Another September, another Fantasy Filmfest. And it has already ended, damn!
As I mentioned before, I didn't find the lineup as a whole unanimously interesting, but a few picks ended up being partly OK, partly great for me, so let's take a look at them. There may be mild spoilers in what I discuss here, but I'll never give away the punchline of the respective films.
Jakt / Hunters on a White Field (2024)
Jakt is about three people, two friends and the work colleague of one of them, spending a long weekend in the Swedish woods in order to hunt wild game. The idea is for each of the hunters to kill at least one animal but before they can complete that mission all animals, and I mean every single one of them, like even frogs and worms, disappear overnight. Having nothing to hunt anymore, they shift their focus from animals to new targets.
This was a very interesting watch, but as I lack the necessary background in the Swedish way of reading a movie I was left with many questions in my head. An interview with the director/writer was shown after the film, but didn't really clarify many of them, not even whether or not animals were harmed in the making of the movie, as the hunting, the cutting up and evisceration of the animals looked deceivingly real.
The second part of the movie after the disappearance of the animals, meant as the main source of suspense, does not do it for the animal lovers among the audience, since it is infinitely more painful to watch beautiful and peaceful reindeer and goats being killed than three guys playing war.
The feeling was that, by bringing together two very close friends and one outsider, who on top of everything looks different too, a certain tension was being strung, and the audience, not knowing in which direction that tension will wind down, keeps guessing: Was it a racist comment that blonde guy just made? What's that weird "Swedish hunters" dance? Are they going to hunt the darker guy? Is the interaction between them, especially in regard to the ending, somewhat allegorical, a commentary on the state of Sweden? All these questions were left unanswered for me, unfortunately, though I still enjoyed watching this in a strange way.
Håndtering av udøde / Handling the Undead (2023)
Norwegian author John Ajvide Lindqvist is a well known name in horror, primarily for having written the vampire classic, Let the Right One In and Handling the Undead is another work of his which bears no less potential to become a classic, not least because of director Thea Hvistendahl's debut big screen adaptation.
Following an extremely slow pace, the film focuses on the early stages of a Zombie Apocalypse, dead people by and by resurrecting, and their slow return to their homes, and the devastatingly emotional, gentle, but nevertheless unsettling way they are being accepted, and "handled", being cleaned and taken care of by their loved ones in beautiful, serene pictures. The terror of it all only hits belatedly, way too late.
A big chunk of this picture and of its emotional impact is based on the exploitation of a feeling of affection and helplessness for a close one who fell seriously ill and is in need of care. I understand it has been ripped apart by reviewers, and although I think I needed to see this on the big screen otherwise it would have maybe bored me too, I can't agree with the bad critique. Handling the Undead struck a chord with me and I did my best not to break down in sobs and cry my eyes out. I still did cry a lot, but silently.
Highlights from the FFF Shorts Program "Get Shorty"
Oz is a typical man-child who misses his girlfriend's graduation because he's been playing with action figures. When a puppet is delivered to his door he can't help but try it on, only for it to imprison his soul and slowly kill his body. The only way out for him is to grow up.
Hi-la-ri-ous.
I generally think short films from the UK are baller and Meat Puppet again proves my theory. Extremely witty and light-hearted, this short had the whole audience laughing out loud and the punchy finale even provoked deafening applause and whistles.
It's the year 1970 and the evening TV program Minuit Frissons, which examines cold criminal cases, is a hit.
This evening they are showing the story of poor Nicole who used to be a groupie of the famous
rock star and womanizer Curtis Wild.
Again, super funny, well-done shorty with great costumes and settings. Guaranteed to make you chuckle.
One Happy Customer
production country & year USA 2024
An aging sex worker finds the perfect customer. No more to say.
Two peasant women from the Middle Ages find a mobile phone lying on a field. And it is everything both of them ever wanted, even though they don't know what it is.
The finale of this one had the audience roaring, loved this!
What do six actors called to an audition, a fish recipe and a murder have in common?
You will find out when watching Whodunit, but you won't understand what's going on until the very end!
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