I rarely write spoiler filled reviews, however for 'Havenhurst' I decided I simply had to to do it justice. I was quite blown away by this film. It started out with a very generic opening scene that we've all seen a thousand times before, and I thought to myself "here we go again." But then as things began to move along I found myself more focused than I usually am while watching a horror movie. Usually the story is so mundane that I find myself drifting off into other thoughts and really struggling to focus. 'Havenhurst' didn't have me doing that. By about the 2/3 marks though I would still have considered it only a slightly about average horror flick. Then the final third commenced and I was absolutely hooked.
Coincedentally, this is the second film in a row I've watched (I won't say the name of the other film so as not to spoil that one) where the theme has been someone working within the walls of a house/building with the intention of killing people. And even when I was watching the first of those two films I was thinking that this is becoming quite a common trend in horror movies lately. Rightly so too, because it a very creepy subject. Afterwards you can't help but look at your own walls, or attic, or basement in a different and uncomfortable way.
The ending to 'Havenhurst' is what absolutely sold it for me. The whole time I had thought the young girl was a very suspicious character, but I couldn't quite put my finger on how they were going to link her in. They did it masterfully. I was also incredibly pleased to see that they didn't feel obliged to give us a happy ending. Happy endings are the death of horror films in my opinion, they simply should not exist. 'Havenhurst' ticked that box too.
In a world that is severely lacking in good modern horror films, 'Havenhurst' is a breathe of fresh air. It's creepy, will keep your attention, has some genuinely tense and uneasy horror scenes, a well written story and a brilliant ending to top it all off. What more could you ask for? A sequel, perhaps.
Coincedentally, this is the second film in a row I've watched (I won't say the name of the other film so as not to spoil that one) where the theme has been someone working within the walls of a house/building with the intention of killing people. And even when I was watching the first of those two films I was thinking that this is becoming quite a common trend in horror movies lately. Rightly so too, because it a very creepy subject. Afterwards you can't help but look at your own walls, or attic, or basement in a different and uncomfortable way.
The ending to 'Havenhurst' is what absolutely sold it for me. The whole time I had thought the young girl was a very suspicious character, but I couldn't quite put my finger on how they were going to link her in. They did it masterfully. I was also incredibly pleased to see that they didn't feel obliged to give us a happy ending. Happy endings are the death of horror films in my opinion, they simply should not exist. 'Havenhurst' ticked that box too.
In a world that is severely lacking in good modern horror films, 'Havenhurst' is a breathe of fresh air. It's creepy, will keep your attention, has some genuinely tense and uneasy horror scenes, a well written story and a brilliant ending to top it all off. What more could you ask for? A sequel, perhaps.