Film Review: ONCE UPON A TIME IN A HAUNTED HOUSE (2019) (Short Film)

ONCE UPON A TIME IN A HAUNTED HOUSE ***** USA 2019 Dir: Ramone Menon. 20 mins

A cracker of a short film from Phenomenon Cinema for Halloween that is superbly scripted and acted so that it feels of much greater length and it will absorb you and suck your emotions dry.

Five parts or cantos crammed into just twenty minutes that are often hilarious whilst at the same time keeping you glued to a tightly woven plot of horror mystery and dark humour that will haunt you and prey on your inner self.

In what is a riveting horror story that only leaves room for essential dialogue this film just goes to show that an expensive and large set is not required in movies when making a thrill fest full of scares and dark comedy with only a small and able cast and a lot of dark shadows and doom laden music where comedy turns to ghastly horror in a great film that has no need to twist but rather hits you right from the off with a cunning combination of twisted comedy, horrific evil, disturbing sensuality and craven bloodlust. What more could any true horror fan want?

ONCE UPON A TIME IN A HAUNTED HOUSE stands up well in it’s own right and is original, bearing no comparison to any that have gone before it.

Daniella Mendoza plays her roles with great ease and Marvin Edmonds carries Dario the reluctant Horse_Cock_420 brilliantly to his unwitting and grisly fate in a house that is haunted by the vile demands of Mother (Anna Chavez under very effective costume and make up).

The film has good effects and a very dark atmosphere that will shock and entertain you with a claustrophobic and deadly feel of no escape right up to it’s obvious yet grisly end that will give you Halloween thrills galore.

Let the haunting continue, you’ll be locked in on this one, just like poor Maria…….

Review by Nathan Sandiford