The Fantasia International Film Festival will be running from 16th July to the 2nd August in Montréal, and is celebrating three decades of bringing the most boundary-pushing genre cinema to North America. There’s some great stuff that I’d love to talk about, but my highly specific niche means I can only talk about the Asian films. Thankfully there is plenty happening on that front.
From what I’ve seen, Fantasia is absolutely stacked with highly anticipated titles from across Asia. From brilliant time-loop directors stepping behind the camera to blood-soaked workplace body horror and high-octane cross-border crime thrillers, here is your guide to the standout Asian films taking over Fantasia’s milestone anniversary.
You Are the Film (Japan) – Makoto Ueda
If you loved Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes or River, Ueda is a familiar name. Known as Fantasia’s resident maestro of time-travel screenplays, he finally steps into the director’s chair for his debut feature. The film follows a pair of separated lovers who find themselves interacting, guiding, and watching one another in real time on a literal cinema screen. It arrives in Montréal fresh off winning big at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival.
Suzuki=Bakudan (Japan) – Akira Nagai
Adapting Katsuhiro Go’s gripping novel, this cat-and-mouse crime thriller stars Japan Academy Prize winner Jiro Sato as a mysterious, eccentric drunkard who claims to have psychic powers. The catch? While sitting in an interrogation room, he begins predicting a wave of city bomb explosions down to the exact hour.
Sleep No More (Indonesia) – Edwin
Stepping into the prestigious Cheval Noir Competition for its North American Premiere, this bone-chilling body horror takes place inside a nightmarish wig factory. Two sisters investigate their mother’s tragic death on the job, only to uncover the gruesome, exploitative machinery driving the operation. It’s an oppressive, blood-drenched critique of hyper-capitalism.
The Eyes (South Korea) – Yeom Ji-oh
An immersive, deeply unsettling reimagining of the classic Spanish thriller Julia’s Eyes. The film follows a woman dealing with hereditary, degenerative blindness who must track down her twin sister’s killer before her own sight completely fades away.
AnyMart (Japan) – Yusuke Iwasaki
Starring the incredibly talented Shota Sometani, this dark comedy explores the monotonous, hyper-capitalist microcosm of a local convenience store being slowly encroached upon by soulless corporations, dripping with dread and biting social satire.
God Skin (Thailand) – Paween Purijitpanya
Making its highly anticipated World Premiere, this spectacular Thai action-fantasy follows a standard Bangkok delivery boy who accidentally stumbles into a clandestine, high-tech martial arts underground ring where the wealthy bet on high-stakes, dangerous matches.
Tokyo Burst: Crime City (Japan/South Korea) – Eiji Uchida
A fierce cross-border crime thriller that teams up a reckless, attitude-heavy rookie Tokyo detective from the red-light district (played by Bleach‘s Sota Fukushi) with a questionable, loose-cannon counterpart from Seoul (played by Uhm Ki-joon) to track a ruthless criminal terrorizing Japan.
Cherry and Virgin (Japan) – Masanao Kawajiri
Following his brilliant short A Japanese Boy Who Draws, Kawajiri returns with an understated, wildly unique romantic anime dramedy. The story centers on two socially awkward 30-somethings who both draw, have zero bedroom experience, and are deeply self-critical—told through a visual style where the characters are animated exactly how they would draw themselves.
Nameless (Japan) – Hideo Jojo
Based on star Jiro Sato’s own web-manga, this project sees Sato and director Hideo Jojo team up for a compelling, psychological thriller that promises to keep audiences guessing.
Break Free (Japan) – Yu Nakamoto
A comic yakuza twist on the lineup. When a tenderhearted but tough gangster is caught on camera during an altercation, his desperate, collapsing clan tries to spin the viral chaos into a new source of income.
Captured! (Japan) – Koichi
Blending coming-of-age comedy with digital horror, this movie tracks a group of young creators navigating viral internet culture when an online stunt goes completely off the rails.
Get your tickets here!
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