What could possibly make Halloween even better this year? For us, it’s the start of Denver Film Festival, which takes place on October 31. Forget about the 13-night-marathon of scary movies leading up to Halloween and instead, focus on the 13 nights after.
For 2018, Denver Film Festival is back with nearly two weeks of film screenings. To make things easier for you, we dug through over 200 films to find everything that can keep the Halloween steam going after the spooky holiday. Here’s a look at everything scary, sci-fi, suspenseful and flat-out horrific at this year’s Denver Film Festival. If you’re a scary-film buff, be sure to check out our schedule at the bottom of this article, which outlines how to catch all of the films below, to get your freaky fill.
READ: Red Carpet Films Announced for This Year’s Denver Film Festival
The Angel (El Angel)
When: Monday, November 5 at 4 p.m., Tuesday, November 6 at 4:15 p.m. and Wednesday, November 7 at 6:45 p.m.
Where: UA Pavilions — 500 16th St. Mall, Denver
Cost: $12 for DFS members; $16 for non-members. Go here for tickets.
The Lowdown: Though marketed as more of a stylish crime-drama than a scary flick, this tense and sexually-cinematic Argentinian thriller follows the true-crime story of serial killer Carlos Robledo Puch. Puch was dubbed “The Angel of Death” — where the movie derives its title — and [SPOILER ALERT] has served more time in jail than anyone in Argentinian history. Having earned an official selection spot at the Cannes Film Festival this year, El Angel is sure to be as gripping as it is suspenseful. This film is a part of both the CinemaLatino and CinemaQ micro-programming at DFF41 as well as Sheila K. O’Brien’s spotlight on UK/Ireland Cinema.
Anna and the Apocalypse
When: Friday, November 9 t 11:45 p.m. and Saturday, November 10 at 9:30 p.m.
Where: Sie Film Center — 2510 E Colfax Ave.
Cost: $12 for DFS members; $16 for non-members. Go here for tickets.
The Lowdown: Deemed “Shaun of the Dead meets La La Land” by First Showing, this Christmas zombie musical (yes, a Christmas zombie musical) should be one hell of a joyride. The 2017 flick debuted at Fantastic Fest last year and has been making waves through its circuit ever since, even screening earlier this month at Telluride Horror Show and making our best-of list. Consider Anna and the Apocalypse the perfect film to transition from Halloween to Christmas.
Border
When: Saturday, November 3 at 1:30 p.m. and Monday, November 5 at 6:45 p.m.
Where: UA Pavilions — 500 16th St. Mall
Cost: $12 for DFS members; $16 for non-members. Go here for tickets.
The Lowdown: From the director of Let the Right One In comes another genre-bending film that’s part of DFF’s special presentation programming. Titled Border, the movie seems to find a similar balance between romance and horror, amidst stylized cinematography. Border took home an award at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival and was an official selection at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, New York Film Festival and Colorado’s own Telluride Film Festival. At DFF, Border is in the running for the prestigious Krzysztof Kielowski Award for Best Feature Film. However, Border is far from being any sort of premiere at DFF, considering that it’s also currently playing at Alamo Drafthouse.
Burning
When: Sunday, November 11 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Sie FilmCenter
Cost: $12 for DFS members; $16 for non-members. Go here for tickets.
The Lowdown: This sexy psychological thriller stars Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead‘s Glenn) as the antagonist and was an official selection at Cannes. Still not sold? Burning was nominated for three awards in lieu of its Cannes showing, taking home two. This special presentation only has one screening, so don’t sit on buying tickets — however, Burning is slated for a limited US theatrical release before this screening — on November 9 — so it’s possible we will see the Korean film playing in a Denver theater soon.
CAM
When: Friday, November 2 at 9:45 p.m. and Saturday, November 3 at 9 p.m.
Where: Sie FilmCenter — 2510 E Colfax Ave.
Cost: $12 for DFS members; $16 for non-members. Go here for tickets.
The Lowdown: CAM is CU Denver’s College of the Arts & Media’s submission at this year’s DFF and also screened earlier this month at Telluride Horror Show. It’s a paranoia-fueled psychological thriller about sex work written by an ex-sex worker. It stars Madeline Brewer of Handmaid’s Tale, and the filmmaker Daniel Goldhaber won the Best First Feature award for CAM at this year’s Fantasia Film Festival.
Caniba
When: Thursday, November 1 at 9:15 p.m., Friday, November 2 at 6:30 p.m. and Friday, November 9 at 9 p.m.
