What better way to start the spooky season than with a movie called Haunt Season? Especially when it takes place in a Halloween haunt attraction and involves a masked slasher. The film is more than just a holiday horror set in an appropriate setting, however. It looks and feels unlike similar stories.
For starters, writer-director Jake Jarvi partnered with the creatives who run a real haunted house. This is seen early when Matilda (Sarah Elizabeth) is first introduced to her new co-workers. The camera almost lovingly shows the preparation the haunters go through. Haunt Season often slips into a documentary feel.
This brings an interesting tone to the film. Yes, there is a maniac going around killing off the employees of the haunt, but Haunt Season does not always come off like a slasher. It sometimes like the filmmakers were making a doc about the workers and then a killing spree just happened to break out.
The flip side is it has all the trappings of a slasher. The characters have more to them than ones usually found in the subgenre, but not by much. Aside from discussion regarding life goals, there is little depth to anyone. Ultimately, some gruesome kills and genuinely funny moments make Haunt Season a great start to the Halloween season.
Haunt Season comes to select theaters October 4.
