Kryptic – Review | Fantasia (3/5)

KRYPTIC is a new sci-fi horror movie screening at Fantasia 2024. It’s even part creature feature and a wild mindf**k. A bit too long, but definitely worth watching when you get the chance. Read our full Kryptic movie review here!

KRYPTIC is screening at Fantasia 2024 after enjoying its world premiere at SXSW. The new sci-fi horror movie with a huge mystery and a touch of being a creature feature is definitely a movie genre fans will want to seek out.

My one issue with it would be that it feels a bit too long. Some repetitive moments could’ve been cut, but we’re talking about minor details. The runtime of 1 hour and 36 doesn’t feel too long in itself.

Continue reading our Kryptic movie review below. Screened for Fantasia 2024.

From strange and weird to fascinating

For the record, when I find something strange and weird, it’s usually a good thing. With Kryptic those moments that feel off start to become extremely fascinating, so it’s a very good thing.

We first meet Kay Hall (Chloe Pirrie) when she’s wearing a pink windbreaker and hiking boots. She’s heading out with a group of women on a hike to Krypto Peak. Ironically, the nature hike has a male guide.

Can’t have those women running around without a man to lead them.

Anyway, the area is known for cryptids (creatures such as Bigfoot), and renowned cryptozoologist Barbara Valentine went missing in this very same place three years earlier.

Kay strays from the group and this sends her on a very strange and weird road towards finding Barb Valentine. And that’s all I’ll say about that so that you can experience this adventure for yourself.

A strong feature debut

This is a feature debut for both writer and director, which makes the end result all the more impressive. As we follow a woman on a strange and mysterious quest, we (the audience) are discovering everything right alongside her.

Whether it’s her own empowerment or wild mindf**ks, she’s on the road to self-discovery that will empower her. In a roundabout way, mind you, but still.

Chloe Pirrie is perfect in the all-important lead role, and her performance keeps both her character and the audience guessing. Also in a wild performance, we see Jeff Gladstone as Barb’s rather strange husband Morgan.

Both have perfect darkly comedic timing, which is enforced by Jeff Gladstone and reacted to by Chloe Pirrie. The scenes with these two are memorable for lots of odd reasons.

Watch Kryptic at Fantasia 2024

Kryptic is the feature debut of director Kourtney Roy and writer Paul Bromley. It’s released as part of XYZ Films New Visions which launched during Cannes in 2023.

This new genre-hybrid is both surreal, colorful, and very primal. I loved the core story in this movie, which is why it would be getting 3½ out of 5 if we did half ratings. Especially due to Chloe Pirrie’s portrayal of Kay, which is fascinating!

This is the kind of movie that defies any simple genre definition and those tend to be my jam. I love genre hybrids that won’t be restricted by any one genre and this one is entirely its own beast. In every way!

Kryptic is screening at Fantasia 2024.

Details

Director: Kourtney Roy
Writer: Paul Bromley
Stars: Chloe Pirrie, Jeff Gladstone, Jason Deline, Ali Rusu-Tahir, Pam Kearns, Patti Allan