House of Purgatory (2016)

You won't be disappointed!

What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

HOUSE OF PURGATORY is another predictably boring indie horror flick that feels like it mined the 1980s for inspiration. A vapid and cliched quartet of unlikeable teenage characters head off to a haunted house where they find themselves assailed by an evil presence in order to atone for their own sins. This is slow throughout and seemingly ad libbed, made without a single moment of horror - just the usual bad acting and poor production values leading to a disappointing climax.

A group of friends visit a haunted house and get more than they expect.Started out great and promising and then it just went downhill after the 40 minute mark. As they go deeper into the house they were suddenly separated and each experience their own personal fears. A lot of it involves childhood abuse, and in my opinion child abuse doesn't mesh well with horror, unless it's done right. It turned from a potential nice Halloween B flick to a full out drama. Not only was it depressing but it was also boring. And the actors playing high school students were old enough to have teen kids themselves.

So many cheap horror movies are made and they are all about the blood and gore. This was a film that actually asked viewers to think, which I love. It is about a group of teenagers who have secrets. And who doesn't have secrets. I think the film maker was trying to say that we all have skeletons in our closets, and they eat us up inside. None of them are our faults, they just exist. "Secrets Secrets are so fun, your secrets here will come undone." That's haunting to me. We all have skeletons, and how terrifying it would be if we had to face them! I love that a director makes a movie that makes us think instead of just showing blood and guts.

My quick rating - 5,1/10. We have all heard the rumors of the haunted house that is 5 floors, and if you can make it through all 5 you get your money back. I am sure there are variations of this urban myth and this film revolves around 4 kids that go looking to conquer it. But instead of a typical haunted house they stumble into a house that uses your own secrets from inside to terrify you. A good premise of a movie and to some extent it is well done. Purposely unbelievable and summed up by the great line "i don't think this is a normal haunted house" LOL. The film is more of a psychological type of terror with each overcoming the fears they hide inside. Atypical acting and good use of minimal locations to make the atmosphere seem plausible. I admittedly did enjoy this for what it was, nothing flashy and could have gone a long way with a bit more put into it.