The Gallows (2015)
Director: Travis Cluff, Chris LofingStarring: Reese Mishler, Pfeifer Brown, Ryan Shoos
Format: AVI
Plot: 20 years after a horrific accident during a small town school play, students at the school resurrect the failed show in a misguided attempt to honor the anniversary of the tragedy - but soon discover that some things are better left alone.
There was a lot of buzz about The Gallows when it was released earlier this year. I have to say I wasn't blown away by the trailer, so unlike a lot of people I probably went into my first viewing with low expectations. My expectations were met, and no, that's not a compliment.
I've said before I don't mind found footage flicks, and this one is actually really well shot, but it falls short in just about every other aspect. The acting is pretty bad, the scares are virtually non-existant and the script is ho-hum. It's a shame, because the concept of a killer who dies in a school play and comes back to haunt future productions could have been good. The end twist is not bad, but also not good enough to save the dreck that has gone before it.
The biggest complaint I have about The Gallows is that the group of main characters is completely unlikeable, especially douchebag Ryan (who I wanted to get killed off inside of five minutes). It's impossible to care about the plight of the group of teenagers when you can't relate to them at all. Maybe, as a self-confessed grumpy middle-aged geezer, I'm just not in the teeny-bopper target demographic.
I'd say that fans of modern teeny horror should check out The Gallows, everyone else should bypass it in favor of better fare.
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