Alrighty, I've paid my last visit to HHN so it's time for a final house rank. My overall feeling is that this was a solid year with houses that wouldn't necessarily enter the hall of fame discussion but are satisfying and successful on their own terms. The lows, though, are pretty darn low.
I do think Murder of Crowz and Luchadores rank among the best scare zones we've ever had, though. It feels like the creative team is taking a more iterative approach to them by building on successful concepts rather than just repeating them, or settling for the bare minimum. Hopefully there's a way to similarly "plus up" the other two zones. I love that our event starts with a gauntlet of actors, but if you catch it at an understaffed moment or if they simply miss you in the crowd, it can feel lifeless, especially compared to the other two. That's kinda my biggest note this year: re-think the first two scare zones.
Loved Dangerous Waters again. We should have had it years ago. (A-). I'm starting to learn that I'm not a Terror Tram guy. I always love going back there, but I don't think there's any concept that could really spark an interest for me at this point, and when you remove what was hands down the best part (Nope sets and Us actors), I don't see the point. Only did it twice. (C-).
The Chucky show, I'm so torn on. I love the idea, but each one I caught felt more like a proof of concept rather than a fleshed-out idea, like it's a rough draft for a final project. I dunno. I say mess around with it a bunch and bring it back next year, hopefully it'll be on its feet. (C)
Also, not sure if it's just me, but I'm sensing some fatigue from the GP. Could be the ticket price, or a disinterest in the IPs, or the poor ops making the ticket price hurt even more, but the crowds were definitely a lot thinner this year, and even the folks that did turn up just didn't seem as hyped as years past. I went a total of three times and the energy was noticeably flat. Idk, it's a purely anecdotal observation but I wouldn't be surprised if the air's starting to leave the balloon, so to speak.
Okay, rankings:
1. TCM: Legacy of Leatherface: I was iffy on the "multiverse" concept or whatever it is, but at the end of the day, it's an impossible IP to screw up. There's a reason it's among them most enduring horror movies of all time (the 50th Anniversary is selling out in theaters all over). It's got everything you want, and this house just delivers. The house is gross and visceral and the actors are great (the best in any house this year, if you ask me). Not sure really what more to say other than houses like this are what keep me coming back to HHN. I dock it slightly because it is a little too familiar in spots -- as much as I enjoy it, a break would be fine. (A-)
2. A Quiet Place: I get the criticism that's it's basically just Stranger Things again. It's mostly puppets/animatronics and the actors are "performing" more than they are scaring. That said, in my opinion, this blows every ST house we've ever had out of the water, and it made my realize how good these kind of houses can be when done correctly. It's not perfect (there's a flat moment here and there), but not only does it plant you in the movie, it conveys the movie's terror in unique and very specific ways. No other house this year does that. (A-)
3. Monstruous 2: With the other monster concept starting to really falter, we're lucky to not only have this one, but also have it hitting so hard. I love the creativity and atmosphere -- it's a real "house of horrors" in the sense that each segment is different, but it still has a cohesive and connected feeling overall. It's inventive, it's intense, and I can only hope that they keep the momentum up. I think it's one of the main things that makes the Hollywood event unique. (A-)
4. Insidious: The Further: The Red-Faced Demon is an all-timer. Just a scary figure and the way he's utilized here is great; some of the best moments of the entire event. When he's not around, though, this one definitely kinda drags, like there wasn't as much effort put into those sequences. But I still like the property, I really liked the concept of the house this time around, and I think it actually might have my favorite facade after The Weeknd. It just had a little too much "Where's Poochie?" energy. (B)
5. The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy: So yeah, the facade. It's such a highpoint. It hyped me up every time I entered the soundstage. The house itself is good but doesn't match the last version. It felt like it was mostly a lot of ideas that hit the cutting room floor last time. I really loved the repurposed Chucky robots, but outside of those and a couple other inspired moments, I thought it lacked the gonzo energy and weirdness that was so prominent in the last one. (B-)
6. Dead Exposure: The first time I went through this, I thought it might end up being my HOTY, but repeat runs were not kind. (I think it was the thrill of seeing that gorilla and getting that blast of AC on opening night.) This is a KSF house that's well beyond it's prime, especially in the way it leans on familiar gimmicks. I will give props to the gorilla, though, and if the house is properly staffed, there are some intense scares (especially the last two rooms). But overall, houses like this encapsulate both my aversion to original mazes, and my wariness of borrowing too much from Orlando. Less of both, please. (C-).
7. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire: Every suspicion I had was confirmed. The main issue is it relies too much on set pieces, and if they aren't firing correctly (and most of the time, they aren't firing correctly), things get confusing and awkward. I had one run where literally every cue was off, and the actors were straining to sync up their triggers and not interacting with guests at all. One of the roughest things I've ever seen at this event. This is an Orlando house, and by that I mean it's just something for people to look at rather than experience. And again, when the stuff to look at isn't even functioning properly, what's the point? (D).
8. Eternal Bloodlines: I don't wanna pile on with negativity. (D-)