It's easy to brush aside people's kinks for masochism as insignificant, though it is a growing segment of the world's population. This stuff is now, more relevant than ever, as in many cases, the payoff isn't always sexual arousal but a broader, more intense high. Having experienced at least a couple of haunted house attractions myself (including the one at Dubai Mall), this documentary seemed right up my alley, and to a large extent, it is. I wasn't exactly prepared for some of the graphic imagery, but it sure did its job of spooking me, even just by viewing it from a third-person perspective.
Russ McKamey, the owner and manager of this supposedly extreme survival-horror attraction called McKamey Manor (that comes with a 40-page waiver), started the venture for reasons of entertainment. That it gradually turned into a sort of sadistic game for Russ was probably the larger intent behind all of it. We wouldn't always get to know both sides, but Russ comes across as someone who'd go to any extent to hold up his "extreme" claims, including possibly destroying people psychologically (and physically). As I mentioned in the beginning, it also makes sense to understand why people voluntarily sign up for these attractions when they fully know that they'll experience terror, pain, and stress. In that regard, we get to hear from a few experts in the field of psychology.
I fully understand why Russ didn't participate in the documentary, as it's not portraying him in the best light.. and for valid reasons. While I don't want to completely side with the victims here, I felt they were emotionally on the weaker side somewhat, and Russ may have taken advantage of that. He's got a penchant for being the "dominator", and that's discernible in every video of his. Also, to see that there are hundreds (or thousands) of people waiting to participate in Russ' extreme experience, I'm sure at least a few of them would be thinking twice after seeing this piece.
