In Defense: The Gallows

(imdb.com)

Remember when audiences and critics alike gave up on the found-footage genre? Yeah, that happened about five years before the untimely release of The Gallows by Warner Bros. Pictures. Too similar to the oversaturated found-footage and teen horror subgenres, the release of The Gallows was met with critic panning and complete dismay. But, unlike some truly horrible horror films, the complete disregard for The Gallows is somewhat unwarranted.

Set in the modern day, The Gallows follows a group of teens exploring their school after dark in an attempt to destroy a play set. The Gallows mythology is built around a fictional play of the same name that 20 years prior had been central to an accidental hanging of a student at the school. Upon arrival, the teens become locked in the school and things descend into chaos from there. The film stars Reese Mishler (The End of Forever) - a Troy Bolton type, originally forced into the play but having grown to care for it and his drama queen costar Pfeiffer, played by Pfeiffer Brown. His more cliquey friend Ryan and Ryan's girlfriend Cassidy spearhead the attempted downfall of the play and are played by Ryan Shoos (Bastard) and Cassidy Spilker (God's Not Dead).


Not to deny the film's flaws, it's important to point out how paper thin the film is. Featuring a pretty basic execution and some tumbled camerawork, The Gallows deserves criticism for its lack of originality. But, plenty of movies are and The Gallows certainly sets itself up better with a fresher angle than many movies that get far more critical praise (every superhero movie - especially from Marvel is the same) and even though the shaky cam is worn, it’s never criminally bad. There's plenty of atmosphere and built suspense, unlike actually bad horror movies like The Bye Bye Man and even the film's predictability isn't entirely a bad thing because it does fill out its edges properly before making a dashing bolt for the finish line.


So what's actually good about The Gallows? Well, for starters, the film offers a pretty great, young cast who feed into their roles with deep commitment. Spiller in particular is a memorable addition as the sometimes-mean girl and Shoos plays condescending well. These purposely unlikable characters make for one of horror's most iconic and useful tools: a group of bad characters who have bad things happen to them. It's a restful and entertaining experience for viewers who crave this type of satisfaction and is an overlooked part of the film. On top of that, the cheap, but effective jump scares that run rampant throughout the film make for a suspense-driven journey that works most of the time.


Horror shouldn't always be about achievement. Sometimes - especially in the summer months - fans of the genre just want something easy and fun to watch. The Gallows is that movie. It's a simple, but entertaining film that features some great young stars, a few terrific jump scares and enough bang for your buck to make it worth it. Even if it's not some landmark film with deep meaning or an original plot, The Gallows does exactly what viewers should have thought it would do.