Buckle Up For The Ride Of A Lifetime With "HAYRIDE TO HELL" (2024) (Review)
Nothing sets the ambiance for the Halloween season more than a hayride through a cornfield. Although, this isn’t your typical family-friendly function… When Farmer Sam (Bill Moseley) is at risk of losing his land to the city along with his annual haunted attraction, he is willing to do whatever it takes to keep the Coxe Family legacy afloat.
Sam has three days to prove to Betsy Butte (Allyson Malandra) and the rest of the city council that if he can scare them with the best-haunted hayride that they’ve ever experienced, he gets to stay open. With a reluctant tone, they agree. Not to be undermined, the sheriff of Willis County, Sheriff Jubel (Kane Hodder), and Deputy Nixler (Graham Wolfe) will surely be in attendance as well to make sure no “funny business” goes down.
“Hayride To Hell” is exactly what you would expect from the title; campy, bloody, and a hint of cheesy comedic relief. What starts as a seemingly rural and wholesome haunted hayride takes a turn for the more devious side. It was quite the treat to see Moseley and Hodder on screen together, but that didn’t take away from the other performances either. Richard “Dick” (Jared Delaney) and Karen (Denise McDonald) Singleton were absolutely hilarious in their roles and quite ironic enough, “Karen” definitely lived up to her name.
It is to be noted that not only did Wolfe play the role of the “dim-wit” Deputy Nixley, but he also composed the score as well; highlighting upbeat spooky melodic tunes along with eerie and dramatic sounds that really added a uniqueness to the film.
As we mentioned earlier, Farmer Sam will stop at nothing to keep his land… even if that means “eliminating” whoever gets in his way. Some of the death scenes were actually really original and creative. The “driller killer” as we would like to call it happened to be one of our favorites; we’ll never look at farming equipment the same again. Also, the “Showers of Doom” seems like a great way to get everyone “immersed” into full relaxation before their ultimate demise.
Regarding the cinematography, it made you feel as if you were riding through a small-town haunt in the best way. The classic Halloween vibes were prevalent and enjoyable. When you grow up and reminisce on your earlier days of the holiday, this is how we would picture it. Pumpkins galore, cornfields in the distance, candy apples, and hot apple cider; there’s just nothing like it. It’s even better when all of those aspects are mixed in with some blood and gore.
With that being said, we enjoyed Hayride To Hell for the slap-stick stab fest that it was. The storyline made sense and wasn’t all over the place as we sometimes see in other horror films. Hodder and Moseley were at the top of their game and it was refreshing to see them in roles that differ from their usual appearances.
We wanted to thank Breaking Glass Pictures for the early screening and opportunity to review this film. We will most certainly be adding it to our collection for that yearly Halloween-time watch, and you should too! “Hayride To Hell” is now available to watch on digital and demand.
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