By Amaan Ali, Co-Editor-in-Chief
Bristol’s Forbidden Worlds Film Festival returned this year with a spine-chilling theme: Stranger Danger. This festival offered a collection of cult horror classics and lesser-known gems that drew on the fear of mysterious figures and unsettling encounters to leave the whole audience wondering whether the strangers they’re sitting next to is really a crazed psychopath.
This year, we had the chance to interview the festival's organisers, and they shared the inspiration behind this year's theme. "We long knew that we wanted to screen The Hitcher as part of our line-up," they explained, "and with that in place, we brainstormed a theme to set this year apart. The ‘Stranger Danger’ theme really connected to the fears that were prevalent in the 70s and 80s with Public Service Announcements about the dangers of strangers and hitchhikers. Films like When a Stranger Calls rarely get shown on the big screen, so we thought it would be an interesting angle to program around."
Curating the line-up, however, was no easy task. "We wanted to choose films that would appeal to different audiences, especially students and younger generations," they added. For example, I Know What You Did Last Summer was selected to appeal to Gen-Zs who might never have seen this iconic '90s slasher in theatres before. They also included international titles like Cure, which had never been theatrically released in the UK, to ensure a diverse selection.
This year’s festival not only showcased classic features but also spotlighted emerging filmmakers by including short films. “Supporting local talent is key, especially student filmmakers,” the organizers shared. This aspect of the festival reflects their dedication to fostering new voices in horror while ensuring the festival remains engaging and fresh for returning audiences. Two that stood out to us were Stop Dead by Emily Greenwood and The Babka by Michael Jenkins.
Stop Dead follows two police officers who try to help a girl being stalked by an unseen force that kills you if you stop moving. The film was created as a proof of concept for Greenwood's feature-length horror The Still Man, and whilst the idea was simple, the jump scares were well-executed and had us and the rest of the audience on edge throughout.
The Babka, set at a Halloween rave, explores a deadly game inspired by Polish folklore. We thought the film effectively created a vivid atmosphere through good sound design and cinematography. It was Jenkins’ first horror film and was acted by students from the Bristol School of Acting, whose excellent performance left viewers haunted by the film’s eerie, folklore-inspired premise.
Overall, the inclusion of short films gave the festival more variety and freshness, and the quality of local productions suggested that the future of the Bristol horror scene is bright and imaginative.
Here’s a closer look at the films that were shown across the 2-day festival.
The Shout (1978) Directed by Jerzy Skolimowski
The festival began with The Shout, a surreal but thought-provoking movie. The Shout opens at a cricket match, where Crossley (Alan Bates) is a scorer and is telling a tale to the other scorer (Tim Curry). The tale is of Crossley’s stay at the countryside home of Anthony Fielding (John Hurt) and his wife Rachel (Susannah York), in which he invites himself into their home and begins to take over their lives. As the movie progresses, we learn that there is much more to both Crossley and the cricket match than first appears.
The film’s setting is breathtaking, and it uses strange sounds to create an unnerving atmosphere. I thought it suited the festival well because of this, as we really got to enjoy both the beautiful landscapes on the big screen and the creative sound design on the aquarium’s IMAX speakers.
The story, however, is very jumpy, and when we discussed the film afterwards, we both had our own theories as to what had really happened! It becomes clear that Crossley is an unreliable narrator, and so as he tells of his powers of sorcery learned in the Australian outback, we are never quite sure what is real and what is an embellishment. Despite the opaque plot, (or maybe because of it), The Shout was really enjoyable, although it definitely needs a second watch to properly grasp it.
The Hitcher (1986) Directed by Robert Harmon
If there’s one film that perfectly captures the festival’s Stranger Danger theme, it’s The Hitcher. Directed by Robert Harmon, this road-trip horror follows Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell), a young man who makes the fatal mistake of picking up a hitchhiker, John Ryder (Rutger Hauer). What follows is a relentless, psychological game of cat and mouse, with Hauer’s Ryder embodying pure menace.
The organisers mentioned that The Hitcher had long been on their wish list for the festival. "We were just waiting for the restoration to be completed. Ryder is one of the most chilling villains in cinema, and the film is perfect for our theme." Hauer’s portrayal of the enigmatic, murderous hitchhiker continues to haunt audiences and seeing it on the big screen amplifies its intensity.
For festivalgoers, especially students who may not have been familiar with the film, it was a chance to experience a truly nerve-wracking thriller that still holds up decades later. The seamless blending of psychological horror and action-packed suspense made it a festival highlight and the ending left us with many questions at the end and wondering who was the real villain in the story.
Opera (1987) Directed by Dario Argento
I had heard good things about Opera before the festival, and it delivered on a wonderfully gritty, dark atmosphere, as well as lots of creative cinematography and stylish, brutal violence. However, even for a slasher, the plot was inconsistent and sometimes nonsensical, and the dialogue was often poorly written.
