From blood-soaked thrillers to the wildly imaginative creature features, FrightFest once again transformed London into a horror lover’s paradise for its landmark 25th anniversary. Over the course of five thrilling days, genre aficionados were treated to a diverse array of horror films, ranging from highly anticipated upcoming titles to indie gems poised to become the next big thing through word-of-mouth.

The event showcased more than 70 films at the iconic Odeon Leicester Square, including world premieres and special restoration screenings of timeless classics like *A Nightmare on Elm Street* and *The Hitcher*. This year’s FrightFest lineup was meticulously curated to cater to every horror aficionado’s taste, from eerie ghost stories to tense cat-and-mouse mysteries and unique monster flicks.

One of the most talked-about films was *Broken Bird*, a chilling tale penned by Emmerdale’s Dominic Brunt and directed by his wife Joanne Mitchell. The film opened FrightFest with a bang, drawing audiences into the troubled life of Sybil (Rebecca Calder), a lonely woman who relocates to a new town and finds work at a funeral parlour. Her boss (James Fleet) is secretive yet friendly, but as Sybil’s loneliness grows, her fantasies about a different life escalate into something far more sinister.

*Test Screening*, directed by Clark Baker in his feature debut, transports viewers back to the 1980s. Set in a small Oregon town, the film follows four teens—Reels (Drew Scheid), Simon (Johnny Berchtold), Mia (Rain Spencer), and Penny (Chloë Kerwin)—who participate in a mysterious movie screening that turns out to be a mind-control experiment with devastating consequences.

For those who thought *Jurassic Park* needed more gore and fewer dinosaurs, *The Invisible Raptor* delivers. This horror comedy features an experiment gone wrong, unleashing an invisible raptor on Spielburgh County. It’s up to Dr. Grant Walker (Mike Capes), a washed-up paleontologist, and his security guard co-worker Denny Danielson (David Shackelford) to track down the deadly creature after a local boy goes missing.

*Bookworm*, starring Elijah Wood and Nell Fisher, offered a heartfelt yet quirky respite amidst the festival’s ghosts and gore. The story centers on Mildred (Fisher), whose life is upended when her mother falls into a coma. She is placed under the care of her estranged father Strawn Wise (Wood), who takes her on a perilous camping trip in search of the mythical Canterbury Panther.

Graham Skipper returned to FrightFest with *The Lonely Man with the Ghost Machine*, a tear-jerker set ten years after a global catastrophe known as ‘the calamity’. The film follows Wozzek (Skipper), who desperately attempts to resurrect his deceased wife using a ghost machine while being haunted by a mysterious entity known as The Deletarian.

The festival also delved into the behind-the-scenes turmoil of iconic films like *The Wicker Man*. More than 50 years after its release, Dominic and Justin Hardy explore the financial woes that plagued their father Robin Hardy during production, piecing together their family’s story through six bags of unseen documents.

Another standout was *Member’s Club*, a witchy stripper horror directed by Marc Coleman with a surprise cameo by Peter Andre. This hilarious horror comedy follows a group of ageing male strippers who find themselves ensnared in a plot to resurrect a murderous 16th-century witch.

The dark thriller *Dead Mail*, directed by Kyle McConaghy and Joe DeBoer, had its international premiere at FrightFest. The film begins with a bound and bloodied man posting a plea for help before being dragged back inside. Jasper (Tomas Boykin), a skilled dead letter investigator, becomes intrigued by this mysterious note.

YouTuber Chris Stuckmann made his feature debut with *Shelby Oaks*, raising over $1.3 million through Kickstarter. The film documents the disappearances of the hosts of the popular YouTube channel Paranormal Paranoids. After visiting the ghost town Shelby Oaks, three bodies are discovered while one host remains missing, prompting an investigation by Riley’s sister Mia (Camille Sullivan).

One of the most buzzed-about films was JT Mollner’s *Strange Darling*, starring Kyle Gallner and Willa Fitzgerald. This twisty thriller tells the story of a one-night stand gone horribly wrong and a serial killer’s final spree, best enjoyed with little prior knowledge for maximum shock value.

Samara Weaving returned to horror in *Azrael: Angel Of Death*, set years after an apocalyptic event known as The Rapture. In this mostly silent film, Azrael (Weaving) and her partner (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) flee from a cult determined to sacrifice her to deformed forest creatures known as the Burned Men.

*Boutique: To Preserve And Collect* explores the enduring significance of physical media despite the rise of streaming services. The documentary delves into boutique collector labels like Severin and Criterion, showcasing their role in film restoration and preservation.

Joshua Erkman’s surreal debut *A Desert* had its European premiere at FrightFest. The film follows photographer Alex Clark (Kai Lennox) who goes missing during a cross-country trip. His wife hires private investigator Harold Palladino (David Yow) to track him down, uncovering more than expected.

Sarah Appleton and Phillip Escott’s documentary *Generation Terror* examines the horror films of the 2000s beyond the “torture porn” label, featuring interviews with notable filmmakers and critics who discuss the cultural phenomena that inspired these films.

Closing FrightFest 2024 was Demi Moore’s return in *The Substance*. The film follows ageing starlet Elisabeth Sparkle as she undergoes a clinical procedure promising self-improvement, leading to horrifying results if balance isn’t maintained.

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