Imposters (U.S., 2026)
Official Synopsis
After a couple’s baby boy is taken, the desperate mother learns of a way to bring him back. However, her husband begins to suspect that what she returned with isn’t their son.
Review
Writer/director Caleb Phillips combines changeling folklore with “The Monkey’s Paw” elements and science fiction doppelganger twists in his feature film Imposters.
Paul (Charlie Barnett) and Marie (genre-film favorite Jessica Rothe) are having marital problems, and things get decidedly worse when their baby disappears during a party the couple is throwing in their new countryside home.
Mysterious neighbor Orson (Bates Wilder), tells a willing Marie and a highly skeptical Paul about an enigmatic cave in which they might find their son. I won’t go into more plot detail than that, as Phillips has plenty of twists and surprises in store for viewers. Sharing equal time with the fear-fare elements is the marital drama between Paul and Marie, which heightens the proceedings and stakes nicely.
Rothe is excellent as desperate mother Marie, and gets to stretch her acting chops wonderfully. Barnett is also solid in his role, though his character is written to deliberately mask his emotions and so the actor is limited in his ability to show range.
Though entertaining and suspenseful for the most part, Imposters feels a little long at its 102 minutes running time. Overall, though, it serves up plenty of reasons for fright-fare aficionados to give it a watch and comes recommended.
Little Doors (U.S., 2026)
Screenshot
Official Synopsis
In a quietly apocalyptic world, a lonely woman discovers a small wooden door on the side of her body, and must decide whether or not to open it.
Review
Director Anthony Oberbeck’s Little Doors is an offbeat dramedy set in an apocalyptic near future and possesses mild body horror elements. A woman (Megan Koester) and the locksmith (Oberbeck) she calls to open some doors in the house where she is staying are both socially awkward, and matters only get stranger when they attempt to strike up a romantic relationship.
Their efforts at trying their hands at what a couple would do are awkward, but when she one day finds that a door has appeared on the side of her body, things grow even more uncomfortable — especially when knocking starts from the other side of that door.
Real-life husband and wife Oberbeck and Koester display wonderful chemistry as they portray people who are uncomfortable with others in a unique situation. The humor will elicit chuckles and jaw dropping more than belly laughs, and there is a strong poignancy to the proceedings, as well.
Genre-film devotees who seek out the quirky and the highly unusual should find plenty to enjoy as they spend time with the couple in Little Doors.
Imposters and Little Doors screens as part of Calgary Underground Film Festival, which runs April 16-26, 2026. For more information, visit calgaryundergroundfilm.com.
