User reviews

The movie itself was very amateur...the dialogue, acting, story line...everything screams amateur...except the score and soundtrack, that was a great, retro, horror movie score. The action scenes are too short...left me wanting more...it was like there was a build up to each, then they were over in two hits. It really didn't hold my interest, but I did like the idea of the movie, it just needed to be fleshed out a little more. Overall, nice attempt at a horror movie throwback to the 80's, but not spectacular.

The music, however was very well done for such a low budget film. The soundtrack and score were both pretty good, I was impressed and that's the main reason for writing the review...the score and soundtrack deserved a shout out.

This is a pretty decent indie film. It was fun and ridiculous all behind the back drop of an 80's retro storyline (complete with a 80's glam band score.) I won't give any spoilers away but this is an enjoyable Halloween movie that doesn't take itself too seriously.

I get what they were trying to do here. It's the same kind of retro nostalgia that actually works in Stranger Things. Clever marketing and a good cover, but the film doesn't quite stand up to the hype. A good effort which needed a bigger budget.

I really wanted to like this movie more...

I've been eyeing this for sometime while it was being crowdfunded on indiegogo. Finally got a chance to watch and was very disappointed. Here are my issues.

My biggest draw to the film was that it was hyped on being a perfect 80s throwback to the VHS era of slashers. They do an OK job with the music, but I wasn't convinced with the film actually taking place in the 80s. The actors just look like modern kids going to an 80s party and they picked out 80s clothes as best as they could from a thrift store. The film itself has cheesy 80s filters that do not not feel genuine.

The practical effects were ehhh. Obviously done on an extremely low budget. Mix of practical and digital that reminds me of movies like Thankskilling. Appreciate the effort though.

Acting was pretty flat and I didn't care for any of the characters. Again super low budget. Even has a cameo with Linnea Quigley who's a seasoned scream queen, but you would have guessed this was her first time on screen.

The story, to be fair has some cool concepts, but gets drawn out way too long. I honestly think I would have been way more excepting of The Barn if it was just a quick short film or part of an anthology.

The only reason I gave this 2 stars was for the movie artwork and merchandise they put out. The art is awesome and alludes to a well polished/stylized film. It is enough to make you want to watch it, but that's about where it ends unfortunately.

To wrap... this is more than just low budget, it's DIY. Many of the other reviews seem like they are connected to the film and are obviously biased. If you are OK with DIY then you may be able to look past a lot of it's flaws, but be warned there are many.

I picked up a copy of "The Barn" given the movie's cover, and it did seem like it could be an interesting enough horror movie. It definitely had that throwback feel to it, back to the 1980s of horror movies.

And the movie definitely also had that ages feel to it. So that was at least counting in favor of the movie. But it was hardly enough to loom over everything that the movie was failing at.

First and foremost, the storyline in the movie was, and let me just be blatantly honest here, pointless and boring. The movie offered nothing new to the genre, and it felt like it was running on so much auto-pilot that it was derailing itself. Predictable to the core.

The characters in the movie were flaccid and one-dimensional, offering very little flavor to the movie.

As for the acting, well it was adequate enough, taking into consideration the type of movie and its budget size. Just don't go into watching "The Barn" with the hopes of seeing brilliant performances that will blow you away.

The creatures, monsters, call them what you will, in the movie were adequate enough. They weren't scary at all though. But the concept idea of them was interesting enough.

In terms of horror and shock value, then "The Barn" had absolutely zero of that, unless you've never seen a horror movie before in your life. Then, and only then, will you perhaps find some enjoyment in this movie.

I did manage to endure sitting to the very end of the movie, but it wasn't a particular satisfying ending to the movie. It was, in fact, also quite predictable.

