The 5 Best Movies of Fantasia Film Festival 2025
Photo from Fantasia Fest
From Jeff Nelson
This year’s Fantasia Film Festival brought no shortage of creativity, spanning genres and unconventional movies. Here are the top five best films I saw during this year’s program.
Photo from Fantasia Fest
5. ‘The School Duel’
Todd Wiseman Jr. goes straight for the jugular of American politics in The School Duel, combining the devastating violence of school shootings with The Hunger Games, Battle Royale, and The Purge. He tells the story of 13-year-old Sam (Kue Lawrence), who enlists in a deadly competition in a near-future Floridian society where gun control is outlawed. It’s a bleak dystopian thriller that isn’t afraid to shout its message from the rooftops.
Read the full review here.
The School Duel does not have distribution at the time of writing.
Photo from Fantasia Fest
4. ‘Together’
Body horror is a hot ticket right now. Michael Shanks shapes it into a surprisingly hilarious romance. The movie follows longtime couple Tim (Dave Franco) and Millie (Allison Brie), who struggle to keep their relationship afloat amid intimacy issues and a big move to the country. Tension erupts when they encounter an entity that morphs their love and flesh. It’s a successful genre mash-up that will make you cringe in the best way possible.
Together is currently playing in theaters.
Photo from Fantasia Fest
3. ‘Lurker’
Celebrity culture and narcissism collide in Alex Russell’s impressive Lurker. Théodore Pellerin gives a stellar performance as Matthew, a trendy clothing shop worker who infiltrates the inner circle of a rising pop star (Archie Madekwe). He refuses to let it go, no matter the cost. This unnerving, dramatic thriller avoids thematic clichés. It sticks with you.
Read the full review here.
Lurker hits theaters on August 22.
Photo from Fantasia Fest
2. 'LifeHack’
Screenlife movies don’t get better than LifeHack. Ronan Corrigan’s stunning feature debut follows four young adults (Georgie Farmer, Yasmin Finney, Roman Hayeck-Green, James Scholz), who attempt a multi-million-dollar Bitcoin heist. Told entirely from their bedroom computers, this thriller takes full advantage of the format. You don’t want to miss this nerve-wracking experience.
Read the full review here.
LifeHack does not have distribution at the time of writing.
Photo from Fantasia Fest
1. ‘Redux Redux’
The multiverse might be done to death, but Redux Redux is fresh and electrifying. Irene Kelly (Michaela McManus) travels from one universe to the next, repeatedly killing her daughter’s murderer in search of a world where her daughter survived. Emotionally profound and rip-roaringly striking, this big-concept sci-fi thriller is an indie revelation. It’s the best film I saw at Fantasia 2025.
Read the full review here.
Redux Redux will have a nationwide theatrical release later this year.
Fantasia Film Festival 2025 ran from July 16 to August 3.
