Mischief Night (2014) User Reviews

Attempt to do something new, but not quite successful..

[stsinger · 5/10 · 24 May 2014]

I can appreciate the attempt to do something new with the serial killer/slasher/stalker/home invasion film, but this flick doesn't quite pull it off.

Film begins with Kaylie, a teenager who is covering a babysitting gig because her friend is sick. It is the night before Halloween, and after dealing with kids playing pranks, girl-talk with her friend, a visit from a boy she likes, and a cameo from Malcolm McDowell, she settles in for the night. Then, a masked man breaks in with a knife and comes after her.

At that point, the movie completely shifts. The masked man is not your typical killer and the girl is not your typical victim, and the movie grinds to a complete halt and becomes incredibly boring and talky while the two of them start to "bond" and develop sort of a relationship.

The movie picks up again at the very end, but ends up with an ending that is so totally obvious that anyone paying attention probably figured it out very early on (I know I did). And to make things a little more annoying, based on the very last shot, the filmmakers think they are WAY more clever than they actually are.

There are a couple of gory murders, but no real scares and, as I said, the middle of the film is a snooze-fest. Couple that with the predictable ending, and it's hard to recommend for a horror fan. Which sucks because I really wanted this film to be good since it's a noble attempt.

Failed execution but good idea

[LiamBlackburn · 5/10 · 21 May 2014]

The movie starts out slow and stays slow. It then morphs into some kind of a suicidal teen love comedy. The serial killer in this movie ends up picking the wrong girl to kill. She is suicidal, she cuts herself, she talks to strangers, she hates her parents. She is not the typical cheer leading princess that a real slasher likes to kill. This is all a really good idea for a movie. It just falls really flat in terms of the serial killer actor. He is not funny, he is not serial killer material. He is short, beady-eyed, looks like a loser type of college kid. His face lacks emotion and his acting is all one- note. One unnecessary part is how he kills the girl's friend right before he enters the house...there is just no point to that. The movie is incredibly predictable in terms of plot, and there is no real tension. It's like a really bad ripoff of "I know what you did last summer" mixed with a teen Disney Halloween night.

Spoilers follow ...

[parry_na · 6/10 · 4 May 2017]

Brooke Anne Smith plays Kaylie, the sardonic, bored, scratchy voiced precocious ex-self-harmer who has been lumbered with a baby-sitting job because the original baby-sitter, and Kaylie's friend, is ill. Actually, her friend isn't ill at all, and ends up as the first throat-slashed victim of a killer.

Anyway, a masked miscreant breaks into the house and gets caught up in the inevitable mild violent exchange with feisty Kaylie. With the baby long forgotten, the two then strike up an, ahem, unlikely bond, and are soon charging round the neighbourhood enjoying some Hallowe'en, trick-or-treat pranks. The misunderstood unmasked man and the dough-eyed wildcat blond strike up a bond of profound stature, two bland posers psycho-analysing each other to the sound of tinkling synthesised music. Two misunderstood youngsters flirting heavily whilst drinking all the alcohol in the house of the parents of the baby no-one cares about.

As the unnamed man behind the mask Marc Valera makes the most of the emotional backstory he is given, but an audience is being asked a lot to suddenly be required to relate to someone who it seems has just cut the throat of a local girl. It is all rather more than a little twee and seems to be setting itself up for some highly unlikely self-analysis between two pretty shallow people.

However, I believed this film was setting itself up in certain way. What resulted is something a lot more intelligent than I gave it credit for, and although others may guess the outcome, I found the storyline surprising in all the right places. It might occasionally seem like a struggle to get through at times, but 'Devil's Night' is worth sticking around for until the very end.

Malcolm McDowell, who plays a curious, extrovert local –'do-gooder' appears to have a great time with what it little more than a cameo. So much so that his various out-takes actually crop up after the end credits.

