Lurker is one of those rare films that lingers in your mind long after the credits roll. Much like The Surfer starring Nicolas Cage, which also dropped earlier this year, it’s a film that demands repeat viewings not just for… Read More ›
film festival
When death is on your side, “All You Need Is Kill.” [Fantasia]
Live. Die. Repeat. Live. Die. Repeat. Live. Die. Repeat. Live. Die. Repeat. Before these words were linked to the Doug Liman-directed Edge of Tomorrow (2014), they belonged to Hiroshi Sakurazaka and his light novel All You Need Is Kill. Initially… Read More ›
Bubblegum horror “Foreigner” is a pitch-perfect genre mashup where every emotional note sticks the landing. [Fantasia]
Foreigner is one of the standout films from this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival, offering a stylish and subversive take on teenage horror through the lens of the immigrant experience. Set during the early 2000s, a time of low-rise jeans,… Read More ›
“Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy” is an ambitious fantasy adventure exploring the limitations of humanity. [Fantasia]
A world invaded by monsters. Celestial observers meddling with humanity. Humans given the ability to upgrade their physical form by completing scenarios and defeating monsters, including acquiring specialty weapons. If this sounds like the 2016 web novel series Solo Leveling… Read More ›
Comedic short “Shrimp Fried Rice” may not contain shrimp (it totally does). [Fantasia]
Sometimes filmed content needs 90+ minutes to tell its story effectively. Other times, it needs less. It all depends on the story that is being told, the ability of the actors in the project to convey the story in the… Read More ›
Amid clunky execution, fantasy rom-com “ChaO” reminds that we are forever our own storytellers. [Fantasia]
We are the music makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams, Wandering by lone sea-breakers, And sitting by desolate streams;— World-losers and world-forsakers, On whom the pale moon gleams: Yet we are the movers and shakers Of the world… Read More ›
Get ready to throw down in “The Forbidden City.” [Fantasia]
Since Cain slew Abel, it’s believed that humanity has continued to find ways to betray itself, regardless of the cost. As such, stories have found ways to exploit this element of the human condition as a means for narrative catalyst,… Read More ›
“Terrestrial” is tethered too tightly to elevate to the heights it aspires to reach. [Fantasia]
When you hear that the director of one of the most absurdist and out-there comedies that shouldn’t work but does is making a genre-bending science fiction comedy horror-esque movie, curiosity definitely peaks. However, there has to be something more to… Read More ›
“Honeko Akabane’s Bodyguards” walks the fine line between manga art direction and reality, bringing some fun along with it. [Fantasia]
Trigger Warning: An extended introduction sequence includes frequent brief flashing effects that may be difficult for photosensitive viewers. What does it mean to be a hero? Stories from around the world and throughout time try to navigate this question. Few… Read More ›
Lo-fi punk comedy “The Gesuidouz” isn’t for everyone (and that’s alright). [Japan Cuts]
Art isn’t for everyone. It can be profitable for the artist if it is, striking the balance between personal vision and widespread appreciation, but it’s not a necessity. Sometimes art is entirely for the artist, the work so niche that… Read More ›
Sci-fi fantasy “Rewrite” encourages a re-evaluation of what people expect from time loop stories. [Fantasia]
Each story — the ones we tell ourselves that make up our reality and the ones that creatives make for the books, shows, and films we ingest — is a matter of perspective and, frequently, the audience is rarely asked… Read More ›
Pass the moonshine and man your battle stations: it’s time to “Hold the Fort.” [Fantasia]
I ain’t here for a long time, I’m here for a good time So bring on the sunshine, to hell with the red wine Pour me some moonshine When I’m gone, put it in stone, “He left nothing behind” I… Read More ›
Roots and wings drenched with resentment require a new generation to invoke “Self-Help” to break free from generational trauma. [Chattanooga Film Festival]
Parents of the modern generation find themselves with unique challenges compared to prior ones, particularly due to a shift in perspective which acknowledges children as people and not as accessories. This means recognizing their needs and emotions, helping to position… Read More ›
37 Fantasia International Film Festival 2025 films we hope to experience.
July 2025 includes the 29th edition of Fantasia International Film Festival and Elements of Madness is delighted to be covering the esteemed fest for the sixth time. EoM Founder Douglas Davidson and EoM Contributors Justin Waldman and AJ Friar are… Read More ›
The horror of R.T. Thorne’s alt-universe “40 Acres” is planted firmly in our past and present. [The Overlook Film Festival]
The longer one is alive, the more one learns about history, the more timeline events feel like traveling in a circle, rather than in a flat line. Communities build up, empires rise, blights come, and, eventually, the empires fall. The… Read More ›
Character-driven drama “The Scout” offers a meditative narrative about the spaces we occupy. [Tribeca]
Turn on the tv, switch on a streaming service, and you’re going to find some form of programming. These programs, whether you realize it or not, are planned as meticulously as possible to ensure that entertainment is high, all the… Read More ›
“Dog of God” is horrific, bloody, and grotesque while strangely hot and provocative. [Tribeca]
Let all that you do be done in love. – 1 Corinthians 16:14 Love is a many splendored thing Love lifts us up where we belong All you need is love! – “Elephant Love Medley,” Moulin Rouge There are many… Read More ›
“Deep Cover” goes mission: critical by forgetting a basic rule of delivery — don’t ask for the laugh. [Tribeca]
Given the opportunity to work with strangers or friends, chances are “friends” is going to win out every time. Doing so provides a comfortability to do things one might not ordinarily do, or, at the very least, allow one to… Read More ›
RZA’s satirical crime thriller “One Spoon of Chocolate” straddles the line between grindhouse hyperreality and horrifying realism. [Tribeca]
Content Warning: One Spoon of Chocolate features several instances of violence against Black bodies that may prove triggering for sensitive viewers. Musician RZA made his full feature directorial debut with 2012’s The Man with the Iron Fists, a Shaw Brothers-style… Read More ›
“Re-Creation” poses a judicial what-if of a well-known cold case. [Tribeca]
I am not going to pretend that the name Sophie Toscan du Plantier means anything to me outside of the context of the film as I do not follow famous deaths or cold cases. However, maybe if I was older… Read More ›