I attended the premiere of the movie at The Grove, joined by some of the cast in the audience. As a horror film, it fell flat the constant comedic moments undermined any genuine suspense. Iโm honestly frustrated by this recent trend of horror-comedy hybrids that seem to prioritize cheap laughs over real scares. It feels like a lazy way out very unserious, and this film was no exception.
That said, the plot had potential. The first 30 minutes were strong, setting up a compelling story with some solid jump scares. But from there, it lost momentum and struggled to maintain any real tension. It never fully committed to being a serious horror film and ended up feeling like a cash grab.
I also found some of the character choices unnecessarily political. One subplot involved a closeted gay character, which felt forced and underdeveloped. Rather than letting the character exist naturally within the story, the film added layers that didnโt align with how he was portrayed it came off as disingenuous. On top of that, the depiction of small town life leaned heavily into stereotypes, which felt more mocking than insightful.
In the end, the movie had a promising foundation but squandered it with tonal confusion, forced messaging