26
Metascore
11 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 83The Film StageMike MazzantiThe Film StageMike MazzantiA balance is struck between fun and fear, make-believe terror and actual trauma. It borders on an examination of real pain, still lets you whoop at the madness, then has that cheer catch in your throat.
- 38RogerEbert.comNick AllenRogerEbert.comNick AllenIt’s the closest you can subject people to a horror potluck without being "The Cabin in the Woods." So why can’t the six writers of this story have more fun with this premise?
- 33The A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyThe A.V. ClubIgnatiy VishnevetskyIt delivers the tedious, heavy-breathing buildup associated with the genre, but skimps on the scares and the gory, gooey good stuff.
- 33IndieWireMichael NordineIndieWireMichael NordineA generous reading suggests that its vaguely feminist subtext is intentional rather than a happy accident, and to some extent it may well be, but for the most part Hell Fest simply adheres to long-established genre tropes.
- 30Los Angeles TimesNoel MurrayLos Angeles TimesNoel MurrayHell Fest has exactly one genuinely nail-biting scene.... Otherwise, the movie does little to update, subvert, or comment on the trappings of classic thrillers like “The Funhouse” and “Halloween.”
- 30VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyEye candy without much to offer the brain or emotions, Hell Fest is a competently crafted slasher film rendered instantly forgettable by its disinterest in character, plot, and motivation, let alone original ideas.
- 25Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreThe killings aren’t particularly gripping, there’s little suspense in the earliest ones and the menace is pretty watered down for much of the movie.
- 20The Hollywood ReporterKeith UhlichThe Hollywood ReporterKeith UhlichIt should surprise no one that, as Hell Fest comes to a close, Evil Hoodie Man pulls a Michael Myers disappearing act. This leads to a narrative twist so ridiculous that all non-syringe-pierced oculi will roll.
- 20TheWrapWilliam BibbianiTheWrapWilliam BibbianiIt’s in love with its location and couldn’t care less about the characters. Even the kills are rote disappointments, at least by slasher-enthusiast standards.
- But really, it seems like a movie hatched because someone had access to an amusement park and knew a lot of people in the makeup and lighting department.