Stephen Cognetti’s 825 Forest Road arrives with the weight of expectation, given his cult-favorite Hell House LLC series. As his first departure from the found-footage genre, one would hope for a fresh take on the haunted house formula. Unfortunately, despite some promising elements, the film struggles to make a lasting impact and ultimately feels like a missed opportunity.
The film’s structure, broken into chapters, suggests an ambitious narrative, but it doesn’t amount to much. The story starts with a somewhat intriguing setup reminiscent of The Conjuring, but it quickly shifts into an uninspired family drama that drags on for far too long. There’s an abundance of exposition, and by the time the film actually builds to anything significant, it’s already wrapping up. The pacing makes it feel like a chore to sit through, and for a horror film, that’s a death sentence.
Visually, 825 Forest Road is a step above standard straight-to-streaming horror fare. The camerawork is clever at times, and there’s a polish here that exceeds the Hell House LLC films. A lone found-footage-style scene does briefly capture the eerie tension of Cognetti’s previous work, but it’s fleeting and only serves as a reminder of how much better those films were in comparison.
The performances are serviceable, with the female cast members standing out more than their male counterparts. The lead actor, in particular, delivers a forgettable performance that fails to anchor the film. The characters themselves are not particularly likable or engaging, making it hard to invest in their fates. When tension does arise, it lacks emotional weight because there’s no one to genuinely root for.
In terms of scares, 825 Forest Road leans on predictable jump scares that rarely land. The film’s most unsettling element—a mannequin—had the potential to be a unique and terrifying presence, but it’s underutilized and ultimately wasted. The supernatural threat of Helen Foster is generic and indistinguishable from the countless other vengeful spirits that populate lesser haunted house films.
By the time the film reaches its conclusion, it does offer a decent enough ending, but the journey there is so tedious that it hardly matters. While 825 Forest Road is a well-shot film with a few glimmers of potential, it fails to distinguish itself in an oversaturated genre. Horror fans looking for the next great supernatural thriller will be left disappointed. Instead of carving out something new, Cognetti should have perhaps stuck to what he does best—because this attempt at innovation is as forgettable as the film itself.
Jessie Hobson