Haunt Season

When i saw the poster/cover for this movie on my Xbox i was immediately drawn to it, and the trailer reminded me of one of my favorite Halloween movie, Hell Fest. I really expected this to be a slasher happening in one big Halloween attraction like it.

But that was not really it. You do get some nice scenes/set pieces in the haunted house but the atmosphere and such is not used to its full potential or set up enough of the kills.

I understand this was a low budget movie from a passionate team, and there was a few nice kills for these standards but after having seen Terrifier 3 recently, this is nowhere near it when it comes to what is shown. Could it be budget limitation or simply rated related? I can't say.

But while the kills are very acceptable, and the performances from the actors "alright" for the most part, its really when it comes to atmosphere and music i wish the movie had done better. For instance blending more actual real kills with fake attractions ones.

I know the old school synth is a throw back to horror movies of the 80s and such, and its a deliberate choice, but you can't just throw that randomly and call it a day. I felt the music didn't fit much with what was going on screen.

The movie is very crowded and lots of the actors are in costume or make-up so it took me a little while to really set everyone apart. We do spend more time with certain characters than others. These one were better fleshed out, but some others i kinda forgot at times they were even part of the attraction.

Without spoiling anything, i was underwhelmed by the killer's reveal. It happen so anti-climactic and their motivations remain pretty vague.

That said, it was not a bad time for me. Its rather short at standard 90 minutes or so and if you watch it in mind its done on a small budget for the love of the genre, its an alright movie.

In my case i am just a bit disapointed because based on the trailer i really taught it would be my coolest surprise of 2024 Halloween Season, like Hellfest was a few years back.

Haunt Season (2024) promises 80s horror nostalgia but delivers something closer to a lifeless séance. While its lighting and cinematography are undeniably stunning, evoking the colour-drenched visuals of Halloween or Suspiria, the rest of the film feels as flat as the characters it fails to bring to life.

The writer tries to add emotional depth, but the characters are stock archetypes without the spark to make you care. Despite decent acting, the lacklustre dialogue leaves even the cast struggling to inject energy into their performances.

Pacing is where Haunt Season truly stumbles. Horror relies on building tension or delivering shocks, but here, the film drags through superfluous scenes with sporadic, unimpressive gore. Even the promise of audacious, gory 80s fun is squandered in favor of playing it safe.

The final scene is a visual and emotional triumph-a reminder of what the film could have been. But one strong ending can't save a thriller that mostly leaves you waiting for it to deliver on its potential. Watch it for the visuals, but don't expect it to leave a lasting impression.

An aspiring young actress gets a job at a Halloween haunted attraction and finds the atmosphere is similar to a college campus. Before too long, a killer is picking off the cast members.

I started this was very low expectations, only half paying attention because I expected it to be the usual straight-to-streaming dreck. And although it does suffer from some of the low-budget trappings, I was gradually sucked in. The characters are likeable, fairly rounded and distinctive, the acting's surprisingly good, there are practical splatter FX, it's well shot with good tension... and I found myself weirdly rooting for the killer once their motivations became clear.

It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it's an enjoyable little slasher movie (that would probably play really well with an audience), and it's better than a lot of similar stuff that you'll find on streaming. In 30 years, it could easily be a beloved cult classic.

Behind the Screams: Haunt Season Blends Drama and Gore in a Haunted House Setting

I enjoyed Haunt Season for several reasons. The characters are likable and well-developed, with realistic social issues like financial stress and job worries. Watching actors and makeup artists prep for the haunted house is intriguing. Though the film has well-crafted gore, it leans more toward drama than horror, and isn't particularly scary. For those looking for a true scare, Hell House LLC does a better job delivering thrills. Still, Haunt Season stands out with its unique approach to haunted attractions, blending character depth with a backstage look that adds authenticity.

Watched this because I knew the director from their PoPs series, which was great. Several of the actors from that also showed up here, unsurprisingly, and I liked to see them again.

This was a fun halloween film! I did not realize it was going to be literally haunted house carnival-based, which is a great setting for a movie about people getting killed, without it being really eerie or horrific. And it allows for a lot of kitchy props, which makes it budgetfriendly to make I imagine.

I felt the music and sound effects could have used more love, but I liked the actors' performances! Especially the killer was great, I felt like I knew them from something else, some bigger production.

I'll be showing this to my fiancee, who isn't into horror but I think she could appreciate a halloweeny slasher :)