I rarely write spoiler filled reviews, however for 'Havenhurst' I decided I simply had to to do it justice. I was quite blown away by this film. It started out with a very generic opening scene that we've all seen a thousand times before, and I thought to myself "here we go again." But then as things began to move along I found myself more focused than I usually am while watching a horror movie. Usually the story is so mundane that I find myself drifting off into other thoughts and really struggling to focus. 'Havenhurst' didn't have me doing that. By about the 2/3 marks though I would still have considered it only a slightly about average horror flick. Then the final third commenced and I was absolutely hooked. Coincedentally, this is the second film in a row I've watched (I won't say the name of the other film so as not to spoil that one) where the theme has been someone working within the walls of a house/building with the intention of killing people. And even when I was watching the first of those two films I was thinking that this is becoming quite a common trend in horror movies lately. Rightly so too, because it a very creepy subject. Afterwards you can't help but look at your own walls, or attic, or basement in a different and uncomfortable way. The ending to 'Havenhurst' is what absolutely sold it for me. The whole time I had thought the young girl was a very suspicious character, but I couldn't quite put my finger on how they were going to link her in. They did it masterfully. I was also incredibly pleased to see that they didn't feel obliged to give us a happy ending. Happy endings are the death of horror films in my opinion, they simply should not exist. 'Havenhurst' ticked that box too. In a world that is severely lacking in good modern horror films, 'Havenhurst' is a breathe of fresh air. It's creepy, will keep your attention, has some genuinely tense and uneasy horror scenes, a well written story and a brilliant ending to top it all off. What more could you ask for? A sequel, perhaps.

OK, I know I'm not the age range this is probably aimed at, but this could have been a good little film, but the constant swearing really put me off. It didn't add anything, just made me dislike the characters.

This is one of those films where it's impossible to really tell anything about it for fear of divulging spoilers, not because it's particularly heavy on nuance or story or surprises, but due to it having so little in the way of story that detailing virtually anything is bound to lead people to figure out the obvious and "spoil" a certain percentage of the film. The biggest of these is the actual plot of the film, so much so that the synopsis tells you nothing but "MUST CONFRONT EEEVIL". The story is the owner of a boarding house is a smug, subhuman murderer whose sons mutilate and disembowel people for "offenses" ranging from domestic violence to prostitution or just getting drunk one night in your own room. It's an infuriating ideology which is even more infuriating in that they get away with it at the end because the movie just abruptly ends with them murdering the main character and the little girl she was protecting inexplicably wanting to join the murderers. "Saw", after a bit of thinking and re-watching, is pretty stupid, but has the self defense of it being the doings of an angry, bitter, cynical man who begrudgingly gives his victims a chance of "redemption" and survival. The villain here does basically the same thing, but with no begrudging "chance" for survival or redemption or learning from their mistakes. The razor-thin façade of "doing away with degenerates" is a laughably vulgar lie when the violence they perpetrate on their "victims" when they end up violently murdering an abusive father, as well as his wife just for being there, and then leave the preteen daughter on her own, fully aware and fully traumatized by what is happening. There's nothing beyond an insulting façade to justify pointless murder *, which they don't even actually indulge in to any real degree; there's very little in the way of murder and gore for a film that is so shoddily built around it. For all the disgustingness of the film's plot and the villain's motivation, I would at least respect that the film was made to at least indulge in murder and gore for the audience into that stuff, but they don't even bother to go that far. Minimal effort was made beyond a certain point, and is probably best emphasized by the minimal effort put into its nonsensical ending.

Julie Benz & Danielle Harris in the same film? Yes please, I thought when the credits began but alas it wasn't meant to be. Harris may possibly have been there as a favour to someone as her total screen time is barely 60 seconds. Havenhurst is a gigantic apartment building for people to put their lives back together. It's full of former alcoholics, drug addicts and various criminal types and that's where our heroine moves in seeking her missing best friend. If you play nice it's a great place to live but should you return to your old ways you'll find yourself in a world of trouble. Julie Benz is an incredible actress, a tour de force and is always fantastic to watch. It's rare to see her as the leading lady so it was nice to see her get her chance here. She does a brilliant job and the movies concept is actually quite intriguing especially near the end where a big twist occurs. I walked away from this feeling that something was missing, maybe the delivery wasn't on point, maybe it was too short or maybe the finale didn't appease me. Regardless Havenhurst is a decent enough watch and could potentially see a sequel or even a franchise. The Good: Julie Benz Great twist Very original The Bad: Awful cover Feels incomplete somehow Things I Learnt From This Movie: Julie Benz doesn't age, seriously it's getting ridiculous Danielle Harris may well have been in the movie more than I realised, she's just so tiny maybe I missed her

