Vacay Meets Decay With TFR’s New Horror Movie “The Trip”
Horror tends to take a lot of different roads. It can use the common trope of a boogeyman hiding in the shadows or blend multiple threads of a story, only to combine them into one strong narrative. One such example is the blending of horror and secluded trips into the woods. Blending a “bro's trip” with the occasionally common horror elements creates a unique and compelling narrative. By juxtaposing the camaraderie and lightheartedness typical of a guys' getaway with the dark, tension-filled atmosphere of horror can keep the audience’s attention as they wait to see what bloody tragedy is going to happen. The contrast between the expected fun and the creeping dread enhances the shock value, making the horror elements more jarring and effective. It also allows for a deeper exploration of the characters' relationships, as the bonds of friendship are tested under extreme circumstances, adding emotional weight to the fear and suspense.
Recently we here at Macabre Daily packed our bags, got into the car, and headed to a nice mountain cottage to watch Terror Film Releasing’s newest horror movie "The Trip.” This movie stars Luke Edwards, Evan Sloan, and Calvin Dittmore. Also rounding out the casting are horror alumni Doug Bradley (star of “Hellraiser”), Hannah Fierman (s`tar of a segment in the first “V/H/S” ), Lori Cardille (star of “Day of the Dead”), and John Amplas (star of “Dawn of the Dead”, “Day of the Dead” and a segment in “Creepshow”). It was directed by Dean Jacobs who also stars in the movie. The synopsis for the movie is as follows:
“Four childhood friends who take a weekend trip to a rural farmhouse in Pennsylvania plan to enjoy a trip to get away from the day-to-day routine they all lead. Expecting a relaxing weekend of excess, the group soon finds out the house has something else planned.”
The way this movie is filmed is one of the best things about it. Dean Jacobs shows a keen understanding of atmosphere with the way that he uses dread and horror in close-up shots of the main character's faces as they are being haunted really heightens the horror of the story. The movie’s setting is integral to its success; the isolated farmhouse, surrounded by dense woods, creates an immediate sense of claustrophobia. The cinematography by Ethan Leisie is both beautiful and haunting, with long, lingering shots of the forest that make it seem alive and menacing. It partners perfectly with Jacobs’ directing style. The use of light and shadow is particularly effective, with much of the horror unfolding in the dark, where the audience’s imagination is left to fill in the blanks.
The sound design is another standout feature. The use of ambient noise—rustling leaves, disembodied voices that seem far away yet right next to your ear, and the sound of the old farmhouse builds a tension that is almost unbearable at times. The film wisely avoids the overuse of jump scares, instead relying on the terror building up. When the scares do come, they are even more effective because of the restraint shown leading up to them.
If there is one area where "The Trip" falters, it is in its pacing. The film takes its time building up the tension and the slow burn build-up is something that viewers are going to be aware of. “Slow burn” is a bit of an understatement with this movie as it takes over an hour (half the run time of this movie) before anything horror-related happens. There is a lot of focus on character building and the friendship between the main characters, as well as their backstories before meeting up.
Understandably, building up your characters so the audience cares about them is one thing, but if done too long you are just eagerly awaiting their horrifying demise while checking your phone more than you should. The character building can be done in about 10-20 minutes in this movie, as it sacrifices more of the mythos of the farmhouse and its past. The ghost story of this farmhouse is told in about 5 minutes as our main characters chat about it while drunk sitting around a fire.
It leaves you wanting to know more about the tragic and insane events that happened there, leading up to the paranormal events that will unfold in the third act. By the time you get to the deaths and gore in the movie, they fall a little flat but there is a great death scene involving an axe that was very enjoyable and will make your horror fan hearts gleeful (no spoilers of course).
"The Trip" is a movie that feels a bit more like a brotastic out-of-town trip comedy than a horror film. Although enjoyable, it takes up more of the elements of horror instead of perfectly blending them to make a frightfully enjoyable experience. There have been many movies that have been able to successfully blend this, but this one unfortunately doesn’t. It just leaves you wondering what could have been, as the foundation for this movie has a lot of great potential. This is proven by its themes of isolation, emotional turmoil, and some paranormal elements that could have been more focused on than the laughs.
“The Trip” from Terror Films Releasing is now available online including Tubi TV, PlayNow Media, UDU TV, Kings of Horror, and many more. For more news and horror movie reviews, stay tuned to Macabre Daily!
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