Streaming on Screambox!

THE BARN (2016)

Directed/written by Justin M. Seaman.
Starring Mitchell Musolino, Will Stout, Lexi Dripps, Cortland Woodard, Darling, Nickolaus Joshua, Linnea Quigley, Ari Lehman, Ryan Nogy, David Hampton, James Weldon, Rik Billock, & Justin M. Seaman as the Boogeyman!

THE BARN is an undeniably fun throwback to 80’s horror. While the tone of the film is rather all over the place, it makes sure to bring in copious amounts what horror fans love; gore, guts, and mayhem.

The film opens on Halloween 1959, as a pair of kids don’t listen to what their church tells them and goes to an old barn on the edge of town. After knocking on the barn door, three horrific demons emerge and murder one of them. Flash forward 30 years and we meet best friends Sam (Mitchell Musolino) and Josh (Will Stout) who are a little too old for trick or treating, but their love for all things Halloween keep them upholding the traditions. Sam even has a set of rules he follows on Halloween in fear of breaking tradition. When a concert one town over is announced on Halloween, Sam, Josh, and a group of teens load up the van and decide to go, with some trick or treating and partying right before it. Of course, the party takes place in a fire-pit right outside of the barn from the opener and sure enough, the three demons emerge from the barn again to wreak unholy vengeance on Beggar’s Night.

I feel the need to always mention when a film is made on the budgetary low because expectations for high production values and solid acting are often large. But in horror (at least for me), good ideas outweigh production and acting any old day and THE BARN has a lot of them. There’s an undeniable heart to this film that compelled me to cheer for it. Sure the acting isn’t on par with thespians, but it makes up for it with flaming pumpkin headed demons and scarecrows with candy corn teeth.

Much of the effects are simply fright masks with CG additions, but they are effective. Also effective is the mayhem factor in THE BARN which is set to high for most of the film, but really kicks into gear in the latter half hour as Sam and Josh take on the demons with every edged weapon they have in the barn. Blood spews everywhere and while at times THE BARN feels like a goosebumps episode, it goes gory very well and very often.

THE BARN is a modern-day homage to a film like THE GATE, another Amblin-esque horror that had more bite than one would expect. Look past the rough edges and newbie acting and you most likely will have a great time with this one.

Check out the trailer here!!