London’s Pigeon Shrine FrightFest kicks off on Thursday, August 22 and runs through Monday, August 26, with 69 features from around the globe on tap. With chillers, thrillers, documentaries, and other genre fare scheduled, the festival presents a wealth of cinematic riches. Horror Fuel has selected six films that we are greatly looking forward to, including a few that we have already been lucky enough to have an advance look at (but we can’t say anything until the embargoes lift!). Check out the official festival descriptions below and then the links for more information, including trailers when available.
The Monster Beneath Us
Windswept Yorkshire, 1898. A grieving woman and her son move back to the unoccupied house of her ex-husband, who was recently found dead in mysterious circumstances. However, they soon discover they are not alone inside the icy house in a slow-burn horror, exploring the themes of isolation, otherness and loss. The house is home to a Boggart, an evil solitary supernatural spirit of English folklore, and each haunted character reacts to the malevolent evil.
https://frightfest.co.uk/LondonFilms2024/themonsterbeneathus/
Members Club
THE FULL MONTY goes all the way with full horror and hilarity where old members are more than welcome. Wet Dreams, a middle-aged male stripper group has hit rock bottom. After a string of disastrous gigs, the gang considers disbanding. Alan, the group’s happy-go-lucky front man, takes over the business and books the boys a lucrative and mysterious gig in rural Essex. But when the group arrive at the desolate club, their night quickly takes a dark turn when they find themselves tangled up in a plot to raise a murderous 16th century witch from the dead.
https://frightfest.co.uk/LondonFilms2024/membersclub/
Charlotte
In the dead of night, Charlotte, a young girl, appears at Roy’s doorstep, fleeing from her abusive father. Despite a few too many drinks, Roy reluctantly offers her shelter for the night. What begins as a simple act of kindness, soon evolves into a complex relationship as Charlotte’s stay extends beyond a single night. As the days pass and Charlotte’s trust in Roy deepens, tension mounts as the audience is left to ponder the true nature of their connection. With each startling revelation, the line between protector and predator blurs, leading you to question if they are who they seem.
https://frightfest.co.uk/LondonFilms2024/charlotte/
The Freaks of Fancy
1927: Four medical graduates are invited to spend the weekend at a beautiful island mansion by their mentor, the experimental and controversial scientist Dr. Reed Wakefield. However, it soon becomes apparent that their stay was not planned for fun and games, as Wakefield’s bold actions are about to unleash terrifying consequences. A psychological, gothic horror wrapped in a superbly constructed silent movie aesthetic and just like the brilliant Guy Maddin before him, director Elliott Léon’s adult fairytale blends absurdist satire, surreal gore, wrenching melodrama and the Charleston to fashion an eerie work of nostalgia and expressionist symbolism.
https://frightfest.co.uk/LondonFilms2024/thefreaksoffancy/
Fright
1937: Young Emily is trapped in a nightmare, chronic agoraphobia and a strange, domineering mother have turned their sprawling gothic mansion into a prison. On the brink of madness, Emily is haunted by lurking malevolent forces, her only hope, the desperate belief her missing father could save her from this living hell. But as she longs for his return, Emily is tormented by visions of a sinister, gnarled black hand—a spectre haunting her earliest memories. It is a homage to the unsettling atmosphere of 1950s horror cinema, echoing the terror of THE HAUNTING and the ghostly dread of THE INNOCENTS.
https://frightfest.co.uk/LondonFilms2024/fright/
Boutique: To Preserve and Collect
An absorbing documentary on the history of physical media, the rise of boutique specialty collector labels and the role they have played in film restoration, preservation and elevation of underrepresented voices. From Something Weird to Severin and Vinegar Syndrome to Criterion, everything about the first bootleg videos minting amateur entrepreneurs, colour correction secrets and the importance of commentaries and Extras to the collector market is explained by filmmakers, historians and label CEOs. Complemented by amazing clips from horror, grindhouse, erotic and cult titles, this lowdown on the business in protecting art in all its genre forms is a dazzling delight.
https://frightfest.co.uk/LondonFilms2024/boutiquetopreserveandcollect/
