Fantastic Fest 2026: Preview
Fantastic Fest is back, which means the best time of the year for genre filmmaking is upon us once again. I’m here to give you the full rundown of the ones that have me the most excited from a festival full of surprises, premieres, and potential favorites.
Resident Evil, dir. Zach Cregger
Zach Cregger so far is two-for-two and this one looks like it will keep that reputation. Whatever you think of the previous Resident Evil movies doesn’t matter here; his interpretation looks like it's shaping up to be the most faithful translation of the games yet, but with a flair that only he can provide.
The Cycle, dir. Jordan Downey
When three mangled bodies appear, a mystery unfolds to find out who the killer is–or why all of this is happening. This unsettling film looks like it’s going to be one to catch, and if you’ve seen any of Downey’s work in VHS Beyond or Thankskilling, you know this one is going to be well worth a watch.
Beware Boiuna
Beware Boiuna, dir. Mike P. Nelson
Big ass snake movie from the director of 2025’s Silent Night Deadly Night remake. Need I say more?
Into the Sky, dir. Evan Wolf Buxbaum & Drew Mylrea
Sam Richardson and David Cross are maybe two of the funniest comedians of our time, so this sci-fi horror comedy seems right up my alley. I like to laugh and I like sci-fi, and I like those guys and the rest of the cast, so wins all around really.
Phreaker, dir. Adam Yorke
Earlier this year I had the pleasure of seeing a film called Joybubbles, about a man named Joybubbles who learned to manipulate phone lines by whistling a very specific tone that allowed him to make free phone calls. That movie was heartwarming and it was an absolute joy to learn his story and get a peek into the history of “phone phreaking.” Well, this one seems to be the opposite side of that. Heavily inspired by Joybubbles’ story, but with a dark spin.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider becoming a patron of Hyperreal Film Journal for as low as $3 a month!
Blake Williams has a B.A. in Film and Television Production from Ball State University. He aspires to one day be a director, but until that day comes you can find him at a showing of whatever's playing that day or at home alphabetizing a shelf of movies and games and muttering about how he should "slow down on spending."