DEATH CYCLE (Canada, 2025)
Official synopsis: This giallo-inspired revenge slasher follows a woman who — following the death of her sister — is visited by a man looking to solve a series of murders committed by a motorcycle maniac. As tensions grow, the killer’s rampage continues, leaving them both questioning who the real danger is.
For having a rather simplistic — in this case, I prefer to call it “streamlined” — plot, Death Cycle delivers a riveting 80-minute ride. From its opening moments including a skull-bashing on a hit-and-run victim to its end titles, director Gabriel Carrer’s shocker supplies plenty of thrills and kills. Members of the wealthy Sullivan family were involved in that crime, and now they are being hunted down and savagely killed in rather creative ways by a black-clad, helmeted motorcyclist, with aftermaths shown in gory detail by way of highly impressive practical effects work. Luca Sullivan (Matthew Ninaber), who has kept his distance from his more rotten family members who are involved in local politics and crime, uses his work as a journalist to try and find the murderer by interviewing the injured Abby Dale (Kristen Kaster), who survived the hit-and-run but witnessed her sister being brutally murdered on the scene. The “giallo-inspired revenge slasher” description from the official synopsis above pretty much says it all, so if that mash-up sounds interesting to you at all, I highly advise giving the terrifically helmed, paced, shot, scored, and acted Death Cycle a watch. And when you do, make sure to crank up the volume, as the soundtrack from Jacob Lizotte and Bonnie Trash rocks mightily.
WHERE IS JUAN MOCTEZUMA? (U.S., 2025)
Official FrightFest synopsis: Legendary 1970s Mexican horror film auteur Juan F. Moctezuma II reportedly influenced the work of mega-directors Guillermo del Toro, Robert Rodriguez, Sam Raimi, and more. But the last film Moctezuma made and his first in Hollywood, produced by Roger Corman, 1000 PATHS OF DEATH, was surrounded in mystery because it was shot in complete secrecy. And then he disappeared with the footage. Did his nemesis, the famous luchador Scorpion, sabotage his work yet again? Discover the truth in this fun film that delves into every level of the Mexican exploitation industry as it unfolds its obsessive tale.
With Where Is Juan Moctezuma?, writer/director Alaric S. Rocha goes down an obsessive path as he attempts to locate the current whereabouts of Mexican filmmaker Juan F. Moctezuma II — absolutely not to be confused with Mexican filmmaker Juan Lopez Moctezuma. As Rocha endeavors on his somewhat quixotic journey, he explores, through clips from Moctezuma II’s horror movies, Mexican genre cinema, popular culture, and history from the mid-20th century to recent years. Huge bonus points from me for including lucha libre and the luchador film subgenre. The film is highly entertaining throughout and features appearances from — along with name drops of — genre-movie luminaries and talent from the lesser known to the beloved, as well as archival and fun film clips. Where Is Juan Moctezuma? is a wonderfully informative valentine to Mexican cinema, using the life story of a filmmaker about whom one interviewee states, “It was almost as if he had never existed.” Highly recommended for genre-film cinephiles of all stripes.
Death Cycle and Where Is Juan Moctezuma? screened as part of FrightFest, which ran Thursday August 21–Monday 25 August, 2025 in London, U.K.
