Film Review: Haunt

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It seems like every Halloween Season, you get a horror film that takes place on Halloween. “Haunt” is a film that surprising hasn’t been getting much buzz since the film is directed and written by 2 of writers of the box office hit “A Quiet Place” and the film being produced by Eli Roth. The film is about a group of friends who go out to the club on Halloween Night. They find a flyer for a haunted house that would scare you to the bone. Once entering the house, they realize that this isn’t an ordinary haunted house as there is a group of killers looking make their nightmares and last moments a living hell as they are trapped with no escape. The film stars Katie Stevens and Damien Meffei.

It amazes me that every year when we get close to Halloween, there is a Halloween film that needs to be talked about in a very good way. A couple years ago, it was Justin Seaman’s indie Halloween horror film “The Barn”. Then last year another Halloween horror film that came out of nowhere to big a mega cult hit Terrifier. Now, you can add “Haunt” to the list of very good Halloween horror films that have come out lately.

The reason why this film is very good was the writing and directing from Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. One of the things that I liked about the direction is that they did a great job with the way they directed the action. This could have been one of those run of the mill haunted house film where there are some lags and boring moments but this film doesn’t because the action is intense and I liked the set designs in the film as it had that gloom and doom feel as it makes some of the intense scenes very gripping.

Beck and Woods also does a very good job in making sure that the acting in this film matches the intense action. The directors make sure their cast does a very good job with the way they approach each of their characters. It helped make this film feel like you’re on a thrill ride. Speaking of the performances, I liked how Beck and Woods did a very good job directing the villains in the film. From the movements to how each of the villainous characters deliver their dialogue, it made their characters feel scary and frightening. When that happens, it makes horror aspects work as you’re into the film and their performances.

The film also has a strong lead performance from Katie Stevens. She does a very good job with the way she portrays the film’s lead. Whether the story focused on the backstory of her character or whether she tries to escape the haunted house, she makes sure that it’s convincing enough that you’re drawn to the character. The performance is another thing that makes this film very entertaining and would love to see in more horror film as a lead actress.

The screenplay written by Beck and Woods was a thrill ride from start to finish. I liked how they allow the tension and claustrophobia to build up for the first half of the film. It allowed time to develop the main character and made the action later on in the film work so well. That is what makes horror films enjoyable to watch. Another thing that I liked about the screenplay was the fact they did a good job with the way that they spaced everything out. The story moved at a very good pace as it takes it time developing everything. Whether it was the kill scenes to some of the main character’s backstory, everything is spaced out very well that I could sit and enjoy this film right up to its kick ass conclusion.

It seems the last couple of years have produced some very good Halloween themed horror film that are worth seeing every Halloween season as “Haunt” is no different. With its intense action and creepy villains, “Haunt” will be on my Halloween viewing list for years to come. I hate to give back to back five star reviews as I did with “Ready of Not" but I enjoyed “Haunt" a lot and its highly recommend viewing for this Halloween season.

Review Rating: Five Stars.

Film Review: "Abattoir"

Darren Lynn Brosman has been one of my favorite horror directors within the last ten years. With films like “Repo: The Genetic Opera”, “The Barrens” and most recently “Alleluia: The Devil’s Carnival 2”, there’s a reason why he has been great for the horror genre. When I heard about his latest “Abattoir”, I knew that I had to see this one way or another because his films have been so good.

The film is about an investigator reporter who has to come to grips with a tragedy when her son in law mysterious kills her sister and niece. She is aided by a detective who’s trying to find out what happened and would make her son in law commit those murders. Their investigation takes them to a haunted house has been built out of various tragedies. Soon, they come across a mysterious man who has all the answers and how the house is linked to the murders. Can they find out what happened before the both of them become a part of the house’s tragic history?

I’ve personally have seen just about everyone one of Bousman’s films since he burst on to the scene with “Saw 2”. It’s amazing how he grown as a filmmaker, as he is one of the best horror directors out there period. With that said, I thought his latest film “Abattoir” is his best directing that he has done to date.

One of the things that makes Brousman’s direction great was that he’s able to make everything have this consistent dark look to all of his films. Whether its “Repo” to his lessen known films like this, he’s able to bring a level of dread and darkness that makes the images feel like you’re watching a gothic film noir. It’s what makes this film look very well from a visual standpoint and enhances the screenplay that you see it on screen. The other thing that Brousman does very well is the way that he directs his cast. He makes sure the performances are interesting enough that it gels very well with the gothic and dark tone that this film is going for. It’s always been one of the reason why his films have been entertaining.

Speaking of the performances, I thought the star of the film was Dayton Callie. He does a very good job making sure that he gives the character a villainous Jim Jones type tone to it. It helped make his character frightening to watch every time he appears. The film also has a strong lead performance from Jessica Lowndes as the reporter trying to investigate her sister and nephew’s deaths. She really does a good job making her character very dark which makes her quest to find out the truth engaging. It kept me interested even though the end result felt predictable.

The screenplay was good for the most part. What I liked about Christopher Monfette’s screenplay was it was able create a level of dread and had a gothic feel throughout the film. Whether it was the intense action to how some of these characters were created, everything added so well to the film’s tone. It made it very dark and gloomy. The other thing that his screenplay does very well is that he’s able to develop the story. Whether it’s the way that it goes into the film’s antagonist to the way it follows its main character, everything is done in a way that makes the story interesting to watch.

If there was one that I didn’t like about the screenplay was the fact that it was predictable. I hate that when you get the feeling how a film is going to end before it goes into the third act. It takes the fun out of it. Still, I enjoyed this film, as that’s the only grip I have with it.

With its very good directing and its excellent performances from Jessica Lowndes and Dayton Callie, this is worth your time. “Abattoir” is a very creepy and gothic film that will leave you with chills.

Review Rating: Four Stars

Supernatural Terror is Unleased with "The Possession Experiment"

Momentum Pictures recently send us over stills for their latest release "The Possession Experiment". The film stars Chris Minor, Jake Brinn, Nicky Jasper with KT Fanelli and Bill Moseley.

"The Possession Experiment" hits DVD on December 5th.

Plot Synopsis:

THE POSSESSION EXPERIMENT tells the story of Brandon (Minor), who has always been drawn to the supernatural. So when asked to pick a topic to base his final world theology class project on, he decides to explore the dark world of exorcisms. Teamed up with three classmates, the group investigates a multiple homicide that they eventually discover was an exorcism gone horribly wrong. Brandon becomes obsessed with the event, and in a strange turn of events, decides the only way to research this topic is to undergo an exorcism himself.