Elements of Madness returns for the seventh time to cover Fantasia International Film Festival and it’s their 30th anniversary! Coverage is being handled by EoM Founder Douglas Davidson and EoM Contributor Justin Waldman on this special occasion and we have poured over the lengthy roster of feature titles to put together a short-list. Between the titles we’ve already covered and those we hope to, this list of 38 are films that caught our interest or recommend to keep an eye out for in wider distribution.
**These recommendations are primarily based on reading the summaries and finding them intriguing. If I’m able to cover (or EoM has covered previously), the titles will be hyperlinked with a review – so be sure to check back.**
Fantasia International Film Festival takes place in Montreal, Québec, Canada from July 16th – August 2nd, 2026.
Attack on Paradise
Official Synopsis:
After seven years in prison, Suleyman is released and determined to pick up his life again. During his incarceration, his home, the flat block ‘Paradise’, has been taken over by gangs and drug dealers. When the police decide to raid Paradise, Suleyman gets caught in the violence, with only one goal: to get back to his mother and get her to safety. Alongside rookie police officer Yasmine, Suleyman battles his way up, floor by floor.
Beasts Clutching at Straws
Official Synopsis:
A young streamer working at an internet cafe discovers a bag containing 100 million yen and must seize it for the sake of his family. Ebato, a corrupt police officer riddled with debt to a cruel yakuza and his botanical torture partner, is planning a massive fraud scheme. A prostitute beaten by her husband befriends a femme fatale colleague who seems to know the ropes of organized crime. The fates of all these disparate characters will collide in a mind-blowing fireworks display.
Big Break
Official Synopsis:
Years after their sketch comedy collective, Simple Town, disbanded, old friends Will (Will Niedmann, Off the Air), Caroline (Caro Yost, The Gene Pool), and Felipe (Felipe Di Poi Tamargo, Blood Barn), reunite with their estranged ex-collaborator Sam (Samuel Lanier, Good One), the only one of them to have become successful in Hollywood for heralding box office smash hit The Gummy Bears Movie, for a nostalgic weekend reunion at his secluded mansion in the woods. While the three try to devise a plan to get cast in Sam’s upcoming sequel, dark secrets are revealed, and these washed-up comedians learn what it really means to kill! Four friends, three failures, two Gummy Bear movies, one role, and no survivors in Ian Faria’s Big Break!
A still from BIG BREAK. Photo courtesy of Fantasia International Film Festival.
Black Zombie
Official Synopsis:
From the flickering screens of Hollywood horror, to the haunted cane fields of colonial Haiti, Black Zombie unearths the buried origins of the zombie, reclaiming it as a symbol of survival and spiritual resistance.
A scene from BLACK ZOMBIE. Photo Credit: Manuela Hidalgo. Photo courtesy of SXSW.
Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert
Official Synopsis:
Dao Ma, the “second most wanted fugitive,” who is entrusted by his benefactor, the chief of Mo family clan, to take on a mysterious escort mission-escorting the “most wanted fugitive,” to Chang’an.
Bliss: Beyond the Edge of Time
Official Synopsis:
In the I-Ching, all things can be simplified into Ying (- -) and Yang (—), symbols known as Yao (line divination). Rather than opposing forces, they represent two inseparable aspects of the same reality. Everything contains both Yin and Yang, and from their interaction arise all things in the universe. Six lines combine to form a Gua (hexagram), each representing different patterns of change in society and nature. The idea that countless meanings can emerge from different combinations of two symbols is similar to binary logic in modern computing. Drawing from this concept, Bliss presents six animated shorts, by six extraordinary directors, each inspired by a different hexagram. Through diverse animation styles and strong ties to Taiwanese culture, each film explores various aspects of the relationship between humanity and technology.