Judging by the recent plenitude of (horror) movies - and even entire TV-series - that are either taking place during OR unmistakably paying tribute to the 1980s, I think it's safe to say that a whole new generation of filmmakers suffer from "homesickness" (by lack of a better term) towards the decade in which it was so much easier and more fun to produce and watch horror movies! There's noticeably an immense longing for the good old times when stereotypical characters and clichéd plot lines weren't world-widely criticized on the Internet before the movie got properly released (what Internet?), when dumb teenage protagonists were still getting into physical trouble rather than belittling each other via social media, and when horror victims were still being massacred by killers & monsters with hideous make- up effects rather than by digitalized computer creations. "The Barn" obviously also belongs in this trend and, although not as popular or hyped as "Stranger Things" or "The Final Girls", it's definitely worth checking out for fans of old-school splatter as well as amateurish yet enthusiast low-budget film making. It's almost Halloween in the year 1989, and the 19-year-old but still very immature buddies Sam and Josh are petrifying the neighborhood children and annoying their teacher (cameo of none other than Linnea Quigley). The next day, on their way to a Halloween concert with a few more friends, they stop at a godforsaken barn where according to an ancient local legend three sinister Halloween monsters lie buried. Against the will of firm legend-believer Sam, the group knocks at the door and thus awakens the Boogeyman miner, Hallowed Jack-o-Lantern and Candycorn Scarecrow. The monsters promptly go on a killing spree in the nearby town Helen's Valley, with as gory highlight the extermination of nearly the entire village during the annual Halloween dance. Writer/director Justin Seaman has a lot of heart for the genre and many bright ideas, and therefore you also gladly forgive the lack of style and the many directorial defaults. There are too many overlong dialogues, redundant sequences and questionable performances, but it doesn't matter all that much because this is a full-blooded Halloween feature and highly recommended for the fans. Too many gore-highlights to choose from, including decapitations, eye- gouging, pickax in the head, etc… There's also a good soundtrack and – like it was the case in the 80s - even a bit of totally gratuitous nudity.

Maybe a decent movie for low budget buffs, but I'm not one of them. My time is very limited so I rely on IMDB ratings when looking for something to watch. My goal is to find a movie rates "5" or higher. This movie met that criteria so I gave it a shot. I should mention that I saw it on Amazon Prime video. Anyway, I started watching the movie and it's a very low budget movie with horrendous acting (or maybe they're supposed to act horribly?). Regardless, the dialogue was horrible, the special effects were horrible, and (in my opinion) the movie was horrible. Had to finally give up and turn the movie off with 36 minutes left. I was mad at myself for picking this trash when I knew I only had 1 1/2 hours to spare. So if you're looking for a decent movie and have limited time. Pass on this movie. Unless you love low budget movies. If so, go for it.

It's cheesetastic.

The kills are hilarious. The plot is pretty silly.

So basically a wonderful snowy Sunday afternoon " horror " flick.

Just see this movie for yourself and draw your own conclusion.

The Barn is a movie that you will either like or not. There's no pretense with this movie. It has a strong marketing strategy that has worked in their favor, and it worked!

Personally, I enjoyed the movie. The acting was what you expect from a low budget indie film, but the cinematics and the mastery of nostalgia are what solidify this movie as a strong flick.

Everything is terrible about this movie other than Linnea Quigley being in it for a second and some brief nudity.

The worse part is the overdubbed dialog. I've been seeing this lately from amateur directors, they'll shoot the movie but don't capture the audio properly so they'll overdub the whole thing with already bad actors. It makes the dialog sound really unnatural, flat and studio, like an audio book with no room ambience or reflection. This trend has to stop... get a shotgun mic and get the dialog right on set!

There are amateur movies that have a heart and a love (and a respect) for horror that make viewers take notice and appreciate the effort and then there are amateur movies that just don't give a fffff. this is the latter.

wooden g*d awful distractingly bad acting, so poorly written, and so not scary (or creepy, or eerie).

but the best, the best was filming a car scene in a stationary "car" (or cardboard box) on a set with projector screen moving scenery while the "actors" sit completely still like they're chatting at a table in a bar. there's no body movement at all -- no jostling no bouncing not even leaning lol. i mean if you can't even convince someone you're riding in a moving vehicle then you're probably not ready to convincingly deliver lines. and so we care nothing about these expressionless life-size cardboard cutouts who've cringingly flatlined.

what i don't get is how you can be motivated to make a film but then not care to make a good one.

honorable mention: that pumpkin patch of obviously fake pumpkins. wow. just wow.

all in all a glaringly lazy lack of effort (and, frankly, respect). 2/10

This is one of the most God-awful movies that I've ever seen. Anyone who has rated this film above a 2 has to be directly connected to the movie. There aren't any spoilers about the movie because there is nothing worth mentioning. The acting is terrible. The special effects are worse. I know that this is supposed to be a low budget fright fest, but I would be surprised if the producers spent more than a hundred bucks on this trash.

Poor decisions and rash behavior are hallmarks of virtually every horror movie ever made, but some of the actions and decisions taken and made by the main characters are beyond imbecilic. If this is supposed to be a tribute/throwback to the slasher flicks of the 1980s, it fails miserably. The plot is ridiculously unbelievable, even by crappy movie standards.