Worse than Bad

[veganlyfe · 1/10 · 1 September 2017]

The people that have left positive reviews must've been paid to do so. This movie has bad acting and an even worse script. The boys pranking at the beginning are just stupid. The babysitter is terrible - not listening to the mom on the phone, drinking vodka, stealing pills, and cussing at a little baby! She's an idiot and I wanted to kick her ass. It's completely obvious that she's the one that is crazy and is doing the killing. The whole premise of the movie is just stupid. Save yourself 88 minutes of your life and pick a different movie!

Horrible from start to finish

[msblackeyes68 · 1/10 · 23 December 2016]

How anyone could give this movie any great reviews is beyond me. The babysitter played by Brooke Anne Smith was the type of character that makes you cheer for the bad guy. She drinks takes pills and swears at the baby. She opens the door every time someone knocks. And when she sees some guy wearing a costume instead of slamming the door like a normal person she walks up to him. Luckily for her it wasn't anyone set to harm her. Though to be honest I was hoping they would and the movie would be over. Then in the next scene she sees the killer at the patio door and what does she do? Leaves the baby in the house alone and goes outside for a swim. At this point in the movie you've established your opinion on the leading characters. And I'll guarantee you won't like the leading lady. Then there is the plot. Killer stalks babysitter. Killer kills leading girls friends. Killer breaks into house babysitter knocks him out. Babysitter leaves baby in house and jumps out window hurting her ankle in which killer gets girl. At this point I'm truly hating the babysitter. Then somehow as she's tied up and he's threatening her and she's asking not to be killed a virgin. Kill her yes but she wants him to have sex with her first. And then killer falls for leading lady. I started thinking maybe this was one of those fake scary movies full of dumb characters. But I don't think that was the writer/director/producers plan. With such a horrible script, untalented and unlikeable characters this movie isn't even good enough to call bad. It's not a b-movie more like a g- movie. I don't review most of the movies I watch. Perception is singular and all people are different. But when I see such a horrible film I feel the need to save someone from wasting an hour and a half on such trash when they could be watching paint dry and have more fun. I recommend watching something else. I could give ideas of better movies but in truth. Their all better then this one.

comedy wanna be? Misses on all factors

[tcrazyd · 1/10 · 22 October 2020]

I like horror. I like a good scare. I love movies that others hate. I love lots of B horror movies. This is just.... lame. If they wanted a comedy, they should have gone that route, instead of inserting dumb humor where none fits. If they wanted a scare fest they should have tried for it. No trying here. Utter fail.

Okay...what?!

[ravenhair702 · 7/10 · 20 May 2020]

Okay folks...this is a weird damn movie. I thought this was going to be a Scream like film...so wrong. The only thing I liked about this movie is that it was from Lionsgate and it had Malcolm McDowell in it. That sold it for me. The lead actress's voice was nails on a chalkboard. Her acting was passable and hopefully can improve. It's an okay movie to watch, but you're not going to be satisfied with it in the end. I'm glad I only paid 3.21 for it. Peace.

The only killer is going to be me, because I watched this film

[ArchonCinemaReviews · 1/10 · 6 October 2014]

Mischief Night is a romantic film that baits audiences pretending to be a horror movie.

It is mischief night, devil's night, the one night a year where anything goes, so why can't a serial killer unexpectedly fall in love with his victim?

Mischief Night takes a risk and tries to be something different from the slasher killer horror movie typical of the genre: "The night before Halloween, a teenage babysitter is stalked by a masked killer; but in an unusual turn of events, victim and victimizer begin to develop romantic feelings for each other."

The opening sequence of the film was intriguing; shots of Halloween decorations and punk kids pulling pranks in a quiet suburban neighborhood. Mischief Night had potential for being the horror film to watch for fans of the festive night of Halloween, especially having a brief cameo by Malcolm McDowell for horror aficionados. Unfortunately twenty minutes into the movie it becomes a boring introspective talk fest that drags along between two mundane characters.

Brooke Anne Smith is the heroine Kaylie, she is strange and atypical, she has problems (sarcasm abounds). Marc Valera is The Man who unsuspectingly falls for his blonde haired victim. Both are so monotonous, so dull, that if I could I would jump into the movie just to kill both the characters and save myself sixty minutes of my life.

