David Mayne
Directed by Bobby Roe
Starring: Brandy Schaefer, Zack Andrews, Bobby Roe, Mikey Roe, Jeff Larson
Seen It On: Netflix
In the mood for another shaky found-footage film? Do you hate clowns? What about a cliché cast of asshat characters that get themselves into a seriously shitty situation that they ultimately deserve? Indeed, what you will get from Bobby Roe’s directorial debut is murky soup de jour of all these things, complete with a text-based intro about people disappearing and subsequent footage being found…ripped right from the pages of The Blair Witch Project. The main characters even go by their real-life first names, much like our beloved Heather, Mike, and Josh. Already turned-off? Don’t be.
Most of The Houses October Built works pretty effectively, and while it’s nowhere near anything new that this incredibly saturated genre already hasn’t already eaten and shit back out, the film does have its own pretty creepy moments, mild jump scares, and just enough disturbing imagery to ensure you have at least one nightmare when you go to bed that night. *Coulrophobics beware.
5 young hipsters decide to go on a “haunted house” tour throughout the South, seeking the scariest and most “extreme” ones they can find. Along the way, Zack, the seeming organizer of the trip, catches wind of a super-secret, underground network of authentic haunted houses codenamed “Blue Skeleton”, which he begins researching on the internet hoping to gain an invitation. As the group travels from place to place in their RV, they make a few enemies along the way; various haunted house employees who see them as nothing more than “city folk” who mock what they do. It’s also pretty apparent that the group is being followed early on in the film.
What I really liked about The Houses October Built was the unnerving desire to understand just who or what “Blue Skeleton” was. As soon as you get the feeling that the group might be heading down a dark path that they might not make it out of, this film locks you in, and you’ll want to finish it if for no other reason that to just see what happens. Brandy (Schaefer), the group’s token eye-candy and ever-reluctant participant, along with the rest of the cast, including director Bobby (Roe) and brother Mikey (Roe), all do a serviceable job. My main gripe is that you pretty much could care less about what happens to them by the end of the film as there is zero character development throughout, not to mention that they have several opportunities to call it quits and go home, despite several obvious red flags that they are getting in over their heads. It’s these things coupled with a few meager attempts at comic relief that hold back what might have been a much deeper film, and it’s a shame since the foundation of The Houses October Built is rock solid.
All in all, The Houses October Built is like an old carnival ride at your local county fair. It’s nothing new and a bit rickety, but it still works and it’s good for a few cheap thrills. With just enough creepy to keep me interested, I’d recommend this flick to any found-footage fans and those who enjoy watching hillbillies take advantage of city slickers. Is that a genre?
Review – ‘The Houses October Built’ (2014)
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