‘The Resort’ Review- Took So Long To Get To The Scary Stuff
This movie was released in 2021.
The Resort is a horror film directed and written by Taylor Chien. The movie was released through Vertical Entertainment, which gave it a limited theater run before it went to streaming.
Lex (Bianca Haase) is a budding horror novelist whose friends Chris (Brock O’Hurn), Sam (Michael Vlamis), and Bree (Michelle Randolph) surprise her with a birthday trip to Hawaii. The plan is to explore an abandoned vacation resort on a small island that is haunted by the “Half-Faced Girl.” To save money, they pay a helicopter pilot to take them there, but he warns them that their only way back to the Big Island is to go to the south part of the island for a ferry. When they find the resort, everything seems spooky, but fine. However, when the sun starts to go down, things start to get bizarre. As the friends find themselves surrounded by the explained, their simple trip for research goes incredibly wrong as scary occurrences continue to chase them through the resort.
For the acting, it was competent. There was nothing terrible, but nothing exemplary. The actors all come across like they are taking the material seriously, and seem believable when the danger happens. You do get slightly concerned for their safety as they navigate the terror that is unfolding before them.
The main issue with the movie is that it is short. Normally, I do not find this bothersome. I can appreciate a movie that does not overstay its welcome and can keep the story nice and tight. The problem with this movie spends so much of the first and second acts setting up the characters before things start to get scary. There is a tease at the beginning, but then the movie shows the friends arguing about belief in the supernatural. At times, these arguments got repetitive and made the movie feel longer than it should have. Because of this, the climax felt rushed and forced instead of impactful.
It was something so fixable, too. As the characters walk through the jungle to get to the resort, they could have given us a hint of the terror to come. This would have made it a bit more interesting and entertaining.
Bottom line, The Resort is a movie that allowed the set-up to get in the way of the plot. If the “scary” elements had gone into play earlier, I think it would have been a more impactful film.
PARENTAL CONCERNS: Gory violence, Strong foul language
FAVORITE QUOTE: Could you take a picture of me with the mirror in the background?
Check out the trailer below:
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, anime, movie, or novel you would like me to review.