my daughter is a zombie

The GAR virus has been defeated: Korea is finally zombie-free! Almost. Since out there, the 15-year-old Soo-ah is still gurgling, drooling, and nibbling away — the last undead person in the country. Her father firmly believes that she will someday return to being the cheerful teenager she once was. The authorities, however, prefer shooting to healing. Together with her grandma, he defends the teen zombie girl against informers and cleanup squads — and protects other people from her occasional hunger attacks.

An audience award, six nominations at the Korean Blue Dragon Awards (including best film, best director, and performances), and its status as Korea’s most successful film of 2025 speak for itself: this quirky webtoon adaptation hits the jackpot! That’s thanks to its compelling characters as much as to its countless crazy ideas — or have you ever seen a moonwalking zoo tiger? Exactly. This “family” film has bite, and a heart that beats surprisingly warm despite the whiff of decay.

shelby oaks

For twelve years, Mia has been desperately searching for her little sister Riley, once the star of the investigative cult series “Paranormal Paranoids”. Riley’s former team members were all brutally murdered. But what happened to Riley? The young woman vanished without a trace nearby the ghostly town of Shelby Oaks. The question “Who took Riley?” haunted millions of followers and appeared in large letters all over the walls. But that was years ago, and by now everyone seems to have forgotten about Riley. Suddenly, however, Mia gets her hands on a mysterious videotape with “Shelby Oaks” written on it, and at last she has a lead.

Produced by genre master Mike Flanagan, Chris Stuckmann delivers a debut that cleverly intertwines true crime, found footage, and occult horror. From the suggestive sound design to the multi-layered visual approach, he creates a gripping cinematic firework. SHELBY OAKS is an atmospheric mystery thriller whose ending you won’t see coming.

decorado

Arnold feels a growing sense of alienation. The little mouse is in crisis; his world has recently begun to look like an artificial stage set. While his partner María struggles as the sole breadwinner, he wanders, confused, through a gradually darkening fairytale realm reminiscent of ZOOTOPIA, THE MATRIX, and THE TRUMAN SHOW. Everything seems to be controlled by the all-powerful company A.L.M.A., which rules a system in which you either function – or disappear. When his closest friends are in danger, Arnold finally shows the courage to investigate where his paranoia comes from.

DECORADO presents a delightfully offbeat fantasy world where fairies don’t grant wishes but provoke full-blown depression, and birds chirp mobile ringtone melodies. Director Alberto Vázquez stages his animation for adults as a wild rollercoaster that raises big questions without losing its playful lightness. Even though he celebrates his artificial sets, he mercilessly reveals what lurks behind them.

crazy old lady

He should have drawn a line. Instead, Pedro agrees to do his ex a favor and checks on her mother. Alicia (Carmen Maura) must have scared away the caregiver, because she is now alone in her worndown estate. But, for sure, Pedro will be out of there in no time, right? He couldn’t be more wrong. A bloody night full of torment and excess lies ahead of him – and Pedro will lose far more than just his nerves.

Spanish cinema icon Carmen Maura (from Pedro Almodóvar’s WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN, or COMMON WEALTH and WITCHING & BITCHING by Álex de la Iglesia) reveals, with tremendous verve, a completely new side of her acting prowess – ruthlessly! Thanks to her compelling performance and the atmospheric set design, up-and-coming filmmaker Martín Mauregui delivers an exquisitely malicious horror thriller, produced by none other than J. A. Bayona (director of THE ORPHANAGE and SOCIETY OF THE SNOW).

the turkish coffee table

A violent marital quarrel turns into the ultimate nightmare for the new father. It all begins with a particularly hideous coffee table that Ibrahim buys, despite his wife’s strict opposition. Clearly, a big mistake. Then, the unthinkable happens, and Ibrahim’s once cozy home transforms into a macabre battlefield. As he desperately clings to the rapidly crumbling remnants of his sanity and tries to maintain a façade of normalcy in front of his family, the bloody truth waits just a few steps away, ready to be discovered.

THE TURKISH COFFEE TABLE is more than a vicious farce filled with quirky characters and echoes of Michael Haneke’s dystopias: a grotesque yet shocking look at our desperate attempts to keep our composure – no matter what. Can Evrenol (BASKIN, SAYARA) is known for fearlessly confronting taboos. This time, too, he pushes boundaries to an extent that sensitive viewers may find overwhelming. Consider yourselves warned.

deathgasm: goremageddon

In 2015, the splatter heavy-metal blast DEATHGASM exploded onto the festival scene: bloody, funny, loud. Ten years later, Brodie is still the same loser. No money, no job, his guitar smashed to pieces. And worst of all: ex-girlfriend Medina is now screaming vocals for an emo band! At a battle of the bands, Brodie smells a chance to turn things around. Only problem: half of his Deathgasm crew is gone since Part 1. But wait… wasn’t there that occult music sheet that raises the dead? Sure, last time it nearly caused the end of humanity. But what could possibly go wrong on a second try?

Jason Lei Howden pushes all limits: more chaos, more madness, more bad taste – and just as much heart and humour. Twenty-five heavy metal bands tear up the soundtrack, bizarre guest appearances included. Matt Heafy (Trivium) provides the score; the track in the opening credits recaps Part 1. So no prior knowledge required. But you sure need earplugs: we’re turning the volume all the way up!

the holy boy

Remis isn’t called the happiest village in Italy for nothing: sadness is unknown here, and the locals are, almost aggressively, friendly – even to outsiders like Sergio, who has just arrived as a substitute teacher to the remote little town. But from the very first moment, Sergio senses that something uncanny is going on. What is this strange ritual everyone gathers for each week? And what role does the shy teenager Matteo play in it? Sergio uncovers a sinister tradition whose origins are never questioned – and whose price he will soon pay himself. Not everyone who smiles has good intentions.

Paolo Strippoli’s unsettling tale begins gently but steadily drives toward a cascade of violence and shocks, captured in magnificent images and underscored by an overwhelming soundtrack. THE HOLY BOY blends folk horror with existential topics, posing questions about guilt, giving, and taking. This is multifaceted Italian genre cinema at its finest.

dolly

“Dolly”! Sounds cute? Far from it! It’s a hulking huge and heavy monster. Its favourite hobby is playing with human dolls. And it especially enjoys it when they scream in panic and are already missing one or more body parts! When Chase and his big love Macy accidentally enter its territory during a hike, the creature goes after them without mercy. It drags Macy off to its home, where a nightmare of pain and humiliation awaits her. And no one has ever come out of Dolly’s dark dollhouse alive, so far.

Rod Blackhurst delivers one of the most brutal genre films of the year: DOLLY is a grimy, blood-soaked homage to 1970s US grindhouse cinema, paired with the nihilistic coldness of early-2000s French extreme horror. Definitely humourless. But nostalgically shot on gritty 16mm film – and featuring Seann William Scott (“Stifler” from AMERICAN PIE), who proves he can truly suffer.