Fantasia Fest 2026: Ancestral Beasts Review

Directed by: Tim Riedel
Written by: Tim Riedel

Starring:
Morgan Holmstrom – Elyse Poitras
Darla Contois – Nikki Poitras
Asivak Koostachin – Cody
Josh Strait – Max
Shannon Baker – Shayla
Victoria Gwendoline – MacKenzie
Jesse Nobess – Jack the Cack
Gail Maurice – Adèle Poitras
Jess Salgueiro – Doctor Patrick

Image Credit: Fantasia IFF

Running Time: 104 minutes
Not Rated

It’s not hard to find horror films dealing with the subject of mental health. The topic has been a key theme of horror since its birth, well before cinema was even a thought process. And in an era where our emotional wellbeing tends to be under constant attack, it’s no surprise that you can barely throw a cursed rock without hitting a monster that is an allegory for mental health concerns in their many forms.

Ancestral Beasts puts the spotlight on intergenerational trauma through the lens of an Indigenous family. Tim Rieidel’s film, which had its world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival, is a creature feature with its roots in psychological horror, carried by capable lead performance and a striking creature design.

The film centers on Elyse (Morgan Holmstrom), a young Indigenous adult who is lost in the aftermath of a family tragedy. Following her mother’s passing a few years ago, Elyse’s already strained relationship with her sister Nikki (Darla Contois) has only gotten worse. She is spiraling, a situation that comes to a head when she nearly gets fired from her job.

Seeking a break, Elyse returns to her aunt’s old home in a rural area. She’s hoping to find her peace and get a chance to deal with the traumas she’s suffered. However, it isn’t long before she runs into reminders of her family’s traumatic past. Elderly neighbor Max (Josh Strait) accosts her on more than one occasion under the guise of trying to help, and she runs into old friends and family members who recall her mother as disturbed.

As Elyse tries to reconcile her perspective with the truth and seek emotional health and support, she starts to realize that she isn’t alone in the cabin. Something is under the floorboards and in the walls, stalking her – and she comes to realize she will have to reckon with it before it endangers herself and those close to her.

Through Ancestral Beasts, Riedel is exploring some pretty weighty themes. Elyse’s attempts to help herself are constantly stymied by a system that doesn’t care, the individuals in her life who are unable or unwilling to support her, and the toxic history of her family. Intergenerational trauma is a difficult subject, and the film is at its best when it’s showing how society fails those who find themselves suffering.

Holmstrom is quite good at putting a face on this pain. We see her wall of defiance and her tendency to lash out as a self-defense mechanism, but the desire for real connection is just under the surface. She also makes a very serviceable horror protagonist, carrying the scares quite effectively.

Riedel is on point as a horror director; working with a low budget, he captures the slow burn horror and gives a bit of a jolt to an increasingly overloaded subgenre of horror. There are a couple of nice jump scares, and the creature design is both unique and meaningful. The pacing may lull at times, but when the thematic weight presses down, it hits hard.

As good of a character as Elyse is, the film does lose some steam when it’s focusing on more than just her. Her scenes with Contois start strong but lose impact as they go on due to repetitious dialogue. There may be some point to that, as it mirrors the central themes about cycles of dysfunction, but it turns their later interactions into a bit of an albatross for portions of the third act.

There’s also the matter of the other characters, who pale in comparison to Elyse. That’s at least partially by design; this isn’t an ensemble film, and the focus is on Elyse’s journey. Still, even some of the more prominent supporting characters don’t get the screen time to register, and a potential romantic connection with Asivak Koostachin’s young Cody is undercooked in deference to the greater story and themes.

Those flaws are generally forgivable though, thanks to what the film is trying to do. There’s a lot here that will resonate with people, and Holmstrom’s performance helps to smooth some of the roughest parts. People looking for an intense scare-a-minute flick will not find it here, but the way Riegel relates to the film comes through in its authenticity. For a first-time feature there’s a lot of promise, and the rough edges are more charming than aggravating. He finds something of his own to say in a subgenre where it often feels like it’s all been said before, and that in itself is commendable.

Fantasia International Film Festival takes place in Montreal, Quebec from July 16th through August 2nd.

6.0

The final score: review Average

The 411

Tim Riedel's Ancestral Beasts is an occasionally uneven but often engaging look at cycles of trauma from an Indigenous perspective. Morgan Holmstrom's lead performance carries a film that doesn't always juggle its tones well, but carries its message effectively and the creature feature aspects fit in surprisingly well.