Ürei – Movie Review | Fantastic Fest (4/5)

ÜREI is a movie from Kazakhstan, and we don’t get to watch many of those. However, when we get the chance, they tend to pack one hell of a punch. This one is no different, as it offers moments of pure horror that are as brutal as heartbreaking. With this one, we’re getting nothing short of extreme emotional turmoil, world-premiering at Fantastic Fest 2026. Read our full Ürei (2026) movie review here!

ÜREI is getting its World Premiere at Fantastic Fest 2026. This is a huge deal for a movie from Kazakhstan, but it is more than worthy of this venue and focus. We don’t get many movies from this part of the world, which is located mostly in Central Asia, but with a small part in Eastern Europe as well. We’ve only reviewed two other movies from Kazakhstan, and one was a horror-comedy, so very different than this 2026 movie.

THIS ONE HITS MUCH CLOSER…

Despite the subjects being very different, this Kazakh movie had the same brutality >

If you’re not someone who goes to film festivals, then do check out the line-ups from international festivals like Fantasia and Fantastic Fest. They have some of the best genre films in the world. The kind of movies you would never have a chance to watch if they didn’t give them a chance.

Continue reading our Ürei (2026) movie review below.

An unexpected horror story

When Ürei begins, all we know is that an unruly teenage girl has been sent to live with her maternal grandmother for some time over the summer. At first, it doesn’t appear to be much of a punishment, as Grandma tends to take her granddaughter’s side. However, there is also something strange that happens in the rural house at night.

Also, she’s an elderly woman, so she gets a little confused at times and keeps calling her granddaughter by a different name. A boy’s name, so it’s not that she’s confusing her own daughter for her granddaughter.

It doesn’t take too long to escalate, and as it does, the dread, fear, and horror become ever more palpable. Vulnerability is mixed with memories and regrets, and reality begins to merge with the imagination and wishes of a regretful old woman. The result is a nightmarish and horrifying story that hits surprisingly hard.

We need more horror from Kazakhstan

Forget all about the conventional shocks. Ürei delivers horror of the psychological kind that leaves scars on your soul. In many ways, we experience the horror through the eyes of a child. Sure, she is a teenager, but she is still very much a child. Someone who loves her grandmother (and is loved by her), but both are victims of circumstances.

I really don’t want to give away anything about the twists and turns. You’ll probably guess a few things along the way, but this isn’t really a mystery as such.

Instead, it’s the story of a teenage girl who finds herself trapped in a situation that she has no control over. Ürei utilizes both psychological horror and folklore to build and escalate the storyline. However, while moments may appear as supernatural horror, I assure you that the true horror is grounded in the very real experiences of this teenage girl.

Every time I watch a Kazakh movie, which only seems to happen during film festivals, I am so impressed by what I see. It seems obvious that we need more horror from Kazakhstan, as it always delivers some of the more memorable experiences of any genre film festival. Yes, often due to the very direct and brutal approach to storytelling, but also because they tend to be based on real experiences.

Ürei to World Premiere at Fantastic Fest

This 2026 feature film is based on the short film by filmmaker Yerkezhan Baizhan. Back in 2024, Yerkezhan Baizhan premiered the short film, so it seems only appropriate to return to this same venue with the full-length version. I have not watched the short film, but I am certainly intrigued now.

Maybe it goes without saying, but I don’t believe I am familiar with any of the Kazakh actors in the movie. As such, I can’t speak about their previous work, but I can say with certainty that all of them are breathtakingly amazing in this one. From the young actors portraying the kids in the story to the veteran actor portraying the grandmother. Every single one of them makes this story come to life and feel eerily natural and real.

I cannot overstate the notion that this is not an easy watch. If you’ve watched the Kazakh movie Steppenwolf, then you’ll know that they mean business. This 2026 movie from Yerkezhan Baizhan isn’t nearly as bloody and violent. Instead, the horror comes from terror mixed with tenderness, and some very mysterious circumstances. This is true horror to me!

Ürei world-premieres at Fantastic Fest 2026. We’ll update this review with wider release information when we have it.

Details

Director: Yerkezhan Baizhan
Writer: Yerkezhan Baizhan
Cast: Tynyshkul Sultanberdiyeva, Akerke Kozayyr, Asset Eszhan, Gulbakhram Baibosynova, Zangar Miyatuly