31 by 31 Challenge #4: HELL FEST (2018)

Lovers of local haunts will find this bloody little gem to be right up their alley, and an excellent way to usher in October and all the Halloween happiness that comes with it. It's our time once again, Chatters. Let us fly into the dark, dark night...

Hell Fest 
Released: September 28, 2018
Director: Gregory Plotkin
Screenplay: Seth M. Sherwood, Blair Butler, & Akela Cooper

Tagline: "Fun Getting In. Hell Getting Out."

Cast:
Amy Forsyth as Natalie
Reign Edwards as Brooke
Bex Taylor-Klaus as Taylor
Christian James as Quinn
Matt Mercurio as Asher
Roby Attal as Gavin
Tony Todd as The Barker

Perma-studier Natalie comes to visit her best friend Brooke during Halloweekend in the hopes that they can reconnect after drifting apart from attending different colleges. Natalie is dismayed to find that she won't get to hang out with Brooke alone, however, as Brooke's wild friend Taylor and her boyfriend Asher have secured six tickets to Hell Fest, a traveling horror carnival made up of rides, haunts, games, and other assorted scares. It's all jump scares and cuddly moments with Gavin until Natalie realizes that their group is being stalked and taunted by a masked serial killer posing as one of the actors.

Hell Fest accomplishes two feats that make it worth your time. One, it delivers an old school slasher story straight out of the 80's slasher heyday, with heads getting pummeled by hammers, eyes jabbed with syringes, a group of relatable, obnoxious teens who are somehow all likable, and a creepy, silent killer with an equally creepy mask and a creative repertoire of kill tactics. Add in the themed, expansive-yet-contained amusement park setting, and it's like watching a lost Carpenter or Cunningham film.

And speaking of the setting, that is Hell Fest's second great achievement. The production team nailed the set design and clearly did their homework when it comes to professional haunts. The various mazes and rides look like they could have been lifted from your hometown haunt; colorful, crazy, scary, and detailed. And they're pulling double duty as well. Not only do the sets and extras serve to establish a sense of authenticity, but they're the source of a lot of the film's scares as well. As such, Hell Fest becomes the one horror film where excessive jump scares don't wear thin.

The leading ladies (Amy Forsyth, Reign Edwards, & Bex-Taylor Klaus) shine, and their chemistry is natural and believable for college students. Taylor-Klaus in particular brings a perfect energy to her character and steals every frame she's in (something she did in the Scream TV series as well). Any annoyance felt with teh characters is due to the writing, not their portrayal, and it's lucky that the performances are so strong because the writing is certainly the film's weakest point. This clunkiness is likely due to the fact that there are three credited screenwriters and two story contributors, which is far too many cooks in the kitchen for such straightforward horror fare.

What's perhaps most interesting about Hell Fest, however, is that it's not actually frightening until the final scene; or rather, the implications of that scene and the resulting question of whether or not we are safe anywhere in society anymore. It's a chilling coda to end the movie on, while also opening the door to a potential sequel or franchise, and I for one would not be opposed at all. As long as any future properties adhere to the standards of the original, they're sure to be one hell of a good time.

Hell Fest
5 - Totally Terrifying
4 - Crazy Creepy
3 - Fairly Frightening
2 - Slightly Scary
1 - Hardly Horror