Break Free (Odore! Yakuza)
Official Synopsis:
Times are tough for the Mikami clan, known for its traditional, even old-fashioned approach within the yakuza underworld. Their rivals are becoming increasingly aggressive and adept at modern methods, and recent laws are restricting their ability to run their business. In short, they’re completely broke. Their top enforcer, Kunio — an extremely brutal yet noble man — and his colleagues are desperately searching for new sources of income when a young woman films a confrontation between him and an arrogant passer-by who deserves a few slaps. However, the ban on attacking civilians forces him to intimidate the man with a surreal yet effective dance, which immediately goes viral on TikTok. The next day, his boss is furious at this public humiliation, but the sheer number of views and positive comments gives him an idea: to make as much money as possible off the popularity Kunio has unwittingly gained on social media. Kunio is thus signed up for a school run by a former professional dancer, whose feisty yet charming attitude does not leave him unmoved. And so, caught between gangster thugs and his new passion, he must hide his current job at all costs.
A still from BREAK FREE. Photo courtesy of Fantasia International Film Festival.
Buddy
Official Synopsis:
From the unique and twisted mind of iconic writer-director Casper Kelly (Too Many Cooks, Yule Log) comes the tale of a courageous girl and her friends who must fight to escape the sinister clutches of a kid’s television show.
A scene from Buddy. Photo Credit: Worry Well Productions. Photo courtesy of Fantasia International Film Festival.
Cherry & Virgin
Official Synopsis:
Ami and Ryo have a lot in common. They’re both around 30 years old, and they both draw. Ami is a commercial illustrator, Ryo creates erotic manga. That’s a bit ironic given their other commonality. Smart but socially uneasy, neither of them has ever had sex. Each feeling compelled to correct that, they’ve connected via a dating app. The similarities continue, as each indulges in oversharing and brutal self-criticism, from their first date forward. Awkward, uncertain, confused—in their own weird way, the pair have great chemistry. But will it lead them to the bedroom—and beyond?
Colony
Official Synopsis:
Horror master Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan) directs a new Korean zombie thriller starring Gianna Jun and Koo Kyo-hwan. Professor Se-jeong (Jun) is thrust into a bloody nightmare when a rapidly mutating virus is released during a biotech conference causing authorities to seal the facility. Trapped inside with no escape, Se-jeong along with a small group of survivors must fight to stay alive while the infected undergo horrific transformations.
Corpus
Official Synopsis:
It’s the summer of 1998 in New York City; Sayo (Jeff Wahlberg, Euphoria), a soulful nightlife photographer and small-time drug dealer, is invited to a party upstate by his long-time friend and unrequited love, a movie star on the rise: Vince Marlowe (Brodie Townsend, Heartbreak High). Together with their rowdy friend Ross (Michael Vlamis, Pools), they drive to a remote, bucolic manor in hopes of some summer debauchery. But when they arrive, they discover that the promise of a party is actually three mysterious women – Billie (Lily Cowles, Antebellum), Wren (Nuha Jes Izman, Yellowjackets), and Cata (Ching Valdes-Aran, The Equalizer) – whose disturbing agenda draws the boys into a dark web of seduction and terror
A still from CORPUS. Photo courtesy of Fantasia International Film Festival.
Drag
Official Synopsis:
Two sisters with a contentious relationship decide to rob a rural home in upstate New York. The simple robbery turns into a nightmare when one of them throws out her back and becomes immobilized on the second floor. The night spirals out of control as they embark on a painful journey to make it out before the homeowner returns.
A scene in DRAG. Photo Credit: Ben Goodman. Photo courtesy of The Overlook Film Festival.
The Eyes
Official Synopsis:
A year after being brutally attacked in her photography studio by a former boyfriend who was obsessed with her, Seo-jin remains traumatized by the events that nearly cost her her life. Suffering from a hereditary degenerative form of blindness, her efforts to secure a cornea transplant are cut short by the apparent suicide of her twin sister, Seo-in, just as her attacker is released from prison. Convinced that it was a murder carried out in revenge against her, Seo-jin moves into her sister’s house in the countryside, where she finds her sister’s mobile phone, allowing her to view her previous messages. Despite these new clues, the authorities refuse to reopen the investigation, with the exception of Detective Ho, who has just returned to work after time off due to an injury and offers to assist her in her quest. Surrounded by strange neighbours and still plagued by acute paranoia, her leads become as blurred as her vision. Faced with this urgent need to act, Seo-jin will become increasingly reckless, at the risk of joining Seo-in in the afterlife.
