Corpus is one slow burn and erotic horror film (Fantasia 2026 review)

Image courtesy of Yellow Veil Pictures

I'm an older millennial, so my childhood consisted of the 1990s. I state that because director Corrin Evans' feature debut, Corpus, is set in the 90s, and I can state that the movie very much feels like that time period, from its grainy quality that resembles a VHS tape, to the banging soundtrack. She and the film's co-writer, Lily Cowels, who also stars in the movie, really depicted a specific era well.

Corpus is also a deeply psychological horror movie that's a slow burn. It establishes sexual tension and shifting power dynamics well and has a few scenes involving a phallic, medieval-looking mask that are really tough to shake. There's a lot about this movie that works, though it does take its time arriving at some of the more startling sequences. Sometimes, however, it pays for horror fans to be patient, and the movie has hypnotic quality to it that makes the entire ride enjoyable.

The film stars Jeff Whalberg as Sayo. He lives in New York City and is a photographer. He also sells drugs on the side. Sayo floats in and out of clubs, specifically gay clubs, snapping pictures as much as he can. Though I've never been to a nightclub in New York City, it does seem like this film captures that setting quite well, not only through the music, but the frequent tight shots of bodies dancing, as Sayo weaves in and out of couples grinding, his camera in hand or around his neck.

At one of the clubs, Sayo reunites with his ex, Vince (Brodie Townsend), who's doing quite well for himself, posing on the cover of gay magazines and landing full-page spreads. Yet, there's also a sadness to his character, as he snorts coke in the bathroom. The sexual tension between these two is apparent from the start, and though we don't know everything about their past relationship up front, it's clear from Sayo's response and Whalberg's performance more broadly that Vince deeply hurt him. This plays out even more later in the movie.

Vince convinces Sayo to attend a party with him, where he can network and perhaps land bigger photography gigs. They exes are joined by their straight friend, Ross (Michael Vlamis), who provides comedic relief in an otherwise heavy movie. The party is at a remote and exclusive estate, but instead of a nightclub scene, they only encounter Vince's photographer, Billie (Cowles), her older partner, Cata (Ching Valdes-Aran), and a rather feral character named Wren (Nuha Jes Izman), who's soaked in blood when the boys first meet her. Ross also sees her later behead a chicken on the porch. Anyone who has seen a horror movie before knows this party is no good. The warning signs are there from the get-go.

Something immediately seems off about the female trio that the gentlemen meet, and this is even clearer during a dinner scene that's one of the most unnerving sequences I've seen yet in a film this year. It contains bizarre power dynamics and an eerie ritual that makes the men uneasy. Not long after that, it's clear that the women plan to seduce the men, starting with Vince. There's a lot of uncanny love triangles that go on in this movie, and yet, they have an incredibly erotic quality. There are moments when this is one damn sexy movie.

However, the horror elements do eventually arrive, and when they hit, they hit hard. Most of them involve a phallic mask that's shown at the beginning of the movie in a scene involving Wren. The mask comes back, and it returns in quite a big way. How it's used won't be spoiled here, though I will say one of the movie's flaws is that the power of the mask and why it's used isn't really explained. Still, it's a haunting and disturbing image that leads to some rather gnarly moments. It's also clear that some of the relationships in this movie, especially between Sayo and Vince, are combustible, and it won't take much for them to explode. The tension and mind games eventually boil over into some high-stakes sequences.

Overall, Corpus is quite a promising feature debut by Evans. The movie oozes sexual tension and has a captivating aesthetic that depicts 90s nightclub culture in New York City. Though the movie's pace may be too slow for some, there's something hypnotic about the film, especially the sexual energy displayed on the screen, before some truly memorable horror moments arrive.

Corpus just screened at the Fantasia Film Festival.