Released in 2007 and directed by a pre-Sharknado Anthony C. Ferrante, "Headless Horseman" is a modern-day re-imagining of Washington Irving's classic horror folk-tale, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Although it has a creative and imaginative story, the film is severely marred by poor performances.
The plot unfolds on All Hallow's Eve, when seven college students en route to a party, decide to take a shortcut and wind up in the "lost" eerie town of Wormwood. According to local legend, 100 years ago a madman kidnapped and violently tortured some kids until the townspeople took matters into their own hands and beheaded him. Now, he returns every seven years as the Headless Horseman to exact revenge by taking the heads of seven new victims. Our unsuspecting newly-arrived college visitors soon find themselves being hunted down one-by-one as the legendary figure seeks his vengeance.
I understand that in these lower budget b-movies, rookie actors will do rookie acting that is not always the best, and I take this into consideration when rating movies. However, even with that in mind, the acting in this was just bad. Even the more experienced cast members like Richard Moll delivered cringe-performances. Rebecca Mozo, an actress I've never seen before, was the one standout and did a good job."
In terms of visuals, the effects and creature design for the headless horseman were good, especially considering it was made in 2007. There are some cool atmospheric and intimidating shots of the Headless Horseman who's physical appearance slowly and creepily changes throughout the film. Other than that, the cinematography and music are mostly forgettable.
Overall, for fans of schlocky-horror movies, "Headless Horseman" can be an entertaining watch if you can get past the acting. 6/10.