A still from THE EYES. Photo courtesy of Fantasia International Film Festival.
The Fox
Official Synopsis:
Nick (Jai Courtney), affable heir to a wealthy rural landowner, discovers his fiancée, Kori (Emily Browning), is cheating on him and wants nothing more than to just fix the problem. One night, he captures a rogue Fox (Olivia Colman), and she offers him a trade-off: if Nick lets her live, the Fox will help him save his relationship. All he has to do is push Kori into a magic hole with the power to change her into the perfect partner. Nick follows the Fox’s advice and the Kori who re-emerges seems to be everything he ever wanted. Until her strange new quirks make him question his decision.
Freaks Part II
Official Synopsis:
A few years after a traumatic escape, we meet Mary (Amanda Crew, Silicon Valley; Freaks) and her daughter Chloe (Lorelei Olivia Mote, Days of Our Lives; Riddle of Fire) as they live on the road, hiding their powers and identities. They are hunted by the Abnormal Defence Force, paramilitary police that specialize in ruthlessly exterminating “freaks” like them. Mary is fuelled by revenge: to find the ADF officer who killed her first child. That officer is Erica Lang (Lili Taylor, The Conjuring; Outer Range), who is now a top ADF agent on Mary’s trail. Meanwhile, Mary is trying to control Chloe, now a precocious and powerful tween who is worlds away from the typical comic book hero. Chloe’s impulsive longing for a friend throws her mom’s plans into chaos, as supernatural visions of a mysterious girl lead them into danger and unlock secrets in Mary’s past that have been long buried.
A still from FREAKS PART II. Photo courtesy of Fantasia International Film Festival.
The Glorious Dead
Official Synopsis:
Over the course of a single hellish winter day, a rural U.S. town finds itself in an irrationally changed state. Neighbours and loved ones are disappearing without a trace. Pets as well. Blood oozes from water taps. Creatures unlike anything known in nature are seen in the woods. Fear and paranoia spreads through the community. Some want the town to be shut off and isolated, for fear of outside contagion. On this day, where no previously accepted norm can be relied on, a trusted sheriff (Toby Poser) and her young deputy (Zelda Adams) try to bring reason and stability to circumstances that are impossible to navigate, let alone understand. People are turning against one another. The sky is changing. Soon, the dead will no longer stay inside the earth.
A still from THE GLORIOUS DEAD. Photo courtesy of Fantasia International Film Festival.
God Skin
Official Synopsis:
Bangkok delivery boy Marwin makes barely enough to cover rent, much less his mother’s mounting medical bills. A chance meeting with his old pal Itt, though, offers hope. Marwin’s a pretty decent fighter when he has to be, and Itt leads him to Mirage, a clandestine arena where the wealthy wager on martial-arts matches with a high-tech twist. Special tattoos allow patrons, sporting VR glasses, to send nanobot booster shots to their favourite fighters, restoring vital health points and invoking powerful animal spirits for supercharged attacks. Things are looking up for Marwin. Lots of money, cheering crowds, the support of his new biggest fan, the chubby, rich otaku Nerdass—and a reprise with his high-school sweetheart Praewa, now a hostess at Mirage. Ambition grips him, but as Marwin climbs the levels of the fighting league, he finds himself falling down into a web of sinister secrets…
Her Private Hell
Official Synopsis:
When a mysterious mist engulfs a futuristic metropolis, unleashing a deadly and elusive entity, a troubled young woman searches for her father. Her quest collides with an American GI on a harrowing odyssey to rescue his daughter from Hell.
Home Bodies
Official Synopsis:
Red (Emma Ho, Code 8; The Expanse) and Blue (Ian Ho, The Expanse; Chapelwaite) live a “Waiting for Godot” existence within the confines of a retro, automated dwelling. Food is always available, they are entertained by VHS tapes of a show called “Barn” starring a cow, a pig, and a chicken, and soothed by each other’s company. They report to Papa, a disembodied voice through a locked door that enforces the rules they live by. On a holiday that resembles Christmas, they receive a gift: Pal (Ess Hödlmoser, The Boys; Station Eleven), an androgynous humanoid who doesn’t speak, and follows their lead. But Pal isn’t as benign as they seem. Pal also receives VHS tapes, but they are more disturbing, and Red, who was once wary of her new friend, becomes more enamoured of their expressionless new roommate. As Red and Blue learn about Pal, their discoveries soon drive a wedge between them. With vibes of Canadian genre classics Pin and Cube, Home Bodies is a surreal look at control, autonomy, nature vs. nurture, and the automation of our lives.
