For years I’ve read about Fantastic Fest like it was a secret clubhouse where horror, sci-fi, fantasy and general cinematic mayhem gathered under one Austin roof. This year, for the festival’s 20th anniversary, I finally get to step inside… sort of. Thanks to the virtual options, I’m not physically planted at the Alamo Drafthouse in Texas, but my eyes are glued to the screen just the same. It’s my first time “attending,” and if this is the appetizer, I’m already hungry for the full meal in future years (If you want a preview from a Fantastic Fest veteran, check out my friend Lana’s review HERE).

The lineup for Fantastic Fest 2025 is stacked like a VHS shelf in a haunted video store (like the one I helped build at Halloween Hollow… yes, this is a shameless plug) — every entry promises something weird, wild or just plain terrifying. This year’s slate has that perfect mix of buzzy studio projects and scrappy genre darlings, and I couldn’t be happier to dive in.

On the bigger end of the spectrum, The Black Phone 2 looks ready to deliver more of that tension that made the first film such a surprise hit. The Strangers – Chapter 2 returns masked terror to the screen, and if the franchise has taught us anything, it’s that a simple, relentless menace can be the scariest thing of all. Vicious has Dakota Fanning stepping into scream queen territory, a role she seems more than capable of owning. And then there’s Sisu: Road to Revenge, a sequel already sharpening its bloody knives to continue one of the most over-the-top ultraviolent sagas in recent memory (and one I definitely have to check out soon).

Sisu: Road to Revenge

Yet, as exciting as the blockbusters are, the true sweet spot for me lives in Shudder’s corner of the party. It’s no secret I love Shudder and almost everything they put out. A brand-new entry in the V/H/S anthology series — this one with a Halloween theme — feels like it was tailor-made for me. Nothing scratches my horror itch like a set of wildly different stories stitched together, each director trying to outdo the last in creativity, shock and sheer nerve. Alongside it, the return of The Creep Tapes for Season 2 promises to drag us right back into the unsettling mythology of the original, and getting a sneak peek here makes the festival feel like a playground for horror fans who thrive on short-form storytelling.

V/H/S Halloween

The thing about Fantastic Fest is that it isn’t just about the splashy premieres everyone’s buzzing about — it’s about stumbling onto those quick, gut-punch jolts of horror that hit you harder than you expect and stick with you long after the credits have rolled. A big studio sequel can get the headlines, sure, but a short film tucked away in one of the fest’s infamous blocks might just be the one that keeps me awake at night. Every corner of this lineup feels like it’s daring me to hit play and see what fresh madness waits on the other side.

Even from behind a screen, the energy is contagious. But I can already tell this is the kind of festival that begs for boots on the ground. My future goal is simple: I want to walk those halls, swap theories with strangers in line and feel the collective electricity of a midnight premiere when the whole room screams, gasps and laughs in unison. Sitting here virtually, scrolling past pictures and videos from this year’s Dragon Con, I feel that itch to be in the middle of it all — the live chaos, the shared adrenaline.

So, for now, this year is my gateway. A trial run, proof that Fantastic Fest isn’t just hype — it’s a pilgrimage worth making. Until I can plant myself in a seat at the Alamo Drafthouse, I’ll soak up the streaming scares, scribble notes from afar, and dream about the day I get to stand shoulder to shoulder with fellow horror die-hards in Austin. Here’s to 20 years of genre greatness — and to my own personal countdown until I can finally say, “See you at South Lamar.”