Movie Reviews

‘Scare Zone’ review: Haunted house slasher has the right idea

At least there was a Nice Guy around.

May 24, 2022

Scare Zone is an indie horror movie that is very much a case of style over substance. Of course, this can be said for a majority of films in the genre. The entire movie was filmed at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights. The titular attraction seems like just another haunt, but soon people start really dying. Unfortunately, everyone thinks it is just part of the show.

It is a premise that has been explored many times over the years. Few have had the opportunity to use such a great setting, however. Director Jon Binkowski does a great job of shooting Scare Zone. Due to the nature of the film, there is an overabundance of jump scares, but some great looking kills balance things out. Overall, there is a fun feeling.

This may end up being part of the problem. It would be unfair to say that Scare Zone takes itself too seriously, but there are some moments that feel out of place. The relationship between Claire (Arian Ash) and Daryl (Chris Burns) is archaic even for a movie that came out in 2009. What makes it even stranger is the rest of the script is content to work in clichés.

Formulaic story aside, there is no disputing the strong performances. The majority of the cast are tropes, but that does not prevent them from being fun to watch. There is an over the top quality to the characters that adds to the fun of Scare Zone.

Ultimately, the movie does not have enough to make it stand out. There are some genuinely funny moments and great special effects, but there is also a reason it is not talked about often. There is some enjoyment to be had, but Scare Zone is little more than a run of the mill horror movie.