Fantasia Film Festival Dispatches: 'Come True', 'The Dark And The Wicked', 'Hail To The Deadites', 'Fried Barry', 'Bleed With Me'

Anthony Scott Burns directed the Father's Day segment in the hit-or-miss horror anthology flick Holidays, and what a shot in the arm it was. Relying on impeccable sound design, Burns' short is the perfect example of using inventiveness to your advantage in horror. Sometimes, you don't need a bunch of jump-scares or gore – you just need a great idea, and an even better way to realize it. So with all that in mind, I was looking forward to Burns' feature Come True, about a teenage runaway who takes part in a sleep study that turns out to be a real nightmare. My excitement quickly faded as Come True's narrative dragged, and dragged, and draaaagged, basically regurgitating the same material over and over again. Come True has plenty of promise, and lead Julia Sarah Stone has a plucky, no-nonsense demeanor that keeps us invested in her character. But the film, which deals with trippy dream sequences and an overwhelming sense of dread, keeps losing sight of what it wants to do, and it's hard not to watch this and think that it would be much, much better as a short film – like Father's Day – rather than a feature. I remain a fan of Burns, and Come True has plenty of visual inventiveness – the dream sequences are dark and foreboding in all the right ways – to hope for something better in his future. But this ain't it. – 6 out of 10 – Chris Evangelista

I'll be blunt: I've been underwhelmed with most of the Fantasia titles this year. Even the films I've liked have left me wanting something more. So what a joy it was to watch The Dark and the Wicked, the latest from The Strangers writer-director Bryan Bertino.Ominous and loaded with genuinely creepy scares, The Dark and the Wicked is a twist on possession horror, and one of those rare possession horror flicks that tries to do something new with the concept rather than just ripping off stuff from The Exorcist. Siblings Louise (Marin Ireland) and Michael (Michael Abbott Jr) return to the rural farmhouse they grew up in when their father takes ill and slips into a coma. Their mother (Julie Oliver-Touchstone) is upset, and while her attitude might at first be chalked-up to her reaction to her husband's illness, it becomes apparent rather quickly something else is going on. "You shouldn't have come here," she tells her children on the first night they arrive. Sure enough, nightmarish things begin happening around the farm, plaguing both Louise and Michael (although Louise remains the primary focus). Like he did with The Strangers, Bertino lets shadowy, quiet darkness do a lot of the heavy-lifting here. We just know something scary and dreadful is about to happen, and the anticipation is almost unbearable. The Dark and the Wicked stumbles a bit here and there – we never really get to know that much about Louise, which hurts her characterization a bit, and a subplot about a creepy priest (Xander Berkeley, making the most of a brief role) never really adds up. But the horrors on display here are so expertly mounted that you'll be able to overlook the shortcomings and embrace the chills. – 8.5 out of 10 – Chris Evangelista 

It's hard to fault a passion project. That's Hail To The Deadites, a documentary about Sam Raimi's Evil Dead franchise as told, primarily, through its fans. Horror journalism mainstays Michael Gingold, John Fallon, and Chris Alexander appear as talking heads, but this is an ode to those who've made Raimi's series a religion and Ash Williams their God.Unfortunately, it's a glancing blow at best.There's nothing here for viewers to engage with beyond a few interviews with die-hard "Deadites" sharing stories about that one time they met a certain actor. Some props are shown off, exclusive memorabilia, but this project's thesis doesn't push farther than stating, "Hey, let's show people who like Evil Dead way more than you do!" Again, which is fantastic that so many have found themselves and newfound purpose in a horror property. It's just that, as a viewer, anecdotes are never explored with engagement, and insight is sparse.At sub eighty minutes, filmmakers never give themselves enough time to explore each subject's past, present, and future (nothing worth inquisitive impact). A pre-credits "Where Are They Now!" recap highlights this truth, as faces flash that I'd already forgotten. Kudos for sharing the love and bringing "Deadites" together, but there's very little here for horror fans to cherish that hasn't already been explained or seen on convention floors. - 3 out of 10 - Matt Donato

While Chris is a tad more smitten by Bleed With Me, I'll still pronounce my advocation for Amelia Moses' conventionally unconventional "cabin in the woods" thriller. It's about perception; the boogeymen and boogeywomen our minds create to justify what we otherwise can't explain. It's a slow-burn, working with minimalism in an isolated vacation setting, but benefits from performers who embrace the unknown at hand.Rowan (Lee Marshall) spends an extended getaway with fast-friend Emily (Lauren Beatty) and her boyfriend Brendan (Aris Tyros). Rowan starts waking up with cuts on her arm. Rowan cannot decide if Emily is drinking her blood at night or it's her sleepwalking flare ups. That's all we're given, and all characters experience. Moses takes a risk by sticking to a formula that's been used since horror's first breaths, but talented filmmakers are always able to find intrigue in the familiar.As Rowan sleeps, she dreams visions of Emily gnawing on what looks like roadkill, her mouth dripping with bloody runoff. We're conditioned to believe Rowan, but also question how her paranoias may not reflect reality. Moses does well to prod our suspicions, and never commit to a narrative that fully endorses either woman. This is how Bleed With Me sets itself apart from other rustic chamber pieces, allowing its subjects to fall into delirious fits of fear that burn with consistency as not to leave viewers out in the cold. - 7 out of 10 - Matt Donato