286. Fantasia 2026: Interview | UNHOLY NIGHT Director/Writer Michael Gabriele

It's Christmas in August, y'all! Fantasia International Film Festival mercifully brings UNHOLY NIGHT to us, likely to get our minds off of this 100-degree (37-degree, for you Celsius-users) weather.At an Italian family's Christmas Eve dinner, festivities are interrupted when the grandmother, deceased for a few years, returns, with an undead look and feral rage. It's then up to the awkward 30-something Gino (Marc BenDavid) to muster up some cojones and save not only his family, but his ex-girlfriend Rene (Shailene Garnett), who lives next door and may be confronted by some other undead elders...The movie seems like it'll be a goofy, zombie-splaterring time and, in some ways, it is. But what I loved about Gabriele's screenplay and direction is how it uses the concept to pursue questions of familial expectations, managing a set of regrets, acquiring the bravery needed to stand up for oneself. It dips toes into multiple genres and tones, succeeding on all fronts.I talked with Gabriele about his movie's themes, the experience of designing a set with 3+ generations' worth of family history, the demanding camera work, and so much more.---More info on UNHOLY NIGHT's Fantasia premiere can be found here.Follow The Movies on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Throw a couple dollars in the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tip jar!