Film

Hell Fest

Name: Hell Fest
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Released: 2018
Cast: Amy Forsyth, Christian James, Reign Edwards, Roby Attal, Bex Taylor-Klaus

A masked killer stalks teenagers through a Halloween carnival, murdering them while revelers mistake the violence for part of the show. It's a straightforward slasher built on a genuinely clever premise—the theme park's elaborate gore makes real death invisible. Efficient, unpretentious fun for anyone who likes their horror lean and sweaty.

TMDb rating

2.9

If you liked this

Happy Death Day2017

Time-loop slasher with real inventiveness and genuine laughs. The premise forces creativity; it never settles into predictable kills. Smart enough to be fun, fun enough to skip the pretense.

But The tone whipsaws between comedy and violence in ways that don't always land. If you need your horror consistent in mood, this will feel scattered.

Freaky2020

Body-swap slasher that finds new angles on the formula by letting both killer and final girl think on their feet. Vince Vaughn is terrific. It builds real momentum and earns its darker turns.

But The comedy is broad and frequent. If horror and laughs fighting for space bothers you, this will feel tonally chaotic.

Ready or Not2019

Bride-on-the-run thriller with the same single-location energy and escalating stakes. Samara Weaving is excellent under pressure. Moves fast, has bite, knows exactly what it is.

But Leans hard into satirical comedy. The rich-people-hunting premise is played for laughs, which softens the threat.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Hell Fest

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Chopping Mall1986

Both use a public leisure space as a hunting ground where normal activity masks the violence. Hell Fest uses the carnival's spectacle; Chopping Mall uses the mall's mundanity. Same trap, different texture.

Mall setting, group of attractive young people, mysterious killer—but set in a shopping center where robots have gone haywire. It's a b-movie that commits fully to its premise and has genuine fun with it. Real practical charm.

But Unapologetically 1986, from the mall fashion to the synthesizer score to the robots' ridiculous design. It will read as unintentional comedy to some viewers.

X2022

A film crew shoots a movie on a remote farm; the old owners turn violent. Modern slasher that respects the form while finding genuine new ideas. Tense, nasty, inventive kills.

But Slower burn than Hell Fest. Takes time building dread, and some viewers find that patience tedious.

The Funhouse1981

Tobe Hooper's carnival slasher, older and weirder. Teenagers trapped in a haunted house attraction with a real killer inside. Genuinely unsettling atmosphere and practical effects that still hold.

But Pacing is slow by modern standards. The setup takes forever, and some scenes feel padded even for 1981.

Stage Fright2014

Musical slasher set in a theater where a company doing Carrie gets stalked by a real killer. High-concept premise executed with genuine craft. Songs are legitimately good.

But Commits fully to being a musical, which means singing and dancing take time away from murder. Some viewers find that annoying.

Slasher2016

Anthology series where each season is a self-contained slasher mystery. Efficient storytelling; each arc moves fast and respects its premise. Canadian production with real bite.

But Streaming availability is scattered and regional. Later seasons lose some of the energy the first few seasons had.

Killing Zoe1993

Both trap characters in a space—carnival and rave—where chaos is the atmosphere and predators blend seamlessly. The killer here is predatory greed rather than a person, but the mechanism is identical.

Stylish, nasty bank-robbery thriller set in Paris where a rave in an abandoned building becomes a bloodbath. Roger Avary's only film, shot in 16mm, pure visual momentum. The violence is sudden and real.

But Arthouse sensibility dressed as genre thriller. If you want plot clarity and emotional engagement, the alienation will frustrate you.

The Night House2021

Both are about entering a space designed to hide danger, where you can't fully see what you're facing. Hell Fest hides killers in costumes; The Night House hides secrets in architecture. One's a slasher, one's a haunted-house film, but they're obsessed with the same problem: how to know what's real.

A widow explores her dead husband's dark secrets, discovering a labyrinth of rooms in their lakehouse. Genuinely unsettling, beautifully made, Rebecca Hall gives one of her best performances. Horror that trusts silence and suggestion over gore.

But Cerebral, slow, grief-soaked. If you came for masks and kills, this will feel like homework about trauma and guilt.