The Haunted Forest is full of a rich and charming Halloween atmosphere, but does it deliver on scares? In writer/director Keith Boynton’s horror film, we follow Zach (Grayson Gwaze), a boarding school senior who takes a job at his cousin Mark’s (Cedric Gegel) haunted house as a scare actor. Having a love for horror, he feels right at home with his new coworkers. Zach even begins falling for the haunt’s makeup artist, Sarah (Kaitlyn Lunardi), who is fascinated by the legend that the haunted house is built on a mass grave of the massacred native Piscataway tribe. After one of the workers is found dead and mysterious and deadly mishaps start occurring on site, paranoia spreads among the staff that either a competitor is trying to drive them out of business or a spiritual reckoning is upon them.
The movie opens with a strong and nostalgic nod to classic slashers. It draws viewers immediately into what you suspect to be a major beat. The scene abruptly ends, however, and it is revealed that it is simply a story entirely in the mind of our protagonist. He’s drawing what looks like a horror comic book. These jump scares happen throughout and play out like the stereotypical scenes in most horror flicks where something scary occurs, but then it turns out to only be a dream. It’s a shame because these moments are the most exciting in the motion picture, and yet they have nothing to do with the story. You may even think, well, Zach being an artist and drawing these elaborate horror scenes by hand must pay off in the end, but they do not.
The Haunted Forest is a character-driven story, and aside from the out-of-place terror, no one dies until 35 minutes in. It should be a shocking moment, but it isn’t. It’s the competition of tone that causes this moment to fizzle. Zach and his relationship with Sarah brings an Adventureland vibe that carries the film. The horror elements become almost an uninteresting distraction.
“…the haunted house is built on a mass grave of the massacred native Piscataway tribe.”
Keep in mind that each of the scenes of horror that occur in Zach’s artistic mind are well executed, exciting, and fun. But they really don’t fit with the rest of the movie. The horror that occurs in the “real world“ at the haunted house becomes overshadowed by the grandeur of the lead’s imagination. The flick does have a solid twist in the third act, but due to some editing choices with music and a significant tonal shift, it doesn’t entirely drive it home.
Beware, slight spoilers ahead. Zach and his friend, Carly (Meghan Reed), discover who is behind the killings and have the opportunity to escape and get the police involved. Instead, they decide to stay and kill the killer. This is so out of character for both of them that it distracts viewers. From here, the motion picture takes on a Ready or Not and Fright Night tone where they’re totally fine going out of their way to kill, which takes away any tension or fear you might have for their lives. The protagonists deciding to stand up to the killer isn’t a surprising horror trope, but the way it’s executed here just feels off.
The Haunted Forest has many great ideas for horror deaths, locations, atmosphere, charming characters, and twists. Unfortunately, it doesn’t live up to its setups. That said, I am very excited to see future films by Keith Boynton. He clearly has talent and an eye for the elements that make a great story. Although I felt let down, I enjoyed spending time with these characters, and for most of the movie, I cared about what might happen to them. If you love Halloween and want to start the spooky season early, or if you’re an aspiring horror writer/director, you might want to check this out.
"…has many great ideas..."
