Malibu Horror Story (2022) Film Review
Departing from the base it used in its first act, I really thought Malibu Horror Story would be a complete twist on the horror subgenre commonly known as “found footage”. When the film landed in the base of what it really is, I got a sour taste in my mouth. Luckily, I instantly realized I was mistaken. It’s not that horror needs to be smarter. It’s that sometimes enough depth has to be given to a backdrop in order to support a smaller, regular film. In this small horror film, such a backdrop is much more important than the outcome. And as personal as horror films are for me, this is something I treasure deeply.
What backdrop you may ask? Malibu Horror Story is many things at once. It’s a feature film about investigators heading to a mountain to finish shooting a documentary about a group of guys that went missing years ago. They’re poised to use a device and come up with evidence of the supernatural entities that authorities have refused to acknowledge over the years.
It’s also the mockumentary itself. The one they’re actively shooting at the moment. And it’s a found footage horror film based on the account of the missing young men who, of course, shot everything. Needless to say, there are no spoilers here. I’m just highlighting the clever script device used by debutant Scott Slone in his feature film. When you’re not sure of what will work, try everything.
It’s not that Malibu Horror Story ends up being a mess. Far from that. It’s just that found footage, being as convenient as hard to execute effectively, it’s a bit worn out. There aren’t many surprises to what you can do and that’s fine. Slone does what’s expected of him and shoots an effective horror film with many jump scares and a score that’s sharp enough to leave your ears ringing. But he also makes sure his film has weight in its story. Things happen for a reason, and that reason is interesting enough to make Malibu Horror Story a cool flick for me. Not all horror filmmakers deliver on this and I really celebrate those that do.
This isn’t to say, Malibu Horror Story doesn’t comply with expectations. Even big studio films are often shot under the equation that allows them to look like any other film. Malibu Horror Story has plenty of this as well. There’s nightmare fuel here in the form of practical effects and twists that will satisfy horror fans. And just like other found footage films, the introduction is shady enough to make some characters “deserve” their fate. Party people and junkies in today’s horror are the equivalent of characters getting laid in 80s horror.
This brings us to the eternal discussion of why characters in horror films do what they do. Some people question this and claim it’s the reason why the genre is often silly. In Malibu Horror Story there are idiots who go to camp where they shouldn’t, but they’re secondary to the core characters, the ones investigating. Their storyline is stronger, but are they believable? Who brings booze when you’re investigating an ancient entity?
Malibu Horror Story also complies with the dumb characters rule, but it’s exactly what we want in horror. This isn’t a genre film that will change your life and it doesn’t aim to be that. This is fun and scary horror that will make you jump every now and then and, why not, give you nightmares.
Yes, it’s also a horror film whose plot basis is strong. Enough for me.
