Hell Fest: A terrifying thrill ride
Every Halloween, thousands show up at the Hell Fest to have the scare of their lives.
A terrifying thrill ride, Hell Fest is about a group of friends at a horror-themed amusement park called Hell Fest. Every year, thousands follow Hell Fest to experience fear at the ghoulish carnival of nightmares. But for one visitor, Hell Fest is not the attraction, it is a hunting ground, an opportunity to slay in plain view of a gawking audience, too caught up in the terrifyingly fun atmosphere to recognize the horrific reality playing out before their eyes. As the body count and frenzied excitement of the crowds continue to rise, the visitor turns his masked gaze to the group of friends who will fight to survive the night.
“I can see how some critics might write this film off as just another slasher, but when I started to think about this film after watching it, I felt very uncomfortable and now have a new fear that I didn’t have before seeing this film,” says film critic Scott Menzel. “We often don’t like to think about the bad things that could happen when we are going somewhere like an amusement park. But this film proves how simple it is for some random person to just walk into some place like a theme park and use it as a weapon. This isn’t the type of film where the killer comes in with weapons and a plan of attack but rather a seemingly regular guy that finds all the tools he needs to kill others within the park itself.” He adds, “I had an absolute blast with Hell Fest and can easily see this becoming its very own franchise, especially with the way that the film comes to a close. Without spoiling anything, the ending is unexpected and absolutely bananas. Gregory Plotkin has definitely learned a thing or two from Jason Blum and I can see him quickly becoming the new go-to guy for horror. Hell Fest is a damn good time at movies and one that should be seen with the biggest group of friends possible.”
When it comes to scary good fun, Hell Fest producer Gale Anne Hurd has an impressive resumé. Her credits include horror and sci-fi bonafides such as Aliens, The Terminator, The Abyss and TV’s Walking Dead. These classics have inspired generations of audiences to hide under their beds.
“You’ll have a great time in the dark with your friends,” Hurd promises. “Hell Fest is an absolutely frightening, rowdy and fun ride.”
Like the haunted mazes depicted in the film, Hell Fest is best experienced in a group.
“I’m usually the first to be skeptical about a scary park or movie, but I always find myself enjoying it,” Hurd confesses. “I’m there with my daughter and her friends and we’re all loving the experience, regardless of age. There’s this great sense of community. It’s something you can share with your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your friends or your family and all have a great time.”
For his part, Plotkin said, “I love this genre, and think about all the great horror films that made such a huge impression on me in my childhood and adult life. I really just want people to be scared and to have as much fun watching Hell Fest as we did making it.”
Hell Fest is now showing nationwide, from Pioneer Films.