Author | Lightnews

Jon Partridge @jonpartridge.bsky.social · 10d

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Reposted by Jon Partridge

Ghoulian Singleton 🎃 @juliansingleton.bsky.social · 19d

With #FantasticFest wrapped up, the @cinapse.bsky.social team has assembled their individual can't-miss top films of the festival! Check out what I thought were 2025's breakout hits, alongside faves from @edtravis.bsky.social, @dantabor.bsky.social, @jonpartridge.bsky.social, and Spencer Brickey!

Cinapse @cinapse.bsky.social · 20d

Fantastic Fest 2025: The Cinapse Team’s Favorite Films!

A roundup of the Cinapse team’s breakout faves from this year’s festival Fantastic Fest’s 20th year had plenty of surprises for fest-goers looking to catch the latest in genre cinema from around the globe. With 45 World Premieres, 15 International and North American Premieres, and 13 U.S. Premieres across this year’s lineup, this year’s attendees […] The post Fantastic Fest 2025: The Cinapse Team’s Favorite Films! first appeared on Cinapse.

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Jon Partridge @jonpartridge.bsky.social · 25d

A standout at #FantasticFest this year, a coming of age tale of social acceptance vs moral conflict, steeped in genre elements and discordant vibes. My review of THE PLAGUE over at @cinapse.bsky.social

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https://cinapse.co/2025/09/fantastic-fest-2025-the-plague-charts-the-perils-of-breaking-from-the-pack/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

t.co

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Jon Partridge @jonpartridge.bsky.social · Sep 25

#GoodLuckHaveFunDontDie. A chaotic and blackly comedy adventure about technological creep and the impending collapse of society. The end of the world shouldn’t be this much fun. #FantasticFest

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Jon Partridge @jonpartridge.bsky.social · Sep 25

#FantasticFest Secret screening 4 is GOOD LUCK, HAVE FUN, DON’T DIE.

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Jon Partridge @jonpartridge.bsky.social · Sep 25

A WOMAN CALLED MOTHER. A reckoning with dueling roles spills into family life after a visit to a shaman. Tackles its themes well, loses focus at times, but when it clicks it rips. Great unsettling moments (& movements) and an all timer transition shot 🍳 #FantasticFest

Jon Partridge @jonpartridge.bsky.social · Sep 24

HONEY BUNCH. A lush mystery that explores ideas of love and devotion by playing with memory and mood. Evokes 70s Gothic vibes, but crafts a distinct hazy tone and compelling tale all of its own. #FantasticFest

Jon Partridge @jonpartridge.bsky.social · Sep 24

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER. Timely, topical, and just a rollicking good time at the movies. DiCaprio nails it once again. One of the year’s best, and a thrilling example of a filmmaker utterly assured and thriving in their craft. #FantasticFest

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Jon Partridge @jonpartridge.bsky.social · Sep 23

#FantasticFest Secret Screening #2 is BUGONIA

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Jon Partridge @jonpartridge.bsky.social · Sep 22

THE PIANO ACCIDENT. Another deadpan delight from Dupieux, this time taking aim at the hollow pursuits of influencers and clout chasers. Just bleak brilliance. #FantasticFest

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Jon Partridge @jonpartridge.bsky.social · Sep 22

APPOFENIACS is a frenetic, stylish, and disturbingly timely techno-thriller. My review out of #FantasticFest over at @cinapse.bsky.social

cinapse.co/2025/09/fant...

Fantastic Fest 2025: APPOFENIACS Captures the Casual Cruelty of Weaponizing Deepfakes and Social Media - Cinapse

A frenetic, stylish, and disturbingly timely techno-thriller. We live in an age where misinformation spreads faster than facts and the line between reality and digital illusion grows ever thinner. Swa...

cinapse.co

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Jon Partridge @jonpartridge.bsky.social · Sep 22

There’s just something gratifying about a horror film that delivers on its inspirations and adds its own voice and visuals to the mix.

My review of DOLLY, out of #FantasticFest, a grungy and effective slice of psycho-horror.

cinapse.co/2025/09/fant...

