The Houses October Built 2

Director - Bobby Roe (The Houses October Built)
Starring - Brandy Schaefer (Ally McBeal, Bluelove), Zack Andrews (The Houses October Built), and Mikey Roe (Side Effects, Wicked City)
Release Date - 2017
Genre - Horror
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     

     Halloween is a magical time for horror fans.  It's the one time a year they can indulge in their fears and not be ridiculed.  At this time haunted house tours, haunted hayrides, and extreme haunts are are popular among fans and thrill seekers alike.  A few Halloween seasons back the film The Houses October Built became a popular film on Netflix and among horror fans.  I tried giving it a watch but couldn't make myself sit through it.  A few weeks back I got word that a sequel was about to be released.  I wasn't too excited for this release but I know several fans of the original wanted to see it.  When I was asked to check it out I decided to give it a chance.  Sadly, it was just more of the same.

     The film takes place a year after the first film with the four young men convincing their female friend to go on another extreme haunt tour across the U.S.  She reluctantly agrees but with each stop they hear about an extreme haunted called Hellbent.  Before they know it they find themselves at Hellbent and things are not what they seem.

     I didn't care for this film but my dislike of it should be confused with this film sucked.  I can see what the film is trying to achieve.  Sadly, it's not for me.  The story is predictable and worst of all...it's not horror.  It's hypothetical.  The acting in this one isn't that great.  The cast doesn't have a lot of experience in front of the camera and times of distress they have a hard time making it feel convincing.  Some of their small talk does lead me to believe that most of the cast is friends outside of filming but once the story takes series turns the cast struggles to make it feel genuine.  The story for this one is more of the same but with two very predictable twists.  Following people who go through haunted houses is honestly not that entertaining.  Hell, going through haunted houses is not that fun either so I don't want to spend my time watching someone else go through them.  The film comes to an end with a twist followed by another twist which is basically two pranks that can be seen from space.  Finally, no gore in this one.  We do get some effects and blood but in the context of the film they are not that entertaining.  Overall, The Houses October Built 2 is not the film most horror fans are looking for.  Fans of haunted attractions and mockumentaries may enjoy it but if you want a real horror flick I would recommend checking out something else.