Fantastic Fest 2025 Review: The Cramps: A Period Piece

Lauren Kitchen stars as Agnes Applewhite in Brooke H. Sellers’ The Cramps: A Period Piece, a campy 35mm horror-comedy premiering at Fantastic Fest 2025.

Brooke H. Cellars’ The Cramps: A Period Piece arrives at Fantastic Fest with a bold mix of camp, body horror, and theatrical flair. Shot on 35mm, the film leans into its stagey energy while delivering a twisted coming-of-age story that’s equal parts Carrie, Grease, and Little Shop of Horrors.

At the center is Agnes Applewhite (Lauren Kitchen), a young woman suffocating under the weight of an unruly mother and deceptive sister. The dynamic feels almost Cinderella-like until Agnes discovers a world of her own in a beauty salon run by Laverne Lancaster (Martini Bear). The salon becomes her escape and sanctuary, where an ensemble of sharp-tongued women provide both guidance and comic relief.

Cellars’ film thrives on its eccentric, in-your-face style. With sass and satire in full supply, The Cramps balances outrageous humor with moments of theatrical intensity. There’s a strong sense of queer cinema woven through its beauty-show sequences, drawing comparisons to films like Medusa Deluxe, while also channeling the rowdy, back-and-forth banter of School Daze.

The result is messy, loud, and strangely endearing—a film that embraces its own wild personality. Some of its theatricality may not land for every viewer, but its commitment to fun makes it hard to forget.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)

Not a festival standout, but a vibrant, sassy entry that will leave audiences talking long after the credits roll.

Stay tuned for our interview coverage with Cellars and more from the Fantastic Fest floor.

Directed by: Brooke H. Cellars

Producers: Brooke H. Cellars, Madeleine Yawn, Wicken Taylor, Michelle Malentina, Levi Porter and Vincent Stalba

Starring: Lauren Kitchen, Brooklyn Woods, Harlie Madison, Martini Bear, Wicken Taylor, Michelle Malentina