This is a movie that I heard about thanks to horror movie podcasts. From what I remember, it was mostly positive things about it and it went on a list of movies to check out. This is one that I decided to view this since I'm going to Nightmares Film Festival where the sequel is making a premiere. I wanted to make sure I was up on it ahead of seeing that.

Synopsis: it's Halloween 1989, best friends Sam (Mitchell Musolino) and Josh (Will Stout) try to enjoy what's left of their final Devil's Night before graduating high school. Trouble arises when the two pals and a group of friends take a detour on their way to a rock concert, finding an abandoned barn and awakening the evil inside.

We start in the town of Wheary Falls back in 1959. We see a church and inside, the minister getting his congregation ready for Halloween. There is a party and he is trying to keep anyone listening away from a nearby barn. We see a girl smiling at her friend. They go out to this barn and awaken the evil, killing her. The boy flees.

It then shifts to the present of the movie, which is 1989. It is Devil's Night. Sam and Josh have an attraction where they scare kids. This draws the new minister, a Ms. Barnhart (Linnea Quigley). She scolds them and when Josh scares her, she calls Sam's father. He is irate with Sam, to the point where he is grounded and now must spend Halloween collecting items for the church instead of going to trick or treat.

Things all change when these friends go to the local skating rink. Working there is their friend Russell (Nickolaus Joshua). He alerts them that Michelle (Lexi Dripps) is also working. Sam likes her but scared to make a move. Josh tries to help, while embarrassing them both. The friends sit down and watch a local access channel that features Dr. Rock (Ari Lehman). He reveals that tomorrow, a metal band playing a hometown concert. Sam comes up with a plan to go. Michelle joins them and Josh invites her, under the guise that Sam is asking. They also ask their friend Chris (Cortland Woodard), who has a van. His girlfriend, Nikki (Nikki Howell) comes along as well.

The route that they go, they come across a sign for Death Falls. They take that and find the barn from the beginning. The group camps out there, waiting for night to fall. The plan is to go into town, trick or treat, then go to the concert. They build a fire and have drinks as they wait. Sam reveals his rules of Halloween to the group while they play truth or dare. On his turn, he is tasked with knocking on the door to the barn and to ask trick or treat. In doing so he wakes up the three demons.

These three are The Boogeyman, who is a miner. There is Hollow Jack that has a pumpkin for a head and can use jack-o-lanterns to see. The last one is Candy Corn Scarecrow, which can control the nearby corn fields and other plants. It is a fight for survival as they go out into the night to collect bodies to eat.

That should be enough recap of the story and introducing the characters. Where I want to start is that this is a supernatural slasher film. We get that classic set up for it. This starts with the kill of a child, which I wasn't expecting. That sets the tone. From there, we get are getting a modern take on an 80's slasher. I've come to realize that I'm not the biggest fan of this subgenre, but I do enjoy ones that are well done.

There are certain things that I look for these. This falls in as one of those movies that have been coming out as being set in the 80s. I was born in 87 but grew up with the movies of that era for the most part. I'm glad this movie was subtle with the approach. It isn't in your face. There are things like them going to roller rink or the show that Dr. Rock is on. I settle in with what the movie is doing without being hit over the head that this is supposed to be the past so that is good. That was something I can appreciate.

Now I want to delve into what makes for a good slasher for me. First would have to be the killer. This one is a bit different that we have three. I like the look of all three killers. The only issue I have is with Hollow Jack, who has CGI fire in his eyes. Going along with them are the kills. This sets the tone by starting off with one. We do get a lull to set up the characters and get them to where they need to. Once the kills start again, we don't go too long without getting to the next. I can appreciate that. What is interesting is that I saw trivia saying that this was inspired by video games that are known as 'side scrollers'. I can see that as well. These are ones where you defeat your enemies until you go to the next screen. That describes this movie well as things pick up.

Since I've said the kills are a big part of a slasher, I'll go to the effects. They went practical with this and I loved that. The blood and gore we get looked good. They did what they could to get as many variations on the kills as they could, which also works. I'll even pull in the cinematography here. I think how this is shot works. One gripe I have is the filter that is on the lens. It adds intentional grain. That doesn't work for me since I know that isn't real. It doesn't ruin the movie but hurts it slightly.

Another part of slashers are the characters. They aren't great, but they work. Since the kills are and our villains are the focal, that is fine. Musolino and Stout are solid as our two leads. I liked Dripps. She does disappear for stretches, but she also isn't the main character. I did find her cute. Other than that, I thought Woodard, Howell and Joshua rounded out that friend group. It was fun to have cameos by Quigley and Lehman. The rest of the cast around them is fine. I will say that the acting is amateur, but that adds the charm of slashers of the past.

