Dir. Gregory Plotkin | Now Streaming On: Tubi | Rating: 3/5

Critics are incredibly harsh on Hell Fest since it does follow the slasher genre tropes to a T. To that I push back with the trend that slashers are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. If they don’t adhere to the tropes, they lose sight of their subgenre. If they do, they’re unoriginal. You can’t win – but for what it’s worth, Hell Fest isn’t all the bad. ⁠
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Not only is Hell Fest an entertaining watch, if you’ve been to a scare attraction in the last decade this movie hits just a bit too close for comfort. The idea of a scare actor in a haunted house not being who they claim to be is down right horrifying. There you are in a pitch black unfamiliar environment, adrenaline already racing, with trust in literally everyone around you that they won’t blow a gasket and kill you. (Am I selling you on this movie yet?)⁠
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Despite its R rating, Hell Fest does adhere to writing and acting expectations of your typical “teeny-bopper” slasher. A highlight of this cast is of course, the witty and hilarious Bex Taylor-Klaus. They stole my heart as Audrey in MTV’s Scream and I never looked back. Is Hell Fest a show stopper? No. Is it fun to watch on a lonely Friday night? Yes, yes it is. ⁠
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Know Before You Watch: Features flashing lights, blood, death. ⁠