Where: Sie FilmCenter — 2510 E Colfax Ave.
Cost: $12 for DFS members; $16 for non-members. Go here for tickets.
The Lowdown: Without a doubt, the Japanese/French collaboration that is Caniba is set to be one of the most unnerving, disturbing and horrific films at this year’s DFF — and it’s a documentary. Caniba follows Issei Sagawa — an elderly man who murdered and cannibalized a woman 32 years ago and to this day remains free. Both a character study of Sagawa and a paternal look at his familial relationship with his brother, Caniba isn’t for the faint of heart. The movie was an official selection at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), New York Film Festival (NYFF) and even a juried-prize winner at Venice Film Festival. Note — act fast, tickets for all Caniba showings are marked as “limited availability.”
Chained for Life
When: Wednesday, November 7 at 1:45 p.m., Thursday, November 8 at 7:15 p.m. and Friday, November 9 at 4 p.m.
Where: UA Pavilions — 500 16th St. Mall
Cost: $12 for DFS members; $16 for non-members. Go here for tickets.
The Lowdown: Now, admittedly, this is not a scary movie. However, it’s a satire dramedy about scary movies, making it worthwhile for us genre enthusiasts. This unnerving portrait of a Hollywood horror set pairs together a beautiful blonde woman and a physically-disfigured co-star. It spotlights the controversial exploitation and misunderstanding that’s ingrained in Hollywood when it comes to casting actors and actresses with physical deformities. Chained for Life premiered at this year’s Fantasia Film Festival and is currently holding down a 100-percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s also in the running for the American Independent Award at DFF this year.
Hell is Where the Home Is
When: Friday, November 2 at 12:15 a.m. and Wednesday, November 7 at 9:15 p.m.
Where: Friday screening at Sie FilmCenter (2510 E Colfax Ave.); Wednesday screening at UA Pavilions (500 16th St. Mall)
Cost: $12 for DFS members; $16 for non-members. Go here for tickets.
The Lowdown: Say hello to this year’s Denver Film Festival slasher. Certified as a gory flick by the DFF program, this one is sure to please fans of home invasion thrillers. Home is Where the Hell Is has yet to release a trailer but the plot revolves around two couples who retreat to a home in the desert to work on their personal lives and relationships, but the night spirals out of control one night when a stranger knocks on the door.
Ladyworld
When: Tuesday, November 6 at 7:15 p.m., Wednesday, November 7 at 6:30 p.m. and Friday, November 9 at 9:30 p.m.
Where: UA Pavilions — 500 16th St. Mall
Cost: $12 for DFS members; $16 for non-members. Go here for tickets.
The Lowdown: There’s not much footage out when it comes to this low-budget debut film by Amanda Kramer. Ladyworld has only offered up a teaser-clip of the film thus far — no full trailer. However, from what we can tell from the clip, Ladyworld is looking like a potentially violent, disturbing and psychological joyride. Compared to a modern take on Lord of the Flies the film’s plot is centered around an earthquake that leaves a group of teenage girls stranded in a home with limited water, no cell service and no electricity. I’m sure you can all imagine what comes next as the stakes grow higher and the desperation kicks in. Ladyworld screened at this year’s Fantastic Fest and is in the running for DFF’s Amerian Independent Award, the film’s first-ever nomination.
Jupiter’s Moon (Jupiter holdja)
When: Saturday, November 10 at 8:45 p.m. and Sunday, November 11 at 6:45 p.m.
Where: UA Pavilions — 500 16th St. Mall
Cost: $12 for DFS members; $16 for non-members. Go here for tickets.
The Lowdown: This politically-relevant thriller follows a Syrian refugee on his journey to escape his homeland to Hungary. After being caught by police enforcement, it’s discovered that he has special powers. Seemingly cinematically engaging, violent and suspenseful, this one’s a can’t-miss. Jupiter’s Moon has won awards at Sitges, Austin Fantastic Fest, Norwegian International Film Festival and more, plus it screened at last year’s Cannes. The film is a part of DFF41’s focus on Hungarian Cinema.
Number 37
When: Friday, November 2 t 9:15 p.m., Saturday, November 3 at 6:15 p.m. and Monday, November 5 at 2 p.m.
Where: Friday and Saturday screenings at UA Pavilions (500 16th St. Mall); Monday screening at Sie Film Center (2510 E Colfax Ave.).
Cost: $12 for DFS members; $16 for non-members. Go here for tickets.
