Fantastic Fest 2026: Kung Fu Deadly Review

Directed by: Fergal Costello
Written by: Paddy McDonald & Paul Markey

Starring:
Steven He – Danny
Michael Tient – Frank
Gemma Chua-Tran – Lian
Jason Tobin – T’ang
Max Huang – Marrs
Finola Xie – Min Chun

Image Credit: Fantastic Fest

Running Time: 96 minutes

The intersection between martial arts and comedy has been fertile ground for cinema for decades. Jackie Chan may be the most famous example, but films from Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer to Kung Fury have carved out places in moviegoers’ hearts by way of the collision between the spectacle of martial arts action films and the wackiness of comedic tropes.

Kung Fu Deadly is the latest film to slot in that particular genre mix. The latest film from Irish director Fergal Costello, which premiered at Fantastic Fest 2026, leans hard on the comedic talents of stars Steven He and Michael Tient while tapping a few familiar veins for a familiar but rewarding experience.

Kung Fu Deadly centers on Danny (He) and Frank (Tient), two slacker friends who run a struggling pest control business in Dublin. The business is one that Danny inherited, and he’s finding himself at a crossroads in his life. Where Frank’s motto is “Responsibilities are other people’s problems,” Danny feels afraid that his destiny may be passing him by.

Their looming issues get complicated when an ancient evil rears its head in T’ang (Jason Tobin), a jiangshi who brought to Dublin by vape-smoking, money-hungry gang boss Marrs (Max Huang). At the same time, a young guardian named Lian (Gemma Chua-Tran) arrives in Dublin seeking to stop T’ang before he can free his undead love Min Chun (Finola Xie) and unleash an apocalypse.

Things come to a head quickly as Danny and Frank have a close encounter with T’ang, only to be saved by Lian. With T’ang freed, Lian is forced to team up with the two slackers to try and stop things from getting worse — all while Danny starts to learn he may in fact be destined for greater things.

Kung Fu Deadly wears its cinematic heart quite openly on its sleeves. The script from Paddy McDonald & Paul Markey pays homage to the Hong Kong horror comedies of the 1980s such as Encounters of the Spooky Kind that largely introduced the jianghi (vampires of Chinese folklore) to movie audiences. At the same time, the story also mixes in the narrative beats of films like the John Carpenter classic Big Trouble In Little China and the comedic rhythms of Shaun of the Dead.

As familiar as the story is, it works because of the impeccable comedic timings of the cast. He, perhaps best known for his online sketch comedy work, acquits himself well in the everyman-turned-reluctant hero role of Danny. He has fantastic chemistry with Tient, who gets the most out of his good-natured loser role; the two find plenty of spots for laughs in their reactions to all of the supernatural nonsense.

There is a strong supporting cast as well, led by Chua-Tran who gets to have some fun with the traditional “stoic guardian” archetype, adding a few layers into the trope when certain revelations come to light. Jason Tobin is the other standout, having a blast as he eats up scenery in the role of our main villain.

The biggest hurdle that Costello has is making his film seem fresh and different. Just about every plot beat will be clear in advance because of the ground the film is playing on, and there are times where it’s just going through the motions. When it’s pushing forward with the quest, the pacing lags a bit but fortunately it isn’t long until the characters bring things back on course.

Costello’s best work behind the camera is in framing the action scenes. Action director Lee Huang delivers fight scenes that slot perfectly into the silly supernatural vibes, and Costello puts them together quite well. It adds just enough of a charge to the slacker buddy comedy vibes to keep things chugging along toward a climax that, for all it lacks in surprise, delivers in terms of heart.

Fantastic Fest takes place in Austin, Texas from September 17th through the 24th.

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

King Fu Deadly may not be winning any originality contests, but it goes down easy as a mix of supernatural hijinks, martial arts, and slacker comedy. Steven He leads a capable cast while director Fergal Costello keeps a firm balance to the many tones of his homage to the kung fu horror comedies of the 1980s and 1990s. Fun is the name of the game here and all in all, Costello doesn't disappoint.