Corpus – Movie Review | Fantasia (4/5)

CORPUS is a psychological horror movie that had me hooked from the very beginning. The ending made me want a sequel immediately. Not that it’s needed; I just wasn’t done with this world. The movie is getting its World Premiere at Fantasia 2026. Read our full Corpus movie review here!

CORPUS is a horror thriller that has a psychological horror driver, but will ultimately turn into something very physical. This is a horror movie that reminded me of a few other genre movies while also being entirely its own beast. Oh, how I do love those kinds of film festival experiences.

There is a queer love story at the heart of this movie. Or, well, a few, I suppose, in a way. Anyway, in that sense, this movie could be compared to No Rest for the Wicked, but this movie plays out in 1998 and has a story that evolves faster and in a crazier way. No vampires, though, but there is still something unexplainable happening.

Continue reading our Corpus movie review below.

The less you know, the better

With psychological horror movies or thrillers, there’s often an element of mindf**k, so the less you know about Corpus, the better. It’s not that you can’t know anything about the plot, but it just evolves in ways that surprise and impress.

Well, it certainly impressed me.

Also, you’ll know right off the bat that Corpus is very much about the body. As indicated by the title. We’re talking everything from your physical being and presence right over to physical pleasure. Oh yes, pleasure (and sometimes kinks or even coercion) are key players in this plot.

And the core plot of Corpus plays out in the summer of 1998. We begin in New York City, where we meet three longtime friends at very different stages of their lives. Soon, the three will go upstate to a party, which is not at all what they expected.

That’s really all you need to know. Well, that and the fact that this is an amazing horror movie!

A gorgeous and diverse cast

I know it’s never great as an actor to be compared to someone else, but I found it impossible not to mention this. One of the main characters, Vince, is portrayed by Brodie Townsend, and he looks so much like Ezra Miller that it’s crazy to me.

Well, with the exception that Brodie Townsend (Heartbreak High) is less angular and more beautiful. If that makes sense?! And, actually, it does, as he is quite gorgeous. I mean, there’s a reason why his character is a movie star on the rise, while the two other friends are not.

The main protagonist of Corpus is Sayo, who is a nightlife photographer and small-time drug dealer. His passion is photography, but dealing is his paying “job”. Sayo is portrayed by Jeff Wahlberg (and yes, there is a relation of some kind), who does an amazing job.

The third friend is Ross, who is rich and makes sure everyone knows it, but also looks out for his friends. Ross is portrayed by Michael Vlamis (Grizzly Night, The Odyssey), who brings something to the movie that is very different from Brodie Townsend and Jeff Wahlberg, so it’s an amazing trio.

In key supporting roles as those hosting the party upstate are Lily Cowles (Antebellum) as Billie, Ching Valdes-Aran (Snakeeater) as Cata, and Nuha Jes Izman (Yellowjackets) as Wren. You don’t need to know anything about these characters, as they will present themselves to you in due time in Corpus.

Corpus world premiere at Fantasia 2026

Corrin Evans is the director og Corpus, which she co-wrote with Lily Cowles, who also has a key role in the movie as “Billie”. I don’t know what I expected from Corpus, but it surprised and impressed me in all the right and best ways.

It’s worth noting that Corrin Evans has worked as an Intimacy Coordinator on lots of productions prior to directing this movie. Including the horror movie MaXXXine (2024) and American Horror Stories seasons 1 and 2. A skill she undoubtedly put to good use for this movie, which has a lot of intimate scenes.

Most of the scenes deal with emotional as well as physical intimacy. Having both is often key to a strong scene, and the scenes in Corpus are on fire. Here, intimacy is paired with vulnerability, which makes Corpus a sensual horror thriller that feels timeless. Having said that, I did love the late 1990s soundtrack of the movie.

This is the feature film debut for Corrin Evans as a director, and I cannot wait to see what comes next. I love that this movie is getting its world premiere at Fantasia 2026, which feels like the perfect starting point.

Corpus is reviewed as part of our Fantasia 2026 coverage. We’ll update this review with notes on a wider release when we know more.

Details

Director: Corrin Evans
Writers: Corrin Evans & Lily Cowles
Cast: Jeff Wahlberg, Brodie Townsend, Michael Vlamis, Lily Cowles, Nuha Jes Izman, Ching Valdes-Aran