Fantastic Fest Unveils 2022 Lineup, Featuring ‘Smile,’ Anya Taylor-Joy’s ‘The Menu’ and Park Chan-wook Tribute

Rebecca Rubin
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Fantastic Fest, a weeklong celebration of genre filmmaking, has announced the full lineup for its 2022 festival.

This year’s event, taking place in Austin, Texas, from Sept. 22 through Sept. 29, will open with the world premiere of Paramount’s unsettling thriller “The Smile,” starring Sosie Bacon as a doctor whose mind begins to turn on her after she witnesses a traumatic experience involving a patient. Director Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or-winning black comedy “Triangle of Sadness” will close the festival.

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In total, Fantastic Fest will showcase 21 world premieres, 14 North American premieres and 21 U.S. premieres. Now in its 17th edition, the festival will be held at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar. Horror mavens who can’t make the trek to Texas will be able to catch up on the festivities a week later through the virtual “FF@Home” experience from Sept. 29 through Oct. 4.

“It’s been far too long since we’ve all been able to gather together and celebrate film the Fantastic Fest way,” says festival director Lisa Dreyer. “We’ve really put our all into crafting an extraordinary week, from the exceptional programming that spans exciting discoveries to highly anticipated features, to our signature events that will inject a much-needed dose of fun into 2022.”

Major studio films on the lineup include two Searchlight releases, the U.S. premieres of “The Menu” and director Martin McDonagh’s “The Banshees of Inisherin.” Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Fiennes and Nicholas Hoult star in “The Menu,” which follows a young couple visiting an exclusive restaurant on a remote island, where the acclaimed chef has prepared a lavish tasting menu — with a few surprises. “The Banshees of Inisherin” centers on two people who abruptly end their friendship with alarming consequences.

Other films slated to play at Fantastic Fest include director Luca Guadagnino’s cannibal chiller “Bones and All”; John Hyams’ slasher “Sick”; and A24’s “Medusa Deluxe,” a murder mystery set in the world of competitive hairdressing.

Fantastic Fest will also world premiere Noah Segan’s directorial debut “Blood Relatives,” a father-daughter vampire comedy, from Shudder; “Dark Side of the Ring” co-creator Jason Eisener’s “Kids vs. Aliens,” which sees a group of friends face off against evil space invaders; and “Satanic Hispanics,” an anthology horror film from Epic Pictures.

This year’s edition will also honor South Korean director Park Chan-wook, best known for “Oldboy,” “Snowpiercer” and “The Handmaiden.” In addition to the U.S. premiere of his latest film, “Decision to Leave,” the acclaimed filmmaker will be present at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar to accept a lifetime achievement award from Fantastic Fest “in celebration of his mind-bending, artfully crafted body of work.”

“Fantastic Fest has always been the purest expression of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema’s founding principle: share the joy of cinema with people you love,” says Fantastic Fest founder Tim League. “I am beyond proud of the team for forging one of, if not the all-time best, Fantastic Fest experiences ever. This is my favorite week of the year, and I cannot wait to share it with all of you.”

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