Opening night of the Chicago International Film Festival at the Music Box Theater
The Xavieirite
The 62 Chicago International Film Festival took place October 14-25. This year’s fest featured films from local and international filmmakers.
Maika Monroe in VICTORIAN PSYCHO Courtesy Bleecker Street
My first stop was at the iconic Music Box Theater to watch “Victorian Psycho.” The screening was accompanied by director Zachary Wigon.
The film stars Maika Monroe as Winfred Notty, who works as a governess, but the caveat is she’s possessed by a demon, insane and incredibly violent.
The film also stars Evie Templeton as Drusilla Pounds, Thomasin McKenzie as Miss Lamb, and Jacobi Jupe as Andrew Pounds.
This film is hilarious, thanks to the quippy performances of Monroe and Jupe.
Although I wasn’t too hooked on the story, I was more engaged with the cynical humor.
The film features many stylistic camera shots that are slightly overkill, as it felt like it was trying to cram in as many shots as possible rather than sticking to a specific style.
Overall, I gave this film 3.5/5 stars for dialogue that had me laughing out loud, but the story itself isn’t anything that had a lasting impact on me.
Courtesy of Chicago Intl Film Festival
On Saturday, Oct. 16, I went to AMC New City 14 to see “The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd,” featuring director Tim Blake Nelson.
The film stars Amanda Seyfried as Karen and Scoot McNairy as Wilson Shedd as they both work together to help each other with their respective issues.
The film doesn’t shy away from relevant topics, such as domestic abuse and forgiveness.
It’s told through a non-linear narrative that jumps around, which I did not have much of an issue with because I picked up on it quickly and paid close attention to the transitions between scenes.
The gut-wrenching performances between Seyfried and McNairy are ones that left me feeling hollow.
The film left me devastated and had a much bigger impact than I thought. It lingered in my mind for days after I saw it.
I gave this film 4/5 stars for memorable performances that have left me thinking about how this film will be discussed once it is widely available to watch.
RAY GUNN – In Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate future as seen from 1939, private eye Raymond Gunn is drawn into a case involving aliens, murder and a multimedia star named Venus Nova. Cr: Skydance Animation/Netflix © 2026
On Sunday, Oct. 17, I went to see “Ray Gun,” directed by Brad Bird, at AMC Newcity 14.
This film was one I had high expectations for since I grew up with Bird’s work, which includes “The Incredibles” and “Ratatouille.”
The movie stars Sam Rockwell as Raymond Gunn, as he must solve a case that involves a multimedia star, aliens, and murder.
The film takes place in an alternative universe where 1939 features many high-tech advancements such as flying cars, jetpacks and ray guns.
The cast also includes Scarlett Johansson as Venus Nova, and Tom Waits as Eye-Ra Kadok. Everyone involved delivers fantastic performances, especially Johansson, who left me second-guessing if it was really her voice at times.
I found myself immediately engulfed in everything this film had to offer, from the incredible score Michael Giacchino composed to the narrative itself.
The film’s mystery was a little bit predictable, but regardless, I still loved this film and gave it a 5/5 star rating.
The Festival’s awards ceremony took place at the Chicago Theater Works on Friday, October 23.
Many of the jury members presented awards for films that were in competition in several categories; for example, the International Feature Film Competition gave the Gold Hugo to “The Dreamed Adventure” for Best Film and a Silver Hugo for Best Lead Performance.
From left to right are Carolina Cavalli, Sebastian Ocampo, and Davy Chou outside of Chicago Theater Works.
The Xavierite
Before the night ended, I was able to interview two of the International Feature Film Competition jurors, Carolina Cavalli and Davy Chou, about their experience and thoughts on the festival.
Cavalli shared their approach to reviewing movies as “being open and listening to the film is the best attitude without trying to [set] your own expectations.”
I asked them about any patterns they recognized in this year’s films. Cavalli said: “Many films were actually a journey made […] by women in a way that was taking space despite the limitation[s] that usually […] women have, but also […] a film structure may have.”
Chou replied that the films they awarded had a “quality of care and attention […] also the shaping [of] the film […] that the film [and people will] care more, observe more, [and] take [their] time.”
Pedro Pascal in BEHEMOTH! Photo courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2026 Searchlight Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
On Sunday, October 25, I watched “Behemoth!” directed by Tony Gilroy at the Music Box Theater, featuring composers Michael Abels and Lukas Frank. This film was labeled as the closing-night event.
The movie stars Pedro Pascal as Alex Serian in a non-linear story about his life as a cellist and returning to Los Angeles, where he finds himself mixed into family drama and complicated relationships.
I found Pascal’s performance to be really inspiring because I found out he learned how to play the cello for this film. It elevated his performance.
The supporting cast was incredible, with Olivia Wilde as Carol Spedding, Eva Victor as Nadia Hynes, Will Arnett as Andy Serian, Alexa Swinton as Viviana Glenn, and Hank Azaria as Peter Serian.
The film balances its themes with comedy throughout, which had the audience laughing out loud, especially at Arnett and Wilde.
The music composed for this film had me in awe as I learned there were seven more composers involved: Emily Bear, Michael Giacchino, James Newton Howard, Henry Jackman, Nami Melumad, Brandon Roberts, and Alan Silvestri.
The only issue I had was that it was hard to track the timeline of some scenes at times, but after seeing this film, I think a rewatch might help my overall score.
I gave this film 4.5/5 stars for a phenomenal soundtrack and strong performances all around with a slightly disorienting story structure.
I had a blast going to the Chicago International Film Festival and hope to come back next year, as I was able to meet some incredible people who are passionate about film and enjoy several interesting films as well.
Attending the Chicago International Film Festival was an incredible experience. Seeing such a variety of films in one place and meeting passionate cinephiles was inspiring. Everyone, at least once in their life, should take a chance and attend this festival.
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