Sitges is renowned for its love affair with dogs. This year's canine contingent was palpable, sprawling on cafe terraces or getting their poop scooped by devoted owners – but all were far removed from the vicious mutts that terrorized screens in a slew of films at this year's 58th International Fantastic film festival of Catalonia.
At the heart of The Virgin of the Quarry Lake lies a slow-burning Carrie-esque coming-of-age story set against the tumultuous backdrop of 2001 Argentina. A young woman finds herself embroiled in a cat-and-mouse game with killer dogs, their jaws snapping with deadly precision as they stalk their prey through the desert landscape. In Todos los Males, a small boy uncovers dark secrets within his family's German heritage, only to discover that one of them involves flesh-ripping hounds. Shelby Oaks takes a more rustic approach, with a woman investigating her sister's disappearance becoming the unwitting star of an abandoned prison's gruesome game of survival – all while vicious dogs prowl in the shadows.
Conversely, Ben Leonberg's Good Boy restores confidence in man's best friend with a heartwarming ghost story told entirely from the perspective of a trusty Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever called Indy. As Indy moves with his ailing human into an old dark house in the woods, he begins to sense a malevolent presence that his owner cannot – setting the stage for a thrilling showdown between man and beast.
But dogs are not the only pets to go rogue. In Jan Kounen's L'Homme Qui Rétrécit, tiny Jean Dujardin finds himself under attack by Tofou, the family tuxedo cat – in a scene that deftly balances practical effects with modern film convention. The remake of Jack Arnold's classic The Incredible Shrinking Man proves to be a respectful and thoroughly enjoyable retelling, one that highlights the importance of nuanced storytelling.
Vomiting in films has become an all-too-familiar trope, appearing in everything from Silencio, a stitched-together series of Spanish lesbian vampire soap operas, to Tornado, John Maclean's belated follow-up to 2015's Slow West. With Tim Roth at the helm, it promises much but delivers little.
Zak Hilditch's We Bury the Dead attempts to put an intriguing new spin on the zombie film genre, as a US military blunder wipes out Tasmania's population and Daisy Ridley volunteers to clear corpses in hopes of finding her missing husband – only for the film to fizzle in its final act. Meanwhile, Primate finds its own brand of carnage, with a rabid chimpanzee wreaking havoc on a group of teens trapped in a swimming pool.
In contrast, Kenji Tanigaki's The Furious delivers an adrenaline-fueled ride as a Chinese woman searches for her sister in Rome, triggering a first-class kitchen fight that deftly incorporates pans, utensils, and boiling oil. For sheer action-packed thrills, Tom Cruise can't hold a candle to Miao Xie – who sprints after a truck with flip-flops on.
A standout film of the festival was Yûta Shimotsu's New Group, which screened under its title Best Wishes to All two years ago. The film tells the tale of Ai and her classmates as they form a human pyramid in the schoolyard – but that's only the beginning of an anti-conformist message expressed through bizarre, funny, and disturbing visuals reminiscent of horror manga maestro Junji Ito.
At the heart of The Virgin of the Quarry Lake lies a slow-burning Carrie-esque coming-of-age story set against the tumultuous backdrop of 2001 Argentina. A young woman finds herself embroiled in a cat-and-mouse game with killer dogs, their jaws snapping with deadly precision as they stalk their prey through the desert landscape. In Todos los Males, a small boy uncovers dark secrets within his family's German heritage, only to discover that one of them involves flesh-ripping hounds. Shelby Oaks takes a more rustic approach, with a woman investigating her sister's disappearance becoming the unwitting star of an abandoned prison's gruesome game of survival – all while vicious dogs prowl in the shadows.
Conversely, Ben Leonberg's Good Boy restores confidence in man's best friend with a heartwarming ghost story told entirely from the perspective of a trusty Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever called Indy. As Indy moves with his ailing human into an old dark house in the woods, he begins to sense a malevolent presence that his owner cannot – setting the stage for a thrilling showdown between man and beast.
