It’s Fantastic Fest time again and the Gutter’s own Sachin Hingoo and I were lucky enough to receive press accreditation again. We are cub reporters no more.We hang out in the virtual lounge and tip our fedoras at passing fancy people. We write at late hours and at crazy times. We drink too many matcha lattes and eat pizza and burritos to fuel our increasingly tired thoughts. So here’s five films I’m excited about at Fantastic Fest 2025. (I’m setting aside the Iko Iwais produced Ikatan Darah (Indonesia, 2025) and, Sisu: The Road To Revenge (Finland), because who isn’t excited about them?):

The new restoration of Mamoru Oshii and Yoshitaka Amano’s 1985 science fiction anime, Angel’s Egg (Japan, 1985) looks stunning. Just look at this trailer.

I kinda loved Kenichi Ugana’s Visitors (Japan, 2023) and am looking forward to the more straightforward, but still gleefully gory satire, The Curse. (Taiwan / Japan, 2025). Who hasn’t thought that social media is a curse? I write, knowing that this will be in every piece by everyone writing about this movie.

And I’m exited to see a new movie by the Adams Family, Mother of Flies (USA, 2025). Give me Toby Poser and an altar covered with antlers and bones and I sure am happy.

Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani are back with another arty take on genre, Reflection In A Dead Diamond (Belgium / Luxembourg / Italy / France). They’ve done their version of giallo, Spaghetti Westerns and 1970s psychological thrillers. This time it’s secret agent movies and Diabolik. The visuals are stunning and I can’t wait to see their take.

I am so excited to see a revival of Hong Kong action movies between this and Kenji Tanigaki’s The Furious (Hong Kong, 2025). Sure, Johnnie To, Herman Yau and Wong Jing are still making movies. But I want more. And La-Ying’s The Road To Vendetta (Hong Kong / Japan) looks absolutely like it is giving MORE.

Check out the offerings at Fantastic Fest 2025 here.