by Kristin Ciliberto, Contributing Writer
It was a bad idea to release director Benjamin Louis’ Stoker Hills the same weekend as the new Scream. While horror fans focus on Scream, Louis’ film has finally been released to much larger audiences. It’s a found footage film, and it’s the same generic and Hollywood story audiences have seen over and over again. Stoker Hills is no different from any other standard horror film, but it delivers the terror and uncertainty of a mysterious hooded killer.
College students Ryan (David Gridley), Jake (Vince Hill-Bedford), and Erica (Steffani Brass) who are working together on a horror movie project, find themselves taking turns for the worse as their nightmares come true. Who is here to save the day? Their fate relies on Detective Bill Stafford (William Lee Scott) and Adams (Eric Etebari), who find the camera the trio left behind.
It’s a shame a legendary actor like Tony Todd can’t even save this film. Todd is no stranger to starring in horror films, as he is known for starring in the 1992 film Candyman. The film also tries to sell the fact that Todd is the star of the film, but actually he isn’t. He’s barely in it, so don’t get your hopes up too high — he’s only in two scenes. The rest of the cast don’t stand out, either; the characters are typecast and playing generic roles. All the actors do their best to give a solid performance, but none worthy enough, especially the detectives.
What also does not help this story is the uneven pacing; the film can’t decide what it wants to be. Is it a horror movie or crime mystery? As I previously stated, it is no different from a regular horror film. It’s all a rehashed concept audiences have seen before from The Blair Witch Project, Phoenix Forgotten, Chernobyl Diaries, and even Unfriended. It’s a film that is stale, as it does not have a thrill of ambition. There are no true scares or actual build-ups. When it reaches its climax, it excels, as it relies on the same old trope of jump scares and thrills. Louis doesn’t seem to have some a vision, as he doesn’t strive to make it original or even stand out. Don’t even get bothered with its twist of an ending, which will certainly make anyone roll their eyes.
What was the point of this film? What was the message? Nothing in the film delivers. Louis’ film doesn’t even feel watchable. Do not waste your time traveling to see Stoker Hills.
Grade: F