Director: Jon Binkowski
Year: 2022
Country: USA
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Slasher
Plot:
Running a special haunted carnival attraction, a group of workers prepares for the annual Halloween crowds by setting up and running a successful show, but as they continue on they realize that the staff disappearing one by one is the cause of a deranged stalker targeting one of the group.
Review:
This was a decent enough if somewhat flawed genre effort. One of the more likable features here is the general setup that gets to show the group preparing the celebrations with the behind-the-scenes setup of the operation. With the detailed run-down showing off how they're going through the various stages of production for one of these attractions, from the costuming to prop-work and the role-play within the rooms, this part of the film works incredibly well to get things going. That it plays off just as nicely with the going performing for the enthusiastic, sold-out crowds that make the preparations come off as completely worthwhile. To go along with this, the fact that it manages to introduce several solid side-stories to accomplish the necessary ground-work to pay off later on during the slashing which makes everything that much more fun.
This all manages to give the stalking scenes within the attraction a greater shock than expected. With the killer striking unexpectedly as the victims are far more unimpressed and distracted believing everything to be part of the attraction, that they're allowed to get close enough to strike where they can providing some fun sequences including the couple that's killed in front of unfazed patrons, the massacre of the disgruntled patrons who got kicked out earlier in the night after they break-in and the rampage through the staff that takes place with some rather impressive and brutal kill scenes. Taking place with the final confrontation in the bowels of the facility and offering up enough twists and turns in the story to be worthwhile, there's enough to like about this one.
There isn't much to bring this down but it does have some minor issues. The biggest detriment here is the films' rather unbelievable and unrealistic means of waiting several days to carry out the various murders. The fact that they go missing as they do without much notice or even care towards finding them, especially the one killed in front of the crowd which meant witnesses to the ordeal actually happened in front of others. Not realizing the deaths and disappearances is a rather confusing take on this kind of setup, which goes along with the idea of the relationship that develops throughout the film. This is also rather unrealistic and doesn't really develop into anything all that memorable beyond offering an energy-draining diversion to a cemetery that eats up the running time more than anything. These factors are what brings it down.
Overview: ***.5/5
A highly enjoyable if mildly flawed slasher effort, there's enough going on here to be of interest for fans who appreciate this kind of indie-style genre effort. Those that appreciate this kind of slasher or don't mind the flaws featured here will have a fun time with this while most others out there should heed caution.
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