31 Days of Halloween 2018

October 7: Truth Or Dare (2018)  A Blumehouse production this film takes a trickster demon with a cruel sense of gamesmanship and a group of 20 somethings fighting for their lives in a horrifying game of Truth or Dare. I think this film came and went after its release date without a ton of fanfare but still managed an international box office of 85 millions making it a real horror winning since its budget was 3.5 million. The plot is a mystery at first after a group of kids on spring break in Mexico break into a dilapidated mission and play a game of Truth or Dare, but the game keeps going even after they return home. Eventually we learn about the Demon and how the characters can stop the cruel game but first we get increasingly interpersonal truths and deadly dares. As group members share harmful secrets and die in unfortunate dares we mostly follow Olivia (Lucy Hale) and Markie (Violett Beane) two close friends with some really dark secrets kept from each other. It was smart basing the story in this way because it really let Writer Michael Reisz (along with 3 others) and Director Jeff Wadlow center the story in relationships. It made the decision at the end as selfish as it was (the most selfish thing ever) at least have a basis in a friendship. I don't know what the writers were saying about today's youth where self sacrifice for the greater good was given about as much weight as what kind of latte to buy. I had this same feeling when watching "It Follows" where in movies of the past the drama would be about the characters coming to the decision to sacrifice themselves for the good of the world. In this new horror of the 2010s we have no such dilemma, istead it is about the close relationship. That the best friend means more to today's kids than all the people in the world. Overall the movie is executed well and although I may disagree with the plot outcome I still think the film as a whole works.

October 8:
Hell Fest (2018) Off to the theater for this one as I try to support horror before it gets on streaming. Hell Fest is a simple slasher film about six friends who head to Hell Fest, a stylish scare attraction. While there our lead Natalie (Amy Forsyth) and her friends are stalked by a masked serial killer. Being set in a haunted amusement means that the killer blends in well and victims could just be part of the show. The conceit is further solidified by amusement employees play acting chasing down victims, so everyone is convince the stalker is just another one of them. The thin relationship setup id that Natalie and Brooke (Reign Edwards) are best buddies who have sort of stopped being as close as when they lived together. Brooke invites Natalie back for a weekend with the planned event to visit Hell Fest. So Brooke and her boyfriend Quinn (Christian James), her current room mate Taylor (Bex Taylor-Klaus) with her boyfriend Asher (Matt Mercurio) are taking Natalie along to have a date with Gavin (Roby Attal). This is a straight up slasher and the setting is great because even when Natalie knows that she is being stalked there is so much evidence that she is just getting scared from the park that she is not believed. When her friends start vanishing she manages to convince Brooke what is happening and the two hide in a horror maze to try to escape the killer. Like all final girls you have to stand and fight at some point and Natalie does just that. Who will survive the night?  The ending which puts the idea out there that the killer can be just an average Joe is a bit disappointing. I don't really believe that serial killers live normal happy lives as this film suggests. There is nothing really unique about this film, it is solidly in the slasher genre and hits the beats it need to. With five writing credits it seems this film has been rewritten a bit but it still worked. Director Gregory Plotkin has no misteps but also does not distiquish himself in this film. Overall I thought it was okay.