What could potentially have been a very interesting and unique horror movie, ended up being a generic storyline suffering at the hands of the writers. The story did have potential, but writers Andrew C. Erin and Daniel Farrands might have had ideas that were great, but they just failed to transcribe those idea over into something that would translate into something great and interesting on the screen. No, the story just permeated mediocrity and half-heartedness all the way through. Furthermore, it didn't help one bit that the storyline was completely devoid of anything even remotely scary. What did work out quite well in favor of the movie was the house and the design idea behind it. There were some very interesting ideas and concepts here that were quite nicely brought to life on the screen. But again, it just lacked that element of horror. "Havenhurst" also had some adequate acting performances to boast it, although they were struggling with a very inadequate script, and it was weighing the actors and actresses down visibly on the screen. For a horror movie, I will say that "Havenhurst" belongs more in the mystery genre with just a hint of thriller to it. Which are the tags of the genre here on IMDb. I just sat down to watch it because I thought it was going to be a horror movie. So I was naturally very disappointed with the end result. "Havenhurst" is a mediocre movie that came and went without any fanfare and without leaving any impressions in the horror genre, because it just wasn't equipped with fangs or nails.

I greatly enjoyed this movie. It could have been longer and contained more information though. It should have shown what happened to each victim. Has anyone else, out there, noticed that new movies are only running for an hour 10 to an hour 20 minutes now? I thought 1.5-2 hours was the least to even produce a movie.

Havenhurst is a sprawling Gothic building that has been turned into a halfway house for recovering addicts. Its latest tenant is Jackie (Julie Benz), an ex-alcoholic who discovers that her new abode harbours a horrifying secret: it was once home to one of America's first serial killers, H.H. Holmes, and someone seems to be following in his bloody footsteps. To be honest, there's not a whole lot of originality going on in Havenhurst, the plot taking the well worn 'creepy old house with a secret' format (complete with hidden passageways and trapdoors) and adding a little Saw-style punishment for good measure, as meted out by cold-hearted landlady Eleanor (Fionnula Flanagan) and her sons whenever their tenants fall off the wagon. Despite a strong central performance and just a smidge of gruesome gore, the film never really delivers the chills, failing to get the pulse pounding with its hackneyed attempts at eerie atmospherics (the whole building could do with better lighting) and predictable jump scares (I lost count of how many times a creepy figure would suddenly rush past the camera in the foreground or behind a character). In short, Havenhurst is by no means a terrible film, just not all that inspired. 5.5 out of 10, rounded up to 6 for bumping off Danielle Harris, horror's most over-rated scream queen, as soon as possible.

At first quick glance, one might expect The Bramford of Rosemary's Baby infamy was being flown over upon demon wings, but then it is realizes]d that this is yet another impressive Gothicesque building arising stoically into the darkly clouded sky, so named Havenhurst. If one could imagine an organization like AA punishing drunks for intoxication, or torturing junkies for getting high, all the while being observed on hidden cameras for any sign of an offense, it aptly captures the general plot herein, while a huge goon dishes out the discipline, or so-called "tough love" onto a bloody silver platter complete with viscera, of the offenders who are quite literally turned inside out. A pretty brunette named Jackie seeks refuge at this deadly rehab center for her alcohol addiction after losing her daughter in a car accident. Signing her lease, she essentially commits her life to this lethal institution, incrementally learning its deadly secrets from its history with the nation's very first serial killer, H. H. Holmes, the plethora of secret hatches which Havenhurst is honeycombed with, escape routes, false walls, and observations holes, all overseen by the mysterious Eleanor who reminds Me of one Dorothea Puente, and her two faithful killer sons Ezra & Jed. One in charge of maintenance, the other of executions, or ridding this veritable murder castle of unpleasant offensive elements. The place is like a maze reminiscent of The 7th Guest, as every darkened hallway, elevator, and room carries own puzzle, levels of Hell creating one monstrous edifice seeped in blood. Once in awhile, one must ask oneself if these revenants to-be residents are deserving - and actually in the majority of cases, they certainly are, case in point a rotten couple of lushes mentally and emotionally abusing their daughter Sarah, whereupon it becomes physical, her friend Ezra steps in to terminate the problem, then eventually turns on Jackie when she violates the rules with her compulsive embibement. Overall, with shades of Nightmare on The The 13th Floor and tie-ins with the true crime case history of Holmes, even including influences of The Cecil, Havenhurst is sure to chill for claustrophobic, voyeuristic, sanguinous thrills. ∞

