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May at the IFI is bursting with horror hits, full of thrills for genre fans.
Join us as we descend into the dark of the cinema, with a broad spectrum of films where grief mutates into dread, desire curdles into fixation, and the uncanny seeps through the cracks of the everyday.
Across incredible restorations of cult classics, contemporary indie standouts, and formally adventurous works, the month traces a lineage from psychological rupture to full-bodied nightmare.
This is a high-octane selection of films that linger long after the lights come up.
May Horror at a Glance:
Read more below!
HOKUM Dir. Damian McCarthy OPENS TOMORROW, MAY 1ST
The month kicks off with Hokum, the latest work from Irish director Damian McCarthy. Adam Scott stars as a reclusive horror writer travels to a remote Irish hotel to scatter his parents’ ashes, only to become entangled with a malevolent supernatural presence.
An exciting new entry from a director on the rise, expect a dark atmospheric journey where grief and paranoia blur together in a landscape drenched in local lore.
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CRONOS 4K RE-RELEASE Dir. Guillermo del Toro SCREENS FRIDAY 16th, SATURDAY 17th & THURSDAY 21st MAY
Mid-month we’ll have a rare opportunity to revisit Guillermo del Toro’s landmark debut Cronos, presented in a luminous 4K restoration. This early feature from the visionary director reveals the origins of his signature style, starring Federico Luppi and Ron Perlman. An irresistible twist on vampire lore, with a cursed artifact that causes chaos.
OBSESSION Dir. Curry Barker OPENS FRIDAY, MAY 15TH
On May 15th, Obsession introduces a striking new voice in horror cinema. Curry Barker’s gleefully entertaining debut follows socially awkward Bear who wishes for unrequited crush Nikki to love him “more than anything in the world” with terrifying consequences. Expect a balance of scares and laughs that marks Barker as a director to watch.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: POSSESSION Dir.Andrzej Żuławski SCREENS TUESDAY, MAY 19TH
This month’s Bigger Picture is a widely celebrated cult classic, dealing with its own exploration of obsessive jealousy and self-destruction.
Andrzej Żuławski’s Possession is a visceral masterpiece of psychological horror explores the disintegration of a marriage in delirious and surreal fashion. Featuring ferociously committed turns from Sam Neill and Isabelle Adjani (awarded Best Actress at Cannes for her performance) it’s an essential watch and a dizzying cinema experience.
The screening will be introduced writer and arts journalist Desmond Traynor.
THIS MORTAL COIL: LAKE MUNGO Dir. Joel Anderson SCREENS SUNDAY, MAY 24TH
Screening as part of our May season This Mortal Coil, Joel Anderson’s Lake Mungo offers a more meditative but no less unsettling experience. Now widely regarded as a modern classic, through its pseudo-documentary and found footage approach, its a deeply felt exploration of grief.
Among the most quietly devastating works in the genre, it finds its thematic pairing in the season with A Ghost Story. Explore the season’s multi-faceted look at death, loss and the meaning of life through its carefully curated lineup here.
BACKROOMS Dir. Kane Parsons OPENS MAY 29TH TICKETS ON SALE SOON
And keep an eye out for tickets going on sale for the month’s final horror title Backrooms (from May 29th). Kane Parsons expands upon his instantly recognisable viral videos, creating a distinctly cinematic feature-length work.
A therapist (Renate Reinsve) ventures into a mysterious, liminal dimension after her patient (Chiwetel Ejiofor) vanishes through a strange doorway in a furniture showroom. What follows is an adventure in unsettling ambiguity and unique analogue horror aesthetic.
AKIRA (4K RESTORATION) 20.35
ALAN GILSENAN: CAREER CONVERSATION 18.30
AMÉLIE (25th ANNIVERSARY) 13.20
FATHER MOTHER SISTER BROTHER 15.40
PRIMAVERA 13.10, 20.45
REBUILDING 16.00
ROSE OF NEVADA 13.00, 20.20
THE DRAMA 18.10
THE STRANGER 15.30, 18.00
The IFI is supported by The Arts Council
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