The Houses October Built

As the film opens with a jarring and visceral scene, we are thrust into the chaos following Brandy’s harrowing experience—her battered form is being transported in a truck, while echoes of distant screams and maniacal laughter fill the atmosphere. This raw beginning foreshadows the chilling events that lie ahead. Flashing back to the days leading up to All Hallows’ Eve, we meet a group of five friends from Ohio, including Brandy, her boyfriend Zack, cameraman Jeff, and their companions Bobby and Mikey, as they embark on a treacherous adventure to navigate America’s most infamous haunted attractions. Their goal? To document their encounters and delve into the lives of the enigmatic actors who haunt these realms of terror.

Initially excited about their journey, the group explores several well-known haunted houses, yet their true aim is to uncover the elusive Blue Skeleton, a mythical creature said to move its location each year and unleash an array of unfathomable fright. As Zack grows increasingly disenchanted with the perceived mundane scares, his friends’ discomfort escalates as they start to uncover the sinister reality behind these attractions—a world where proper vetting is a mere formality, disturbed individuals are utilized for shock value, and actual corpses are employed as macabre props. Strangely enough, the staff they meet seem to hold an unsettling animosity towards them.

Their nocturnal adventures take a disturbing turn with the unease brought forth by a clown and a young actress encountered earlier, who inexplicably appear to be shadowing them despite having traveled quite a distance. Jeff finds himself stalked by a sinister figure donned in a bunny suit wielding an axe, only to later learn that this menacing persona is simply an actor in costume. During his exploration of other thrill-seekers, Zack discovers that the Blue Skeleton has made its way to Louisiana this year, and a local bar serves as the epicenter for accessing these malicious haunts.

That evening, things take an alarming twist when an intruder breaks into their van, capturing moments of the group in a vulnerable state on camera. Bobby hastily uploads the footage to haunted house forums, yet Zack insists they keep this incident under wraps to maintain group morale. Tensions rise as a disturbing find—a cow heart in their refrigerator—heightens Brandy and Bobby’s anxiety, signaling that their journey may soon come to a grim conclusion, while true horrors linger just out of sight.

As they gather at a local bar, the atmosphere shifts ominously when they encounter a group of individuals intent on filming a scene without their consent. Stepping aside to attend to her needs, Brandy finds herself confronted by two male actors who seize their chance, capturing the unfolding tension on camera before she narrowly escapes to alert her friends. In a swift response, they reclaim their camera and restore order. However, the night spirals into darkness as they return to their RV, only to find it under siege by numerous actors, one of whom snuffs out the lights—casting them into total darkness. When the light flickers back on, the actors are gone, leaving behind only cryptic hints as to what lies ahead.

The next morning, the friends arrive at a lively Halloween festival, where they receive yet another mysterious call related to the Blue Skeleton. Amid the chaos, Jeff inadvertently gets separated and becomes ensnared in an alleyway by a chilling trio of costumed assailants: a clown, a young actress, and an individual in a bunny suit. Just as the masked attackers close in, they are abruptly whisked away to an unknown destination, prompting his friends to frantically seek him out.

Their desperate attempts at communication yield only a vague message, leading them to a new location dominated by a daunting bus whose occupants present a choice; abandon their RV or jeopardize Jeff’s life. With heavy reluctance, Zack agrees to comply, leaving his friends in the hands of their assailants. The remaining group members find themselves hooded and restrained, helpless as they are driven away, blind to the horrors that await.

Meanwhile, Brandy is whisked off to an isolated setting, where she is handed a camera and instructed to document the ensuing terror. Each member of the group, now scattered in separate rooms, faces unique nightmares—Zack endures a brutal beating in his dark confines, while others confront unspeakable fates as they are entombed alive in coffins by the minions of the Blue Skeleton.

Last Updated: November 19, 2024 at 12:24