Grimmfest, Manchester’s International Festival of Fantastic Film, celebrated its fifteenth anniversary this year with four days of the very best in genre cinema. Horror fans of all ages gathered at Odeon Manchester Great Northern for a vast array of screenings including 16 feature films and three programmes of shorts—all new to Manchester—with many receiving international, European, or UK premieres.
As the Halloween season has now drawn to a close, let’s take a look back at some of the highlights of this year’s festival that got attendees in the spooky spirit.
My festival experience commenced on Thursday night as I attended the pre-festival pub quiz hosted by The Evolution of Horror podcast team. Mike Muncer and Brad Hanson were fun and engaging hosts, showcasing their depth and breadth of horror knowledge with an impressive variety of film questions: from the early 1930s innovative classics to modern-day blockbusters. It was a fun icebreaker for what would be an enjoyable weekend of thrills and scares with a hefty serving of uncompromising violence and challenging themes.
By far one of the most uneasy viewings was Quarxx’s philosophical horror Pandemonium. Viewers are taken on a disturbing journey into the beyond when two characters, united by a tragic fate, must contend with their guilt when plunged into a brutal and unforgiving realm of torment. The film interweaves two additional narratives as we’re forced to experience the ruthless pain and troubled existences of other condemned souls. These scenes are particularly unnerving in their visceral detail and unyielding and merciless violence. It is a challenging yet compelling descent into an existential nightmare that confronts the darkness of humanity.
Yet, the visceral emotional intensity is well-balanced with rich imagery and deeply evocative production design. Pandemonium is a particularly arresting work of visual ambition and it is no wonder that the Grimmfest jury awarded the film the 2023 Grimm Reaper awards for ‘Best VFX/SFX’ and ‘Best Cinematography’.
But that was not the only standout of the festival. Actor-writer Adam Z. Robinson from theatre company The Book of Darkness, in association with Grimmfest, brought his new ghost story HAUNTED to the stage on Friday night. Adam possessed a captivating stage presence, delivering an atmospheric reading of two classic ghost stories: The Monkey’s Paw by W.W. Jacobs and The Upper Berth by F. Marion Crawford. He segues between characters with ease, bringing a distinct voice and personality to each while simultaneously appearing completely absorbed in the tense and eerie realm of the paranormal. The result was pure spine-chilling escapism brimming with edge-of-your-seat tension.
But the dark and spooky was offset by on-brand dark humour and playful satire, which is what we get with Raymond Wood’s feminist revenge horror Faceless After Dark. It is shocking yet equally refreshing to see such a unique take on the slasher genre, offering a wickedly gory exploration of social media toxicity.
Another standout was Natasha Halevi’s Give Me an A: an anthology of 16 short stories spanning various genres thematically focused on abortion rights and bodily autonomy in response to the overthrowing of Roe V Wade. Varying from wacky music numbers to skin-crawling body horror, it presents viewers with an urgent call for action to protect women’s rights to privacy, equality, and bodily integrity.
The screening was followed by a 30-minute panel and Q&A with Grimmfest acting co-director Linnie Blake and horror podcast Monstrous Flesh. Linnie Blake’s strong passion for the project was evident as she discussed its representational significance: “It’s very difficult to explain to someone who isn’t a woman how our bodies really influence and inflect and—in cases—decide who we are and how we live in the world. The fact that it exists is important…It’s art that represents the reality of our everyday fears.”
Overall, this year’s Grimmfest was a very fun-filled event with a solid selection of films. Despite how jam-packed the festival was, it was well-structured, alternating between visceral horror and more light-hearted and playful satire offering attendees the perfect respite. The atmosphere was very bubbly and it was very quaint to see fellow horror fans, huddling in groups between showings to dissect and interpret the films.
Above all else, its biggest achievement is allowing a thriving network of horror film fans to geek out over their shared love of the genre. One attendee and festival volunteer, Quen, summarized the festival experience for fans: “Everyone is so lovely and welcoming. It’s such an amazing opportunity to be part of the horror community here in Manchester. I feel like I’ve made friends for life.”
Words by Katie Heyes