{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox film | name = Kryptic | image = | caption = Film poster | director = Kourtney Roy | producer = Josh Huculiak<br>Amber Ripley<br>Sophie Venner | writer = Paul Bromley | starring = Chloe Pirrie<br>Jeff Gladstone<br>Jason Deline | music = Cayne McKenzie | cinematography = David Bird | editing = Tommasso Gallone | studio = Garden Productions<br>Goodbye Productions<br>Z56film | runtime = 96 minutes | released = {{film date|2024|3|10|SXSW}} | country = Canada | language = English | budget = }} '''''Kryptic''''' is a Canadian horror thriller film, directed by Kourtney Roy and released in 2024.<ref name=korngut>Josh Korngut, [https://exclaim.ca/film/article/fantasia-2024-kryptic-film-review "Fantasia 2024: 'Kryptic' Lurks in a Uniquely Canadian Wilderness"]. ''Exclaim!'', July 25, 2024.</ref> The film stars Chloe Pirrie in a dual role as Barb Valentine, a cryptid hunter who has disappeared while hunting for the Sooka, a mysterious forest creature, and Kay, a woman who herself encounters the Sooka while searching for Barb, and abandons her life to embark on a new quest for meaning and identity after the encounter eliminates all her memories of who she used to be.<ref name=martinez>Alejandra Martinez, [https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/screens/2024-03-11/sxsw-film-review-kryptic/ "SXSW Film Review: Kryptic — Goopy creature feature is a muddled take on self-discovery"]. ''The Austin Chronicle'', March 11, 2024.</ref>
The cast also includes Jeff Gladstone, Jason Deline, Ali Rusu-Tahir, Kamantha Naidoo, Jenna Hill, Pam Kearns, Jane Stanton, Sara J. Southey, Jennifer Copping, Moses Wamukoya, Sarah Hayward, Patti Allan, Christina Lewall and Ardy Ramezani.
==Distribution== The film premiered at the 2024 SXSW festival,<ref name=martinez/> and had its Canadian premiere at the 28th Fantasia International Film Festival.<ref name=korngut/> It later screened in the Borsos Competition program at the 2024 Whistler Film Festival.<ref>Janet Smith, [https://www.createastir.ca/articles/whistler-film-festival-borsos-announcement-canadian-film-lineup-2024 "Hunting Matthew Nichols and Kryptic among B.C. contingent as Whistler Film Festival unveils Canadian entries"]. ''Stir'', October 28, 2024.</ref>
Following its premiere at SXSW, the film landed a number of distribution deals for European territories.<ref>Andreas Wiseman, [https://deadline.com/2024/06/kryptic-chloe-pirrie-movie-deals-xyz-sxsw-1235958421/ "XYZ Strikes Raft Of International Deals On SXSW Thriller ‘Kryptic’ Starring Chloe Pirrie"]. ''Deadline Hollywood'', June 4, 2024.</ref>
==Critical response== <!--{{As of|September 2025}}-->{{RT prose|score=67 |count=18 |average=|4=|ref=yes|access-date=September 9, 2025}}
Josh Korngut of ''Exclaim!'' rated the film 6 out of 10, writing that "Pirrie as Kay helps the film avoid stumbling under the pressure of its confusing plot. Her wide-eyed, hushed energy brings to mind Rebecca Hall in dark indies like ''Christine'' and ''Resurrection''."<ref name=korngut/>
For the ''Austin Chronicle'', Alejandra Martinez called the film a flawed but promising debut, writing that "Pirrie brings a roiling, internal force that keeps the movie’s momentum going, and keeps the audience on its toes."<ref name=martinez/> Mary Beth McAndrews of ''Dread Central'' wrote that "''Kryptic'' becomes a road movie fairy tale about a woman searching for the truth but she doesn’t really know what that truth is, exactly."<ref>Mary Beth McAndrews, [https://www.dreadcentral.com/reviews/508291/beautifully-goopy-kryptic-is-a-fascinating-look-at-being-human-fantasia-2024-review/ "Beautifully Goopy ‘Kryptic’ Is A Fascinating Look At Being Human (Fantasia 2024 Review)"]. ''Dread Central'', July 31, 2024.</ref>
==See also== * List of horror films of 2024
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb title|22697898}}
Category:2024 films Category:2024 thriller films Category:2024 horror films Category:2024 directorial debut films Category:Canadian horror thriller films Category:English-language Canadian films Category:2024 Canadian films