Our Fantasia Film Festival 2026 coverage continues with the sci-fi parody The Galactic Ghoul.
The Galactic Ghoul is a genuinely silly film that lampoons the Z-Grade space opera oftentimes so deeply that it feels like some sort of inside joke that you’ll never get. Director Simon Harrisson makes a charming low-budget ode to not just the galaxy far, far away but those that would attempt to imitate.
Captain Oscar Bravo (Vincent Hoss-Desmarais) is captured after regulations dictate he give a space orb to the sitting queen of planet Totum. After being imprisoned and tortured for two years, he is given an audience with the Queen, Xaltalusia XXIII (Katherine Isabelle). What seems to get him into the Queen’s good graces with seduction is a ruse as Oscar Bravo attempts to escape Totum. The reclamation of his freedom is stopped at all sides by the Queen’s servants and even his own men (also played by Hoss-Desmarais in dual roles). But is Oscar Bravo’s just and righteous path too bright for even the dastardliest of scum and villainy to stop???
The Galactic Ghoul is as though a low-budget Roger Corman-produced grindhouse epic circa 1980 was melded with a Guy Maddin film in the Brundle Chamber. If that sentence made sense to you, this is a thousand percent the film for you. For those that is an incoherent scrabble of words, this may be a bit too specific. Yes, there are definite, obvious references to Star Wars that most will get, but they are few and far between. In between that are large swaths of very specific comedy lampooning the sort of stiff upper lip and polite society of imperialism and Canadians that it may be lost on an audience.
The film is beautifully designed to invoke both the early 2000s visual effects work of things like The Phantom Menaceand Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Intentionally jaunty, with the flair for the art deco that Lucas gave his prequel film. Harrison and his team should be commended for such a wonderfully looking film that never compromises.
Those who are attuned The Galactic Ghoul’s specific fetishes may find themselves a new midnight cult classic to fawn over.
The Galactic Ghoul played at the Fantasia Film Festival on July 29th
Our Fantasia Film Festival 2026 coverage continues with the sci-fi parody The Galactic Ghoul.
The Galactic Ghoul is a genuinely silly film that lampoons the Z-Grade space opera oftentimes so deeply that it feels like some sort of inside joke that you’ll never get. Director Simon Harrisson makes a charming low-budget ode to not just the galaxy far, far away but those that would attempt to imitate.
Captain Oscar Bravo (Vincent Hoss-Desmarais) is captured after regulations dictate he give a space orb to the sitting queen of planet Totum. After being imprisoned and tortured for two years, he is given an audience with the Queen, Xaltalusia XXIII (Katherine Isabelle). What seems to get him into the Queen’s good graces with seduction is a ruse as Oscar Bravo attempts to escape Totum. The reclamation of his freedom is stopped at all sides by the Queen’s servants and even his own men (also played by Hoss-Desmarais in dual roles). But is Oscar Bravo’s just and righteous path too bright for even the dastardliest of scum and villainy to stop???
The Galactic Ghoul is as though a low-budget Roger Corman-produced grindhouse epic circa 1980 was melded with a Guy Maddin film in the Brundle Chamber. If that sentence made sense to you, this is a thousand percent the film for you. For those that is an incoherent scrabble of words, this may be a bit too specific. Yes, there are definite, obvious references to Star Wars that most will get, but they are few and far between. In between that are large swaths of very specific comedy lampooning the sort of stiff upper lip and polite society of imperialism and Canadians that it may be lost on an audience.
The film is beautifully designed to invoke both the early 2000s visual effects work of things like The Phantom Menaceand Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Intentionally jaunty, with the flair for the art deco that Lucas gave his prequel film. Harrison and his team should be commended for such a wonderfully looking film that never compromises.
Those who are attuned The Galactic Ghoul’s specific fetishes may find themselves a new midnight cult classic to fawn over.
The Galactic Ghoul played at the Fantasia Film Festival on July 29th
Share this:
Like this:
Discover more from The Movie Isle
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.