They See You

Director - Tory Jones (The Wicked One, Angel)

Starring - Lloyd White V (Quarantine, Boomerang), Jack Gross (Weekend Warriors, 13 Stories TV Originals), and Jace Carson (Spaghetti Face)

Release Date - 2022

Genre - Horror

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     Filmmaker Tory Jones and his Jonestown Films label has released some seriously entertaining slashers over the last few years with The Wicked One, the follow up Wicked Ones, and Angel.  He's a talented filmmaker and his films are worth your time.  Sometime ago he announced his Halloween centered horror film They See You.  The original poster for the film really pulled me in but the film lost steam fairly early as Jones moved on to other films after it's initial announcement.  However, after Jones completed his current project he brought They See You back from the dead.  During the crowd funding campaign I pre-ordered the blu and it arrived a few days back.  I couldn't wait to dig into it so as soon as I had the time I quickly tossed it in and hit play.

     The film follows the three Sanders brothers as Halloween approaches.  They are social outcasts and often catch hell from the town's popular teens.  With Halloween just around the corner they decide to steal an antique sign from an antique shop with the help of their bully's girlfriend.  They are able to get it and soon learn that the board is a key that opens the door that frees a group of supernatural beings that want nothing more than to kill everyone. 

     Honestly, They See You was not what I was expecting but it's not a bad film.  I was hoping that Jonestown Films was taking the knowledge they had gained from the string of slashers they had made to make a new Halloween-centric slasher for genre fans.  However, the movie we got felt like a loving tribute to Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark? from fans who now have an eye for bloody deaths.  The acting in this one is decent.  The cast has some on screen experience and they are fully dedicated to their roles but some of the scenes are a little awkward.  It's nothing bad or something that makes the film unwatchable but during a few scenes the cast is trying a little too hard.   The story for this one borrows heavily from so many other classic genre films especially those Halloween classics new and old.  We get a little dash of Night of the Demons, some from The Barn, and a dash of Supernatural.  You bring all this together with that friendly atmosphere that can be found in Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark? and you will have They See You.  I really liked the set up of the story, how it unfolds, the way the characters were written, and how it ends but some of the scenes are a little too long.  They could have been trimmed down a lot better to make the movie flow a little better.  Also, I see countless possibilities for this story so I wouldn't be shocked if a sequel, prequel, or spin off comes out of this.  Finally, the film has some bloody moments that I was not expecting.  The kills are a lot of fun and the effects work in favor of the gag.  There is several instances of visual effects that made me laugh, like when the shotgun blasts, but the practical effects are no laughing matter.  Overall, They See You is not the new Halloween classic that we are often looking for but it is an enjoyable in horror film with a decent story.  I can see myself revisiting this one again over time but I will not be removing one of my favorite Halloween flicks to add this one to my essential October viewing.  Regardless, I still recommend checking this one out.  You will not be disappointed.