SCREAM PARK (2015)

Scream Park (2015)
Directed by: Cary Hill
Written by: Cary Hill
Starring: Kevin 'ohGr' Ogilvie, Steve Rudzinski, Wendy Wygant

SCREAM PARK (2015)
Written and Directed by Cary Hill

Workers at Fright Land amusement park close up for the final time as the business is forced to shut after suffering poor sales. Determined to go out in style, the staff decide to have a few drinks in the staff hut but, after searching for missing staff member Blake, the employees discover that they’re not alone in the park and that they’re being hunted down, one by one.

Low budget indie slasher horror SCREAM PARK enjoys playing with its setting as two masked killers prowl around the theme park looking for fresh meat to slaughter. Despite a budget of $40,000, which should have allowed better use of the attractions to bring some downright fresh, fairground themed horror, the film skirts around the park’s edges to try and make the best with the obvious little they have. The acting, script, screenplay and camera positions all suffer from the amateur approach though the editor has done well to stitch together scenes to make them as frightening as they can possibly be given the mediocre footage to work with.

Lead actress Wendy Wygant stars as Jennifer, one of the park’s employees who’s quest to find loverboy Blake opens her eyes to the horrifying fact that they’re being hunted down by two crazed killers who won’t stop until each and every one of the employees are dead. Jennifer is the only character with some sort of depth with the other characters solely obsessed with copping off with their girlfriend/boyfriend or getting drunk in the club hut. When they finally meet their maker, the viewer is indifferent to their death as there’s been no character building to warrant any emotional attachment.

Apart from minimal use of a wooden rollercoaster and carousel, the amusement park setting is merely a maze of obstacles for the predators and prey to hide and stalk through. The only real in-depth environment interaction offered is that of the food stand when one of the characters has late night munchies for some fries and decides to use the deep fat fryer. Any horror fan will know where this is going. This particular scene is shot in a way to hide the filmmakers deficit of available funds but is effective enough to have the viewer reel back in horror at the attack which takes place.

Overall, SCREAM PARK comes off as a just-about-watchable horror movie. For the budget, I would’ve expected better quality in all areas but really it’s the story and characters which suffer the worst. Not even a cameo by Hellraiser‘s Doug Bradley can convert this film into an enjoyable thrillride.

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