Packed with nuance and carefully planned delivery, What Happened at 625 River Road delivers layers upon layers of creepy speculation led by a cast that keeps you guessing all throughout. The friendship we see is heartwarming and honest-girls living their best lives and unafraid to take risks. The brilliantly voiced Ms. Johnson who greets them at the airbnb gives the viewer a gut punch of WTF sinister vibes with her dark demeanor turned silky, refined sweetness. She became my favorite character as we slowly come to see she's got her own backstory. The detective isn't totally fooled by the gorgeous woman he meets at the house, but he's taken enough to believe her concern, and it all feels completely on point until things take a turn. The shots all throughout twist and pan as beautifully as a music video, giving a thrilling and super fresh edge to the storytelling. In all, a completely fresh surprise in modern horror/suspense, expertly delivered by the actors. It's not just the obvious tropes "ie what's in the locked basement" but the reality of risky circumstances in party culture... "are people really who they say they are?" "Are these men here just for the sex?" All in all, I felt like this film delivered a carefully wrought story with very fine acting especially via the parts of Ms. Johnson (Silvana Jakich) and Detective Nickels (Matrell Smith). Excited to see what Devon Jovi Johnson comes up with next.
