From the filmmakers of Paranormal Activity and Insidious comes another found-footage horror, The Gallows, produced by Jason Blum and directed by Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing.
The premise involves a school play that went horribly awry with a main actor, Charlie, accidentally killed with a noose. Twenty years later, a group of teenagers (Reese Mishler, Pfeifer Brown, Ryan Shoos, Cassidy Gifford) decide to revive the play in honor of Charlie, but little did they know their intentions would take different turn. Charlie, as a paranormal force, begins to terrorize the four teenagers one by one, all whilst being recorded on a shaky video camera.
And so ensues a series of perils in which Charlie pursues the group of friends with rope…
All in all the story is easy to follow, predictable, and lacking in innovation. The setup of the film could have allowed for a more exciting direction, but unfortunately it fell under gimmicky cliches of the horror genre, with little or no diversion from the plot line sequence. Although there were attempts at comic relief and above-mediocre stylistic direction, there lacked any significant redeeming qualities – the characters seemed to have insufficient experience to relay genuine fear and relatability to the audience (with maybe the exception of Pfeifer Brown). This is not to say the film is a no-go, it might be a great thriller for easily frightened friends or family.