A still from HOME BODIES. Photo courtesy of Fantasia International Film Festival.
Hot Spot
Official Synopsis:
In Hot Spot, set in a near future society ruled by sentient A.I., a private eye investigates a murder case only to discover a rebel group capable of undermining the digital overlord. As the detective’s identity slowly unravels, his world enters a state of hypnotic meltdown.
Kung Fu (Gong Fu)
Official Synopsis:
Destiny brings an aging martial-arts master of nearly invincible strength together with two young bona fide losers. The master unleashes poisonous snakes and mystical energy on the two young dudes, who suddenly become powerful as a result. The trio set out to uphold justice and protect the weak. However the master’s unfinished business from a previous life as a martial artist, over 500 years ago, still haunts him. Something sinister is lurking, threatening to awaken a darker side within him that may shatter their bond and unleash betrayal and havoc.
The Last Temptation of Becky
Official Synopsis:
When we first met Becky (Lulu Wilson, The Haunting of Hill House) in 2020’s Becky, she was an angry, grieving teen dealing with her mother’s death, and her father’s new fiancée intruded on their lake house vacation. To make matters worse, escaped Neo-Nazi inmates terrorized them and kill her father, and Becky unleashed her rage in a gory battle. In The Wrath of Becky, she just wanted to live her life in peace, but had to exact more terror and gore on a group of domestic terrorists. This time, Becky’s skill at opening a can of whoop-ass is harnessed by the CIA as a secret weapon of its undercover operations. There’s also a new Nazi in town, General Wilhelm Reuss (Neil Patrick Harris, Sunny Dancer; Gone Girl), and he wants to create the Fourth Reich. Insane, you say? You’d be right, and Agent Becky Hooper is exactly the person to take him down. She’s not Becky-with-the-good-hair, this is Becky-with-a-withering-stare, and if you’re a creep, it’ll be the last thing you see! With inventive weapons now improved with U.S. government funds, she sets out to crush Nazi ne’er-do-wells!
A still from THE LAST TEMPTATION OF BECKY. Photo courtesy of Fantasia International Film Festival.
The Leader
Official Synopsis:
Tim Blake Nelson and Vera Farmiga star in the unsettling true story of Heaven’s Gate, the cult that convinced dozens to abandon their lives and await evacuation from planet Earth.
A scene from THE LEADER. Photo courtesy of Tribeca Film Festival.
Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant
Official Synopsis:
When a messy millennial underachiever accidentally gets alien-pregnant, she must overcome skeptical doctors, a useless baby daddy, and her oversharing mum in order to survive and reclaim her life.
Nameless (Nanashi)
Official Synopsis:
“Maybe he’s a ghost.” Be wary of the man who can kill you immediately with just his right hand. Security-camera footage has captured evidence of a vicious murder at a café, but the police are baffled that the suspect can slash people to death without even holding a weapon. During their investigation, they manage to locate his home address, and the rotting, bloody corpse of a woman at his residence. Who is this man? How is he able to kill without a sharp blade or a gun? Why is he shrouded in mystery? It’s up to the police to figure out who he is and stop him from slaughtering more innocent people.
Never After Dark
Official Synopsis:
A wandering medium, Airi spends her life guiding restless spirits out of the world of the living. Summoned to an isolated country house, she comes face to face with a grotesque apparition with powers that defy Airi’s experience. As she digs deeper into the house’s past, a secret comes to light — and Airi finds herself hunted by a far more unpredictable force. For the first time, her greatest adversary is not the supernatural, but the living.