The film is so obviously expected and plebeian it is quite sad that writer/director Travis Baker actually thought he was making something riveting, intellectual and good.

More FULL reviews can be found at our website, so check it out.

The reason for this disparity is Unconventional Approach

[qyzenreviews · 7/10 · 23 May 2021]

An intriguing premise full of potentially though falls in the middle during the characterization.

The opening credits of the movie with such montage of Halloween decoration sets the vibe straightaway.

When the film looked like it's another sluggish slasher the plot shifts and changes its tone.

Though the plot could have been improvised in many ways in the middle that is the only moment I believe the film tests your patience. It's not the best film but with low budget it's a very clever direction.

The cinematography is very vivid the color used here shifting from orange to blue is very striking and pretty good.

The acting is acceptable neither so awful nor so incredible all things considered.

The dialogues are genuinely where the film falls short and misses the mark.

This isn't the film for everyone, it's not really a scary film with a lot of jump-scares rather it's more about the craft of film making.

If, movies like Hush and Don't Breathe attract you then this is something you would like otherwise it's just another horror/slasher movie as mentioned.

Sucks terrible insult to the genre

[speedgtr92 · 1/10 · 23 June 2014]

I think this film is terrible. They could of done something good with the plot, instead stupidity and dumb romance. It's clown shoes. The other movie with this title is good bit this film is a joke. The killer never shows his face, the victim didn't fall in love with the killer, effects were horrible too. Watch the 2013 film, that is a true horror film. This is pure trash, I was hoping for something Halloween sequence but instead I get this joke of a film. Unnecessary language just makes the film less tasteful. Dunt waste your time or money with this garbage, they're are so many good underground horror films to watch that are actually good such as Mirrors 2, Joy ride 3, house of dust, house of God and evil, let me in, séance.

wow caught me off guard!

[kellynolan1001 · 9/10 · 21 May 2014]

i have to admit that i didn't expect much going into this. thought it would just be a cheesy bad night at the movies kind of slasher with lots of gore and ridiculous one-liners. but whoa, this really surprised me. it's an interesting movie and has all kinds of stuff you never expect to see in a horror movie…like good acting! and writing! and camera work! there's lots of twists and surprises and even some decent gore. but it's much more about the characters. the two leads are really good together. and Malcolm McDowell is AMAZING of course! and i love the way they portrayed Halloween, which is my favorite holiday. you should watch it if you're looking for something different and fun.

Regular...

[RosanaBotafogo · 7/10 · 26 May 2020]

Different, an unusual outcome, a long development, full of problematic conversations and some unfounded, I liked the old man, the nosy neighbor, who has some extra scenes at the end of the film ... It is neither good nor bad, different, regular ...

Terrible film about Devil's night!!

[metallicagnr56 · 2/10 · 30 October 2014]

This film sucked, I can't wait for a good filmmaker who actually has a good script to make a masterpiece on Devil's night. The acting was terrible. The twist was nothing special and very anti climatic. The fight scenes were terribly done and not believable. The only good parts were the score and Malcom. The film started out okay, but with the lack of talent from the director and lead actors this film fell fast. I would consider this one of the worst films for the genre. If you are expecting your typical slasher film you will not get it here. This is a failed attempt to showcase insanity. This film is a waist of time and money, do not watch it!!!!!!!!

4.7 is generous

[Pgalland25 · 3/10 · 9 March 2020]

Just all around bad, and I'm a fan of terrible horror movies. It just wasn't quite bad enough to reach that so bad it's good again mark.

