Chattanooga Film Festival 2026 Round-up
We’ve already looked at seven films recently screened as part of 2026’s Chattanooga Film Festival. You can find our non-spoiler reviews by clicking on the following links:
NoClip 3: The Chattanooga Syndrome
We’ve also already covered several of the films the festival had available this year. You can find those reviews with these links: Assets & Liabilities, Blood Shine, Dead Media, Demonetize, Frankie, Maniac Woman, Jump Scare, Making Megaforce and Pitfall
We still have a few more movies to give a quick look. It was a busy year, as usual, for the festival.
Bunny Rabbit
Directed by James Branson
Written by James Branson
Starring Kate Wilson
Plot Summary – In the aftermath of a climate apocalypse, a young woman roams the ruins of a world she never got to grow up in. Raised on scavenged books and b-movies, she lives alone in an old shack she once shared with her father. Supplies are scarce and food is running out. There’s nothing left to hunt. Nothing except other people…
Bunny Rabbit, which may be known simply as Bunny by the time it releases somewhere, may be the most fully realized project at this year’s Chattanooga Film Festival. That’s great news for fans of patient, dark stories that really make use of their location and purposefully vacant wasteland setting. Unfortunately, that obviously won’t appeal to everyone. The existential dread is obviously pretty dire stuff to watch. Bunny Rabbit is a quiet movie that can explode at any moment. While it is a bleak watch much of the time…it has a killer ending. Take that literally if you want to.
The King of Black Goo
Directed by Andrew Zappin
Written by Andrew Zapping
Starring DJ Qualls
Plot Summary – A bitter, lonely man undergoes a personality-altering medical procedure in the hope that it will make him worthy of love.
The King of Black Goo was one of the odder movies at this year’s festival. It has an interesting concept and a great performance from DJ Qualls…but it also feels like a long watch. Qualls plays the bitter, angry loner turned happy-go-lucky success story. The sci-fi aspect of the story comes with the usual internal issue…it simply isn’t going to stick for poor Lou/Uli. Watching the life he built (on a lie) slowly fall apart gives the movie some life…but it takes a while to get there. It has some dark comedy but never enough to really recommend it as such. It’s more of an oddity with a strong central performance than a must-see feature.
Lenore
Directed by David Ward
Written by Josie Hess and David Ward
Starring Nicholas Jaquinit and Ruby Duncan
Plot Summary – When a controversial influencer suddenly disappears, a terminally online sycophant goes hunting for answers, but comes face-to-face with the monstrosity of his own sins.
Now we’re talking. Lenore was a pretty fascinating addition to this year’s Chattanooga Film Festival. It spends most of its time in one location but has a kinetic energy that keeps the pace flying. Then it starts kicking in some cool visuals and narrative ideas. By the end you feel like you’ve watched three really well-done short films on the same subject smooshed together brilliantly. Each act of the movie feels fresh and unique…and the story itself is an engaging one. A definite recommendation for those who enjoy creepy tones and swiftly declining mental states..
Misper
Directed by Harry Sherriff
Screenplay by Laurence Tratalos
Starring Samuel Blenkin and Emily Carey
Plot Summary – The employees of a dying seaside hotel have their lives upended when their colleague, Elle, vanishes.
Misper is another dark comedy that’s a bit tough to recommend as a comedy movie. The overall package is a pretty good one…I’m just not certain who it is for. I’d describe it as a (faux) true crime story that focuses on almost anything but the crime. An employee at a hotel disappears and is presumed dead…and we spend our time with the other employees of that hotel. Her closest friend (and missed his shot love interest) at the job is the lead here…and he isn’t trying to solve the crime as much as he is trying to deal with the fact that it happened. That may not sound fun…and aspects of it certainly aren’t intended to be…but somehow Misper makes for a satisfying watch anyway.
Narcisa’s Will
Directed by Clarissa Appelt and Daniel Dias
Written by Clarissa Appelt and Daniel Dias
Starring Paolla Oliveira
Plot Summary – Haunted by memories of her recently deceased mother, former star Narcisa, Ana decides to sell the childhood mansion she inherited and share the proceeds with her brother, Diego. However, the grim cleansing process reveals a legacy quite different from what she imagined.
Narcisa’s Will is a slow moving (possible) haunted house movie. A daughter deals with the memories and shadow of her late mother as she prepares to sell her house. Unfortunately, Narcisa doesn’t seem very willing to let her daughter sell. It’s a very personal haunting with limited scope…but the lead actress does a good job with all of it. A lot of talking and a slow pace limits how entertaining the whole package is. Still, Narcisa’s Will is a pretty well realized story of a woman haunted by her mother’s presence.
The Peril at Princer Point
Directed by Jake Kuhn and Noah Stratton-Twine
Screenplay by Jake Kuhn and Noah Stratton-Twice
Starring Jack Redmayne
Plot Summary – On a quest to prove his competency, an inept sound recordist finds himself entangled in a nautical prophecy on the spectral island of Pincer Point.
Of every movie at this year’s Chattanooga Film Festival, The Peril at Pincer Point might be the most stylish. It features a unique look and feel…and a perfectly Lovecraftian plot. A sound recordist heads to a strange island looking to record a legendary sound. On his journey he meets strange locals, hears stranger things and sees things that couldn’t be there. Not scary things…The Peril at Pincer Point isn’t an outright horror movie. What it is, however, is a very effective trip into the unknown. This was one of the best movies at this year’s festival. Highly recommended.
