Hell's Half Acre (2023) by John Patrick Tomasek

Director: John Patrick Tomasek

Year: 2023

Country: USA

Alternate Titles: N/A

Genre: Ghosts

Plot:

Trying to find new content for their channel, an urban explorer webshow decides to host a show at a run-down abandoned prison to make their biggest premiere to date and save them from financial ruin, but when they realize the prison’s ghostly inhabitants are true must try to get out of the building alive.

Review:

Overall, this was a pretty decent effort with some likable qualities. Among the better features here is the workable setup providing this with a solid premise to go along with. The webshow group dedicated to working together to provide solid and serviceable content that doesn’t devolve into cheap scare tactics to boost ratings gives them a likable touch that’s employed quite well against the rival group trying to utilize the spectacle of the situation for their advantage as they search for next site to work with leading them to the selected prison. That includes the fantastic backstory of the location and the history of the prisoners there that manage to offer up the kind of setting for the hauntings to come.

Those hauntings manage to be rather enjoyable as well by providing this one with just as much to like as well. The location where it all takes place is highly effective and quite chilling, not just with the backstory in mind but also the highly obvious state of disuse and disrepair it’s fallen into with crumbled infrastructure and a generally dangerous atmosphere that plays the perfect host for the action to come. That includes the shocking appearances of ghostly inmates wandering around the hallways, floating through abandoned cells, appearing as tormented watchers, or succumbing to various traps that provide chilling supernatural encounters even before the red herring reveals about the second team using the location. These bring about some decent gore for the cheesy kills alongside some decent stalking scenes in the final chase that gives everything some frenetic finale that gives the film quite a lot to like.

This one does have some issues that hold it down. One of the major drawbacks is a highly irritating storyline that makes everyone in the group out to be colossal morons simply to keep them in danger even though they’re well aware of the situation from the start. After encountering the second group of ghost hunters in the building, everything that happens is immediately written off as being their fault which makes no sense. The leader automatically downplays any ideas or suggestions since they didn’t come from him and tends to write off everyone for having the audacity to suggest something is amiss since he can’t explain it. These factors tend to make him quite unlikable and is a trait that runs through the others who are just as brain-dead here making for a truly problematic effort. Combined with the cheesy low-budget approach of this one which could be somewhat off-putting for some, these are what bring this down.

Overview: ***/5

Fine enough for what it is although it does fall with some issues, this one manages to be quite likable overall even though these drawbacks do end keep it from what it could’ve been. Those who are fans of this particular style of film or are just curious about this one overall will have the most to like here while those that aren’t into those factors should heed caution with this one.