Welcome to my first article for Fantastic Fest 2025, where I share a hidden gem you definitely won’t want to miss! 

13 Days Till Summer, directed by Bartosz M. Kowalski, is a slasher with a message, if you want to interpret it that way. This film originates from Poland and is presented in Polish, with English subtitles. Don’t overlook the foreign movies, y’all!

I was drawn to this because of the incredibly creepy thumbnail featuring a mask with an upside-down face. It’s described as a slasher and home-invasion mashup, which reminds me of some of my favorites like You’re Next and Hush. Plus, the film is only 80 minutes long, so I thought it was worth giving it a try. 

The cold open will shake you to your core. You don’t see a killer yet, but the tension and dread are built early on. The way the camera zooms in on the carnage makes you feel trapped and draws you into the gore. They suspect a janitor, who murdered his family the previous year, is behind a recent killing.

We then meet introvert teenager Antek and his older sister, Paula, who share a complicated relationship. Antek blames Paula for their mother’s abandonment. Their father tries to ease the tension, but it doesn’t help. He then leaves them in their large, modern smart home to go on a business trip. Paula then does what any high-school girl would do: throw a party with some of her closest friends.

The night worsens when, after a night of partying, Paula goes downstairs to get a drink and finds the family dog dead. Yes, the dog does die, and it’s shown on screen. However, the dog is already dead — just keep this in mind before watching. I don’t like seeing dogs die in movies either, but I closed my eyes during this scene.

Panic sets in as the group of friends, including Antek, struggles to survive against a ruthless killer and the intelligent home’s technology. The killer has hacked the system and trapped them inside, leaving no way out. Will they find a way to escape… alive?

This is a substantial addition to the slasher and home-invasion genre. It uses many familiar tropes, including a creepy mask, a group of Generation Z characters, brutal kills, blood and suspense. The smart home acts as an additional character, providing help, but also causing distress. This adds an element of entrapment and claustrophobia to the story. While most of the story takes place inside this house, it doesn’t feel isolated because of the movement into different areas of this modern home. 

Honestly, it reminds me of Bodies, Bodies, Bodies, but without the comedy. 

The 80-minute runtime also benefits this film, as it doesn’t overstay its welcome. I felt like I learned enough about most of the characters to care about what happens to them. The movie doesn’t get bogged down with too many details and jumps straight into the bloodbath. While you don’t necessarily see the violence happening, you do see the aftermath and can use your imagination to fill in the blanks, probably due to budget restraints. Practical effects are used, making the slaughter look incredibly lifelike.

Kowalski is known for weaving social commentary into his projects. The beauty of themes and messages is that it’s all subjective. I simply watched this movie as a straightforward slasher and enjoyed my experience.

However, after giving it more thought, you can see it as a commentary on today’s youth and their desensitization to violence. With recent events in our country, so much is coming to light about the depths of the internet and Generation Alpha, which I’m still trying to understand. But that’s a whole other can of worms.

One of my favorite aspects was the cinematography. The shots are so visually pleasing, I couldn’t help but notice them. They are very symmetrical with slow zoom-ins that made my heart race. I can tell Kowalski is a slasher fan because several moments are false alarms before the scares actually happen. For example, Paula is looking in the fridge and closes the door. The killer should be there, right? Wrong. I love that because it just heightens the tension and anxiety to the max.

The performances are strong overall, especially from Antek (Teodor Koziar) and Paula (Katarzyna Gałązka). The emotional trauma that Antek experiences early in the film is evident in his eyes throughout much of the movie. Paula convincingly portrays the older, protective sister who just wants to be accepted by her friends and mostly by her scumbag boyfriend. She’s naive but remains resilient in tough times.

The rest of the friend group is fairly disposable (no pun intended).

The best part is the design of the killer’s mask. It would have been creepy on its own, right side up, with intricate, unsettling patterns and doll-like features. But the fact that it’s worn upside down, resembling a distorted, eerie face, makes it even more terrifying — nightmare fuel! They also use the camera to their advantage, giving the audience unsettling views from the victim’s perspective of the mask, which enhances the sense of vulnerability. Very creative and original. 

The killer also uses a bow and arrow, which you don’t see very often. That terrifies me for many reasons. It’s a quiet weapon. You can also be shot from a far distance. It’s very primal and unexpected. We’re used to seeing knives and other sharp objects in horror. Getting hit with an arrow is so gruesome! And if you live, pulling that thing out must hurt like a… well, you catch my drift.

I wasn’t surprised by the twist and reveal of the killer because I had seen this done before; that’s my only gripe. I rate 13 Days Till Summer four out of five stars. Check this out if you love slasher films. This movie not only scared me, but it also instilled the fear of what really drives a person to kill. 

Similar to a movie I just reviewed, Strange Harvest, this could really happen in real life. That’s the scariest part of all.