George A. Romero set the standard for independent horror with his immortal classic, Night Of The Living Dead. Shot in rural Pennsylvania on a small budget, Night Of The Living Dead became an instant financial and critical success and gave hope to artists working outside of the studio format. The Horror Nation once again returns to another farmhouse that rests in the countryside outside of Pittsburgh in writer/director Dean Jacobs thriller, The Trip. With a talented cast that includes Doug Bradley (Hellraiser) Hannah Fierman (V/H/S Siren) and Luke Edwards (Jeepers Creepers 2) the bar will be set high for Jacobs to deliver another independent killer thriller from The Keystone State.
Sam, Dean, Evan, and Calvin, four young men, head out to the country for a boys only weekend of partying and decompression from their busy lives. Unfortunately, the house they are crashing at has a dark history. The founding father of Pennsylvania, William Penn, had a descendant that inhabited the famous house. That descendant and his family’s lives came to an unimaginable end. Since then, the house has carried a curse that the entire rural community is all too familiar with. Once the quartet becomes familiar with the history of the house, the rational men simply laugh off the myth, until the legend begins to creep into their campfire.
Jacobs delivers a scenic fright film that takes the audience down a dark country road that leads the viewer to a demonic demise. The talented director litters the film with terrific imagery which is both aesthetically beautiful and creepy. Each performer puts in a solid shift with Edwards standing out with an anxiety driven performance that carries the narrative. Horror icons Fierman and Bradley steal their scenes with the kind of professionalism that makes this indie production look like a big budget film. The Trip does become a tad long winded during its nearly two hour run time, but never journeys too far off of its destination to completely lose the viewer. Jacobs also penned the script, which gives the Horror Nation some old-world lore mixed with a new age tale. Every horror fan will want to buckle up for a trip on this atmospheric thrill ride.
Scream Score: 7.4/10