Our picks for Arrow Video FrightFest’s October event

Arrow Video FrightFest returns next week for its second digital edition of the year. The festival will run from Wednesday 21st October until Sunday 25th October and will screen forty-five films across three digital screens. With so many films to choose from, the choice can be a little overwhelming. Fear not though, as help is at hand. We’ve been ploughing through the films on offer and have devised a small selection of some of our favourites. 

The Stylist 

Jill Gevargizian’s The Stylist has a long history with FrightFest. The feature initially started out as a short film and was screened as part of one of FrightFest’s Short Film Showcases back in 2016. Then in 2019, during the 20th Anniversary of the festival, Gevargizian launched a Kickstarter funding initiative for a full-length version of her idea. Now, just over a year later, this new and extended version of The Stylist will screen on Sunday 25th October. 

The story once again joins hair stylist Claire (Najarra Townsend), a lonely young woman who becomes obsessed with the lives of her clients. Occasionally this fascination spills into something more sinister, and some customers end up dead. This time we join Claire as she is approached by her regular client, Olivia (Brea Grant), to provide emergency hair assistance for her forthcoming wedding. As Claire begins to get drawn into Olivia’s world, the compulsion to kill once more begins to take over, finding herself in a spiral into madness as she tries to keep her base instincts in check. 

If you dug the short then you’re sure to love The Stylist. Najarra Townsend gives a spellbinding performance, with Brea Grant once again proving she’s one of the most consistent actors working in the genre. Expect killer performances, bloody and sticky scalpings, and costumes to die for in this wickedly crafted portrait of a serial killer.  

The Stylist screens on Sunday 25th October at 11:45am; tickets can be purchased here. 

Alien on Stage

Screening as part of the First Blood strand, Alien on Stage has a special place in this writer’s heart. The documentary, directed by Danielle Kummer and Lucy Harvey, charts the journey of a crew of Dorset Bus Drivers to London’s West End with their stage version of Ridley Scott’s classic film, Alien. Now, when I was at Primary School me and a group of friends took over a school assembly to perform a fifteen minute version of Aliens, so I feel an odd kinship with the group in this film. How our teachers let us get away with it I’ll never understand and sadly it was a time before mobile phones, so no video footage exists. The same is thankfully not true here and we get a full behind-the-scenes look at the group preparing for their West End debut. Proof that anything is possible if you just believe, Alien on Stage is sure to be the feel-good film of the festival. 

Alien on Stage screens on Saturday 24th October at 2:15pm; tickets can be purchased here. 

Spare Parts

The members of an all-female punk rock band find themselves in a whole heap of trouble in Spare Parts, from director Andrew Thomas Hunt. Said trouble occurs after their car gets run off of the road. In need of help, they accept a lift that they really shouldn’t. After being taken to the local junkyard, the girls are drugged and awaken to find themselves minus limbs. These missing parts have been replaced with a variety of death-dealing weapons, as the women discover that they have been anointed as gladiators for a strange cult headed up by The Emperor (Julian Richings). Cue cinematic carnage as the quartet do everything and anything they can to secure their freedom. 

Spare Parts, despite its modern-world setting, taps into that special post-apocalyptic magic of films such as Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and Turbo Kid, whilst creating its own unique look and style. The standout has to be the weapons foisted upon the band, which are eccentric enough to make Cherry Darling’s machine-gun upgrade look pedestrian. Accompanied by a kick-ass soundtrack, and led by some super-fierce female performances, Spare Parts is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. 

Spare Parts screens on Friday 23rd October at 9pm; tickets can be purchased here. 

Tailgate

Dutch film, The Columnist, was one of the stand-out films of the FrightFest August event. It told of a writer who got revenge on her internet trolls by simply killing them all off. With Tailgate it appears the Dutch are once again poised to steal another FrightFest event. The film, known as Bumperkleef in its native tongue, follows one family as they travel to Grandma’s house for a special Birthday dinner. Along the way they get into an altercation with a fellow driver. What they don’t realise however, is that the driver does not take kindly having his driving critiqued, and he sets out to teach the family a lesson they’ll never forget. 

With echoes of Speilberg’s Duel, Tailgate is a gripping thriller that shreds your nerves. Once our family has crossed the maniacal Ed, director Lodewijk Crijns never eases up on the throttle. Made even more stressful with its daytime setting and inclusion of children into the mire, Tailgate will have you on the edge of your sofa. 

Tailgate screens on Friday 23rd October at 4pm; tickets can be purchased here. It arrives on Digital HD via Signature Entertainment on Monday 26th October 2020. 

Relic 

Directed by Natalie Erika James, Relic is a horror film for those that like the grey matter to be challenged and emotions to be stirred. Set within the walls of one house, it follows three generations of women from the same family as they succumb to a sinister presence. Events begin as Kay (Emily Mortimer) and daughter Sam (Bella Heathcote) arrive at Kay’s childhood home; they’ve come back to Kay’s roots to track down the family matriarch, Edna (Robyn Nevin), who has vanished. Upon searching the house, it’s clear that something is not right with Edna, and it’s potentially time for her to be moved into a home. This is further confirmed after Edna reappears with no idea of her missing time. As Kay starts to put things into motion to keep Edna safe, Sam discovers that there may be a more sinister reason for her grandmother’s strange behaviour. Can the three generations of women puzzle the problem out before it’s too late?

There’s a strong emotional core to be found here, and anyone that has been touched by dementia, the true monster of the piece, had better brace for tears. Given its rich layers of themes and emotions, Relic is a film that demands contemplation and analysis. There’s so much being said simultaneously that it’s a film that screams for repeat viewings so that the viewer can fully unearth the true meaning of the story. It’s perfect then that the film will release in cinemas and on digital platforms on Friday 30th October 2020.  

Relic screens on Saturday 25th October at 9:30pm; tickets can be purchased here. It arrives in UK cinemas and on Digital HD on Friday 30th October 2020.  

Arrow Video FrightFest runs from Wednesday 21st October to Sunday 25th October 2020. Full passes are priced at £66.66 and can be bought from the FrightFest website here.