Haunted Attraction As Character Study: the People Behind the Masks

Read Time:5 Minute, 33 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
The Haunted Forest
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Genre: Horror, Drama
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 1h 33 minutes
Director(s): Keith Boynton
Writer(s): Keith Boynton, Devin McEwan
Cast: Grayson Gwaze, Cedric Gegel, Kaitlyn Lunardi, Meghan Reed, Jamie Bernadette, Keith Boynton, Myles Hamilton, Dave Harding, Mashka Wolfe, EJ Roeder, Victor Zheng
Where to Watch: world premiere at the 2025 FrightFest Film Festival in London

RAVING REVIEW: Every year, haunted attractions across America open their gates to thrill seekers eager to be chased by chainsaws and scared by masked actors. For many, they are temporary playgrounds of fear. For Keith Boynton, Markoff’s Haunted Forest in Maryland was inspiration enough to build an entire feature film around — one that not only delivers the screams of a slasher but also captures the humanity of the people who bring such places to life. THE HAUNTED FOREST is at once a love letter to Halloween culture, a horror drama, and a character study. In trying to juggle all three, it sometimes frays at the edges, but its ambition is what makes it stand out in a crowded festival lineup.

The story centers on Zach (Grayson Gwaze), a horror-obsessed high school senior who lands a dream job working at his cousin’s renowned Haunted Forest attraction. For Zach, this isn’t just seasonal work — it’s a chance to live inside the genre he adores, to step into the world of monsters, makeup, and midnight screams. He finds camaraderie among the staff, from Sarah (Kaitlyn Lunardi), a makeup artist who captivates him, to Jacko (played by Boynton himself), a veteran scare actor who becomes a mentor. But when something unexpected happens, the boundaries between performance and reality collapse, forcing Zach to confront both real danger and his fascination with death.

What’s most striking about THE HAUNTED FOREST is its structure. Rather than sticking to a single lane, the film shifts between modes: a grounded coming-of-age story about a teenager finding a sense of belonging, a grisly slasher where bodies pile up, and a sly comedy that examines the haunt culture itself. These pivots could have derailed the project, but in Boynton’s hands, they create something unusual — a horror film where the people matter as much as the kills.

Gwaze anchors the film with a performance that balances wide-eyed enthusiasm with real vulnerability. Zach isn’t just a horror nerd caricature but a kid using fantasy to escape loneliness and uncertainty. Lunardi makes Sarah more than a stock “love interest” role, playing her with warmth that grounds Zach’s infatuation. Boynton himself, as Jacko, radiates world-weary charisma — a character who embodies his affection for the haunt world. When the story shifts into darker territory, a loss resonates not just as a plot twist but as an emotional rupture.

The slasher elements arrive later, but when it does, they’re effective. Kill sequences are staged with both tension and playfulness, acknowledging genre clichés while leaning into their cathartic thrills. There’s a clear reverence for classic slashers — the masked figures in the forest, the chase sequences through fog-drenched paths — but also a willingness to question why audiences crave these spectacles. As Boynton notes in his director’s statement, the film interrogates our fascination with violence and death even as it indulges in it, making the gore both entertaining and slightly self-reflexive.

Humor plays a smaller but crucial role. Whether it’s the chaotic backstage antics of the haunt employees or the absurdity of balancing minimum-wage labor with murder lurking nearby, the comedic touches keep the film from sinking into bleakness. It’s not laugh-out-loud comedy, but the wit gives the film an offbeat core that makes its juggling act work more often than not.

Of course, the film’s ambition is also its potential drawback. Some viewers may find the balance uneven, with the slasher elements arriving later than expected. At times, it feels like three different films spliced together, which may frustrate those seeking a straightforward horror experience. Yet it’s this very quality — the refusal to settle into one genre — that makes THE HAUNTED FOREST memorable.

Boynton’s film stands out for its willingness to risk whiplash. It’s both deeply affectionate toward the genre and willing to poke at its contradictions. If it occasionally stumbles, it also stays with you, because it feels like it has something to say about why we’re drawn to darkness in the first place.

THE HAUNTED FOREST is more than the sum of its scares. It’s a hybrid — part “workplace” comedy, part slasher carnage, part drama — and while it doesn’t always fuse flawlessly, its ambition and sincerity elevate it above standard genre flick. Like the haunted attraction it’s based on, it’s a messy, scary, funny, and heartwarming experience. And for horror fans, that’s a mix worth walking through.

As a side, I’d like to mention a documentary that was particularly powerful for me. 2018’s FAMILY OF FEAR takes a look behind the scenes of a haunt, and more importantly, the people who make the haunt human! Check out my review here for a deeper dive: https://mailnewsgroup.com/ohmr/theres-more-than-meets-the-eye-on-this-documentary-about-a-southern-haunt/

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[photo courtesy of SANE LAKE PICTURES, BRIDGE INDEPENDENT]

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