Hell Fest

Happy Halloween! Even though it's not quite October 31st, it is time to gear up the horror movies! I found myself with a little extra time recently while out of town for work and had credits on my Regal account that were about to expire, so I thought I'd see what is playing at the theater. It's not often I see many movies in the actual theater these days because of the high cost, so I really had no clue what was playing. I pulled up the Regal app and began to browse and I ran across Hell Fest. I had no idea what this movie was about, but I did recognize Tony Todd's name. I watched the preview and then proceeded to get a ticket.

IMDB.com sums up the story:

A masked serial killer turns a horror themed amusement park into his own personal playground, terrorizing a group of friends while the rest of the patrons believe that it is all part of the show.

While I haven't attended a haunted attraction in quite some time, part of me understands how terrorizing this story is because of how "real" it could be. Today it seems as if many if not most amusement parts have some sort of Halloween theme event in October. I know the local theme park in my area, Cedar Fair's Carowinds has their annual Scareowinds event. The older I've gotten the less I like these type of events and would rather just sit down in the comfort of my home to be scared.

First of all let me say how refreshing it was to see a new movie that returns to the slasher format...even if it did fall short in a few areas. While overall I enjoyed the movie I did leave with a few questions. Of course I don't want to give too much away because I would encourage you to go and see the movie yourself. 

The movie introduces you to the killer right off the bat, but gives you ZERO backstory. What is his incentive to kill? How is he able to obtain a mask that allows him to blend in seamlessly with the other actors at the venue? Where are the rides at Hell Fest? I joke about that last question, but seriously the only ride depicted in the group's trip at Hell Fest is a small cart that drives along a track inside a house...something you'd see at your local county fair. Regardless, the formula of the movie hearkens back to the days of Scream or I Know What You Did Last Summer in a way. The killer wears a mask and uses whatever tools he can get his hands on. Think Michael Myers. He'a a silent killer that shows patience, waiting for his moment to strike.

I wasn't familiar with any of the actors or actresses minus Tony Todd and his role was rather small. The acting, while not horrible, was on par with your average horror movie. Each college kid played up to their typical stereotype pretty well, however if this is a real depiction of how young adults act in real life then I'm glad that our paths don't cross because several of them really came across like real jerks.

If you're like me and tired of all the Conjuring type movies and grew up with the slasher type movies, then you may want to see this one. It's not full of gore, but what flashes we got were done well. A lot of silly jump scares, but that should be expected seeing where the movie takes place at. Kudos to the writer/producer for not throwing in the gratuitous sex and nudity that young adult horror films are known for! Overall I'd give the move a B minus. Parts could have been better, but the whole movie could've been much worse too.