The Alamo Drafthouse’s renowned Fantastic Fest has come upon Texas film enthusiasts again, and FictionMachine has had the good fortune to see some of the new films screening at this year’s event.

Bullied teenager Antek (Teodor Koziar) discovers a dead body in the woods, one year since his school’s janitor went on a violent rampage for which he was never caught. With his father away on business, and his older sister Paula (Katarzyna Gałązka) planning a house party in his absence, the elusive killer is set to emerge much close to home.

I honestly think one would need to be dead inside not to enjoy a good slasher movie: the growing suspense, the panicky teenagers, and the iconic killer in some sort of creepy mask. The mask in 13 Days Till Summer is an absolute doozy: a sort of silicone rubber face with glassy eyes that just happens to be situated upside-down. I have seen my fair share of slasher movies, particularly from their peak in 1980s America, and I don’t think anything has topped this film’s antagonist for being so weirdly unsettling. Unsettling or not, of course, the violent murders remain the same. Whether through knives, an axe, crossbow, or gun, 13 Days Till Summer is packed with a nostalgic sense of affection for the form and plays things with a refreshing directness where much of the genre has long since gone self-referential or ironic.

This is not 1980s America, mind you, but 2020s Poland. Director Bartosz M. Kowalski has crafted a self-aware, knowing work of pastiche that not only echoes and replicates elements of the genre but draws in a lot of elements of post-1980s horror film at the same time. This is as much a home invasion thriller as a slasher flick, and its sharp, brutal presentation of violence is more akin to more extreme cinema of the 21st century than anything committed by Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees.

It is an unashamed genre work, and of course needs to be viewed as such. The satisfaction comes not from ways in which it diverges from a set formula, but from the manner in which it plays out and refreshes familiar tropes. To its credit it does a better-than-average job in introducing the various teenage characters, as well as back stories for both them and the suspected killer. Their performances also seem stronger than is typical, with small elements of levity laced through the film – particularly in its first and less desperate half. Teodor Koziar is particularly impressive as the quiet and withdrawn Antek, who presents some unexpected depths as the narrative progresses. There are parts of the film that seem to edge towards social commentary, but above all else that sense of pastiche remains. Wheels are not being reinvented here, but they are being driven around with remarkable skill. Expect what you are getting and this is a satisfyingly bloody excursion from an unexpected corner of the world.

13 Days Till Summer made its international premiere at Fantastic Fest 2025 on Saturday 20 September, with two more screenings to go. Click here for more information.