The Houses October Built

Today's horror film was The Houses October Built, a feature length PSA on the evils of haunted house attractions, apparently. The movie is a found footage piece centering around 5 friends who get together to go on a road trip to visit the most extreme haunted houses. In chasing the fear high they poke the bear a bit too much and gain the attention of a murderous (?) haunted attraction group that make their lives hell(ish). This is intersperses with real news footage from extreme haunted houses where owners say some pretty disturbing things about what happens at their establishments. Yeah, I think the director had a bad experience and a haunted house and was like, "Screw these guys! I'm gonna make a movie and make sure no one goes to a haunted house AGAIN!" Yeah, that makes the movie make the most sense.

Oddly, what The Houses October Built actually gets right is the found footage part which usually never happens. I got sucked into the friend group who all felt real and never over-acted. The dynamics were there. The lead up too was strong, and had be waiting in anticipation for the inevitable explosive ending that explained things and delivered some gruesome, fearsome killings... and it never came. The ending here is beyond dud. The movie moves slow, and you better believe you gotta pay it off; sadly, we never get it. Some fearsome moments aren't enough to hold it up, and ultimately what's left is yet another horror movie that never realizes it's potential. I'll never understand this horror pitfall, and I've hit a frustrating string of them the past few days. Focus your movie and pay off the build. I don't ask for much here, dagnabit. 

I just used the phrase dagnabit. I hate myself.

5/10