The Haunted Forest

There’s an exquisite vignette at the beginning of Keith Boynton’s The Haunted Forest that doesn’t have a great deal to do with the rest of the film but really sets the tone. It’s set in a lover’s lane in the soft darkness of some magical night, the dashboard light illuminating a young man and woman who are entranced by one another, little caring about anything else in the world. Something about the angles from which we approach them, together with the way they’re dressed, recalls David Fincher’s Zodiac; and they, like the couples in that film, are going to be unlucky, their fate recalling many an urban legend. It feels like a statement of intent, assuring viewers that we’re in for a scary ride, but also that it’s going to be beautiful.

Though it would be difficult for what follows to live up to this all the way through, it is consistently above the quality of the average genre film, and always visually interesting. it also benefits from a charismatic lead, with relative newcomer Grayson Gwayze sliding easily into the role of Zach, a young man full of excitement about his opportunity to work at a haunted house attraction. As soon as he gets out of class he runs to the toilets to change into black clothes and do his eyeliner with an eagerness that every goth in the audience will look on fondly. Though we get little hints that his life is far from ideal – he’s staying with relatives because his mother is in hospital – the fact that his cousin runs the haunt and has agreed to take him on is a dream come true. He’s willing to do whatever he’s told, to put up with a little hazing and to take everything in (ahem) good spirits because he loves everything about Halloween.

He’s going to need that enthusiasm, because a couple of days later, one of his colleagues at the haunt is inexplicably killed, and that’s just the start of a series of distressing events that will culminate in a bloody showdown on Halloween night.

The film was shot at a real haunted forest, so it looks amazing and there’s plenty to catch the eye. The generous workers there have been very open about their techniques, so part of the appeal of the film, especially for Americans who actually attend such things – despite the film screening at Frightfest, we don’t really have them in the UK – is the behind-the-scenes tour that Zach gets, trying out lots of different jobs. It’s even better for him because he gets to flirt with the slightly older, more sophisticated Sarah (Kaitlyn Lunardi), though viewers will soon notice, even if he doesn’t, that his schoolmate Carly (Meghan Reed) also has a crush on him.

Zach spends some of his school hours in the library with Carly, drawing comics, and there’s such a similarity between the events we witness and what he draws that one might wonder how they relate. Is he simply being inspired by what he sees? Is he somehow making it happen? Are parts of what happen dream rather than reality? He’s always dozing off in class. Although the film ultimately has a pretty solid through line, this uncertainty encourages viewers to pay close attention, which will be rewarded in other ways. At one point Sarah gives him a badge, saying “It’s a symbol of the gateway to the other side. We call it ’the man in the maze’.” It’s a fitting symbol of the mystery that emerges where viewers might have expected nothing more than a throwaway slasher film.

Intelligently put together and impressively (ahem) executed, The Haunted Forest is a strong piece of work. It does supply some slasher-style elements, but they work a little differently when the emotional impact is addressed realistically by characters we’ve had a real chance to get to know. There are comedic elements all through the film, but never at the expense of the drama. Zach’s inexperience helps to preserve a bit of mystery as he observes key events from a distance – literally, at times – but once the action gets going in earnest, there is nowhere to hide.

Reviewed on: 24 Aug 2025