User reviews

What could potentially have been a very interesting and unique horror movie, ended up being a generic storyline suffering at the hands of the writers.

The story did have potential, but writers Andrew C. Erin and Daniel Farrands might have had ideas that were great, but they just failed to transcribe those idea over into something that would translate into something great and interesting on the screen. No, the story just permeated mediocrity and half-heartedness all the way through. Furthermore, it didn't help one bit that the storyline was completely devoid of anything even remotely scary.

What did work out quite well in favor of the movie was the house and the design idea behind it. There were some very interesting ideas and concepts here that were quite nicely brought to life on the screen. But again, it just lacked that element of horror.

"Havenhurst" also had some adequate acting performances to boast it, although they were struggling with a very inadequate script, and it was weighing the actors and actresses down visibly on the screen.

For a horror movie, I will say that "Havenhurst" belongs more in the mystery genre with just a hint of thriller to it. Which are the tags of the genre here on IMDb. I just sat down to watch it because I thought it was going to be a horror movie. So I was naturally very disappointed with the end result.

"Havenhurst" is a mediocre movie that came and went without any fanfare and without leaving any impressions in the horror genre, because it just wasn't equipped with fangs or nails.

The ending was so botched, I can't help thinking the crew itself got "evicted" half way through the filming (read, ran out of money or fell apart). Despite the weird behavior of several characters, the story had a good potential till it suddenly, stupidly, untimely took a twist that is so used and abused, it doesn't even elicit a chuckle anymore. It just made an impression that the crew abruptly pulled the plug in the middle of all the action. Movies like this make me wonder how someone gets so much money, convinces a bunch of talented people to participate (most of the actors, the operator was pretty good), and is not held accountable for making bad script decisions that inevitably cut any hope for a good payout. Anyway. If you are reading this review, be smarter than me and trust the low rating: it is not an underrated gem. You would waste your time.

A troubled young woman takes up residence in a Gothic apartment building where she must confront a terrifying evil.

Director Andrew C. Erin (Embrace of the Vampire) brings us this film from a screenplay co-written with Daniel Farrands (Amityville: The Awakening). We also get music from tomandandy (Mothman Prophecies, The Strangers and a couple Resident Evil films), some of the best in the business. Farrands may be best known for writing "Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers" or for being involved in various documentaries about 1980s film franchises. He would appear to love that 1980s slasher feel, and (if so) it definitely comes through here. Although ostensibly a haunted house story, this is really a slasher at heart.

The film opens with a pulse-pounding score, superior gore effects and a dazzling cameo from horror goddess Danielle Harris. Unfortunately only a cameo rather than anything approaching a "supporting" role, but the rest of the cast is just great. We have powerful acting from Julie Benz (Dexter, Buffy, Two Evil Eyes), and an evil maternal instinct from Fionnula Flanagan (The Others, Trash Fire).

What sells the film more than anything is the cinematography, as the colorization is rich, and provides a nice palette against which to tell a moving story. The apartment offers up the best possible use of space -- sometimes overly spacial and intricately ornate, sometimes claustrophobic, and with a few nods to other horror classics such as "The Shining" and even "Psycho". The exterior aerial shots look great, and it left me wondering if this is a real building or if some crafty CGI is used.

In recent years, public discourse was concerned about the so-called surveillance state, and those fears come to life here. We even have secrets behind the walls (reminiscent of "Crawlspace") and a plot twist that ties this (fictional) film to the upcoming (factual) "Devil in the White City". Although this story of murder and disappearance could be in any era, this surveillance aspect makes it especially timely, even if not intended by the writers.

I highly recommend "Havenhurst". Though it seems to have been pushed back a year, it will be an early strong contender for great horror films of 2017. The film should be available widely starting on February 10, 2017.

It all starts with the script -- and this one stinks. Seemingly inspired by the true story of H.H. Holmes, the Torture Doctor of Chicago, who murdered anything up to 200 people, most of them in his mansion/castle full of blind corridors, rooms that could only be opened from the outside, equipped with secret gas lines, and a basement used for dissection, Havenhurst bears many similarities. The movie opens with a great hook but alas, after that it's all downhill. A dopey story that is annoying more than scary, there are good actors in this movie with nothing to do but react to manufactured scares lifted from so many other (better) movies. A great musical soundtrack that is wasted on this inane story. The viewer wants so much to become immersed in the story but the only reaction is how soon does this godawful thing end? The one rave review which this movie gets on IMDb would appear to have been written by someone connected with the production who also knows of a bridge in Brooklyn that is for sale. With so many low budget horror movies being released, there are far better choices than this flick to spend one's money on.

Julie Benz & Danielle Harris in the same film? Yes please, I thought when the credits began but alas it wasn't meant to be. Harris may possibly have been there as a favour to someone as her total screen time is barely 60 seconds.

Havenhurst is a gigantic apartment building for people to put their lives back together. It's full of former alcoholics, drug addicts and various criminal types and that's where our heroine moves in seeking her missing best friend.

If you play nice it's a great place to live but should you return to your old ways you'll find yourself in a world of trouble.

