One can’t fully experience Fantasia International Film Festival without seeing at least one Canadian film. This year, director Kourtney Roy and writer Paul Bromley make their feature-film debut with Kryptic. After a strange encounter with a monstrous creature on Krypto Peak, a woman can’t remember who she is anymore. She embarks on a journey to discover who she is while also hunting for the elusive cryptid and the cryptozoologist who disappeared trying to find it.

Kryptic is a fascinating and somewhat confusing film I can imagine many would describe as “Lynchian.” It takes a very surrealist approach to the story, immediately throwing the audience into the thick of things with no character development or context. It puts viewers in the same position as the protagonist. She doesn’t know who she is, just like the audience, and now everyone is along for this woman’s journey. The film also seems to focus more on themes and vibes rather than conventional storytelling and lore. Watching Kryptic, audiences will likely pick up on the themes of independence, autonomy, escape, sexuality, and self-discovery. Yet what takes place on the screen is a rather confusing ride, taking the plot in unexpected directions with no real sense of structure. There are hints at the lore for the creature known as the “sookama” or “sooka,” but that lore is vague at best. There are no rules, which is evident in the goop, gore, glowing lights, memory loss, and (possibly) even a bit of time travel.

For a debut feature film, there is a lot to enjoy about Kryptic. It’s a bizarre film that takes the story to unexpected places, keeping the audience as in the dark as the protagonist and on the edge of their seat. In some ways, this film works well in how it presents the themes, but it will also surely be a polarizing film. It’s the kind of film that comes together and makes more sense the more you think through the details. However, some might find the film frustrating with it’s lack of focus and no clearly established mythos. It’s the kind of film one can appreciate for its ambition and creativity, but there are too many different subplots and no real explanation for the wild things shown on screen. Audience imagination can fill in some gaps, but some holes are too big to fill. With just a bit more information about the sooka, the lore, and the protagonist, Kryptic could have been a cryptid classic.

A highlight of Kryptic is the performances. Chloe Pirrie (Hanna, Carnival Row) stars as Kay. Because the audience meets Kay at the moment she loses all memory of who she is, the character is essentially a blank slate. Pirrie does a wonderful job of conveying a sense of wonder and fear as she struggles to understand who she is and what happened to her. Then, as the film progresses, Pirrie shows many different sides of the character as she adapts to her surroundings and begins to better understand herself. Jeff Gladstone (The Killing, The Twilight Zone) plays the missing cryptozoologist’s husband, Morgan. Gladstone gives a wonderfully unhinged performance that is both comedic and disturbing. While his appearance in the film is fairly brief, it’s certainly memorable.

The film relies heavily on the visuals to tell the story. Kryptic boasts striking cinematography. This especially stands out in the forest scenes, giving the woods an etherial, otherworldly appearance. Even in the indoor scenes, the lighting and camera work lends to the dreamlike look of the film. Kryptic also relies on practical effects. There are copious amounts of white goo and muck to add texture to the film and gross out the more squeamish audience members. While the small amount of bloody gore leaves something to be desired, the creature design is quite interesting. Primarily only shown in glimpses, the design for the sooka looks well done and leaves a lasting impression.

Kryptic is an enigmatic, surrealist creature-feature that is as confusing as it is bold. Roy and Bromley successfully create something singular for their feature-film debut. It’s apparent the film has something to say, but the message will likely be lost in the wilderness of this strange, twisting story. Audiences are sure to be enthralled by Kay’s journey, especially with Pirrie’s wonderful performance, but the lack of clear resolution by the end will leave many wishing for something more. Love it or hate it, Kryptic is a goopy maze of the unexplained that seeps under the skin and oozes with mystery.

OVERALL RATING: 5.5/10