This Thursday (11th July), Pigeon Shrine FrightFest will announce the line-up for their 25th Anniversary event. The festival will run from 22nd August – 26th August and will screen the newest films that embrace FrightFest’s mantra of celebrating the dark heart of genre cinema. After the announcement on Thursday, weekend and day pass tickets will go on sale at 12 noon on Saturday 13th July.
Each year, ahead of the official programme announcement, THN try to predict some of the films that will play, just for fun. Last year, two of our five guesses proved correct, but we’re hoping to nail a few more this time around. Some are educated guesses drawn from our experience covering over a decade of FrightFest, others are hopeful pipe dreams thrown in for good measure. Read on to see what our predictions are, and then come back on Thursday 12th July at 2pm to see if we’ve managed to get any correct.
Strange Darling
Strange Darling debuted last year at Fantastic Fest and we at THN were instantly smitten with it. The film, written and directed by JT, stars Kyle Gallner and Willa Fitzgerald, and is a clever throwback to the Grindhouse era. It manages to be seductive, sensual, and unnerving simultaneously. It is a film that is best to venture into cold, so we won’t spoil any plot details, but having already seen it, we know that Strange Darling would go down very well with the FrightFest crowd. Even more so if the guys could convince everyone’s favourite horror actor, Kyle Gallner, to attend. Strange Darling arrives in US cinemas on the 23rd August, which is perfectly dated to coincide with FrightFest. With a UK date yet to be confirmed, a sneak peak whilst it’s generating buzz on the other side of the Atlantic would be amazing.
Smile 2
Should FrightFest screen Strange Darling and manage to get Kyle Gallner to attend, the conditions would be perfect for an early UK premiere of Smile 2. The first-look trailer was released last month and teased, not only the return of Gallner’s character Joel, but also that the story will unfold within the world of the music industry with singer Skye Riley (Naomi Scott) the new target of the smiling demon. Given the official release date of Smile 2 is not until October, this one feels like a massive longshot, but who better to help get audiences excited about the forthcoming sequel than the FrightFest family?
A Desert
Coming fresh out of TriBeCa festival, A Desert would be a great score for FrightFest. The feature debut of Joshua Erkman, A Desert tells a tangled narrative web centred on one photographer’s road trip from Hell. The narrative formation is kept somewhat loose, and is almost jazz-like in its formation. Whilst this construction is likely to frustrate more mainstream audiences, the FrightFest crowd are exactly the right kind of people to get what Erkman is setting out to do with this one. Odds of A Desert playing are uncertain, but it’s precisely the type of undiscovered gem that the festival likes to champion, plus last year FrightFest opened with Suitable Flesh, which also debuted at TriBeCa, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed.
Terrifier 3
In 2022, Terrifier 2 played on the main screen to rapturous applause. The gore hounds amongst the FrightFest attendees were delighted with Damien Leone’s ghastly offering. Those same fans have become somewhat rabid awaiting its follow up, Terrifier 3. The film, which is rumoured to be set at Christmas, is due to release in UK cinemas in October, but we have high hopes that Christmas might come home early for Terrifier fans.
The Lonely Man with the Ghost Machine
FrightFest wouldn’t be FrightFest without an appearance from Graham Skipper. Since he starred in Beyond the Gates in 2016, there hasn’t been a year that has gone by that he hasn’t been involved with one way or another. Earlier this year, Skipper released his latest directorial venture, The Lonely Man with the Ghost Machine, and it seems only right that it would be part of the 25th festivities. We’ve already reviewed The Lonely Man with the Ghost Machine, and although very different to Skipper’s last directing venture that screened at the festival, Sequence Break, it is sure to find an audience at FrightFest.
Generation Terror
Although FrightFest is better known for its fictional films, each year there is a strong strand of documentaries. One filmmaker that you can rely on to create an informative and enjoyable documentary is Sarah Appleton. Alongside Phillip Escott, Appleton screened The Found Footage Phenomena in 2021, then last year she debuted The J-Horror Virus with co-director Jasper Sharp. She is currently hard at work on a new project with Escott, intriguingly titled Generation Terror. At this point in time, it’s unclear quite how close to completion this new venture is, but should it be ready, THN would be delighted to see it screen.
She Loved Blossoms More
Another film out of TriBeCa that we feel warrants a place on this year’s FrightFest bill is the insanely strange, She Loved Blossoms More. The film offers a strange slice of experimental science fiction and would be sure to stir up plenty of post-viewing dissection amongst the FrightFesters. She Loved Blossoms More follows three brothers as they attempt to resurrect their dead mother, the result of which includes some beautifully grotesque imagery that would be eaten up by the FrightFest masses.
The Crow
Trying to guess the opening night film is always incredibly tricky. Considering that this year is FrightFest’s 25th anniversary, chances are high that the event will open with a film from a returning filmmaker. It would make a lot of sense were it to be someone who has passed through the festival early in their career and would be a lovely full circle scenario. However, should that not happen, THN would be thrilled to see the latest iteration of The Crow on the opening night schedule. The film is a re-versioning of James O’Barr’s graphic novel and sees Bill Skarsgård slip into the greasepaint of Eric Draven. The Crow arrives into UK cinemas on the 23rd August, positioning it perfectly for an early preview at FrightFest.
Pigeon Shrine FrightFest will announce their actual line-up on Thursday 11th July at 2pm. Weekend passes and Day passes go on sale on Saturday 13th July at 12 noon. For more information head to the FrightFest website.
