The Total Film FrightFest Awards 2022

Next Exit
(Image credit: FrightFest)

After a couple of Covid-ravaged years in which the depth of quality noticeably dropped, the UK’s premier genre festival, FrightFest, came roaring back this year with its best line-up for a long, long time (since 2008?).

For five blood-drenched, dread-soaked, ridiculously fun days, horror fans gorged on scare-fare from around the world. In total, a whopping 74 movies played.

But what was the best of the fest? Check out the Total Film FrightFest Awards below…

Best Film

  • Barbarian
  • Deadstream
  • Fall
  • The Harbinger
  • Incredible But True
  • The Leech
  • Next Exit
  • Sissy
  • Something In The Dirt
  • A Wounded Fawn

And the winner is…

Next Exit

Best Director

  • Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead (Something In The Dirt)
  • Quentin Dupieux (Incredible But True)
  • Mali Elfman (Next Exit)
  • Andy Mitton (The Harbinger)
  • Travis Stevens (A Wounded Dawn)

And the winner is…

Andy Mitton (The Harbinger)

Best Actress

  • Gabby Beans (The Harbinger)
  • Aisha Dee (Sissy)
  • Lea Drucker (Incredible But True)
  • Sara Lind (A Wounded Fawn)
  • Katie Parker (Next Exit)
  • Katey Segal (Torn Hearts)

And the winner is…

Katie Parker (Next Exit)

Best Actor

  • Alain Chabat (Incredible But True)
  • Caspar Van Dien (Daughter)
  • Jeremy Gardner (The Leech)
  • Rahul Kohli (Next Exit)
  • Josh Ruben (A Wounded Fawn)

And the winner is…

Rahul Kohli (Next Exit)

Best Death

  • Face ripped off (The Lair)
  • Garrotted in the bushes (Dark Glasses)
  • iPenis on fire (Incredible But True)
  • Shoot from the hip (Torn Hearts)
  • Twitching and bleeding (A Wounded Fawn)
  • Walking stick bludgeon (Sissy)

And the winner is…

Twitching and bleeding (A Wounded Fawn)

Best Monster

  • Grandad (The Creeping)
  • Harbinger (The Harbinger)
  • Mildred (Deadstream)
  • Owl-like demon (A Wounded Fawn)
  • Wolf (Hypochondriac)

And the winner is…

Mildred (Deadstream)

Best Scare

  • Ghost woman in peephole (Huesera)
  • Looking out window (A Wounded Fawn)
  • Naked man contorting down stairs (New Religion)
  • Nan in kitchen (The Creeping)
  • “OK, I’ll try to squeeze by…” (Deadstream)

And the winner is…

Ghost woman in peephole (Huesera)

Best Scare

  • Ants in hand (Incredible But True)
  • Bitten genitals (Eating Miss Campbell)
  • Holy head pop (Deadstream)
  • Salted scalp (Terrifier 2)
  • Water snakes (Dark Glasses)

And the winner is…

Salted scalp (Terrifier 2)


That's it from this year's FrightFest! For more scares, check out our list of the best horror movies of all time.

Editor-at-Large, Total Film

Jamie Graham is the Editor-at-Large of Total Film magazine. You'll likely find them around these parts reviewing the biggest films on the planet and speaking to some of the biggest stars in the business – that's just what Jamie does. Jamie has also written for outlets like SFX and the Sunday Times Culture, and appeared on podcasts exploring the wondrous worlds of occult and horror.