Housed in the flagship Alamo Drafthouse theater in Austin, Texas, Fantastic Fest returns with another genre-bending lineup that showcases some of the best horror, action, and otherwise gruesome films set to release this year.
As always, we’re excited to dive into the fest and see which films (some of which we might expect, others we’re looking forward to being pleasantly surprised by) fill us with the most fright and dread. To kick off this year’s festival, which runs over the next week, here’s a quick preview of ten of the genre-bending horror and action films we’re most excited to check out.
PRIMATE
A beloved family chimp goes wild in Paramount’s PRIMATE, turning a visit home from college into a battle for survival.
SISU: ROAD TO REVENGE
More action! Crazier kills! SISU: ROAD TO REVENGE from Sony Pictures' Screen Gems delivers on all fronts, so get ready to cheer as our hero faces off once again against evil forces.
COYOTES
Killer coyotes terrorize a neighborhood in the LA hills in this entertaining survival thriller starring Justin Long and Kate Bosworth.
SHELBY OAKS
Thought you’d seen NEON’s SHELBY OAKS already? Think again…discover the new cut with even more scares and gore than before.
VICIOUS
A young woman (Dakota Fanning) receives a mysterious box with horrific consequences in Paramount’s VICIOUS, by genre-favorite Bryan Bertino.
HAUNTED HEIST
Lil Rel Howery has assembled a supergroup of comedians for his directorial debut, HAUNTED HEIST, a hilarious caper starring Tiffany Haddish, King Bach, and Karlous Miller.
WHISTLE
A group of teens is terrorized by an evil entity after blowing an ancient Aztec death whistle in Shudder’s WHISTLE, from director Corin Hardy and writer Owen Edgerton.
THE STRANGERS - CHAPTER 2
The saga continues in Lionsgate’s terrifying THE STRANGERS - CHAPTER 2.
THE CREEP TAPES SEASON 2
Everyone’s favorite werewolf Peachfuzz is back! Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass join us again to present the first episodes of THE CREEP TAPES SEASON 2.
V/H/S/HALLOWEEN
Our annual tradition of bringing you a brand new V/H/S anthology is back with Shudder’s V/H/S/HALLOWEEN, with a brand new group of filmmakers bringing you twisted tales.
Stay tuned for our Fantastic Fest 2025 coverage over the next week as we share some insightful interviews and highlights from this year's fest.
- Jim Cummings and PJ McCabe on How to Bend and Blend Genres ›
- How 'FISHMONGER' Created Practical Horror Effects on a Tight-Budget ›
- Cinematic Eccentricity on a Budget: Joe Badon on Directing 'The Wheel of Heaven' ›
- Laugh at the Filth With ‘Heads or Fails’ Filmmakers Lenny & Harpo Guit ›
- A Look at the Award Winners from This Year’s Fantastic Fest ›
- Balancing Studio and Indie Genre Filmmaking with "Faces" Director Blake Simon ›
- 13 Genre-Bending Movies You Won’t Forget | No Film School ›
- Insights Into Finding the Perfect Horror Colorscape With ‘Shelby Oaks’ DP Andrew Scott Baird | No Film School ›
