FrightFest 2026 Day 2

FrightFest 2026 - Day 2

 

Imposters

Caleb Phillips, 2026, USA

A slow burn keeps the mystery alive until the full nature of the film is revealed and it’s down the rabbit hole of relationships and self loathing we go. Excellently performed with a gripping script to match, to say a little about how we live and how we might not quite be privy to the extent of our own natures. A prime example of using genre tricks to expose the confusion and disappointment of the human condition; both nihilistic and sympathetic.

Frostbite

Lukas Rinker, 2026, Denmark-Germany

And it’s not long before you realise that you’re going to be stuck in a chamber piece with these truly annoying character tropes that you don’t care about. Best seen with an audience lapping up its unintentional humour.

 

Ponderosa

Rob Rice, 2026, USA

Beautifully filmed, deliberately and frustratingly opaque, reminiscent of the moods of ‘Static’ or ‘I Saw the TV Glow’: oddball small town America with nowhere to go. The old guard want to bequeath to the youth how-it’s-always-been or something, but only seem capable of Embarrassing Uncle energy. For this, Bill Camp is brilliantly uncomfortable and vulnerable. If you go with it, you’re probably thinking a second watch will solve things, and although I was open to its ‘A Dying Generation’ themes and almost Lynchian non sequiturs, I am not sure it will.

 

 The Pitchfork Retreat

 Gregory Van Voorhis, Nicole Van Voorhis, 2026, USA

Thoroughly old hat and predictable with not enough tongue in cheek to make it fun. I mean, the title all but gives it away, the premise means we get lots of feints, dream sequences and stories within stories which is quite tiresome when constant lathered on. And what is this? Purgatory especially for writers? Doesn't quite lean enough into its EC Comics cartoon vibe to be fun, although the horror community will forgive much with this being Tony Todd's last performance.

 

Drag

2026, USA

And here is the FrightFest horror slapstick crowdpleaser. One of those where it’s delightful to viscerally feel the audience’s empathy/cringe with every painful punchline. With a sharp, funny script that plays with the audience always thinking it is one step ahead, plus some real nastiness and punches not pulled right to the very end. The cast keeps the right side of zany and never loses its grip on setup and payoff to the end. The DeVito name will bring wider interest and it’s worth seeking out in a cinema for audience reaction. You’ll wince as much as laugh.

 

Hungry

2026, UK

Violent hippo in the Louisiana swampland? Solid enough with a better script than usual, but despite the title hinting at something more tongue in cheek, this is played straight. More silliness instead of meanness would have made this more memorable. An under-achieving monster movie, despite excellent effects.