The Lowdown: Described as South Africa’s Rear Window, this taut crime thriller premiered at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival with a nomination and all. Fans of last year’s DFF selection Cold Hell (Die Holle) should keep this film on their radar in what’s stacking up to be a taut and violent flick.
Perfect
When: Friday, November 2 at 9:45 p.m. and Saturday, November 3 at 9 p.m.
Where: Friday screening at Sie FilmCenter (2510 E Colfax Ave.); Saturday screening at UA Pavilions (500 16th St. Mall).
Cost: $12 for DFS members; $16 for non-members. Go here for tickets.
The Lowdown: Long story short — don’t miss Perfect. The film was an official selection at SXSW Film Festival, is co-executive produced by Steven Soderbergh (director of Traffic, Erin Brokovich, Unsane, Magic Mike, Solaris) and has original music by Flying Lotus. The movie doesn’t look too scary but seems as if it’s going to divulge itself in sci-fi cinematography, gore, suspense and political undertones. Perfect is one of two selections this year from the DFS Reel Social Club — the late-night selection (the other being In a Relationship starring Emma Roberts — the date-night selection). Fun fact — Soderbergh is staying busy. He announced just this month a Netflix NBA drama starring Meryl Streep and David Schwimmer.
Prospect
When: Saturday, November 10 at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Sie Film Center — 2510 E Colfax Ave.
Cost: $12 for DFS members; $16 for non-members. Go here for tickets.
The Lowdown: This sci-fi thriller was a winner at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival and now, it’s making its way to Denver Film Festival. The film follows a father and daughter on an alien planet as they mine for precious gems. However, they’re not alone, joined by other miners and inhabitants, eventually leading to a psychological (and seemingly violent) outcome. With only one screening and slotted during the same time as a red carpet presentation (Vox Lux with Natalie Portman and Jude Law), this is a tough one to work into your schedule. If you’re a psychological-sci-fi aficionado, we recommend checking out Prospect, but if you’re a fan of Natalie Portman, consider Vox Lux since Prospect is slated for an official release this November 2, signaling that we may see it in Denver theaters soon after.
Shorts 3 (Late Night)
When: Friday, November 2 at 1:30 p.m., Thursday, November 8 at 9 p.m. and Friday, November 9 at 9:30 p.m.
Where: UA Pavilions — 500 16th St. Mall
Cost: $12 for DFS members; $16 for non-members. Go here for tickets.
The Lowdown: Denver Film Festival’s late-night shorts segment is always a crowd-pleaser. Keep in mind not all of the shorts are horror — rather, the series’ intention is to celebrate more adult-appropriate shorts in one sitting (similar to Denver Film Festival’s overall Late-Night programming which they call “the dark side of cinema“). This year’s segment notably includes a creepy dance-fueled film titled Child of the Sky (trailer above). It was choreographed by Denna Thomsen who’s worked with Florence + the Machine, Sia, Sigur Rós and more. Also, this segment contains a doc-short titled The Beaning that explores a theory around the 1920 death of Ray Chapman and the rise of the Yankees dynasty that followed. Other shorts in the series include 86’d, Coyote Hair, lslands (Les îles), Wolf and Milk, some of which have won awards at Sundance, Cannes, Fantasia and SXSW — so strap yourselves in for a damn good ride.
Tyrel
When: Wednesday, November 7 at 6:15 p.m. and Thursday, November 8 at 3:45 p.m.
Where: UA Pavilions — 500 16th St. Mall
Cost: $12 for DFS members; $16 for non-members. Go here for tickets.
The Lowdown: Though Tyrel is technically a drama-comedy, Paste Magazine referred to the movie as “one of the most terrifying non-horror movies you’ll ever see.” The film has also been referred to as “2018’s response to Get Out” — and even stars Caleb Landry Jones, the brother from Get Out. The film follows a black man — Tyler (not Tyrel) — who goes on a vacation with a group of all white “bros” as the film description states. What unfolds is a tense, thought-provoking story of race in America. Also starring Christopher Abbott (Girls, It Comes at Night and DFF41’s Vox Lux) and Michael Cera, Tyrel is a part of DFF’s American Independent Showcase and in the running for the Amerian Independent Award.
Violence Voyager
When: Thursday, November 8 at 9:30 p.m. and Friday, November 9 at midnight.
Where: Sie Film Center — 2510 E Colfax Ave.
Cost: $12 for DFS members; $16 for non-members. Go here for tickets.
