Streaming Wars is a weekly opinion column by IGN’s Streaming Editor, Amelia Emberwing. Check out the last entry: Which Emmy Winners Should You Stream Right Now? This column entry is part of IGN’s Fantastic Fest coverage.
Another year of America’s biggest genre film festival has come and gone, and I am sitting on a plane counting down the seconds until I get to cuddle my dog again. The ride home from Fantastic Fest is always a little bitter sweet, though. By the time we hit closing night, every attendee is pretty worse for wear, whether they’ve been working the fest or just attending as a fan. But, as I sit here trying to keep my eyes open on this airplane, it occurs to me that all of my favorites from this year’s Fantastic Fest share something in common that has never been the case in past years: all of them were streaming originals.
There’s a broader conversation about the production world shifting from traditional theatrical distribution to streaming, and many people’s — myself included — desperation to save the theatrical experience. But for now I’d just like to take a moment to celebrate the great art that Fantastic Fest attendees got the opportunity to check out this last week during the 19th year of the film (and TV) festival that will be coming to a streaming service near you in the coming months.
While two films and two series cought my attention at the fest, there were actually a ton of awesome streaming movies and shows from streamers this year. I’ll hit on a few more of them at the bottom of this story, but for now here’s what knocked my socks off, in no particular order.
Mr. Crocket
Film, October 11 on Hulu
Heading into the film, what excited me so much about Mr. Crocket (which happened to hold the high honor of being the festival’s closing night movie) was that it centered on a mostly original concept. Mr. Crocket (Elvis Nolasco) is a host on a children’s television program with a proclivity for kidnapping children from naughty parents. Oh, and he’s a demon probably? Writer/director Brandon Espy has plenty of fun with the concept and leans heavily into practical effects for Mr. Crocket’s monstrous TV-time friends. This will be a part of Hulu’s Huluween offerings and is worth the 90-minute watch.
Teacup
Series, October 10 on Peacock
Teacup ended up being my biggest surprise out of Fantastic Fest. The first two episodes of the James Wan-produced horror series had their world premiere midway through the festivities, and they do a remarkable job of hooking you almost immediately. The series itself will be dropping two-episodes at a time on Peacock as well, and boasts a logline of “trapped on a farm in rural Georgia, a group of neighbors must put aside their differences and unite in the face of a mysterious and deadly threat.” Dropping episodes in small hunks is a practice that I am usually against, especially for such short seasons (Teacup will be the dreadfully brief eight episodes). But, in this instance, it really works in the show’s favor.
The short, 24-minute episodes are each split up in a way that benefits the story, but the one-two punch of the first two is masterful. The pilot sets the scene and immediately connects fans to the Chenoweth (featuring Yvonna Strahovski as the mother, Maggie, Scott Speedmen as the father, James, and their two children played by Emilie Bierre and Caleb Dolden as Meryl and Arlo respectively) and Shanley (Chaske Spencer plays the father, Ruben, Diany Rodriguez is his wife, Valeria, and their son Nicholas is playbed by Luciano Leroux) families while leaving enough ominous hints to spark intrigue, while the second episode hits the viewer right in the face by the time its credits roll. Shit’s gonna get weird, and I think this one’s gonna be a real treat for horror fans. I’m certainly hooked.
House of Spoils
Film, October 3 on Prime Video
My, my, did I adore House of Spoils. Ariana DeBose stars as “Chef,” an otherwise nameless cook who leaves her role as a sous chef in a five-star restaurant to finally branch out and start her own. The film is heavily rooted in its discussions on the patriarchy and how it impacts men and women alike as Chef is forced to confront her own internalized misogyny while she fights to keep her dream alive. Underneath the cookery and beautifully prepared dishes is something rotten, and House of Spoils delightfully defies expectations as it gets to the bottom of said rot. Not for nothing, but DeBose also has a line delivery that is up there with Dan Stevens’ “Sammy, those are fucking onions” from Abigail that is in the conversation for best movie line of the year.
The Legend of Vox Machina Season 3
Series, October 3 on Prime Video
I haven’t shut up about The Legend of Vox Machina in three years, and now that I’ve seen the first episodes of Season 3 I can assure you that will absolutely not be changing any time soon. We catch up with Vox Machina right where we left them, and their battle against the Chroma Conclave (and other villains, because a bunch of dragons clearly aren’t enough) has only just begun. All of the ominous imagery and emotional lead-in to the season is earned. Bring your tissues and get prepared to belly-laugh and bawl your way through this year’s adventure. Stay tuned for plenty of ridiculousness with the some of the cast (Liam O’Brien, Marisha Ray and Travis Willingham) out of Fantastic Fest, too. We have a lot of silliness coming your way before the show’s premiere.
All of these will be coming your way early October, so be sure to check ‘em out when they drop on their respective streaming services. And if you want some non-streaming recs out of the fest, I quite liked Never Let Go (out now), The Wild Robot (out now), A Different Man (out now - limited release), and Dead Talent’s Society. The first three have US releases, but we’ll all have to keep an eye out for Dead Talent’s Society together.
