Haunt Season

Stumbling upon the 2024 horror movie "Haunt Season" by random chance, of course I opted to watch the movie as I enjoy all things horror. Sure, I had never heard about this movie, but it being a horror movie was essentially all that was necessary for me to want to give it a fair chance.

Now, the storyline in "Haunt Season" was pretty straightforward, if not rather simplistic. Writer and director Jake Jarvi put together a fair enough script, which is suitable for a single viewing if you enjoy horror slashers. The movie is centered around a haunt attraction, wherein someone is literally killing people.

I was not familiar with a single actress or actor on the cast list, and that is actually something I rather enjoy when I watch a movie. And while I wasn't familiar with the cast ensemble, I will still say that the acting performances in the movie were good.

The effects in "Haunt Season" were actually not bad. And there were sufficient enough mayhem and bloodshed to keep a seasoned gorehound veteran such as myself content.

The sets were good, and they definitely put a lot of effort into constructing the sets and working out something atmospheric for the movie.

While "Haunt Season" is not going to be a horror classic, it is a movie that is fun enough to check out and watch if you enjoy horror movies. It is, however, not a movie that warrants more than just a single viewing, as writer and director Jake Jarvi didn't really bring anything innovative or outstanding to the horror genre. But if you enjoy horror movies, I would say definitely check out this 2024 movie.

My rating of writer and director Jake Jarvi's 2024 movie "Haunt Season" lands on a five out of ten stars.

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.

All of these positive reviews were probably written by cast members or their friends and family because it's just ridiculous. I'm severely mad that I had to pay 8 bucks to see this. It's definitely giving off school project vibes.

The acting isn't absolutely terrible, but it's not all that great either. There's too much talking and hanging out and not enough of anything scary whatsoever. The main thing that made me write this review is the obvious lies that the positive reviews gush. I hate when people involved with the movie take it upon themselves to comment. They bump this movie up to a 5.9 rating when it should be nowhere near it.

So firstly and most importantly some of the reviews for this movie are obviously fake. They have over the top praise and 8-10/10 scores which is ludicrous. Basically they are suggesting this movie is amongst the all time cinema classics ......that or they've literally just burst out of an alien egg and never seen any other movie before! The former is the most viable answer.

Fake scores actually damage the movie they try to promote and other movies. People who might actually watch but see these fake reviews are put off and people then suspect other movies with unbelievably high scores especially indie are also over rated.

As for the actual movie. It's okay. Not really scary and a bit campy. Way too much dialogue and not enough action. But the acting is okay and the cinematography and sound are good. It's more like a mild comedy drama parody of a horror show ... Which would be fine if they weren't trying to pretend it was the next Scream!

+1 For actually making a film +1 For pretty good acting from unknowns +1 For production values.

+1 For doing something a bit different

Score 4

Note to cast and crew etc

Don't overhype your movie! If you don't think you can make a good movie do something else. Don't try to push it with fake reviews.

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.