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Fantasia 2025’s Anticipated Horror Films

By. Professor Horror

            Fantasia International Film Festival 2025 returns this summer and once again proves why it’s one of the most exciting celebrations of genre cinema in the world. From action to animation, sci-fi to surrealism, the fest brings together the best in boundary-pushing storytelling across multiple styles. But for those of us drawn to the darker corners of cinema, Fantasia’s horror offerings are where the real thrills begin. The 2025 lineup is pulling horror in bold, genre-busting directions as the films range from candy-coated nightmares and viral cat transformations to queer zombie uprisings and magical cancer rituals. As a fan of everything horror, I am here for the slow-burn psychological terrors and the balls-to-the-walls bizarre midnight madness, and the films this year have all of this and more. Bring your earplugs, your glitter, and maybe a protective talisman or two because here are five standout horror titles you won’t want to miss when the curtains rise on Montreal’s most amazing film festival. And believe me, it’s going to be one hell of a ride.

                                                        

LUCID (Dir. Deanna Milligan and Ramsey Fendall)

A lo-fi nightmare wrapped in celluloid grain, LUCID is an experimental plunge into the fractured mind of a struggling art student. Shot on 35mm and 16mm film, this feature debut channels the DIY spirit of the 90s underground as Mia (Cailtin Acken Taylor) searches for creative clarity through a cursed candy heart. What begins as artistic desperation spirals into surreal dreamscapes of red doors, grunge ghosts, and buried trauma. The film’s layered soundscape of muffled voices, discordant feedback, and ambient static, blurs reality like a haunted mixtape. Surreal (yet grounded) LUCID is a “coming of monster” story that probes the uneasy line between creativity and madness, art and obsession, all with a sharp punk edge and raw emotional bite.

                                                                 

HELLCAT (Dir. Brock Bodell)
HELLCAT has all the ingredients for the kind of horror ride I love: tight spaces, strange twists and turns, and a growing sense that reality…isn’t quite what it seems. The setup alone has me intrigued: a woman wakes up in a moving trailer, and the man behind the wheel insists she’s infected and running out of time. I have no idea if he’s trying to save her or manipulate her, and that uncertainty is exactly what draws me in. This is director Brock Bodell’s feature debut, and I’m curious to see how far he’ll push the tension, especially since he’s already known for editing mind-bending films like Ultrasound. I’m expecting this to be intense, strange, and maybe…even a little heartbreaking.

                                                          

NYAIGHT OF THE LIVING CAT (Dir. Tomohiro Kamitani, Exec. Dir. Takashi Miike)
Here we have a movie that is about a virus that turns humans into cats if they cuddle a feline. I’m already doomed! Welcome to NYAIGHT OF THE LIVING CAT, a delightfully deranged anime from director Tomohiro Kamitani and executive producer Takashi Miike. Yes, that Miike. The legendary madman behind Audition, Ichi the Killer, and about a hundred other genre-defying fever dreams. Based on the manga by Hawkman and Mecha-Roots, this series (making its world premiere at Fantasia) blends body horror with absurdist comedy as protagonist Kunagi must fight his verrrry human urge to pet a cat or risk becoming a kitty himself. The premise is clever, the execution looks paws-itively chaotic, and I’m ready for it to pounce on my brain in the best way. With Miike’s fearless oddness behind the scenes, you can bet this will be weirder, wilder, and sharper than your average anime. For horror fans who like their scares with a side of whiskers, this one’s the cat’s meow.

                                                            

MOTHER OF FLIES (Dir. The Adams Family)
From the visionary filmmaking family behind Hellbender and Hell Hole comes MOTHER OF FLIES, a hypnotic dive into necromancy, grief, and the fragile boundaries between life and death. Co-written, directed, and performed by John Adams, Zelda Adams, and Toby Poser, the film follows Mickey, a young woman dying of cancer, who turns to a forest-dwelling witch in a last-ditch hope to save herself. What unfolds is a ritualistic journey into darkness…both literal and emotional. Drawing from their own lived experiences with illness, the Adams Family crafts a raw, poetic horror tale brimming with love, fear, and transformation. This is not your typical witch story. With its dreamlike visuals and deeply personal premise, MOTHER OF FLIES could very well be one of the most quietly devastating surprises of the festival.

                                               

QUEENS OF THE DEAD (Dir. Tina Romero)
Tina Romero (daughter of zombie maestro George A. Romero) makes a dazzling feature debut with QUEENS OF THE DEAD, a glam-gore horror comedy that mixes drag, camp, and carnage in glorious fashion. Set during a chaotic warehouse drag show in Bushwick, Brooklyn, the film sees a vibrant cast of queens and club kids fighting off a zombie apocalypse while dealing with old grudges, relationship drama, and the logistics of party planning under siege. Romero balances outrageous humor with genuine heart as she creates a story that’s as much about survival as it is about chosen family and queer resilience. With standout performances from Jaquel Spivey, Katy O’Brian, Riki Lindhome, and Margaret Cho, QUEENS OF THE DEAD delivers glitter-soaked gore and sharp social commentary in equal measure. It’s a celebration of identity, empowerment, and above all fabulousness…even in the face of death.