Scary Tales: Dead Zone (2023) by Geno McGahee

Director: Geno McGahee

Year: 2023

Country: USA

Alternate Titles: N/A

Genre: Anthology

Plot:

Finding a helpful stranger, a couple staying with their host while they wait for car repairs to arrive decides to pass the time by telling stories about odd or unnatural incidents in their life.

Review:

Story 1-After a devastating incident, a police officer kicked off a case involving a child killer decides to look into who’s responsible and finds the killer’s inhuman nature pulling him into a deadly situation. This was a rather fun and somewhat likable entry to start things off. The setup of the serial killer targeting children in the area and forcing this detective to go out on a rogue spree trying to bring him to justice is genuinely solid as a police procedural in trying to find this strange killer inhabiting the city. The low-budget origins don’t allow it to play with the supernatural connotations it hints at with those scenes coming up short, but it’s still solid enough.

Story 2-Trying to break a big secret, a man recounts to his therapist the tales of his experiences with a species of human/alien hybrid that are attempting to infiltrate humanity. This was a decidedly dull and uneventful effort without much going for it. The fact that this one decides to spend the near-entirety of its running time on conversations with each other trying to explain his point which would’ve been great to see play out rather than just discuss it back and forth with each other. This wears out quickly and drains the interest in the story almost immediately, and the story that was being told was quite good which is a bit disappointing. The final reveal is quite fun and fits nicely in this type of story, but there are still some problems to be had here.

Story 3-At a crossroads in her career, a journalist unearths a potential topic involving a figure continually spotted at tragedies and sets out to find the truth which brings her into a deadly figure’s influence. This was a fairly solid effort with a lot to like about it. The central idea of the stranger being spotted in the background of photos of various tragic events that no one can figure out who he is or what his purpose is brings everything together quite nicely. The final resolution of everything is another generally enjoyable facet of the story here that adds a creepy undertone, but it’s also the one where the low-budget feel manages to undercut it the most as not only do we not get the photos of the being in the situation but the action to help enhance that is missing which does lower it only slightly.

Wrap-Around-Finding a helpful stranger, a couple staying with their host while they wait for car repairs to arrive decides to pass the time by telling stories about odd or unnatural incidents in their life. This isn’t that bad of a wrap-around but does have some issues about it. The initial starting point of the couple going out for a trip while in the throes of their marital issues which strands them with the storyteller that starts the main stories here is a decent enough focal point to introduce everything. The atmosphere here with the never-ending forest is a solid idea to enhance everything, but the means through which it tries to incorporate the stories is immensely sloppy which leaves a lot to be desired, and with the pace stuttering during some of the interactions this part does have some issues alongside it’s budgetary limitations.

Overview: **.5/5

An intriguing low-budget indie anthology that does have some likable factors alongside some big issues, this is decidedly fine for what it is but those issues cause it to never be much more than that. This is mainly for the most hardcore anthology fans or those who appreciate this kind of indie genre effort while most others who don’t enjoy these factors should heed caution.