Tag: Maika Monroe

Fantastic Fest 2026 | Preview

Festival logo — Image provided by Fantastic Fest.

Later this month — from September 17th to September 24th — the 21st edition of Fantastic Fest takes place at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar in Austin, TX. Over the years, the beloved film festival all about genre film has featured world premieres of such films as There Will Be Blood, Zombieland, and Apostle, as well as the U.S. premiere of Obsession, which now, just a year later, has taken the world by storm following its theatrical release. Now, while I won’t be in Austin, I have been approved for remote coverage of the festival. Thus, I plan to post standalone reviews of select films over the course of the week of the festival, which I am very much looking forward to.

In this preview, I’ll highlight some of the major premieres, screenings, and titles. But this article also dives deeper into Fantastic Fest‘s fascinating line-up, as I have prepared a list of ten films that have caught my eye based on intriguing loglines, the creative team involved, or, in certain cases, the cast that appears in the film. Although it is unlikely that I’ll get to see all of them during my remote coverage, these are some of the films that I think you should seek out if you are going to be in Austin, TX this month.

Continue reading “Fantastic Fest 2026 | Preview” →

REVIEW: Greta (2019)

US Theatrical Release Poster – Focus Features

The following is a review of Greta — Directed by Neil Jordan.

It’s been a while since I last felt like walking out of a movie in the middle of it. It still hasn’t ever happened, because every time I feel this way, I’m watching the film with someone I know. Though I did watch the film in its entirety, Neil Jordan’s Greta really pushed me to my limits. Though it starred multiple actors who I enjoy, I had nowhere near as much fun watching the end product as much as it seems Isabelle Huppert enjoyed chewing the scenery in this terribly dull thriller. I’m sure some might say Greta is so bad it’s good, but, to me, it was so bad that even its most outrageously funny lines became infuriating in the long run. Continue reading “REVIEW: Greta (2019)” →

REVIEW: Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

ID4-2 Poster
Theatrical Release Poster – 20th Century Fox

The following is a review of Independence Day: Resurgence, a Roland Emmerich film.

It’s been twenty years since the release of the original Independence Day. That film from 1996 is a nice, fun little popcorn film. I have a lot of fun with it, even if it isn’t considered a ‘great film’. That said, I was really pessimistic when I sat down in the theater to watch the sequel, Resurgence. I had heard that Will Smith wasn’t in the sequel, and that Mae Whitman had been replaced by Maika Monroe. I was worried, but I wanted to like the film. Now I’ve seen it, and it’s even worse than I had feared.
Continue reading “REVIEW: Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)” →

REVIEW: It Follows (2015)

RADiUS-TWC poster for It Follows

To be honest, I wouldn’t really call myself a ‘horror fan’ or ‘horror aficionado,’ even though the rest of my family clearly adores the genre. It Follows, however, was a horror film that intrigued me, due to the fact that the story, in itself, actually resembled a nightmare I’ve had multiple times — one featuring an individual walking towards me ever so slowly with ill intent.

Unfortunately, I didn’t go to the CPH PIX Film festival. I didn’t find time to see it during its wide release in my home country either. Instead, I recently ordered it on Amazon. The Blu-Ray just arrived. When I pressed play, I don’t think I had ever been more excited to review a horror film. Continue reading “REVIEW: It Follows (2015)” →