I thought this was an enjoyable slasher flick.
The main actress Sarah Elizabeth has a natural beauty and a real poise that makes her down to earth and very likeable. I was surprised this was her first and only film credit. Hope to see more of her in future projects.
The other standout actress was Janet Jurado. She also brought that likeable realistic presence that just worked so well. Its always refreshing to see a character in a horror film that acts accordingly and not doing stupid things and getting killed.
This is a low budget film but I did like that it had the early 00s indie film look. I always enjoyed that aesthetic because it gives it a sense of realism but still has a cinematic look to it. In other words, it doesn't look cheap like some movies that even in recent years tend to look like they were shot on a camcorder.
The haunted house theme was fun to see because it focused more on the setup rather than having the viewer go all through the maze full of quick cuts and shaky cam. I thought the escape room setting was entertaining despite how brief it was. Its the characters that made every scene work. I liked the trio of girls in this that were relatable and "normal". They were the kind of people you could find in such a setting and just hang out with. There was no overdramtic acting or much in the way of cliches. I really appreciated that.
The costumes in this were interesting and varied enough to not make it the same old tired thing when it comes to slasher films. It did leave me wondering who the killer is for the first half of the film.
I would think that this film was lacking maybe another 15 to 20 minutes just for the sake of spending more time with these likeable characters. When people were getting killed off , it was sad, but I felt like the emotion could really be taken up a notch if those characters had more screen time.
The villain...while not great.. was imposing in his own way. I think the reveal was maybe too soon but I did like that we see that villain a little off the rails , as opposed to someone that wants revenge or is disgruntled for something someone did.
The subtle jokes were cool to me. It continued in that down to earth , mellow, realistic sense. I think that dry humor was sarcastic but not all "in your face" like most low budget horror films tend to do.
The music fit certain scenes without being over the top or gimmicky. I thought the end credits track fit with the trio of characters. It kept me watching all till the very end.
Overall, I had a good time with this one. The trailer didn't exactly draw me in much, but I'm glad I went in with no expectations. I'd put this in the ranks of something like Satan's Little Helper, where you had a fairly basic premise, but with likeable realistic characters that keep you watching.
