Whether you believe the found footage or not, it has become a formidable sub-genre of horror that directors are doing more and more with. You don’t have to believe what’s going on here, but it’s a lot more fun if you get sucked in like I did.
The Houses October Built (2014)
Not Rated | 1h 31min | Horror, Thriller | 10 October 2014 (USA)
Five friends are stalked by a group of mysterious and disturbed individuals while on a road trip looking for the ultimate haunted house attraction.
Director: Bobby Roe
Writers: Zack Andrews, Bobby Roe | 4 more credits
Stars: Brandy Schaefer, Zack Andrews, Bobby Roe
Young people in search of a thrill is usually a recipe for a good time or disaster. Haunted houses, employed by local thrill agencies like carnivals and individuals compete for the scariest locale and company. Apparently, according to this film, it goes on all over the United States just like roller coasters at thrill parks. We also learn they are mixed in their dedication to scares.
The found footage takes the viewer place to place. We learn from the carnies themselves what this job is all about. After all, this film watches a bit like a documentary on haunted house thrill events. Of course, these houses aren’t really haunted are they? It’s a mammoth undertaking trying to make a film like this scary and I will tell you it is quite scary nonetheless. The comic relief of the young people making the “house hops” helps a bit, but the makeup and just plain creepy stuff going on make it just as scary if not scarier than any effective modern horror movie.
Along their trek, they are stalked by truly scary people and there is no scarcity of jump scares. For fans of the found footage genre along with horror fans, I’d recommend it. It is just a bit slow at times, but that may be the nature of the sub-genre. Because it lacks a universal appeal as well, it loses something for me. Now streaming on Netflix (July, 2017)
7/10
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