Midnight Horror Review: Hell Fest

AMAZON

Yes, I'm well aware it's way past midnight, but since it has been a few weeks since I've reviewed a horror movie I thought I would go ahead and post this review as a Midnight Horror Review post; though technically I did watch a horror movie at around midnight.

The horror flick that I'd watched was the 2018 slasher Hell Fest, which just arrived on Blu-ray this week from Lionsgate Home Entertainment. It's also available on 4K Ulta HD, DVD, and Digital for those of you who need to know that bit of information. The only special feature is the 16-minute "Thrills and Kills: Making Hell Fest" and the Theatrical Trailer.

Directed by Gregory Plotkin, the film stars Amy Forsyth, Reign Edwards, Bex Taylor-Klaus, Matt Mercurio, Roby Attal, Stephen Conroy, and Tony Todd.

Hell Fest centers on a group of friends (Natalie, Brooke, Taylor, Asher, and Gavin) going to a horror-themed Halloween event at an amusement park, which is filled with games, mazes, and rides. This is the type of place were the workers (and probably a few volunteers) are dressed as zombies, ghosts, creatures, etc., anything that would scare someone to death. Everyone is having a blast except for Natalie, who believes a masked stranger "The Other" is stalking her.

Like all slashers go, one by one "The Other" preys on each teen in the group and he leaves a few other dead bodies in his path of destruction.

Amy Forsyth ("Natalie", left) and Reign Edwards ("Brooke", right) star in HELL FEST.

Bex Taylor-Klaus ("Taylor") stars in HELL FEST.

Final Thoughts

This is one of those films that quickly disappeared in theaters, most likely due to release of Halloween (2018) which was released a few weeks later. Well, it might also have something to do with the bad reviews it received from critics. In my opinion, mainstream critics don't like horror films in general, so I never let their negative reviews affect me from watching a horror flick.

Hell Fest is fun throwback to the slasher movies of the 1980s, but with better acting. Plus, the actors playing the college students actually look their age, instead of a 30-something playing a teenager like in many older slashers. The five main characters have great chemistry together, making me to believe they were real friends having fun at an amusement park. The direction and the cinematography are both excellent.

Now the movie isn't exactly perfect. The plot is nothing new, which involves teenagers being stalked by a masked killer. The kills (which all horror fans love) aren't very creative; they're more PG-13 than R. Actually, the blood is pretty tame and the gore is non-existent. Horror-icon Tony Todd only has a very small role in the film, though his voice can be heard throughout the park.

Overall, Hell Fest is well-made slasher film that deserves a second chance on Blu-ray and DVD. While I don't necessarily believe the movie needs a sequel, the ending does set for a possible future installments.

*Note: I received a review copy from the studio.

All opinions are my own.