Really Good Halloween Horror

[dolphinswimgym · 9/10 · 23 May 2014]

Every October I gather up a ton of Halloween themed movies and have a marathon. This October I can't wait to add Mischief Night to the mix. I'll even probably save it for Mischief Night itself, which is the night before Halloween, even though I never heard it called that before! This was a movie that had all the standard Halloween horror stuff crammed in it, but also had a whole lot more. Part of me even wants to say it's not a horror movie, but of course there are some scary parts, and there is the usual throat slits and decapitations we've all come to expect. But a big part of it is about talking. I won't say who is doing the talking, that would be a spoiler, but just trust me when I say it's not who you would expect! The movie stars Malcolm McDowell in a small but funny role (he even gets a whole blooper reel in the credits that's worth the price of admission alone) as well as Brooke Anne Smith (who is amazing as Kaylie the crazy teenage beauty) and Marc Valera (who I've never seen before but who will definitely getting more work after this). It also stars Matt Angel from the MTV Psycho 16 movies (he's awesome) and Nikki Limo from Youtube. It's a good cast for such a small movie. The best part of all is the music! It's not like John Carpenter's Halloween theme, it's sometimes rock n'roll and sometimes guitar and sometimes orchestra, but always good. What a great addition to my Halloween line-up!

Loved This

[jasonfreddyx · 9/10 · 21 May 2014]

What a weird and awesomely different movie this was! Saw the trailer and was very intrigued. Never heard of any of the actors involved (except Malcolm McDowell) and it seemed pretty low- budget but the fact that it also seemed to have this strange twist to it was enough to get me to want to watch. And I'm glad I did. This movie was wacky! First the killer is trying to hack up the dumb blonde girl who is always making stupid moves like swimming almost naked in the pool, then it turns out the blonde girl is way smarter than we thought and maybe the guy doesn't want to kill her, and then they start talking and opening up to each other and you don't know what to think, or what's going to happen next. It's not as funny or violent as Scream, but it has funny and violent parts, and it's overall more emotional. Loved all the performances, but Brooke Anne Smith and Marc Valera particularly. They have great chemistry. The lighting is really moody and creepy too. This one was pretty original and well done.

Surprisingly Amazing Film!

[jludwig9-815-781283 · 10/10 · 27 June 2014]

Deciding whether to watch this I thought, how many babysitter getting stalked horror movies do I really need to see? That's why I thought this would be terrible. It was the opposite. One of the best horror movies I've seen in a long time, BECAUSE it's not like any horror movie I've ever seen, let alone any babysitter getting stalked horror movie. Twists abound. I don't want to spoil anything, all I'll say is stick with this past the first 25 minutes and you will be rewarded. Best Malcolm McDowell cameo ever in a movie. Don't confuse this with the other Mischief Night, which is the inferior movie by far compared to this one. Cult classic in the making.

Dunno HOW?! But,putting this down as one of my favourite horror films!!

[lorcan-61881 · 10/10 · 25 July 2017]

Mischief Night(Also known as Devils Night in United Kingdom and Ireland)came out as another After Dark 2014 horror film that would be the talk for about 1 day and then nothing. Somehow,I got tangled in to watching this in 2015 and suddenly..fell in love! with it..the film is about a girl who while minding a baby must face a killer on the loose but when he reveals his true self,she soon finds a place in her heart for him. Brooke Anne Smith was an actress I actually encountered before this as she was in Max Keebles Big Move as that girl who like..yeah. I thought in this,she was good but obviously a bit cheesy. Everyone else were brilliant. I advice you to see this because there was a lot of creepy scenes as well as a very put in to detail storyline. Mischief Night is a very very VERY good horror film that you honestly should go see because I have it on DVD..now..that mite ya know..tell ya

Mischief

[biancaroberta-13365 · 10/10 · 7 November 2023]

Mischief Night(Also known as Devils Night in United Kingdom and Ireland)came out as another After Dark 2014 horror film that would be the talk for about 1 day and then nothing. Somehow,I got tangled in to watching this in 2015 and suddenly..fell in love! With it..the film is about a girl who while minding a baby must face a killer on the loose but when he reveals his true self,she soon finds a place in her heart for him. Brooke Anne Smith was an actress I actually encountered before this as she was in Max Keebles Big Move as that girl who like..yeah. I thought in this,she was good but obviously a bit cheesy. Everyone else were brilliant. I advice you to see this because there was a lot of creepy scenes as well as a very put in to detail storyline. Mischief Night is a very very VERY good horror film that you honestly should go see because I have it on DVD..now..that mite ya know..tell ya.