▪ The film features several entertaining horror references for fans.
Haunt Season is an unusual movie. It is not a cheap slasher film that you can ignore because of its weak characters and excessive fake blood. It is smarter and has more depth than that.
The story involves a serial killer targeting the cast of a haunted house attraction. The killer takes victims one by one in a bloody way. This idea does not seem very original or easy to execute well.
However, Jake Jarvi's film combines many different parts. While not every part fits well together, some aspects are valuable and deserve credit for their effort. This movie may not please crowds at Halloween gatherings, nor will it be a challenge for those who want to scare themselves this season.
Instead, it may take a dedicated horror fan to enjoy Haunt Season fully. Knowing the genre well helps viewers see beyond the obvious mistakes that less experienced viewers might notice and realize that something new is happening here, even if it is not focused on scaring its audience.
Haunt Season is really a slice-of-life film. The movie starts with a typical opening kill that sets the story in motion. It should build suspense, but the first scene happens so quickly that it fails to create real fear. The story picks up when it introduces the main character, Matilda (Sarah Elizabeth).
She recently graduated from drama school and is unsure about her career. To make some money, she takes on the role of the screaming girl in lingerie who gets killed by Danny (Adam Hinkle), one of the haunt's longest-running members and the best friend of Bradford (Stephen Kristof), the leader of the haunted house. This role usually belongs to Taylor (Ana Dragovich), who the whole team believes has disappeared.
What the characters do not know, but we do, is that Taylor was the first victim, killed by the masked murderer. We meet various characters, including Celeste (Cydney Moody), who shares half-nude pictures of herself in haunt makeup with her fans on Instagram, and Rosemary (Katelin Stack), who takes on a caring role. Mika (Tyra Renee) grows increasingly worried about Taylor's disappearance.
On Matilda's first night, the killer returns to the haunted house and attacks one of the cast members just before it opens. You would expect a typical formula from here: the team realizes they are being hunted, more people die, and there is a big showdown where the final girl defeats the killer.
However, Haunt Season does not follow this path easily. The kill scenes, chase scenes, and gore happen quickly, as if the filmmaker wants to finish these parts to focus on the main story. Strangely, the film takes its time with character moments outside of danger, almost as if Haunt Season does not want to be a horror movie.
Just as Sean Baker shows the everyday lives of sex workers, Jarvi wants to show the realities of being part of a haunt cast. Matilda lives in her car, and we see her in peaceful scenes, like brushing her teeth by the roadside.
The film includes long discussions about women's control over their bodies, the sexism in Halloween traditions and horror themes, and the fear of leaving college to face the world. These topics feel strange when paired with scenes of a person getting killed by a pumpkin-dressed killer, but they still have a deep and honest quality.
Haunt Season ultimately does not succeed because it lacks a strong plot. Like Scream, the first part relies on a murder mystery. It is clear that one of the team is the killer, but you do not expect to confirm your guesses until the last 15 minutes.
However, Haunt Season reveals the killer about halfway through. Because it does not build up tension and fear, the unknown identity of the killer is the only thing that makes it scary. From that point, it becomes a matter of waiting for the characters to realize that the blood and bodies are not fake.
There are times when clueless haunt members talk to the killer without knowing it. Normally, these moments create tension, but due to the film's short length, the characters realize they are in danger only seconds before they die. The final 30 minutes feel tedious, as you watch the predictable events unfold.
You know exactly what will happen next. Some kill scenes are entertaining, like when victims get beheaded with shears, but the camera cuts away just before the bloody climax. Just as the action gets exciting, the camera hesitates, teasing the audience with gore, which becomes annoying after the second kill.
The film includes many references to horror that fans will enjoy. The direction and style of one chase scene remind viewers of Drew Barrymore's opening in Scream. It is clear that the creators of Haunt Season love Halloween and horror, but this passion does not translate into a solid horror story.
The killer and other motives are not developed enough to create real fear, making this part of the film feel like unnecessary filler as you wait to return to Matilda, Mika, V, and Celeste. In short, Haunt Season is a good character drama but a poor slasher film.
The cast of Haunt Season makes the film enjoyable to watch. Each character is charming in a way that disarms you because you know one of them must be the killer. Sarah Elizabeth makes Matilda instantly likable, similar to Kristen Stewart with her awkward yet charming personality.
Matilda's anxiety about life after college and her fear of failing as an actor make her an empathetic character. Her friendships with the other women in the haunt feel genuine, and it is this bond that makes you want to see the killer defeated. Matilda also has a very memorable scream.
Haunt Season has an interesting concept. If it did not try so hard to be a typical slasher horror film, it could have been something new and exciting. It shines when it focuses on characters having ordinary conversations with fake blood and Frankenstein makeup on their faces.
A party scene after the haunt shows conversations about masculinity and the disappointment of college friends who take paths you are too scared to follow. However, it tries to be a slasher movie, so we must judge it by those standards. As a slasher film, with its thin plot and weak killer, Haunt Season does not meet expectations.