Julie Benz is an incredible actress, a tour de force and is always fantastic to watch. It's rare to see her as the leading lady so it was nice to see her get her chance here. She does a brilliant job and the movies concept is actually quite intriguing especially near the end where a big twist occurs.

I walked away from this feeling that something was missing, maybe the delivery wasn't on point, maybe it was too short or maybe the finale didn't appease me. Regardless Havenhurst is a decent enough watch and could potentially see a sequel or even a franchise.

The Good:

Julie Benz

Great twist

Very original

The Bad:

Awful cover

Feels incomplete somehow

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Julie Benz doesn't age, seriously it's getting ridiculous

Danielle Harris may well have been in the movie more than I realised, she's just so tiny maybe I missed her

'Havenhurst' 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 very weak, its worst elements being pretty awful, with a lot more wrong than right. 'Havenhurst' 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 'Havenhurst'.

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.

Julie Benz does her best, although her terrible material defeats her and would be beneath even the worst actresses.

However, the story does feel over-stretched and some of it feels vague, under-explained. The more 'Havenhurst' progressed, the duller, more predictable, more senseless and less scary it got, and 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.

Acting is not good aside from Benz.

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 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, and the ending is badly bungled for reasons too numerous to list, just felt muddled and anti-climactic.

In conclusion, very weak but not unwatchable. 3/10 Bethany Cox

This could have been a Gothic horror but sadly it fails. It all starts promising with the dissapearance of a tenant. But once her best friend starts to investigate this flick has nothing really to offer.

It never becomes scary or bloody or at such a house even creepy. I admit, the beginning do shows some red stuff and in the basement there's a gory shot but overall something is missing to make it worth searching out. And the acting was okay but being low profile on the horror it makes it after a while hard to sit through. All characters and cliches are in this flick but it doesn't work out, it's all predictable.

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

This is neither a horror movie or a thriller it's just boring. I only accept you till the end because I wanted to be able to write this review. there's really nothing to review there's nothing surprising or original it's just a Time waster. I guess pretty much just once through grunting and screaming but there's no feeling to any of this. whoever wrote produced or directed needs to find a new job. Perhaps working in the public laundry field folding clothes. Definitely a waste of money.

Just awful! This movie was just hard to watch, easy to predict and what a waste of such a great cast and potential! It breaks my heart such wonderful actors had their great careers besmirched by this pile of stinking awful! Just a waste of time, don't even bother, if any movie deserves a total remake, it's this one!

Havenhurst is a sprawling Gothic building that has been turned into a halfway house for recovering addicts. Its latest tenant is Jackie (Julie Benz), an ex-alcoholic who discovers that her new abode harbours a horrifying secret: it was once home to one of America's first serial killers, H.H. Holmes, and someone seems to be following in his bloody footsteps.

To be honest, there's not a whole lot of originality going on in Havenhurst, the plot taking the well worn 'creepy old house with a secret' format (complete with hidden passageways and trapdoors) and adding a little Saw-style punishment for good measure, as meted out by cold-hearted landlady Eleanor (Fionnula Flanagan) and her sons whenever their tenants fall off the wagon.

Despite a strong central performance and just a smidge of gruesome gore, the film never really delivers the chills, failing to get the pulse pounding with its hackneyed attempts at eerie atmospherics (the whole building could do with better lighting) and predictable jump scares (I lost count of how many times a creepy figure would suddenly rush past the camera in the foreground or behind a character).

In short, Havenhurst is by no means a terrible film, just not all that inspired.

5.5 out of 10, rounded up to 6 for bumping off Danielle Harris, horror's most over-rated scream queen, as soon as possible.

Let me start off by saying that the only reason I gave this film a go was because I like Julie Benz from the Dexter series. I find her to be very attractive in a naive kind of way in her role from the series. But omg, how bad was this film, let me count the ways. Number one, Benz plays a recovering alcoholic who moves into the building (the title of the movie) only to learn that that whoever breaks the rules while living there of their past lifestyles, (hence drinking again) will pay a severe penalty for it. The film is just plain awful, Benz has no range of character the story makes absolutely, no sense, and the whole time I just ended up screaming at my 70in TV, from scenes where she clearly had the upper hand and because of a very poor script, she winds up doing something stupid to get caught. I so hate that. Stay clear of this of this one, its only make you mad at how bad a writer can be and how bad writing results in bad acting.

OK, I know I'm not the age range this is probably aimed at, but this could have been a good little film, but the constant swearing really put me off. It didn't add anything, just made me dislike the characters.

This was Dreadful in every way except the set design. I love Juli Benz but this movie was not good enough for someone with her talent. Terrible script, the worst directing actors I have seen in years so much so that I can't believe these actors - some of which are well known - allowed it. Each take felt like the first, and were over acted, cheesy, and painful. The scream queens are in this (actresses who often do B horror movies) but they have gotten a lot older and yet were still playing younger parts and dying in horrific, ridiculous ways. Stay away from this one, there are so many other films that are more worth your time.