, has become the ultimate boogeyman: a dream demon who slips into our sleep and comes after us when we are at our most defenseless.  

Whether it’s Johnny Depp’s Glenn being blended into a blood geyser or Amanda Wyss’ Tina who finds herself inexplicably dragged across her bedroom ceiling by her invisible assailant, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET is full of iconic practical effects and eerie, surreal imagery that slyly blurs the lines between dreams and reality, constantly keeping viewers on edge.

Preceded by a nightmarish stop-motion short (Shengwei Zhou’s PERFECT CITY: THE BRAVEST KID), let Wes Craven drag you down to Krueger’s hellish boiler room and shudder alongside Nancy and friends as they try to outsmart a gleefully fiendish child murderer.

The year is 2041. Mankind continues to explore the deepest reaches of space in an urgent attempt to find a new home in the stars. In hopes of becoming France’s representatives for the upcoming Eternity Mission, twin brothers Lázaro and Tristán spend their days and nights rigorously training at a prestigious military academy in preparation for their Astronaut tests. When a freak accident deforms and impairs Tristán, the most talented of the two, Lázaro is forced to contend with his brother’s new reality in a cut-throat environment that seeks only the best and brightest.

A deeply humane drama that invests ample time in portraying character relationships before introducing conflict and pushing its family unit to breaking point, TROPIC is understated and all the more potent for how imperceptibly it burrows under our skins. With assured direction, stunning 16mm cinematography and a gentle grasp of tone, writer-director Edouard Sallier has crafted an intoxicatingly earnest film about the depths of brotherly love, the yearning for unattainable perfection and a testament to the force of one’s willpower in the face of unfair and insurmountable odds.

Anchored by powerhouse performances, TROPIC touches on themes like alienation, Othering and coping with a crippling disability. It’s a poignant, unforgettable story that questions the nature of love and monstrosity in equal measure against a sci-fi background that slyly tips its hat to Cronenbergian body horror.

A carefree summer vacation with the family takes on far greater significance when Bastien, a naive 13-year-old, develops his first genuine crush on Chloé, their host's spirited daughter. A few years older than him, she takes pleasure in being a teen mentor who introduces Bastien to drinking, parties and flirting as their relationship teasingly wavers between friendship and the possibility of something more. But Chloé’s morbid fascination with ghosts starts to leave the realm of local legend and teen fantasy and, gradually, FALCON LAKE takes on the foreboding weight of a self-fulfilling prophecy - as if an inescapable doom is welcomed into existence.

An atmospheric slow-burn that beautifully portrays the emotionally rich and nuanced lives of its young characters as well as teenagers’ love of transgression, FALCON LAKE's lush 16mm cinematography bathes in a twilight glow that captures the hazy shimmer of fleeting love and life caught in transition between childhood and adulthood. 

Driven by achingly authentic and tender performances from Sara Montpetit and Joseph Engel, Charlotte Le Bon’s immersive directorial debut is a wistful coming-of-age summer fling crossed with a poetic ghost story - a film that confidently works an intoxicating spell and will haunt you with an unshakeable impression long after the end credits have stopped rolling.

Stanley Kubrick was a director who worked without compromising his vision in any way, resulting in a timeless film catalogue that resounds with viewers today. THE SHINING, based on Stephen King’s novel, is a film with such a broad cultural impact that it is, literally, known by people all around the globe. It connects to viewers on a deeply personal level, as it deals with the fear and anxieties that lurk inside each and everyone of us – turning us all into potential monsters prepared to wreak havoc.

Anchored by a diabolic lead performance by Jack Nicholson, unforgettable quotes and images that have become reference points in film history, the events surrounding the ailing author Jack and his family in a remote and haunted hotel, is worth revisiting more than a few times: There is not a dull moment for either Jack or the audience. And do pay extra attention to the masterful use of music and sound design.

Trapped in a loveless marriage to a dangerous billionaire dandy who’s every bit as obnoxious as he is egomaniacal, former superstar Yeo-rae sees an opportunity to ditch her trophy-wife status when Bum-woo, a dorky die-hard fan, moves in next door and encourages her to seek out greater happiness in life. She enlists his help in a murder plot to rid herself of Jonathan, her possessive husband, but the pair soon discovers that hatching a plan and executing it are two different things entirely.

KILLING ROMANCE stands tall as a remarkably skillful multi-genre hybrid: a delightfully bonkers fairy-tale parody that spoofs romantic conventions, celebrates geek culture and K-pop music as it leans into the staged theatricality of its larger-than-life world with imaginative flair and a nonstop barrage of whimsical laughs. With an all-star cast including PARASITE's Lee Sun-kyun, who transforms himself into an unforgettable, mustache-twirling villain, KILLING ROMANCE takes viewers on a wildly unpredictable ride and culminates as one of the year’s most madcap and refreshingly entertaining films.

Was the production of THE EXORCIST really cursed? Is it true that the audience, during the screenings, vomited to such an extent that the theatres kept plumbers on stand-by? Did William ”Billy” Friedkin fire blanks on set just to get pure reactions from the actors? The stories around this (in)famous and slightly unlikely blockbuster are abundant, and apart from the curse, the stories are probably accurate.

THE EXORCIST is considered to be one of the most iconic genre features of all time. It is due to both political, societal and aesthetical factors. Director William Friedkin’s ability to draw upon his skills as a documentary filmmaker creates a down to earth execution of William Peter Blatty’s screenplay about the supernatural concept of demonic possession (based on his own novel), while Stephen King calls the film ”a social horror film if there ever was one”. With the chaotic 1960’s as a backdrop, THE EXORCIST captured the fragmented state of a contemporary world in need of salvation. Enter: the Devil in the shape of a little girl.

50th anniversary screening in commemoration of William Friedkin

Come discover one of genre cinema’s brightest upcoming talents in our Lund Fantastic 2023 secret screening, a 90-minute program that consists of a short film and two episodes of a folk horror anthology.

Nuhash Humayun is a Bangladeshi film director who made his debut with THE BACKGROUND ARTIST (2018), one of the episodes in the anthology film SINCERELY YOURS, DHAKA.

Last year at Lund Fantastic we screened his short film MOSHARI, as part of our Halloween Horror short film package. Watch it here.

This secret screening consists of the short film FOREIGNERS ONLY, which can be described as a post-colonial spin on Leatherface, and two episodes of his Bangladeshi folk horror anthology PETT KATA SHAW.