Fantastic Fest 2025: DOLLY is a Modern Day Horror that Wears the Skin of a Grungier Era - Cinapse

Rod Blackhurst creates his own icon with this love-letter horror classics Sometimes a filmmakers inspirations are laid on all too heavy, masking their own talents or ideas. In other instances they mar...

cinapse.co

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Jon Partridge @jonpartridge.bsky.social · Sep 22

#FANTASTICFEST Secret Screening #1 is SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT ‘25.

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Jon Partridge @jonpartridge.bsky.social · Sep 22

DAWNING. Tragic, touching and stark in its beauty and narrative. Tremendous amount to unpack and appreciate, but it’s most admirable in its ability to find warmth in such chilling circumstances. #FantasticFest

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Jon Partridge @jonpartridge.bsky.social · Sep 22

OBSESSION. The early cutesy/quirky tone wasn’t for me, but as the fucked-upness creeps in, it earns its plaudits. The performance from Inde Navarette alone is worth the price of admission. #FantasticFest

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Jon Partridge @jonpartridge.bsky.social · Sep 21

THE PLAGUE. A pressure cooker of a film about conforming and the perils of breaking from the pack. Perfectly captures the social dynamics of a collective of 12 yr old boys. Compelling, anxiety inducing, visually stunning, & packed with brilliant young performances. #FantasticFest

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Jon Partridge @jonpartridge.bsky.social · Sep 21

If you liked that, you’re going to love this.

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Jon Partridge @jonpartridge.bsky.social · Sep 21

REFLECTION IN A DEAD DIAMOND isn’t just one of my #FantasticFest standouts, it’ll be one of my favorite films of 2025. My review of this dizzying blend of style and fragmented storytelling over at @CinapseNews @shudder.com @ifcfilms.bsky.social

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https://cinapse.co/2025/09/fantastic-fest-2025-reflection-in-a-dead-diamond-is-a-glorious-gonzo-riff-on-the-superspy-genre/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

t.co

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Jon Partridge @jonpartridge.bsky.social · Sep 21

THE VILE. A UAE feature that well leverages polygamy and the desires of man disrupting a family dynamic, into a compelling horror parable. #FantasticFest

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Jon Partridge @jonpartridge.bsky.social · Sep 21

13 DAYS TILL SUMMER. A solid home invasion thriller with style to spare, that unnervingly captures many of the creeping fears of how disconnected from emotion, empathy, and consequence, some individuals have become in this internet age. Chilling stuff. #FantasticFest

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Jon Partridge @jonpartridge.bsky.social · Sep 20

My review of #CoyotesMovie out of #FantasticFest. A savage and stylish survival horror, even if it is a little shaggy around the edges.

@auraentfilms.bsky.social

cinapse.co/2025/09/fant...

Fantastic Fest 2025: COYOTES is a Savage and Stylish Survival Horror - Cinapse

Justin Long and Kate Bosworth pair up in this eco-horror that entertains, despite issues with execution There’s a reason that animal attack films like Jaws, Anaconda, Lake Placid, Crawl, and Cocaine B...

cinapse.co

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Jon Partridge @jonpartridge.bsky.social · Sep 20

LUGER. A good old wrong-place at the wrong-time crime caper. Propulsive, gritty fare, with solid performances, and a good balance of comedy and bone-crunching action. #FantasticFest

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Jon Partridge @jonpartridge.bsky.social · Sep 20

THE FORBIDDEN CITY. The Italian Mafia/Chinese gangster movie you never knew you needed. Love, revenge, cultural clashes, comedy, and hard-hitting action, all under the big lights of Rome. It’s huge in scope and ideas, and nails them all. Yaxi Liu is 🔥 Bravissimo! #FantasticFest

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Jon Partridge @jonpartridge.bsky.social · Sep 20

FIND YOUR FRIENDS. A group of disenchanted girls head to the desert to drink, drug, and fuck the pain away. A discordant and dizzying thriller that just crackles with chaotic energy. Upends some tropes and proves a potent first feature from Izabel Pakzad.
#FantasticFest

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Jon Partridge @jonpartridge.bsky.social · Sep 19

ROAD TO VENDETTA. A kinetic and visceral plunge into Japan’s criminal underworld, and a mysterious assassins guild. The world building, action, and visuals impress, but what really draws you in is the rather sweet bond that emerges between the leads.

#FantasticFest

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