Looking for a good scare to revitalize your need for the horror genre? Then you may want to check out a movie called The Gallows Act II now on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD. The film has some very good acting, direction and the crafty cinematography plays a huge role in bringing it all together. The film opens with a few gutsy scenes to set the tone, then shifts to a story related to the opening. If you don’t shy away from the madness of disturbing films, then try this one on for the fun of it.
Following an exciting opening where several students gathered as one of them reads a worn out copy of the play “The Gallows” it’s time to take a deep breath. After some weird happenings that night we find that two of the students in the group have met a fate they didn’t expect. The film then jumps to Auna Rue (Ema Horvath) who has just enrolled in a drama curriculum at Fallbrook High School after she has moved in with her older sister Lisa (Brittany Falardeau). She has a following of 200 that check in on her video blog each day giving her some pride and keeping her on the track of becoming an actor.
Her first day at Fallbrook is okay except for a muffed reading in Drama Class that caused her to tear up. At lunch however, Auna meets Cade Parker (Chris Milligan) and something clicks between them. It’s enough to wipe out the bad part of the day and allow her to continue on her path. That same afternoon she gets a text from one of her followers who encourages her to read “The Gallows”. It’s the beginning of a mystery that includes a daemon called Charlie and the fate that he brings due to a game called “Charlie’s Challenge”.
I like the theme, even though it has earmarking’s of several other horror flicks I’ve have watched over the years. But, this one sort of grabbed me from the beginning, endeared me to the Auna Rue character’s plight and put the film on a level a high measure above average. Directors and the writers of The Gallows and then this sequel The Gallows Act II, Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing have proven they can bring fear and shock. Have a keen sense for putting a credible cast of rising actors in their film, using a camera crew that knows what they are doing, and create some eerie appearances of cool daemons that must have kept his prostheses/makeup/costume team pulling their hair out.
The fun here for all you level headed scare lovers is how the directors draw the audience into the film. Unlike a quick intro and then letting everything fly, they actually make the film a mystery of sorts with some tricks that keep you guessing. Hanging of course is obvious from the title when it comes to killing and you may realize ahead who some of the victims will be. But, expect the unexpected as to when death will strike, where it will take you and how to make it stop.
BLU-RAY / DVD / DIGITAL SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Audio Commentary with Writers and Directors Travis Cluff & Chris Lofing”
“Summoning the Hangman: Staging The Gallows Act II” Featurette where the director/writers, producer, actors and others talk about the making of the film and more.
“Deleted Scenes” 30 minutes of cuts and elimination of extensions to scenes that were not needed except for a couple like; where Auna meets Don the nerd for the first time and the flashback to her childhood that shows Auna’s tenuous relationship with family members. (Do not watch this extra until you have seen the movie as there are a lot of spoilers.)
The Gallows Act II has been rated R by the MPAA for some disturbing violent content. Those that will have the most fun with the film have seen movies with similar themes like the recent Let Me In (2010), Under the Skin (2013), It Follows (2014), The Babadook (2014), The Witch (2016), Get Out (2017), Split (2017), Ma (2019), and Us (2019) to name a few that I liked. How about adding to the list? jdelia@acedmagazine.com
FINAL ANALYSIS: A nicely acted and written film for horror fans. (3.5 out of 5 stars)
Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: Ema Horvath, Chris Milligan, Brittany Falardeau
Directed and written by: Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing
Genre: Supernatural Thriller
MPAA Rating: R for some disturbing violent content
Running Time: 1 hr 39 min
Video Release Date: December 24, 2019
Original Theatrical Release Date: October 25, 2019
Language: English
Reviewed Format: Blu-ray
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio
Video: Blu-ray 1080p, 16×9 Aspect Ratio 2.40:1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Number of Discs: 2 discs plus Digital Code
Distributed by: Lionsgate
Released on: Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
