By: J. Carlos Menjivar
80s horror aficionados listen up: We are Indie Horror has an homage to 80s slasher flicks for you, and it’s called The Barn. Sure, the title doesn’t sound as intimidating as it should, but from the first frame of The Barn, you know what you’re in for. From “scratches on the film” to its opening setup and death, The Barn sets itself up as not just a fun and bloody movie, but a memorable love-letter to those slasher films that a generation of horror fans grew up with.
Sam (Mitchell Musolino) has maneuvered through Halloween by setting some rules down for himself and surviving with superstitious focus. He takes “Devil’s Night” incredibly serious, with a list of do’s and dont’s, lest he attracts bad spirits. His best friend Josh (Will Stout) is his loyal companion and after messing with Ms. Barnhart (Linnea Quigley), the evening before Halloween, Sam faces punishment from his father. Consequently, Sam is grounded which is set to take effect after Halloween. Here’s the thing, though this is the last year before high school graduation, so this Halloween has to be a memorable one.
These guys are in luck as one of their favorite bands are set to play nearby on Halloween. Sam and Josh enlist a few friends, including Michelle (Lexi Dripps) whom Josh has a crush on, and the gang head out on a “final hurrah.” However, things turn when they stumble upon a barn that is part of local lore and legend, going as far as inspiring its own macabre rhyme. Is there any credence to the events that transpired 30 years earlier (the film’s opening) or is it all just part of Halloween fable?
It doesn’t take too long for these kids to find out what lurks within the barn when they unleash The Boogeyman, Hallowed Jack, and the Candycorn Scarecrow, and trust me when I say, these guys are out for blood– decimating everyone in sight. The Barn is a dash of everything you love from 80s horror, ranging from My Bloody Valentine and perhaps even The Monster Squad. In short, The Barn is one heck of a film. It almost feels as if the film was lost in time and somehow just now became available. The whole thing truly feels of that era, of blood and guts and no-holds-barred practical gore; a lost relic of time.
Besides a worn-out visual look, The Barn features a fresh soundtrack that features heavy distorted guitar riffs, that recall hair-metal, and electrifying synthesizers by the film’s composer Rocky Gray. Writer and Director Justin M. Seaman makes sure all bases are covered in his homage to 80s horror encompassing everything that, in retrospect, made those 80s films so damn fun. The Barn is a nostalgic, fun, gory, and entertainingly pleasing entry into the vast genre of horror. You don’t want to miss this one.
The Barn is now out on DVD. You can purchase your copy, here. Check out the trailer below.