Nightborn
Official Synopsis:
With dreams of starting a perfect family, Saga (Seidi Haarla, Compartment No. 6) and her British husband Jon (Rupert Grint, Knock at the Cabin) move to the isolated house where she spent much of her childhood, deep in the Finnish forest. But as soon as their baby is born, despite the reassurance of all around her, Saga knows there’s something terribly wrong with her son. As their marriage starts to crack, Jon struggles to support his wife, but only Saga suspects the terrible truth about her newborn.
Our Effed Up World
Official Synopsis:
After years of living in an astronomy hot spot, Sheri starts to find solace in the stars, only to have her world turned upside down when her beloved grandmother dies. Alternating between apathy and lashing out, Sheri turns to her ragtag group of cinephile friends for comfort. But when she begins to have strange dreams that coincide with a meteor shower and a string of local disappearances, she uncovers an otherworldly evil that dates all the way back to her father’s youth.
L-R: Annapurna Sriram as Poppy, Jess McLeod as Finn, and Sara Thompson as Sheri in OUR EFFED UP WORLD. Photo courtesy of One Manner Productions.
RUBBERHEAD: The Life & Monsters of Steve Johnson
Official Synopsis:
Steve Johnson was a monster kid whose love of movie makeup and creative drive led him to Rick Baker’s creature shop in his early twenties, starting on the landmark An American Werewolf in London, with such effects-heavy classics as Videodrome, Ghostbusters, Big Trouble in Little China, and Fright Night soon to follow. But after a disastrous experience on the original creature for Predator (not his fault!), Johnson went indie, delivering big time for such fan favourites as Night of the Demons, where he met (and later married) scream queen Linnea Quigley. Soon, Johnson would build his own groundbreaking FX studio, in demand for some of the biggest films around, working with James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, Sam Raimi, Guillermo del Toro—everyone! But he would still party like it was the ’80s, resulting in divorce and a serious drug habit. By the 2000s, studios began favouring digital FX over practical work. Johnson was now a guy out of time and out of place, whose demons were about to come out of his workshop and into every atom of his life
A still from RUBBERHEAD: THE LIFE & MONSTERS OF STEVE JOHNSON. Photo courtesy of Fantasia International Film Festival.
A Safe Distance
Official Synopsis:
Alex (Bethany Brown, The 100; F*** Marry Kill) and Joey (Chris McNally, When Calls the Heart) have been together for eight years, and they’re celebrating by going camping. One gets the sense that Alex isn’t exactly thrilled with the trip, but she goes along with him for their romantic getaway. When Joey proposes to her, he doesn’t get the answer he expects. The next morning, Alex finds herself alone to find her way out of the dense forest, and she falls, hitting her head. She’s found by Kianna (Tandia Mercedes, Allegiance) and Matt (Cody Kearsley, Riverdale), a couple roughing it in their van, and they invite her to join them at their camp. There is a nationwide alert for bank robbers, and Alex knows she’s probably in their company, but she’s excited by the danger Kianna and Matt pose. It’s a different world from her humdrum life with Joey, and she’s clearly attracted to them. When that old adage of two’s company comes true, and Alex creates waves between the criminal couple, the stakes escalate, and the tension rises.
Sour Minnows
Official Synopsis:
Two friends stumble upon an unusual sight: six men sensually licking the pavement on an empty LA street. For Ricky, this moment ruptures something. As his reality grows porous, and his memories begin to slip and slide, he finds himself in contact with “The Yellow Thing,” an entity that wears people like costumes. As Ricky adapts to his expanding worldview, a delirious new logic takes hold.
A still from SOUR MINNOWS. Photo courtesy of Fantasia International Film Festival.
The Specials
Official Synopsis:
To gain gangland supremacy, crime boss Kazama must eliminate his rival, the notoriously elusive Honjo. A rare opportunity presents itself: Honjo himself is sure to be present when his beloved granddaughter participates in an upcoming dance competition. Yakuza enforcer Kumashiro is assigned the task of assembling a hit squad and infiltrating the event, and his plan is so far-fetched, it might just work. The yakuza assassins he gathers all have some sort of prior experience in dance (though for retired killer Daiya, now a reclusive helper at an orphanage, heavy trauma is attached). What they don’t have is team cohesion, much less a catchy choreography that will push them past the finals and up on stage in front of Honjo. Tossed out of every dance school for their thuggish impulses, they turn to precocious tween Asuka for training. She’s got the moves, the motivation, even a name for this tossed-together troupe: The Specials.
