Al Pacino and Del Toro Lead Star-Studded Beyond Fest 2025

Olivia Bennett, 9/11/2025Beyond Fest 2025 is a cinematic extravaganza featuring world premieres, star-studded retrospectives, and a diverse lineup of genre films. Highlights include Guillermo del Toro's retrospective and Al Pacino's "Dick Tracy" screening. Tickets go on sale September 11th — don’t miss this unforgettable celebration of film!

From September 23rd to October 8th, this gloriously unhinged celebration of genre cinema is commandeering LA's most beloved movie houses. The Egyptian Theatre (fresh off its Netflix-funded facelift), the ever-reliable Aero, and the charmingly intimate Los Feliz 3 are all getting in on the action.

Eight world premieres. Five North American debuts. And enough star power to make the Hollywood Sign blush. Beyond Fest head programmer Evrim Ersoy's practically bouncing off the walls about this year's lineup — and honestly? Who can blame them?

Park Chan-wook's "No Other Choice" kicks things off with what's bound to be a masterclass in elegant brutality. (Remember how "Decision to Leave" left everyone gasping back in '22? Expect more of that delicious psychological warfare.) At the other end, Yorgos Lanthimos closes things out with "Bugonia" — and if you thought "Poor Things" was wild, honey, you ain't seen nothing yet.

But here's the real showstopper: Guillermo del Toro's doing a retrospective. Yes, that Guillermo del Toro — the man who made us fall in love with fish-men and gave gothic romance its groove back. And because the festival gods are feeling particularly generous, Al Pacino's showing up for a "Dick Tracy" screening and Q&A. In 2025, who'd have thought we'd still be talking about that technicolor fever dream? But here we are, and it's absolutely perfect.

The programming this year? It's giving range. Bryan Fuller's "Dust Bunny" promises to do for household debris what "Chucky" did for dolls. Luca Guadagnino's "After the Hunt" is already generating Oscar buzz — yes, in September, because that's how the industry rolls now. And Scott Derrickson's "Black Phone 2" might actually be that rare horror sequel that doesn't make you want to change your number.

Speaking of numbers, mark this one down: September 11th, 10 AM PST. That's when tickets drop on americancinematheque.com. Pro tip? Set multiple alarms. These tickets vanish faster than a Hollywood marriage.

The cherry on top? They're screening "Big Trouble in Little China" in 70mm. Kurt Russell's mullet deserves nothing less. Plus, there's a world premiere of "Jacob's Ladder" in 4K that'll have you questioning reality all over again — as if 2025 wasn't trippy enough already.

Let's be real: Beyond Fest isn't just another stop on the festival circuit. It's where cinema lets its freak flag fly, where genre boundaries blur like a David Lynch dream sequence, and where film lovers come to remember why they fell in love with movies in the first place.

Now that's worth a standing ovation — preferably in slow motion, with dramatic lighting.

Beyond Fest 2025 has just dropped its lineup, and darling, it's serving pure cinematic decadence. Think less cookie-cutter film festival, more fever dream of celluloid excess — the kind that makes film buffs weak in the knees and casual moviegoers question their streaming subscriptions.From September 23rd to October 8th, this gloriously unhinged celebration of genre cinema is commandeering LA's most beloved movie houses. The Egyptian Theatre (fresh off its Netflix-funded facelift), the ever-reliable Aero, and the charmingly intimate Los Feliz 3 are all getting in on the action.Eight world premieres. Five North American debuts. And enough star power to make the Hollywood Sign blush. Beyond Fest head programmer Evrim Ersoy's practically bouncing off the walls about this year's lineup — and honestly? Who can blame them?Park Chan-wook's "No Other Choice" kicks things off with what's bound to be a masterclass in elegant brutality. (Remember how "Decision to Leave" left everyone gasping back in '22? Expect more of that delicious psychological warfare.) At the other end, Yorgos Lanthimos closes things out with "Bugonia" — and if you thought "Poor Things" was wild, honey, you ain't seen nothing yet.But here's the real showstopper: Guillermo del Toro's doing a retrospective. Yes, that Guillermo del Toro — the man who made us fall in love with fish-men and gave gothic romance its groove back. And because the festival gods are feeling particularly generous, Al Pacino's showing up for a "Dick Tracy" screening and Q&A. In 2025, who'd have thought we'd still be talking about that technicolor fever dream? But here we are, and it's absolutely perfect.The programming this year? It's giving range. Bryan Fuller's "Dust Bunny" promises to do for household debris what "Chucky" did for dolls. Luca Guadagnino's "After the Hunt" is already generating Oscar buzz — yes, in September, because that's how the industry rolls now. And Scott Derrickson's "Black Phone 2" might actually be that rare horror sequel that doesn't make you want to change your number.Speaking of numbers, mark this one down: September 11th, 10 AM PST. That's when tickets drop on americancinematheque.com. Pro tip? Set multiple alarms. These tickets vanish faster than a Hollywood marriage.The cherry on top? They're screening "Big Trouble in Little China" in 70mm. Kurt Russell's mullet deserves nothing less. Plus, there's a world premiere of "Jacob's Ladder" in 4K that'll have you questioning reality all over again — as if 2025 wasn't trippy enough already.Let's be real: Beyond Fest isn't just another stop on the festival circuit. It's where cinema lets its freak flag fly, where genre boundaries blur like a David Lynch dream sequence, and where film lovers come to remember why they fell in love with movies in the first place.Now that's worth a standing ovation — preferably in slow motion, with dramatic lighting.