Haunt (2019)
PC3's Horror and Exploitation Movie Scale of Awesomeness
Sometimes you come across a movie that you expected nothing from only to discover it’s really freaking good. That’s the case with Haunt.
As I often do on Sunday mornings, I got up before the rest of the family, made some espresso, and clicked on Tubi, looking for nothing more than a flick to casually watch while I scrolled through the morning news feed on my phone. Haunt was the first horror movie to pop up, and since I’d never seen it and not even sure if I’d I’d heard of it, I put it on, expecting it to be your typical low-budget affair, good for a few laughs and maybe some absurd gore.
What I got, instead, was a film that’s suspenseful as hell and genuinely scary in a way few modern films are.
Haunt follows a group of friends on or around Halloween who are out partying and end up going to an “extreme haunted house.” One of the characters, Harper (Katie Stevens), has been in an abusive relationship and is constantly thinking she sees her ex-boyfriend stalking her, which helps to build tension early on, before they even arrive at the haunted house.
Once they are at the house, it becomes obvious pretty quick they’re not at your run-of-the-mill spook house. For about the first half of the movie, you’re wondering if there is really something diabolical going on or if it’s all part of the experience. The characters are wondering the same thing, giving the film an immersive quality that makes it feel like everyone is experiencing things together, including the audience.
This is a really good one to watch during Halloween season. There isn’t single second of dullness—no screen time was wasted. And it blends the suspense with just the right amount emotion, enough to make you feel for the main character without going overboard into sappy sadness territory. When the bad guys’ masks start coming off, the creepiness is turned up even more. And it’s got some good gore!
The film has a couple of minor issues, one being the obvious reason for the ex-boyfriend’s arrival at the haunted house: so his vehicle can be used by the survivors as a means of escape. I think the ex’s role once he arrived on scene should have been a little more impactful. For the PHEMSA score, the movie could have used some bare chests and a wild sex scene. There’s no sex, no nudity, not even a sexy Halloween costume.
But overall, Haunt is a damn good!
PC3’s Horror and Exploitation Movie Scale of Awesomeness!
Gore - 6
Special Effects - 7
Nudity/Sexuality - 0
Wow Factor - 8
Acting - 5
Fear Factor - 8
Story/Plot/Originality - 7
Cinematography - 6
Sound/Music -5
Fun Factor - 7
Haunt gets a very nice 59 on the PHEMSA. It’s scary and gets you in the Halloween spirit. Just don’t expect to see any titties. Check it out on Tubi!
And if you’re in the mood for a haunted house Halloween read, The Dark Side of Hell may be just what you’re looking for…
