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The list of short films at Fantastic Fest this year is vast – but I managed to watch quite a few of them in the press room, and here are some that I really, really, REALLY enjoyed.
First up, FACES (2024), Directed by Blake Simon.
FACES follows a shapeshifting entity as it encounters a group of college students and “becomes” one of them to infiltrate a party.
I thought this was an incredibly interesting exploration of identity and searching — at first it plays like Buffalo Bill meets an alien from THE HIDDEN; the entity is a monster who kills without remorse, taking identities by force and leaving a bloody, tangled mess in its wake. But the story chooses to go deeper than that, moving through a great scene that flips the issue of consent during a drunken party hookup to an emotional sequence that gives the monster a sense of humanity. Beautifully done!
Next, BE RIGHT BACK (2023), Directed by Lucas Paulino & Gabe Ibañez
An overwhelmed mother goes out to get groceries and leaves her young daughter at home. Hours later when mom hasn’t returned, a doorbell interrupts the girl’s cartoon-binge, and she finds herself face-to-face with a terrifying demon.
This really nails the feeling of being home alone and having to confront your fears of abandonment, and MAN OH MAN that monster! Fantastic F/X on this one, with incredible sound design. I was legit worried about that child.
CHECK PLEASE (2024), Directed by Shane Chung
A friendly dinner for two turns deadly when a Korean and a Korean-American fight for the check — and their honor — in this zany martial arts comedy.
This was super fun to watch! I loved the way they integrated martial arts moves into the fight. Really clever, innovative, and very very funny.
DO BANGLADROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC TAGORE? (2024), Directed by Aleem Hossain
In this desi-futuristic sci-fi, a documentarian investigates the abandoned droids in the New Jersey Exclusion Zone and their peculiar obsession with a subversive Bengali Renaissance poet.
Gorgeous, and ridiculously charming tale of robots who rebelled and were left abandoned after a war; each one randomly reciting poetry from its country of origin; Bangladesh. I couldn’t tell if the robots were practical, CGI, or a mix of the two – but they all looked amazing, and the story made me tear up a bit.
DON’T TALK TO STRANGERS (2023), Directed by Imanol Ortiz López
Really, don’t talk to strangers. Or accept candy from them. A disturbing tale, shot on 16mm and based on the short story by Fernando Iwasaki.
This was so expertly done! Loved the POV on this, as well as some really gut-wrenching gore and a very nicely done surprise at the end. Creepy, eerie, fantastic.
And finally, EMPTY JARS (2024), Directed by Guillermo Ribbeck
A lonely landlord falls in love with a charismatic spirit and helps him find a new body, resulting in consequences beyond her expectations. An award-winning tale of possession and serendipity by Chilean documentary filmmaker Guillermo Ribbeck.
Another sniffle-worthy tale of connections lost and found; I’m a big fan of the way this one showed how spirits can be trapped and set free – all wrapped up in a possessive, and believable, love story.
All shorts are currently playing at Fantastic Fest in Austin, TX. Google those film and directors’ names to find out more about where they go next!
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