The film takes place at an opera house, and follows an understudy called Betty (Cristina Marsillach), who must perform in a production of Verdi’s ‘Macbeth’ at short notice. Director Marco (Ian Charleson), dismisses claims that the opera is ‘cursed’, but keeps running into problems with it anyways, despite the efforts of stage director Stefano (William McNamara). Soon, a masked killer appears, forcing Betty to watch the murders of various characters by tying her up and attaching needles to the bottom of her eyelids (although this was done quite poorly, and Betty was clearly able to close her eyes).
The movie is ridiculous in many ways, and had the audience laughing several times throughout, both at the exaggerated, gory action sequences and at the moments of nonsensical dialogue and plot. However, I felt that by the time the film reached its strange ending, the novelty had worn off. Opera was the weakest point of the film festival for both of us.
Cure (1997) Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Cure was the second film in the festival (the other being The Shout) which left me and Amaan trying to work out what had really happened afterwards. However, Cure was thought-provoking in a way that The Shout wasn’t, exploring themes such as the flaws of the Japanese society in which it’s set and the nature of being satisfied with one’s life.
Cure follows a detective called Kenichi Takabe (Kôji Yakusho) as he investigates a strange series of murders with the help of psychologist Makoto Sakuma (Tsuyoshi Ujiki). This investigation brings him into contact with a man called Kunio Mamiya (Masato Hagiwara), who appears to forget things a few moments after he learns them. Despite this, he is proficient in hypnotism and able to make others commit murders for him with hypnotic suggestion.
Cure was, for me, by far the scariest film at the festival. I was trying for much of the runtime to figure out what the different characters represented and what the film was trying to say, and it was only afterwards that I realised how creepy it was. The performances were very convincing, and the careful imagery and excellent cinematography meant Cure was able to create tension and fear without constant jump scares and life-threatening chases. This was both me and Amaan’s pick for favourite film of the festival!
I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) Directed by Jim Gillespie
The 90s slasher craze was revisited on the big screen with I Know What You Did Last Summer, much to the delight of myself and Edward as we were experiencing it for the first time. Directed by Jim Gillespie and written by Kevin Williamson (Scream), the film follows four teenagers who are haunted by a deadly mistake from their past, stalked by a relentless killer who knows their secret.
The film perfectly embodies the teen slasher formula: a group of friends, a dark secret, and a terrifying figure with a hook, all set against a moody coastal backdrop. While it did feel dated with its somewhat unrealistic chase scenes, I Know What You Did Last Summer still delivers plenty of tension and memorable scares.
As students who saw it for the first time, it was a nostalgic look back at ‘90s horror. For long-time fans, the festival screening rekindled that thrill of seeing an iconic horror film in a communal setting. It’s a fun, adrenaline-pumping watch, proving why the slasher genre continues to endure.
When a Stranger Calls (1979) Directed by Fred Walton
Few opening scenes in horror are as unforgettable as When a Stranger Calls. Directed by Fred Walton, this psychological thriller sets the tone with a babysitter tormented by eerie phone calls, each one asking the same chilling question: “Have you checked the children?” The film’s first act is a masterclass in suspense, keeping the audience on edge through suggestion and building dread rather than overt violence. I was in complete suspense for the entire first act completely terrified as the continuous calls got more and more eerie. Both Ed and I agreed throughout the first act that she should have gone to check the children, only to find out later that she made the correct call in staying downstairs!
After the iconic first 20 minutes, the movie shifts into a more subdued detective story, but the unnerving atmosphere persists. While the pace slows down, it’s the tension in the isolated scenes that continues to engage the viewer. The film, rarely seen on the big screen today, was a bold inclusion in the festival lineup, but fit the theme perfectly and definitely resonated well with audiences.
The organisers explained why they were so eager to showcase this film: “When a Stranger Calls doesn’t get a lot of cinematic love these days, but it fits perfectly with the Stranger Danger theme. The terror of being alone and vulnerable is timeless.”
Final Thoughts
This year’s Forbidden Worlds Film Festival masterfully captured the fears and anxieties surrounding the unknown. From the nostalgic slasher fun of I Know What You Did Last Summer and Opera to the slow-burning terror of When a Stranger Calls and the unrelenting dread of The Cure, the event offered something for everyone.
As the festival continues to grow, its focus on lesser-seen films and new talent ensures that each year brings something fresh and engaging. Whether you’re a horror veteran or just dipping your toes into the genre, the Forbidden Worlds Film Festival offers an unforgettable experience. We can’t wait to see what Forbidden Worlds has planned for their festival next summer, and what other exciting themes they will explore!
Did you attend the Forbidden Worlds film festival? If so, what was your favourite of the films screened?