But dogs are not the only pets to go rogue. In Jan Kounen's L'Homme Qui Rétrécit, tiny Jean Dujardin finds himself under attack by Tofou, the family tuxedo cat – in a scene that deftly balances practical effects with modern film convention. The remake of Jack Arnold's classic The Incredible Shrinking Man proves to be a respectful and thoroughly enjoyable retelling, one that highlights the importance of nuanced storytelling.
Vomiting in films has become an all-too-familiar trope, appearing in everything from Silencio, a stitched-together series of Spanish lesbian vampire soap operas, to Tornado, John Maclean's belated follow-up to 2015's Slow West. With Tim Roth at the helm, it promises much but delivers little.
Zak Hilditch's We Bury the Dead attempts to put an intriguing new spin on the zombie film genre, as a US military blunder wipes out Tasmania's population and Daisy Ridley volunteers to clear corpses in hopes of finding her missing husband – only for the film to fizzle in its final act. Meanwhile, Primate finds its own brand of carnage, with a rabid chimpanzee wreaking havoc on a group of teens trapped in a swimming pool.
In contrast, Kenji Tanigaki's The Furious delivers an adrenaline-fueled ride as a Chinese woman searches for her sister in Rome, triggering a first-class kitchen fight that deftly incorporates pans, utensils, and boiling oil. For sheer action-packed thrills, Tom Cruise can't hold a candle to Miao Xie – who sprints after a truck with flip-flops on.
A standout film of the festival was Yûta Shimotsu's New Group, which screened under its title Best Wishes to All two years ago. The film tells the tale of Ai and her classmates as they form a human pyramid in the schoolyard – but that's only the beginning of an anti-conformist message expressed through bizarre, funny, and disturbing visuals reminiscent of horror manga maestro Junji Ito.
i'm so down for some good dog flicks tho like Ben Leonberg's Good Boy it's a total mood 
indie as a ghost story is such an underrated genre and the way they wove the supernatural elements with the bond between Indy and his owner was perfection. on another note l'homme qui retrécit was also a hidden gem 
jean dujardin got robbed of that toulouse award lol
at the same time its kinda cool to see movies taking the whole "pets turn on us" thing seriously but some films just fall flat like Tornado, i mean tim roth was trying his best but it felt like he was stuck in neutral 
what about the zombie genre tho? i loved We Bury The Dead at first but that final act was a major letdown 
and on a more positive note, i'm so here for Ben Leonberg's Good Boy, who wouldn't wanna watch a movie from the perspective of a trusty dog 
They're like something outta a bad dream, you know? The way the camera zooms in on those snapping jaws, it's just so... intense 
And it's interesting to see how some films play up the whole 'man vs beast' vibe, while others are more like 'pet turns rogue' - I mean, who hasn't had that happen to their cat or something? 
But honestly, some of these animal horror flicks are just a mess 
like Vomiting in Films, which seems so promising on paper but falls flat. Still, it's rad to see the diversity of content at this festival - there's something for everyone!
it's just so overdone. Like, can't we move on from that already? It's been done to death (pun intended) and now it's just becoming a lazy cop-out for writers. 
Anyway, I'm just glad we had some decent films amidst all the vomit-filled nonsense 
. I mean who wouldn't want to see a ghost story from a dog's perspective? It's like they're speaking straight to my soul! 
. With Tim Roth on board, it promised so much but ended up delivering little.
. The idea of a human pyramid in the schoolyard is already pretty weird, and then you add in Junji Ito's style? That just sounds like a wild ride! I'm definitely going to check that one out.
and that cat scene in L'Homme Qui Rétrécit was low-key hilarious 
I'm still reeling from the action-packed ride but that film left me panting 
anyway, can't wait to see what's cooking at the next fest 
? and what's with the dogs, tho? 2001 argentina setting sounds super bleak 
but i guess good boy is def a mood booster for me 
. Seriously though, these movies take the whole "pets turned against us" thing to a whole new level. It's like how some politicians promise the world and deliver nothing, except in this case, it's more like a bunch of pets delivering all sorts of chaos 
. Take "L'Homme Qui Rétrécit" for example - it's a wild ride with a tuxedo cat that'll have you on the edge of your seat. And then there's "The Furious", which is like a non-stop action flick that'll leave you breathless 
.
? I mean, it's like how some politicians keep rehashing the same old policies and expecting different results