Alexis Zollicoffer | Film Festival Today

“I See the Demon” Offers Ambitious Cerebral Horror

October 20, 2026

“I See the Demon” Offers Ambitious Cerebral Horror
By Patrick Howard
October 20, 2026
I See the Demon (Jacob Lees Johnson, 2025) 4½ out of 5 stars I See the Demon blends psychological horror with science fiction to craft a story filled with paranoia and disturbing revelations. Rather than relying on conventional horror tropes, the film builds tension through a fractured sense of reality. This warped reality challenges the viewers to question their senses. ... >>
“NAZA” Chronicles Bibi’s Killing Spree
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
October 8, 2026
NAZA (Yuval Abraham/Rachel Szor, 2026) 5 out of 5 stars By now in this increasingly horrific century of ours, quoting Orwell has become quite the cliché, so forgive me for citing these famous lines from his seminal dystopian novel 1984 (published in 1949): “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” There are so many real-world issues to wish this can apply, given the rise once ... >>
New/Next Review: “The Haunting of Pennhurst”
By Matt Patti
October 8, 2026
The Haunting of Pennhurst (Mike Attie/Katarina Poljak/Nathan R. Stenberg, 2026) 4 out of 5 stars As a haunted house enthusiast, I’ve visited most of the marquee attractions around the eastern Pennsylvania region. I remember when first learning about “Pennhurst Asylum” that I found the idea to be in poor taste. Holding a haunted attraction at the site of a former state institution that was notorious for the awful treatment of its residents and ... >>
TIFF Review: “Club Kid”
By Hannah Tran
September 22, 2026
Club Kid (Jordan Firstman, 2026) 5 out of 5 stars It’s an awe-inspiring feeling like no other to witness an artist create something they seem born to make. It’s even more remarkable if that thing is their debut. In Jordan Firstman’s Club Kid, in which Firstman is the writer, director, and lead actor—a combination at which I would usually raise an eyebrow for first-time feature filmmakers—it feels as if he has aligned every star by hand to create ... >>
TIFF Review: “Long Long Night”
By Christopher Llewellyn Reed
September 20, 2026
Long Long Night (Youm Kyu-Bock, 2026) 3½ out of 5 stars South Korean director Youm Kyu-Bock’s debut feature, Long Long Night, is an adaptation of a 2021 prize-winning children’s book that was later turned into a stage musical. It tells the tale of the last white boulder rhinoceros on Earth, who protects—and journeys across the African continent with—a baby penguin. The film mixes gentle drama and humor with serious tragedy in a combination that ... >>

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5 Films to See at Middleburg 2026
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The 14th Middleburg Film Festival runs from Thursday, ...>>
3 Films to See at New/Next 2026
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Back for its fourth year, Baltimore’s New/Next Film ...>>
10 Picks for TIFF 2026
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Once again, I am headed to the Tribeca Festival, which ...>>