Spoilers never pick on short features.

And now, the first of many anthologies in the Fantasia International Film Festival. I don’t usually do a lot of these, but the few I manage are always worth it. I missed Things That Go Bump in the East for a couple of years and I regretted it. Now this year I managed to get in despite it being sold out and I can say honestly it was a blast. There’s a little bit of everything here, so you’re bound to find something intriguing, weird and scary because why not. That being said these are short, so it’s a challenge anyhow.

I have to go very minimalistic in what I say here, so excuse the brevity. Anything further and I’d be disclosing too much.

  • Sarangi directed by Tarun Thind. A horror story masks a non-so subtle critique on colonialism. Brings the fear and the ghoulish fury.
  • Two Side directed by Luo Mingyang. A psychological dilemma plays out as a young boy wishing to join a gang is tortured by the murder he is/was compelled to commit. Visually impressive with strong storytelling skills.
  • English Tutor directed by Jaho Koo. A struggling student becomes a part time teacher. Her first gig is a devoted mother and a mysterious child with a supposed learning disability. Sheer terror without a chance to escape. Relentless.
  • Foreigners Only directed by Nuhash Humayun. A social critique told with the language of body horror. Landlords in Bangladesh seem to cater mostly to foreign visitors that their own fellow citizens. The owner of a tannery is tired of sleeping at his workplace, where he’s develop a nasty rash. He’s unable to get anybody to rent him a room. After seeing a tourist from USA getting preferential treatment, he will take desperate measures. Chilling and topical.
  • Tang directed by Kim Minjeong. A disturbing but solid digital animation where a woman wakes up in a dirty sewer-like bath house where is surrounded by creatures made out of waste and filth. There’s some decryption required for this one that still intrigues me.
  • You Will See by Kathleen Bu. A young woman receives a camera with a cryptic message and told to find the right moment to take the best picture. She finds an old man who is mute and decides on choosing him as a subject. In doing so, she becomes predator and prey. An obscure reflection of reaching status and paying too high a price.
  • Night of the Bride by Virat Pal. A young woman is taken prisoner by a family who forces her to marry her son. As the ceremony begins, her pleas for freedom are ignored even as we discover there’s something very wrong with the groom. We’ll soon learn the bride has a few secrets as well. A nice, juicy tale of revenge that I’d love to see as a longer feature. This one’s a favorite of mine.
  • A Night With Moosina by Tsai Shiu-Cheng. A children’s fairy tale not meant for children. Young Chun Mei has to work caring for the family pig and has little time for distractions or homework. From somewhere in the forest, a trickster entity that can possess animals is luring kids to mess with their minds. When her pig is taken, Chun Mei will have to venture into the dark and face her fear head on.

Impressive work by all filmmakers who used the short runtime to dazzle and amaze. I’d recommend you plan on catching this collection next year.

That will do for now.