Checked out the new horror flick Hell Fest… I’m sure you’ve heard of it! This is an unabashed, unadorned, gimmick-free throwback to 80s and 90s slasher flicks. There’s no particular reason this particular creepy-masked killer is hunting teenagers. There’s no gimmick, no sci-fi or horror twist (like in the pretty good time-loop Happy Death Day). This also means there’s very little room to have a dumb script full of plot holes because that would require much of a plot.
That may sound like an attack, but the movie is perfectly ok as a generic slasher flick. In this case, the flick is set in a funhouse/haunted house festival of some kind. This setting results in too many jump scares from the house itself and someone should tell the filmmakers is only scary when YOU are in the haunted house. But whatever, despite those jumps and despite the lack of particular plot or character, the movie does its thing… in, out, done, forget about it. But it isn’t offensive or stupid. In fact, the last twenty minutes or so were pretty good. If the first hour had been just a little better…
One problem is the female character who plays the comic relief. Her party girl funtime shtick might have gotten annoying in a Matthew Lillard way but whoever that actress is pulled off a fun character. A character with character unlike the leads of the flick. But she’s the kind of character who gets picked off half-way through and I was kind of bummed by that. I wish SHE’D been the lead.
Anyhow, this film won’t change the world and can hardly be recommended unless you just love slasher flicks. But does anyone really love slasher flicks past being a teenager? Well, I guess I go see ’em but its not like I love any of them (except the ones I saw as a teen).
Score: 73