The Lowdown: Violence Voyager uses a form of animation called gekimation which uses paper dolls and puppetry. Described by DFS as an “adventure movie that’s definitely not for kids.” And don’t think that using animation held back director Ujicha from making this a gross and gory feat. The film follows two boys who venture into the nearby mountains to visit a friend. On the way, they discover Violence Voyager — a “hands-on amusement park.” What begins as a mysteriously fun adventure turns into a dark thrill ride as the boys realize other children have been trapped at Violence Voyager for days and the park’s owner has some devious plans of his own.
Virtual Reality Experiences — Fire Escape and Dinner Party
When: All experiences begin on Thursday, November 1 with Fire Escape available until Saturday, November 3 and Dinner Party available until Sunday, November 11. Virtual Reality hours are Monday-Wednesday from 3-8 p.m., Thursday-Friday from 3-9 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. with the exception of its final closure on Sunday, November 11 at 4 p.m.
Where: McNichols Civic Center Building — 144 W. Colfax Ave.
Cost: Fire Escape is $12 for DFS members and $14 for non-members; Dinner Party is free. Go here for tickets and more information.
The Lowdown: Every year DFF features exciting virtual reality (VR) experiences — and this year they’ve included three spooky ones. The first — Fire Escape — is a thriller inspired by Rear Window (also see Number 37) where you play a voyeur watching windows from a Brooklyn fire escape. According to the program, you aren’t a voyeur for long, though. The second spooky VR experience is based on a true story. Dinner Party sits you down at a kitchen table with the Hills — a couple who were recorded as the first national UFO abduction. Listen and watch as they recount what happened — or didn’t happen. Lastly, The Willows (trailer above) revolves around your invitation to The Willows’ dinner party. But all isn’t as seems in this adaptation of the critically acclaimed immersive theater production of the same name.
The Wolf House (La casa lobo)
When: Thursday, November 1 at 9:45 p.m., Friday, November 2 at midnight and Saturday, November 3 at 9:30 p.m.
Where: Sie Film Center — 2510 E Colfax Ave.
Cost: $12 for DFS members; $16 for non-members. Go here for tickets.
The Lowdown: Animation doesn’t get much creepier than this. Chilean film The Wolf House uses stop-motion animation to create haunting imagery across various mediums. The film seemingly plays with your perception by means of depth, different artistic outlets and tricks-of-the-eye. Following a religious community and family, a banished girl and mutating animals, this one should be a complex feat carried by imaginative animation. The Wolf House is a part of Denver Film Festival’s CinemaLatino micro-programming.
Schedule
Here’s a schedule so you can catch all of the films in this article. The schedule is organized based on convenience to avoid traveling between theaters. VR is not listed.
Thursday, November 1
9:45 p.m.: The Wolf House @ Sie FilmCenter
Friday, November 2
1:30 p.m.: Shorts 3 (Late Night) @ UA Pavilions
6:30 p.m.: Caniba @ Sie FilmCenter
9:45 p.m.: CAM @ Sie FilmCenter
12:15 a.m.: Hell is Where the Home Is @ Sie FilmCenter (also screening unconflicted on Wednesday, November 7 at 9:15 p.m.)
Saturday, November 3
1:30 p.m.: Border @ UA Pavilions (also screening unconflicted on Monday, November 5 at 2 p.m.)
6:15 p.m.: Number 37 @ UA Pavilions (also screening unconflicted on Monday, November 5 at 2 p.m.)
9 p.m.: Perfect @ UA Pavilions
Sunday, November 4
NA
Monday, November 5
NA (Border and Number 37 are screening unconflicted if you can’t see them November 3)
Tuesday, November 6
4:15 p.m.: The Angel @ UA Pavilions
7:15 p.m.: Ladyworld @ UA PAvilions
Wednesday, November 7
6:15 p.m.: Tyrel @ UA Pavilions (also screening unconflicted on Thursday, November 8 at 3:45 p.m.)
Thursday, November 8
7:15 p.m.: Chained for Life @ UA Pavilions (also screening unconflicted on Friday, November 9 at 4 p.m.)
9:30 p.m.: Violence Voyager @ Sie FilmCenter
Friday, November 9
11:45 p.m.: Anna and the Apocalypse @ Sie FilmCenter
Saturday, November 10
Note: There is very little time between these screenings making this a potential conflict. This is the only screening of Prospect. Jupiter’s Moon has one other showing at the same time as the only screening of Burning on Sunday, November 11 below.
6:30 p.m.: Prospect @ Sie FilmCenter
8:45 p.m.: Jupiter’s Moon @ UA Pavilions
Sunday, November 11
7:30 p.m.: Burning @ Sie FilmCenter