Fantasia International Film Festival (FIFF) – Tin Can is a lot of things. It’s a sci-fi mystery with body horror elements that echo David Cronenberg’s earliest work. It’s a timely thriller that speaks to our present moment, specifically COVID-19 and climate change. And at times, it’s a film not afraid to lean into some heavy philosophical questions about science and nature. The film debuted at the Fantasia International Film Festival on August 7.

Directed by Seth A. Smith, who shares writing credits with Darcy Spidle, the film really feels like two halves. In the more interesting first half, protagonist Fret (Anna Hopkins) is kidnapped and wakes up in a life suspension chamber that’s a human-sized tan can. Tubes are attached to every part of her body. It’s unclear why she was chosen, but it has something to do with the fungal infection named Coral ravaging Canada. Fret was working on solutions to the pandemic before the kidnapping. When she frees herself of the tubes and pries open a vent, she realizes other test subjects surround her. Those who succumb to the body-altering infection are killed by humans that clank around in terrifying gold suits. Think of C-3P0 as a remorseless human with a plague doctor-like mask. Terrifying, right?

Fret’s struggles to escape make for a thrilling first hour. What will happen to her if she does bust out? How many years have passed? What’s left of Earth? Who are the people in the gold suits? These questions are eventually answered, but it’s more fun when the guessing game continues while showcasing gnarly body horror effects. Coral is one mean disease that affixes itself to a human host and creates a shell-like casting. Give special SFX artist Allan Cooke his due. Some of the effects shock in the best B-movie sorta way.

The narrative also features several flashbacks between Fret and her ex-husband John (Simon Mutabzi), who cheated on her because she was too wrapped up in her work, vowing to find a solution to the pandemic. John, an engineer for a life extension start-up, agrees to be placed in one of the pods to curb his rapidly advancing disease. The other trapped humans are test subjects for the wealthy, to see if the process really works. This concept poses an interesting question about whether humans should use science to stave off nature. But what will remain once we wake? What will be left of the world we know? That’s really what the later half of the film addresses, and while interesting, it’s not as gripping as the first hour that focuses on Fret’s entrapment. Sometimes, simpler is better.

Much of Tin Can is a disorienting experience, from some of the color choices, including a jarring red light in Fret’s pod, to the camera angles, including intense close-ups of the infected. Yet, the first half of the film really resonates because of COVID-19 and our struggles to conquer a pandemic. At its best, Tin Can feels like a hellish, claustrophobic nightmare that resonates due to current events. Its second half falters at times, but at least it’s not afraid to ask big questions while using limited resources to utmost effect.

The film will screen as part of the Fantasia International Film Festival, happening August 5-25.

7 Out of 10 Human Pods