There’s More Than Meets the Eye on This Documentary About a Southern Haunt

Read Time:2 Minute, 17 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Family of Fear
–

Genre: Documentary
Year Released: 2018
Runtime: 1h 32m
Director(s): Stephen Lackey
Where To Watch: Available on DVD from Amazon or streaming on Tubi
AMAZON: Click to purchase on Amazon
TUBI: Streaming on Tubi

RAVING REVIEW: A documentary that got me in the feels more than I could’ve ever expected. Proving that family is more than just the blood on the walls.

Initially, I thought this would be a pretty straightforward documentary about a haunted house (Axs Mortis, in Killen, Alabama.) To some extent, it was, but the story doesn’t end there; there’s so much more to this story and all of the pieces that come together to create it.

I’ve seen quite a few documentaries about haunts all over the US and even some from other countries. Traditionally they give you a little background about the attraction and then dive into the behind-the-scenes and the visitor experience. Here we get to experience what it’s like to work there, the struggles in the day-to-day operations, and most importantly, we get to connect with the crew and their personal stories.

You get to see the reactions of many of the visitors and even the stories of one visitor turned crew to overcome their fear. The bleeding heart of the film is the stories that many of the team that brings this haint to life share. When you go into a documentary about a haunted house, you don’t expect to have to fight back the tears multiple times. I could relate to this group that poured their hearts and souls into this attraction. I found myself in so many of the interviews throughout the film, so many of their struggles and their victories in this experience.

While some of the crew are actual family, many have become “family” because of this experience they get to work on yearly. While blood may be thicker than water, a family can be defined in many ways, and this documentary shows the good, the bad, and the scary of what brings this family together.

Thankfully Arx Mortis survived COVID and came out the other side with plenty of haunt opportunities throughout Halloween. See www.arxmortis.com for more information, directions, and dates/times.

For more reviews and my YouTube channel, please visit linktr.ee/Overlyhonestmoviereviews

Follow me on Instagram, Letterboxd, Twitter, and YouTube. Find my social media accounts on most platforms simply by searching Overly Honest Movie Reviews.

I’m always happy to hear from my readers; please say hi or send me any questions about all things movies.