Imagine you are a recovering addict, either from alcohol, pills, or hard-core drugs. You finish your rehab and are sent to live in a lovely brownstone. Once you're there, you notice tenant after tenant disappearing right under your nose, and even though you try to get the police involved, they are completely disinterested. If that is the case, you are living in "Havenhurst." Jackie has just completed her rehab (for alcoholism) and she is moved into Havenhurst. She is also looking for her very dear friend, Danielle, a photographer, who suddenly disappeared. As luck would have it, she is moved into Danielle's recently "vacated" apartment. Weird things begin to happen and she desperately tries to piece together the mystery of Havenhurst. The few things I liked about this film were the style, the look, the story, and the pacing. However, this was all undone by unbelievable actions and non-reactions by the characters. Jackie is NEVER in a hurry. Even when gut-wrenching screams are heard coming from her next door neighbors, she manages to do the 100-meter mosey, acting neither alarmed, surprised, or even caring. This is never reported to the management and most times never to the police. The detective and police also got on my nerves. In today's times, they will investigate an ant fart, but screams, wailing, and disappearances bring about as much interest as an ad for swimwear featuring Hillary Clinton. And the ending--oh lord, the ending. All of us serious horror movie watchers know you usually just have to "go with the flow." However, I could not in this movie, and it RUINED it for me. Rated "R" for disturbing images, horror violence, simulated sex, and brief nudity. I did not particularly care for it; you might. This one is a toss-up.

A troubled young woman takes up residence in a Gothic apartment building where she must confront a terrifying evil. Director Andrew C. Erin (Embrace of the Vampire) brings us this film from a screenplay co-written with Daniel Farrands (Amityville: The Awakening). We also get music from tomandandy (Mothman Prophecies, The Strangers and a couple Resident Evil films), some of the best in the business. Farrands may be best known for writing "Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers" or for being involved in various documentaries about 1980s film franchises. He would appear to love that 1980s slasher feel, and (if so) it definitely comes through here. Although ostensibly a haunted house story, this is really a slasher at heart. The film opens with a pulse-pounding score, superior gore effects and a dazzling cameo from horror goddess Danielle Harris. Unfortunately only a cameo rather than anything approaching a "supporting" role, but the rest of the cast is just great. We have powerful acting from Julie Benz (Dexter, Buffy, Two Evil Eyes), and an evil maternal instinct from Fionnula Flanagan (The Others, Trash Fire). What sells the film more than anything is the cinematography, as the colorization is rich, and provides a nice palette against which to tell a moving story. The apartment offers up the best possible use of space -- sometimes overly spacial and intricately ornate, sometimes claustrophobic, and with a few nods to other horror classics such as "The Shining" and even "Psycho". The exterior aerial shots look great, and it left me wondering if this is a real building or if some crafty CGI is used. In recent years, public discourse was concerned about the so-called surveillance state, and those fears come to life here. We even have secrets behind the walls (reminiscent of "Crawlspace") and a plot twist that ties this (fictional) film to the upcoming (factual) "Devil in the White City". Although this story of murder and disappearance could be in any era, this surveillance aspect makes it especially timely, even if not intended by the writers. I highly recommend "Havenhurst". Though it seems to have been pushed back a year, it will be an early strong contender for great horror films of 2017. The film should be available widely starting on February 10, 2017.