“Who would go to a haunted forest where people actually die?”

Zach (Grayson Gwaze) is a horror-movie obsessive who’d rather draw gruesome comic books in class than concentrate on his studies – so when his cousin Mark (Cedric Gegel) invites him to work at the legendary Haunted Forest, Zach is thrilled beyond belief. On his first night, he meets Sarah (Kaitlyn Lunardi), a beautiful and intriguing makeup artist, as well as Jacko (Keith Boynton), a veteran employee who takes Zach under his wing. Zach is living his best life, indulging his passion for all things morbid – but when Jacko is found dead, the magical world of the Forest begins to seem sinister, and Zach can’t help but wonder where the killer will strike next…

With The Haunted Forest, Keith Boynton offers a tribute to American slasher movies of the 2000s. It’s an enjoyable film, but one without any major surprises or big moments.

No Blood or Sex

You can call me old-fashioned and say I refuse to change, but for me, a horror film — even more so if it’s a slasher — has to contain blood and at least a little sex and/or nudity. We don’t watch this type of film because we want an intelligent movie or to discover a work that will revolutionize cinema. We watch them to stimulate our senses, to make our hearts beat fast. Americans generally make horror films that rely on jump scares. So that’s what I was hoping for when I started watching The Haunted Forest.

But not only are there no moments where you can even imagine a little bit of sex; the most we get is a gentle kiss by the water’s edge. As for the blood… a few drops end up on Zach’s face in the first hour before we finally get to see a — yes, just one — scene in which a head is cut off and a little blood gushes out.

I know Americans are prudish and that nudity in cinema has been almost non-existent since the early 2010s. But since when have violence and blood been a problem for our neighbors who find it more acceptable to give guns to children than to let a bit of breast appear on screen? What’s more, not a single scene, not a single shot, makes the viewer jump.

Let’s just say the “horror film” aspect of this movie is a complete failure. Fortunately, there were interesting things on other levels.

But Some Beauty, Too

That being said, a film set in a sort of amusement park is always appealing when it comes to horror, especially if the park has a spooky theme and the story is set a few weeks before Halloween. I know it’s not very original, but as I wrote a little earlier, with this kind of film, we’re looking for our comfy old slippers.

Incidentally, The Haunted Forest asks a relevant question: why are we so drawn to the macabre? Because if we weren’t, we wouldn’t watch horror movies, would we? What is it about violence and death that so fascinates us? What catharsis are we looking for, and what deep human need are we fulfilling when we watch a teenager run from a man armed with a knife or a chainsaw? This film both celebrates and questions the horror genre.

The dark, orange-tinted, and sometimes hazy imagery is visually striking. As a viewer, you want to let yourself be absorbed into the universe the director creates. They also add a subplot related to the horrors that Indigenous peoples have suffered—a risky theme, but one that is handled correctly here.

The actors, while not brilliant, are effective. All that’s missing is the horror to make this film truly satisfying.

A Little More…

The Haunted Forest is a love letter to horror films, as well as an analysis of what makes them so captivating. It’s a film that could have given more, but is still very watchable.

It will appeal to fans of the genre who are not looking for a typical horror movie, but rather a tribute. It’s a horror film that can practically be watched with the family.

The Haunted Forest is showing at FrightFest on August 23 and 24, 2025.

Trailer