Posthumous was one of the better offerings I saw at this year’s Fantastic Fest. Director Josh Tanner builds a strange, unsettling story around grief, family secrets, and the unease of discovering that the past may not be quite what it seemed. It is certainly weird, but its mystery gave me a reason to stay interested beyond simply wondering what bizarre thing might happen next.

Sophie Lowe plays Zoe, a woman who returns to her childhood home and estranged father after her life falls apart. Her late mother left behind recorded birthday messages, preserving a connection with the daughter she would never live to see grow up. When Zoe discovers a mysterious videotape, it upends her understanding of her mother’s final days and the circumstances surrounding her own birth. What begins as a search for comfort becomes a disturbing encounter with family history and a supernatural force.

The recordings give the film an appealingly personal opening. A parent leaving messages for a child is a touching idea, but those images become considerably less comforting when they raise questions the living cannot easily answer. That tension between wanting to hold on to someone and fearing what might be uncovered gives the mystery its pull. I appreciated having an emotional reason to follow Zoe into the film’s stranger territory.

Lowe anchors the story, supported by a solid ensemble that includes David Roberts, Doris Younane, and Remy Hii. The performances help ground material that could easily be overwhelmed by its supernatural elements. Even as the circumstances grow peculiar, a recognizable family struggle underlies them. That human connection made the film more engaging for me than a succession of unsettling images would have been on its own.

Tanner, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jade van der Lei, gives the story enough intrigue to make its oddity worth following. The videotape serves as a doorway to questions about memory, loss, and how much children can ever know about their parents. Those ideas add substance to the horror without overcomplicating the premise. I found the blend of family drama and supernatural mystery effective, with the cast doing its part to hold the two together.

Posthumous is a peculiar film, but it was a welcome discovery in a festival lineup that did not always work for me. Its central mystery, emotional foundation, and dependable performances gave me something to invest in. I thought it was pretty good—and, among this year’s Fantastic Fest offerings, that made it stand out.