The last thing to go over would be the soundtrack. I'll be honest, I loved it. It adds to the tension and the atmosphere. There are also times where we get music that sounds close to metal music. This isn't usually what I listen to, but I liked what they did with it. The score is one of the strongest parts of this for sure. I did have issue with the dialogue though. It can be stiff at times, but that's not the problem. It just sounds off. Almost like it was recorded in a tunnel. This doesn't ruin the movie, but something that stuck out.

In conclusion, this is a fun take on an 80's supernatural slasher. The look of the killers is interesting for the most part. I like the mythology they set up and things that get revealed as we go. The effects of the kills are good. The only issue I had was CGI with the fire for Hollow Jack. The soundtrack here is great. I think that the acting is amateur but works for what was needed. The only other issue is with how the recording of the dialogue sounded. This is a fun film in my opinion.

My Rating: 7 out of 10.

This is just crap. Don't waste your time. It's not worth it.

I'm kind of torn on where The Barn truly scores- went with an average of a 7, can see it one point higher or lower by lovers of "heart & soul indie horror," but, don't have much argument with those being a bit more disappointed. To get a few clarifications out of the way: one, I'm NOT a lover of films that believe their love for a genre outweighs polishing and whose reach is further than their grasp. Why? In MOST cases, the filmmakers' exuberance often wanes as they realize what they envisioned simply isn't coming across in their dailies due to their limited means. It often comes across harshly on-screen and their reliance on passion keeping viewers invested falls apart. Sadly, this happens in 90% of the indie films I'm told to check out. Secondly, as background, I was very much alive, well, aware, and invested in pop culture in the 80s, where, outside of the prelude, this film takes place. Both of these are taken into consideration for this review. I'm extremely happy to report that, in regards to number one, The Barn never loses its "I'm excited to be bringing this story to life!" Sensation- not just from the director, but from the actors on-screen. You can argue that there's varying degrees of talent among those telling the story, whether in front or behind the camera, but the enthusiasm by all makes up for many; not all, but most, of The Barn's technical shortcomings. The inclusion of a couple special guest appearances will most certainly be welcome, especially that of Linnea Quigley, who's given an extended cameo and is still stunning as someone who consumed anything with her name on a VHS box as a hormone-driven teen. Just wonderful to see her on-screen again, and one can hope she returns in an extended, even starring role if the sequel comes to fruition. Her inclusion here is, if Trivia be believed, is based largely on seeing the preview and feeling that palpable enthusiasm emanating from it. Heck, perhaps they can convince her to revisit her graveyard dance from ROTLD set in the pumpkin patch for the sequel? 16 year old, and even pushing 50 year old me can dream. With all the appreciation I had as a viewer for being handed a film in which entertainment, not profit, was front and center, there are some things that threatened, or occasionally succeeded in, removing the suspension of disbelief SO necessary to a horror film, but amazingly, none was centered around the monsters or behaviors of the characters. Primarily, (and again, referencing my preamble, specifically the second point,) the 1989 setting seems more like both just typing on the screen with how little reference is made, and made somehow worse when a reference is actually made. This is perhaps the biggest (and really, only,) example of The Barn reaching for something it might not have been able to grab hold of. There's no real feel that it's taking place at the sunset of the 80s. Whether via the setpieces, the lingo, dressings of people or locations, it just seems haphazard or less enthusiastic about picking 1989 as its era. Sure, one guy wears a Walkman, and every once in a great while, as if someone behind the camera suddenly remembered the film was set in the 80s, would have an actor spit out an 80s euphamism... "Quick, remind the audience we're in the 80s! Use "grody to the max!"" But, even those are far and few between. It seems largely a wasted opportunity and more an excuse as to why there's no cell phones than any important piece to the story. Outside of the wasted chance at making the 80s actually relevant here and more than a date flash on the screen, I had only one other instance where it felt a bit "off," and my apologies to the adult actor if I'm mistaken, but when we encounter the grown-up survivor from 1959, he seems much more aged than he should be 30 years later. It was actually a bit of a surprise once that realization hit. Still, in the scheme of an indie film, made on a low budget, that lost its FX guy, had to reshoot those scenes, then had its financing pulled, had actors move and then return on their dime, unpaid, to finish a project based in love for the film, there was so much that could have kept this film from being finished or being put out as the mess it very well could have been with all that went wrong during production, it's an impressive feat born from heart, soul, passion, enthusiasm, and in all likelihood, no shortage of blood, sweat and tears. It's worth your hour and a half to see what can be done when everyone involved believes in what they're making. It's a film that a viewer would love to see bring success to all and, much like a Sam Raimi, perhaps even be remade with a larger, proper budget (make no mistake, even with the limited budget here, most FX are impressive and better than is usually expected,) and tightened up, much as Evil Dead 2 did with the original ED. As is, it seems a sequel to The Barn is being planned, and I, for one, am anxiously awaiting it to see where the story goes from here.

