After buying an abandoned haunt, a couple intending to reopen it learns the gruesome history of the location's background which prompts them to incorporate it into their opening-day plans for the upcoming launch only to find the original killer has returned to strike down everyone associated with the location.
This was a fantastic slasher effort that had a lot to like about it. One of the better aspects on display here is the fantastic setup that provides a standout old-school formula to the genre that makes for a tried-and-tested formula to come into play. With the troubled backstory of the location being a reason for its abandoned state and a fine backstory to that involving the relationship that lead to that incident in the first place, this feels decidedly old-school enough with the idea of the killer's original rampage being set in motion with the revelation about the infidelity and subsequent snap that results in numerous deaths at the original location all coming to play in serving up a fantastic overall starting point that might not be the most original or unique piece in the genre but is not the point here. On top of the fun setup, this one manages to get a lot to like as a general straightforward slasher effort. Since this one utilizes the idea of a haunt rather well with the various rooms setup in the locale and how they get brought together through, the early scenes of everyone setting up the rooms, that allows for a great location to bring the scenes of the resurrected killer returning and running through the group in spectacular fashion. Featuring a slew of impressive effects-work as the rapid-fire and nearly breathless pace here of the killer running around slicing necks open, pounding bodies to a pulp with giant hammers, beatings with a massive metal rod, or getting sliced to pieces with a chainsaw which are all practically-driven so it's even better. These factors are all enough to make this a great time overall. There's not much to dislike here but it does have a few minor drawbacks. One of its main issues is an underwhelming final battle with the survivor and the killer which is so brief and quick that it's hard to tell what's going on and is in general so brief that it doesn't really feel like a true piece that homages the past that the rest of the film was built on. As well, the simplistic formula that plays into the overall setup here manages to also provide quite a bit of familiarity that permeates the whole film where it plays itself so close to the vest regarding all the familiarity present in the previous genre efforts that it's quite easy to see this as nothing more than a cheap knockoff which ends up being a personal preference point rather than a legitimate complaint against it. These end up being the main issues here.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language, and Nudity.