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
Official Synopsis:
A new kind of horror remake, starring Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson.
Tight Lettuce
Official Synopsis:
Tight Lettuce is a dark comedy about Joel’s steadfast love for his father, Bodo, who is battling an addiction to heroin and fentanyl. Despite Bodo’s denial and the chaos his addiction brings, Joel documents his father’s struggle, hoping to inspire change. As their bond deepens, Joel can choose to confront his father or cherish the time they have left together.
TOKYO BURST: Crime City
Official Synopsis:
Rookie detective Aiba (Sota Fukushi, Bleach), a native of Kabukicho, Tokyo’s liveliest district, grew up among the shopkeepers, locals… and the yakuza of this legendary neighbourhood. This background comes with the attitude and methods that go hand in hand with it. As a result, several of his colleagues suspect him of being a mole, but the results he achieves through sheer brute force oblige them to respect him, despite his lack of subtlety and the chaos he causes with every operation. When a dangerous criminal who seems untouchable, with a history in the Philippines and Korea, begins wreaking havoc on his turf, Cho (Uhm Ki-joon, Man of Vendetta), a special agent from Seoul sent in as reinforcement, is assigned to Aiba to resolve the case. Although the relationship between the two men is frosty at first, they must quickly learn to work together in the face of extremely arrogant and bloodthirsty adversaries with strong connections to those in power. Faced with all these obstacles, there is only one option: to throw protocol out of the window and dish out some spectacular beatings.
Unholy Night
Official Synopsis:
Gino’s traditional family Christmas Eve turns into a bloody battle for survival when his long-dead grandma drops by and goes on a murderous rampage. Amid the chaos, Gino reunites with his ex and the dysfunctional duo must avoid his dead Italian relatives popping up all around the neighbourhood as they search for a way to get rid of these Yuletide revenants and survive his family Christmas.
Wind Breaker
Official Synopsis:
An outsider since childhood because of his unique appearance, Sakura (Koshi Mizukami, Kowloon Generic Romance) trusts no one, communicating only through cutting retorts and his undeniable boxing skills whenever anyone looks at him askance. He loves a fight and has chosen Furin High School, renowned for its formidable fighters, in order to dethrone its champion. Freshly arrived in the town of Makochi, he immediately finds himself in an epic brawl with a gang of thugs from the Shishitoren gang, agents of chaos constantly seeking power over the population. A handful of Furin students step in to come to his aid. To his great surprise, they form a close-knit community with the local shopkeepers. Together they form the Bofurin clan, the city’s shields against the waves of violence and destruction unleashed by the Shishitoren thugs, who dream of taking control of the city and Furin High. Will Sakura manage to overcome his reluctance to trust others and rise above his bellicose ambitions?
You Are the Film
Official Synopsis:
Scriptwriter Madoka (Marika Ito) and musician Kazuma (Kai Inowaki) probably never imagined that a simple, relaxing film-watching would unfold like this: they can watch each other’s experience in real time on the big screen. They ARE the film, for each other! Not only can they see what the other is going through, they can even interact, guide, and correct each other in the moment. Separated by three kilometres, a 45-minute walk, how could something like this happen? And how is it even possible?
About Fantasia International Film Festival:
In July 2026, the Fantasia International Film Festival will celebrate its 30th edition. Located in the heart of beautiful Montreal, Fantasia is a cultural and professional destination point, and since its first edition, the festival’s ever-growing popularity has attracted the attention of the international film industry alongside a legion of attendees from across the world. Every facet of the filmmaking chain is increasingly represented with in-person delegates at the festival: directors, actors, producers, studio representatives, distributors and festival programmers, who get to experience the legendarily enthusiastic, taste-making audience of Fantasia.
This summer, Fantasia will host the 15th edition of the Frontières International Co-Production Market, welcoming over 400 industry members. For more information about Frontières, please visit the our website.
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Categories: Coming Soon, Recommendation
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