Where will your Razor Reel begin? Five ways into the 2026 programme
The full Razor Reel programme is online. From 29 October to 7 November 2026, Bruges gives you ten days to let your curiosity about cinema run free. But where do you start if you don't have a shortlist yet? You don't need to plan your whole festival week right now. Start with one screening that connects with something you already love: suspense, live music, film history, new filmmakers or short stories.
These five starting points each offer a different way to spend an afternoon or evening. They have one thing in common: you watch together. A laugh, an uneasy silence, a whole room jumping at once — that's cinema.
1. Suspense: Colony
Know Yeon Sang-ho through Train to Busan? Opening film Colony offers a familiar point of entry. A virus outbreak during a conference traps people inside a building. The zombies act collectively: the threat comes from the group, while the survivors must work out how to cooperate themselves.
That makes the premise interesting for anyone who likes taking a dilemma home alongside the scares. How long can individual plans survive when everyone depends on everyone else?
Colony — Thursday 29 October, 8pm, auditorium 1.
2. Music: The Dead with a live soundtrack
Do you head to concerts more readily than horror screenings? The Dead offers a way in through your ears. Nick Noel & The Red Rose Rogers perform a new live score, with americana, blues and rock 'n' roll as its musical building blocks. Film and music literally share the same space. The Dead is a cult zombie road movie: the music accompanies a horror film.
You follow the images and the musicians: what does a rhythm do to suspense, and how does a different sound change a scene? Director Howard J. Ford introduces the screening and witnesses his film taking on a new dimension. In collaboration with Cultuurcentrum Brugge.
The Dead with live soundtrack — Saturday 31 October, 8pm, Magdalenazaal.
3. Japan: watch first, then explore further
Perhaps you remember Ringu or Ju-On, but want to know more about the wave of films behind them. And what about Japanese horror today? Documentary The J-Horror Virus explores the Japanese horror wave. A fitting choice, as a Dutch-language lecture by Constant Hoogenbosch later that afternoon also delves into Japanese horror cinema. Could this be a rather special way to celebrate 160 years of friendship between Japan and Belgium?
Choose the documentary on its own or combine the two events. This route is for viewers who enjoy making connections. Director Sarah Appleton will be present.
The J-Horror Virus — Saturday 31 October, 1.30pm, auditorium 1.
Constant Hoogenbosch lecture — the same day, 3.30pm, auditorium 1; in Dutch.
4. Emerging talent: Backstage Madness
With Young Blood, curiosity starts with a filmmaker whose name may be new to you. In Backstage Madness, by Kyrgyz director Amanbek Azhymat, an idealistic filmmaker's production goes off the rails. This dark satirical comedy turns the process of making films into its subject.
A good starting point if you enjoy cinema looking at itself. You don't need to know the director already to be curious about the clash between a promising plan and the realities of production. Amanbek Azhymat will be there in person that evening.
Backstage Madness — Sunday 1 November, 8.15pm, auditorium 1.
5. A free first visit: short films for everyone
Want to discover Razor Reel but feel a little hesitant, or don't have a ticket budget? The free short-film programmes introduce several stories and filmmakers in a single session.
Choose the Méliès d’Argent shorts on 31 October or Belgica Obscura on 7 November, featuring thirteen Belgian short films. Or, of course, one of the other short-film programmes.
Free admission describes the price, rather than how intense the films might be.
Méliès d’Argent shorts — Saturday 31 October, noon, auditorium 1.
Belgica Obscura — Saturday 7 November, 1.30pm, auditorium 1.
Choose your first screening
Visit the film page for the story and practical details that matter to your choice. Decide how much suspense you're looking for and how much time you want to set aside. Start with one screening. Choose your film and book your ticket using the buttons in each section.