Fantastic Fest: Deathstalker sees Psycho Goreman director tackling a sword and sorcery remake
Fantastic Fest 2025 is taking place in Austin, Texas right now, and the yearly indie/genre film fest has a bunch of cool, killer premieres. These films are either headed to theaters soon or are looking for distribution. Our film writer, Adrian Torres, is covering the new releases. Catch up on all these previews right here.
We’re deep in an IP sinkhole right now. Major studios are scrambling to remake or legacyquel every beloved movie from your childhood, to diminishing results. We didn’t need a Beetlejuice sequel. We probably don’t need a Practical Magic sequel. Whether or not the Highlander remake will prove a worthy update is anyone’s guess. But maybe it’s time not to look to the big hits, but to the straight-to-video rip-offs that stacked Blockbuster shelves in the ’80s and ’90s. Your Cyborgs, Nemesis, Wheels of Fire, and Beastmasters.
If Steven Kostanski’s Deathstalker remake is any indication, that’s where the future lies. The low-budget, gonzo visionary behind Psycho Goreman and Frankie Freako has turned his sights to the Roger Corman-produced 1983 Conan rip-off, achieving gangbusters results. Kostanski blends practical effects, humor, and an unrelenting spirit of adventure into a film that pays homage to the genre while revitalizing it for a new audience.
Deathstalker (Daniel Burnhardt) is a rogue warrior navigating a fantasy world ravaged by the Dreadite army. An amulet he finds in a desiccated battlefield entangles him in a destiny he hadn’t anticipated. To unravel its secrets, he seeks the help of the eccentric sorcerer, named Doodad (voiced by Patton Oswalt, performed by Laurie Field), only to find himself at the center of a conflict that could dictate the fate of the world.
Fans of Kostanski’s films know that irreverence and lo-fi practical effects are hallmarks of his work, and Deathstalker is no exception. The Dreadites look like they’re ripped straight out of Power Rangers. Other of the movie’s various monsters could have sprung from Jim Henson’s worst nightmares. Kostanski also never shies away from gore (remember that space critter from Psycho Goreman that was basically a washing machine filled with blood and body parts? Of course you do, it ruled). Deathstalker sets the tone with its opening scene: a gratuitous beheading that prepares you for the blood-soaked adventure that ensues.
But Deathstalker isn’t just a cheap parody of cheap knockoffs. It captures the heart of sword and sorcery epics—stories of unlikely heroes uniting against mounting darkness—with charm and nostalgia. Deathstalker, Doodad, and Brisbayne (Christina Orjalo), a thief they befriend along the way, become a strange, caring family unit. Kostanski and his crew also embrace the movie’s low-budget aesthetic, infusing chintzy-looking props with homemade charm, and weaving an engaging, entertaining mythology.
Kostanski even improves upon a few elements of the original that enhance the film for modern audiences. The action is crisp and fluid, rather than lackluster or wooden. Then there’s the score composed by frequent collaborators Blitz//Berlin, that alternates between fantasy and heavy metal, exactly when the film needs it, and a theme song by Bear McCreary, Chuck Cirino, and Slash that is an absolute banger.
Simply put, Deathstalker rips. With a healthy dose of humor, gleeful heapings of gore, impressive action, and a reverence for its cheesy VHS tracking-streaked forefathers, there’s nary a fault here. If you love to party (and boy oh boy does Kostanski like to party), this is your opportunity to gather some friends and enjoy some loving, trashy escapism. Deathstalker is a healing salve in troubled times, reminding us that some treasures never tarnish. Long live Deathstalker!
