It’s full-scream ahead once more for London’s go-to horror festival, with Arrow Video FrightFest jumping right back into the swing of things with a huge helping of new genre treats set to screen in Leicester Square this August bank holiday. From slasher staples to voodoo gangsters, and Nicolas Cage strapped into a self-destructing leather suit, it’s another ballsy line-up from the team that have been delivering buckets of the nasty stuff for over twenty years now.

Kicking off on the Thursday night with Neill Blomkamp’s hugely anticipated tech-horror Demonic (his first feature 2015’s Chappie), and bowing out on Monday in relentlessly bloody fashion with Taiwanese outbreak actioner The Sadness, it’s set to be another heavy-duty weekend for genre fans.

frightfest 2021In-between the above, 2021’s FrightFest summer line-up boasts Sion Sono’s twisted Sundance favourite Prisoners of the Ghostland, Elijah Wood vs. Ted Bundy thriller No Man of God, Alan Moore-penned fantasy The Show, and hotly-tipped sonic slasher Sound of Violence. Not forgetting queer-themed werewolf drama Motherly, gothic puppet animation As in Heaven, So on Earth, and a whole host of other international genre gems from eleven different countries.

And for those looking to dip their toes in the more out-there indie fare, 2021 also sees the return of FrightFest’s two Discovery screens, which in the past have showcased everything from micro-budget Arrow hit A Ghost Waits, to Japanese zombie riot One Cut of the Dead. So if you’re feeling lucky, it’s definitely worth taking a punt on a title you might not have heard of – you might end up at the soon-to-be legendary World Premiere of a future cult classic.

frightfest 2021It’s a more-than-welcome physical return for FrightFest, which played out last year (and its Glasgow-themed February edition) as a digital “at home” festival, much like many others. And while those movies still very much brought the thunder, it’s true that you’ve never truly experienced FrightFest until you’ve laughed and screamed your way through an instant genre hit with a sold-out cinema full of horror fans.

Arrow Video FrightFest 2021 takes place 26th-30th August at the Cineworld Leicester Square. Passes go on sale Saturday 24th July, with single tickets available from Thursday 29th July. For the full line-up, head to https://www.frightfest.co.uk/