We have arrived at the festival season in the world of movies, and this week, I am covering Fantastic Fest 2022. I am excited to share my thoughts on some of the movies I was able to catch at the festival.

Vesper

After the collapse of Earth’s ecosystem, Vesper, a 13-year-old girl struggling to survive with her Father, must use her wits, strength, and bio-hacking abilities to fight for the future.

If there is one thing, you will take away from watching Vesper is that it is one of the most impressive movies I have seen all year from a technical standpoint. You have some beautiful visual effects that truly bring this world to life in a way that leaves you in awe. It is enhanced by a brilliant and beautiful score from Dan Levy. Raffiella Chapman is incredible in the role of Vesper. Overall, the movie is a tad bit on the long side, but every puzzle piece comes together to bring an impactful and astonishing film that you don’t want to miss.

Unidentified Objects

An uptight dwarf and his free-spirited, alien-obsessed neighbor hit the road on a border-defying search for their place in the universe.

I have mixed bags of feelings about this one. On the one hand, Matthew Jeffers and Sarah Hay delivered some rather fantastic performances and had a solid score and cinematography. But on the other hand, the script felt like it was entirely all over the place and was way too long. I struggled to stay interested due to the bit of a drag that the second act felt, but the overall film is okay, nothing more, nothing less.

Brutal Season

In 1948, the Trouths are facing no income and the hottest summer on record. When their estranged son inexplicably returns, the apartment is full again – but is it big enough for the gambling, trauma, and substantial life insurance policy that comes in his wake?

Brutal Season is somewhat of an overdramatic story that doesn’t connect. You have an overlong build that doesn’t fully capture your attention enough to make you want to invest in the characters. While the script might not have been captivating, the ensemble’s performances are solid. Overall, it’s a movie that has good pieces but not enough to make me want to recommend watching it.

Country Gold

George Jones invites an up and coming country music superstar out on the town in Nashville the night before George is to be cryogenically frozen in 1994.

I hate when a movie shoots in black and white for the sake of shooting in black and white. The movie’s script is intriguing, but it forces this black-and-white cinematography to take away from the overall product. Another thing that hindered the script was the acting. None of these actors did a good enough job of selling the script to make me connect with this on any emotional level. It had a strong premise, but lackluster execution makes this movie an easy skip.

The Third Saturday in October

A lost slasher film from the golden age of the slasher genre. October 1979, Ricky Dean Logan is a man on a mission. Years ago, he lost a child at the hands of a psychopathic killer named Jakkariah Harding. When Harding escapes Death Row, Ricky Dean throws himself into the line of fire to stop him from killing again as Harding preys upon a group of friends gathered to watch a college football game.

The first thing that stood out was the cinematography in this movie. It was a beautifully shot film by Chris Hilleke that gave us an authentic late 70s vibe putting us smack dab into the era. While the film was esthetically pleasing, the overall movie was a mess within the script. I felt like I knew what was going on and the film would zig and zag and be all over the place. It’s the case of another high concept that fails to deliver anything on a meaningful level which is upsetting since they had something here.