825 Forest Road

I recently watched 825 Forest Road (2025) on Shudder. The story follows a family searching for a fresh start who move into a new house in a small town. Unfortunately, the town-and the house-have a dark history that threatens to make their new beginning anything but refreshing.

The film is written and directed by Stephen Cognetti (Hell House LLC) and stars Elizabeth Vermilyea (Hell House LLC: Lineage), Kathryn Miller (Nefarious), Joe Bandelli (Hell House LLC), and Brian Anthony Wilson (Law Abiding Citizen).

This is one of those horror films that focuses more on building a backstory and explaining why things are happening rather than showing them unfold on screen. I found myself wanting more horror scenes-it felt slow at times and bordered on boring. That said, when the horror finally kicks in, the effects are well done. There are solid practical effects, effective makeup to enhance the haunted visuals, and a couple of decent jump scares.

Still, it's the kind of film where you might find yourself checking your phone regularly, waiting for something to happen.

In conclusion, 825 Forest Road has a few redeeming elements, but ultimately it doesn't do enough to stand out in the haunted house subgenre. I'd give it a 5/10.

It begins well with a suitably creepy opening with a zoom call between two girls, there is an ambient ' Silent Hill' small town vibe (and the town looks lush) which always appeals to me in any horror film.

Rather than the usual blood/gore this acts as a quiet sometimes reflective horror about dark past secrets. It reminded me of Ti West's ' The Innkeepers' and John Irvin's Ghost Story.

It has a few effective creepy scenes-the piano scene being one of them.

What lets it down is I couldn't take the character ' Isabel' looking way older than she is. She clearly looks mid 20s tops, so when he brother asks her how she is getting on at school I just laughed.

The scares, although well done, were signposted way too soon. The creepy doll (Mia lookalike!!) was put into frame once the camera panned either left or right and a movement by the ghost in the background was an ill judged piece of mis-direction.

The various POVs were unsubtle and added nothing to proceedings as a whole and the ' teenage' love interest was the usual tedious ' tick box' exercise so prevalent in movies nowadays- and they had zero chemistry.

It's one of those films that could have been better and shows how old I've become in seeing where and when the scares come along; however if either Elsie and Molly want a old fashioned ghost story I would recommend.

This one won't be for everyone. It's a quiet, deliberately paced supernatural thriller that focuses more on mood and mystery than scares. But if you're into slow-burn horror, it absolutely delivers on atmosphere.

There's a found footage feel to parts of it, and the way the story unfolds-through interviews, old recordings, and subtle clues-makes it feel more like a haunted documentary than a traditional narrative. It gets under your skin gradually.

The last act really pays off, and while I wouldn't call it terrifying, it leaves a chill that lingers. Think Lake Mungo meets Hell House LLC, but more subdued. Worth checking out if you like your horror low-key and creepy.

Creepy indie film. Kind of an abrupt ending without much explanation, but you still get the overall idea and plot. This director creeped me out with the "Hell House LLC" movies when they were released, but this didn't really live up to that creepiness, but still worth a watch!

The movie has a new refreshing buildup method, and it gives you new perspectives that you don't see in a horror movie very often. I thought this way of telling a story was good and also entertaining.

The bad reviews are just people wanting some high budget horror with known/ famous actors. Sooo if you find yourself liking indie horror, then watch this!

A town plagued by suicides; lights mysteriously turning on at night; a sinister figure appearing in the background; objects moving by themselves; a creepy mannequin named Martha: for what is essentially a series of well-worn horror clichés, 825 Forest Road is actually a surprisingly entertaining movie, Hellhouse LLC director Stephen Cognetti achieving an unsettling atmosphere and a couple of genuinely good jump scares.

The story is told in four chapters, one from the perspective of each of the three main characters - Chuck (Joe Falcone), his wife Maria (Elizabeth Vermilyea) and his younger sister Isabelle (Kathryn Miller), who have just moved from the city to the suburban town of Ashland Falls - and a final chapter which ties everything up.

Not long after moving in, the new arrivals begin to experience strange, inexplicable, and terrifying occurrences and learn that the town harbours a dark secret; the only way to stop the horror is to find the home of Helen Foster, a resident of Ashland Falls who committed suicide years ago, and burn the property to the ground.

The pace is gradual, and the repetition of events from different points of view may prove tedious for some, but the whole thing builds to a satisfying final act that definitely delivers the goosebumps and a few decent surprises. Admittedly, the style and execution doesn't exactly scream innovation, but if it's an hour and a half of spooky fun that you're after, you could still do a lot worse than this.

6.5/10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.