If you're looking for a great movie that succeeds with trying to achieve an 80's feel, check out The Final Girls. The Barn had some great critics reviews but the acting was beyond horrible, it had none of the awesome 80's cheesy humor, and was it was boring. The gore wasn't too badly done but it was pretty basic.

So I have to admit that I have been following this film for a long time (years its seems like), but luckily I was able to finally see it on the big screen at it's Texas premiere at the Alamo Drafthouse last week. I won't ruin anything from the film, but I must say from the story line and trailers (which are great BTW) I assumed this film would be a straight parody of 80s horror films. But to my surprise it was not like that at all. If you're looking for straight scares, you won't find it here- as this is much more of a love letter to those retro films. Yes it certainly feels like it could have been released in 1989, but the film doesn't poke fun at the genre at all nor does it feel self aware that it is indeed a "horror film". The cast was surprisingly good for being comprised of relatively unknown actors and the characters they portrayed were very likable. The Special FX were far better than I imagined they would be and the music was killer. This film had every opportunity to go the complete "cheese" route, but it didn't. It walked that fine line of fun/silly but authentic with sometimes a serious tone in the story arc. You could tell the production team must really have a soft spot for 80s B Movies. If you love films centered around Halloween, Monsters, and Rock music... then I highly recommend you track down this flick!

Stars : Linnea Quigley (ROTLD) and Ari Lehman (Friday the 13th).

This film is really quite good from Terror Films distribution.

Need to find out more of The Hucklebucks and their music.

There is more than one villian, Take that Jason, Freddy and Micheal !

We have The Candy Corn Scarecrow, Halloween Jack AND The Boogeyman.

Lots of scares,Gore and even a few naughty bits.

The script just flows and characters are well rounded with issues and make you believe their plight is so scary.

The makeup is gruesome done on townsfolk and the 3 monsters are very cool in their latex skin.

This is a very amateurish, cheesy, and lame horror movie, about a group friends take a detour on their way to a rock concert and finds an old abandoned barn. After searching the barn, they've inadvertently awaken an evil that has been lurking inside.

It is a typical slasher movie, but with very bad acting, overkill gore (spilled intestines and guts galore), and a predictable outcome. There are bits of scary and jumpy moments, but much of the film suffers from its lack of imagination, solid plot, dramatic story, and likable characters.

Grade D--

On Halloween, 1989, some teens in southwest Pennsylvania make the mistake of entering a forbidden barn, which unleashes three diabolical creatures: a miner boogeyman, a pumpkin man and a scarecrow.

"The Barn" (2016) only cost $80,000 and was a life-long dream project of producer/writer/director Justin M. Seaman. I've seen several such movies by Indie filmmakers shooting in their beloved local areas and you have to understandably brace yourself for the worst, like stilted acting, lousy sound, questionable editing, cheesy effects and unconvincing action sequences. Considering the limited budget, this scores proficiently in all the above with 'B' queen Linnea Quigley showing up for a one-day gig. It's colorful and has a great rockin' soundtrack by no-name artists. The key actors take a relatively serious approach while some of the peripherals ham it up in an amusing way, like Sam's dad.

Where it drops the ball is the writing. There's not enough depth beyond the descriptive blurb above and so I found myself bored with the story and characters in the second half. A similar Indie production, "Angel" (2018), featured stilted acting and lousy action scenes, but it at least had an interesting story (and great cinematography and locations), which made it more rewarding even though "The Barn" is technically superior and delivers the goods for fun Halloween ambiance.

Lexi Dripps (Michelle) and Nikki Howell (Nikki) are serviceable on the feminine front, but more shoulda been done with them. A body double was, incidentally, used for the latter's brief top-nude scene.

It runs 1 hour, 28 minutes, and was shot in various areas of southwest Pennsylvania, including West Alexander (main location), Claysville (street scenes), Washington (roller rink) and Emsworth (Dr. Rock sequence).

GRADE: C+