The Axe Murders of Villisca

A good horror movie to me is believable.

The synopsis says: "Three outcast teenagers break into the house in search of answers, but discover something far beyond their worst fears."

Why the f**k would you cast a 31 year old to play a high school senior?

If he was really your first pick for the role, why wouldn't you rewrite the script to make it about a group of friends older than teenagers? Or, if you wanted to keep the plot focused on high schoolers, why didn't you cast someone younger than someone in their 30s??

The movie is whatever, watch it if you're having a boring Saturday night. I would've liked it better had I not felt low key insulted as an audience member that we're told to just believe that these grown ass people are high schoolers.

Most all of these "kids" who are supposed to be in high school are older than college grads, or close to their thirties. The audience isn't blind when they're watching! Other than that, it was fairly entertaining. Some of it was good, some bad. Overall, except for the casting, it was enjoyable if you have nothing else to do.

The title and plot sound interesting, but within the first 30 minutes I knew I was done! lol First, When the 3 teens visit the house for the tour, they are shown the murder weapon plainly hung on a wall above a fireplace with only a rope around it and no one guarding the place at night- it's not realistic to me, but rather dumb, that a murder weapon and historical artifact would still be there after decades....someone would have stolen it by then. Second, The two boys who claim to be "paranormal investigators" didn't even have proper equipment - instead they brought candles and began asking questions in a circle as if doing a seance?! Please. They would not have been the first, or last, group of teens to break into that house at night....unfortunately, the lack of talent and convincing performances led me to stop watching after only 30 minutes.

This horror is based on the actual axe murders that took place in 1912 and were never solved. So it all looked promising but in stead of becoming a slasher flick this turns into a paranormal flick.

Is it that bad, well, it all moves away from the actual story and not having any gore or bloody moments this flick fails to deliver. Before the horror comes in it's all about teens and their love problems and once in the house having a tour it all takes too long before things go wrong. half way the flick they do enter the house again, at night and then it all starts, but it was a bit too late.

The last minutes do deliver the goods but still it's clearly made to have teens watching it. The axe killing people is all done off-camera. The possession entering the visitors is done with, sigh, black eye lenses. Nothing looks scary and the voice being deformed by processors in editing is another big failure.

Of course teens watching this will love the way it was done. But for a real buff it's all to low to really stick in your mind.

Gore 0/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 1/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 0/5

'The Axe Murders of Villisca' drew me into seeing it, with a cool poster, an intriguing idea and as someone with a general appreciation for horror. That it was low-budget, which from frequent personal experience is rarely a good sign due to that there are so many poor ones out there, made me though apprehensive.

Found the film to be pretty weak, its worst elements being pretty awful, with a lot more wrong than right. 'The Axe Murders of Villisca' is not great, or good, has a fair share of problems (fairly big ones too) and doesn't do enough with its potential, which was hardly small. There are however a few decent, even good, qualities in 'The Axe Murders of Villisca'.

Lets start with the positives. The scenery is atmospheric, likewise with the very nice way it's shot. The music is suitably spooky and quirky and doesn't distract at all from the atmosphere, while not exactly enhancing it.

Acting is better than average, the first third was promising and a few scares are effective.

However, the story does feel over-stretched and some of it feels vague, under-explained in the last third where the film especially became duller, more predictable, more senseless and less scary it got. Too many characters are too sketchy and with nowhere near enough to make one want to endear to them. Their irritating and illogical decision making and behaviours insult the intelligence. Making the film feel bland and forgettable with not enough heart put into it.

Dialogue can be stilted and rambling while the pace is uneven, dragging in a lot of the second half and never is it exciting. Found too many the supposedly shocking moments not surprising or scary and the supposedly creepy atmosphere dreary, due to the excessive obviousness and the lack of tension and suspense. The last third badly sags in momentum and the atmosphere completely falls flat.

In conclusion, very weak but not unwatchable. 4/10 Bethany Cox