The inaugural Nightstream Festival kicks off this week just in time for the spooky season.
The horror-themed fest unites five regional festivals for the ultimate scary movie bonanza. From guest speakers to movie night trivia events, cinephiles can experience hundreds of features and short films virtually. Below, The Knockturnal selects which films are not to be missed.
An Unquiet Grave, dir. Terence Key
A year after losing his wife in a car accident, Jamie (Jacob A. Ware) and his sister-in-law (Christine Nyland) return to the scene of the crime to perform a strange ritual. Yet it quickly becomes clear that Jamie has other intentions.
Black Bear, dir. Lawrence Michael Levine
The Audrey Plaza-led drama centers on a struggling filmmaker (Plaza) who arrives at a rural retreat only to discover her hosts (Christopher Abbott and Sarah Gadon) are not as they seem.
Bleed With Me, dir. Amelia Moses
Writer-director Amelia Moses’ feature debut follows Rowan (Lee Marshall) and her best friend Emily (Lauren Beatty) over what should be a fun weekend away. Over the course of their trip, however, Rowan becomes convinced Emily is trying to harm her.
Detention, dir. John Hsu
Set in 1962 Taiwan, two students (Gingle Wang and Jing-Hua Tseng) become trapped in an empty school with mysterious spirits. The film is based on a popular 2017 video game of the same name, and a television adaptation is slated for Netflix in 2021.
The Doorman, dir. Ryûhei Kitamura
Ruby Rose stars as a former Marine turned doorman at a luxury New York City apartment building who battles a group of art thieves.
Honeydew, dir. Devereux Milburn
A stranded young couple are taken in by a strange woman and her son. The film stars Sawyer Spielberg (yes, son of THAT Spielberg), Malin Barr, and Barbara Kingsley.
Lucky, dir. Natasha Kermani
A self-help author (Brea Grant) is stalked daily be a masked intruder. In the vein of Happy Death Day, she repeatedly kills the man, only to find him again the next day. This semi-satirical take on the genre trope of a “final girl” is further emphasized by references to the #MeToo movement.
Run, dir. Aneesh Chaganty
Following Aneesh Chaganty’s indie 2018 hit Searching, this high-anticipated is the opening night selection for the Nightstream Festival. Sarah Paulson stars as an overbearing mother seeking to protect her homeschooled daughter (Kiera Allen) from a secret.
Nighstream Festival is available online from October 8 – 14th.
